The Effects of Cooperative Change Planning in a Reward and Response Cost Token System on the Disruptive Behavior of an Elementary EMH Class.

N

18

Behavior Problems; Classroom Techniques; Contingency Management; Elementary Education; Intervention; Mild Mental Retardation; Program Development; Student Behavior; Student Participation; Time on Task; Token Economy

Joint teacher and student development of a contingency management plan to help control disruptive behavior was explored with a class of 13 mildly mentally retarded elementary school children after several less extensive teacher directed contingencies were unsuccessful. All students in the self contained classroom had extensive school histories of various types of disruptive behavior, ranging from loud crying to theft and frequent fights. Five behaviors were identified as disruptive: out of seat behavior, off academic task behavior, throwing objects, name calling, and fighting. Attending behaviors, which were rewarded, were also distinguished: ontask behavior, finishing assignment, correcting assignment, ontime behavior, helping behavior, and listening. Group behavioral standards were applied to individual students, and tokens were dispensed and response costs were collected from the individual students. Through group discussions, students defined the target behaviors, wrote class rules, and planned the token system, with the assistance of the teacher. Baseline observation began 6 days before the intervention was started, and a return to baseline was made after 21 days of intervention. The overall mean number of disruptive incidents fell 60 percent from the first baseline as a result of the intervention, but rose 14 percent upon return to baseline. It is suggested that the role of the intervention should be further clarified by a research design including a longer return to baseline, and possibly a pretest-posttest control group. (SEW)

1983

ED231144