In this study, a 6-year-old autistic girl's automatically reinforced vocal stereotypy is assessed and treated. Toys related to higher rates of vocal stereotypy were separated from those that were uncorrelated by the use of stimulus assessments in the study. Toys that produced auditory stimulation were found to be preferred stimuli by an operant evaluation conducted concurrently. These toys were subsequently used as reinforcers to prevent vocal stereotypy. The study evaluated the effectiveness of a differential reward for the non-occurrence of behaviour (DRO) with a fixed schedule of reinforcement (FT 1-min) in eliminating vocal stereotypy using a reversal design. Findings showed that the DRO schedule reduced the target behaviour during treatment sessions and had little effect on the FT schedule, as well as all during school hours. By demonstrating the effectiveness of matching stimuli and DRO schedules in lowering non-socially mediated problem behaviours, this study adds to the body of literature research on the subject and offers important new information for the creation of successful therapies for autistic persons.

My Question: What considerations are made regarding the ecological validity of using particular preferred stimuli and the DRO schedule in real-world settings for people with autism who manifest automatically reinforced vocal stereotypy? How does the study handle potential confounding variables or alternative explanations for the observed reduction in vocal stereotypy?

Taylor, B. A., Hoch, H., & Weissman, M. (2005). The analysis and treatment of vocal stereotypy in a child with autism. BehBehaviouralterventions: Theory & Practice in Residential & Community-Based Clinical Programs, 20(4), 239-253. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.200