Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
2018
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education
Advisor
Mayte Mourino
Committee Member
Christine Reves
Keywords
autism, behavioral sciences, noncontingent reinforcement, response interruption and redirection, special education, vocal stereotypy
Abstract
Vocal stereotypy is a pervasively interfering behavior for many children with autism spectrum disorders. This behavior interferes with acquisition of new skills, language development, and social development. Researchers in the field of applied behavior analysis have examined and identified a variety of antecedent-based interventions and consequence-based interventions to treat vocal stereotypy either in isolation or as a part of a larger treatment package. Systematic reviews are an effective tool practitioners can use to access a large body of research in a condensed version that present the most critical information in a concise way. By using this tool, practitioners can be confident they are accessing evidence-based research in their field that allows them to make data-driven treatment decisions. The purpose of this systematic review was to present the reader with detailed information regarding the available antecedent-based and consequence-based interventions that have been identified in the literature and to present a focused summary on the evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of noncontingent reinforcement (NCR), and antecedent-based intervention, and response interruption and redirection (RIRD), a consequence-based intervention. Fourteen studies met the necessary inclusion criteria for the in-depth review and were analyzed according to the critical variables across the studies. The results of this review indicate highly favorable outcomes when NCR and RIRD are used either alone or as a part of a treatment protocol in order to reduce the problematic behavior of vocal stereotypy. Limitations of the systematic review, ideas for future research, and implications of this study’s results were also discussed.
NSUWorks Citation
Halee R. Royal. 2018. The Effects of Specific Behavioral Interventions on Vocal Stereotypy: A Systematic Review. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. (162)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/162.