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Functional analysis and intervention of perseverative speech in students with high‐functioning autism and related neurodevelopmental disabilities
Author(s) -
Kuntz Emily M.,
Santos Abby V.,
Kennedy Craig H.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of applied behavior analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1938-3703
pISSN - 0021-8855
DOI - 10.1002/jaba.669
Subject(s) - psychology , autism , intervention (counseling) , developmental psychology , reinforcement , extinction (optical mineralogy) , high functioning autism , differential reinforcement , psychological intervention , intellectual disability , autism spectrum disorder , cognitive psychology , clinical psychology , audiology , psychiatry , medicine , social psychology , paleontology , biology
Although perseverative speech is a common characteristic of individuals with high‐functioning neurodevelopmental disabilities, little is known about the operant functions of these verbalizations. We conducted analogue functional analyses of perseverative speech for 2 students using reinforcement contingencies that included alone, attention, control, escape, and tangible conditions. Results showed the following patterns: attention only (Charlotte) or multiply determined including an attention function (Paul). We then tested an intervention for perseverative speech maintained by social positive reinforcement that included differential reinforcement of alternative behavior and extinction of perseverative speech for 1 participant. The intervention reduced perseverative speech, but did not increase appropriate speech until we added a prompting component. We then replicated this three‐component intervention with Paul. The results showed moderate to high decreases in levels of perseverative speech and increased appropriate verbalizations in both cases. The results systematically replicated the interventions of previous studies by adding a prompting component to the intervention.