Teaching a problem‐solving strategy to closed head‐injured adults

This study developed and evaluated a program for teaching a problemsolving strategy to closed head‐injured adults. Four general areas were targeted for training: Community Awareness and Transportation; Medication, Alcohol, and Drugs; Stating One's Rights; and Emergencies, Injuries, and Safety. The program featured cue cards, response‐specific feedback, modeling, self‐monitoring, positive reinforcement, response practice, self‐correction, and individualized performance criterion levels. It was evaluated via pre‐ and posttraining generalization assessments that involved phone calls, interviews, and staged interactions in the natural environment. The experimental group (N = 3) received baseline, training, and pre/posttraining assessments, whereas the contrast group (N = 3) received only pre/posttraining assessments. The posttraining results revealed that the experimental subjects' problem‐solving skills had generalized somewhat, whereas the contrast group showed little change from pre‐ to postassessment. The program appears to offer some promise as a method of teaching a problem‐solving strategy.