Decreasing Problem Behavior
Contents
- The Use of Differential Reinforcement with Blocking to Reduce Elopement
- Activity Choice Extinction for Escape Maintained Behavior
- Reduction of Hair Pulling
- A Case Study Evaluating Behavioral Interventions for the Self-Injurous Behavior of Biting
The Use of Differential Reinforcement with Blocking to Reduce Elopement
Kris Bodine (2015)
Abstract
Elopement is a dangerous behavior because children who run away may encounter life-threatening situations (e.g., traffic) (Piazza, 1997). Nearly half of children with an ASD elope, and more than half of these “go missing.” (Anderson, 2014). Results from previous research suggest that blocking may be an essential component in the treatment of elopement in individuals with autism. Furthermore, blocking, when used in combination with Differential Reinforcement has been successful in reducing elopement to a manageable level and in some cases to zero occurrences (Call, 2011). The purpose of this project is to reduce elopement for a four-year-old boy diagnosed with autism. Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior (DRI) with blocking will be used to decrease elopements. The DRI intervals will be gradually increased as he meets the pre-determined mastery criterion. After meeting the mastery criterion indoors, we will move the intervention to an outdoor playground in order to generalize the behavior to other, more functional settings. It is expected that the implementation of this procedure will greatly reduce elopements to zero or a manageable level.
Activity Choice Extinction for Escape Maintained Behavior
Sarah Lichtenberger (2016)
Abstract
In this study, activity choice and extinction were used to decrease escape maintained behavior by teaching a child to select between appropriate selected tasks. Activity choice and extinction are function-based interventions that reduce problem behavior without losing instructional time (Geiger, Carr, & LeBlanc 2010). The study was conducted with a three year old child, diagnosed with autism, in an Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) classroom. Baseline data were collected on the frequency of the problem behavior prior to the implementation of the treatment. First, a pairing procedure was used to pair each task with the appropriate icon. After this procedure was mastered, the activity choice extinction procedure was introduced. It was expected that the procedure will provide an alternate intervention to decrease escape maintained behavior in the ECSE classroom. The skills learned from this procedure can be transferred in the future to using a picture schedule.
Keywords
choice, problem behavior, decreasing problem behavior, pairing
Materials
Reduction of Hair Pulling
Brittany Yenter (2013)
Abstract
A treatment package was implemented for a child in an early intervention intensive behavior therapy classroom to reduce hair pulling. This problem behavior was inhibiting the child’s ability to interact with other children and staff in the learning environment as well as limiting the amount of expected learning achieved in a typical day. The treatment package used addressed multiple functions that were maintaining the problem behavior to obtain a reduction in hair pulling. Treatment packages can be used to address problem behaviors that may have multiple functions or functions that are difficult to identify. This problem behavior had several maintaining functions and required a package of interventions in order to decrease hair pulling. A single subject AB design was used which included a baseline and intervention phase. Findings in the study should contribute to the current body of research on treatment packages and interventions used in a classroom setting to reduce problem behavior.
Keywords
problem behaviors, decreasing problem behaviors, hair pulling, treatment package
Materials
A Case Study Evaluating Behavioral Interventions for the Self-Injurious Behavior of Biting
Lauren DeClaire (2015)
Abstract
Several studies have evaluated the effectiveness of behavioral techniques and interventions to decrease self-injurious behavior for individuals diagnosed with autism. The purpose of this case study is to assess the effects of past and current interventions and treatment packages to decrease hand biting for a nine-year-old boy diagnosed with autism. An alternating treatment design will be used to evaluate the effects of various treatment packages. Some past interventions have included the use of aversive stimuli, differential reinforcement of other behavior, non-contingent reinforcement, response interruption and redirection and penalty procedures. Differential reinforcement of various alternative behaviors will be used in hopes of replacing bites while blocking the target behavior. The goal of this intervention is to increase the replacement behaviors while decreasing the target behavior of biting. Though a decrease in bites was observed, the average rate of behavior is at about two per hour. The target behavior declined most during the chew necklace and break conditions.
Keywords
self-injurous behaviors, autism, differential reinforcement, treatment package