Treatment of Elopement Without Blocking With a Child With Autism

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Elopement is a significant safety concern for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Limited research exists on the assessment and treatment of elopement in ASD.
• Understanding the function of elopement is crucial for effective intervention.

Observation:

• A functional analysis was conducted on the elopement behavior of a single child with ASD.
• Results indicated that the elopement behavior may have a partially automatic function.
• The study observed the child's proximity to a therapist before allowing them to run.

Findings:

• A differential reinforcement procedure combined with a rule effectively reduced elopement.
• The intervention successfully decreased elopement without employing blocking strategies.
• A changing-criterion design within a withdrawal design demonstrated gradual increases in proximity to the therapist.

Implications:

• This study provides a novel treatment approach for elopement in children with ASD.
• The findings suggest that reinforcement-based strategies can be effective for managing elopement.
• Further research is needed to validate these findings in larger ASD populations.