The effects of progressive relaxation training on the disruptive behavior of a boy with autism.
Two minutes of progressive relaxation right before leisure time can give you an immediate drop in disruptive behavior for kids with autism.
01Research in Context
What this study did
One boy with autism had long outbursts during free-play time.
The team taught him progressive relaxation right before leisure sessions.
They switched the order of conditions to be sure the training was the key piece.
What they found
Relaxation cut how long the disruptive behavior lasted in play time.
The change showed up right away and stayed while the training kept running.
How this fits with other research
Scattone et al. (2002) and Ozdemir (2008) got the same drop in disruption using social stories instead of relaxation.
All three studies used single-case designs and hit positive results, so you now have at least two low-cost tools to pick from.
Whaling et al. (2025) later added VR aggression training for bigger behaviors, showing the field keeps adding tech layers but the core aim—less disruption—stays the same.
Why it matters
You can run a two-minute relaxation script before art, recess, or group play and see calmer behavior start that day.
No extra staff, no gear, just a chair and quiet voice.
Try it as a first step; if it works, keep it. If not, swap in a social story or combine both.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study examined the effects of progressive relaxation training on the disruptive behaviors of a boy with autism. Moreover, his overt relaxed behaviors before and after relaxation training were measured using the Behavioral Relaxation Scale (Poppen, 1988, Poppen, 1998). After the participant received training in progressive relaxation procedures a multielement design with three conditions was utilized to determine the effects of the procedures on the duration of the boy's disruptive behaviors during leisure activity sessions. The conditions were: (a) relaxation prior to a leisure activity session; (b) cued relaxation; and (c) no relaxation prior to the session, which represented a baseline condition. Results indicated that the participant acquired progressive relaxation skills, displayed more relaxed behaviors after performing the procedures, and showed a decrease in the duration of his disruptive behaviors upon completing progressive relaxation training prior to a leisure activity session. Implications for future research are discussed.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2001 · doi:10.1016/s0891-4222(01)00083-x