Recent mandates related to the implementation of evidence-based practices for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) require that autism professionals both understand and are able to implement practices based on the science of applied behavior analysis (ABA). The use of the term "applied behavior analysis" and its related concepts…

In Experiment I, the effects of a verbal warning, such as is used in Overcorrection, delivered contingently on the stereotyped mouthing behavior of two 10-year-old autistic/retarded children were examined. (Author)

The study presented data covering the application of a response cost contingency to the self-injurious and aggressive/destructive behaviors of an autistic adolescent boy. The S's target response rate was reduced from a daily mean of 29 during baseline to a 0.3 during the final phase of the treatment condition. (Author)

Four boys (five to seven years old) with autistic-like behavior were treated for self-stimulatory behavior with three different treatment procedures--time out, differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO), and overcorrection. (Author)

Twenty children with autism received either an imitative or contingently responsive interaction with an adult. The contingency condition appeared to be the more effective way to facilitate a distal social behavior (attention), whereas the imitative condition was a more effective way to facilitate a proximal social behavior (touching). (Contains…

For a seven-year-old autistic boy, contingent jogging caused a significant decline in frequency of out-of-seat behavior that was maintained for 12 months. Unlike many other behavior suppression techniques, contingent exercise is safe and does not humiliate the client. (Author/LHW)

Studied with the 10-year-old sister of a 9-year-old girl diagnosed as autistic, and the 11- and 12-year-old brothers of a 9-year-old boy diagnosed as severely neurologically impaired was the effectiveness of siblings as behavior change agents for their behaviorally disturbed brothers and sisters, and the ability of parents to be reliable observers…

Two experiments are reported: one with autistic children in a day-care treatment program. the other with "hopeless" rating behavior in a grade six school setting. Although the samples were small (seven in the autistic group, 43 in the sixth grade group), the results indicated conclusively the increased rate of cooperative responses and decrease of…

Contingent "preferred" music was used as a reinforcer with a mentally retarded and autistic-like boy (14-years-old) to increase appropriate conversational speech. (IM)

This manual presents a training methodology for use in changing pivotal behaviors of children with autism or other severe handicaps. Behaviors specifically addressed for their far ranging effects involve motivation and responsivity to multiple cues. Seven instructional points are detailed with both good and poor implementation examples. The manual…

Available from: Journal of Pediatric Psychology, Child Study Center, 1100 N.E. 13th Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73117. The author reviews literature supporting the conclusion that IQ tests are of prognostic value with autistic children and recommends several behavioral techniques, such as positive reinforcement and ignoring interfering…

For availability, see EC 104 061. Sensory stimulation, similar to that received during self stimulation, was administered to one autistic and one multiply handicapped child (6 and 4 years old) contingent upon correct response to a manipulative task. (CL)

A multicomponent intervention to change problem behavior, which prevented community integration of three adolescents with autism, was evaluated. The intervention (implemented in a supermarket setting) included choice making, embedding, functional communication training, building tolerance for delay of reinforcement, and presenting discriminative…

Described is the behavioral program for autistic children in use at the Valley View School District in Illinois. Sections cover the following topics: (1) characteristics of the autistic child (basic impairments, special skills, and secondary behavior problems), (2) basic principles of operant conditioning, (3) description of the methods used in…

In this case study, music was applied noncontingently and contingently across four settings with an adolescent male with autism, to reduce aberrant, repetitive vocalizations. The intervention was associated with dramatic reductions in the primary aberrant behavior and reductions in two other aberrant behaviors. Task performance was differentially…