Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Increasing Shared Attention In Children With Developmental Delays, Shelby Esman

Honors Theses

Joint attention behaviors may be essential to the development of language and social interaction skills (Whalen and Schreibman, 2003). Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often lack these behaviors which may explain the difficulty many of them have communicating appropriately with others (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Previous research has shown that prompting procedures and social reinforcement have been successful in teaching children with ASD to shift their eye gaze between an adult and the object of interest when prompted to do so (Taylor and Hoch, 2008). This present study set out to create and test a procedure designed to teach …

Teaching Imitation To Children With Autism Using Most-To-Least Prompt Fading In Front Of A Mirror, Giulia Avelar

Honors Theses

Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder have difficulty acquiring imitative skills, which may serve as an important factor in developing social skills and language (Miller et al., 2015; Ledford & Wolery, 2010; Young et al., 1994). Research has shown that most-to-least prompting is most effective for children who do not learn quickly (Libby et al., 2008). The goal of this study was to discover whether the presence of a mirror affected the rate of acquisition of imitative behaviors compared to a no-mirror condition, using most-to-least within-session prompt fading. This study used a multiple baseline design across sets of behaviors. Sets …

The Effectiveness Of Music Therapy To Reduce Agitation Among Persons With Alzheimer’S Disease, Caroline Mazon

Honors Theses

According to the Alzheimer’s Association (2016), Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is diagnosed every 66 seconds resulting in this disease being the 6^th leading cause of death in the United States. Among other signs and symptoms, agitation is one of the most challenging symptoms that patients and caregivers must try to control using nonpharmacological therapies or prescribed pharmacological treatments. Among many professions, music therapy has been used to specifically lower the levels of agitation in AD patients. Live music, “sing a long’s”, using instruments, and listening to a song of the patients’ choice have all been shown to reduce agitation behaviors …

Teaching A Scanning Response To A Child With Autism, Katherine Burnham

Honors Theses

Children with autism have been known to exhibit abnormal scanning responses, or lack them entirely, as shown by the results of various studies (Sasson et al., 2008; Landry & Bryson, 2004). Studies have indicated that scanning may be a behavioral cusp and the lack of a normal scanning response in children with autism may be inhibiting the acquisition of many other subsequent skills (Bosch & Fuqua, 2001). By implementing an intervention to teach the scanning response, it was hypothesized that our participants would develop the prerequisite scanning skill, and therefore performance on a matching-to-sample procedure would improve. Through a basic …

Culture Of Gentleness: A Behavioral Approach, Stevie Parcell

Honors Theses

The purpose of this paper is to explain the fundamentals of an ideological framework for caregivers providing services to people with disabilities called a Culture of Gentleness. The material is traditionally taught within the two-day Working with People training, and the efforts to spread this theory is headed by the Center for Positive Living Supports located in Clinton Township, Michigan. The material is then analyzed through a behavior analytic perspective. Each segment of the initial training will be discussed through both a Culture of Gentleness and behavioral perspective, rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis. Although established in the practice of Positive …

Self Management: Overcoming Barriers To Success, Jazmyn Souryamat

Honors Theses

Individuals with an autism spectrum diagnosis often have a social-skills deficit that may include the tendency to avoid eye contact. In addition, they may have sensory issues and become easily overwhelmed by excessive sensory stimuli. Self-management is a treatment that has been found to enhance the quality of life for individuals with or without an autism spectrum diagnosis. It has been helpful in treating procrastination, used to increase physical activity, lower caloric intake, and increase independence. In this study, self-management treatments were used to increase instances of appropriate social responding and to decrease behaviors that posed a barrier to personal, …

The Effects Of Picture Prompts On The Acquisition Of Receptive Language In Children With Autism, Hanna Simons

Honors Theses

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of picture prompts in the acquisition of receptive language. Receptive language training is the ability to listen to and understand what is being communicated (Miller, Carp, Petursdottir, 2009). Receptive language training requires the acquisition of auditory-visual conditional discriminations. In receptive language training the child must attend to the auditory and comparison stimuli. This is sometimes an issue for children with autism. Previous research has shown that receptive language training can be facilitated through the use of picture prompts (Fisher, Kodak, & Moore, 2007). The participant for the study was 3 years old. He was …

Transitioning Children With Autism From A Discrete Trial Classroom To A Group Classroom, Alexandra Ennis

Honors Theses

The goal of this project was to prepare children diagnosed with autism for the transition to group learning environments by teaching them to sit in their chair and attend while the teacher is at least five feet away. This is a skill that will help kids succeed when they make the transition from an early intervention program to a group learner environment because it allows the teacher to focus more on learning important skills. A proximity procedure was put in place for two children that focused on gradually increasing the distance between the tutor and the student with use of …

