Date of Award
5-2006
Culminating Project Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Applied Behavior Analysis: M.S.
Department
Community Psychology, Counseling and Family Therapy
College
School of Health and Human Services
First Advisor
Kimberly Schulze
Second Advisor
Eric Rudrud
Third Advisor
John Hotz
Keywords and Subject Headings
Autism, Self-Stimulatory Behavior, Matched, Unmatched
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to reduce self-stimulatory behavior in children with autism through use of sensory sessions which provided sensory stimulation. Sensory sessions were hypothesized to produce satiation of self-stimulatory behaviors. An alternating treatment design was utilized to assess differences between the effects of implementation of matched and non-matched sensory sessions. During matched sessions, participants were given sensory stimuli that provided the same sensory consequence as the inappropriate self-stimulatory behavior. During non-matched sessions, participants were given stimuli that did not provide the same sensory consequence as the self-stimulatory behavior. Self-stimulatory behavior was recorded for 5 minutes following the sensory stimulation sessions. The average percent of intervals with self-stimulatory behavior during baseline was compared to the average percent of intervals with self-stimulatory behavior during the observation periods following sensory sessions. Results indicated that the sensory stimulation sessions were not effective. A slight decrease in self-stimulatory behavior during intervention occurred for participant 1, but the behavior was inconsistent and did not decrease to zero levels. Participant 2 showed a slight decrease in self-stimulatory behavior during non-matched sensory sessions. Results of the study indicated that providing sensory stimulation did not decrease the incidence of self-stimulatory behaviors.
Recommended Citation
Cherne, Jessica, "Reducing Self-Stimulatory Behaviors in Children with Autism through use of Matched and Non-Matched Sensory Sessions" (2006). Culminating Projects in Community Psychology, Counseling and Family Therapy. 111.
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/cpcf_etds/111
