The Effects of Vocal Stereotypy on Secondary Target Acquisition
Stop vocal stereotypy with RIRD or instructive feedback will fail to teach secondary targets.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Tullis et al. (2020) worked with children with autism who talked to themselves a lot during lessons.
They used instructive feedback to teach extra words while the kids mastered first targets.
Half the time they also stopped the self-talk with RIRD. They wanted to see if the extra words stuck.
What they found
Extra words were learned only when RIRD stopped the self-talk at the same time.
Without RIRD, the kids kept scripting and the bonus targets did not stick.
How this fits with other research
Cariveau et al. (2022) tried the same instructive feedback but left out RIRD. Only two of seven skill sets were learned. This looks like a clash, yet both papers agree: self-talk blocks the free learning.
Reichow et al. (2011) showed that adding instructive feedback to prompt delays sped up learning. Tullis adds a new rule: first quiet the stereotypy or the speed boost fades.
Giles et al. (2018) proved that staff can learn RIRD in one short training. Pair their protocol with Tullis’s plan and you have a ready-made package.
Why it matters
If you run DTT and your learner hums or scripts, add a quick RIRD plan before you slip in extra targets. Without it you risk wasting trials. This one tweak turns instructive feedback from hit-or-miss into a sure bet.
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Begin each trial block with a 3-step RIRD script; then deliver your usual instructive feedback.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Instructive feedback (IF) is a strategy for increasing the efficiency of targeted instruction. Previous research has demonstrated the success of IF with learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but limited research exists regarding the efficacy of the intervention with individuals with ASD who engage in vocal stereotypy. The effects of 2 forms of IF were examined with a learner with ASD who engaged in vocal stereotypy. In Study 1, no intervention for vocal stereotypy was implemented. In Study 2, response interruption and redirection (RIRD) was implemented contingent on vocal stereotypy. IF before the praise statement resulted in faster acquisition of secondary targets, but only when RIRD was implemented. These results extend the IF literature by providing evidence that individuals who engage in vocal stereotypy may require concurrent intervention to increase the opportunity for indiscriminable contingencies to be established and the acquisition of secondary targets via IF.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2020 · doi:10.1007/s40617-020-00457-4