Conditional use of a request for assistance.
OBJECTIVE
To establish the conditional use of requests for assistance as an alternative to escape maintained challenging behaviour.


METHODS
The study involved a 12-year-old boy with a behaviour disorder. Experiment 1 involved the implementation of a reversal design comparing the learner's performance during "easy" and "difficult" addition problems. Experiment 2 involved the implementation of a quasi-experimental design to establish the conditional use of requests for assistance.


RESULTS
Conditional use of requests for assistance successfully competed with escape maintained challenging behaviour.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that for a newly acquired response to be displayed conditionally, two events must occur. First, the individual must learn the skill that has been associated with requests for assistance. Secondly, the contingencies must be such that reinforcement value is greater for an independent response than for a response that involves a request for assistance.
Reichle
J
J
Department of Communication Disorders, University of Minnesota, 164 Pillsbury Drive SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. reich001@umn.edu
McComas
J
J
D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012057:Reinforcement, Verbal; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome