Evaluation of toy variation on engagement in a leisure activity of two children with profound multiple handicaps

We conducted two studies to examine whether satiation occurs during leisure activities for children with profound multiple handicaps and whether it can be prevented by the alternate use of a sufficient number of different toys. The two studies were done in a training program in which the use of a switch connected to battery-operated toys was taught to two children with profound multiple handicaps. In Study I (Child 1), two experimental conditions were compared: variation (use of 5 toys in the same learning session) and identity (use of only one of these toys throughout the session). The variation condition produced higher and more stable performance than the identity condition, which yielded a progressive decrease in the appearance of the target behavior. In Study 2 (Child 2), satiation appeared from one session to another and the rate of responding increased when a new toy was presented. Some practical and theoretical implications are discussed.