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THE BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF A PROCEDURE USED BY PEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS
Author(s) -
McGinnis Amy A.,
Blakely Elbert Q.,
Harvey Ada C.,
Hodges Ansley C.,
Rickards Joyce B.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
behavioral interventions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.605
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1099-078X
pISSN - 1072-0847
DOI - 10.1002/bin.1355
Subject(s) - psychology , occupational therapy , psychological intervention , reinforcement , preference , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , psychotherapist , social psychology , psychiatry , economics , microeconomics
Pediatric occupational therapists often use specific activities associated with deep pressure touch as a modality when providing services based in sensory integration theory. This study investigated the effects of these activities contingent on choice responding. Initially, preference assessments identified that activities such as being swaddled in a blanket or sandwiched between halves of a therapy mat were potential reinforcers for each of the three participants. Then, the stimuli were presented contingently under a two‐response concurrent schedule. The results suggested that for each participant, the application of these activities functioned as a positive reinforcer. Given that such activities are often used in pediatric occupational therapy interventions, the clinical implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.