Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities - Division on ...
Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities - Division on ...
Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities - Division on ...
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enhance the <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dependence of an adolescent<br />
with AS at home <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> at school.<br />
Method<br />
Participant<br />
Kent, a Caucasian male <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>al year of<br />
public middle school <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Midwestern<br />
United States was the participant. He was 14years<br />
old, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> had a diagnosis of AS made by<br />
a medical professi<strong>on</strong>al us<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g criteri<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />
Diagnostic <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Statistical Manual of Mental<br />
Disorders – 4 th Editi<strong>on</strong> (American Psychiatric<br />
Associati<strong>on</strong>, 1994). Kent’s <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>telligence quotient<br />
was <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> the above average range <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> his<br />
grades were average. He had c<strong>on</strong>siderable difficulty<br />
with his h<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>writ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g it both<br />
tiresome <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> tedious.<br />
A Behavior Assessment System for Children<br />
(Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1992) was adm<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>istered<br />
to Kent’s resource room teacher, his<br />
mother, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Kent himself. His teacher reported<br />
that Kent was rated “At-Risk” <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Attenti<strong>on</strong><br />
Problems, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> was identified as “Cl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ically<br />
Significant” <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Anxiety, Atypicality, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
Withdrawal. Kent’s mother classified him as<br />
“At-Risk” <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Hyperactivity, Anxiety, School<br />
Problems, Learn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g Problems, Withdrawal,<br />
Adaptive Skills, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Behavioral Symptom Index;<br />
he received “Cl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ically Significant” scores<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Atypicality <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Attenti<strong>on</strong> Problems. The<br />
discrepancy <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> resp<strong>on</strong>ses between Kent’s<br />
teacher <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> mother appears c<strong>on</strong>sistent with<br />
other reports by educators <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> parents address<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
the characteristics of a child with AS<br />
(Barnhill et al., 2000; Myles, Fergus<strong>on</strong>, &<br />
Hagiwara, 2003). Kent rated himself as “At-<br />
Risk” <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Anxiety <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Atypicality; other areas<br />
fell <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> “Average” or above ranges <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his report.<br />
An Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile<br />
(Brown & Dunn, 2002) was also completed by<br />
Kent. This measure <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dicated that Kent<br />
avoided sensati<strong>on</strong> much more than most people,<br />
was more sensitive to sensory stimuli than<br />
most people, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> exhibited registrati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
sensory seek<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g behaviors <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a manner similar<br />
to most people.<br />
Sett<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
The study took place <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Kent’s math <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> social<br />
studies classes, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his home. Kent’s math<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>structi<strong>on</strong> occurred <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> the resource room <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
a small group sett<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g that <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cluded two other<br />
students, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> his social studies class was held<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a general educati<strong>on</strong> classroom with 20<br />
other students.<br />
Target Behavior<br />
Kent relied heavily <strong>on</strong> prompts from his parents<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> teachers to complete his daily activities.<br />
Without multiple prompts from his<br />
mother to f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ish rout<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e daily tasks, for example,<br />
Kent would become distracted <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> stop<br />
his rout<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e. In school, Kent’s teachers<br />
prompted him to gather the appropriate materials<br />
before class, pay attenti<strong>on</strong> dur<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g class,<br />
submit his homework, record his homework<br />
assignments, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> transiti<strong>on</strong> to his next class.<br />
Kent needed to functi<strong>on</strong> more <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dependently<br />
to complete rout<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e daily tasks, especially as<br />
dem<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>s for greater <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dependence <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>crease<br />
by age <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> grade level. Thus, the behavior<br />
targeted for this study was to <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>crease Kent’s<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dependence dur<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g home activities,<br />
school tasks, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> even<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g home activities<br />
by decreas<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g his dependence <strong>on</strong> the adults <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
his life.<br />
Instruments<br />
A Hewlett Packard Jornada 560 Pers<strong>on</strong>al Digital<br />
Assistant (Hewlett-Packard, 2001) with Microsoft<br />
W<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dows for Pocket PC Software 2002<br />
(Microsoft, 2002) was <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>troduced to <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>crease<br />
Kent’s <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dependence when complet<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g early<br />
morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, school, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> even<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g tasks. Kent, his<br />
mother, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> resource room teacher received<br />
tra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>on</strong> the PDA. In essence, the PDA<br />
rema<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed the same as the product available to<br />
the general public. The calendar <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> alarm<br />
functi<strong>on</strong>s that are a part of the Microsoft W<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dows<br />
for the Pocket PC were used <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> implement<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
the <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terventi<strong>on</strong>.<br />
A data collecti<strong>on</strong> sheet was designed to outl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e<br />
the four morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g tasks <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> desired times<br />
when Kent needed to complete each task every<br />
morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his home. A sec<strong>on</strong>d data sheet,<br />
created us<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g the same format, listed four<br />
even<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g activities. The data collecti<strong>on</strong> form<br />
listed each task <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> its start time <strong>on</strong> the left.<br />
Three additi<strong>on</strong>al columns <strong>on</strong> the right allowed<br />
Kent’s mother to <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dicate (a) if he completed<br />
the task <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dependently, (b) if he com-<br />
Pocket PC <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> Asperger Syndrome / 61