antecedent analysis to enhance social interactions in children with autism spectrum disorders...
TRANSCRIPT
Antecedent Analysis to Antecedent Analysis to Enhance Social Enhance Social
Interactions in Children Interactions in Children with Autism Spectrum with Autism Spectrum
DisordersDisorders Taketo NakaoTaketo Nakao
Elizabeth L. W. McKenney Elizabeth L. W. McKenney Glenn M. Sloman Glenn M. Sloman
Maureen A. ConroyMaureen A. ConroyJennifer M. AsmusJennifer M. Asmus
University of Florida University of Florida
Supported by U.S. Department of Supported by U.S. Department of EducationEducation
Office of Special Education and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Rehabilitative Services
(#H324D020023)(#H324D020023)
Project GATORSSProject GATORSS
• Goals:– To develop a process for increasing the prosocial
behavior of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in early childhood settings. • Development of functional and structural
analysis techniques designed to address social skill deficits
• Development of individualized social skill interventions using assessment-based behavioral intervention strategies
Objectives of Presentation
Presentation attendees will learn 3 steps to examine the effects of antecedent interventions on the social behavior of a student with autism :
1. Descriptive observation to identify naturally occurring antecedent events relevant to social interaction
2. A structural analysis to experimentally validate antecedent events identified through the descriptive observation process
3. A treatment plan generated from the results of the structural analysis
Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline
• Overview of the literature on antecedent interventions
• Review descriptive observation techniques
• Describe structural analysis techniques• Present a case study and video examples
to illustrate procedures
Why Study the Why Study the Social Social Behavior of Behavior of
Children Children with ASD?with ASD?
• Children with autism experience difficulty in three areas:
1) Behavioral excesses and deficits observed as restricted and repetitive behavior
2) Behavioral deficits in display of developmentally and age-appropriate communication and social behavior
3) **** Difficulty with social reciprocity is considered the central and defining feature of autism (NRC, 2001)
Why Study the Why Study the Social Social Behavior of Behavior of Children Children with ASD with ASD (cont’d)?(cont’d)?• Poor social skills and display of problem behavior
often interfere with successful inclusion in early childhood programs (Odom et al., in prep)
• Placement in inclusive settings alone will not produce positive and lasting changes in appropriate social behavior by children with ASD (McConnell, 2002)
• There is a lack of evidence-based interventions to address and remediate their social skill deficits
Antecedent Antecedent InterventionsInterventions
• An antecedent intervention entails manipulating a setting event or immediate antecedent previously found to influence social behaviors.
• Setting events and antecedents often interact with each other to increase the likelihood of social behavior.
• Antecedent interventions are often determined by the outcomes of descriptive observation.
• Examples: – changes in activity type – the length of time spent in an activity– the individual working with the student– how statements are made to the student– peer group size
Why Do We Need More Why Do We Need More Antecedent Antecedent
Interventions?Interventions? • Most antecedent intervention research has
focused on problem, transition, and academic behavior of children with ASD (Pace, Dunn, Luiselli, Cochran, & Skowron 2005; Cote, Thompson & McKerchar, 2005; Eckert, Ardoin, Daly III, Martens 2002).
• Research literature is missing systematic methods of assessment that address the underlying functions and examine the occurrence of social behavior (Stichter & Conroy, 2005).
• Next steps are to address the individual needs of children and develop functionally-linked interventions.
MethodMethod
• Descriptive Observation (DO) of Contextual Factors– Approximately 6 hours of direct, sequential
recording of behavior in a variety of natural contextual factors within classroom setting
– Observation of peer and target child social behavior in presence/absence of different contexts including: activity type, play format, and level of adult engagement
– Outcomes of social interactions
Method (cont’d)
• Experimental Analysis– Structural Analysis (SA) (Cooper et al., 1990; Peck et
al., 1997)
• Condition:– High preferred social activity and materials– Low preferred social activity and materials– Neutrally preferred social activity and materials
• Interventions– Utilization of contextual factors that increase
likelihood of appropriate social behavior– Increase appropriate social behavior within
identified contexts
Case Study: Greg
• Participant– Autism– Communicates with simple sentences– Academically precocious : Teachers report superior
reading skills– 7 years old– Caucasian
• Public Elementary School: Fully Included– 21 typically developing peers and two peers exhibiting
developmental disabilities
• Identified Concern– Social withdrawal
• Very limited interactions with peers across settings
Operational DefinitionsOperational Definitions of Social Behavior of Social Behavior
• Social initiation:– Target child or peer behavior that attempts to evoke a social
response, attention, or access to objects/activities.
