Thesis Title
Increasing Variable Play in Children with Autism Using a Lag Schedule and Stimulus Fading
Date of Award
Spring 4-22-2019
Thesis Type
Open Access
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis and Clinical Science
Department
Health Professions
Committee Member(s)
Kara Wunderlich, PhD, BCBA-D
Stephanie Kincaid, PhD, BCBA-D
Eb Blakely, PhD, BCBA-D
Abstract
Restricted or repetitive interests are one of the hallmark characteristics of an autism diagnosis, and this characteristic can sometimes be present in a child’s toy-play. The current study explored the effects of a lag schedule and visual discriminative stimuli on the variability of selection of play items for two children with autism. The researcher used an ABAB reversal design to reinforce variability in play selection and then slowly and systematically faded the stimuli associated with the intervention. The results were idiosyncratic across participants. For one subject, the lag schedule alone maintained variable selection of toys, and the visual discriminative stimuli were successfully faded from the intervention package. For another subject, the intervention was ineffective in evoking variable play.
Recommended Citation
Nelson, Amelia, "Increasing Variable Play in Children with Autism Using a Lag Schedule and Stimulus Fading" (2019). Thesis Projects. 12.
https://scholarship.rollins.edu/mabacs_thesis/12
Rights Holder
Amelia Nelson