The Effects of Advance Notice on Problem Behavior Occasioned by Interruptions of an Ongoing Activity in a Young Girl with Autism
A two-minute kitchen-timer warning erased interruption tantrums for a young girl with autism—no escape extinction required.
01Research in Context
What this study did
A seven-year-old girl with autism hit, cried, and ran off when her play was stopped. The team gave a two-minute warning plus a kitchen timer beep before every interruption. They tested the warning in her home during normal play sessions.
No escape extinction was used. The warning alone had to do the work.
What they found
Problem behavior dropped to zero and stayed there. The girl also started following the adult’s next request right away.
Parents said the timer trick still worked weeks later.
How this fits with other research
Leon et al. (2023) later tried a 30-second heads-up for unpredictable school transitions and saw the same calm result. The shorter cue still worked because it cut uncertainty.
Orsmond et al. (2009) used broader room tweaks instead of a timer and also wiped out transition problems. Timer or room change—both beat no plan.
O'Reilly et al. (2005) built a three-step classroom schedule and nearly ended self-injury. Like Vasquez, they let the child see what came next, just with pictures instead of a beep.
Why it matters
You can copy this in any setting. Grab a $5 kitchen timer. Tell the child, “Two minutes, then we stop,” and start the timer. When it dings, give the instruction. No need to block escape or run long FAs. One simple cue can save the session.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The current study describes a trial-based functional analysis of problem behavior conducted in a home setting for a 7-year-old girl with autism. Problem behavior was occasioned by interruptions to an ongoing activity. Advance notice, in the form of a 2-min warning, and the sound of a timer were used to signal termination of a current activity and were effective at reducing problem behavior along with increasing compliance to the interruptive demands. A trial-based functional analysis, which are not common in the applied literature, was conducted in a home setting for young girl with autism, using antecedent and consequence modifications described by Hagopian, Bruzek, Bowman, and Jennett (2007), identified the variables that occasioned and maintained problem behavior were interruptions to an ongoing activity followed by regaining uninterrupted access to the previous activity. Mixed findings have been reported regarding the effectiveness of advance notice for decreasing problem behavior. Results of the current study show that an advance notice treatment package was effective for a child with autism; no escape extinction was necessary. Interruptions are part of everyday life and tolerating these changes is critical for habilitation for individuals with autism.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2017 · doi:10.1007/s40617-017-0187-7