Abstract:
The purpose of the current investigation was threefold; 1) to evaluate the effectiveness of response interruption and redirection (RIRD) and non-contingent matched stimulation (NMS) on the reduction of vocal stereotypy in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 2) to determine if the combination of RIRD and NMS into one treatment package (RIRD+NMS) led to a greater suppression of vocal stereotypy and 3) to demonstrate the applicability of the interventions in a natural environment (classroom). Results demonstrated the efficacy of both interventions in the reduction of vocal stereotypy. The combination of RIRD and NMS together was found to have the strongest suppressive effect on vocal stereotypy for the single participant who was exposed to that condition. The findings indicated RIRD and NMS transferred well to the natural environment of the classroom. Furthermore, increases in appropriate vocalisations were found for two out of three participants, despite not being directly targeted in the intervention.
