Date of Award

8-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Behavioral Analysis

First Advisor

David A. Wilder

Second Advisor

A. Celeste Harvey

Third Advisor

Vida L. Tyc

Fourth Advisor

Lisa Steelman

Abstract

Elopement is a dangerous behavior exhibited by some individuals with autism, and accurately identifying the function of elopement is important to develop successful treatments. Functional analyses for elopement have been developed to mimic contingencies appearing in the natural environment; however, some of these analyses are limited by the required retrieval component. The current study replicated previous research which used a latency-based functional analysis that eliminates the retrieval component in order to safely and more precisely identify the function of elopement. In addition, we extended previous latency-based research by evaluating a treatment to reduce elopement. Specifically, we evaluated latency-based functional analyses to assess elopement exhibited by two children with autism. We then implemented function-based treatment packages for both children. Results showed that the treatment packages were effective to reduce elopement.

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