• Response to social initiation:– Target child or peer behavior that acknowledges an initiation
within 3 seconds.
• No response:– Target child or peer ignores the initiation, and/or continues to
engage in the same play behavior (may not have heard/seen initiation).
• Interaction:– Sequence of 3 social behaviors between a target child and
peer (initiation-response-interaction). The interaction begins with the third behavior in the sequence.
Descriptive Descriptive ObservationObservation
1. Approximately 6 hours of videotaped, classroom-based observation
2. Across a variety of contextual factors: -activities (art, snack, computer, books, games,
dance/music) -group size (large, small, one-on-one) -level of adult participation (active, passive, or no
adult engagement) -amount of adult direction (child or adult-directed
activity).
3. Approximately 30 min. of videotaped data for
each contextual factor.
Descriptive Descriptive Observation Observation ResultsResults
• Greg rarely initiated to peers regardless of group size, adult participation, or amount of adult direction.
• Initiated the most during structured games (.10 per minute) that had clear rules and expectations, and involved a small group of peers (three).
• A similar rate of initiations was found during computer time (.08)
• Highest rates of responding to peer initiations during structured games (.43).
• Was more likely to respond during small group (.20) or one-on-one activities (.21), and if the activity was child (.27) instead of adult directed (.10).
• Was most likely to engage in social interactions (a series of initiations and responses) during structured games.
Next Steps for GregNext Steps for Greg
• Conduct an experimental assessment– Structural Analysis (SA)
• To determine additional contextual factors that affect the occurrence of social behavior
• Link experimental assessment results to intervention
SA Procedures
• Activity type appeared to affect Greg’s social behavior in the DO
• Three activities were chosen for comparison:– Books– Computer– Bingo
• Greg played 1 on 1 in each activity with a typically developing peer for 5 minutes
SA Procedures Cont’d
• The peer student did not initiate to Greg, but responded to all of Greg’s initiations
• Two variables were measured: Greg’s rate of initiation and the duration of interactions (sequence of 3 or more social behaviors)
Structural Structural Analysis Analysis ResultsResults
Positive Initiations
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Session Number
Rat
e p
er M
inu
te
computer
bingo
book
Structural Structural Analysis – Analysis – Results Results
(Cont’d)(Cont’d)
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
100.0
Computer Bingo Book
Condition
Total Percentage of Social Interaction
Positive Interaction
SA: Interobserver SA: Interobserver AgreementAgreement
• IOA (IOA collected during 30% of experimental sessions)
– Frequency behaviors (initiations)• Mean: 90%; Range: 75-100%
– Duration behaviors (interactions)• Mean 99.8%; Range: 99-100%
Antecedent Antecedent InterventionsInterventions
• Based on the results of the DO and SA, we recommend the following interventions for Greg:– Provide small, structured play groups – Include socially-skilled peers to respond to
Greg’s initiations, and/or initiate toward him– Play structured and cooperative games– Allow Greg time in preferred activities, such
as computer or Bingo, to increase appropriate social behavior
SummarySummary
• Antecedent intervention research has not focused on appropriate social behavior
• Need instruments that provide information for experimental analysis of social behavior
• DO and SA gave information about contextual factors affecting Greg’s social behavior
• Used to link assessment information to intervention efforts
• Findings can lead to the development of more effective interventions to increase social interactions in inclusive settings for young children with ASD
For More Information
• Contact us at [email protected]
• Check our project website: http://www.coe.ufl.edu/centers/Autism/gatorss