The Effects of Weighted Vests on Appropriate In-Seat Behaviors of Elementary-Age Students With Autism and Severe to Profound Intellectual Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of weighted vests on the amount of time 3 elementary-age students with autism, intellectual disabilities, and sensory processing abnormalities engaged in appropriate in-seat behavior. An alternating treatments design was used to examine the duration of appropriate in-seat behavior under three conditions: baseline or no vests (A), vests with no weights (B), and weighted vests (BC). Because weighted vests did not have an effect on appropriate in-seat behavior for any participant, a second experiment was conducted. Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) was assessed within the context of a withdrawal design. NCR had an optimal effect on the participants' in-seat behavior.