EFFECTS OF A MULTIPLE SCHEDULE OF REINFORCEMENT FOLLOWING FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING ON COMMUNICATION RESPONSES AND PROBLEM BEHAVIOR OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

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Muharib, R. (2019). EFFECTS OF A MULTIPLE SCHEDULE OF REINFORCEMENT FOLLOWING FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING ON COMMUNICATION RESPONSES AND PROBLEM BEHAVIOR OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

Researchers have found some children with autism spectrum disorder exhibit problem behavior (Emerson et al., 2001; Lowe et al., 2007). Additionally, research has shown problem behavior is likely to occur due to children’s deficits in communication skills (Kaiser, Cai, Hancock, & Foster, 2002; Park, Yelland, Taffe, & Gray, 2012). One way to address problem behavior by increasing functional communication is functional communication training (FCT; Carr & Durand, 1985). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a multiple schedule of reinforcement following FCT on behaviors of two children with ASD who engaged in problem behavior. The specific dependent variables were functional communication responses (FCRs) during SD, FCRs during S-Delta and problem behavior. After the functional analysis (FA) results confirmed the function of each participant’s problem behavior (access to tangibles), participants were taught to mand (i.e., request) for the functional reinforcer using FCT procedures. Then, the multiple schedule of reinforcement intervention began using a reversal design. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of a multiple schedule of reinforcement on discriminated FCRs and problem behavior for one child. For the second child, an alternative activity was necessary to enhance the effectiveness of the intervention. In addition, one child had variable results on generalization across teachers and a setting as well as maintenance whereas the second child demonstrated the ability to generalize and maintain discriminated FCRs and problem behavior. Social validity results showed that teachers/paraprofessionals found the use of an alternative activity to be acceptable and feasible to implement. Teachers/paraprofessionals orally expressed that they would change the signaling stimuli to a single stimulus that is more feasible to use in the classroom.

Details
Author

Muharib, Reem

Title

EFFECTS OF A MULTIPLE SCHEDULE OF REINFORCEMENT FOLLOWING FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING ON COMMUNICATION RESPONSES AND PROBLEM BEHAVIOR OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Physical Description

1 online resource (210 pages) : PDF

Date

2019

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

Researchers have found some children with autism spectrum disorder exhibit problem behavior (Emerson et al., 2001; Lowe et al., 2007). Additionally, research has shown problem behavior is likely to occur due to children’s deficits in communication skills (Kaiser, Cai, Hancock, & Foster, 2002; Park, Yelland, Taffe, & Gray, 2012). One way to address problem behavior by increasing functional communication is functional communication training (FCT; Carr & Durand, 1985). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a multiple schedule of reinforcement following FCT on behaviors of two children with ASD who engaged in problem behavior. The specific dependent variables were functional communication responses (FCRs) during SD, FCRs during S-Delta and problem behavior. After the functional analysis (FA) results confirmed the function of each participant’s problem behavior (access to tangibles), participants were taught to mand (i.e., request) for the functional reinforcer using FCT procedures. Then, the multiple schedule of reinforcement intervention began using a reversal design. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of a multiple schedule of reinforcement on discriminated FCRs and problem behavior for one child. For the second child, an alternative activity was necessary to enhance the effectiveness of the intervention. In addition, one child had variable results on generalization across teachers and a setting as well as maintenance whereas the second child demonstrated the ability to generalize and maintain discriminated FCRs and problem behavior. Social validity results showed that teachers/paraprofessionals found the use of an alternative activity to be acceptable and feasible to implement. Teachers/paraprofessionals orally expressed that they would change the signaling stimuli to a single stimulus that is more feasible to use in the classroom.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Special education

Degree

Ph.D.

Subject Area

Special Education

Advisor(s)

Wood, Charles

Degree Note

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2019.

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Rights Holder Information

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Identifier

Muharib_uncc_0694D_12023

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:2001