title: Teaching discriminated social approaches to individuals with Angelman syndrome.
abstract: Angelman syndrome is a neurogenetic disorder characterized by intellectual and developmental disability. Common behavioral characteristics of this disorder include a heightened interest in social interactions and frequent bids to initiate interaction. These bids can be problematic, for instance, when a child attempts to hug strangers in public places. The current study evaluated a discrimination training program to teach 3 boys with Angelman syndrome to discriminate appropriate from inappropriate times to initiate interactions. During baseline, we alternated periods in which attention was delivered following social initiations on a continuous reinforcement schedule with periods in which initiations were placed on extinction. We then implemented discrimination training by presenting a salient discriminative stimulus, prompting the occurrence of initiations, and providing reinforcement during reinforcement periods and withdrawing the stimulus during extinction periods. This resulted in discriminated approaches for each of the 3 participants; these results were replicated across caregivers and extended to the participants' homes.
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
authors.forename: Caitlin S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Fichtner
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
authors.forename: Jeffrey H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Tiger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017204:Angelman Syndrome / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005108:Extinction, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Angelman syndrome; discrimination training; mixed schedules; multiple schedules; social approaches