Date of Award
12-1-2024
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Behavior Analysis and Therapy
First Advisor
Shawler, Lesley
Abstract
Stereotypy refers to a class of operant repetitive motor and vocal responses with no readily apparent goal or purpose (Rapp & Vollmer, 2005; Singer, 2009; Wunderlich et al., 2023). Although most stereotypy is clinically insignificant and does not warrant treatment (i.e., nail biting, hair twirling), some stereotypy persists at a frequency or severity which interferes with skill acquisition, social interactions, and daily living skills. Stereotypy which persists at this level is considered clinically significant and is often the target of treatment (Wunderlich et al., 2023). A variety of evidence-based treatments for the reduction of stereotypy exist, though some neurodiversity advocates contend that its treatment is not always warranted or ethical (Bakan, 2014; Farenheit, 2020) and can even be considered abusive (Shoyer, 2015). Though this current climate calls for increased justification of its treatment, only a few of the current stereotypy studies report the use of any social validity measures (e.g., Casella et al., 2011; Love et al., 2012; Callahan et al., 2023). Thus, the current study created a pre-treatment social validity questionnaire which aims to assess the degree to which motor stereotypy affects the client and their family and warrants treatment. We used response interruption and redirection (RIRD) to reduce stereotypy in two participants in the context of a multiple schedule. RIRD was chosen due to its efficacy in reducing stereotypy and its potential to increase contextual engagement. Moreover, a multiple-schedule arrangement was chosen to potentially increase the social acceptability of the treatment by decreasing stereotypy during learning contexts while teaching participants when it is acceptable to engage in stereotypy (e.g., play, leisure time). At the conclusion of treatment, we assessed generalization across settings for one participant and re-administered the social validity questionnaire to stakeholders of both participants to assess the extent to which the intervention transferred to additional contexts and improved the quality of life of participants and their families. We found that RIRD was effective in reducing stereotypy during work contexts for both participants, though the effects did not generalize to an additional setting for one participant. Additionally, we saw a decrease from pre- to post- treatment scores on the social validity questionnaire for both participants, which provides evidence toward the effectiveness of RIRD in reducing the severity of stereotypy.
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