TY - JOUR
T1 - Teaching skills related to self-employment to adults with developmental disabilities
T2 - An analog analysis
AU - Dotson, Wesley H.
AU - Richman, David M.
AU - Abby, Layla
AU - Thompson, Samuel
AU - Plotner, Anthony
PY - 2013/8
Y1 - 2013/8
N2 - Employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities (DD) have improved in the last several decades. There is increasing focus on helping people with DD sample more diverse employment options, including running their own businesses. The present study (1) evaluated the effects of a well-established behavioral teaching procedure on the acquisition of a sample of three broad classes of skills related to self-employment (worker, supervisor, and clerical work) in young adults with DD within an analog recycling business, and (2) investigated the extension of that treatment to the natural environment while working in isolation or in peer pairs. Results suggest that the teaching procedure was effective in teaching three broad classes of skills related to many self-employment possibilities, the skills generalized to the natural environment, and peer pairs supported each other to complete tasks with a high degree of accuracy required to run a recycling business. This study represents an initial demonstration that adults with DD can learn skills required to run their own business.
AB - Employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities (DD) have improved in the last several decades. There is increasing focus on helping people with DD sample more diverse employment options, including running their own businesses. The present study (1) evaluated the effects of a well-established behavioral teaching procedure on the acquisition of a sample of three broad classes of skills related to self-employment (worker, supervisor, and clerical work) in young adults with DD within an analog recycling business, and (2) investigated the extension of that treatment to the natural environment while working in isolation or in peer pairs. Results suggest that the teaching procedure was effective in teaching three broad classes of skills related to many self-employment possibilities, the skills generalized to the natural environment, and peer pairs supported each other to complete tasks with a high degree of accuracy required to run a recycling business. This study represents an initial demonstration that adults with DD can learn skills required to run their own business.
KW - Developmental disabilities
KW - Self-employment
KW - Teaching interaction procedure
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84878170077&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ridd.2013.04.009
DO - 10.1016/j.ridd.2013.04.009
M3 - Article
C2 - 23702598
AN - SCOPUS:84878170077
VL - 34
SP - 2336
EP - 2350
JO - Research in Developmental Disabilities
JF - Research in Developmental Disabilities
SN - 0891-4222
IS - 8
ER -