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Effects of preferred physical activity on stereotypical behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder: adapting from in-person to telehealth

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Effects of preferred physical activity on stereotypical behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder: adapting from in-person to telehealth

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Effects of Preferred Physical Activity
On Stereotypical Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder:
Adapting from In-person to Telehealth
By
Khaled Alzaabi

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC DORNSIFE
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF SCIENCE
APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS

May 2021

Copyright 2021 Khaled Alzaabi

ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………………..ii

Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………...iv

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..1

Method…………………………………………………………………………………………….5
Participants………………………………………………………………………...5
Setting ……………………………………………………………………………..5
Response Measurement and Interobserver Agreement……………………………6
Social Validity…………….……………………………………………………….6
Design…………….………………………………………………………………..7
Procedure…………………….…………………………………………………….7

Results……………………………………………………………………………………………10

Discussion………………………………………………………………………………………..10

References………………………………………………………………………………………..14

iii
LIST OF FIGURES
1. Graph of Sheringham’s Repetitive Mouthing Behavior………………………………………17
2. Graph of Neville’s Repetitive Breathing Behavior……………………………………………17
3. Graph of Sheringham’s Repetitive Mouthing During Extended Maintenance………………..18
4. Graph of Neville’s Repetitive Breathing During Extended Maintenance…………………….18

iv
Abstract
With the increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder, researchers and clinicians
are examining novel interventions to combat behavioral deficits or excesses in individuals with
ASD. Previous studies have showed promising results of using physical activity as a means of
reducing stereotypies. One of the challenges of implementing physical activity as an intervention
is the practicality by which it can be implemented on a daily basis. This study aims to build on
previous research examining the effects of physical activity on stereotypical behaviors, which
can also be described as repetitive motor movements. In contrast to previous literature, this study
implements interspersal of preferred physical activity rather than antecedent-based physical
activity, and does so through a telehealth format. The results of this study indicate that minimal
physical activity can effectively reduce stereotypy, and that it is possible to administer the
intervention via a telehealth format. Further research is needed to prescribe specific durations of
physical activity, and to further understand the relation between the satiation effects of physical
exercise on stereotypies.

1
Introduction
Using Interspersal of Preferred Physical Activity to Reduce Stereotypical Behaviors
As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder grows worldwide, caregivers, school
teachers, and mental health providers continue looking for innovative ways to reduce socially
significant stereotypical behaviors that are commonly observed among individuals diagnosed
with autism or related developmental disabilities. Stereotypical behaviors are characterized by
repetitive movements which are deemed socially significant because of their unique topography
and influence on an individual’s capacity to build novel relationships or maintain existing
relationships all while navigating a social environment in which an individual may be subject to
bullying or other forms of harassment. A commonly seen stereotypical behavior, for instance, is
hand flapping, which involves moving one’s hands up and down, side-to-side, or both in a rapid
motion. Another commonly observed stereotypical behavior is mouthing, which involves
bringing one’s mouth into contact with an object or their hand. This behavior can sometimes
include inserting an object or fingers into the mouth. Such behaviors can impact an individual’s
social life, especially when approaching the adolescent years, when people tend to be selective of
who they interact with more so than during earlier or later stages in human development. Such
behaviors can also disrupt the learning environment for the individual’s peers when in a
classroom setting (Olin, Mcfadden, Golem, Pellegrino, Walker, Sanders, & Arent, 2017).
Additionally, mouthing behavior can sometimes change in topography over time and escalate
into pica, which is a behavior that involves inserting objects into one’s mouth or even ingesting
them completely.
People with autism spectrum disorder commonly suffer from deficits in social
communication, social interaction, and engage in stereotyped repetitive motor movements

2
(American Psychiatric Association, 2013). One potential approach to reducing these social and
communication deficits is through physical activity (Zhoa & Chen, 2018). Physical activity is a
promising intervention because of its practicality and benefits for an individual’s health beyond
just social deficits. More physical activity is associated with reduced weight and obesity, while
also reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, physically
active individuals are at a lower risk of developing cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s
disease and dementia (Reiner, Niermann, Jekauc & Woll, 2013). Such training is especially
important for children diagnosed with an ASD as these children have been observed to engage in
low levels of physical activity and typically have poor physical fitness, as compared to their
peers. Between childhood and adolescence, physical activity decreases for children with autism
as well as their typically developing peers. For adolescents with ASD, it may become more
difficult to find appropriate opportunities to participate in physical activity as the play
environment becomes increasingly competitive and demands more advanced social skills
(Nicholson, Kehle, Bray, & Van Heest, 2011). The chances of adolescents with ASD becoming
underweight, overweight, or obese are also significantly higher than their typically developing
peers (McCoy, Jakicic, & Gibbs, 2016). Because of this, it is important to establish a repertoire
of motor skills as early as possible, and simultaneously, increase the number of opportunities for
social interaction.
There have been several studies conducted evaluating the effectiveness of physical
activity on multiple behavioral outcomes. For instance, Miramontez & Schwartz (2016) found
that doing just five minutes of exercise in a classroom setting increases the on-task behavior of
young children with ASD. In contrast, another study implemented a 12-week long structured
physical activity program aimed at improving social interaction and communication in children

