Using a Lottery to Promote Physical Activity by Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities

Exercise benefits adults with developmental disabilities. A prior study demonstrated that a treatment package comprising goal setting and fixed-ratio 1 reinforcement for goal attainment substantially increased walking. However, continuous reinforcement delivery may be untenable due to cost and time. In an effort to develop a more practical package intervention, we evaluated a procedure that involved setting goals for steps taken each 6-h school day and a lottery system for awarding prizes for goal completion. Three of the four participants took substantially more steps when the intervention was in effect, and all of them rated it as highly acceptable.