Reducing Elopement in a Preschooler with Autism Using Differential Reinforcement

Abstract

Elopement is a behavior that occurs in many children with autism spectrum disorder as well as other developmental disorders that often places them at risk of injury or death from traffic or drowning. A multiple baseline design across three targeted transitions was used in this study to evaluate the effectiveness of a differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI) intervention implemented by the child’s classroom teacher and paraeducator during the school day. The behavioral skills training (BST) model was followed to train the classroom teacher and paraprofessional staff to implement DRI to eliminate the elopement of the preschool student with ASD. The BST model of training resulted in staff quickly acquiring the data collection and DRI skills and maintaining mastery of the procedures without further training. The student’s straying and elopement behaviors were eliminated across transitions as well as during the fading of reinforcement phase. The school staff reported a positive perception on the use of the DRI intervention.