Effects of a Small Group Microcomputer-Mediated Motor Skills Instructional Package

Abstract

The present study investigated the effectiveness of a microcomputer-mediated motor skills teaching package in a small group training session. Two groups of three young children with cerebral palsy were provided motor skills instruction by a trainer across two conditions. Condition A consisted of a package of adaptive positioning and behavioral teaching procedures. Condition B consisted of the same adaptive positioning and behavioral procedures plus “computer assistance” and response-contingent toys. An A-B-A-B multitreatment design with across-site replication was used to compare the effects of the two training packages. Results indicated a consistent relationship between the introduction of a computer-mediated package (Condition B) and improvement in both the children's behaviors and the trainer's quality of instruction. The computer-mediated package was shown to be successful in increasing the children's general level of engagement as well as their performance of the target motor skills. Simultaneously, improvements in the consistency of immediate performance-based reinforcement and corrective feedback provided to the children by trainers were noted.