Differential Reinforcement of Low Frequency Behavior as an Interdependent Group Contingency for Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

J Behav Educ. 2023 Mar 8:1-16. doi: 10.1007/s10864-023-09512-w. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

An ABAB reversal design was employed to evaluate the effect of differential reinforcement of low (DRL) frequency behavior as an interdependent group contingency on the frequency of vocal disruptions of five males, 6-14-years old, diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The results showed lower frequencies of vocal disruptions during intervention conditions as compared to baseline conditions; the combination of DRL and interdependent group contingency was effective at reducing the target behavior from baseline levels. Implications of concurrent interventions for the applied setting are discussed.

Keywords: Autism; Classroom behavior management; Differential reinforcement; Group contingency; Vocal disruption.