What-Can I-Do: Teaching Social Problem Solving to Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

Direct support professionals (DSPs) are crucial in providing services to individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD), but often lack adequate resources. This study developed an intervention to equip DSPs to teach social problem-solving skills to young adults with IDD preparing
for employment. The intervention combines a mnemonic teaching strategy, “What Can I Do?”, with remote audio coaching (RAC). The “What Can I Do?” mnemonic guides users through three problem-solving phases: 1) Identifying the problem (WHAT setting/situation), 2) Generating alternatives
(CAN I help/call for help), and 3) Comparing and selecting options (What DO I do/report). A multiple-probe design across participants was used with three young adults with IDD to evaluate the intervention’s effectiveness.
Results showed two of the three participants significantly improved their job-related social problem-solving skills. The study emphasizes the importance of individualized instruction, consistent repetition, and explicit teaching of social problem-solving skills for this population. Implications for practice and future research directions are discussed.