title: The effect of environmental stimulation upon the stereotyped behavior of autistic children.
abstract: Two groups of three autistic children, equated for chronological age but differing in IQ and performance MA, were observed for 20-minute sessions. Total duration of time subjects engaged in stereotyped behavior was recorded for each minute. During minutes 6--15, subjects were provided with either minimal or high environmental stimulation. High environmental stimulation was found to increase the mean duration of time the low-IQ group engaged in stereotyped behavior but to decrease the duration for the high-IQ group. The theoretical implications are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D001519:Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008029:Lighting; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012931:Social Environment; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior; D013997:Time Factors