Running head: ARTICLE CRITIQUE

ArticleCritique
EDPS612.01
AmandaMedland

Running head: ARTICLE CRITIQUE

EffectsofaPerseverativeInterestBasedTokenEconomyonChallengingandOnTask
BehaviourinaChildwithAutism
Methodology
Theresearcherslookedintotheeffectofneutraltokensversusperseverativeinterest
basedtokensontheimpactofimprovementwithinatokeneconomy.Byexchangingpenny
tokenswithapreferredpuzzlepieceandholdingallotherelementofthestudyconstant,Carnett
etal.(2014)wereabletocompareratesofontaskbehaviourasaffectedbythischangein
variable.Thestudentparticipantwasa7yearoldboydiagnosedwithAustismSpectrum
Disorder(ASD)whospenthisschooldaydividedbetweenaspecialeducationlifeskillsclass
andaninclusionclassroom.Baselinedatawascollectedacrossbothsettings,aswellasthe
interventiondata.
Strengths
Theresearchersconductedapreferenceassessmentwhileconsideringtheacceptableness
fortheclassroomaswellasthepreferenceforthestudent.Eachsessionthestudentwasableto
selectareinforcerfromagroupinordertoreducesatiationandensurethatthereinforcerwasin
fact,reinforcing.
Theresearchersalsoconductedapreferenceassessmentwhenconsideringthe
perseverativeinteresttokenbytakingasurveythenallowingthechildhavefreeplaywith
severalactivities.Allteachersidentifiedapuzzleandhewasengagedwithaspecificpuzzle
100%ofhisfreetime,butthisfreeplayaccessensuredthattheitemwasinfactapreferreditem.
Weaknesses

Running head: ARTICLE CRITIQUE

Withinthisstudy,thesamplesizeofonlyoneparticipantservesasadeficitwhen
consideringthisstudyasafoundationforfutureresearch.Implementingtokeneconomies
classroomwideorgatheringmoreparticipantsforthestudywouldprovidesupporttothe
effectivenessofthisstudyacrossmultipleparticipants.Despitethestudybeingconductedacross
differentsettingswithinthestudentsschool,baselinedatawascollectedprimarilyinthelife
skillsclassroomwithonlyoneoutoffivesessionsconductedintheinclusionclassroom.
Interventionaswellwasimplementedtomatchbaselinedata,limitingtheinsightintothe
effectivenessinatypicalclassroom.
Visualsupportswereprovidedduringtheintervention,whichholdthepotentialto
impedethetestresults.Thismayoccurduetothefactthatthetokeneconomywasnottheonly
variableimpactingthechange.Rulegovernedchildrenmayshowimprovementofontask
behaviourbasedontherehearsalandthevisualsalonewithnotokeneconomyimplemented.
Lastly,thestudyutilizedanalternatingtreatmentdesignwhenimplementingthetoken
economyduetoteacherconcernaroundbaselinereversal.Thisdesign,althoughproviding
evidenceofchangeasaresultofthetokeneconomy,holdsthepotentialtoinvitecarryover
effectsfrompreviouslyimplementedphasesmakingitdifficulttofullyattributechangestoa
particularphase.
EthicalIssues
Inorderforreinforcerstoremainmotivating,itisnecessarythataccesstotheitemsbe
reducedoutsideofthestudy.Thisisinnowayunethical,butcouldbeconsideredrestrictiveif
thechildhadaccesstotheseitemsmoreoftenpriortothestudy.
SuggestionsforImprovement

Running head: ARTICLE CRITIQUE

Theresearcherswouldpresentstrongersupportforinterestbasedtokeneconomiesifthey
increasedthesamplesize.Theresearcherscouldhaveimplementedthetokeneconomyacross
theentirelifeskillsclassroom,whichcouldhavealsoprovidedcomparisonbetweenchildren
withASDandotherdisordersandtheeffectivenessofinterestbasedtokens.Anotherareaof
improvementwouldbetheapplicationofthetokeneconomyacrossdifferentteachersorsubjects
toensuretheeffectivenessofthetokeneconomies.
TeachingOnTaskandOnScheduleBehaviourtoHighFunctioningChildrenwithAutism
ViaPictureActivitySchedules
Methodology
Bryan&Gast(2000)addressedtheeffectivenessofateachingpackageconsistingof
graduatedguidanceandavisualactivityscheduleinordertopromoteontaskandonschedule
behaviourinyoungchildrenwithASD.Thefourchildrenagedseventoeightyearswhowere
chosentoparticipatewereenrolledinschoolswhichallowedhalfdaysinresourceclassrooms
andhalfdaysingeneraleducationclassrooms.Thisstudylookedatthefollowingstudent
responses:onschedule,offschedule,ontaskwithscheduledmaterials,ontaskwith
nonscheduledmaterials,andofftask.Comprehensiveresponsedefinitionswereprovidedto
ensurethattheresearchersanddatacollectorswereversedineachresponseashowitappliesto
eachbehaviour.Datawasrecordedthrough1minutemomentarytimerecordingforontask/off
taskbehavioursaswellasnumberofadultdeliveredprompts.
Strengths
TheresearchersusedanABABwithdrawaldesigninordertoprovetheeffectiveness
ofthepictureactivityschedule.Inordertoaccomplishthis,thestudyimplementeda

