An Investigation into the Efficacy of Self-Monitoring in the Context of Mixed Schedules for Reducing Stereotypy in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may engage in stereotypy (STPY). STPY may be problematic if it interferes with other activities or is self-injurious. We used self-monitoring (SM) alone and in a two-component mixed schedule to reduce stereotypy in three boys with ASD. We used a multiple baseline across participants design with an embedded reversal for one participant. After confirming an automatic function for STPY, baseline was followed by three conditions: Differential Reinforcement (Accuracy), during which the participant received reinforcement for accurately recording STPY; Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO) with SM, during which the participant received reinforcement for not engaging in STPY; and a two-component mixed-schedule condition in which the reinforcement contingency (either differential reinforcement for accuracy or the absence of STPY) was unsignaled. Training SM reduced STPY in two participants. However, the third participant’s STPY only reduced with DRO. For him, a two-component mixed schedule in which the reinforcement contingency was unsignaled, reduced STPY, thus reducing the observation requirement for DRO. Thus, using indiscriminable contingencies may contribute to more efficient SM interventions, when reducing STPY is a goal identified by the participant themselves and is considered socially valid.