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. 2009 Winter;42(4):889-94.
doi: 10.1901/jaba.2009.42-889.

Enhancing the effectiveness of a play intervention by abolishing the reinforcing value of stereotypy: a pilot study

Russell Lang  1 , Mark O'Reilly, Jeff Sigafoos, Giulio E Lancioni, Wendy Machalicek, Mandy Rispoli, Pamela White
Affiliations

Enhancing the effectiveness of a play intervention by abolishing the reinforcing value of stereotypy: a pilot study

Russell Lang et al. J Appl Behav Anal. 2009 Winter.

Abstract

An alternating treatments design compared one condition in which a child with autism was allowed to engage in stereotypy freely prior to the intervention (abolishing operation component) to a second condition without the free-access period. Levels of stereotypy and problem behavior were lower and levels of functional play were higher in the condition with the abolishing operation component. These data provide preliminary support for the use of abolishing operations in interventions to increase the play skills of children with autism.

Keywords: abolishing operation; autism; motivating operation; play; stereotypy.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percentage of intervals containing functional play behaviors, stereotypy, and problem behavior during baseline and following the abolishing operation component (AOC) and no AOC.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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