Academic literature on the topic 'Differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO)'

This review summarizes the literature regarding differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO) to treat challenging behavior among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and determines the quality of studies among the current literature according to the 2014 Council for Exceptional Children (CEC): Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education. Studies that focused on the use of DRO in the treatment of challenging behavior for individuals with ASD were included for systematic analysis. Forty-five studies were identified for inclusion in this review and were evaluated using the eight quality indicators described by the CEC. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the only systematic review of the literature that evaluates DRO as an intervention for individuals diagnosed with ASD. Principle findings, practical recommendations, and areas of future research are discussed.

The present investigation utilized a modified differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO) schedule with an exclusionary time-out procedure to treat a sixty-nine year-old aggressive male. Dependent measures included confirmed incidents of physical and verbal aggressive behavior monitored across an ABAB design with a four month follow-up. During the experimental conditions, contingent tangible reinforcers were provided for non-aggressive behavior. Such rewards were progressively diminished over the course of treatment utilizing a systematic fading scheme. Results indicated a clear demonstration of behavioral control and clinically significant treatment effects during both experimental periods. Implications for future research are discussed.

In the past, aggressive behaviour shown by people with learning difficulties has often been reduced by means of punishment. A non-punitive alternative to punishment is Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviours (DRO). However, there is no evidence that DRO can be used to reduce target behaviours that are less frequent than once or twice a day. A case study is presented in which DRO is used to reduce aggression in a lady who was aggressive once or twice a month. The factors that may have led to the effectiveness of DRO in this case are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to eliminate out-of-seat behavior of a 14-yr.-old boy with learning disabilities using a single-subject design. Based on functional analysis, a Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior interval schedule was used to eliminate an inappropriate behavior. During baseline, an average of 15 out-of-seat behavior problems were recorded. After 4 wk. of intervention, the inappropriate out-of-seat behavior was eliminated and on-task behavior improved.

Food refusal is commonly treated using behavioral treatment packages consisting of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) and escape extinction. However, the effectiveness of such behavioral interventions is inextricably linked to the integrity with which the procedures are conducted. Although previous research has evaluated the effects of treatment integrity failures for behavioral interventions related to severe problem behavior and academic skill acquisition, the effects of these failures in the area of pediatric food refusal remain unknown. We conducted a parametric analysis to assess the effects of varying levels of errors on the treatment efficacy of contingent tangibles and attention, and escape extinction. Once stable responding was observed during an initial evaluation of treatment, participants were exposed to sessions of reduced-integrity treatment in descending order (i.e., 80%, 60%, 40%, and 20%) and subsequently exposed to full-integrity treatment (100% integrity). For one participant, integrity errors became detrimental to treatment when the level of integrity was decreased to 40%. For the other two participants, contingent tangibles and attention, and escape extinction remained effective despite being implemented with low integrity. Our preliminary demonstration suggests that behavioral interventions for pediatric food refusal remain effective despite considerable treatment integrity degradation.

Gender differences in the prevalence of depression are well documented. To further explore the relation between gender and depression, this study used daily diaries to examine gender differences within thirteen behavioral domains and whether differential frequency of overt behaviors and environmental reward mediated the relationship between gender and depression severity. The sample included 82 undergraduate students [66% females; 84% Caucasian; Mean age = 20.2 years]. Overall, females engaged in a significantly greater breadth of behavioral domains and reported a higher level of environmental reward. Females spent more time in the domains of health/hygiene, spiritual activities, and eating with others. Males spent more time in the domains of physical activity, sexual activity, and hobbies and recreational experiences. Females found social activities, passive/sedentary behaviors, eating with others, and engagement in “other” activities more rewarding. Gender had a significant direct effect on depression severity, with females reporting increased depression. This effect was attenuated by the mediator (total environmental reward) such that to the extent females exhibited increased environmental reward, the gender effect on depression was attenuated. These data support behavioral models of depression, indicate increased reinforcement sensitivity among females, and have clinical relevance in the context of assessment and behavioral activation interventions for depression.

