Contrasting approaches to the response-contingent learning of young children with significant delays and their social-emotional consequences

Abstract

Aims: The purpose of the analyses described in this paper was to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of two different approaches to child response-contingent learning on rates of child learning and both concomitant and collateral child social-emotional behaviour.

Method: The participants were 71 children with significant developmental delays or multiple disabilities randomly assigned to either of the two contrasting approaches to interventions.

Results: Findings showed that an intervention which employed practices that built on existing child behaviour (asset-based practices) was more effective than an intervention focusing on teaching children missing skills (needs-based practices) for influencing changes in the rates of child learning as well as rates of child social-emotional behaviour mediated by differences in rates of child learning.

Implications: Both the theoretical and practical importance of the results are described in terms of the extended social-emotional benefits of asset-based response-contingent learning games.

Keywords: Child learning; Child social–emotional behaviour; Contingency awareness; Contingency detection; Response-contingent games.