The purpose of this study was to evaluate treatment procedures for problem behavior maintained by escape from attention in the form of conversation for a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. After conducting a functional analysis that confirmed this function, we implemented a preference assessment to identify some forms of attention that were not aversive. Treatment consisted of four conditions, implemented in a series of reversals. During each condition, the participant chose from some of the following concurrently available options: three forms of attention, escape from conversation, and escape from conversation with a 2‐min delay. We implemented the delay to reduce (devalue) the reinforcing value of escape from conversation. The participant preferred escape from conversation to social interaction when all four consequences were available immediately. When escape from conversation was possible with a delay, the participant's preference changed to social interaction. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.
Over 60% of children diagnosed with selective mutism are also diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Previous research established that behavioral interventions are effective at increasing speech in children with both diagnoses. However, few studies conducted assessments to determine environmental variables that inhibit speech, and such assessments are necessary for the development of effective and efficient treatments. This case study describes an assessment that evaluated the function(s) of selective mutism. The results confirmed that the participant did not talk to avoid social interaction and that mutism occurred primarily in the presence of multiple, unfamiliar people. Our first treatment focused on increasing tolerance for social interaction, demonstrated by an increase in speech production in the presence of unfamiliar people. Our second treatment focused on increasing qualitative aspects of the participant’s speech (i.e., both responses and initiations). Finally, we taught the participant’s parents to implement the treatment in naturalistic settings, and the participant demonstrated generalization of treatment effects across people and settings. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.
Behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement are often more difficult to treat due to difficulty with identifying the relevant maintaining variable(s). One common intervention to treat automatically maintained behavior includes competing stimuli. Competing stimuli promote item engagement which may replace challenging behavior (i.e., response competition). Competing stimuli have shown to be a widely successful intervention across diverse topographies of challenging behavior; however, few studies have evaluated the use of competing stimuli on destructive behavior. The purpose of the current study was to treat automatically maintained destructive behavior with a competing stimuli intervention package for an adolescent with developmental disabilities. Results showed a decrease in destructive behavior when access to competing stimuli was a component of an intervention package in a clinic setting. Also, preliminary data are provided showing treatment effects when caregivers implemented the intervention. Due to the complexity of the final intervention package, recommendations for clinicians are provided which focus on improving feasibility, practicality, and sustainability of treatment components.
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