Use of a Timeout Ribbon with and without Consequences as Procedures to Improve a Child's Compliance

Abstract

The purpose of the present case study was to evaluate use of a timeout ribbon with and without student-selected consequences on the compliance of a pre-school student with disabilities. An ABACBC single-subject replication design was used. Compliance was low during the first baseline condition. When the timeout ribbon procedure was implemented in the classroom, compliance increased, but a return to baseline produced low compliance. When consequences were added to the timeout ribbon procedure, the child's compliance improved further. Additional replications of timeout ribbon and the timeout ribbon plus consequences generated less and less compliance. Possible reasons for the lack of robust findings were discussed.