Abstract
This study investigated the feasibility of decreasing the stereotypic behavior of two adolescents with autism by teaching them to increase orienting responses to their environment using an external prompt. Both participants exhibited high rates of stereotypic behaviors, one in the form of physical rigidity and stereotyped eye movements, the other in the form of perseverative speech and repeated gesturing. They were taught to increase the amount of appropriate orienting to natural stimuli in community settings. Within a multiple baseline design across settings, both demonstrated decreases in stereotypic behavior as appropriate orienting increased.
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