Functional analysis of insistence on sameness in an 11-year old boy with Asperger syndrome

Abstract

Objective: To identify the functional properties of insistence on sameness associated with autism spectrum disorders.

Method: An 11-year-old boy with Asperger syndrome was observed during play where scenarios (mistakes, misplaced items, interrupted activity) were created to correspond with parent-reported scenarios where the child would insist on sameness. The extent of problem behaviour was observed under four functional assessment conditions (restore environment, tangible, attention, escape), according to a multi-element design.

Results: The results showed an interaction between the scenario type and type of functional assessment condition. Problem behaviour appeared to have a restorative function related to correcting a mistake, an attention function related to attempting to recruit help in finding a missing item and a tangible function suggesting an attempt to regain access to the materials and activity.

Conclusion: Problem behaviours related to insistence on sameness may be motivated by different consequences depending on the scenario created.

• Autism spectrum disorders
• Asperger syndrome
• insistence on sameness
• functional assessment
• play-based assessment
• problem behaviour