Control of Thumb-Sucking in a Classroom

1980 ◽  
Vol 47 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1076-1078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis J. Nwachukwu

By the application of cognitive technique, aversive stimulus and positive nonverbal reinforcement, an attempt was made to control thumb-sucking behavior of a school girl in a Grade 4 classroom. During the first baseline period, thumb-sucking occurred on the average 63% a class-session but decreased on an average of 12% after treatment. With reinstatement of baseline conditions, it rose to an average of 54%, but after second experimental phase decreased to a mean of 5.1%. No recurrence appeared during the last days. Use of multiple treatment conditions limited interpretations.

1976 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 68-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Elliott ◽  
F. Barwell ◽  
A. Hooper ◽  
P. E. Kingerlee

AbstractThe paper reports a Token Economy project involving 18 long stay male patients (diagnosis chronic schozophrenia), average length of hospitalisation twenty-five years. The project comprised a one month baseline period, a six month Token Economy phase, a two month experimental phase and a second three months Token Economy. Conditions were the same for all patients except during the experimental phase where they were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups to investigate the relative importance of social reinforcement and other variables involved in token systems. The groups were (1) a social reinforcement only group; (2) a social reinforcement and non-contingent tokens; (3) a social reinforcement and contingent, non-spendable tokens. Each groups' performance was compared both with the other groups and with their own performance over all phases of the study. Assessment measures comprised standardised psychiatric rating scales - the Nurses Observation Scale for In-patient Evaluation (Honigfeld and Klett, 1965; Honigfeld et al 1966), and the Psychotic Reaction Profile (Lorr et al, 1960); other rating checklists, and time-sampling data. Analysis of Variance was carried out on all data over the four phases of the programme. The total token economy package as represented by the first token economy period was shown to be effective in promoting improvements in most areas of patients' functioning as compared to baseline. Results during the experimental phase suggest that contrary to our initial hypothesis social factors involved in exchanging tokens are not demonstrably important sources of reinforcement in Token Economies. There were no inter-group differences during the experimental phase, suggesting that none of the variables studied were critical factors. After the experimental phase the return to the complete token package produced an unclear picture where there were significant improvements on some scales, but significant declines on others.


Author(s):  
Tomoo Kawada ◽  
Michio Arakawa ◽  
Kenjiro Kambara ◽  
Takashi Segawa ◽  
Fumio Ando ◽  
...  

We know that alloxan causes increased-permeability pulmonary edema and that alloxan generates oxygen radicals (H2O2, O2−, ·OH) in blood. Therefore, we hypothesize that alloxan-generated oxygen radicals damage pulmonary capillary endothelial cells, and, possibly, alveolar epithelial cells as well. We examined whether oxygen radical scavengers, such as catalase or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), protected against alloxaninduced pulmonary edema.Five dogs in each following group were anesthetized: control group: physiological saline (20ml/kg/h); alloxan group: physiological saline + alloxan (75mg/kg) bolus injection at the beginning of the experiment; catalase group: physiological saline + catalase (150,000u/kg) bolus injection before injection of alloxan; DMSO group: physiological saline + DMSO (0.4mg/kg) bolus injection before alloxan. All dogs had 30-min baseline period and 3-h intervention period. Hemodynamics and circulating substances were measured at the specific points of time. At the end of intervention period, the dogs were killed and had the lungs removed for electron microscopic study and lung water measurement with direct destructive method.


2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
pp. 3160-3182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edwin Maas ◽  
Christina Gildersleeve-Neumann ◽  
Kathy Jakielski ◽  
Nicolette Kovacs ◽  
Ruth Stoeckel ◽  
...  

Purpose The aim of this study was to examine 2 aspects of treatment intensity in treatment for childhood apraxia of speech (CAS): practice amount and practice distribution. Method Using an alternating-treatments single-subject design with multiple baselines, we compared high versus low amount of practice, and massed versus distributed practice, in 6 children with CAS. Conditions were manipulated in the context of integral stimulation treatment. Changes in perceptual accuracy, scored by blinded analysts, were quantified with effect sizes. Results Four children showed an advantage for high amount of practice, 1 showed an opposite effect, and 1 showed no condition difference. For distribution, 4 children showed a clear advantage for massed over distributed practice post treatment; 1 showed an opposite pattern, and 1 showed no clear difference. Follow-up revealed a similar pattern. All children demonstrated treatment effects (larger gains for treated than untreated items). Conclusions High practice amount and massed practice were associated with more robust speech motor learning in most children with CAS, compared to low amount and distributed practice, respectively. Variation in effects across children warrants further research to determine factors that predict optimal treatment conditions. Finally, this study adds to the evidence base supporting the efficacy of integral stimulation treatment for CAS. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.9630599


Author(s):  
Darlene Williamson

Given the potential of long term intervention to positively influence speech/language and psychosocial domains, a treatment protocol was developed at the Stroke Comeback Center which addresses communication impairments arising from chronic aphasia. This article presents the details of this program including the group purposes and principles, the use of technology in groups, and the applicability of a group program across multiple treatment settings.


2003 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Sturm ◽  
B. Fimm ◽  
A. Cantagallo ◽  
N. Cremel ◽  
P. North ◽  
...  

Abstract: In a multicenter European approach, the efficacy of the AIXTENT computerized training programs for intensity aspects (alertness and vigilance) and selectivity aspects (selective and divided attention) of attention was studied in 33 patients with brain damage of vascular and traumatic etiology. Each patient received training in one of two most impaired of the four attention domains. Control tests were performed by means of a standardized computerized attention test battery (TAP) comprising tests for the four attention functions. Assessment was carried out at the beginning and at the end of a four week baseline period and after the training period of 14 one-hour sessions. At the end of the baseline phase, there was only slight but significant improvement for the most complex attention function, divided attention (number of omissions). After the training, there were significant specific training effects for both intensity aspects (alertness and vigilance) and also for the number of omissions in the divided attention task. The application of inferential single case procedures revealed a high number of significant improvements in individual cases after specific training of alertness and vigilance problems. On the other hand, a non specific training addressing selectivity aspects of attention lead either to improvement or deterioration of alertness and vigilance performance. The results corroborate the findings of former studies with the same training instrument but in patients with different lesion etiologies.


2013 ◽  
Vol 221 (3) ◽  
pp. 145-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard J. P. van Breukelen

This paper introduces optimal design of randomized experiments where individuals are nested within organizations, such as schools, health centers, or companies. The focus is on nested designs with two levels (organization, individual) and two treatment conditions (treated, control), with treatment assignment to organizations, or to individuals within organizations. For each type of assignment, a multilevel model is first presented for the analysis of a quantitative dependent variable or outcome. Simple equations are then given for the optimal sample size per level (number of organizations, number of individuals) as a function of the sampling cost and outcome variance at each level, with realistic examples. Next, it is explained how the equations can be applied if the dependent variable is dichotomous, or if there are covariates in the model, or if the effects of two treatment factors are studied in a factorial nested design, or if the dependent variable is repeatedly measured. Designs with three levels of nesting and the optimal number of repeated measures are briefly discussed, and the paper ends with a short discussion of robust design.


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