ERIC Number: EJ1083437
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Dec
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-8855
EISSN: N/A
Teaching Discriminated Social Approaches to Individuals with Angelman Syndrome
Fichtner, Caitlin S.; Tiger, Jeffrey H.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, v48 n4 p734-748 Dec 2015
Angelman syndrome is a neurogenetic disorder characterized by intellectual and developmental disability. Common behavioral characteristics of this disorder include a heightened interest in social interactions and frequent bids to initiate interaction. These bids can be problematic, for instance, when a child attempts to hug strangers in public places. The current study evaluated a discrimination training program to teach 3 boys with Angelman syndrome to discriminate appropriate from inappropriate times to initiate interactions. During baseline, we alternated periods in which attention was delivered following social initiations on a continuous reinforcement schedule with periods in which initiations were placed on extinction. We then implemented discrimination training by presenting a salient discriminative stimulus, prompting the occurrence of initiations, and providing reinforcement during reinforcement periods and withdrawing the stimulus during extinction periods. This resulted in discriminated approaches for each of the 3 participants; these results were replicated across caregivers and extended to the participants' homes.
Descriptors: Neurological Impairments, Genetics, Intellectual Disability, Developmental Disabilities, Interaction, Behavior Problems, Social Behavior, Attention, Reinforcement, Behavior Modification, Stimuli, Prompting, Learning Processes, Children, Males
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A