Definition
Aversive and nonaversive interventions refer as much to a dynamic yet functional definition of both terms as to a set of intervention procedures. From a technical point of view, an aversive intervention involves the application of an aversive stimulus. This would include a noxious event that serves as a punisher when it follows behavior, one that evokes a behavior that has terminated the noxious stimulus in past circumstances, or one that functions as a reinforcer when it is removed after the occurrence of a behavior (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007). A nonaversive intervention involves the application of positive reinforcement and/or extinction contingencies as a consequence to a behavior, or alteration of the intensity, duration, or magnitude of a behavior contingent upon the removal or presentation of an antecedent stimulus.
Historical Background
While treatment in autism has, over the years, had many controversies, perhaps none have been so heated as the discussion of the...
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Powers, M.D. (2013). Aversive/Nonaversive Interventions. In: Volkmar, F.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_1006
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