Teaching a Deaf-Blind Woman to “Wait” on Command

Abstract

A 21-year-old woman who was totally blind, severely hearing impaired, functionally retarded, behaviorally resistive (“stubborn”), self-stimulative, self-abusive, and who lacked basic communication skills, was taught to sit quietly and wait on command. When given a command, “Wait,” she was at first required to wait for one full second with her hands folded quietly in her lap. Within a two week period, Becky was taken through 35 training sessions. Each session comprised five correct waiting responses (plus the number of incorrect responses). Following the baseline, prompts were used and various social and tangible reinforcements were differentially administered contingent upon correct responses. A verbal and physical “no” immediately followed each incorrect response. The number of incorrect responses per session decreased from 238 to 0 and the number of seconds “waiting” increased from one to two full seconds.