Association for Behavior Analysis International

Limited physical activity is associated with numerous negative health outcomes such as increased risk of heart disease and type two diabetes (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Furthermore, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, obesity, and hypertension compared to the general population (Croen et al., 2015). The present symposium will explore four studies evaluating different methods to increase physical activity in individuals with and without developmental disabilities, such as ASD. Findings show that interdependent group contingencies and goal-setting procedures effectively increase physical activity in sedentary adults. Furthermore, results of the current presentations also show that behavioral economics, goal-setting with differential reinforcement of alternative behavior, and evaluating the preference for specific exercise activities successfully increase physical activity in children and adults with ASD. Taken together, the results of these four presentations demonstrate various effective methods to increase physical activity in a wide range of settings.

Participants should have an understand of the theory of reinforcement and extinction.

The impact of sedentary lifestyle on health is well-documented, with associations to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The literature suggests that the risk for these negative health-related outcomes is more pronounced in individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Recent research by McCoy and Morgan (2020) underscores that adolescents with ASDs tend to engage in lower levels of physical activity and exhibit higher rates of obesity in comparison to neurotypical peers. The current investigation aims to apply the principles of behavioral economics to modify physical activities and dietary choices among individuals with ASDs. Our approach involves identifying high/low calorie meal preferences and distinguishing between strenuous/non-strenuous exercise preferences for each participant. Economic incentives are introduced to encourage more strenuous exercises while assigning higher costs to meals with higher caloric content, promoting healthier, low-calorie alternatives. Preliminary results indicate that economic manipulations are successful at shifting behavior to less preferred, more strenuous exercise and dietary choice to lower preferred, healthier meals. This approach not only provides valuable insights into promoting healthier behaviors in individuals with ASDs but also highlights the potential of behavioral economics in mitigating the health risks associated with sedentary lifestyles in this population.

Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are disproportionally more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, obesity, and hypertension compared to the general population (Croen et al., 2015). Whereas physical activity has been associated with improvement in problem behaviors demonstrated by individuals with ASD, limited research has been conducted with autistic adults with severe challenging behavior (Allison et al., 1991). The present study evaluated the effectiveness of goal setting and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior to increase the physical activity in three autistic adults admitted to an outpatient clinic for the assessment and treatment of severe challenging behavior. The present procedures effectively increased physical activity for all participants across four different forms of exercise (e.g., yoga, walking, soccer, basketball). The present study provides a model for clinicians working in the adult service setting to increase physical activity, and overall improve the health of the individual served with special considerations for severe challenging behavior.