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. 2021 Jan 7;14(2):367-377.
doi: 10.1007/s40617-020-00516-w. eCollection 2021 Jun.

The Effects of a Procedure to Decrease Motor Stereotypy on Social Interactions in a Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Lisa Tereshko  1   2 , Robert K Ross  1   3 , Lauren Frazee  1   4
Affiliations

The Effects of a Procedure to Decrease Motor Stereotypy on Social Interactions in a Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Lisa Tereshko et al. Behav Anal Pract. .

Abstract

Repetitive and stereotypic motor movements and vocal behavior are among the diagnostic characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [5th ed.]. Washington, DC: Author). Motor stereotypy can interfere with the acquisition and demonstration of many adaptive skills and may socially stigmatize individuals, limiting the development and maintenance of peer relationships. The current study evaluated the effects of a differential reinforcement procedure used to establish discriminative stimulus control over the rate of motor stereotypy. In the second experimental phase, the child was taught a multistep self-management program using the differential reinforcement procedure. The data indicate that the procedure was effective in decreasing the rate of motor stereotypy across all evaluated settings for an increased duration. Although motor stereotypy was not completely eliminated by the procedure, a large reduction in rate was observed, as well as a large increase in the initiation of and response to social interactions. The findings are discussed in terms of social validity and the establishment and transfer of stimulus control.

Keywords: Differential reinforcement; Motor stereotypy; Self-management; Social interactions; Stimulus control.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interestWe have no known conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Results of the functional behavior assessment; Stereo = stereotypy
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Percentage of occurrence of motor stereotypy across Phase 1; BL = baseline
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Rate of stereotypy and duration of implementation across Phase 2. The top panel displays the response per minute of motor stereotypy during Phase 2. The bottom panel displays the duration in minutes for which the self-management procedure was implemented during Phase 2. Horizontal dotted lines indicate the criteria per condition in the self-management procedure; BL = baseline; Gen. = generalization
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Social interactions across phases. The top panel displays the percentage of responding per opportunity across phases. The bottom panel displays the rate of social initiations across phases; BL = baseline
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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