A supervision program for increasing functional activities for severely handicapped students in a residential...

Area of Science:

• Special Education
• Behavioral Interventions
• Developmental Disabilities

Background:

• Severely handicapped students in residential facilities often have limited engagement in age-appropriate activities.
• Enhancing functional activity participation is crucial for improving quality of life and developmental outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To increase the duration of engagement in age-appropriate and functional activities for severely handicapped students.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a staff supervision and feedback program.

Main Methods:

• A multiple-baseline design across settings was employed.
• In-service training was provided to supervisors and staff.
• A program involving instructions and regular staff feedback was implemented.

Main Results:

• Student participation in functional activities significantly increased following the implementation of the supervision program.
• The observed increases in activity engagement were maintained over a 5-month period.
• Sustained engagement was achieved even with reduced feedback frequency.

Conclusions:

• Staff supervision and feedback are effective strategies for increasing activity engagement in severely handicapped students.
• The intervention demonstrates long-term efficacy and adaptability to reduced support.
• Findings support the integration of structured behavioral programs in residential settings for students with disabilities.