Errorless remediation in the classroom, success-based intervention for children with antisocial behaviour

grantor: University of TorontoMany techniques that are commonly employed by teachers to manage students' behaviour in the classroom focus on the teacher's immediate reaction (e.g., removal from the classroom) to student problem behaviour. Research suggests that these strategies often are ineffective and may reinforce the unwanted behaviour. Errorless compliance training was developed to provide a more proactive alternative to reducing child problem behaviours and has been validated as an effective approach when employed in the home with parents and their children (Ducharme & Popynick, 1993). In the present study, we investigated the utility of the errorless approach in the classroom. An intervention agent (the Master's candidate graduate student), implemented the procedure in the classroom with two 5 year old girls, who were exhibiting severe levels of noncompliance. In addition, we investigated generalization of treatment effects to the classroom teacher. Observations indicated substantial increases in compliance to requests issued by the intervention agent at completion of treatment, as well as preliminary indications of generalized compliance to the classroom teacher. These findings suggest that errorless compliance training may provide a non-reactive and success-based alternative to traditional classroom management procedures.M.A