Teaching participants with developmental disabilities to comply with self-instructions

Four adults with mild mental retardation were taught to sort based on what two pictures had in common and to name each object and common features of two pairs as well as to comply with a series of instructions to sort the pictures selectively. The criterion task was to inspect a sample pair, sort through a deck of 15 pictures to find those showing what the sample pair had in common, and to repeat a series of pairs. They failed this task and continued to fail even after a supposedly relevant self-instruction. After being taught to act on what they told themselves, they self-instructed correctly and sorted accordingly. Imperfect generalization by 2 participants was remediated by revoking self-instructions. They were taught to act on what they told themselves; thereafter, they self-instructed correctly and sorted accordingly. Imperfect generalization by 2 participants was remediated by re-evoking the relevant self-instructions.