Effects of an idiosyncratic stimulus on functional analysis of vocal stereotypy in two settings

Descriptive Longitudinal Analysis of Stereotypy and Corresponding Changes in Psychotropic Medication

INTRODUCTION

Psychotropic medication is often prescribed to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who engage in challenging and other behavior (e.g., aggression and stereotypy, respectively), but there is limited understanding of the effects of these medications on behavior.

OBJECTIVE

Within the context of a larger study that evaluated the effects of psychotropic medication regimen changes on the presentation of challenging behavior, this study describes the presentation of stereotypic behavior of three individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

METHODS

Stereotypy was measured during weekly, one-hour, direct observations and during the control and ignore conditions of functional analyses of challenging behavior (which were conducted following changes in psychotropic medication regimens).

RESULTS

Patterns of stereotypy varied over time, but not significantly, and at times seemed to coincide with medication changes.

DISCUSSION

Our results suggest stereotypy persists throughout adulthood; however, additional research is needed.

Advances in Our Understanding of Behavioral Intervention: 1980 to 2020 for Individuals Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

There are three branches of science of behavior analysis [i.e., experimental analysis of behavior, behavior analysis, and applied behavior analysis (ABA)]. ABA can be defined as a systematic approach to understanding behavior of social interest. For the past 40 plus years, researchers have evaluated ABA and ABA based procedures (e.g., behavioral intervention) as they relate to individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and have implemented behavioral intervention in clinical settings for individuals diagnosed with ASD. In this paper, we discuss some of the pivotal contributions in the field of ABA in research and clinical practice. Additionally, we provide recommendations for the science and clinical practice of behavioral intervention in the next 40 years.

Randomization Tests for Single Case Designs with Rapidly Alternating Conditions: An Analysis of p-Values from Published Experiments

Two common barriers to applying statistical tests to single-case experiments are that single-case data often violate the assumptions of parametric tests and that random assignment is inconsistent with the logic of single-case design. However, in the case of randomization tests applied to single-case experiments with rapidly alternating conditions, neither the statistical assumptions nor the logic of the designs are violated. To examine the utility of randomization tests for single-case data, we collected a sample of published articles including alternating treatments or multielement designs with random or semi-random condition sequences. We extracted data from graphs and used randomization tests to estimate the probability of obtaining results at least as extreme as the results in the experiment by chance alone (i.e., p-value). We compared the distribution of p-values from experimental comparisons that did and did not indicate a functional relation based on visual analysis and evaluated agreement between visual and statistical analysis at several levels of α. Results showed different means, shapes, and spreads for the p-value distributions and substantial agreement between visual and statistical analysis when α = .05, with lower agreement when α was adjusted to preserve family-wise error at .05. Questions remain, however, on the appropriate application and interpretation of randomization tests for single-case designs.

Further Analysis of the Predictive Effects of a Free-Operant Competing Stimulus Assessment on Stereotypy

We conducted five experiments to evaluate the predictive validity of a free-operant competing stimulus assessment (FOCSA). In Experiment 1, we showed that each participant’s repetitive behavior persisted without social consequences. In Experiment 2, we used the FOCSA to identify high-preference, low-stereotypy (HP-LS) items for 11 participants and high-preference, high-stereotypy (HP-HS) items for nine participants. To validate the results of the FOCSAs (Experiment 3), we used a three-component multiple schedule to evaluate the immediate and subsequent effects of an HP-LS stimulus, an HP-HS stimulus, or both (in separate test sequences) on each participant’s stereotypy. Results of Experiment 3 showed that the FOCSA correctly predicted the immediate effect of the HP-LS stimulus for 10 of 11 participants; however, the FOCSA predictions were less accurate for the HP-HS stimulus. Results of Experiment 4 showed that a differential reinforcement of other behavior procedure in which participants earned access to the HP-LS for omitting vocal stereotypy increased all five participants’ latency to engaging in stereotypy; however, clinically significant omission durations were only achieved for one participant. Experiment 5 showed that differential reinforcement of alternative behavior in which participants earned access to the HP-LS stimulus contingent upon correct responses during discrete-trial training reduced targeted and nontargeted stereotypy and increased correct academic responding for all four participants. The potential utility of the FOCSA is discussed.