Alternate Title

RIRD vs. DRO: vocal stereotypy

Advisor(s)

William H. Ahearn

Contributor(s)

Chata Dickson, Eileen M. Roscoe

Date of Award

2011

Date Accepted

8-2011

Degree Grantor

Northeastern University

Degree Level

M.S.

Degree Name

Master of Applied Behavior Analysis

Department or Academic Unit

Bouvé College of Health Sciences. Department of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology.

Keywords

psychology, behavioral, behavioral sciences, automatic reinforcement, DRO, RIRD, vocal stereotypy

Subject Categories

Stereotyped behavior (Psychiatry) - Treatment

Disciplines

Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms

Abstract

Vocal stereotypy is a common problem behavior among persons with autism spectrum disorder and can prove to be a fairly difficult behavior to treat. One of the main reasons that this behavior is often challenging is that it is usually maintained by the sensory consequences that it produces. Response interruption and redirection and differential reinforcement of other behavior are two treatments which have been shown to be effective in reducing stereotypy. RIRD is often a staff intensive procedure which can be difficult to implement and may not always be done with 100% procedural integrity. While DRO is an easier procedure for staff to implement it is not always as effective when used on its own. This study is a comparison of RIRD and DRO in the treatment of vocal stereotypy using an ABAB design, alternating the treatments during the B phase. Three students with autism spectrum disorder that exhibit high rates of vocal stereotypy were chosen as participants. Stereotypy decreased with both treatments for all three participants. For one participant RIRD was more successful throughout the entire study, while for the other two DRO was at times more effective but not consistently. Results for both DRO and RIRD are effective treatments for decreasing stereotypy in persons with autism spectrum disorder with RIRD as a possibly more reliable treatment.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Rights Holder

Molly Marie Gilbride


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