Teaching social/sexual skills to mentally retarded adults

A social/sexual skills training program for institutionalized mentally retarded adults was evaluated. The target behaviors involved a verbal action or reaction within six skill areas and were taught using a commercially available table game, Sorry, and a specially designed card deck. The program featured response-specific feedback, self-monitoring, individualized reinforcers, and individualized performance criterion levels. A multiple baseline across two groups (N = 3 per group) revealed that there were increases in all skill areas. Generalization occurred in individual and group tests conducted by a retarded peer. The program appears to be an effective method of training social/sexual skills because it produces effects that generalize.