USE OF INTEGRATED, GENERAL-EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS AS PRIMARY CONTEXTS FOR SKILL INSTRUCTION FOR STUDENTS WITH SEVERE, MULTIPLE DISABILITIES

Four students with severe, multiple disabilities learned to use four t o five new skills at critical moments within age-appropriate activitie s. Instruction was provided only at moments critical to the continuati on of the activities when natural cues and consequences delineated the need for the target behaviors. This method of intervention was combin ed with a more traditional package of antecedent prompt-fade procedure s and, in a few instances, time delay. The purpose of the study was to analyze the effects of instruction given only at natural critical mom ents on the acquisition of basic sensory, motor, social, and communica tion behaviors. A multiple baseline design across skills within separa te activities for four participants was employed. Fifteen of 17 skills were acquired to criterion. In addition, ''learning to learn'' effect s occurred within each activity as instruction of new target behaviors was introduced. The outcomes are important for the participant popula tion because they document the effect of integrated educational models for teaching the most basic skills. Discussion of the motivation prov ided by activity routines in general education and community settings, as well as interpretation of data when participants have the most sev ere disabilities, is presented.