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Alexa A. Havlicek, for the Master of Science degree in Behavior Analysis, presented on November 3, 2017 at Southern Illinois University. TITLE: TRAINING PARAPROFESSIONAL USE OF DIFFERENTIAL REINFORCEMENT OF OTHER BEHAVIOR PROCEDURES USING BEHAVIORAL SKILLS TRAINING MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Ruth Anne Rehfeldt Students with disabilities often exhibit problem behaviors in the classroom. Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviors (DRO) has been found to be an effective strategy in decreasing problem behaviors and increasing other appropriate behaviors for students with disabilities. Research has found that Behavioral Skills Training (BST) can be an effective and efficient way to train paraprofessionals to implement classroom procedures. There were three participants included in the current study. Diane was a 58 year-old female that had been working at the school for 9 years. Dale was a 29 year-old male who had been working for the school for 2 months. Gary was a 25 year-old male who had been working for the school for 3 years. Limited research has been conducted using BST to train paraprofessionals how to implement DRO procedures in the classroom. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of BST on paraprofessional’s percentage of correct implementation of DRO procedures using a multiple-baseline design. Results showed that Diane had a mean of 0% correct implementation of DRO procedures during baseline, which, increased to 89% following intervention. Dale had a mean of 1.7% and this increased to 90% following intervention. Gary had a mean of 5%, which, increased to 85% following intervention. Keywords: DRO, paraprofessionals, students with disabilities, BST

<p> The effectiveness of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) with an extinction component was evaluated with two target behaviors with an adult with Smith Magenis Syndrome (SMS) residing in the community who displayed elopement and physical aggression. The intervention included DRO using a fixed-time schedule of reinforcement, paired with extinction when elopement and physical aggression occurred. DRO was demonstrated to be effective in reducing the target behaviors of elopement and physical aggression, resulting in a 79% reduction of elopement and 100% decrease in physical aggression in the group home. Currently, there is a significant need for research using behavioral interventions to decrease challenging behaviors in adults diagnosed with SMS, as very little has been published on this topic.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Kent State University, 2008.<br>Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Jan. 20, 2010). Advisor: Lyle Barton. Keywords: Differential Reinforcement of Other behaviors; DRO; behavior intervention; autism; single subject design. Includes bibliographical references (p. 135-149).

<p> This case study evaluated the effects of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) on scripting in a four year-old child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Celiac Disease. The overall goal was to show that DRO as the only independent variable could reduce scripting in a child with autism. A vibrator was set to vibrate every six minutes to indicate the end of each interval during intervention and the behavior was measured using a partial-interval time sampling method during the two hour in-home private Applied Behavior Analysis session over a two month period. An A-BC-C design demonstrated that DRO successfully decreased scripting behavior in the child with autism. A dependent paired samples t-test was used to compare the rates of scripting during the first three days of baseline and last three days of intervention. Results demonstrated a 29% decrease in scripting behavior. This result extends previous research that showed DRO, within a combined intervention, could be effective in decreasing scripting of adolescents with autism.</p>

