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Extensions of Resurgence as Choice
Sponsor: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Summary
Although behavioral treatments for decreasing destructive behavior, such as differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA), are effective in the clinic, problem behavior often returns when a caregiver does not give the child their way in the natural environment (e.g., caregiver is busy with an infant sibling). This form of treatment relapse is known as resurgence. The goal of the current study is to evaluate whether alternating sessions in which the child can have their way (i.e., "on" sessions) with sessions in which the child can not have their way (i.e., "off" sessions) helps to mitigate resurgence.
Official title: Extensions of Resurgence as Choice: Basic and Clinical Studies
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
3 Years - 17 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
30
Start Date
2023-02-01
Completion Date
2028-01-31
Last Updated
2025-04-04
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
CDT
In this condition, the clinician will alternate sessions with reinforcement for the alternative response and sessions without reinforcement for the alternative response during extinction treatment of problem behavior. According to RaC2, alternating periods of reinforcer availability and unavailability for the alternative response will teach the participant that the alternative response alone produces reinforcement but not always. The investigators predict that resurgence of problem behavior will lower, shorter lasting, and with fewer participants experiencing resurgence than those in the control group.
Control
This condition emulates a traditional approach to treatment in which the clinician does not alternate sessions with reinforcement for the alternative response and sessions without reinforcement for the alternative response during extinction treatment of problem behavior. The investigators predict that resurgence of problem behavior will higher, longer lasting, and with more participants experiencing resurgence than those in the CDT group.
Locations (1)
Children's Specialized Hospital-Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services
Somerset, New Jersey, United States