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The Effects of Advance Notice on Problem Behavior Occasioned by Interruptions of an Ongoing Activity in a Young Girl with Autism

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Abstract

The current study describes a trial-based functional analysis of problem behavior conducted in a home setting for a 7-year-old girl with autism. Problem behavior was occasioned by interruptions to an ongoing activity. Advance notice, in the form of a 2-min warning, and the sound of a timer were used to signal termination of a current activity and were effective at reducing problem behavior along with increasing compliance to the interruptive demands. A trial-based functional analysis, which are not common in the applied literature, was conducted in a home setting for young girl with autism, using antecedent and consequence modifications described by Hagopian, Bruzek, Bowman, and Jennett (2007), identified the variables that occasioned and maintained problem behavior were interruptions to an ongoing activity followed by regaining uninterrupted access to the previous activity. Mixed findings have been reported regarding the effectiveness of advance notice for decreasing problem behavior. Results of the current study show that an advance notice treatment package was effective for a child with autism; no escape extinction was necessary. Interruptions are part of everyday life and tolerating these changes is critical for habilitation for individuals with autism.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. World Evolve, Miami, FL, 33186, USA

    Stephanie Vasquez & Janet Vasquez

  2. Department of Psychology and Liberal Arts, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 West University Boulevard, Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA

    Stephanie Vasquez, Adam Brewer & Yanerys Leon

  3. Project HOPE Foundation, 2131 Woodruff Rd, Greenville, SC, 29607, USA

    Adam Brewer

Authors
  1. Stephanie Vasquez
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  2. Adam Brewer
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  3. Yanerys Leon
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  4. Janet Vasquez
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Correspondence to Adam Brewer.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Vasquez, S., Brewer, A., Leon, Y. et al. The Effects of Advance Notice on Problem Behavior Occasioned by Interruptions of an Ongoing Activity in a Young Girl with Autism. Behav Analysis Practice 10, 417–421 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-017-0187-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-017-0187-7

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