Repetitive Speech and Problem Behavior: Functional Analysis of Precurrent Contingencies.

When mands and problem behavior co-occur within an individual's repertoire, a functional analysis of precurrent contingencies helps to identify any relation between the two responses, as well as the function of problem behavior. Repetitive behaviors may function similarly to mands and also co-occur with problem behavior; particularly when repetitive behavior is blocked, or when caregivers refrain from participating in repetitive behavior episodes (e.g., the repetitive behavior involves a verbal or physical interaction with a caregiver). The current study presents assessment and treatment results for two participants diagnosed with autism, who demonstrated repetitive speech and problem behavior. Informal observations suggested that problem behavior occurred when an adult failed to emit a specific response to the participant's repetitive speech. Functional analysis results confirmed the informal observations and suggested that problem behavior functioned as a precurrent response to increase the probability of reinforcement for repetitive speech. We report treatment results and discuss the application of precurrent contingency analyses for problem behavior and repetitive behavior.

Correction to: Assessment and Treatment of Challenging Behavior Maintained by a Nonvocal Mands Function.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s40617-020-00486-z.].

Decreasing motor stereotypy with competing stimuli and tasks: Analysis of prompted engagement and response blocking.

Competing stimulus assessments (CSAs) are used to empirically identify stimuli associated with low levels of problem behavior. For some individuals with automatically maintained behavior, it can be difficult to identify effective competing stimuli. Recent research shows that prompting engagement and response blocking can be employed during the CSA to obtain significant reductions in problem behavior. The purpose of the present study was to replicate and extend prior research on the use of these tactics not only with competing stimuli, but also competing tasks, which require the active completion of a discrete response or response sequence. In addition, the current study validated the results of these pretreatment assessments in an extended treatment analysis, and examined the isolated and combined effects of prompting and response blocking within a component analysis. Future research directions and implications for clinical practice are discussed.

A Clinical Demonstration of Correlational and Experimental Analyses of Precursor Behavior.

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at an increased risk for engaging in severe problem behavior, which is often preceded by less intense precursor behaviors. These precursor behaviors may be a viable option as target behaviors for functional analyses in situations where evoking severe problem behavior is not ideal. We identified precursor behaviors through a correlational analysis and confirmed their membership in the same response class as more severe problem behavior through an experimental analysis.

Assessment and Treatment of Challenging Behavior Maintained by a Nonvocal Mands Function.

Standard functional analysis procedures may require modifications to assess idiosyncratic variables, such as adult compliance with mands. In the literature, the mands function is largely represented by individuals who vocally communicate idiosyncratic requests. Although effective treatment procedures have been published, schedule thinning has rarely been conducted. Using a reversal design, a mands functional analysis was completed with a 12-year-old nonvocal male. Results showed differentiated rates of challenging behavior. Treatment consisted of differential reinforcement via a chained schedule with signaled availability. During schedule thinning, low rates of challenging behavior were maintained.