Research summaries for autism therapy: reinforcement

definition of reinforcement: Process of using something such as a reward to offer to someone after a desired behavior that increases the frequency of the behavior.
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The Effectiveness of Intervention on the Behavior of Individuals with Autism: A Meta-Analysis Using Percentage of Data Points Exceeding the Median of Baseline Phase (PEM), Summarized Oct 21, 2010

Some applied behavior analysis (ABA) approaches are more helpful than others when teaching social skills to people with autism.

The aim of this review article was to compare applied behavior analysis (ABA) techniques to treat autism. The study found five helpful ways to use ABA: priming, self-control, training, positive reinforcement plus punishment, and presenting preferential activities. These interventions were helpful for all ages and both genders. The least helpful use of ABA was in teaching perspective-taking skills. The author found that it worked better to train social skills as a whole instead of training just a single type of social skill.

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Therapist- and Self-monitored DRO Contingencies as a Treatment for the Self-injurious Skin Picking of a Young Man with Asperger Syndrome, Summarized Jul 6, 2010

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) may be helpful in decreasing self-injurious skin picking in people with autism.

Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) is an ABA technique that involves a reward if the child does not do the behavior in question (in this case skin picking) during a certain period of time. The purpose of this case study was to see if DRO could help to reduce skin picking of a 19-year-old young man who had been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. At the start of the study, the young man engaged in skin picking 56.3% of the time during sessions. He was able to decrease his skin picking and he was able to do so when he was being watched by a therapist and when he was alone. Read more...

Computer Aided Self-Monitoring to Increase Academic Production and Reduce Self-Injurious Behavior in a Child with Autism, Summarized Dec 16, 2009

Using a computer to keep track of academic success may help reduce self-injury and other unwanted behaviors in children with autism.

This case study described success for one adolescent (13 years old) with Asperger’s syndrome who used a computer as positive reinforcement. The boy kept a record of his own success at completing school tasks. The boy completed more tasks and had less self-injury behavior and fewer tantrums during the weeks that he used the computer system. When researchers stopped his use of the system, he again had tantrums, self-injury, and trouble completing tasks. The authors said that this system is a promising way to offer some independence and would be relatively easy to use in classrooms.

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Adherence to Behavioral and Medical Treatment Recommendations by Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Summarized Sep 28, 2009

Parents may be better at following some autism treatment recommendations than others.

The researchers asked 220 parents of children with autism and other disorders on the spectrum (ASD) about sticking to the therapy plan. These parents were better at following medical treatment plans than behavioral treatment plans. For behavioral treatments, these parents stuck with the plan better when the plan used reinforcement than when it used punishment.

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