Promoting Behavioral Variability in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

Repetitive behavior is a hallmark feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and can have adverse consequences related to social stigma and low rates of skill acquisition. Basic research suggests that variability, or the extent to which one response differs from previous responses, is amenable to antecedent and consequence manipulations. This article describes the concept of variability, synthesizes the findings of 14 recent studies on interventions to increase the variability of behavior in individuals with ASD, and proposes preliminary guidelines for practitioners that focus on building response repertoires, implementing contingencies to produce and maintain variability, and incorporating prompts to vary responding.

Using intraverbal prompts to increase divergent intraverbal responses by a child with autism

“…The results of this study were consistent with previous applied studies that children with ASD could acquire divergent responses and/or response variability in intraverbal relations (Rodriguez & Thompson, 2015;Wolfe et al, 2014). This particular intervention not only addressed the key deficit of restrictive and repetitive interests/behaviors displayed by children with ASD but also teach them multiple control in intraverbal relations.…”

“…It is commonly observed that individuals with ASD often engage in stereotyped behavior and repetitive communication in various contexts, causing impediments in their social and adaptive functioning. Predicaments resulting from invariant patterns of behaviors include the loss of opportunities for meaningful social interactions, limited skills acquisition, and obtaining reinforcement in generalized environments (Rodriguez & Thompson, 2015;Wolfe, Slocum, & Kunnavatana, 2014).…”

Persistence and relapse of reinforced behavioral variability

“…Implementing a treatment that provides reinforcers for behaving variably may help to expand an individual's behavioral repertoire in an adaptive direction. Interventions designed to modify behavioral variability have been tested in individuals with depression (e.g., Hopkinson & Neuringer, 2003) and ASD (e.g., Betz, Higbee, Kelley, Sellers, & Pollard, 2011;Wolfe, Slocum, & Kunnavatana, 2014), with promising results. Interventions with typically developing populations have yet to be widely applied but would be useful to investigate, as behavioral variability may promote problem solving, creativity, and learning (e.g., Grunow & Neuringer, 2002;Weiss & Neuringer, 2012).…”

Effects of Simultaneous Script Training on Use of Varied Mand Frames by Preschoolers with Autism

“…Readers are directed to two recent review articles for further examination of factors contributing to invariance, reasons why lack of varied responding can be problematic for individuals with autism, and recommendations for practitioners and researchers (Rodriguez and Thompson 2015;Wolfe et al 2014).…”