Self‐administered Written Prompts to Teach Home Accident Prevention Skills to Adults With Brain Injuries

Abstract

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.

Occurrence and measurement of transfer in cognitive rehabilitation: A critical review

“…Daily activities. Three studies were found describing strategies specifically aimed at improving the performance of daily activities (57)(58)(59). No overall strategies could be identified as the studies used widely differing interventions, namely checklist training, the use of an assistive technology device and the use of mental imagery of daily tasks.…”

Cognitive and behavioral challenges in caring for patients with frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

“…The literature in cognitive rehabilitation for brain injury patients demonstrates that the use of self-administered checklists and individualized task analyses as prompts, helped patients avoid common hazards at home (e.g safely putting away a space heater) and to continue independent activities (e.g. cooking) (17). …”

Adult outcomes of pediatric traumatic brain injury

“…The strategy effectively reduced the frequency of aggressive and challenging behaviors but these improvements were not maintained once the cues were withdrawn. Other strategies have included the use of token economies [77], verbal contracts [78], reinforcement and informational feedback [79], initial reduction of task demands [80], caregiver education [81], stress inoculation training [82], extinction [83], and home-based mentoring [84]. All these intervention strategies have demonstrated success in treating post-TBI behavior problems.…”