Abstract
Stereotypy is a varied category of behavior broadly defined as inflexible and repetitive responses with no apparent social purpose or function. Stereotypy is common among individuals with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, or other neurodevelopmental disorders; however, stereotypic behavior only results in clinically substantial impairments (e.g., loss of access to other reinforcers, social impairment) for some individuals. In the chapter below, guidelines for practitioners to determine whether stereotypy warrants behavioral intervention are discussed. An overview of the most extensively researched antecedent- and consequence-based interventions is then provided, including notable considerations for applying the intervention to treat stereotypy. Finally, factors that should be taken into account by clinicians when selecting among behavioral interventions for stereotypy are presented. These include considerations such as prioritizing reinforcement-based procedures, including client and caregiver preference in treatment decisions, and programming for generalization and maintenance.
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Wunderlich, K.L., Simmons, C.A., Zangrillo, A.N., Kettering, T.L. (2023). Stereotypy. In: Matson, J.L. (eds) Handbook of Applied Behavior Analysis. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-19964-6_60
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