Running head: ARTICLE CRITIQUE

generalizationpretestandanobookcontingencytogatherbaselinedata.Nextthegraduated
guidancephaseinwhichthechildrenweretaughttousetheschedule,followedbyabookonly
phase.Nextthechildrenexperiencedremovalofthebook,reintroductionofthebookandthena
generalizationposttest.Thisallowsnotonlytoshowtheeffectivenessoftheactivityschedule
butalsotodeducehowtheinterventioncanbeusedfornewactivities.
Anotherstrengththattheresearchersconsideredwithinthestudywastoconsiderthe
socialacceptabilityoftheactivityschedules.Thiswasdonebyissuingaquestionnairetobe
completedbytheteachersandprofessionalsinvolvedwiththestudents.Boththeprofessionals
andthestudentssawvalueintheactivityscheduleandinsightintotheneedforfutureresearchto
blendtheschedulesfurthertoincreasesocialacceptability.
Thepresentationofthevisualschedulewaspresentedinanidenticalmannerforallfour
students.Theyweregivenaplasticphotoalbum,whichheldfourlinedrawnpicturesof
activitiestobecompleted.Despitepotentiallycontainingdifferentactivitypicturesthesewere
presentedinanidenticalmannertoensureconsistencyinadministrationoftheintervention.Each
aspectofthevisualpresentation,downtotheplacementofthebinderonthetablewasheld
consistentthroughoutthestudy.
Weaknesses
Asthestudywasonlyconductedintheresourceclassroomitisdifficulttoprovethatthe
generalizationoftheskillslearnedintheresourceroomwouldbeutilizedinotherenvironments.
Withthegoalofinclusioninmind,usingactivityschedulesingeneraleducationprogramscan
servetoencourageinclusion.Asecondweaknessthatcomesfromthisisthestaffingratioin
typicalclassroomsissignificantlylower,makingitdifficulttoprovidethesupporttoteachthe

Running head: ARTICLE CRITIQUE

graduatedguidance.Thislimitstheapplicationofactivityschedulestothosewhoareremoved
fromclassroomstothosewithhigherratioofteacherstostudents.
Theconceptofgraduatedguidancewithinthisstudyalsoposesslightconcernsasthe
natureoftheguidancewaslefttotheteachersdiscretion.Thisholdsthepotentialforsome
teacherstooverpromptandsometounderpromptwhichcouldaffecttheresultsduringthe
graduatedguidancephase.
Lastly,thefocusonontaskandonscheduleseemsslightlyredundantwhenlookingat
theeffectivenessofactivityschedulesforontaskbehaviour.Thedifferentiationbetweenon
task,ontaskwithscheduledmaterials,andontaskwithnonscheduledmaterials,providesinsight
intothebenefitsofactivityschedulesbutmaybemoreconfusingandopeningthestudyupfor
errorsindatarecording.
EthicalIssues
Thestudyrequiredthattheteachersprovidegraduatedguidanceuptoandincludinghand
overhandprompting.Thisrestrictivemeasureremovesthefreedomofthechildtoengageinan
activitydifferentfromtheonebeingprompted.Althoughthisrestrictionwasnecessaryinorder
toteachthestepsoftheactivityschedulewiththeleastamountofpromptdependency,itstill
removesfreedomfromthechild.Nomentionwasgiventowhetherthechildrenresistedthe
promptsorwhethertheyallwerewillinglyacceptingoftheguidance.Thisalsodoesnotseemto
becoveredwhenidentifyingthemethodsfortheinterventionopeningthequestionofwhetherit
waslefttothediscretionoftheteachersonhowtodealwithsuchasituation.
SuggestionsforImprovement

Running head: ARTICLE CRITIQUE

Thestudycouldbeenhancedbylookingintotheeffectivenessandgeneralizationofthe
activityschedulestosettingsoutsideoftheresourceclassroom.Althoughtheteachingfortheuse
oftheactivityscheduleswouldbenefittobeconductedintheresourceclassrooms,takingthe
applicationtoothersettingswouldallowforamoreindepthlookathowactivityschedules
couldbeusefulwithinschools.Overallthisstudyprovidesfavorableevidencetosupporttheuse
ofactivityscheduleswithchildrenwithASD.
References
Carnett,A.,Raultson,T.,Lang,R.,Tostanoski,A.,Lee.,Sigafoos,J.,&Machalicek,W.(2014).
Effectivenessofaperseverativeinterestbasedtokeneconomyonchallengingandontask
behaviorinachildwithautism.JournalofBehavioralEducation,23,368377.Doi:
10.1007/s1086401491957.
Bryan,L.C.&Gast,D.L.(2000).Teachingontaskandonschedulebehaviortohigh
functioningchildrenwithautismviapictureactivityschedules.JournalofAutismand
DevelopmentalDisorders,30(6),553567.