Increasing Recreational Behavior in Mentally Retarded Children

Abstract

Mentally retarded children are frequently observed either to be inactive or to engage in stereotypic behaviors and isolate play. In this study, sign posting, pictorial prompts, and feedback were used to increase the recreational behaviors of 45 moderately and severely mentally retarded children. Treatment was introduced sequentially in a multiple-baseline fashion for ballplay and jungle gym activities across two school recess periods. Results showed large increases in the percentage of children participating in these activities that corresponded with the introduction of treatment. Similarly, the average amount of time the children played was roughly tripled. These gains were maintained over a 12-week follow-up period during which the pictorial prompts and feedback were gradually faded. The results demonstrate the efficacy of a simple, inexpensive, and practical way of generating higher levels of recreational play in large numbers of mentally retarded children.