Effects of extending the one-more-than technique with the support of a mobile purchasing assistance system.

The one-more-than technique is an effective strategy for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) to use when making purchases. However, the heavy cognitive demands of money counting skills potentially limit how individuals with ID shop. This study employed a multiple-probe design across participants and settings, via the assistance of a mobile purchasing assistance system (MPAS), to assess the effectiveness of the one-more-than technique on independent purchases for items with prices beyond the participants' money counting skills. Results indicated that the techniques with the MPAS could effectively convert participants' initial money counting problems into useful advantages for successfully promoting the independent purchasing skills of three secondary school students with ID. Also noteworthy is the fact that mobile technologies could be a permanent prompt for those with ID to make purchases in their daily lives. The treatment effects could be maintained for eight weeks and generalized across three community settings. Implications for practice and future studies are provided.

Identifying specific sensory modalities maintaining the stereotypy of students with multiple profound disabilities.

In Experiment 1, analogue functional analyses were conducted to identify the functions of stereotypy for six students with multiple profound disabilities. Results indicated that stereotypy (a) occurred across conditions, (b) occurred primarily when alone, or (c) occurred during all sessions except in the Control condition. Experiment 2 analyzed stereotypy while masking visual, auditory, or tactile sensory consequences. Results showed that stereotypy was maintained by visual stimulation, tactile stimulation, or was undifferentiated across conditions. In Experiment 3, we showed that stereotypy could be reduced by providing competing sensory stimulation. In Experiment 4, stereotypy that was undifferentiated in Experiment 1 was analyzed using a concurrent operants procedure. Results showed that stereotypy was not multiply determined, but occurred to produce visual sensory stimulation. Our findings are discussed in terms of the sensory and social reinforcers that maintain stereotypy, assessment procedures used to identify those reinforcers, and the interpretation of assessment results.

Functional analysis of stereotypical ear covering in a child with autism.

We studied stereotypical ear covering in a child with autism. Results of a descriptive analysis were inconclusive but revealed a correlation between ear covering and another child's screaming. An analogue functional analysis showed that ear covering was emitted only when the screaming was present.