Hagopian, L. P., Wilson, D. M., & Wilder, D. A. (2001).
Assessment and treatment of problem behavior maintained by escape from attention and access to tangible items.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
34, 229-232.
The results obtained from two consecutive functional analyses
conducted with a 6-year-old child with autism are described. In
the initial functional analysis, the highest rates of problem
behavior occurred in the play condition. In that condition, the
delivery of attention appeared to occasion problem behaviors. A
second functional analysis was conducted wherein an escape from
attention condition and a tangible condition were added. In the
second functional analysis, higher rates of responding were
observed in the escape from attention and tangible conditions.
The results suggested that problem behavior was maintained by
negative reinforcement in the form of escape from attention and
positive reinforcement in the form of gaining access to preferred
tangible items. Problem behavior was treated using functional
communication training combined with noncontingent reinforcement.
DESCRIPTORS: _functional analysis, negative reinforcement, autism