Sensor-Enabled Reduction Of Stereotypy, Aaron Brzezinski

Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to create and implement an intervention to reduce stereotypic behavior in a child with Autism. The participant was chosen based on a high occurrence of target behavior and was recruited through his treatment center. The target behaviors were selected based on the subjective evaluation of his treatment provider and parents. The dependent variable in this study was hand-flapping. The independent variable was DRO training that included a buzzer and a chime noise contingent on the presence or absence of stereotypy respectively. A Microsoft Kinect© 2.0 was used to track occurrence of target behavior and …

Increasing Vocalizations In Children With Autism, Nicholette Christodoulou

Honors Theses

This study focuses on increasing vocalizations for students with Autism spectrum disorder. A three-part intervention was used to attempt to establish an echoic repertoire in students who had little to no vocalizations. Both students attended an early intervention classroom with a special education school. Students were selected from their classroom if they showed little to no vocalization or echoic skills. The goal during the first phase was to collect all sounds being made by the student to increase the overall number of vocalizations being made. This was done by continuous reinforcement using edible reinforcers. In phase two, the student’s dominant …

Effects Of Multiple Exemplar Instruction On Reading Comprehension For Secondary Students With Reading Delays, Reilly Chabie

Honors Theses

This study tested the effects of multiple exemplar instruction on reading comprehension for a middle school student with a reading delay. A multiple probe design was used to evaluate and observe the changes in the number of questions the student answered correctly. Probes consisted of: (1) pre-experimental, (2) single exemplar instruction (SEI), (3) post-SEI, (4) MEI, and (5) post-MEI. The independent variable was a multiple exemplar intervention that required the student to read a passage across three topographies (silently, listening, and aloud).

Multiple exemplar instruction was shown to be effective in increasing the number of questions answered correctly during single …

Training Tutors To Use A Time Delay Procedure To Increase Vocal Manding In Children With Autism, Chelsea Roberts

Honors Theses

Learning how to spontaneously mand, or request without prompting, can be difficult for children diagnosed with developmental disabilities. Previous research has shown that the implementation of a time-delay procedure aids in increasing spontaneous mands with these children (Charlop, Shreibman, & Thibodeau, 1985). The goal of this study was to increase vocal mands in children with developmental disabilities with a time-delay procedure by training their undergraduate tutors, using Behavioral Skills Training (BST), how to implement the procedure in naturally occurring opportunities. The study used a multiple baseline across participants design. The intervention used in this study can help children with developmental …

A Behavior Analytic Conceptualization Of The Assessment And Treatment Of Delusional Speech, Rebecca Braginton

Honors Theses

This case conceptualization looks at past treatments for schizophrenia and then introduces a behavioral approach to assessing and treating delusional speech in a hypothetical client with schizophrenia. The treatment assessment would consist of five treatment conditions and a control condition. The delusional speech would be triggered by specific conversational themes. The results of the treatment assessment would inform the protocol that would be written for the client's delusional speech. After a protocol is written, there would need to be staff training. Behavioral skills training (BST) has been proven to be an effective form of training that provides trainees with opportunities …

Cross-Cultural Comparison For Treatments Of Autism Between Germany And The United States, Jenna Hicken

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to compare perceptions of interventions for children with Autism between Germany and the United States. As the rate of Autism continually rises, more questions are asked about what are the most effective methods of treatment, and how children with Autism can be integrated into society together with children without disabilities (Newschaffer, Falb, & Gurney, 2005). A survey was developed and sent to teachers, psychologists, and speech-language pathologists in the United States and Germany. There were 9 participants from the United States and 3 participants from Germany. The majority of participants from both countries were …

Autism And Its Effects On Students, Shane Fitzsimmons

Honors Theses

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both disorders characterized by difficulties with socialization and communication as well as repetitive behaviors (“Autism Spectrum Disorder” Handout). Difficulties in identifying feelings, hypersensitivities, and not accepting affection well are all common in people with autism spectrum disorder (Volkmar “Autism” and Horwood 39-42, 45, 47, 53-55, 57-59). The current rate of autism is 1 in 68, affecting 4 to 5 times as many males as females (“Autism Spectrum Disorder” Handout). The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) mentioned that both genes and the environment play a role in causing autism, and no study has …

An Analysis Of Free-Will, Matthew Campbell

Honors Theses

The following paper is a broad analysis of the concept of free-will. Free-will can be defined as having the ability to act outside of necessity, such that one can be the ultimate author and initiator of their actions and decisions. Stated differently, possessing free-will allows an individual to be held accountable for their behaviors, because those behaviors are the result of something controllable within the individual, rather than something external to the individual and beyond their control.

