On pretests, 3 men with brain injuries matched dictated names of three therapists to written names, but did not match dictated or written names to photos, produce correct names in response to photos, locate offices given written names, or name therapists on sight. Match-to-sample training established conditional relations between dictated names and photos. Posttests showed the emergence of untrained conditional relations involving photos and written names, indicating development of three classes of equivalent stimuli (each containing a dictated name, photo, and written name). For 1 participant, conditional relations involving photos of office nameplates were also examined, but did not emerge pre- or posttraining. Two participants produced names orally when given photos and sorted written names and faces together after training; the 3rd participant was unavailable for these posttests. After training, 1 participant located and named all three therapists in their offices.

Differential reinforcement of low rates of responding (DRL) is a technique in which a positive reinforcer is delivered at the end of a specific interval if a target behavior has occurred at a criterion rate. Traditionally, it has been used in educational settings to manage classroom behaviors. Recently, therapists have begun to use DRL to reduce the rates of a variety of behaviors in non-educational settings. In this study, DRL was part of a behavioral intervention to reduce dysfunctional verbal and physical behaviors of a head-injured young man. The complete intervention program included DRL, changing criteria, and token reinforcement. Over a period of 15 weeks, the intervention resulted in reductions in behaviors in both categories from high rates to near-zero rates.

A m a . IlIino is 62 90 6 NANCY E. MARCHAND-MARTELLA DEBRA BRAUNLING-MCMORROWThis study developed and evaluated a program for teaching a problemsolving strategy to closed head-injured adults. Four general areas were targeted for training: Community Awareness and Transportation; Medication, Alcohol, and Drugs; Stating One's Rights; and Emergencies, Injuries, and Safety. The program featured cue cards, response-specific feedback, modeling, self-monitoring, positive reinforcement, response practice, self-correction, and individualized performance criterion levels. It was evaluated via pre-and posttraining generalization assessments that involved phone calls, interviews, and staged interactions in the natural environment. The experimental group (N = 3) received baseline, training, and pre/posttraining assessments, whereas the contrast group (N = 3) received only pre/posttraining assessments. The posttraining results revealed that the experimental subjects' problem-solving skills had generalized somewhat, whereas the contrast group showed little change from pre-to postassessment. The program appears t o offer some promise as a method of teaching a problem-solving strategy. INTRODUCTIONBecause of the rapid advancement of medical technology, an increasing number of persons who survive severe brain injury can expect to have a normal life span (Haberman, 1982;Hackler & Tobis, 1983;Levin, Benton, & Grossman, 1982). Yet, these individuals often require extensive services for an extended period of time, inasmuch as they usually have some degree of permanent impairment of their cognitive processes (Hagen, 1982). These impairments can result in deficits in (1) memory, concentration and learning; (2) psychosocial adjustment; (3) oral and written communications; and (4) problem solving (Blanton & Gouvier, 1986;Daniel, Webster, & Scott, 1986;Torkelson, Jellinek, Malec, & Harvey, 1983).One deficit that has received little attention thus far is lack of problem-solving skills. This is unfortunate because residual deficits in problem solving can create significant obstacles for head-injured individuals. Consider that they often remain disorganized in decision making, are unable to retain, analyze, and compare the conditions of a problem, react impulsively, and demonstrate a lack of insight and an inability to make corrections and evaluate solutions (Goldstein & Ruthven, 1983).Problem solving has been defined and described in a variety of ways. For example, D'Zurilla and Goldfried (1971) defined it as "the process or technique by which one attempts to 'discover' a solution to a problem" (p. 109). Accordingly, they emphasized teaching individuals t o select the best solution after generating several alternatives. Problem solving has also been defined as learning to geqerate a solution on the basis of the information provided (Ross & Ross, 1978). Thus, the content of the solution is emphasized in training problem-solving skills.The present study focused on the latter training approach because brain-injured individuals often exhibit def...

This study evaluated the use of written checklists and task analyses as self-administered prompts to teach home accident prevention skills to 4 adults with brain injuries. Subsequent to baseline, participants used written checklists that identified potential in-home hazards but did not prompt behaviors necessary for hazard remediation. Written individualized task analyses, incorporating specific behavioral steps for correcting hazards that participants had failed to remediate during the checklist phase, were used to prompt appropriate responding when necessary. These were subsequently faded to transfer stimulus control to the natural conditions. A multiple probe technique across participants and settings was used. Results indicated that the checklist alone was sufficient to increase appropriate responses to many of the potential hazards. Individualized task analyses, when needed, resulted in appropriate remediation of all potential hazards. Generalization to untrained potential hazards occurred to some degree for all participants. Follow-up results showed that most skills trained were maintained over a 1-month period.

The rehabilitation treatment model achieved significant functional gains of approximately 1.5 levels for neuropsychologically-impaired adults with and without associated behavioural and substance problems.