We compared the results of a brief video-based multiple-stimulus without replacement preference assessment with no access to chosen activities (MSWO-NO) to the results of the same assessment with access (MSWO-WA) with four children with autism. We also compared instructor rankings of activities to MSWO-WA results. Strong to moderate correlations between MSWO-NO and MSWO-WA assessment results were found across all participants. The correlation between MSWO-WA and instructor rankings ranged from strong to low across all participants. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
We evaluated a brief multiple-stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment conducted in video format with four children with autism. Specifically, we compared the results of a video-based MSWO to the results of a tangible MSWO. Toys identified as highly preferred (HP) in the video-based MSWO were also HP in the tangible MSWO for three of four participants, and correlations between video-based and tangible MSWO assessment results across participants were strong and statistically significant. Therefore, video-based MSWOs may be an accurate compliment to tangible MSWOs for children with autism.Keywords Preference assessment . Technology . Autism Effective reinforcement strategies are the cornerstone of early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) programs for children with autism. Because of the importance of effective reinforcement, it is critical that practitioners use strategies that result in accurate reinforcer identification. The multiple-stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment, developed by DeLeon and Iwata (1996), is one strategy practitioners may use to identify potential reinforcers. An MSWO involves the simultaneous presentation of multiple items in front of the student. After the student selects an item, he or she then has an opportunity to play with or consume it. Then, the remaining items are re-arranged and the student is given another opportunity to make a selection. This process continues until the student selects all items.A recent review of preference assessment research by Kang et al. (2013) suggests that highly preferred (HP) items identified in MSWOs are likely to function as reinforcers. Aside from the predictive validity of MSWOs in identifying reinforcers, MSWOs may take less time to complete than other types of preference assessments, such as paired-stimulus (Fisher et al. 1992) preference assessments. MSWOs also provide complete information about how a student's preference for an item compares to preference for other items (Karsten et al. 2011). The development of the brief MSWO (Carr et al. 2000) has further decreased administration time, and as a result, brief MSWOs are arguably an optimal form of preference assessment for most students in EIBI settings because of their quick administration time and accuracy in identifying potential reinforcers (see Karsten et al. for a decision-making model for identifying an appropriate form of preference assessment for an individual with autism).Despite the advantages of the brief MSWO, researchers have also noted its limitations. Whereas a paired-stimulus preference assessment involves the simultaneous presentation of two items at once, a brief MSWO involves, at least initially, the presentation of more than two items. Depending on the overall size of the array and the form (e.g., large toys or activities) of stimuli, administration may be difficult or impractical (Kang et al. 2013). To mitigate this issue, practitioners Implications for Practitioners 1. Visual discrimination, picture-toobject, and object-...
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