Generalized action-object verbal instruction-following by profoundly mentally retarded adults.

The acquisition of generalized action-object instruction-following by three profoundly mentally retarded adults was investigated. Each subject was taught to follow seven verbal instructions in a stairstep diagonal progression through a 4 X 4 matrix of actions and objects. Probes monitored the occurrence of generalized action-object instruction-following responses within a multiple baseline design. As subjects were taught action-object responses, they responded to novel, untrained instructions that were comprised by recombining previously learned actions and objects. Prior matrix-training language research was systematically replicated, and findings were extended to profoundly retarded adults.