THE EFFECTIVENESS OF JOB CARD GROUNDING IN AN INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

Abstract

Despite limited research, Job Card Grounding (JCG) remains a highly recommended clinical intervention for defiant adolescents, with many medical and parenting websites advocating for its use. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effectiveness and social acceptability of JCG in reducing defiant behaviors among residents in an Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disability (ICF/IID). Participants included three female adolescents with intellectual and related psychological disabilities. JCG was introduced as a multi-element intervention, adapted for use in the ICF/IID, that afforded participants the option to complete a brief 10 to 15-minute household chore contingent upon target (i.e., problem) behaviors. Daily rewards were incorporated to reinforce appropriate behavior. JCG was rated as a socially acceptable intervention that resulted in small to moderate reductions of target behavior across phase comparisons compared to treatment as usual. Results also suggest that JCG was a less restrictive intervention when compared to the behavioral intervention plans that were used at the facility.