Prelinguistic and Minimally Verbal Communicators on the Autism Spectrum by Deb Keen Hedda Meadan Nancy C. Brady & James W. Halle

Author:Deb Keen, Hedda Meadan, Nancy C. Brady & James W. Halle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer Singapore, Singapore

7.2 Experimental-Functional Analysis

A considerable amount of research has focused on assessing problem behavior among individuals with ASD and other developmental disabilities (Matson, 2012). Many studies in this area have been directed at providing an experimental-functional analysis of problem behavior (Vollmer, Roane, & Rone, 2012). The primary objective of such analysis is to identify the variables that control problem behavior. Control in this context refers to both the antecedent events that evoke, motivate, and/or set the occasion for problem behavior as well as the consequences that reinforce/maintain the behavior (Vollmer et al., 2012). From a behavioral psychology orientation, behavior is said to be “explained” when its controlling variables are identified (Skinner, 1953).

The gold standard for undertaking an experimental-functional analysis of problem behavior was developed by Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, and Richman (1982; Iwata et al. 1994). The approach involves observing the frequency of problem behavior under the following conditions: (a) attention, (b) demand, (c) alone, and (d) free play. Subsequent studies have often included another (tangible) condition (Mace & West, 1986). In the attention condition, the frequency of problem behavior is recorded when an adult is present and only attends to the person when the person engages in problem behavior. Consistently high rates of problem behavior in this condition , relative to other conditions, would indicate that problem behavior was occasioned by a non-attending adult and maintained by the reinforcing effects of attention from the adult. This attention-maintained problem behavior could be interpreted as a form of prelinguistic behavior for recruiting/requesting attention.

In the demand condition , the person is presented with a work task and the task is briefly removed when problem behavior occurs. Consistently high rates of problem behavior in this condition, relative to other conditions, could indicate that the behavior is occasioned by (evoked by) task demands and maintained by the resulting escape from those task demands, which is a type of negative reinforcement (Carr, Newsom, & Binkoff, 1976). This escape-maintained problem behavior could be interpreted as a form of prelingusitic behavior akin to protesting, rejecting, or requesting a break.

Another set of circumstances that is sometimes included in an experimental-functional analysis is a tangible condition. In this condition, the person might be required to wait before access to preferred objects or activities is allowed. However, the person is given immediate access to the items contingent upon occurrences of problem behavior. Again consistently higher rates of problem behavior in this condition, relative to the attention and demand conditions, would indicate the problem behavior is occasioned by preferred items and maintained by positive reinforcement in the form of gaining access to those items. Problem behavior that is maintained by access to preferred objects could be interpreted as a form of prelinguistic requesting. An everyday example of such tangible-maintained problem behavior is the common scenario of children who tantrum in the grocery store because in the past this has been an effective means of coercing their parents to buy them a preferred item.

High rates of problem behavior in the attention, demand, and tangible conditions described above could be suggestive of a possible communicative function.

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