Kathleen Dyer

The effects of physical exercise on self-stimulation and appropriate responding in autistic children

A major problem encountered with autistic children is their characteristic self-stimulatory behavior, which frequently interferes with on-task responding and other appropriate behaviors. However, the experimental literature suggests that with many populations, increased physical activity might positively influence subsequent responding. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the use of increased physical activity (in this experiment, jogging) as a possible method of decreasing subsequent self-stimulatory behaviors as well as increasing subsequent appropriate responding. Seven autistic children with exceptionally high levels of self-stimulatory behavior participated in the investigation. Self-stimulatory and appropriate behaviors were measured both before and after jogging in a repeated-reversal design. The results demonstrated the following: (1) Brief jogging sessions produced decreases in subsequent levels of self-stimulatory behaviors and also produced increases in appropriate play and academic responding; (2) These changes after jogging were evident in three different experimental settings: during academic responding on preschool level tasks in a clinic; during ball-playing in an outside play area; and in a quiet room, while no other activity was occurring; (3) Supplementary measures obtained in an applied classroom setting showed a similar relationship with both increases in on-task activity and general interest ratings for school tasks following the jogging sessions.

The Competition of Autistic Stereotyped Behavior with Usual and Specially Assessed Reinforcers.

This study was conducted to empirically assess a reinforcement theory of stereotyped behavior. Six students with autism were first presented with tasks, and no contingent reinforcers were provided for correct responding. Then, contingent reinforcers that were typically used with the students (usual reinforcers) were presented in a multiple baseline across subjects design. Three of the students evidenced decreases in stereotypy and increases in responding in the presence of usual reinforcers. The other three students required external suppression of stereotypy before increases in responding were shown. For these students, usual reinforcers and specially assessed reinforcers were then compared. The specially assessed reinforcers resulted in decreases in stereotypy and increases in responding and subjective measures of responsiveness. The results were discussed in terms of supporting a competing reinforcement hypothesis, such that powerful external reinforcers will successfully compete with and suppress reinforcers provided by stereotypy.

The use of specific orienting cues for teaching discrimination tasks

Abstract A review of the experimental literature and frequent clinical observations suggest that autistic children are frequently unresponsive to necessary cues in complex discrimination tasks. This experiment attempted to remediate this problem by providing preliminary orienting instructions designed to enhance responding to problematic cues reported by the childrens therapists. Three autistic children were taught a total of six discrimination tasks in the context of a multiple baseline design. During the baseline condition, which employed common, nonspecific orienting cues such as, “Look at the pictures,” or “Pay attention,” the children did not evidence acquisition for any of the referred tasks. In the treatment condition, additional orienting instructions were presented which required the children to make overt responses demonstrating that they had oriented to the specific relevant cues (i.e., they verbally labeled these specific cues) prior to responding. In each case, these procedures produced rapid achievement of the acquisition criterion. The results are discussed in terms of understanding and facilitating autistic childrens complex discrimination learning.

Training Teachers to Use Naturalistic Communication Strategies in Classrooms for Students With Autism and Other Severe Handicaps

There is a growing body of literature suggesting that effective communication intervention for children with autism and other severe handicaps should be focused in the child’s natural environment. ...

Providing Effective Transitional Programming to Individuals with Autism.

Legal mandates, widely postulated professional perspective, and improved teaching techniques have strongly influenced the kind of care provided individuals with significant developmental disabilities such as autism. Children and adults who would have been separated from their families and peers two decades ago are now expected to live in natural settings identical to the settings in which other members of their families live. The conversion of services to correspond with the ever increasing lifestyle expectations for persons with developmental disabilities is described from an organizational perspective with reference to serving these individuals in special education classrooms, residential settings, or other human service settings. Systems we have found effective in moving individuals through a continuum of services are described. Specific examples of implementation strategies in a large comprehensive treatment center for individuals with developmental and neurological disabilities are provided. An example of a wide-scale conversion of an agency that resulted in more progressive transition programming is discussed.