title: Functional analysis of insistence on sameness in an 11-year old boy with Asperger syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the functional properties of insistence on sameness associated with autism spectrum disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 11-year-old boy with Asperger syndrome was observed during play where scenarios (mistakes, misplaced items, interrupted activity) were created to correspond with parent-reported scenarios where the child would insist on sameness. The extent of problem behaviour was observed under four functional assessment conditions (restore environment, tangible, attention, escape), according to a multi-element design.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed an interaction between the scenario type and type of functional assessment condition. Problem behaviour appeared to have a restorative function related to correcting a mistake, an attention function related to attempting to recruit help in finding a missing item and a tangible function suggesting an attempt to regain access to the materials and activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Problem behaviours related to insistence on sameness may be motivated by different consequences depending on the scenario created.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania, Australia. nadia.ollington@utas.edu.au
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ollington
authors.forename: Vanessa A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.forename: Giulio E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Lancioni
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Didden
mesh_terms: D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000523:psychology*