An antecedent exercise (AE) intervention was conducted with two young children who demonstrated challenging behaviors during a large group circle time activity in a preschool classroom; outcomes were evaluated in the context of alternating treatments designs. Results from the initial visual analysis suggested no overlap between conditions, with small, consistent effects favoring the AE condition. However, plotting reliability data suggested observer bias was present for one participant. Subsequently (post hoc), a blind observer coded data from all conditions for that participant. Results suggested that no functional relation was present for that participant. Implications include the need for blind data collectors and additional, highly rigorous studies assessing the effectiveness of AE.
AllisonD. B.FaithM. S.FranklinR. D. (1995). Antecedent exercise in the treatment of disruptive behavior: A meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 2, 279–304. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2850.1995.tb00045.x
2.
BachmanJ. E.FuquaR. W. (1983). Management of inappropriate behaviors of trainable mentally impaired students using antecedent exercise. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 16, 477–484. doi:10.1901/jaba.1983.16-477
3.
BartonE. E.LedfordJ. R.LaneJ. D.DeckerJ.GermanskyS. E.HemmeterM. L.KaiserA. K. (2016). The iterative use of single case research to advance the science of EI/ECSE. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 36, 4–14. doi:10.1177/0271121416630011
4.
BartonE. E.ReichowB.SchnitzA.SmithI. C.SherlockD. (2015). A systematic review of sensory-based treatments of children with disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 37, 64–80.
5.
BrownW. H.GoogeH. S.McIverK. L.RathelJ. M. (2009). Effects of teacher-encouraged physical activity on preschool playgrounds. Journal of Early Intervention, 31, 126–145.
6.
BushellD.WrobelP. A.MichaelisM. L. (1968). Applying “group” contingencies to the classroom study behavior of preschool children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 55–61.
7.
Cannella-MaloneH. I.TullisC. A.KazeeA. R. (2011). Using antecedent exercise to decrease challenging behavior in boys with developmental disabilities and an emotional disorder. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 13, 230–239.
8.
CelibertiD. A.BoboH. E.KellyK. S.HarrisS. L.HandlemanJ. S. (1997). The differential and temporal effects of antecedent exercise on the self-stimulatory behavior of a child with autism. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 18, 139–150. doi:10.1016/S0891-4222(96)00032-7
9.
DunlapG.StrainP. S.FoxL.CartaJ. J.ConroyM.SmithB. J.. . . SowellC. (2006). Prevention and intervention with young children’s challenging behavior: Perspectives regarding current knowledge. Behavioral Disorders, 32, 29–45. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23890617
10.
FiteP. J.VitulanoM. (2011). Proactive and reactive aggression and physical activity. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 33, 11–18. doi:10.1007/s10862-010-9193-6
11.
FoxL.CartaJ.StrainP. S.DunlapG.HemmeterM. L. (2010). Response to intervention and the pyramid model. Infants & Young Children, 23, 3–13. doi:10.1097/IYC.0b013e3181c816e2
12.
HornerR. H.CarrE. G.HalleJ.McGeeG.OdomS.WoleryM. (2005). The use of single-subject research to identify evidence-based practice in special education. Exceptional Children, 71, 165–179. doi:10.1177/001440290507100203
13.
JohnsonJ. M.PennypackerH. S. (2009). Strategies and tactics of behavioral research (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
14.
KasnerM.ReidG.MacDonaldC. (2012). Evidence-based practice: Quality indicator analysis of antecedent exercise in autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 6, 1418–1425. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2012.02.001
15.
KratochwillT. R.HitchcockJ. H.HornerR. H.LevinJ. R.OdomS. L.RindskopfD. M.ShadishW. R. (2013). Single-case intervention research design standards. Remedial and Special Education, 34, 26–38. doi:10.1177/0741932512452794
16.
LangR.KoegelL. K.AshbaughK.RegesterA.EnceW.SmithW. (2010). Physical exercise and individuals with autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 4, 565–576. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2010.01.006
17.
LaughlinL. (2013). Who’s minding the kids? Child care arrangements: Spring 2011 (Current Population Reports, P70-135). Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau.
18.
LedfordJ. R.WoleryM. (2013). The effects of graphing a second observer’s data on judgments of functional relations when observer biasmaybe present. Journal of Behavioral Education, 22, 312–324. doi:10.1007/s10864-013-9178-0
19.
