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Biomedical subjects

F R Rusch

Publications and source records attributed to F R Rusch.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Strategies to increase exercise-report correspondence by boys with moderate mental retardation: collateral changes in intention-exercise correspondence.

Correspondence between verbal and nonverbal behavior in an exercise room was taught to 4 13-year-old boys diagnosed with moderate mental retardation. Participants were asked prior to each exercise session which exercise machine(s) they intended to use. No contingencies on stating intentions (promising) were applied. Following the exercise session, participants were asked to say (report) which machine(s) they had used. Following the baseline condition, do-report correspondence training was introduced sequentially across participants. During do-report correspondence training, accurate reporting was reinforced. High rates of both do-report and promise-do correspondence were observed. Data were analyzed via a multiple baseline across subjects design and contingency-space analysis. Results are discussed with regard to observed changes in promise-do correspondence subsequent to observed changes in do-report correspondence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Parent involvement in transition programs.

Parent involvement in programs facilitating the transition of persons with handicaps from school to adult life (work, independent living) was examined. The survey found that a significant number of parents were unaware of any transition program for their offspring, although virtually all parents desired involvement of some kind. Parents also indicated preferences relating to their child not living at home upon graduation from school, working in the community, and earning a wage greater than or equal to the minimum.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Descriptive analysis of interactions between co-workers and supported employees.

Varying types of interactions between workers without handicaps and supported employees were described. Results indicated that co-workers interacted extensively with persons who had mental retardation. Surprising findings included high levels of advocacy between co-workers and persons with severe or profound mental retardation and a relatively high percentage of co-workers assuming evaluation and training roles. Results were discussed in relation to the work behavior literature, which indicates that, in general, co-workers provide considerable natural support for employees across work environments.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1990

Benefit-cost analysis of supported employment in Illinois: a statewide evaluation.

A benefit-cost analysis of supported employment in Illinois during Fiscal Year 1987 was presented. Benefits and costs were identified and valued from three perspectives. Society received a $.75 return for every $1.00 invested during this initial year, whereas taxpayers received a return of $.66. Supported employees earned an average of 37% more in supported employment than in alternative programs during this same time period. We recommended continuation of this financial analysis longitudinally, as it is critical to the development of supported employment as an efficient delivery system.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Analysis of hours of direct training provided by employment specialists to supported employees.

A repeated measures analysis of the hours of direct training and the ratio of the hours of direct training to the hours worked by supported employees was conducted for two cohorts of supported employees with mental retardation employed for 6 and 12 consecutive months. Results indicated little change in the amount of direct training over time. Type of supported employment significantly affected the amount of direct training provided for both cohorts. Significant differences were found for the ratio of hours of direct training to hours worked for level of disability for both cohorts and in type of supported employment for those employed for 12 months. The need to promote employee independence by withdrawing direct training and supervision was discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Overview of supported employment.

This article traces the emergence of supported employment as a result of philosophical changes in expectations for persons with disabilities, based on scientific developments that challenged traditional service-delivery models. Supported employment program characteristics also are reviewed, and the influence of applied behavior analysis is outlined. Finally, areas for future research in supported employment are discussed.

Employment↗
PubMed1989

Teaching supported employees with severe mental retardation to solve problems.

Two individuals with severe mental retardation, employed by a janitorial supply company, were taught to use self-instruction in combination with multiple exemplar training to solve work-related problems. Use of the combined strategy resulted in generalization of the effects of independent variables, as well as generalization to nontrained problems. Use of the strategy is discussed in terms of promoting independent performance among supported employees.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Benefits and costs of supported employment: an analysis of the Illinois Supported Employment Project.

This investigation presents a cost-benefit analysis completed for one of 27 states implementing supported employment as a result of federal funding. Based upon the benefits and costs detailed, society realized a $0.75 return for every $1.00 invested in supported employment in Illinois. Supported employees realized a 37% increase in their earnings over a comparable period. The results of this study are discussed and recommendations are made for similar analyses across states.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMed1989

Supported employment program evaluation: evaluating degree of implementation and selected outcomes.

