Bryant C Silbaugh1, Terry S Falcomata2, Raechal H Ferguson2. 1. a Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching , The University of Texas at San Antonio , San Antonio , TX , USA. 2. b Department of Special Education , The University of Texas at Austin , Austin , TX , USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the effects of a Lag 1 schedule of reinforcement and progressive time delay (TD) on topographical mand variability in children with autism. METHODS: Using single-subject design methodology, a multiple baseline across behaviors with embedded reversal design was employed. During Lag 0, reinforcement was delivered contingent on any independent instances of manding. During Lag 1 + TD, prompts were faded and reinforcement was delivered contingent on independent or prompted variant mand topographies. RESULTS: Higher levels of topographical mand variability were observed during Lag 1 + TD for both participants. CONCLUSIONS: A Lag 1 schedule of reinforcement with progressive TD increased variability across functionally equivalent vocal mand topographies for both participants. This finding extends prior literature by providing a novel model for studying reinforced mand variability in children, and by demonstrating how practitioners could use prompts and differential reinforcement to increase topographical mand variability in children with autism.
OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the effects of a Lag 1 schedule of reinforcement and progressive time delay (TD) on topographical mand variability in children with autism. METHODS: Using single-subject design methodology, a multiple baseline across behaviors with embedded reversal design was employed. During Lag 0, reinforcement was delivered contingent on any independent instances of manding. During Lag 1 + TD, prompts were faded and reinforcement was delivered contingent on independent or prompted variant mand topographies. RESULTS: Higher levels of topographical mand variability were observed during Lag 1 + TD for both participants. CONCLUSIONS: A Lag 1 schedule of reinforcement with progressive TD increased variability across functionally equivalent vocal mand topographies for both participants. This finding extends prior literature by providing a novel model for studying reinforced mand variability in children, and by demonstrating how practitioners could use prompts and differential reinforcement to increase topographical mand variability in children with autism.
Entities:
Keywords:
Autism; lag schedule; manding; response class hierarchy; variability