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| Intervention for Problem Behavior in Autism |
| Saturday, May 29, 2004 |
| 2:30 PM–3:50 PM |
| Back Bay A |
| Area: AUT |
| Chair: Jill A. Hollway (The Ohio State University) |
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| Training a Parent to Implement Behavioral Momentum to Improve Her Son's Compliant Behavior |
| Domain: Applied Research |
| JILL A. HOLLWAY (The Ohio State University), Ralph Gardner III (The Ohio State University), Terri Hessler (The Ohio State University) |
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| Abstract: Non-compliant behavior to task demands is a common problem for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Treatment of compliance is important because of its co-variation with other maladaptive and adaptive behaviors. New adaptive behaviors can be elicited to take the place of old maladaptive responses as the child with ASD becomes compliant. Recent studies have been conducted in order to test the effectiveness of the behavior momentum theory in increasing compliant behavior in children. Their data suggest that giving a sequence of high probability requests immediately prior to a low probability request increases the probability compliance. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a parent trained to act as a behavioral change agent in her home could effectively increase her son’s compliance to task demands by using behavioral momentum. The parent was trained to implement behavioral momentum (sequences of high probability immediately followed by a low probability request), in order to increase compliance to task demands. The results show that the parent was able to effectively implement a behavior momentum strategy and improve her child’s compliance behavior. A multiple baseline design was used to show a functional relationship between the independent and deaendent variables. |
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| The Application of Simple Correction to Eliminate Spitting Behavior in a Six Year Old Autistic Boy |
| Domain: Applied Research |
| JAMES KOPP (University of Texas at Arlington), Jessica L. Feger (Behavioral Innovations, Inc.), David Harkins (Behavioral Innovations, Inc.), William H. Edwards (Behavioral Innovations, Inc.) |
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| Abstract: A simple correction procedure (soft reprimand --> prompts to on-task --> change-over delay -->reinforcement) was used to reduce the probability of spitting during pre-academic and self-help skills training with a six year old autistic boy. Baseline rates of spitting averaged one response every five minutes across three trainers during separate two-hour daily training sessions. Initially, a simple correction procedure for spitting behavior concurrent with task-completion reinforcement was introduced into one of the three two-hour sessions. The result was a decrease in spitting to near zero during the selected session, with some generalization to the other two sessions. After the seventh day all three trainers employed the simple correction procedure. Twenty days later the rate of spitting behavior was observed to be at or near near zero throughout training. One of the trainers then followed the child into a regular school classroom for the next 77 days. In the new setting, except for a burst of spitting responses when grabbing materials was added to the simple correction program, spitting rates remained zero with occasional bouts of one or two responses once or twice a week |
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| Autism and the Thimerisol Debate: Successes in treating ASD in Siblings via ABA, Diet, Supplements and Chelation |
| Domain: Applied Research |
| CARMENNE A. CHIASSON (Private practice) |
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| Abstract: Two brothers have shown remarkable progress in a comprehensive treatment program including 7 to 17 hours per week of applied behavior analysis, a gluten/casien free diet, tailored supplements including vitamins and enzymes, and chelation to address mercury and other metal toxicity. The children's behavioral interventions were developed by this psychologist based on Gina Greene's (eds) "Behavioral Interventions for Children with Autism". Parents designed the dietary, vitamin, supplement and chelation interventions via information gained from on-line chat groups and their own extensive research. Results indicate significant gains in appropriate speech, toileting skills and social skills and significant reduction of self stimulation behavior. Results indicate significant gains in adaptive functioning on the Vineland (From 5th to 75th Adaptive Behavior Composite percentile over a two year period) and the WISC III (From FSIQ = 84 to FSIQ = 104 over a two year period) for Kurt, current age 4 years, 10 months. Younger sibling, Allen, currently age 2 years 5 months made significant gains in receptive and expressive speech and advanced in many areas of the Vineland over a 1.5 year period of treatment. Implications for the use of a multifacted treatment approach to Autism Spectrum Disorders is discussed. |
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