Date of Award
12-1-2018
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Behavior Analysis and Therapy
First Advisor
Dixon, Mark
Abstract
Many adults diagnosed with a developmental disability over the age of 20 have received inadequate care in the past due to the basic techniques, lack of funding, and minimal support when they were younger. Today, these adults are now receiving adequate care with behavioral support plans incorporating personal goals that they would like to achieve. Different assessments like Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales have been utilized for children diagnosed with a disability measures a variety of skill sets one may have under the repertoire. These assessments could mold a curriculum to improve on the skills a child may lack. Even though these assessments are geared for children with developmental disabilities, they still could be utilized to assess adaptive skills especially with a focus on more complex reasoning and language amongst adults with disabilities. The present study measures the relationship between one’s adaptive skills with their complex thinking and reasoning. The assessments that were completed was the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, 2nd Edition (VABS-II) for adaptive skills and Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge Relational Training System – Transformation Module Pre-Assessment (PEAK-T PA) for complex thinking and reasoning. The results indicated a significant correlation between not only one’s adaptive skills and their complex thinking (r = 0.53, p < 0.05), but also, between their expressive (r = 0.5, p < 0.05), receptive (r = 0.46, p < 0.05), and overall communication skills (r = 0.53, p < 0.05). This study extends the research on bridging the gap between derived relations and complex thinking.
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