Increasing Independence Within Adult Services: a Program for Reducing Staff Completion of Daily Routines for Consumers with Developmental Disabilities

• Published in: Behavior analysis in practice 2014-10, Vol.7 (2), p.61-69
• Main Authors: Towery, Donna, Parsons, Marsha B., Reid, Dennis H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Classrooms; Consumers; Developmental disabilities; Education; Empirical Report; Employment; Psychology; Teaching
• ISSN: 1998-1929; 2196-8934
• DOI: 10.1007/s40617-014-0013-4

To illustrate, recent applications of behavior analysis technology within adult day programs have demonstrated effective means of training skills for working productively in community jobs (Lattimore et al. 2008), participating in age-appropriate leisure activities (Jerome et al. 2007), and acquiring daily living skills (Parsons et al. 2008). In conducting such research, as well as performing normative observations in adult day programs in a number of states (Reid et al. 2001), we have observed one particular situation in which staff frequently perform tasks for individual consumers that has not been specifically addressed: routine, transition-related activities. [...]an additional means of promoting consumer independence in adult services would be to reduce staff completion of transition-related routines and increasing consumer completion of the activities. In addition to the instruction and work periods, classroom activities included morning and afternoon snack breaks, preparation of materials and space for the paid work activities, and cleaning up after work periods.