Skill acquisition in parents of children with developmental disabilities: interaction between skill type and instructional format

A variety of instructional formats have been used to teach parents of child ren with developmental disabilities how to implement treatments for problem behavior. Although several authors have suggested that the efficacy of var ious instructional methods might depend on the type of skill taught to pare nts, no studies have been designed to systematically explore this potential interaction. In this preliminary study, three parents who requested outpat ient services for treatment of their children's problem behavior were taugh t to implement multiple treatment components. Therapists employed the most cost-efficient method first (i.e., written and verbal instructions) to teac h prescribed behavior management strategies (e.g., differential reinforceme nt). If the parent's behavior failed to meet a performance criterion, feedb ack was included in training sessions. The efficacy of verbal and written i nstructions varied across different components of the child's treatment pro gram. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.