Training interactional behaviors of adults with developmental disabilities: a systematic replication and extension.

Five adults living in a group home learned to greet, share, and take turns. Staff ran short lessons with the board game Sorry. They showed the move, let each adult try, and gently fixed mistakes. No candy, tokens, or money were given.

The team watched the adults later with housemates who had not been trained. They counted how often the adults used the new skills without prompts.

Every adult used more greetings, sharing, and turn-taking during later game times. The gains showed up with untrained peers and no extra rewards.

Covey et al. (2021) used the same BST steps, but they taught typical classmates to run play sessions. Their students with severe disabilities doubled play and kept it 13 weeks later. The 1991 study flips the lens: train the adult with delay, not the peer, and still see peer gains.

Shireman et al. (2016) also gave BST to adults, yet those adults had autism and then coached kids. The 1991 paper keeps things simpler—adults practice with each other and still get better with housemates.

Roberts et al. (1987) taught play to adults with profound ID years earlier. They used heavy prompting and fading. The 1991 team shows you can reach a similar goal with lighter, game-based BST and no edible reinforcers.

You can run this package tonight. Bring a Sorry board to the group home. Give a quick demo, let residents rehearse, and correct gently. No need to stock candy or tokens. The skills travel to real peer moments, making evenings calmer and more social.