A brief report on the effects of a self-management treatment package on stereotypic behavior

We evaluated the effects of a self-management treatment package (SMTP) on the stereotypic behavior of an adolescent with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). Latency to stereotypy was systematically increased in the training setting (academic) and the effectiveness of the SMTP was evaluated within a multiple-probe design across three generalization settings (vocational, meal/snack, leisure). Intervals were systematically increased from 3 min 30 s to 15 min in the training setting. Reinforcement was contingent on the absence of vocal and motor stereotypy for a prescribed interval within a differential reinforcement of the omission of behavior (DRO) paradigm. Following training, increases in latency to stereotypy were observed across generalization settings. Participant interview responses indicated social validity of the SMTP. Results are discussed with respect to possible mechanisms responsible for self-management behavior.