Association for Behavior Analysis International

We reviewed and analyzed studies that used environmental enrichment as treatment for automatically maintained self-injury and motor stereotypy. A search of behavior analytic journals produced 33 articles that included 57 cases of self-injurious behavior and 33 cases of stereotypy. We found that environmental enrichment was used alone or in conjunction with one or more of the following: prompting, reinforcement, response blocking, restriction, restraint, and punishment. Environmental enrichment, as a sole intervention, was effective for 26% (5/19 cases) of stereotypy and 38% (21/56 cases) of self-injury. Non-intrusive interventions (i.e., prompting and reinforcement) were added and effective for 65% (17/26 cases) of stereotypy and 29% (2/7 cases) of self-injury. Intrusive interventions (i.e., blocking, restriction, restraint, and punishment) were effective for 100% (9/9 cases) of stereotypy and 100% (34/34 cases) of self-injury. Preliminary results indicate that environmental enrichment alone was effective for a higher percentage of self-injury cases. When environmental enrichment was ineffective, stereotypy required less intrusive interventions compared to self-injury; thus, intrusive procedures were used more frequently with self-injury compared to stereotypy. This poster will summarize trends using environmental enrichment as an independent variable and will describe implications for future research.

Evidence-based treatment for problem behaviors is ABA, which is typically delivered in an individual format as a tertiary prevetion. Recently, several behavioral parent trainings have been identified as effective methods to deal with problem behaviors. Yet, these programs are still demanding in terms of training length and intensity. Therefore, continuous effort to search a more cost-effective training program (e.g., a shorter and more effective program) is still in need, mainly due to practical reasons. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a short-term parent training program to manage problem behaviors among persons with DD. A 4-week behavioral parent training program was developed and administered to 13 parents of children with DD. The training program included basic learning principles, functional assessment and function-based treatment. Data on the degree of problem behaviors, parents stress, parenting efficacy and knowledge of behavior principles were collected through the self-reported questionaries before and after the training. The results showed significant differences between pre and post total scores on knowledge of behavior principles. No differences were found in other measures. This suggests that a 4 week short-term behavioral parent training is effective to enhance the knowledge of behavior principles only. Implications and limitations are further discussed.

Previous research has indicated that multiple-respondent anecdotal (indirect) functional assessments of problem behavior can produce agreement across 80% of raters in roughly half of cases and, when agreement is obtained, the results often match those from functional analyses (Smith, Smith, & Dracobly, 2012). We replicated and extended previous research in this area by evaluating outcomes for the Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS) and the Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF) and comparing results for 7 additional cases in which agreement was obtained on either anecdotal assessment. Correspondence between functional analysis and anecdotal assessment results was found in all 7 cases. A further analysis was conducted for 12 individuals, including 5 participants from the Smith et al. (2012) study. The scores for functional categories on the MAS and QABF were ranked by averaging the scores for the raters who agreed on the primary maintaining variable. Functional analysis results were ranked by examining average responding across all conditions. A comparison showed a correspondence between the highest category and the functional analysis condition for 9 out of 10 cases for the MAS and 8 out of 10 cases for the QABF. Correspondence for the category and condition ranked second was found for 2 out of 10 cases for the MAS and 2 out of 10 cases for the QABF. The magnitude of difference between categories on the MAS/QABF did not appear to predict the amount of difference in responding in the corresponding functional analyses.

The current study serves an importance as it may aid in the emergence of social interactions and potential friendships with individuals with intellectual disabilities. This study aims to evaluate the effect of interlocked behavioral contingencies embedded in group activities, on social interactions of adults with intellectual disabilities. This metacontingency package will be evaluated by using a reversal design. Baseline data are being collected on the frequency of reciprocal interactions, defined as both participants engaging in a reciprocal gesture/response to each other, which will be recorded as a unit, and the frequency of individual initiations, defined as the participant who first engages towards the other participant. Intervention will consist of four homemade activities: 1) lemonade and pizza, 2) candles, 3) facials and 4) flower arrangements. Instructions for each activity were created in such a manner that required the behavior of one participant to be dependent on the behavior of the other participant, therefore the behavior of each participant will serve as a discriminative stimulus for all steps of the activities. Preliminary data include baseline and a generalization probe and are not yet complete. It is expected data collection will be completed within 3 months.

One common ongoing challenge regarding the functional assessment of problem behavior is the presence of undifferentiated results. It is possible that the presence of novel therapists or contrived environment contributes to these results (Hanley, Iwata, & McCord, 2003). An additional explanation involves the presence or absence of preferred therapists during functional analysis sessions. We investigated the relationship between therapist preference and the function of an individuals problem behavior. Two versions of a social avoidance functional analysis (Harper, Iwata, & Camp, 2013) were conducted with a child diagnosed with an intellectual disability. First, a non-preferred therapist implemented social avoidance (test) versus ignore (control) conditions in a reversal design. Then, a preferred therapist implemented social avoidance (test) versus contingent attention (control) in a reversal design. Results showed that problem behavior was maintained by both access to attention and escape from attention, with these functions dependent on which staff member served as therapist. The implications of these findings may inform subsequent treatment options, and potentially clarify inconclusive results of previous assessments.

Function-based intervention is a hallmark of Applied Behavior Analysis. Behavioral function is most often identified through the use of a functional behavioral assessment, with the Functional Analysis as the gold standard (Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, and Richman, 1982/1994). A participants reactivity to a highly controlled environment and standard conditions may impact the potential for clear, differentiated functional analysis results. The current study assessed the problem behavior of an 8-year old female diagnosed with mild intellectual disabilities, progressing from more controlled to more natural assessments. A standard functional analysis yielded inconclusive, undifferentiated results but the highest and most consistent rates of target behavior occurred in the attention condition. However, the participant also commented on the unusual environment frequently and began to engage in avoidance behavior with respect to the session room. To further evaluate the variables that maintain problem behavior, a modified trial-based functional analysis was conducted. Four test conditions were evaluated, and each compared with a relevant control. The conditions were quasi-randomized to correspond with the establishing operation that was present. Latency to problem behavior in each condition was recorded. The results were significantly more differentiated than in the standard functional analysis, and indicated multiply-maintained problem behavior (attention, tangible).

Differential reinforcement of other behavior and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior was used as a behavior intervention for a 20 year-old male living that lives in a residential group home. Through direct and indirect observation it was identified that this individual has type I diabetes insulin dependent, and was not eating meals defined as healthy for an individual with diabetes throughout the day. Frequency data was used to assess the frequency of healthy eating and the effects it had on blood sugar levels. Results showed an overall decrease in blood sugar levels from 244 to 225, a 9% decrease is average blood sugar level.