Evaluation of a stranger safety training programme for adults with Williams syndrome.
Three days of BST turned most friendly adults with Williams syndrome into adults who refuse and walk away from a stranger’s lure.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Fisher (2014) ran a three-day stranger-safety class for adults with Williams syndrome.
The class used behavioral skills training: explain, model, practice, and feedback.
Before and after, each adult met a fake stranger who asked them to leave the center.
What they found
Only 14% of adults said no and walked away before the class.
After the class, 62% refused and left with the stranger.
The short training more than quadrupled safe choices.
How this fits with other research
Doughty et al. (2010) showed BST can teach abuse-protection skills to adults with mild-moderate ID.
The 2014 study extends that work to the Williams syndrome group and to stranger lures.
Santos et al. (2009) found people with WS read human faces best, so the 2014 team used live role-plays instead of cartoons.
Ng et al. (2014) note high anxiety in WS; practicing with real people may also cut fear through rehearsal.
Why it matters
If you serve adults with Williams syndrome, add a short BST block on stranger safety. Three short lessons can turn friendly approach into safe refusal. Use real staff as strangers and test in the real lobby.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) are reported to display increased sociability towards strangers, leading to increased social vulnerability. No research has examined real life interactions of adults with WS towards strangers and no interventions have been implemented to teach stranger safety skills to this population. METHOD: Twenty-one adults with WS participated in 3 days of behaviour skills training to learn how to respond to a stranger lure. Skill acquisition was assessed in situ; confederate strangers approached participants, presented a lure and recorded the participants' response. RESULTS: Prior to intervention, 14% of participants walked away from a stranger. Participants were able to accurately use the skills in role play. After training, 62% of participants said 'no' and walked away and only 14% agreed to leave with the stranger during in situ assessments. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with WS are at-risk but can learn how to appropriately respond to lures from strangers. Further research is needed to increase use of safety skills in various conditions.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2014 · doi:10.1111/jir.12108