Functional analysis and treatment of problem behavior related to mands for rearrangement

Abstract

This study is a systematic replication of a functional analysis (FA) of the relation between mands and problem behavior. We extended treatment approaches for this problem behavior function, and describe the treatment of problem behavior related to mands for rearrangement demonstrated by a 12-year-old girl with autism spectrum disorder and Smith-Magenis syndrome. The mands consisted of requests for others to change their body positioning or proximity, or rearrange items back to their original position. An FA confirmed the relation between problem behavior and mand compliance, and functional communication training with extinction decreased problem behavior and increased functional communication responses. Problem behavior remained low as gradually longer nonreinforcement periods were introduced using a multiple schedule.

A comparison of sources of baseline data for treatments of problem behavior following a functional analysis

“…We reviewed the method and results sections of articles for which the title mentioned a treatment for problem behavior ( N = 45) to identify the source of baseline data. Of the articles for which the source could be determined ( N = 41), we identified 15 articles that used the data from the test condition in the FA as baseline (e.g., Torres‐Viso, Strohmeier, & Zarcone, ); 12 articles that collected new baseline data by conducting additional sessions of a test condition (following completion of the FA) using contingencies identical to those in the FA (e.g., Fisher et al, ); 11 articles that conducted additional sessions (following completion of the analysis) using a modified test condition from the FA (e.g., Verriden & Roscoe, ); and three articles that used a combination of the above methods across participants (e.g., Slocum, Grauerholz‐Fisher, Peters, & Vollmer, ; list of articles available from the first author). Although this cursory review sampled only a few years of data, the outcome indicates that the source of baseline data used by researchers in treatment evaluations continues to vary.…”

Mand compliance as a contingency controlling problem behavior: A systematic review

“…Across all reviewed studies, researchers reported similar caregiver reports and observations that can be characterized in the following manner: Participants emitted frequent requests for items (e.g., a computer), activities (e.g., playing a board game), social interactions (e.g., conversing about dinosaurs), environmental arrangements (e.g., having papers and crayons organized a certain way), and for adults to behave in particular ways (e.g., imitating a cartoon character's voice and dialogue; see Bowman et al, 1997, Schmidt et al, 2017, and Warner et al, 2020 for detailed examples of participant requests). Some participants reportedly recruited only a particular type of reinforcer (e.g., the participant in Torres‐Viso et al, 2018, only requested environmental rearrangement); however, it was more often reported that the reinforcers requested were heterogeneous, idiosyncratic, and complex (e.g., Daryl in Schmidt et al, 2017, requested that adults talk like animals while engaging in conversations with inanimate objects, as well as play board games following special rules that always allowed Daryl to win). Problem behavior was likely to occur when any one of those requests was ignored or denied, and was likely to persist and even escalate until the adult granted requests.…”

“…Therefore, in Daniel's analysis, the therapist allowed Daniel to walk toward and engage with activities to which he pointed during reinforcement periods and ignored pointing during EO periods. Amy's analysis in Torres‐Viso et al (2018) tested whether adult compliance with mands for rearrangement of items in her environment influenced problem behavior. Amy's mands for rearrangement were characterized as vague and unintelligible, and often took the form of gestures and loud vocalizations (Torres‐Viso et al).…”

“…Since Bowman et al (1997), and especially in recent years, several authors have replicated the analysis and treatment and extended their outcomes (Betz et al, 2013; Eluri et al, 2016; Fisher et al, 2004; Greer et al, 2016; Hagopian et al, 2005; Kurtz et al, 2015; O'Connor et al, 2003; Owen et al, 2020; Roscoe et al, 2015; Schmidt et al, 2017; Torres‐Viso et al, 2018). The abovementioned replications of Bowman et al assessed the mand compliance contingency in isolation, usually following inconclusive standard functional analysis results (e.g., Iwata et al, 1982/1994).…”

A review of environmental enrichment as treatment for problem behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement

“…The inconsistent inclusion of a skill‐building component in treatments for automatically maintained behavior contrasts with that of problem behavior maintained by social reinforcement, for which functional alternatives are frequently increased through a training program such as functional communication training (e.g., Greer, Fisher, Saini, Owen, & Jones, ), shaping (e.g., Ghaemmaghami, Hanley, Jessel, & Landa, ), chaining (e.g., Hanley, Jin, Vanselow, & Hanratty, ), and prompt fading (e.g., Torres‐Viso, Strohmeier, & Zarcone, ). One reason for this discrepancy may be the challenge in finding reinforcers for play skills that compete with the automatic reinforcer for problem behavior.…”