Use of a timeout ribbon with and without consequences as procedures to improve a child's compliance

The Effects of the Time-In Procedure on Decreasing Aberrant Behavior

This case study evaluated the effects of a time-in procedure for decreasing aberrant behavior for one adolescent diagnosed with autism. The time-in procedure consists of having the learner wear a visual stimulus and providing reinforcement for the absence of aberrant behavior. If the learner, however, engaged in the aberrant behavior, the visual stimulus was removed and a consequence was provided. An alternating treatment design compared rates of aberrant behavior during periods of time when the time-in procedure was being implemented and periods of time when the time-in procedure was not being implemented. Results of this study indicated that the participant engaged in less aberrant behavior when the time-in procedure was being implemented, as compared with times when the time-in procedure was not being implemented.