title: The effects of an abolishing operation intervention component on play skills, challenging behavior, and stereotypy.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to reduce stereotypy and challenging behavior during play skills instruction by adding an abolishing operation component (AOC) to the intervention strategy. An alternating treatments design compared one condition in which participants were allowed to engage in stereotypy freely before beginning the play skills intervention (AOC condition) to a second condition without this free access period (No AOC condition). Across 4 participants with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), levels of stereotypy and challenging behavior were lower and functional play was higher during play intervention sessions that followed the AOC. These data provided support for the inclusion of an AOC in interventions aimed at increasing the play skills of children with ASD who present with stereotypy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Special Education 3045, Texas State University, USA. russlang@mail.utexas.edu
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sigafoos
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Machalicek
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rispoli
authors.forename: Giulio E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Lancioni
authors.forename: Jeannie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fragale
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010989:Play Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012527:Satiation; D019956:Stereotypic Movement Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*