The relation between the degree to which adult service agencies implemented supported employment and selected program outcomes was examined. Supported employment programs developed by adult vocational service agencies in Illinois served as the subject pool for data collection. Results indicated that clients with higher IQs received less complete support services but earned higher wages. Vocational service agencies that spent more time developing jobs seemed better at matching job requirements with clients' skills.

Employment↗
PubMed1988

Identification of co-worker involvement in supported employment: a review and analysis.

This article identifies the roles that co-workers have assumed in providing support to employees with handicaps. These roles included validating instructional strategies, collecting subjective evaluations, implementing training procedures, collecting social comparison information, and maintaining behavior in the context of actual employment. This review is based upon an existing research literature that has focused upon providing "support" to individuals with handicaps after they become employed. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to important new roles that co-workers are assuming. Specifically, this review is one of the first attempts at defining co-worker involvement.

Humans↗
PubMed1988

Reliability and validity of the vocational assessment and curriculum guide.

Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and validity of the Vocational Assessment and Curriculum Guide (VACG) with subjects having different employment characteristics was investigated. The VACG, a behavior rating scale comprised of eight vocational and social skill domains, was designed to assist in the development of employment training programs for persons with mental retardation and other disabilities. Test-retest coefficients ranged from - .69 to .96 (mean = .79). Internal consistency, estimated by coefficient alpha, ranged from .59 to .91 (mean = .76) for VACG domain scores. The alpha coefficient for the total test score was .95. Empirical validation results suggest that domain scores differentiated between subjects with mental retardation having only sheltered work experience and those who were employed successfully in the competitive labor force.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Use of the partial-sequential withdrawal design to assess maintenance of mentally retarded adults' acquired meal preparation skills.

This study is presented as a follow-up to an earlier fully-controlled acquisition study in which three mentally retarded adults had acquired the ability to use sequenced picture recipe cards to prepare breakfast and dinner meals. Immediately following the acquisition demonstration, instructional components and trainers were partially-sequentially withdrawn. Reliable self-reports from the subjects and their mentally retarded roommates were established prior to trainer withdrawal. The demonstrated self-report method provided a means to assess performance following the withdrawal of trainers. Performance was maintained during a 10 month period.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1986

Comparison between nonhandicapped and mentally retarded workers: why they lose their jobs.

Reasons why 133 competitively employed nonhandicapped and 8 mentally retarded food service workers lost their jobs were examined. Reasons for termination were analyzed in terms of the social and production categories provided by Greenspan's (1981) social competence model. The majority of mentally retarded workers lost their jobs for productivity reasons, with some associated secondary social problems. The nonhandicapped workers lost their jobs for both social and production problems. When more than one reason was provided for termination, the impact of social problems increased. Results are discussed in terms of previous studies and in relation to their possible impact upon employment training and placement issues with mentally retarded workers.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Competitive employment: teaching mentally retarded employees self-instructional strategies.

The purpose of this study was to teach two mentally retarded employees to perform tasks associated with their jobs. Typically, they served meals during lunch and dinner hours; however, they failed to wipe counters, and check and restock supplies. A self-instructional package, similar to the package introduced by Bornstein and Quevillon (1976), was incorporated to improve their performance in these areas. A multiple-baseline design was utilized in which training was sequentially introduced across subjects. The subjects were taught to ask questions about which tasks needed to be completed, answer their questions, and guide their performance in the task by self-instructing. The self-instructional strategies were introduced just prior to lunch and dinner (30-min period) and during the first 30 min of the lunch and dinner service periods, respectively. During training, both subjects demonstrated that they were capable of rehearsing each of the self-instructional strategies in a specific sequence. Following training, both subjects performed at least one of the three tasks (i.e., wiping counters, checking supplies, restocking supplies) during 84 and 88% of the observed work periods. Additionally, the results of the intervention indicated that both subjects spent more time working and met or exceeded nonprobationary, nonhandicapped coworkers' production standards (social validation measure). The results of this study are compared with those reported by others. Future areas of research are indicated.

Adult↗