A RESPONSE-RESTRICTION ANALYSIS OF STEREOTYPY IN ADOLESCENTS WITH MENTAL-RETARDATION - IMPLICATIONS FOR APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS

The behavior of 4 adolescents with severe or profound mental retardati on was evaluated in the presence of four sets of materials during peri ods of unstructured leisure activity. Functional engagement with the m aterials, stereotypic engagement with the materials, stereotypy withou t interaction with the materials, and other aberrant behaviors were re corded. Across a series of experimental conditions, the number of sets of materials was reduced from four to one by eliminating the set::mos t frequently manipulated in each preceding condition. In the final con dition, four sets of materials were again made available for manipulat ion. The procedures replicated Green and Striefel's (1988) response-re striction analysis of the activity preferences and play behaviors of c hildren with autism. In general, the results of the present experiment replicate those of Green and Striefel in that reallocation of respond ing was idiosyncratic and unpredictable as sets of materials were remo ved. Nevertheless, the results provided insight into how responding mi ght be reallocated if it were restricted through behavioral interventi ons rather than by restriction of access. Thus, the results are discus sed with respect to how response-restriction analyses may be useful in identifying topographies of behavior that could be included in differ ential reinforcement contingencies that are designed to affect stereot ypic behavior and in the selection and arrangement of environmental st imuli to minimize the presence of evokers of stereotypy.