IMPROVING MORNING INTERACTIONS - BEAT-THE-BUZZER WITH A BOY HAVING MULTIPLE HANDICAPS

This study targeted the frequent dawdling and negative parent-child interactions each weekday morning in a 12-year-old boy with developmental disabilities and multiple handicaps. After a 7-day baseline, the child's caregiver utilized the ''Beat-the-Buzzer'' treatment program for 44 school days. ''Beat-the-Buzzer'' involved setting time limits for the child to get ready for school in the morning and decreasing maternal attention to inappropriate behavior. The child's caregiver recorded data for on-time behavior, negative parent-child interaction behaviors, and treatment integrity variables. Efficacy of the procedure was demonstrated by data indicating a substantial increase in on-time behavior, a large reduction in time required to get ready, and a decrease in the frequency of negative child behaviors. Thus, the ''Beat-the-Buzzer'' treatment successfully decreased morning dawdling and inappropriate behavior in a child with developmental disabilities and multiple handicapping conditions. Three-month follow-up data indicated that treatment effects were maintained.