Abstract
This study explores the efficacy of three different environmental conditions — Toy Proximity, Modeling, and Instructions plus Modeling — on the independent leisure activity of three severely and profoundly handicapped individuals. The effects of the three different conditions were evaluated in a combination simultaneous treatment design and ABA reversal design with each of the experimental conditions presented in a Latin Square sequence. It was found that each of the three antecedent events resulted in substantially higher levels of independent play than baseline activity. Instructions plus Modeling led to the highest level of independent play while Toy Proximity and Modeling resulted in lower but almost equivalent rates of responding. Implications of this research include more systematic approaches to behavioral assessment and stimulus-fading maintenance strategies in recreation settings.

This publication has 14 references indexed in Scilit: