The effect of self-operated prompts on leisure participation by persons with mental retardation

The use of permanent prompts for individuals with severe disabilities has been shown to be effective in acquiring new skills, improving the accuracy and maintenance of existing skills, and in eliminating the need for trainer prompts. However, this technology has not been evaluated for its potential impact in promoting leisure participation. In this study, two men with mental retardation were administered auditory and/or visual prompts to investigate their effect on increasing participation in a leisure activity. In addition, their performance was evaluated to establish whether continuous versus intermittent schedules of the prompts would influence participation. The data were collected using a partial interval observation system and evaluated using a multiple baseline and an alternating treatment design. While both men increased their participation modestly in the leisure activity, there was no substantial difference between the two prompting schedules. ^