LongM. W.SobolA. M.CradockA. L.SubramanianS. V.BlendonR. J.GortmakerS. L. (2013). School-day and overall physical activity among youth. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 45, 150–157.
20.
LukeS.VailC. O.AyresK. M. (2014). Using antecedent physical activity to increase on-task behavior in young children. Exceptional Children, 80, 489–503.
21.
NeelyL.RispoliM.GerowS.NinciJ. (2015). Effects of antecedent exercise on academic engagement and stereotypy during instruction. Behavior Modification, 39, 98–116. doi:10.1177/0145445514552891
22.
NicaiseV.KahanD.SallisJ. F. (2011). Correlates of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among preschoolers during unstructured outdoor play periods. Preventative Medicine, 53, 309–315. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.08.018
23.
NicholsonH.KehleT. J.BrayM. A.Van HeestJ. (2011). The effects of antecedent physical activity on the academic engagement of children with autism spectrum disorder. Psychology in the Schools, 48, 198–213.
24.
NordquistV. M.TwardoszS. (1990). Preventing behavior problems in early childhood special education classrooms through environmental organization. Education & Treatment of Children, 13, 274–287. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/42899173
25.
PateR. R.McIverK.DowdaM.BrownW. H.AddyC. (2008). Directly observed physical activity levels in preschool children. Journal of School Health, 78, 438–444. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2008.00327.x
26.
PateR. R.PfeifferK. A.TrostS. G.ZieglerP.DowdaM. (2004). Physical activity in children attending preschools. Pediatrics, 114, 1258–1263.
27.
PowersS.ThibadeauS.RoseK. (1992). Antecedent exercise and its effects on self-stimulation. Behavioral Interventions, 7, 15–22.
28.
QiC. H.KaiserA. P. (2003). Behavior problems of preschool children from low-income families: Review of the literature. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 23, 188–216. doi:10.1177/02711214030230040201
29.
ReichowB.BartonE. E.MagginD. (2017). Risk of bias assessment for single subject experimental designs. Unpublished manuscript.
30.
ReichowB.BartonE. E.SewellJ. N.GoodL.WoleryM. (2010). Effects of weighted vests on the engagement of children with developmental delays and autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 25, 3–11. doi:10.1177/1088357609353751
31.
Rosenthal-MalekA.MitchellS. (1997). Brief report: The effects of exercise on the on the self-stimulatory behaviors and positive responding of adolescents with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 27, 193–202.
32.
TandonP. S.SaelensB. E.ChristakisD. A. (2015). Active play opportunities at child care. Pediatrics, 135, 1426–1431. doi:10.1542/peds.2014-2750
33.
TateR. L.PerdicesM.RosenkoetterU.WakimD.GodbeeK.TogherL.McDonaldS. (2013). Revision of a method quality rating scale for single-case experimental designs and N-of-1 trials: The 15-item Risk of Bias in N-of-1 Trials (RoBiNT) Scale. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 23, 619–638. doi:10.1080/09602011.2013.824383
34.
TateR. L.RosenkoetterU.VohraS.HornerR.KratochwillT.SampsonM.. . . WilsonB. (2016). Single case reporting guidelines in behavioral interventions (SCRIBE) 2016 statement. Archives of Scientific Psychology, 4, 1–9. doi:10.1037/arc0000026
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, & Maternal and Child Health Bureau. (2013). The national survey of children with special health care needs: Chartbook 2009-2010. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from http://mchb.hrsa.gov/cshcn0910/more/pdf/nscshcn0910.pdf
38.
What Works Clearinghouse. (2014). What works clearinghouse procedures and standards handbook (Version 3.0). Washington, DC: Institute for Education Sciences. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19
39.
WoleryM.GastD. L.LedfordJ. R. (2014). Comparison designs. In GastD. L.LedfordJ. R. (Eds.), Single case research methodology: Applications in special education and behavioral sciences (pp. 297–345). New York, NY: Routledge.
40.
WongC.OdomS. L.HumeK. A.CoxA. W.FettigA.KucharczykS.. . . SchultzT. R. (2015). Evidence-based practices for children, youth, and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A comprehensive review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45, 1951–1966.
41.
YellM. L. (1988). The effects of jogging on the rates of selected target behaviors of behaviorally disordered students. Behavioral Disorders, 13, 273–279. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23886128
