Retarded Children as Observers, Mediators, and Generalization Programmers Using an Icing Procedure

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Abstract
A profoundly retarded blind child, engaging in mild forms of self-injurious behavior, was treated using other retarded children as mediators and generalization programmers. In the first phase, three retarded children served as observers and mediators in an icing (placing an ice cube in the target child's mouth and simultaneously holding his hands down while counting to three) procedure designed to decrease the shirt and/or finger sucking-chewing behavior of a retarded schoolmate. Results indicated that the procedure was effective but did not generalize outside of a 30-minute treatment session. In a second generalization programming phase, observations were taken every 71/2 minutes through the entire day. After baseline, the retarded peers were brought in for five 10-minute periods spaced throughout the day. During these periods they delivered icing contingent upon their schoolmate's shirt and/or finger sucking-chewing behavior. Results demonstrated that 50 minutes of icing led to generalization throughout the entire 8-hour day.