Association for Behavior Analysis International

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39th Annual Convention; Minneapolis, MN; 2013

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Symposium #346
CE Offered: BACB
Incentive Shifts in Applied Contexts: Implications for Application
Monday, May 27, 2013
2:00 PM–3:20 PM
202 A-B (Convention Center)
Area: DDA/EAB; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Carrie S.W. Borrero (Kennedy Krieger Institute)
Discussant: Dean C. Williams (University of Kansas)
CE Instructor: Carrie S. W. Borrero, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Some individuals with intellectual disabilities may be more likely to engage in inappropriate behavior when transitioning between activities. This may be most common when transitions are from preferred activities to less-preferred, or non-preferred activities occur. Basic research has shown that both the previous, and upcoming reinforcer may affect pausing during transitions, and similar results have been shown with individuals with intellectual disabilities. In the first paper, Brewer and colleagues conducted a large-scale survey with caregivers of children with autism to identify the most problematic transition type. In the second study, Steimer and Dickson conducted descriptive analyses to identify problematic transition types, and evaluated potential strategies for minimizing problematic transitions. Finally, Luffman and colleagues evaluated transitions between preferred and non-preferred foods during mealtimes for children who engaged in severe food refusal. Across all studies, shifts from rich, or highly preferred context, to lean, or less preferred contexts, were deemed problematic, when compared to other shifts. Directions for future research and suggestions for similar applications will be discussed.

Keyword(s): pediatric feeding, transitions
 

A Survey of Transition-Induced Problem Behavior in Individuals With Autism

ADAM T. BREWER (University of Kansas), Dean C. Williams (University of Kansas), Wesley H. Dotson (Texas Tech University), J. Helen Yoo (New York State Institute for Basic Research), Lucy Barnard-Brak (Texas Tech University)
Abstract:

Transitions between one activity and the next can be a major source of problem behaviors in habilitative and education settings in individuals with autism. However, it is unclear whether a transition per se or a specific type of transition is the major source of problem behavior in this clinical population. Translational research with animals and persons with developmental disabilities has shown that a specific type of transition is more aversive than other transitions'a discriminable transition from favorable- to less-favorable reinforcement conditions. To gain a better understanding of what types of transitions may be problematic for individuals with autism, an online survey was administered to parents/caregivers of individuals with autism in the west Texas area (n=59). Results indicated that the transition type with the highest rate of problems was moving from a preferred activity to a non-preferred activity (e.g., coloring to cleaning up toys), with 86% (n=51) of respondents reporting problems during that transition type (between non-preferred: 44%; between preferred: 19%; non-preferred to preferred: 15%). The finding that a specific type of transition- a preferred to non-preferred activity transition- is a major source of problem behavior in persons with autism is in agreement with the aforementioned translational research.

 

A Comparison of Three Strategies for Presenting Transitions to Less-Preferred Activities to Special Education Students

JEFFERY C. STEIMER (New England Center for Children), Chata A. Dickson (New England Center for Children)
Abstract:

Two young men who were students at a residential school for children with autism participated in this study. Study 1 was a descriptive assessment of challenging behavior during transitions between daily activities. For both participants, the highest level of challenging behavior occurred during transitions from more- to less-preferred activities. Study 2 was an analysis of effects of three different strategies for ending highly preferred activities and transitioning to less-preferred activities (no notice, advanced notice, and intervening activity). Of primary interest was pausing, the time it took for a participant to comply with an instruction to begin a new activity after the end of the prior activity. Pausing duration during transitions from more- to less-preferred activities were greatest in the no notice condition, somewhat less in the advanced notice condition, and least in the intervening activity condition. Strategies for minimizing challenging behavior during transitions will be discussed.

 

Conceptualizing Food Preferences as Rich-to-Lean and Lean-to Rich Transitions: A Translational Analysis

WHITNEY LUFFMAN (Kennedy Krieger Institute), John C. Borrero (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), Carrie S.W. Borrero (Kennedy Krieger Institute)
Abstract:

The current study examined the effect of transitions between bites of preferred and non-preferred foods on the latency to accept bites with children with feeding disorders. Both preferred and non-preferred foods were presented during each session; these transitions were conceptualized as rich-lean and lean-rich. This study extends the work of previous research, which demonstrated an effect on behavior when transitioning between tasks involving differential magnitudes of reinforcement. Perone and Courtney (1992) found that pausing on a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement was longest when transitioning from a small reinforcer to another small reinforcer; the shortest pause occurred when transitioning from a large reinforcer to another large reinforcer. Furthermore, subjects paused only on the multiple schedule arrangement; the mixed schedule did not yield differential pausing. Participants in this study paused longer on unfavorable transitions (i.e., lean-lean, rich-lean) than on favorable transitions (i.e., rich-rich, lean-rich). Instances of problem behavior were associated only with these unfavorable transitions. Similar to previous research, participants only demonstrated differential pausing when the upcoming transition was signaled (i.e., multiple schedule). This line of research is important for informing clinicians and caregivers about meal arrangements that are most conducive to producing successful meals, with shorter durations and less problem behavior.

 

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