SIDDS: Simulations in developmental disabilities

Abstract

SIDDS, or simulations in developmental disabilities, is a computer system that provides students with the opportunity to acquire and practice skills in behavioral psychology. During the simulation, the student assumes the role of a psychologist whose professional duties involve the assessment and treatment of the severe problem behavior displayed by a child with a developmental handicap. Following an introduction to the use of the program, SIDDS guides the student/clinician through a series of steps involved in reducing a behavior problem. With the goal of eliminating the client's behavior problem, the student/clinician proceeds through referral, problem identification, assessment, functional hypothesis, and treatment stages. This article describes the content and structure of SIDDS and provides a glimpse of what future developments of this system will entail. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE IN THE AREA OF EDUCATIONAL SIMULATIONSSimulation programs have been described as "an operating model of central features or elements of a real or proposed system, process, or environment" (Greenblat, 1988, p. 14). They provide a dynamic and life like demonstration of the relationship between variables that affect a phenomenon. In educational settings, the use of a simulation technique allows students to make a decision and then observe the effect of that decision in a particular situation. Simulationprograms are used in a wide range of teaching situations such as medicine (Bidwell, Collins-

Supplementing Lecture with Simulations in Developmental Disabilities: SIDD Software

“…During the simulation the student assumes the role of a clinician and proceeds through referral, problem definition, assessment, functional hypothesis, and treatment stages with a particular client case. Students can view video excerpts of the simulated client during assessment and follow-up (for a detailed description of this software, see Desrochers & Hile, 1993).…”

The Widening World of Functional Assessment: Comments on Four Manuals and Beyond

“…This far exceeds the 45,400 matches for positive reinforcement, although it is still lags behind the 231,000 for applied behavior analysis, the 488,000 for behavior analysis, and the 489,000 for behavior support. The professional market is being supplied with large numbers of books, manuals, CD ROMS, and on-line training options (e.g., Desrochers, 1998;Janney & Snell, 2000;. In the aggregate, these materials will have a considerable impact on the way that functional assessment is understood and, eventually, on the way that it is conducted.…”