Effects of Choice on Leisure Participation for Persons with Severe Handicaps

The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the effect of choice on the behaviors of four children with severe handicaps. The investigation compared each individual's behaviors during participation in a chosen leisure activity (contingent participation) to behaviors during participation in the same leisure activity without the opportunity for choice (noncontingent participation). A multiple baseline, single-subject design was used that incorporated the introduction of three different conditions across subjects at different points in time. Changes were noted in the behaviors of attending and manipulation during each of the three conditions and were replicated across students to support the conclusion that there was a difference between the students' behaviors during their participation in a chosen leisure activity and their behaviors during participation in the same activity without choice.