Effects of Contingent Reinforcement for Peer Imitation on a Preschool Downs Syndrome Child

Abstract

AbstractBaseline observations indicated that little peer imitation took place by a 3 year old Downs Syndrome boy integrated into a local kindergarten. The imitation of more developmentally advanced children is generally presumed to be an important benefit to be derived from integration, and the purpose of the present study was to teach peer imitation, through the use of contingent verbal reinforcement for appropriate peer imitation. A multiple-baseline across the three different classes of behaviour, was used to measure the number of imitations (probes) out of a possible five that occurred when they were modelled by the experimenter at the end of the Peer-Imitation Training sessions. The number of probes imitated, increased rapidly for block play, once reinforcement was introduced during the Peer Training sessions on day 3. After day 5, the number increased in both sand and dough play as well, and generalisation occurred. The high, stable rate of peer imitation responses in such a short amount of time by a retarded child indicates the usefulness of this approach as a tool to aid integration.