Association for Behavior Analysis International

Intervention programs based on the science of applied behavior analysis (ABA) have repeatedly been shown to be effective in reducing problem behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or intellectual or developmental disabilities. This symposium includes four presentations that depict how the principles of applied behavior analysis can be effectively used in a clinical setting to reduce behaviors that impede learning in children of varying ages whom are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The first presentation describes the assessment and treatment of rumination in a nine-year-old male that was conducted in collaboration with Dr. David Wilder of the Florida Institute of Technology. The second presentation discusses the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at decreasing the stereotypy of a four-year-old male while simultaneously increasing his self-monitoring skills. The third presentation presents the effects of a feeding intervention on decreasing food refusals and increasing food tolerance in a 13-year-old male. The fourth and final presentation depicts the effects of a response-cost intervention that was put in place for a three-year-old who engaged in high levels of spitting. The social significance of each topic will be addressed and data based outcomes will be discussed.

The acceptance of a variety of foods is a necessary skill in order to receive proper nutrition to keep ones body healthy. This skill is also socially valid in that loud and repeated food refusals not only distinguish a child from his or her peers, but also cause unnecessary and unwanted attention in public situations. The participant in this case study is a 13-year-old male with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who demonstrated a limited repertoire of foods and extreme refusals when presented with non-preferred food items. Previously, his feeding program involved contingent reinforcement while rotating between over 30 different types of food. It was determined that food refusals were not decreasing due to the fact that the participant was not contacting the same food at a high enough frequency. Once the number of different foods that were presented concurrently during each session were decreased, food refusals also began to decrease and tolerance for new food items increased. This outcome was consistent when probed in maintenance trials.

An assessment and function-based treatment intervention was utilized to address the spitting behavior of a three- year- old boy diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An intervention was warranted as the behavior was serving as a barrier to learning, it was unsanitary, and it was also rapidly increasing in frequency. After determining that spitting appeared to be maintained by automatic reinforcement, the team assessed the effects of non-contingent access to one or more items and non-contingent access to a preferred item with contingent removal of the item following the target behavior. Results indicated that the clients spitting behavior maintained at high levels when he was given free access to preferred toys and to a preferred Pediasure shake. When the Pediasure shake was removed contingent on emittance of the spitting behavior, however, the frequency of this behavior decreased to near-zero levels. Furthermore, this decrease in spitting was maintained across different environments and time with continued implementation of the response cost procedure.