|
| Establishing Safety Skills in Children: Recent Empirical Investigations |
| Sunday, May 28, 2006 |
| 1:30 PM–2:50 PM |
| Baker |
| Area: CBM; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Adel C. Najdowski (Center for Autism and Related Disorders) |
| Discussant: Patrick C. Friman (Father Flanagan's Girls and Boys' Town) |
| CE Instructor: Adel C. Najdowski, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: Recent research has focused on a variety of methods to increase safety skills. However, given the on-going national growth in accidental injuries and deaths, there is a continued need for empirical investigations on the establishment of these vital skills. Three papers will be presented on teaching children safety skills. First, research will be presented on enhancing the effectiveness of behavioral skills training for teaching safety skills to prevent gun play across 45 6-7 year olds. Second, the results of implementing a group contingency to decrease dangerous playground behaviors among typically developing children will be presented. Finally, research on training safety skills to children diagnosed with autism will be presented in addition to the results of training caregivers of children from this population to decrease potential home safety hazards. |
| |
| Enhancing the Effectiveness of Behavioral Skills Training for Teaching Safety Skills to Prevent Gun Play. |
| AMY C. MACKNER (North Dakota State University), Raymond G. Miltenberger (North Dakota State University), Peter J. Knudson (North Dakota State University), Amanda Bosch (North Dakota State University), Candice Jostad (Western Michigan University) |
| Abstract: Recently, researchers have shown that in situ training enhances the effectiveness of behavioral skills training (BST) for teaching safety skills to children. The purpose of this study was to compare BST and an enhanced BST procedure that incorporated simulated in situ training for teaching skills to prevent gun play. We randomly assigned 45 6- and 7-year olds to 3 groups (BST, enhanced BST, and control), assessed safety skills with in situ assessments, and evaluated the procedures in a posttest only, control group design. For participants who did not use the safety skills at posttest, an in situ training session was conducted. The results showed that both training groups were superior to control at posttest and that enhanced BST was superior to BST at posttest. In situ training resulted in an increase in safety skills for both training groups and for the control group. Finally, the safety skills generalized to a dyad assessment in which the participants were assessed when a peer (confederate) challenged them to play with the gun. |
| |
| Decreasing Dangerous Playground Behaviors Utilizing a Group Contingency. |
| MICHELE D. WALLACE (University of Nevada), James Summers (University of Nevada) |
| Abstract: Playground injuries are currently the leading cause of death and injury in young children. Little research utilizing behavior analytic techniques to decrease risky playground behavior has been conducted. We evaluated a group reinforcement contingency to decrease risky playground behavior. Results demonstrated that dangerous playground behavior was reduced by over 80%. In an effort to add to the literature as well as give parents, teachers, and school administrators a tool to decrease risky behavior with low response effort, we provide a simple technique, the result of which is drastically reduced risky playground behavior. We utilized a group reinforcement contingency wherein the children could gain access to preferred stimuli contingent on a reduction in dangerous behavior relative to baseline measures. |
| |
| Teaching Children with Autism Safety Skills. |
| JAMES SUMMERS (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Rachel S. F. Tarbox (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Jonathan J. Tarbox (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Arthur E. Wilke (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), JiYeon H. Yoo (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.) |
| Abstract: Five percent of home accident fatalities involve children between birth and 4 years of age (National Safety Council, 2000). Explicit training of safety skills in children diagnosed with autism is of utmost importance due to the pervasive behavioral deficits commonly exhibited by these children. In an effort to add to the current research in household safety in young children with autism we sought to discover a practical method to teach these vital skills. A multiple-baseline design across participants was implemented to evaluate the effects of using rules, prompts and social praise to teach participants to respond appropriately to a doorbell as well as to the presence of dangerous household chemicals. Further, an assessment system that quantifies potential home safety hazards was implemented across several homes of children diagnosed with autism. Results of these analyses will be presented in addition to a review of the current behavioral literature on safety skills training. |
|
| |