PS 512Welcome to Unit 3

Withdrawal Designs

• Any Questions?

• Readings: Chapter 5, Chapter 6• Schilling, D., & Schwartz, I. (2004). Alternative

Seating for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Effects on

Classroom Behavior. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, August, Vol. 34(4), p.423-432. Retrieved from ERIC Database.

Basic Withdrawal Designs

Withdrawal designs provide direct evidence for Prediction, Verification, and Replication

• AB Baseline / Treatment• ABA Baseline/ Treatment / Baseline• ABAB Baseline/ Treatment/ Baseline/ Treatment

• Of these designs, the ABAB is the most useful for demonstrating functional relationships

Withdrawal Designs Video

• Withdrawal designs are useful :– For demonstrating clear functional relationships between

variables– When the intervention can be reversed– When the effects of the intervention will not remain once

the treatment is reversed– When withdrawal of treatment does not compromise

ethics

Example

• The effect of praise on increasing ‘In Seat’ behavior• First Steps:

– Define ‘In Seat’– Define ‘Praise’

Baseline (A) Treatment (B) Baseline (A) Treatment (B)

Measure ‘in seat’ behavior for 3 days under current conditions

Praise every 2 minutes when ‘in seat’ for 5 days

Discontinue praise for 3 days

Praise every 2 minutes when ‘in seat’ for 5 days. Continue treatment if effectiveness is demonstrated

• Withdrawal designs are less useful:– When the target behavior is not reversible– When the treatment effects continue after the

treatment is withdrawn– When it’s not in the client’s best interest to return

to baseline– When withdrawal of treatment would be unethical

Examples

Using Physical Prompting and Differential Reinforcement to decrease self injurious face slapping

Problem: It may be dangerous or unethical to withhold treatment while collecting baseline data

Aversive treatment to eliminate ‘alcohol drinking’ behavior

Problem: Effects of aversive therapy are likely to linger beyond the treatment period

Variations of the Basic Withdrawal Design

• BAB Treatment/ Baseline/ Treatment– When impossible or inappropriate to take an extended

baseline• ABABAB Base/Treat/Base/Treat/Base/Treat– To increase confidence in the functionality of the relationship

we’ve demonstrated• ABC Baseline/Treat 1/Treat 2– When trialing different treatments

• ABAC Base/Treat 1/Base/Treat 2– When trying to increase experimental control while trialing

different treatments

Use Physical Prompting and Differential Reinforcement to decrease self injurious face slapping

TREATMENT BASELINE TREATMENT

Implement procedure for 10 days

Brief withdrawal Implement procedure and continue if effective

Using Token Reinforcement to increase percentage of time spent “In Seat”

ABAB

ABCUsing Praise, then Praise+ Token to Increase % Time in Seat

• Graphing Single Subject Reversal Design with Excel

Review Later

• Importing your graph into a word document

Questions?