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The effects of gentle teaching procedures applied to persons with severe or profound mental retardation with attention-seeking and avoidant behaviors
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to provide legitimate gentle teaching procedures to six mentally handicapped individuals. Specifically, this investigation sought to determine the effectiveness of gentle teaching for individuals with severe or profound mental retardation who, based on a functional analysis, displayed functionally different maladaptive behaviors (i.e., escape/avoid task or people or gain attention). Particular attention was devoted to ensure that gentle teaching was implemented according to the guidelines of its proponent. Great detail was given to implementation of gentle teaching as described by the author through the use of extensive training of caregivers, video taping of sessions, and having experts in gentle teaching review training sessions to ensure that gentle teaching was, in fact, implemented. Caregivers also attended gentle teaching inservices and viewed several gentle teaching tapes. Features of a multiple-probe baseline design across individuals in conjunction with an A-B-A-B design was used to compare gentle teaching and regular habilitation interventions in the reduction of maladaptive behaviors. Results indicated that those clients, whose behaviors functioned to gain social attention, were not impacted by gentle teaching procedures (i.e., maladaptive behaviors did not significantly change from baseline levels). Results of gentle teaching with those clients whose behaviors functioned to avoid/escape task or people also showed little behavior change from baseline levels. These findings are contrary to those found by McGee et al. (1987) and McGee and Gonzalez (1990). Possible explanations for these findings are presented. Limitations, suggestions/directions for future research are also discussed.
Subject Area
Behaviorial sciences|Special education|Educational psychology|Psychotherapy
Recommended Citation
Kohl, Rodney William, "The effects of gentle teaching procedures applied to persons with severe or profound mental retardation with attention-seeking and avoidant behaviors" (1995). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9600743.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9600743