Effects of multiple versus chained schedules on stereotypy and item engagement
Chain a short toy-play link to a brief stereotypy link to cut automatic stereotypy and boost toy use.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team compared two ways to schedule brief play with stereotypy.
Kids with autism got either a multiple schedule or a chained schedule.
Both gave them 10 s of stereotypy after they played with toys.
An alternating-treatments design flipped the order each day.
What they found
Chained schedules cut stereotypy and lifted toy play better.
Kids also said they liked the chained version more.
The chain let the adult gain stimulus control over the behavior.
How this fits with other research
Leung et al. (2014) saw typical kids choose multiple schedules for social breaks.
Slaton’s kids with autism picked chained schedules for stereotypy breaks.
The two studies look opposite, but the goals differed.
C et al. wanted efficient work; Slaton wanted less stereotypy.
Lendenmann et al. (1982) showed longer reinforcer time boosts early-link responding.
Slaton used that idea by keeping the stereotypy link short and sweet.
Why it matters
If a child’s stereotypy runs on automatic reinforcement, try a chained schedule.
Set a quick toy-play link, then a brief stereotypy link, then back to play.
The child sees the toy time as the gateway to the sensory break.
You gain stimulus control and get more toy engagement for free.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
We evaluated rates of automatically reinforced stereotypy and item engagement for 2 children with autism under multiple and chained schedules in a multielement design. Each schedule included components during which stereotypy was blocked (S-) or allowed (S+), and we used colored cards as schedule-correlated stimuli. We report rates of stereotypy and item engagement during S- and S+ components, as well as the percentage of component time that elapsed before the first instances of stereotypy and item engagement. We observed less stereotypy and more consistent item engagement during chained-schedule sessions, and stimulus control of stereotypy and item engagement was established with the chained schedule. A subsequent concurrent-chains analysis revealed participant preference for the chained schedule. These results highlight the importance of contingent access to stereotypy when therapists attempt to gain stimulus control of stereotypy and increase functional item engagement.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2016 · doi:10.1002/jaba.345