Le trouble du spectre de l’autisme se caractérise par la présence de difficultés au plan de la communication sociale et par la présence de comportements répétitifs et d’intérêts restreints (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Les enfants ayant un TSA présentent plusieurs difficultés concomitantes qui les rendent plus susceptibles de vivre des niveaux de stress élevés, comme des déficits dans la sphère de la communication, de la socialisation et des fonctions exécutives, ainsi que la présence de particularités sensorielles (Groden et al., 1994, 2005). Malgré que ces enfants soient plus à risque de vivre du stress, plusieurs enjeux méthodologiques rendent difficile sa mesure et plus particulièrement chez ceux qui sont non verbaux. Pour ces raisons, le recours aux mesures physiologiques pour évaluer le stress auprès de cette clientèle est d’une grande pertinence. Par contre, les sensibilités sensorielles de ces enfants pourraient les rendre plus susceptibles de ne pas tolérer ces mesures. Le premier article de cette thèse vise donc à évaluer l’efficacité de l’intervention comportementale renforcement différentiel d’autres comportements (differential reinforcement of other behavior; DRO) pour augmenter la tolérance au port d’une ceinture cardiaque chez deux enfants non verbaux ayant un TSA. Les résultats obtenus démontrent que cette intervention a été efficace pour amener ces enfants à augmenter leur tolérance au port du dispositif cardiaque. Un autre aspect qui a reçu beaucoup d’attention dans les dernières années est l’implication du stress dans l’explication des comportements répétitifs et stéréotypés chez les personnes ayant un TSA. Les résultats des études antérieures sont contradictoires (de Vaan et al., 2018; Gabriels et al., 2013; Hutt et al., 1975; Lydon et al., 2015; Yang et al., 2015) et ont principalement utilisé des mesures indirectes des comportements répétitifs. Pour cette raison, le deuxième article de cet ouvrage vise à évaluer le lien entre le cortisol salivaire, le rythme cardiaque et des mesures d’observations directes de la stéréotypie chez quatre enfants minimalement verbaux ayant un TSA. Les résultats montrent que le cortisol et le rythme cardiaque sont significativement liés à la stéréotypie globale et motrice, sans que ces liens soient observés avec la stéréotypie vocale. Finalement, mesurer directement les comportements stéréotypés demande beaucoup de ressources, ce qui pourrait expliquer la prépondérance des mesures indirectes dans les études. Comme pour l’évaluation du stress, il importe de réfléchir aux méthodes alternatives abordables et accessibles qui pourraient améliorer la mesure de ces comportements. Le troisième article de cette thèse a évalué l’efficacité d’un algorithme d’intelligence artificielle (IA) dans la reconnaissance de la stéréotypie vocale chez des enfants ayant un TSA. Les résultats démontrent que la performance de l’algorithme est supérieure à la reconnaissance due au hasard. Bien que des recherches futures soient nécessaires pour augmenter l’efficacité de cette méthode, l’IA représente une technologie novatrice ayant le potentiel d’améliorer significativement les méthodes actuellement utilisées pour mesurer la stéréotypie. En conclusion, le présent ouvrage explore différentes avenues novatrices pour mieux comprendre et de monitorer la stéréotypie chez les enfants ayant un TSA.<br>Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by the presence of difficulties in social communication and the presence of repetitive behaviors and restricted interests (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Children with ASD have several concurrent difficulties, such as deficits in communication, socialization, and executive function, as well as the presence of sensory peculiarities that make them more likely to experience high levels of stress (Groden et al., 2005). Although these children are at increased risk for stress, a number of methodological issues make it difficult to measure, particularly in non-verbal children. For these reasons, the use of physiological measures to assess stress among this group is highly relevant. On the other hand, the sensory sensitivities of these children could potentially make them more likely to be intolerant to these measures. Therefore, the first study in this thesis aims to evaluate the effectiveness of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) to increase compliance with wearing a heart rate monitor in two non-verbal children with ASD. The results obtained portray that this intervention was effective in getting these children to increase their compliance to wearing a cardiac device. Another aspect that has received much attention in recent years is the involvement of stress in explaining repetitive behaviors in individuals with ASD. However, the results of previous studies have been producing contradictory results (de Vaan et al., 2018; Gabriels et al., 2013; Hutt et al., 1975; Lydon et al., 2015; Yang et al., 2015), and have mainly been using indirect measures of stereotypy. For this reason, the second study in this thesis aims to evaluate the relationship between salivary cortisol, heart rate, and direct observational measures of stereotypy in four minimally verbal children with ASD. The results show that cortisol and heart rate are significantly related to global and motor stereotypy, but not to vocal stereotypy. Finally, measuring stereotypy requires a lot of resources, which could explain the preponderance of indirect measuring in studies on stress. As with the measurement of stress, it is important to consider affordable and alternative methods that could improve the measurement of these behaviors, and therefore the third study evaluated the effectiveness of an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm in the recognition of vocal stereotypy in children with ASD. The results show that the performance of the algorithm is superior to recognition due to chance. Although future research is needed to increase the effectiveness of this method, AI represents an innovative technology with the potential to significantly improve the methods currently used to measure vocal stereotypy. In conclusion, this thesis explores different innovative methods to better understand and monitor stereotypy in children with ASD.

碩士<br>國立嘉義大學<br>國民教育研究所<br>89<br>The purpose of the study was to reduce problem behaviors of students with moderate or severe mental retardation by using “differential reinforcement of other behavior” strategy. Three 2nd- grade pupils in National Tainan School for the Mentally Retarded were participated in the study. A multiple baseline design across subjects was used in the study. The independent variable of this study was “differential reinforcement of other behavior” strategy. The dependent variable of this study was the percentage of the problem behaviors. Each of the cases was through the experiment of baseline and treatment phase and processed five observations of maintain phase after treatment phase. This data was analyzed by visual analysis, it tested the tendency of change which persists problem behaviors in “within condition” and “between conditions”. Besides, Teacher Evaluation Questionnaire、Parent Evaluation Questionnaire can explore the effect of this study. The results are summarized to the following points: 1.The frequency of problem behavior was immediately reduced by using differential reinforcement of other behavior”strategy. 2.Using differential reinforcement of other behavior”strategy could maintain the effects of about reducing the frequency of problem behavior.

Whereas previous chapters have described research and implementation of social skills training at the class-wide (Tier I) and small group (Tier II) level, this chapter focuses on the implementation of social skills training for idiosyncratic and severe behaviors. It is estimated that 1%–5% of students will require the most intensive (Tier III) behavioral support. As a result, it is necessary to identify behavior change strategies that promote appropriate social behavior in students who exhibit severe aggression and other disruptive behaviors. Specific strategies reviewed in this chapter include functional communication training (FCT), differential reinforcement, and video modeling. Information about implementation considerations is also provided.