Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-m8s7h Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-17T03:42:31.197Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Increasing the Attention Span of Five Mentally Handicapped Children Using their Parents as Agents of Change

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2009

Paul Chamberlain
Paul Chamberlain
Affiliation:
Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Health Authority, District Department of Psychology Coldeast Hospital, Sarisbury Green Southampton SO3 6ZD
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

A child's ability to attend selectively to stimuli is central to the learning process. The length of time for which a child will attend (the child's attention span) is of equal importance. In general, mentally handicapped children have exteremly short attention spans. This study reviews the relevant literature and describes in detail an operant procedure designed to increase the attention spans of five mentally handicapped children, using parents as agents of change.

All parents were successful and the resulting increase was statistically significant. Short term follow up indicated that any increase in attention span may well be reduced if the procedure is discontinued, thought subsequent attendances at a nursery school appeared to maintain the gains achieved by the intervention process.

Type
Clinical Section
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , April 1985 , pp. 142 - 153
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 1985

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alabiso, F. (1975). Operant control of attention behaviour: a treatment for hyperactivity. Behaviour Therapy 6, 39–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bandura, A. (1969). Principles of Behaviour Modification. Holt Rinehart and Winston.Google Scholar
Barkley, R. A. (1977). A review of stimulant drug research with hyperactive children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 18, 137–165.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berkowitz, B. P. and Graziano, A. M. (1972). Training parents as behaviour therapists, A review. Bahaviour Research and Therapy 10, 297–317.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chamberlain, P. and Mullen, M. (1984). Teaching Skills to Severely Mentally Handicapped Adults in a Residential Setting. In “Facing the Challenge”. Simpson, S. et al. (Eds) B.A.B.P. Publications.Google Scholar
Gath, A. (1979). Parents as therapists of mentally handicapped children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 20, 161–165.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goldberg, J. and Konstantareas, M. (1981). Vigilance in hyperactive and normal children on a self paced operant task. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 22, 55–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heifetz, L. J. (1977). Behavioural training for parents of retarded children: alternative formats based on instructional manuals. American Journal of Mental Deficiency 82, 194–203.Google ScholarPubMed
Johnson, C. A. and Katz, R. C. (1973). Using parents as change agents for their children. A review. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 14, 181–200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnson, S. A. and Brown, R. A. (1969). Producing behaviour change in parents of disturbed children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 10, 107–121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martin, G. L. and Powers, R. B. (1967). Attention span an operant conditioning analysis. Exceptional Children 33, 565–570.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGhie, A. (1969). Pathology of Attention. Penguin. Great Britain.Google Scholar
O'Dell, S. (1974). Training parents in behaviour modification. Psychological Bulletin 81, 418–433.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reisinger, J. J., Ora, J. P. and Francia, G. W. (1976). Parents as change agents for their children. A review. Journal of Community Psychology 4, 103–123.3.0.CO;2-9>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reynell, J. (1976). Early education for handicapped children. Child Care, Health and Development 2, 305–316.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thompson, T. and Grabowski, J. (1972). Behaviour modification of the mentally retarded. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Wahler, R. G. and Fox, J. J. (1980). Solitary toy play and time out: a family treatment package for children with aggressive and oppositional behaviour. Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis 13, 23–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warnock, , (1978). Special Educational Needs. Report of the Committee of Enquiry into the Education of Handicapped Children and Young People. H.M.S.O. Cmnd. No. 7212.Google Scholar
Witmer, L. (1895). Practical work in psychology. Paediatrics, 462–471.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.