3
with autism. This study also succeeded at improving some aspects of the communication deficits
found among children with ASD (Zhoa & Chen, 2018). Both the studies contrast in terms of the
duration or length of the physical activity intervention used in addition to the dependent variables
that were measured. Furthermore, the form of physical activity varies greatly from study to
study.
In addition to increasing on-task behavior and social or communication skills, there have
been several studies examining the effects of physical activity on stereotypical behaviors. In a
review of seven studies, Petrus, Adamson, Block, Einarson, Sharifnejad, & Harris (2008) found
that all seven studies show that physical activity can reduce stereotypical behaviors for short
durations. The common difficulty among various studies is the ability to maintain the effects of
the intervention over longer periods of time. The duration of the physical activity intervention is
also highly variable among the many studies, and there seems to be no standard for the length of
physical activity. Petrus and colleagues (2008) concluded that the effects seem to be greater with
more intensive aerobic activity. In contrast, one study specifically measuring exercise intensity
noted that less intense exercise is more effective at reducing stereotypies (Olin, et al., 2017).
Different forms of exercise and the heterogeneity of the research designs and interventions
makes it difficult to determine an appropriate prescription for physical activity. Bahrami,
Movahedi, Marandi, & Sorensen (2015) taught children with ASD Karate techniques in a
structured training program over a 14-week period in which participants received 30-90 minutes
of group-directed exercise per session, and found that this reduced the communication deficits
commonly seen in children with ASD. However, being involved in group activities as an
independent variable could reduce communication deficits on its own just due to the number of
opportunities there are for communication between individuals when exposed to a group activity.

4
In order to increase the practicality of physical activity as an intervention, the duration of
the intervention would need to be decreased as much as possible, as well as the capability of
embedding the intervention into an individual’s daily routine. One study implemented a variety
of different physical exercises (e.g. jogging, bear walking, trampoline, running) to increase the
on-task behavior of typically developing children aged 5 years or younger, and found that 20
minutes of varied forms of exercises increased on-task behavior (Luke, Vail, & Ayres, 2014).
It is well documented that antecedent physical activity can effectively produce positive
behavioral changes in both typically developing children and children with ASD. A possible
explanation for this is that physical activity causes fatigue, which ultimately causes a reduction
in self-stimulatory behavior. However, this claim is disputed by Olin and colleagues (2017) who
observed that shorter and less intense exercise was more effective at reducing self-stimulatory
behavior in children with ASD. Another possibility is that physical activity can produce other
stimulatory effects which may produce stimulation that is functionally similar to the stimulation
which reinforces stereotypical behavior. For instance, yoga routines may require specific
breathing patterns while engaging in the activity that would provide a similar sensation that a
high-magnitude deep breathing stereotypy may provide for an individual. This could have an
abative effect on their behavior due to being satiated from the reinforcer.
Very little research exists examining the effects of interspersal exercise on children with
ASD. This form of exercise can easily be embedded within an individual’s daily routine or even
during a behavioral support session, for example. Interspersal exercise could serve the purpose of
reducing stereotypies in the short term, subsequently reducing any disruption stereotypies might
cause for an individual. Furthermore, there is not enough research indicating whether physical
activity is a preferred activity for participants, and how preference might have an effect on

5
outcome. The implementation of a preferred physical activity as an intervention could serve
multiple purposes which go beyond reducing stereotypical behaviors. For instance, the
embedding of a preferred exercise could serve as a reinforcer for desired behaviors occurring
prior to the intervention. Given the multiple possible benefits of preferred exercise interspersal,
the purpose of this study is to build on previous studies by comparing differing durations of
physical activity as an intervention to reduce stereotypical behaviors in children with ASD, and
to examine the effects of interspersal exercise on behavior. This study also extends previous
literature evaluating exercise as an intervention through a telehealth format.
Method
Participants
Two participants were included in this study. To meet the inclusion criteria, participants
must have received an autism diagnosis, were receiving behavioral support, and were not already
engaged in frequent and/or structured physical activity. The first participant, Sheringham, is an
eleven-year-old Iranian-American male who engaged in a high frequency of mouthing behavior
and exhibited low rates of sustained attention to tasks. He was gifted academically but had
difficulties with communication and social skills. The second participant, Neville, was a sixteen-
year-old European-American male who engaged in high rates of repetitive deep breathing
behavior. Neville’s caregivers had requested more exercise-based interventions to reduce his
weight and improve his overall health.
Setting
Assessments, baseline data, and interventions were collected and implemented in the
participants’ homes, or outdoors within their community during their regularly scheduled
behavioral support sessions in which they receive one-to-one direct service with their parent or

