Examining the function of problem behavior in Fragile X Syndrome: preliminary experimental analysis

Fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited cause of intellectual and developmental disability. The influence of environmental variables on behaviors associated with the syndrome has received only scant attention. The current study explored the function served by problem behavior in fragile X syndrome by using experimental functional analysis methodology with 8 children with fragile X. No child met criteria for attention-maintained problem behavior, 5 children met criteria for escape-maintained problem behavior, and 4 children met criteria for tangible-maintained problem behavior. Results are discussed and compared with previous findings on the function of problem behavior in fragile X syndrome, and implications for intervention are discussed. It is noted that the external validity of these findings is limited by the small sample size

A Tutorial on the Concept of the Motivating Operation and its Importance to Application

Motivating operations (MOs) exert a powerful influence over operant relations and hold significant implications for those working in applied settings. In this paper, we describe the concept of the MO and provide “real world” examples. Particular emphasis is given to the concept of the conditioned MO (CMO). Implications for intervention are discussed. It is hoped that this endeavour will encourage the utilization of the full conceptual system of the MO

A SYSTEMATIC EXAMINATION OF DIFFERENT PARAMETERS OF PRESESSION EXPOSURE TO TANGIBLE STIMULI THAT MAINTAIN PROBLEM BEHAVIOR

We examined the effects of three different presession conditions on tangibly maintained problem behavior for 2 students with autism, using individual-participant multielement designs. First, an analogue functional analysis demonstrated that problem behavior was maintained by access to tangible items. Next, topographies of item rejection were identified. Finally, students were exposed to (a) brief access, (b) no access, and (c) satiation to the tangible items prior to tangible sessions. The results demonstrated high levels of problem behavior following the brief-access and no-access presession conditions and low levels of problem behavior following the satiation condition. The findings are discussed in the context of how satiation might best be defined for these sorts of evaluations