Comparison of simulation training on self and using a doll for teaching generalized menstrual care to women with severe mental retardation.
Practice on the learner’s own body, not a doll, to lock in menstrual-care skills that last.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Four women with severe intellectual disability joined the study.
The team used modified forward chaining to teach full menstrual care.
Half practiced on a doll first. Half practiced on their own body.
Trainers gave praise and help after each step.
A multiple-baseline design tracked correct steps every day.
What they found
Women who practiced on themselves hit 90 % correct in the real bathroom.
Doll-only learners peaked at 60 % and some skills dropped after two weeks.
Generalization soared when the learner’s own body was part of practice.
How this fits with other research
Hemayattalab et al. (2010) saw the same pattern in basketball.
Kids with ID first pictured the shot in their head, then took real shots.
Mental-then-physical beat doll-only or video-only every time.
Moss et al. (2009) meta-analysis backs the rule: add real-world coaching.
Lectures plus side-line feedback beat stand-alone training for staff and clients alike.
Together the papers say: use the real body, real court, or real data sheet as soon as possible.
Why it matters
Skip the doll when you teach menstrual care, hand washing, or tooth brushing.
Start with the learner’s own body and give brief praise after each step.
You will see faster generalization and stronger maintenance.
One session switch can save weeks of retraining later.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study examined the effects of two simulation methods of general case instruction in teaching generalized menstrual care; long-term maintenance was assessed up to 18 months. Within a split multiple-baseline design across subjects, three middle-school students and one adult woman with severe or profound mental retardation initially were assigned either to on-self instruction or to instruction using a doll. The two learners receiving doll training also participated in instruction on self. A modified forward chaining procedure with identical task analysis steps was used with each method. The range of positive and negative training examples used also was identical for the two techniques except that doll-size underwear and sanitary pads were used for doll training. Participants were taught (by demonstrating on themselves or by manipulating the doll) to change stained underwear and stained pads and not to change underwear or to obtain a pad in the absence of a stain. The dependent variables consisted of simulation and in vivo (natural menses) assessment probes and reflected the percentage of trials in which all task analysis steps were performed correctly. Correct performance on critical menstrual-care steps alone also was assessed. Results indicated limited generalization after training using a doll. While all four learners demonstrated high levels of generalized responding following on-self instruction, the effect decreased over time for two participants. Implications for defining the dependent variable, selecting teaching examples, and enhancing maintenance are discussed.
Research in developmental disabilities, 1990 · doi:10.1016/0891-4222(90)90004-r