Increasing item engagement and decreasing automatically reinforced problem behavior within a modified competing...

Area of Science:

• Behavior Analysis
• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Interventions

Background:

• Competing stimulus assessment (CSA) is standard for selecting leisure items in treatments for automatically reinforced problem behavior.
• Standard CSA may be ineffective if participants do not engage with leisure items.
• Alternative assessment methods are needed to improve treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a modified CSA incorporating prompting and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior.
• To determine if the modified CSA enhances engagement with leisure items and reduces problem behavior.
• To assess the long-term maintenance of treatment gains in natural settings.

Main Methods:

• A modified CSA was implemented, including prompting and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior.
• Participant engagement with leisure items and instances of problem behavior were measured.
• Treatment outcomes were analyzed during an extended treatment phase and fading procedures.

Main Results:

• The modified CSA successfully identified effective leisure items and treatment components for each participant.
• Participants showed increased engagement with leisure items and decreased problem behavior.
• Outcomes were maintained in a natural setting and during intervention fading.

Conclusions:

• A modified CSA is a valuable tool for identifying effective interventions for problem behavior.
• This approach increases leisure-item engagement and reduces problem behavior.
• The benefits of the modified CSA are durable and effective in naturalistic settings.