Evaluation of interventions to reduce multiply controlled vocal stereotypy

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Vocal stereotypy is a common behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability.
• Identifying effective interventions to reduce vocal stereotypy and improve engagement is crucial for this population.

Observation:

• A 12-year-old male diagnosed with ASD and severe intellectual disability participated in the study.
• Four interventions were systematically applied: Noncontingent Music, Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviors, Self-Recording, and Functional Communication Training (FCT).
• Vocal stereotypy, task engagement, and challenging behaviors were monitored across all conditions.

Findings:

• Vocal stereotypy significantly decreased only during the Functional Communication Training (FCT) condition.
• Task engagement significantly increased during FCT compared to baseline and other interventions.
• FCT is hypothesized to be effective due to increased social interaction, access to preferred items, and removal of non-preferred activities.

Implications:

• Functional Communication Training (FCT) shows promise as an effective intervention for reducing vocal stereotypy in individuals with ASD and severe intellectual disability.
• The findings suggest that FCT can enhance adaptive behaviors, such as task engagement, by addressing the underlying functions of problem behaviors.
• Further research into FCT's components and its application across diverse populations with developmental disabilities is warranted.