Document Type

Dissertation

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Degree

PhD in Behavior Analysis

Dissertation Defense Date

2011

First Committee Member

Thompson, Rachel H.

Second Committee Member

N/A

Third Committee Member

N/A

Abstract

"Among the diagnostic features of autism, relatively little research has been devoted to restricted and repetitive behavior. In particular, forms of repetitive behavior that have been described as higher-level (e.g., rigidity in routines or compulsive behavior1 such as arranging objects in patterns or rows; Turner, 1999) have been understudied. Like vocal or motor stereotypy, higher- level repetitive behavior can be associated with negative outcomes such as impaired skill acquisition, negative social consequences, and severe problem behavior associated with interruption of stereotyped behavior. In the first phase of the present study, the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R; Bodfish, Symons, Parker, & Lewis, 1999) was used to identify the reported prevalence and severity of 45 forms of repetitive behavior within a sample of 102 individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Based on preliminary data (n = 16), one form of higher-level repetitive behavior—arranging and ordering—was selected for further study. The functional assessment model was then extended to the assessment and treatment of arranging and ordering in phases 2-4. Specifically, we (a) identified environmental events associated with the problem behavior through interviews and direct observation (b) experimentally manipulated a subset of environmental events to determine their effects on arranging and ordering, and then (c) developed interventions based on results of our experimental analyses."

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