Research: Assessment and Treatment of Excessive Straightening and Destructive Behavior in an Adolescent Diagnosed with Autism

|

Authored by Kuhn, DE, Hardesty SL, and Sweeney NM in Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Volume 42, Issue 2, p. 355-360, (2009).

Article summary (posted Jun 3, 2010):

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) may be helpful when teaching a child with autism to stop throwing things in the trash can.

Some children with autism spend a great deal of time straightening items and this may get in the way of living a normal life. Stopping or blocking the child from straightening has been shown to help stop the straightening behavior. Sometimes, though, stopping the child from straightening can make him angry and bring out aggressive behavior. This case study describes the use of ABA to help a 16-year-old boy with autism who spent a great deal of time placing items in a straight line and throwing them away. The treatment was able to help stop him from throwing things away, at least in front of staff and parents.

Links:

You can access the original abstract and the complete paper is sometimes available for free via Google Scholar (look for entries that say "PDF" or "HTML" on the right side of the page).
aggressive behavior, applied behavior analysis (ABA), autism, case study, parent, treatment
|