Staff members (N=72) of 12 community residential facilities for the retarded rated the acceptability of four behavior modification procedures. Treatments were rated according to their restrictiveness with differential reinforcement of other behavior the most acceptable, followed by time-out, overcorrection, and shock. (Author/DB)

This study examined issues of communicative control for residential program staff and eight individuals with deaf-blindness and mental retardation. For six of the subjects, communication was initiated and dominated by others in the environment. Rate of communication with other residents and visitors was extremely low. Implications for…

Three booklets provide fire safety information for staff of residential facilities serving people with developmental disabilities. Booklets focus on: (1) preventing fire death and injury, (2) conducting a fire drill in a group home, and (3) the role of fire safety experts. The first booklet stresses the elimination of the following dangers:…

The fourteen brief articles in this theme issue all examine challenges in the development of direct support staff working with people who have developmental disabilities. The articles also include the views of direct support providers and people with developmental disabilities themselves, as well as examples of strategies used by provider agencies…

The performance of four direct service providers in feeding, positioning, and transferring physically disabled patients was measured. Use of written instructions led to slight and usually brief changes in performance. The introduction of feedback, especially a continuous schedule, resulted in marked improvements which were maintained. (Author/JDD)

Evaluated with 18 attendants in an institution for the mentally handicapped were several teaching formats: modeling, instructions, videotape feedback, or film, videotape modeling, filmed modeling, or live modeling, or control. (Author/DB)

The evaluation of the Learning Booth program is reported. The program involves a Learning Booth equipped with an electric typewriter and staffed by a trained attendant, a sequence of child-paced instructions, a training program for Learning Booth attendants, and other related materials. Two main objectives were evaluated: (1) offering a child an…

Describes prescription behavioral intervention projects to help two American Indian female paraprofessional trainee dorm attendants at a Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school modify behavior of six female secondary students experiencing trouble during non-school hours. Demonstrates that given proper support systems, effective behavioral…

Using prompting and reinforcement procedures, five severely retarded individuals were trained and employed as client care workers to provide verbal and physical interaction and leisure materials to nonambulatory, multiply=handicapped residents of a mental retardation facility. Levels of interaction equalled or exceeded those displayed by exemplary…

The pyramid training model was evaluated as a means to teach six supervisors and aides working with profoundly retarded adults the training skills of increasing assistance prompt hierarchy and specific praise in developing clients' daily living skills. Providing training to supervisors resulted in improved training skills for them and subsequently…

Training materials are beginning to be developed, packaged and (sometimes) evaluated for use by behavioral professionals to train nonprofessionals teaching and care-giving skills; however, economic factors in many programs require that non-professional staff be trained by their non-professional predecessors. To evaluate the function of training…

This report describes the development and pilot testing of a fire safety certification system for board and care operators and staff who serve clients with developmental disabilities. During Phase 1, training materials were developed, including a trainer's manual, a participant's coursebook a videotape, an audiotape, and a pre-/post test which was…

This study evaluated procedures used to train 10 supervisors in a residential setting to provide feedback for maintaining direct-service staff members' teaching skills with people who have severe disabilities. A combination of classroom-based instruction, on-the-job observation, and feedback that targeted supervisors' feedback skills was found to…