Further Analysis of the Immediate and Subsequent Effect of RIRD on Vocal Stereotypy.
Twenty-minute RIRD blocks give lasting suppression of vocal stereotypy; five-minute blocks stop working the moment you quit.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team tested how long RIRD must last to keep vocal stereotypy low after you stop.
Two children with autism got 5-minute or 20-minute RIRD blocks. The researchers watched what happened right away and again 20 minutes later.
What they found
Both 5-minute and 20-minute RIRD cut stereotypy on the spot.
Only the 20-minute blocks kept stereotypy low after RIRD ended. A later 25-minute check showed no carry-over from either length.
How this fits with other research
Shawler et al. (2020) also showed RIRD works, but they pitted it against toys. Their data and this study line up: RIRD is a solid choice for vocal stereotypy.
Rojahn et al. (2012) added matched stimulation to RIRD and saw a small boost. The new paper keeps RIRD alone and asks a different question—how long, not what else.
Dawson et al. (2000) found that rotating toy sets keeps NCR effective longer. The same durability rule shows up here: longer RIRD blocks, like rotated toys, keep suppression going.
Why it matters
If you run RIRD for only five minutes, the child may start vocal stereotypy again the moment you stop. Plan for at least 20-minute blocks when you want the decrease to stick. Check again later; you may need another round.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Although numerous studies have shown that response interruption and redirection (RIRD) can decrease vocal stereotypy displayed by children with autism spectrum disorder, relatively few have evaluated the subsequent effects of RIRD. We evaluated the immediate (when a change agent implemented RIRD) and subsequent (after a change agent discontinued RIRD) effects of RIRD on two participants' vocal stereotypy using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design with an embedded reversal design combined with a multiple schedule. As a part of the analysis, we conducted the fourth component 25 min after the third component. In addition, we compared the effects of RIRD with 5-min and 20-min components on both participants' vocal stereotypy. Results show that (a) RIRD during either 5-min or 20-min components decreased each participant's immediate engagement in vocal stereotypy, (b) only RIRD during 20-min components decreased each participant's subsequent engagement in vocal stereotypy relative to the no intervention component, and (c) the subsequent effects of RIRD did not extend into the fourth component for either participant.
Behavior modification, 2020 · doi:10.1177/0145445519838826