Degree Name
Master of Science
Department or Program
Behavior Analysis and Therapy
Advisor
Greene, Brandon F.
Abstract
Research suggests that rearing a child with a developmental disability can be highly stressful and may lead to a heightened risk for child maltreatment. This study demonstrates the utility of a behavioral skills teaching model to train parents to engage their child with autism in adaptive behavior and to manage her disruptions at home, in the car, and in public settings. In some conditions, the experimenter trained the child directly in order to establish control in these settings before attempting to train the parents. Parents were trained through a combination of discussion, video presentation, and guided (shadowed) practice. The results of this study demonstrate the effectiveness of the behavior skills training model in teaching parents to utilize adequate child rearing strategies in multiple aspects of their lives. A discussion on the family’s ability to generalize child management strategies across settings is also presented.