Assessment and treatment of stereotypy in an individual with Cornelia de Lange syndrome and deafblindness

Abstract

Background Several researchers have reduced engagement in stereotypy in individuals with intellectual disability and deafblindness using interventions containing a punishment component. The purpose of our study was to examine whether we could produce reductions in stereotypy in an individual with Cornelia de Lange syndrome and deafblindness by using noncontingent and differential reinforcement only.

Method We used single-case experimental designs to examine the effects of noncontingent reinforcement alone and in combination with differential reinforcement of sitting on mouthing, tapping, and appropriate behaviour.

Results Noncontingent access to edible items reduced mouthing whereas access to tactile stimuli did not. Combining noncontingent access to tactile items with differential reinforcement reduced mouthing and tapping while strengthening appropriate behaviour.

Conclusions Antecedent- and reinforcement-based interventions were effective at reducing engagement in stereotypy in an individual with Cornelia de Lange syndrome and deafblindness without relying on punishment. However, more research is necessary to replicate our findings.

Keywords:

• behavioural intervention
• blindness
• Cornelia de Lange syndrome
• deafness
• intellectual disability
• stereotypy

Acknowledgements

We thank the Centre de réadaptation de l'Ouest de Montréal for their collaboration with the study as well as Fanny Juneau and Émilie Prégent-Pelletier for their assistance with data collection.

Funding

The study was supported in part by an experimentation grant from the Office des personnes handicapées du Québec (#2361-09-51).

Conflict of interest: None.