Using behaviour contracts to decrease antisocial behaviour in four boys with an autistic spectrum disorder at home and at school

Abstract

This article describes how a behaviour contract has been implemented to achieve positive and enduring results for four boys with a diagnosis of an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Four case studies are described which address reductions in behaviours such as assaultive and destructive behaviour, outof-seat behaviour, inappropriate contact with others and loud vocalisations, while also increasing the following of directions in the classroom and at playtimes. The common thread across all of the case studies is the use of the behaviour contract and the link that is built between home and school. The authors suggest that it is this contingent link that is the basis for the success in each of these studies. Based on their research, they believe that the behaviour contract can be considered an important and useful tool in helping address challenging behaviours in children with an ASD. Emma Hawkins is theDirector of Education at The Jigsaw CABAS® School and oversees the implementation of strategies at the school to improve the behaviour of the pupils. Grant Gautreaux, from Nicholls State University in Louisiana, consults at The Jigsaw CABAS® School and is a member of the CABAS® Board. All of the remaining authors work at The Jigsaw CABAS® School and have successfully implemented the behaviour contract in their classrooms.

Multi-component behavioural intervention reduces harmful sexual behaviour in a 17-year-old male with autism spectrum disorder: a case study

“…In Week 66, school and residential staff introduced a behaviour contingency contract that specified a contingency between safe and cooperative behaviour and supervised access to Osian's tablet computer during out-of-school hours. The contract was written by staff in collaboration with Osian, his mother and his placing authority (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007;Hawkins et al, 2011;Mruzek, Cohen, & Smith, 2007). The privilege of accessing the community with a single staff that Osian had earned by reaching Level 2 of the ACHIEVE!…”

Using contingency contracting to improve social interactions between students with ASD and their peers

“…The majority of the authors of this research focused on students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD; Allen & Kramer, 1990;Diaddigo & Dickie, 1978;Hess, Rosenberg, & Levy, 1990;Newstrom, McLaughlin, & Sweeney, 1999;Ruth, 1996). Fewer researchers included participants with ASD (Fausett, 2014;Hawkins et al, 2011;Mruzek, Cohen, & Smith, 2007), students with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders (ADHD; Flood & Wider, 2002;Gurrad, Weber, & McLaughlin, 2002), and students with learning disabilities (LD; Hess et al, 1990;Ruth, 1996). A smaller number of students with intellectual disabilities, communication disorders, and health impairments participated in some of the studies (Fausett, 2014;Hess et al, 1990;Ruth, 1996).…”

“…All the studies but two took place in inclusive settings. Hawkins et al (2011) implemented the contingency contracting in a special education school and at the students' homes, and Diaddigo and Dickie (1978) conducted their study at a private residential school. The participants with disabilities ranged in age from 7 to 16 years.…”

“…Mruzek et al (2007), for example, conducted a functional assessment and interviewed the students with ASD, their parents, and their teachers to determine the targeted tasks assigned to the students and to choose preferred rewards. Hawkins et al (2011) developed both school and school-home contracts for the students with ASD to maximize the effect of the intervention and to facilitate generalization. Fausett (2014) added other components to the contingency contracting to help students remember the tasks by having the students engage in modeling and imitation sessions with their teachers to practice their social skills and by having them watch a short video regularly that showed the students negotiating the contracts.…”

“…The majority of the studies showed that contingency contracting was effective in promoting outcomes of interest. However, Hawkins et al (2011) and Fausett (2014) reported mixed results. In particular, teacher-student contracts were not effective for some of the students with ASD in these studies, but after adding school-home contracts (Hawkins et al, 2011) and modeling and imitation sessions (Fausett, 2014), the contracts did have an effect on the students' behaviors.…”