Teaching foster grandparents to train severely handicapped persons

Area of Science:

• Behavioral intervention
• Special education
• Gerontology

Background:

• Institutions for individuals with severe handicaps often require specialized training for caregivers.
• Foster grandparents can provide valuable support in institutional settings.
• Effective training strategies are crucial for improving caregiver-client interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To teach training skills to foster grandparents for interacting with severely handicapped individuals.
• To assess the impact of specific teaching procedures on grandparent training frequency.
• To evaluate the progress of multiply handicapped individuals under foster grandparent care.

Main Methods:

• A multiple-baseline design was used to implement specific teaching procedures (instructions, prompts, modeling, praise).
• Training skills were taught to five foster grandparents interacting with severely handicapped persons.
• Teacher presence was gradually withdrawn over 11 weeks to assess maintenance of training.

Main Results:

• The frequency of grandparent training in three skill areas increased with the implementation of teaching procedures.
• Training continued even after instructions, prompts, and modeling were removed, with praise being the primary reinforcement.
• Four profoundly retarded and multiply handicapped foster grandchildren showed progress during the study.
• Grandparent training frequency was maintained despite the gradual reduction of teacher presence.

Conclusions:

• Specific teaching procedures effectively increased foster grandparents' training skills and frequency of interaction.
• Foster grandparents can successfully contribute to the care and training of severely handicapped individuals in institutions.
• The training approach demonstrated maintenance of skills and positive outcomes for the foster grandchildren.