A Social Validation Assessment of Cooperative versus Individual Task Engagement of Persons with Multiple Disabilities. Research Report

One major objective of programs for persons with severe or profound intellectual and multiple disabilities is to teach these persons occupational and vocational tasks and to enable them to carry out these tasks independently (Davis, Brady, Williams, & Burta, 1992; Lancioni et al., 1991; Steed & Lutzker, 1997). The performance of such tasks has traditionally been conceived as a form of individual engagement (Siperstein & Leffert, 1997). However, recent research has shown that it is possible to enable persons with multiple disabilities, including visual impairment, to work together with peers and to share familiar tasks (that is, to engage cooperatively in task--hereafter "cooperative task engagement") (Lancioni, O'Reilly, Cognini, & Serenelli, 2001; Lancioni, O'Reilly, & Oliva, 2002). The purpose of this pilot study was to conduct a preliminary social validation assessment of cooperative versus individual task engagement of persons with multiple disabilities. Toward this end, videotapes showing the two task conditions for five adults with multiple disabilities, including visual impairment, were presented to rehabilitation personnel (teachers, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists), who were asked to rate the two conditions on a six-item, Likert-type questionnaire.