The effects of prompt fading and differential reinforcement on selection of novel activities by children with autism
Item
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Title
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The effects of prompt fading and differential reinforcement on selection of novel activities by children with autism
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:a0a4d7649568:10727
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identifier
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11075
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Creator
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Garruto, Michelle C.,
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Contributor
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Nancy S. Hemmes
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Date
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2011
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Behavioral psychology | Autism | Differential Reinforcement | Leisure Activities | Prompt Fading | Stimulus Control | Variability
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Abstract
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Individuals with autism often show limited variability in selecting leisure activities. Repeatedly engaging in only one or a few activities may lead to decreased opportunities for social interaction and leisure skill development. The current study evaluated the effects of prompt fading and differential reinforcement on selection of novel activities (activities which had not yet been chosen during a given session), activity engagement, frequency of activity selection, and trials on which each activity was selected, in three students with autism. Prompting consisted of placing a small sticker dot below activities (or on their pictorial representations) that had already been selected during a session. Sticker size was faded systematically. The results show that the use of prompt fading and differential reinforcement for selecting novel activities increased selection of novel activities. Engagement in the activities selected was initially high for each of the three participants, and remained high throughout the study. Although the frequency of selection for each activity became more similar across activities in the post-baseline conditions for all participants, the activity with the highest average frequency of selection in baseline remained the highest throughout the study for two participants. The third participant equalized his selections so that the activity with the highest frequency of selection in baseline had the same average frequency as two other activities in all post-baseline conditions, with those having the highest overall frequency of selection. With respect to the trials on which each activity was selected, the activity chosen on the first trials in baseline continued to be chosen on the first trials throughout the study for one participant. The remaining two participants did show some shift in the activities chosen on the initial trials. This study then, demonstrates the efficacy of a treatment package in increasing the selection of activities not yet chosen in a session. The implications of these findings are discussed with regard to social validity and stimulus control of novel selection behavior.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
