Citation

Moore KJ. Educ. Treat. Child. 1999; 22(2): 189-202.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, West Virginia University Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Level 1 research (Hawkins & Matthews, 1999, is an underutilized strategy for monitoring clinical cases, demonstrating accountability in applied settings, and maximizing applied clinicians' effectiveness in the delivery of psychological service. Two single-case examples are presented using Level 1 research to guide the clinician(s) to socially acceptable resolution of problems. The first case is a 14-year-old girl in an out-of-home care setting who presented seriously escalated disruptive behavior, including assault. She had an extensive history of sexual and physical abuse and a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Moreover, she was a candidate for an extensive series of cranial facial surgeries for a badly repaired cleft palate. However, without emotional and behavioral stability the cranial facial team would not operate. Level 1 research strategies were used to modify a token economy, monitor and teach treatment fidelity, identify setting events, monitor effects of medication and intensive psychotherapy, and ultimately as evidence for behavioral and emotional stability. The second case is a 12-year-old boy with escalating nocturnal enuresis who lived in a residential care setting. Ongoing Level 1 data (including an enuresis item) were already being easily and efficiently collected through the use of a 28-item behavioral problems checklist (Parent Daily Report; Chamberlain & Reid, 1987). Interventionists used the charted bedwetting item for descriptive analyses and to monitor interventions.

Language: en