RESUMO
We conducted five experiments to evaluate the predictive validity of a free-operant competing stimulus assessment (FOCSA). In Experiment 1, we showed that each participant's repetitive behavior persisted without social consequences. In Experiment 2, we used the FOCSA to identify high-preference, low-stereotypy (HP-LS) items for 11 participants and high-preference, high-stereotypy (HP-HS) items for nine participants. To validate the results of the FOCSAs (Experiment 3), we used a three-component multiple schedule to evaluate the immediate and subsequent effects of an HP-LS stimulus, an HP-HS stimulus, or both (in separate test sequences) on each participant's stereotypy. Results of Experiment 3 showed that the FOCSA correctly predicted the immediate effect of the HP-LS stimulus for 10 of 11 participants; however, the FOCSA predictions were less accurate for the HP-HS stimulus. Results of Experiment 4 showed that a differential reinforcement of other behavior procedure in which participants earned access to the HP-LS for omitting vocal stereotypy increased all five participants' latency to engaging in stereotypy; however, clinically significant omission durations were only achieved for one participant. Experiment 5 showed that differential reinforcement of alternative behavior in which participants earned access to the HP-LS stimulus contingent upon correct responses during discrete-trial training reduced targeted and nontargeted stereotypy and increased correct academic responding for all four participants. The potential utility of the FOCSA is discussed.
Assuntos
Transtorno do Espectro Autista/reabilitação , Terapia Comportamental/métodos , Avaliação de Processos e Resultados em Cuidados de Saúde , Reforço Psicológico , Comportamento Estereotipado/fisiologia , Transtorno de Movimento Estereotipado/terapia , Transtorno do Espectro Autista/complicações , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Humanos , Masculino , Transtorno de Movimento Estereotipado/etiologiaRESUMO
Stereotypy is often characterized as repetitious, invariant behavior that generates its own reinforcing consequence. Stereotypy represents a unique treatment challenge, because the consequences produced by stereotypy cannot be directly controlled by the practitioner. Likewise, practitioners have relatively few options for identifying the function of repetitive behavior. Recently, several researchers have been conducting empirical studies to address these issues. This article introduces a special issue presenting some of these recent developments in the assessment and treatment of stereotypy and related behavior.
Assuntos
Comportamento Estereotipado , Terapia Comportamental , HumanosRESUMO
We assessed the immediate and subsequent effects of environmental enrichment (EE) as a stand-alone intervention and when EE was combined with response cost (RC) for 5 participants using a 2-component multiple-schedule design. Environmental enrichment failed to decrease any participant's immediate engagement in stereotypy; however, the addition of RC decreased the immediate engagement in stereotypy for all participants. After the withdrawal of EE plus RC, stereotypy did not immediately increase for 3 of 5 participants.
Assuntos
Transtorno Autístico , Terapia Comportamental/métodos , Meio Ambiente , Comportamento Estereotipado/fisiologia , Adolescente , Transtorno Autístico/fisiopatologia , Transtorno Autístico/psicologia , Transtorno Autístico/reabilitação , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Reforço Psicológico , Fatores de Tempo , Adulto JovemRESUMO
A 6-year-old boy who had been diagnosed with autism participated in a pilot study that showed that (a) television was associated with increased vocal stereotypy and (b) sitting was associated with lower levels of vocal stereotypy. Subsequently, we reduced vocal stereotypy while the television was on by reinforcing sitting on a variable-interval schedule. Results suggest that conditional percentages may be useful for the identification of alternative behaviors as part of treatments for stereotypy.
Assuntos
Transtorno Autístico/psicologia , Transtorno Autístico/terapia , Reforço Psicológico , Comportamento Estereotipado , Televisão , Comportamento Verbal , Terapia Comportamental , Criança , Humanos , Masculino , Projetos Piloto , Esquema de ReforçoRESUMO
In this paper, we review definitional issues related to stereotypy, behavioral interpretations of stereotypy, procedures for determining operant function(s) of stereotypy, and behavioral interventions for stereotypy. In general, a preponderance of the assessment literature suggests that most forms of stereotypy are maintained by automatic reinforcement. Review of the treatment literature suggests that antecedent (e.g., environmental enrichment) and consequent (e.g., differential reinforcement of alternative behavior) interventions produce at least short-term reductions in stereotypy. Suggestions for further assessment and treatment of stereotypy are provided.
Assuntos
Terapia Comportamental/métodos , Transtorno de Movimento Estereotipado/terapia , Extinção Psicológica , Humanos , Inibição Psicológica , Punição , Reforço Psicológico , Meio SocialRESUMO
A common deficiency in the verbal repertoires of individuals with autism and related disorders is the absence of socially appropriate vocal mands. The vocal mand repertoires of these individuals may be lacking in several respects: (a) The individual might engage in no mands whatsoever, (b) the mand might be topographically dissimilar to an appropriate response, (c) the mand might be only partially topographically similar to an appropriate response, and (d) the mand might occur only after prompting. Depending on specific deficiencies in an individual's repertoire, different procedures for establishing appropriate mands may be needed. The purpose of Study 1 was to evaluate an assessment prior to teaching vocal mands for 3 individuals with developmental disabilities. The assessment showed that 1 individual displayed partial utterances of mands, 1 displayed vocal mands after mands had been reinforced, and 1 displayed vocal mands when prompted. Thus, in Study 2, a different teaching strategy was tested for each individual. Results showed that the assessment information could be linked directly to mand training for all 3 participants.
Assuntos
Ensino/métodos , Comportamento Verbal , Treinamento da Voz , Adolescente , Humanos , Deficiência Intelectual , Masculino , Reforço PsicológicoRESUMO
A concurrent-operants design was used to analyze the repetitive behavior of observing reflective surfaces while simultaneously engaging in erratic gross-motor body movements (EBMs) exhibited by a young boy diagnosed with autism. The assessment involved an evaluation of preference for controlled (i.e., the participant controlled the visual activity on a TV screen) versus uncontrolled (i.e., the participant viewed a previously recorded tape from the controlled condition) TV footage of his EBMs. The analysis indicated that both observing and EBMs were maintained by the direct correspondence between the body movements and the visual stimulation they produced when controlled by the participant. Thus, the EBMs appeared to be maintained on a conjugate schedule of reinforcement.