Asmus, J. M., Wacker, D. P., Harding, J., Berg, W. K., Derby, K. M., & Kocis, E. (1999).
Evaluation of antecedent stimulus parameters for the treatment of escape-maintained aberrant behavior.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
32, 495-513.
We evaluated a methodology for identifying the range of stimulus
features of antecedent stimuli associated with aberrant behavior
in demand contexts in natural settings. For each participant, an
experimental analysis of antecedents (Phase 1) was conducted to
confirm the hypothesis that task instructions occasioned
increases in aberrant behavior. During Phase 2, specific stimulus
features associated with the presentation of task instructions
were assessed by evaluating the child's behavior across two
distinct settings, therapists, and types of tasks in a sequential
fashion. Aberrant behavior occurred immediately across settings
and therapists, presumably because the presence of a
discriminative stimulus for escape-maintained behavior (the
delivery of a task instruction) occasioned aberrant behavior.
However, aberrant behavior decreased initially across tasks,
suggesting that familiarity with the task might be a variable.
During Phase 3, an experimental (functional) analysis of
consequences was conducted with 2 participants to verify that
aberrant behavior was maintained by negative reinforcement.
During Phase 4, a treatment package that interspersed play with
task instructions was conducted to disrupt the ongoing occurrence
of aberrant behavior. Immediate and durable treatment effects
occurred for 2 of the 3 participants.
DESCRIPTORS: aberrant behavior, antecedent analyses, in-home
treatment, stimulus control, young children