Overview Prior Ritualistic Behavior Literature Study 1 Assessment - PDF document

7/24/2017 An Assessment and Treatment of Problem Behavior Maintained by Access to Rituals Jonathan Fernand and Timothy R. Vollmer Overview • Prior Ritualistic Behavior Literature • Study 1 – Assessment – Method – Results • Study 2 – Treatment Evaluation – Method – Results • Discussion & Future Research 1

7/24/2017 Ritualistic Behavior • Impedes learning opportunities • Response topographies – Repetitive body movement – Stereotyped object manipulation – Compulsive behavior – Insistence on “sameness” – Circumscribed interests – Self-injurious behavior Related Literature • Rodriguez et al., 2012 – Functional analyses of item arranging – Competing items + Blocking • Leon et al., 2013 – Blocking analyses of aggression – Functional Communication Training (FCT) + Extinction (EXT) • Rispoli et al., 2014 – Functional analyses of aggression – FCT + EXT + Schedule thinning 2

7/24/2017 Study 1 – Assessment Purpose • Replicate prior functional analysis procedures in the assessment of aggression related to item arranging 3

7/24/2017 Method Subject Age Item Arranging Response(s) Aggression Abby 13 Arranging and straightening Pushing, prying fingers off of objects moved from their held items original location Remy 5 Repetitive play with items used Hitting, kicking, throwing items to build light posts and at experimenter telephone poles Cameron 3 Repetitive play with block Hitting, kicking, throwing items structures, shopping cart with at experimenter food, and toy cars Method • Initial Functional Analyses • Conditions: – Play (Control) • Continuous attention • Therapist did not interact with items – Blocking • Item displacement on an FT 30-s schedule • Aggression  access to item arranging – Item Displacement 4

7/24/2017 2 Rate of Aggression Play (Control) 1 Blocking Item Displacement Abby 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Sessions 2 Rate of Aggression Play (Control) 1 Blocking Item Displacement Remy 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Sessions 5

7/24/2017 2 Play (Control) Blocking Rate of Aggression Item Displacement 1 Cameron 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Sessions Study 2 – Treatment Evaluation 6

7/24/2017 Purpose • Evaluate schedule thinning in the treatment of item arranging • Evaluate continuously versus briefly signaled delays Method Subject Age Item Arranging Response(s) FC Response Abby 13 Arranging and straightening “Can I move it?” objects moved from their original location Remy 5 Repetitive play with items used “Please don’ t touch (object).” to build light posts and telephone poles Cameron 3 Repetitive play with block “Stop, please.” structures, shopping cart with food, and toy cars • Design – Reversal design with probes of the terminal 60-s continuously and briefly signaled delay 7

7/24/2017 Method • Baseline – Item displacement on an FT 30-s schedule – Aggression  access to item arranging • FCT + EXT • Delay probes – 60-s continuously signaled delay – 60-s briefly signaled delay • Schedule thinning – 5 s, 10 s, 15 s, 20 s, 25 s, 60 s BL FCT BL FCT Schedule Thinning & 60-s Delay Probes Reinforcement-delay Fading & Probes 2 Immediate Reinforcement 60-s Delay (Continuous Signal) Rate of Aggression 60-s Delay (Brief Signal) 5s Abby 10s 0 20 40 2 Rate of Mands 5s 10s 0 20 40 Sessions 8

7/24/2017 BL FCT BL FCT Reinforcement-delay Fading & Probes Schedule Thinning & 60-s Delay Probes 6 Immediate Reinforcement Rate of Aggression 60-s Delay (Continuous Signal) 60-s Delay (Brief Signal) 4 15s 2 10s Remy 5s 20s 0 20 40 60 6 Rate of Mands 4 2 5s 10s 20s 15s 0 20 40 60 Sessions BL FCT BL FCT Reinforcement-delay Probes Schedule Thinning & 60-s Delay Probes 6 Rate of Aggression Immediate Reinforcement 4 60-s Delay (Continuous Signal) 60-s Delay (Brief Signal) 2 Cameron 0 10 20 6 4 Rate of Mands 2 0 10 20 Sessions 9

7/24/2017 Discussion & Future Research • FCT effective means to decrease problem behavior • Schedule thinning was effective in limiting mands and item arranging • Utility of terminal probes – Increased delays to reinforcement – Continuous versus brief delays Thank you! 10