This study evaluated the utility of a structured descriptive assessment (SDA) as an alternative method of functional assessment. Initially, an analogue functional analysis, conducted to assess the problem behavior of two adults with developmental disabilities, produced inconclusive results. Subsequently, SDAs was conducted in the individuals' natural environment with the direct-contact caregivers acting as therapists. This assessment manipulated antecedent variables similarly to the analogue functional analysis but allowed for consequences to occur naturally. The results from SDAs suggested that problem behaviors, for both participants, were occasioned by removal of personal items and maintained by their return. Treatments based on the results of SDAs were implemented in a reversal design and resulted in a notable reduction in the occurrences of problem behavior for both participants. These outcomes suggest that SDA procedures may be useful when results from the analogue functional analysis are inconclusive.

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The purpose of this study was to teach play skills to a six year-old deaf male child with autism and to determine if these play skills would reduce self-stimulatory behaviors. The child was introduced to an independent play schedule duing two teaching phases using prompting and reinforcement procedures that have in the past been successful in teaching new skills to children with autism.

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The objective of this dissertation was to conduct an evaluation of a knowledge mobilization process in a community-based organization that supports adults with intellectual disabilities. The aim of the project was to understand how stakeholders share knowledge, use knowledge, and collaborate to make decisions regarding practices to support friendships for adults with intellectual disabilities. We produced two literature reviews; one systematically documented the views of adults with intellectual disabilities with regard to their relationships, and the other examined existing literature on strategies to support friendships. We also conducted two primary research studies in which we documented and evaluated knowledge mobilization activities in community-based organizations. We used a mixed-methods approach and collected data from a variety of stakeholder groups associated with a community-based organization, including staff members and the organization’s director, adults with intellectual disabilities, and family caregivers. Additionally, we collected data from staff working in a variety of community-based organizations that support adults with intellectual disabilities. During our primary research studies, we produced a variety of knowledge mobilization outputs regarding friendship support, including an evidence brief, a conference presentation, online presentations in French and English, and an informational website in French and English. The results of the studies included in this dissertation, our recommendations regarding community-based knowledge mobilization, and the knowledge mobilization outputs we developed can be used to improve knowledge mobilization practices in community-based services. Studying knowledge mobilization to support individuals with intellectual disabilities highlights some of the complexities that should be considered within community-based services, such as working with a variety of stakeholder groups, and including stakeholders that are potentially vulnerable to social exclusion.

Receptive language skills form the foundation for later expressive use and therefore play an important role in language development. The role of receptive language skills in the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has received limited attention as, historically, the function of AAC has been to enhance the expressive language skills of persons who rely on AAC. While this is an important role and the primary outcome of AAC intervention, the role of AAC intervention on receptive language skills is equally important. The ability of persons who rely on AAC to understand spoken language ranges from age equivalent comprehension to minimal comprehension. AAC interventions that improve comprehension include a variety of strategies, but a synthesis of the effects of these strategies has not occurred. The aim of this scoping review was, therefore, to map and synthesise the research evidence on the effects of AAC interventions on receptive language skills of children with developmental disabilities. A four-pronged search strategy was used to identify studies that met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-three studies were included in the scoping review. The studies were described in terms of number of publications, participant characteristics, research design, AAC interventions, intervention outcomes, intervention effects, and quality appraisal. Furthermore, the studies were described in terms of three groups of effects: (i) the effect of aided AAC interventions, (ii) the effect of unaided AAC interventions, and (iii) a comparison of two types of AAC interventions. The trends and gaps in the literature are highlighted in terms of the use of AAC interventions and the receptive language skills addressed. Directions for future research are posited. Valuable preliminary evidence regarding the effects of AAC interventions on receptive language skills of children with developmental disabilities was obtained in the scoping review. / Mini Dissertation (M(AAC))--University of Pretoria, 2017. / National Research Foundation (NRF) / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / M(AAC) / Unrestricted

A two-part study explored the maintenance effect of Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) featuring multi-component treatments by examining one year follow-up data from a larger study. Participants were ten parents of children (ages 3-5) with developmental disabilities and severe problem behaviors. Parents were also identified as having high levels of pessimism. BPT featuring multi-component treatments was provided in two conditions: Positive Behavior Support (PBS) and Positive Family Intervention (PFI). PBS included a standardized protocol to teach parents how to conduct a functional assessment, develop and implement a multi-component treatment, which includes the following strategies: prevention, teaching replacement skills, and managing consequences. PFI embedded optimism training in the same protocol used in PBS. Optimism training included presenting parents with their negative self-talk and having them practice using more positive self-talk throughout all sessions. In the first study, improvements in child behavior were observed after treatment, which maintained one year later for both conditions. The second study further revealed that participants in the PBS condition frequently used passive strategies vs. participants in the PFI condition who frequently used proactive strategies during post and one year follow-up. The current study did not reveal a specific treatment component to be responsible for behavior change and maintenance, but provided some insight as to the type of prevention strategies pessimistic parents are likely to use depending on whether or not they received optimism training. Suggestions for future research in assessing the remaining treatment components are discussed.

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AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF

School readiness literature indicates that skills which lend themselves to readiness and success in primary school are not amongst the skills generally taught in center based care facilities. Furthermore, children enrolled in non- maternal care settings are at greater risk for developing problem behavior. To address this issue, the Preschool Life Skills (PLS) program was created as a preventative intervention to teach functional communication and social skills to typically developing children. Children diagnosed with developmental disabilities are not immune to these concerns and are also at risk for developing problem behaviors in non-maternal settings, due to insufficient instruction and contingency management. The current study aimed to evaluate and identify the dose of instruction necessary for the PLS curriculum to be a successful and efficient teaching tool for children with developmental disabilities. Twelve preschool life skills were taught to 9 participants across 4 instruction units. Instruction was provided by means of a three-tiered instructional approach, which incorporated class-wide instruction, followed by small group and individual instruction as necessary. Skills were sequentially introduced and unit probes were conducted following mastery of all 3 skills within a unit. Results indicated that the adaptations made to the original preschool life skills curriculum led to skill acquisition with all nine participants.