Embedding Social Interactions Within Reinforcement
September 8, 2009 by Abby
Filed under Individuals With Autism, Research
A new study was published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders this month (September 2009). The authors (Robert Koegel, Ty Vernon and Lynn Koegel) investigated the effect of an intervention on the social engagement and nonverbal orientation (i.e. eye contact) in three young children with autism. They found that by embedding social interactions within the reinforcement delivered during Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) the social engagement and nonverbal orientation increased significantly for all three participants.
Now you’re wondering what “embedding social interactions within reinforcement” actually means and looks like, right? Traditional PRT requires these five key elements:
“(1) providing the child the opportunity to select preferred stimulus items;
(2) presenting a clear opportunity for the child to make a verbal attempt;
(3) reinforcing the verbal attempt contingently;
(4) interspersing maintenance and acquisition trials; and
(5) using natural reinforcers” (from article)
The preferred stimulus item is what the child wants (what is motivating to them) and to gain access to the preferred stimulus they need to verbally communicate (i.e. if the child wants to play with a jump rope they say “jump rope” and then they are given the jump rope to play with). In the current study, this method was modified slightly by the adult taking part in the reinforcing activity rather than just giving the child access to the activity. Using the jump rope example, this would look like the child wanting to play with the jump rope, them saying “jump rope” and then the adult playing jump rope with them (as opposed to just giving the child the jump rope). In this way the social interaction (i.e. playing jump rope together) was embedded within the reinforcing activity.
The results of this study are very interesting because the authors showed social engagement and nonverbal orienting measures both increased significantly by making this slight modification to the PRT intervention. Rather than just increasing communication in relation to motivating items/activities, access to the motivating/reinforcing items are paired with social interaction. Pairing highly motivating/reinforcing things with social interactions may help make social interactions more reinforcing in and of themselves.
Please comment on this post regarding the following:
1. What questions do you have about this article or this intervention?
2. What has worked for your child/student to increase communication and/or social interactions?
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This reinforcement activity is exactly how I helped my daughter. It came naturally to me to think that once she was able to communicate (at that time through Makaton Signing) and I had learned (from the Hanen Program never to anticipate your child’s needs if you wanted to encourage your child to “communicate”, (what ever that means to them – signing, PECS or talking or any other method)if she wanted something she had to “ask” me for it. If she didn’t know the sign, I would model it for her with her own hands, praise her as if she had signed independently and give her the item she was requesting.Once she could do the sign independently, she didn’t get the object unless she “asked” for it! This goes as far as not allowing her to pull me off the sofa and lead me to the kitchen cupboard, where she knew the biscuits were kept. I modelled the signs “open” for the door to be opened, then modelled the sign for “biscuit” with her, praised her and immediately gave her a biscuit. Once I realised she could sign independently – NO biscuit unless she signed for it! It worked! It doesn’t work if you anticipate your child’s every need and just give them what they want for a quick fix and an easy life! Once you get used to this intervention it becomes a way of life and is sooooo rewarding!
She is now a very sociable and interactive 14 year old and loves disco freestyle and street dance and has many trophies from competitions she has entered, which are held in huge sprorts halls with deafening music and often over 400 people in them – imagine the sensory overload! She now joins in with mainstream activities, mostly without extra support now. I started intervening her autism at age 2 in this way after reading about ABA/LOVAAS, deciding that it wasn’t for me but I would use the ideas in a more lifestyle and practical way. I didn’t do OPTIONS either but remember copying her behaviour, by lying on the pavement next to her once whilst she was protesting about walking and too heavy for me to carry, on the way to school. She was so horrifed that I was “in her world” copying her, she got up immediately! I remember other parents walking by and one asking if she could join me?! I said “Yes, the more the merrier!
When your child has autism and you are so desperate you will try anything, this is what it does to you! But it’s all worth it in the end! But you have to be consistent and persevere, even when you are so exhausted you feel you have nothing left to give.
My daughter has had many other therapies and interventions as well – this isn’t the only thing I did to get her where she is today, but it was a very important start to helping improve her behaviour because she was then able to simply but effectively communicate her needs, so the behaviours diminished the more she communicated!A part from when I said “NO” to something!-I am also a great believer in discipline for children with or without autism spectrum, in fact especially with autistic children! As they especially need to know their boundaries/rules (“Black and White”, “Rigidity”, “Knowing where they stand”)! Let the child have a tantrum – lie down and copy their behaviour if necessary! But don’t give in once you have said “NO”, or you will regret it!
I am not surprised at the findings in the trial mentioned above!
Try it yourself and see if it helps your child!
Caroline Seyedi UK