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ESTABLISHING USE OF CRUTCHES BY A MENTALLY RETARDED SPINA BIFIDA CHILD 1
Author(s) -
Horner R. Don
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
journal of applied behavior analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1938-3703
pISSN - 0021-8855
DOI - 10.1901/jaba.1971.4-183
Subject(s) - mentally retarded , spina bifida , psychology , reinforcement , gait , physical medicine and rehabilitation , extinction (optical mineralogy) , developmental psychology , fading , sequence (biology) , pediatrics , social psychology , algorithm , computer science , medicine , paleontology , decoding methods , genetics , biology
A 5‐yr‐old mentally retarded spina bifida child was taught to walk with the aid of crutches. This behavior was developed through fading of physical prompting within a 10‐step successive approximation sequence. Preliminary training to establish gait consisted of developing use of parallel bars through fading of physically modelled responses within a six‐step successive approximation sequence. Use of parallel bars ceased during an extinction period and completely recovered upon being primed with one “free” reinforcement. Systematic use of natural reinforcers was employed as an aid in maintaining use of crutches.