The nature of peer‐directed behaviours in children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities and its relationship with social scaffolding behaviours of the direct support worker

Abstract

Background The multiple and complex disabilities of persons with profound intellectual and

Promoting Social Scaffolding Behaviors in Staff Members and Peer‐Directed Behaviors Among Persons With Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities: An Intervention Study

“…First, we were interested in peer‐directed behaviors as shown by persons with PIMD. In the coding scheme we used, a distinction between three main categories is made (Nijs et al, , ). The first category, multiple peer‐directed behaviors, is coded when a person looks at or turns his head or body in the direction of the peer in combination with another behavior such as vocalizing or touching the peer.…”

“…Second, we were interested in scaffolding behavior of staff (Nijs et al, ). In the coding scheme, three main categories are distinguished.…”

“…The coding was done by three independent observers who used the software package Media Coder 2008. The coding schemes were already applied in earlier research (Nijs et al, , ). The Cohen's kappa using a time window of three seconds was calculated for the three main groups.…”

“…For typically developing infants, adults can support and facilitate peer interactions and peer‐directed behaviors by presenting social scaffolding behavior (Williams, Mastergeorge, & Ontai, ). Earlier research however has demonstrated that staff members do not provide many opportunities or support for persons with PIMD to facilitate peer‐directed behaviors (Gleason, ; Hunt, Alwell, Farron‐Davis, & Goetz, ; Logan et al, ; Nijs, Vlaskamp, & Maes, ; Nijs et al, ). Staff members sometimes distract the attention of the peers away from each other or fail to support adequately social peer interactions among persons with PIMD (Nijs et al, , ).…”

“…Earlier research however has demonstrated that staff members do not provide many opportunities or support for persons with PIMD to facilitate peer‐directed behaviors (Gleason, ; Hunt, Alwell, Farron‐Davis, & Goetz, ; Logan et al, ; Nijs, Vlaskamp, & Maes, ; Nijs et al, ). Staff members sometimes distract the attention of the peers away from each other or fail to support adequately social peer interactions among persons with PIMD (Nijs et al, , ). Additionally staff members do not pay a lot of attention to the positioning of persons with PIMD in a way that could facilitate peer interactions among persons with PIMD (Nijs et al, ).…”