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Effectiveness of Contrasting Approaches to Response-Contingent Learning Among Children With Significant Developmental Delays and Disabilities

Findings from a randomized controlled design study of an ability-based versus needs-based approach to response-contingent learning among children with significant developmental delays and disabilities who did not use instrumental behavior to produce reinforcing consequences are reported. The ability-based intervention and needs-based intervention differed in terms of how child behavior was identified and used to elicit reinforcing consequences as part of response-contingent learning games implemented by the children’s parents. For the ability-based group, behavior that children were capable of producing, but did not yet use intentionally, was identified and used to elicit reinforcing consequences. For the needs-based group, behavior children did not yet produce, but were expected to learn, was identified through a developmental assessment and used to elicit reinforcing consequences. Results showed that the children in the ability-based group had more learning opportunities, acquired more response-contingent behavior, and demonstrated more efficient learning compared with children in the needs-based group.