Introducing a general prompting and recording system: its effect on client and staff behavior in an institutional...

This study describes the evaluation of a "low-key" approach to training staff in procedures designed to increase the degree of independence of mentally handicapped people. Training leaflets describing a method of giving graded prompts to residents were distributed to staff on a hospital ward. Subsequently, checklists were introduced on which staff recorded the amount of assistance they gave residents in a variety of self-help skills. Time-sampling observations provided data on residents' engagement in such skills and their degree of independence. The amount of staff prompting was not affected by the interventions. The introduction of each intervention increased the frequency with which staff allowed residents to do tasks independently, but the effect did not persist. The amount of residents' independent activity increased prior to the introduction of the leaflets, remained stable after their introduction, and increased further when checklists were introduced. These results are discussed in terms of the training materials used and the role of supervisors in staff training.