A belief in free-will is widely assumed, for we hold individuals both legally and morally accountable for their actions. Nevertheless, it remains a …

Autism Project: Case Study Evaluating Behavioral Interventions For The Self-Injurious Behavior Of Biting, Brittani Rohrig

Honors Theses

Self-injurious (SIB) behavior is a common problem among the autism population, and often those who engage in SIB have done so since a very early age. There was a nine-year-old boy named Jack who was diagnosed with ASD and engaged in the self-injurious behavior of biting his hand. A functional analysis was conducted and it was found that the behavior was multiply controlled across three main conditions: alone/play, demand, and attention. The goal of this case study was to review previous interventions that did not eliminate the target behavior, analyze and revise the current protocols in place, and eliminate the …

The Effects Of An Academic Values Clarification Exercise On Academic Performance Of College Students, Dana Goetz

Honors Theses

Values exploration exercises, in which individuals are typically asked to rank order their values and describe values that are most important to them, have been used for many purposes including reducing the racial achievement gap in academic performance (Cohen, Garcia, Apfel, Maseter, 2006), increasing acceptance of health related issues (Harris & Napper, 2005), and increasing academic success (Chase, Houmanfar, Hayes, Ward, Vilardaga, & Follette, 2013). However, little research has addressed the mechanism or mechanisms through which values clarification exercises impact outcomes, particularly academic achievement. This paper analyzes values clarification exercises used in educational settings during the 1970s and the roles …

The Effects Of Child Birth Order And Number Of Children On Mother’S Supervision Beliefs And Practices, Alyssa Schramm

Honors Theses

Objective: This study aimed to examine (1) whether mothers’ attitudes about supervision differ based on (a) the number of children in the home and (b) the birth order of the child; (2) whether mothers’ reported supervision levels differ based on: (a) the number of children in the home and (b) the birth order of the child; (3) whether children in families with more than one child sustain more injuries than children in families with fewer children. I expected to find that mothers had more lax attitudes for their younger children versus old, and were more lax for homes with more …

The Effects Of A Picture Acitivty Schedule And Functional Communication Training, Sarah J. Lett

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects a package treatment containing a picture activity schedule and functional communication training on the reduction of problem behaviors on a child with developmental delays. The study was conducted by first establishing discrimination between pictures, to be used in the picture activity schedule. Then the tutors progressively advanced through the six phases of the picture activity schedule. Each phase taught fundamental rules such as “first this, then that”, and built the schedule to more complex structure. In this way, the student could anticipate upcoming tasks, and preferred activities. The predictor strategy …

The Combined Effects Of Picture Activity Schedules And Extinction Plus Differential Reinforcement On Problem Behavior During Transitions, Jessica Hurdelbrink

Honors Theses

To decrease problem behaviors and increase compliance during transitions, a treatment package consisting of a picture activity schedule combined with extinction and differential reinforcement of other behavior was implemented. The study consisted of baseline and the intervention. Based on previous studies involving picture activity schedules, Gina Cross wrote the protocol for the teaching of the activity schedule and the transition protocol. The teaching protocol was made up of four stages of most-to-least prompting, and involved teaching the child to move the picture icon to the bottom of the schedule independently. The transition protocol gave instructions on how the tutor and …

Simple Visual Discrimination Training For A Child With Autism And Exceptional Learning Difficulties, Rachel Burroughs

Honors Theses

One of the most basic pre-requisite skills for learning is simple visual discrimination. Unfortunately, the literature is lacking in how to teach simple visual discrimination to children with difficulty learning. To address this problem, the current study set out to teach a child with autism, and exceptional learning difficulty, simple visual discrimination. To do this, the researchers used a simple reversal design using a prompt fading strategy. To shape the independent behavior of selecting the correct stimulus in the presence of two other stimuli, the researchers started by reinforcing touching the stimuli when there were no other distractor stimuli present, …

Gradual Guidance And Independent Activity Schedules For Children With Autism, Amanda Driscoll

Honors Theses

The goal of this intervention was to increase on-task and on-schedule behavior in a child with autism through the use of gradual guidance and an independent activity schedule. The participant was a three year-old boy who exhibited noncompliant problem behavior. He was at mastery level for the tasks that were included in the independent activity schedule and had no prior learning experience with an independent activity schedule. Gradual guidance was used to decrease the time it took for him to learn the complex behavior that is involved with an independent activity schedule and to keep the participant on-task and on-schedule …

The Effects Of Preprinted Versus Handwritten Safmeds On Fluency, Samantha Fodrocy

Honors Theses

Precision Teaching is an instructional evaluation technique used by educators to ensure that targeted skills are being achieved by learners (Moran & Malott, 2004). Say all fast a minute each day shuffled (SAFMEDS) is a specific PT influenced instructional strategy intended to develop fluency within timed trials (Eshleman, 2000). However, there is little empirical research related to the proposed effects of SAFMEDS. A recent study by Meindl and colleagues (in press) demonstrated the position of the text on SAFMEDS affected fluency. Results of this study suggest extraneous variables affect responding indicating a possible stimulus control issue. However, there were methodological …