Using Applied Behavior Analysis to Teach Adaptive Skills

Adaptive skills are the skills of daily living that increase the independence of the learner. One of the hallmarks of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are delays and deficits in adaptive skills and difficulty generalizing skills. Individuals IDD are more likely to require intensive supports to complete activities of daily living and benefit from instruction to address these specific skills. Applied behavior analysis offers a variety of instructional methods to increase independent performance of these pivotal skills that are supported by research. This chapter includes a definition of adaptive skills, a summary of the literature on instruction for adaptive skills, and research and practice recommendations based on these findings. A search of research databases returned 59 studies with the following skills: (a) safety skills; (b) recreation skills; (c) skills needed to access the community; (d) hygiene and dressing skills; (e) skills needed to access technology; (f) skills needed to buy and prepare food; (g) skills needed to obtain and keep employment; and (h) housekeeping skills. Effective instructional strategies included: (a) audio cueing/audio prompting, (b) behavior skills training, (c) game-based/virtual reality, (d) goal-oriented/self-determination, (e) graduated guidance/chaining/task analysis, (f) self-monitoring, (g) video modeling/video self-modeling, and (h) visual schedules. Practice recommendations are: address skills early, in the natural environment with natural change agents, and plan for generalization.