Functional Analysis and Treatment of the Delusional Statements of a Man With Multiple Disabilities: A Four‐year Follow‐up

Abstract

Although delusional statements in people with intellectual disabilities and traumatic brain injury can be treated using behavioral interventions, none have demonstrated long-term treatment effects. In the current study, a functional analysis demonstrated that delusional statements were maintained by attention. Differential reinforcement of alternative behavior and extinction of delusional statements resulted in near elimination of delusional statements and an increase in nondelusional statements. Follow-up at 6 months, 1, 2, and 4 years indicated that treatment gains were maintained with continued staff training.

A translational approach to the functional analysis of language in psychotherapy

“…Interestingly, idiosyncratic tacts, albeit not shared by the verbal community, may still be reinforced by it. In fact, there is evidence in the applied experimental literature that specific responses from the client's social environment can maintain delusional verbalizations (see for instance Travis & Sturmey, 2010 ).…”

The Essential Guide to N-of-1 Trials in Health

“…Adequate experimental control is achieved when the study design provides at least three opportunities for demonstrating the experimental effect (Horner et al 2005 ;Kratochwill et al 2013 ). Travis and Sturmey ( 2010 ) used an A-B-A-B design to decrease the production of delusional utterances in a 26-year old man with "mild intellectual disabilities, frontal lobe syndrome, traumatic brain injury, mood disorder, and mania" (p. 745). The A-B-A-B design (see Fig.…”

Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavioral Medicine: History of the Relationship and Opportunities for Renewed Collaboration

“…These areas include the reduction of tissue-damaging self-injurious behavior with individuals with developmental disabilities (e.g., McGinnis, Houchins-Juárez, McDaniel, & Kennedy, 2010;Tiger, Fisher, & Bouxsein, 2009;Toussaint & Tiger, 2012), dental hygiene (e.g., Barnoy, Najdowski, Tarbox, Wilke, & Nollet, 2009;Lang et al, 2013), treatment of problem behavior and skill acquisition in individuals with brain injury (e.g., Fienup, Ahlers, & Pace, 2011;Guercio, Johnson, & Dixon, 2012;Travis & Sturmey, 2010), treatment of Tourette's syndrome (e.g., Capriotti, Brandt, Ricketts, Espil, & Woods, 2012;Wiskow & Klatt, 2013), obesity (e.g., Hustyi, Normand, & Larson, 2011;Hustyi, Normand, Larson, & Morley, 2012;Shayne, Fogel, Miltenberger, & Koehler, 2012), smoking cessation (e.g., Dallery & Raiff, 2011) and inappropriate sexual behavior (e.g., Reyes, Vollmer, & Hall, 2011a;Reyes, Vollmer, & Hall, 2011b). According to our analysis, ABA conducted in a medical setting (e.g., medical adherence) would be considered behavioral medicine as long as there is an underlying biological condition of the organism that is somehow altered as a result of compliance with the prescribed regimen.…”