The treatment of elopement behavior in a retardate using a graduated levels program.

The present study investigated whether a levels program would effectively reduce the amount of elopement (running-away) behavior demonstrated by an adult with profound mental retardation. The subject resided in an Alternative Intermediate Services (AIS) group home. During baseline data collection, he demonstrated an average of 131 elopements per month. After implementation of the levels program, elopements decreased to 0 within 7 months. At the end of the study, the subject's elopements continued to be maintained at a very low rate.