Tr. Vollmer et al., FUNCTIONAL-ANALYSIS OF SEVERE TANTRUMS DISPLAYED BY CHILDREN WITH LANGUAGE DELAYS - AN OUTCLINIC ASSESSMENT, Behavior modification, 20(1), 1996, pp. 97-115
The authors conducted brief assessments in an outclinic setting to ide
ntify the functional properties of severe tantrums in three preschool-
age boys with language delays. For one child, tantrums were sensitive
to positive reinforcement in the form of access to preferred tangible
stimuli (toys and preferred food). For a second child, tantrums also w
ere sensitive to positive reinforcement but in the form of maternal at
tention and access to preferred stimuli (toys). The third child's tant
rums were multiply controlled. For each participant, alternative commu
nicative responses were identified and reinforced as replacements for
tantrums. Results showed that brief functional analyses of tantrums se
rve as viable assessment options in outclinic settings. Further, ident
ification of the functional properties of tantrums allowed for selecti
on of replacement behaviors, which may be particularly useful for chil
dren with communication delays.