Use of a Self-monitoring Application to Reduce Stereotypic Behavior in Adolescents with Autism: A Preliminary Investigation of I-Connect.
A phone self-monitoring app quickly cut stereotypy for two teens with autism in a special-ed classroom.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Two high-school students with autism used a phone app called I-Connect. The app buzzed every few minutes and asked, "Am I doing my work?"
Each teen tapped "yes" or "no." The researchers turned the app on and off across four phases to see if stereotypic hand-flapping and rocking changed.
What they found
When the app was on, both students showed much less stereotypy. The behavior bounced back each time the app was removed.
The quick drop and return happened every phase, showing the app, not chance, caused the change.
How this fits with other research
Préfontaine et al. (2019) later tested a different app, iSTIM, that chose when to prompt. Both apps cut stereotypy, proving phones can help across designs.
PCummings et al. (2024) went further, embedding a full ABA program in an app for toddlers. Their larger RCT shows the idea scales to younger kids and home use.
Rojahn et al. (2012) reviewed older vocal-stereotypy tactics that needed adult watchers. I-Connect hands the job to the student, saving staff time.
Why it matters
You can give a teen a phone and cut stereotypy in minutes—no extra staff, no bulky gear. Try I-Connect or a simple timer app next session. Start with one student, track stereotypy for ten-minute slices, and watch the change when self-monitoring begins.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Many students with autism engage in a variety of complex stereotypic behaviors, impacting task completion and interfering with social opportunities. Self-monitoring is an intervention with empirical support for individuals with ASD to increase behavioral repertoires and decrease behaviors that are incompatible with successful outcomes. However, there is limited evidence for its utility for decreasing stereotypy, particularly for adolescents in school settings. This study evaluated the functional relationship between I-Connect, a technology-delivered self-monitoring program, and decreases in the level of stereotypy for two students with ASD in the school setting utilizing a withdrawal design with an embedded multiple baseline across participants. Both students demonstrated a marked decrease in stereotypy with the introduction of the self-monitoring application. Results and implications for practice and future research will be discussed.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2015 · doi:10.1007/s10803-014-2272-x