Efficacy of behavioral interventions for reducing problem behavior in persons with autism: a quantitative synthesis of single-subject research.
Across 117 single-subject studies, behavioral interventions that start with an experimental functional analysis produce the strongest drops in problem behavior for children with autism.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team pulled every single-subject study they could find on autism and problem behavior. They ended up with 117 studies covering 181 children and teens.
Each study had to use a behavioral intervention and measure problem behavior as an outcome. The authors then ran a meta-analysis to see which ingredients made interventions work best.
What they found
Behavioral interventions clearly cut problem behavior in autism. The big winner was any package that started with an experimental functional analysis (EFA).
Treatments that began with an EFA suppressed problem behavior better than those that skipped the assessment step. Reliable data collection also boosted success.
How this fits with other research
Heyvaert et al. (2014) is the direct update of this 2003 paper. Eleven years later the same team added 32 more studies and 177 extra participants. The core message stayed the same: do an EFA first and the intervention works better.
McHugh et al. (2023) extends the idea to adults. They found self-management packages also lower problem behavior in grown-ups with autism, so the age range keeps widening.
Ma (2009) used a different math tool (PEM) on 1,502 single cases. Both meta-analyses agree that priming and self-control tactics work well, giving confidence that the result is real.
Why it matters
If you write or supervise autism programs, build the EFA into the behavior plan. The 2003 data and its 2014 update both say you will get faster, bigger drops in problem behavior. Pair the assessment with highly reliable measurement and you have the best-proven recipe we have.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Before starting any new behavior plan, run a brief experimental functional analysis and train staff to take data with 90% or better inter-observer agreement.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The efficacy of behavioral interventions for problem behavior in persons with autism was reviewed. One hundred and seventeen published articles representing 181 individuals with autism were examined. Articles were selected from 15 journals. Participant, treatment, and experimental variables were evaluated. Three effect sizes were calculated for each article. Behavioral treatments are effective in reducing problematic behaviors in individuals with autism. Type of target behavior and type of treatment did not moderate the average effect of treatment. As measured by percentage of zero data (PZD), three variables were predictive of behavioral suppression beyond that accounted for by behavioral topography and treatment type. Reliability of observation and number of treatment data points were positively related to PZD scores. Treatments based on experimental functional analysis (EFA) produced higher average PZD scores than treatments that did not include an EFA. The implications of the findings, study limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2003 · doi:10.1016/s0891-4222(03)00014-3