Date of Award
7-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Behavioral Analysis
First Advisor
David Wilder
Second Advisor
Felipa Chavez
Third Advisor
Kimberly Sloman
Fourth Advisor
Robert A. Taylor
Abstract
Stereotypy is a restricted, repetitive behavior that features rigidity and invariance. Approximately 88% of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) exhibit some form of stereotypy (Chebli et al., 2016). Although it often occurs under conditions of stimulus deprivation, stereotypy may also occur under other environmental conditions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of stereotypy when preferred items are available noncontingently. Three participants were exposed to a baseline condition in which they had no access to items, followed by conditions in which high and low preferred items were delivered noncontingently to investigate whether automatically-maintained stereotypy was likely to increase during access to preferred items. Results showed that all three participants exhibited increased levels of stereotypy when they had access to high preference items. Implications and further research suggestions are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Blady, Shauna, "An Examination of the Effects of the Presentation of Preferred Items on Frequency of Stereotypy in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder" (2022). Theses and Dissertations. 98.
https://repository.fit.edu/etd/98