Educating Children with Autism (2001) / Chapter Skim
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9 Adaptive Behaviors
9 Adaptive Behaviors
Pages 103-114
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From page 103... ...
For example, behavioral interventions for toilet training have been based upon principles of both operant and classical conditioning (Azrin et al., 1971; Azrin and Foxx, 1971, 1974; Mahoney et al., 1971~. The problem of nocturnal enuresis has been addressed with urine detection devices that serve to awaken children so they can get out of bed when wet, as well as with systematic behavioral procedures involving practice, rewards, and clean-up requirements (Hansen, 1979~.
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From page 104... ...
However, most applications of instruction in community living skills have been developed for children and adults with mental retardation. Daily living skills targeted have ranged from appropriate mealtime behaviors (O'Brien et al., 1972; Wilson et al., 1984)
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From page 105... ...
Specifically, children with autism were found to show deviant and not just delayed development in the social and communication domains represented on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (Sparrow et al., 1984) , although not necessarily in domains of daily living skills that can be more easily taught (VanMeter et al., 1997~.
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From page 106... ...
The advantage of children with autism was reversed in the groups of adults, with people with autism functioning at lower levels in academic and social skills although they continued to maintain an advantage in gross motor skills. FORM OF ADAPTIVE BEHAVIORS A subjective account of 25 Irish mothers of children with autism between the ages of 3 to 14 years of age presents an array of perceived difficulties in the day-to-day management of a child with autism and the consequent effects on the child's family (O'Moore, 1978~.
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From page 107... ...
Other studies have reported rates of sleep disorders that equal or exceed those of children with other developmental disorders (Dahlgren and Gillberg, 1989, Thompson et al., 1994~. Other adaptive behaviors pertain to home and community living skills, with applicable areas for young children including dressing, grooming, and safety-related behaviors.
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From page 108... ...
As with other children with developmental difficulties, acquisition of basic capacities for communication, socialization, and daily living skills are important determinants of outcome. Significant discrepancies, for example, between performance in a highly structured setting and in less structured settings, or between intellectual skills and adaptive abilities, indicate the importance of including an explicit focus on teaching such skills and encouraging their generalization across settings.
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From page 109... ...
A primary consideration in selection of adaptive living goals should be the skills needed to promote age-appropriate independence in community living, so that a child can have access to the larger social community. For example, children who are not toilet trained are not likely to have access to classrooms with normally developing peers, and parents of children who present safety risks will be less likely to take them on community outings.
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From page 110... ...
Similar results were found in comparing sensory versus edible reinforcers; rewards having sensory properties were found to be less vulnerable to satiation (Rincover and Newsom, 1985~. The importance of systematic reinforcer assessment has been demonstrated to improve learning and attention to task, and the use of highly potent rewards on learning tasks has also been shown to yield positive side-effects in terms of substantial drops in levels of maladaptive behaviors (Mason et al., 1989~.
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From page 111... ...
Modeling by typical peers was not sufficient to produce acquisition, but both boys learned all target skills when the peers provided direct instruction. Physical exercise has been found to decrease self-stimulatory behavior in children with autism, as well as to yield collateral changes in appropriate ball play, academic responding, on-task behavior, and ratings of general interest in school activities (Kern et al., 1982~.
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From page 112... ...
INTERVENTION PROGRAMS Virtually all of the well-known programs for young children with autism provide instruction in adaptive daily living skills, which often form the basis for development of communication, social, and even motor skills. Several published program outcome evaluations have specifically examined progress in adaptive skills as measured on the Vineland.
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From page 113... ...
Chapter 12 presents more information on various model programs' approaches to intervention in the area of adaptive behavior. Unless a specific focus on generalization of skills is included in the intervention program, it is possible for children with autistic spectrum disorders to learn skills in a highly context-dependent way.
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From page 114... ...
Although general measures of adaptive behavior may indicate increasing discrepancies from normal development with age, the potential to make practical changes in the lives of children with autistic spectrum disorders through teaching specific skills that have value in the community (e.g., toilet training, pedestrian safety) or for the child (e.g., dressing)
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