ERIC Number: EJ1278535
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Dec
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0889-9401
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Using a Lag Schedule of Reinforcement to Increase Response Variability in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Olin, Jenifer; Sonsky, Alyse; Howard, Monica
Analysis of Verbal Behavior, v36 n2 p169-179 Dec 2020
Lag reinforcement schedules have been shown in previous research to be an effective intervention for teaching verbal and nonverbal response variability to individuals with developmental disabilities. In more recent research, variability itself has been considered a reinforceable behavior in its own right (Susa & Schlinger, The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 18, 125-130, 2012). Lag x schedules of reinforcement can be used to teach variability by using contingencies that require responses to differ from previous responses. The present study extended Susa and Schlinger's, The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 18, 125-130, (2012) research by using 3 social questions instead of 1 in a random rotation and included probes to test for generality. A changing-criterion design was used to evaluate the results with one 11-year-old female participant diagnosed with autism. During baseline, the participant provided little variability, with rote responses. During the Lag 1 and Lag 2 phases, appropriate variable verbal responding increased with the use of echoic prompts, visual aids, and an error correction procedure. Further, the results also showed that the participant learned to vary her responses by demonstrating the ability to emit 11 novel prompted responses and 13 spontaneous responses. In addition, the participant was able to retain the skills learned in a maintenance probe conducted 4 weeks postintervention.
Descriptors: Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Verbal Communication, Nonverbal Communication, Reinforcement, Intervention, Developmental Disabilities, Responses, Preadolescents, Females, Prompting, Cues, Visual Aids, Error Correction
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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