Introduction to the Special Issue: Assessment and Treatment of Stereotypy.
Read the full 2014 special issue to find vetted tools and ready-to-use tactics for stereotypy that runs on its own reinforcement.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Smith et al. (2014) wrote the opening letter for a full journal issue on stereotypy.
They did not run new experiments. They told readers which new papers to watch for.
What they found
The letter says the field now has better ways to test why stereotypy happens.
It also says we have stronger ways to treat it when the reinforcer is built-in.
How this fits with other research
Gillberg et al. (1983) warned that most early studies had weak designs. Smith et al. (2014) shows later work fixed those flaws.
Scahill et al. (2015) picked five tools that are ready for clinical trials. Their list gives you trial-ready RRB measures that the 2014 issue promotes.
Esposito et al. (2021) and Llinas et al. (2022) tested real tactics—red/green cards and non-stop matched toys—that cut stereotypy fast. These studies are examples of the "stronger treatments" the 2014 editors wanted to see.
Why it matters
If you battle automatically reinforced hand flaps or vocal loops, grab the full 2014 issue. It points you to tools that are already vetted and to single-case tactics you can copy tomorrow. Start with continuous matched stimuli or simple stimulus-control cards while you finish your FA. You will look evidence-based, not just hopeful.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Open the issue, pick one matched-stimulus or stimulus-control study, and try continuous access to that item during the client’s next free-play period.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Stereotypy is often characterized as repetitious, invariant behavior that generates its own reinforcing consequence. Stereotypy represents a unique treatment challenge, because the consequences produced by stereotypy cannot be directly controlled by the practitioner. Likewise, practitioners have relatively few options for identifying the function of repetitive behavior. Recently, several researchers have been conducting empirical studies to address these issues. This article introduces a special issue presenting some of these recent developments in the assessment and treatment of stereotypy and related behavior.
Behavior modification, 2014 · doi:10.1177/0145445514540914