Abstract:
Not following instructions is a common behavioural excess and deficit among people
with intellectual disabilities. Refusing to follow instructions prevents the individual from
being independent, as well as decreasing the quality of life for their significant others. One of
the most common methods for teaching instruction-following is the high probability request
sequence (high-p procedure). The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a high-P
procedure that incorporated demand fading in increasing instruction completion in two adults
with intellectual disabilities. The cumulative number of high-p and target instruction
completions was measured using a delayed multiple baseline across target instructions in
which interventions were implemented in a counter-balanced withdrawal design. The results
obtained from the current study were client-dependent. High-p with demand fading procedure
was effective in increasing target instruction-following for one participant. The results of
high-p instruction completion suggested demand fading improved the experimental result for
the participant. For the other participant, neither the traditional high-p procedure nor the highp
with demand fading procedure were effective, and the results of high-p instruction
completion suggested that demand fading resulted in the high-p instructions providing
positive punishment for the other participant. The limitations of the study and future
directions for high-p procedures are discussed.
