Effects of Response Blocking and Programmed Stimulus Control on Motor Stereotypy: A Pilot Study

Abstract

We evaluated response blocking with programmed stimulus control, wearing tennis wrist bands, to reduce motor stereotypy in a student with autism. Response blocking was effective and subsequent analysis revealed that wearing the tennis wrist bands alone maintained low frequency stereotypy. Results suggest that controlling effects from a procedure such as response blocking can be transferred to a programmed stimulus in the absence of physical intervention.

KEYWORDS:

• autism
• motor stereotypy
• response blocking
• stimulus control

Acknowledgments

This study was conducted at the May Center for Child Development, Woburn, MA.