Assessing pharmacological and contingency management interventions with mentally retarded adolescents in a residential treatment program
✍ Scribed by James K. Luiselli; Tracy P. Evans
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1987
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 728 KB
- Volume
- 2
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1072-0847
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Two studies were performed using applied behavior analytic methodology to evaluate pharmacological and contingency management interventions with mentally retarded adolescents in a residential treatment facility. In the first study. stimulant (methylphenidate) and beta-blocking (propranolol) medications were compared with an overcorrection procedure to manage the disruptive vocalizing of a 14-year-old female. In the second stud!. the effects of thioridazine and a reinforcement-response interruption pro? oram on stereotypic body-rocking of an 18-year-old male uere assessed. Both studies failed to demonstrate a positive response from any of the prescribed medications. Substantial reductions in behavior did occur with application of the contingency management programs. The programs were equally effective whether utilized alone or in combination with medication. Assessment and programmatic issues in the area of clinical behavioral pharmacolog! are discussed.
Pharmacological intervention is prescribed frequently to manage the behavior disorders of mentally retarded persons (Breuning & Poling. 1982). For example. as many as 50% of the institutionalized mentally retarded (Lipman. 1970;Sprague. 1977) and 5 8 G of those in community-living arangements (Davis. Cullari &: Breuning. *The authors thank Rick Cande. Cory Croft. and Duane Johnson for their contributions to this research. Requests for reprints should he sent to James K. Luiselli. Behavioral And Educational Resource Associates. 275 Old Bedford Road. Concord. MA 01742.