TEACHING KEY USE TO PERSONS WITH SEVERE DISABILITIES IN CONGREGATE LIVING SETTINGS

Key use remains overlooked for increasing independent material are by persons with severe mental retardation. In Experiment 1, a procedure t o train key locating was evaluated in a multiple-probe withdrawal desi gn across three groups of participants. Most participants located thei r keys when reinforced for doing so; however; key locating decreased w hen the reinforcement procedure was withdrawn. In Experiment 2, a mult iple probe design across four participant groups war used to evaluate a training procedure to teach key use. Twenty of 25 participants used a key to open and lock their personal lockers as a result of training. However, only 36% of the participants were able to use their keys wit hout prompts from experimenters.