This study evaluated the effects of priming and contingent attention procedures on play variability in a child with autism. During baseline, numbers of novel play episodes, different play episodes, and actions occurred at low rates. Priming procedures did not produce desired change. When contingent attention was implemented, significant increases occurred in novel play episodes, different actions, and different play episodes. These results show that attention contingent on variable play episodes can increase the number of novel responses to play materials. The results are discussed within the context of treatment and future research.

This study evaluated whether therapist terminations of social interactions would decrease social terminations and increase social initiations during play activities with a child with autism. The assessment took place in two conditions. The first condition, instructed involved social interactions with instructions delivered, and the second, uninstructed, involved social interactions without instructions delivered. These conditions were analyzed with a multiple baseline across-conditions design. Interaction duration, initiations, instructions, and child terminations were recorded. This study showed that the therapist-removal procedure resulted in a complete decrease in child terminations, and an increase in the number of initiations and the duration of the child-therapist interactions during the uninstructed condition. Similar effects were seen in the instructed condition, but to a lesser degree.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D. in Special Education)--Vanderbilt University, May 2007. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2001. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 161-168). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2009. / Principal faculty advisor: R. Rogers Kobak, Dept. of Psychology. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Lehigh University, 2001. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-122).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2003. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-151). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Young children with autism often engage in challenging behaviors. Such behaviors can lead to social isolation and decreased time spent in instruction. Previous research has demonstrated that antecedent based interventions can reduce challenging behavior in young children with autism. These interventions often alter reinforcement contingencies in order to decrease challenging behavior. However, research has shown that it is also possible to target an individual's motivation to engage in challenging behavior. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a manipulation of the motivating operation on challenging behavior as well as academic engagement for young children with autism. A motivating operation (MO) alters the value of reinforcement as well as the frequency of behavior previously correlated with accessing reinforcement. When the value of reinforcement is decreased and the frequency of behavior correlated with that reinforcement is decreased, the abolishing operation is in effect. One method for reducing the value of reinforcement is to provide the individual with unrestricted access to reinforcement until the individual reaches a level of satiation. Through the use of the abolishing operation it is possible to alter the frequency of challenging behavior without altering reinforcement contingencies. In this study five young children with autism who engaged in challenging behavior were exposed to two conditions. One condition involved a manipulation of the abolishing operation in which participants were given unrestricted access to the consequence maintaining their challenging behavior prior to classroom sessions. In the second condition the participants entered into the classroom session without presession access to reinforcement. The influence of the abolishing operation was assessed with respect to levels of challenging behavior and levels of academic engagement in the classroom. Results demonstrated that presession access to the maintaining consequence of challenging behavior reduced challenging behavior and simultaneously increased academic engagement for all participants. / text

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences