Assessment for Generalization of Parenting Skills in Home Settings

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of a behavioral parent training package that included initial training in two settings in the home with generalization of parenting skills (and the need for additional intervention) being assessed to a third setting in the home. Training in behavior modification skills was introduced in a multi ple baseline design across parents. The results showed that although all parents increased their correct use of behavior modification skills following the introduction of intervention in two home settings, only one parent out of three spontaneously generalized these skills to a third home setting. The results of this study suggest that generalization of parenting skills across home settings may not take place for some parents without specific programming. Finally, the study showed that once skills had generalized across settings, parenting skills and child efforts maintained over a 1-year period.DESCRIPTORS: autism, behavior management, early intervention, families, generalization, parent train ing, parents Although the need for a more intensive investigation of generalization of parenting skills has been clearly cited in a number of parent training reviews (e.g., Baker,

Issues and Theoretical Constructs Regarding Parent Education for Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…Additionally, parent education can address the issue of generalization, given that service providers often only see children in a restricted number of settings, such as a clinic room, while parents are able to provide learning opportunities for their child in many natural settings, such as at home and in the community. Including parents in their child’s habilitation process is not only cost-effective, but by increasing the support that a child has throughout the day, it can increase the child’s rate of progress (Cordisco et al 1988; Kaiser et al 2000; Koegel et al 1998; Laski et al 1988; McClannahan et al 1982; Moes 1995). Research has documented that parents have been able to learn strategies to effectively teach their children with autism across a variety of areas, including reducing problem behaviors (Koegel et al 1992; Lutzker et al 1998), decreasing restricted and repetitive behaviors (Bahng 2010), improving communication (Anderson and Romanczyk 1999; Koegel et al 1999, 2002; McGee et al 1999), improving sleep habits (Reed et al 2009), increasing joint attention (Kasari et al 2010; Vismara and Lyons 2007), improving social skills (Sofronoff et al 2004), and improving self help skills such as toilet training (Kroger and Sorensen 2010).…”

A Behavioral Model of Infant Sleep Disturbance

“…Agreement between trained observers observing parent-child interactions in home settings typically falls in the range of 75% to 85% (e.g., Cordisco, Strain, & Depew, 1988;Webster-Stratton, 1985), whereas agreement between trained observers' and parents' records of in-home parentchild interactions ranges between 70% and 90% (e.g., Sloane, Endo, Hawkes, & Jenson, 1990 Sanders and Christensen (1985) have identified bedtime as a high-risk setting for coercive family interactions in both clinic-referred and control families.…”

Behaviorism in Early Intervention

“…The interventionist must assist families in identifying their needs, goals, and resources; securing support from their natural resources; and engaging in patterns of behavior that are satisfying to them and promote their child's development. The behavioral perspective is useful in fulfilling this role in at least four ways: (a) identifying the effects of broad ecological variables on interactions within the family (e.g., Wahler, 1980); (b) identifying and modifying counterproductive interaction patterns within families (Kozloff, in press); (c) providing training and assistance to families to promote long-term prosocial responding in children (Patterson &c Fleischman, 1979;Strain, Steele, Ellis, & Timm, 1982); and (d) providing training to families who wish to teach their children adaptive skills or manage their children more effectively (e.g., Cordisco, Strain, & Depew, 1988;Fowler, Johnson, Whitman, & Zukotynski, 1978). Thus, the behavioral perspective can be useful to interventionists as they interact with families.…”