A DEMONSTRATION OF GENERALIZATION OF PERFORMANCE ACROSS SETTINGS, MATERIALS, AND MOTOR-RESPONSES FOR STUDENTS WITH PROFOUND MENTAL-RETARDATION

A treatment package, consisting of multiple exemplar training and comm unity-based instruction, was evaluated for its effectiveness in teachi ng four students with profound mental retardation and multiple disabil ities to participate in two sets of community-living tasks. All traini ng took place in community settings, and each student demonstrated imp roved performance on at least one task set. In addition, all students demonstrated improved performance on a series of tasks selected to ass ess generalization of performance across settings, materials, and/or m otoric responses required to complete the target task. Maintenance of performance over a 4- to 5-month period was assessed and achieved for two of the students. The results of this investigation are discussed i n terms of the implications for programming for students with profound mental retardation.