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Effects of a Family-Implemented Treatment on the Repetitive Behaviors of Children with Autism

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Abstract

The restricted and repetitive behaviors of children with autism can interfere with family functioning as well as learning and socialization opportunities for the child. To date, neither pharmacological nor comprehensive behavioral treatments have been found to be consistently effective at significantly reducing children’s engagement in repetitive behaviors. We developed Family-Implemented Treatment for Behavioral Inflexibility (FITBI) to target the full variety of repetitive behaviors found in autism. For the current study, a therapist and parents of five children with autism (mean age = 48 months) co-implemented FITBI in a clinic setting over a 12-week treatment period. Using single case design methodology, significant reductions in repetitive behaviors were found for all participants and maintenance of treatment effects for 4 of 5 participants.

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Acknowledgments

Development of this paper was partially supported with internal funding from the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Occupational Science, Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB# 7122, Bondurant Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7120, USA

    Brian A. Boyd & Faraaz Khan

  2. FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Stephen G. McDonough

  3. Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Betty Rupp & James W. Bodfish

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  1. Brian A. Boyd
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  2. Stephen G. McDonough
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  3. Betty Rupp
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  4. Faraaz Khan
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  5. James W. Bodfish
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Correspondence to Brian A. Boyd.

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Boyd, B.A., McDonough, S.G., Rupp, B. et al. Effects of a Family-Implemented Treatment on the Repetitive Behaviors of Children with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 41, 1330–1341 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-010-1156-y

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