Using a tactile prompt to increase instructor delivery of behavior-specific praise and token reinforcement and their collateral effects on stereotypic behavior in students with autism spectrum disorders.

Abstract

this study evaluated the effectiveness of a tactile cue, the gentle reminder™, as a prompt to increase instructor use of behavior-specific praise and token reinforcement. First, instructors were told to deliver reinforcement when a student was engaged in behavior that was incompatible with stereotypy. they were then told they would feel a vibration every 10 minutes to remind them to use reinforcement for these behavior. A tactile prompt was then programmed to vibrate every 10 minutes. it was expected that the teacher’s use of reinforcement would increase and in turn, this would lead to a reduction in the level of student stereotypic behavior. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effects of the tactile prompt on instructor behavior and the collateral effects on student stereotypic behavior. After implementation of the tactile prompt, instructors’ use of reinforcement for behavior incompatible with stereotypy increased systematically across all three instructors. the instructor’s use of reinforcement increased more than once every 10 minutes when the tactile cue was implemented. in addition, there was a decrease observed in the level of the students’ stereotypic behavior after