Repetitive behavior is among the most clinically complex and ethically sensitive topics in applied behavior analysis. The category encompasses a broad range of topographies, from self-injurious behavior that poses immediate physical danger to stereotypic motor movements that may serve important regulatory functions for the individual.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Florida Association of Behavior Analysis
Take This Course →Including ethics, supervision, and topics like this one. New live CEU every Wednesday.
Join Free →Repetitive behavior (e.g., self-injury, stereotypy, and "higher level" perseverative vocal and motor responses) is often, but not always, automatically reinforced behavior. Repetitive behavior presents substantial challenges to clinicians from assessment to treatment, including decision on whether to treat it or not. This workshop will examine this topic from preassessment to generalization and maintenance of treatment gains. Ethicality will also be extensively covered. For example, self-injury is problem behavior that is sometimes maintained by automatic reinforcement and can pose the risk of significant and, in some cases, life threatening harm. On the other hand, stereotypy is nearly always automatically maintained but rarely leads to injury. Such ethical considerations for clinicians will be discussed and the risks and benefits of both treating and not treating self-injury, stereotypy, and other forms of repetitive behavior will be explored. Some applied research on evaluating and addressing repetitive behavior will be reviewed with a focus on what has been learned from attempts to subtype self-injury and how this may or may not apply to stereotypy and higher level perseverative behavior. There is some evidence that higher level peseverative behavior can be an indicator of anxiety. Assessing and treating anxiety in such cases will also be shared.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 4 | Ethics |
| COA | 4 | — |
| FL MH/PSY | 3 | — |
William H. Ahearn, an ABAI Fellow, serves as the Director of Research at the New England Center for Children and as Adjunct Faculty for the Western New England University’s Master’s and Doctoral programs in Behavior Analysis. Previously he served as Clinical Assistant Professor in the Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis program at Northeastern University, as a Researcher at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine and as Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts, Worcester (while collaborating with researchers from the E.K Shriver Center). He received his doctorate in experimental psychology at Temple University in 1992 under the advisement of Phil Hineline and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Behavioral Psychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Bill’s research interests are varied and include peer reviewed publications on treating pediatric feeding disorders, teaching verbal and social skills, examining implications of the Behavioral Momentum metaphor, and exploring aspects of autistic behavior. However, his most cited work is on assessing and treating automatically reinforced behavior, specifically, repetitive behavior and restricted interests. Bill and his colleagues have developed a form of redirection referred to as response interruption and redirection (RIRD) which has been identified by the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice (https://ncaep.fpg.unc.edu/) as one of 27 evidence-based practices for treating autism. He has collaborated with many notable behavioral researchers including Bill Dube, Bill McIlvane, Tony Nevin, Mike Cataldo, Gina Green, Caio Miguel, and Becky MacDonald. Many of these collaborations were grant funded. He has published over 100 papers in outlets including the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Behavior Modification, Animal Learning and Behavior, The Lancet, Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, The Behavior Analyst, and Behavioral Interventions. He currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Behavioral Interventions and on the Board of Editors for the Journal of Experimental Analysis of Behavior. He previously served on the Board of Editors for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis for about 20 years. Bill has also reviewed for a variety of other outlets, most notably Pediatrics. Bill has provided extensive service throughout his career. He has provided service for BABAT (Board member, President, chair of Professional Practice, ACE); APBA (Board member, President); BACB (Subject Matter Expert, Exam Reviewer); ABAI (Autism track coordinator); CASP (various workgroups); ONTABA; and, Autism Speaks (training workgroup leader for the development of the challenging behavior toolkit). As BABAT’s chair of Professional Practice, Bill organized BABAT’s efforts relative to licensure in Massachusetts. After licensure was signed into law, he was appointed as an Applied Behavior Analyst member of the Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions board in 2013. Subsequently, Bill was appointed chair of this omnibus board by both a Democratic and Republican Governor and continues to serve as the Acting Chair of this board.
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.