Crossmodal Transfer of Stimulus Control: Preparing Students with Severe Multiple Disabilities for Audiological Assessment

Crossmodal transfer of stimulus control procedures was used to establish reliable responding to an auditory cue in three severely multiply handicapped students who had previously failed to demonstrate reliable responses to stimuli presented in the auditory mode. As a result, all three students were able to participate in formal audiometric evaluations of their hearing status. Procedures were designed to be replicable in a typical classroom setting serving severely handicapped students. Results are discussed in terms of their utility in facilitating audiological testing for untestable persons and in terms of implications for teaching students functional use of the auditory sensory channel.