6
guardians present. Sessions took place during the afternoons or evenings only. No morning
sessions took place because the participants were required to attend regular school hours during
the course of the study. Initially, all sessions occurred in-person. However, the experiment was
forced to pivot to using a telehealth format due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and
therefore the majority of sessions occurred via telehealth.
Response Measurement and Interobserver Agreement
The dependent variable being measured was stereotypy, which was defined individually
for each participant. For Sheringham, mouthing behavior was tracked. Mouthing was
operationally defined as any instance in which an inedible object or the participant’s hands come
into physical contact with the participants mouth. A new instance is recorded when an object or
the participant’s hands or an object are not in contact with his mouth for three seconds or more.
For Neville, repetitive breathing or high magnitude exhaling behavior was tracked. Repetitive
breathing was defined as any instance in which the participant inhales or exhales audibly as can
be heard from a distance of five feet or more. A new instance is recorded after the previous
instance has ceased for at least three seconds. Frequency data were collected through direct
observation. Data were manually recorded by tallying the number of times each behavior occurs.
Two observers, both with previous experience and training at collecting behavioral data,
and working with children or adolescents with autism collected data on the target behaviors.
Interobserver agreement was calculated using the total method, by dividing the smaller number
of occurrences observed by the larger number and multiplying by 100. The mean IOA for
Sheringham was 88%, with a range of 80% to 100%. The mean IOA for Neville was 92%, with a
range of 80% to 100%.
Social Validity

7
At the conclusion of the study, surveys were given to caregivers of participants to
determine their overall satisfaction with the goals, procedures, and outcomes of physical activity
as an intervention for their child’s stereotypy. The caregivers were asked, “To what extent do
you agree or disagree with the following statements.” They were then asked to select a number
from a scale of 1-5, with 1 being “strongly disagree” and 5 being “strongly agree.” The following
statements were included in the survey: 1) I approve of reducing my child’s stereotypy behavior.
2) I approve of using physical activity to help my child decrease repetitive behavior. 3) I prefer
using physical activity over other ABA procedures (i.e., response blocking). 4) I wish my child
engaged in more physical activity.
Design
An alternating treatments design was used to compare the effects of two different
methods for interspersing preferred physical activity; 3-minute versus 5-minute schedules for
physical activity. Sets of conditions were randomized, such that each condition was conducted an
equal number of times.
Procedure
Functional Assessments
Direct observation through Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence data were collected on
target behaviors to determine behavioral functions. Data showed no systematic relations between
antecedents, behaviors, and consequences, therefore suggesting that the function of the behavior
to be sensory in nature, that is, automatic reinforcement.
Preference Assessments
Prior to the selection of the type of physical activity on each day, a paired-choice
preference assessment was conducted at the beginning of each session to determine the

8
participant’s preferred form of physical activity. The two choices presented for each participant
were based on participant’s previous choices during observations made in which the participants
were engaging in their natural environment with freedom to do what they preferred. Weather
conditions also affected whether outdoor activities were presented as a choice for the participant
on a given day. For Sheringham, choices consisted of watching various exercise videos and
engaging in gross motor imitation, riding a scooter, or riding a bicycle. For Neville, the choices
were playing basketball or jumping on a trampoline. None of the physical activities were intense
in nature, or required an individual to exert high amounts of energy.
Baseline
All sessions were 25 minutes in duration. Participants engaged in their regular behavioral
support sessions, which consist of discrete trial training, social skills, daily living skills, or
adaptive skills programming. For instance, Sheringham was being taught how to count money
and make purchases independently. Neville, on the other hand, practiced reading and learned
how to shave his facial hair independently. No programmed consequences were delivered for
stereotypy.
Physical Activity (3 minutes)
Sessions were 25-minutes in duration, followed by a 10-minute observation period.
Participants first engaged in three minutes of their preferred physical activity. Then, they
engaged in two minutes of their regular behavioral support sessions, which consist of discrete
trial training, social skills, daily living skills, or adaptive skills programming. Then, they engaged
in three minutes of their preferred physical activity. After that, they received two more minutes
of behavioral support, then go back to three minutes of exercise, continuing this transition until
25 minutes has elapsed, or the participant had engaged in 15 minutes of physical activity and 10

9
minutes of their regular routine in total. No programmed consequences were delivered for
stereotypy. If the participant had asked to terminate the activity at any point, that session would
be terminated, and a new session would be initiated at another time. During the 10-minute
observation period at the end of the session, the participant would continue his regularly
scheduled session without engaging in any physical activity while observers tracked the
stereotypy.
Physical Activity (5 minutes)
Sessions were 25-minutes in total, followed by a 10-minute observation period.
Participants first engaged in five minutes of their preferred physical activity, followed by five
minutes of their regular behavioral support sessions, which consisted of discrete trial training,
social skills, daily living skills, or adaptive skills programming. Then, they engaged in five
minutes of their preferred physical activity. After that, they received five more minutes of
behavioral support, then five minutes of exercise, continuing until 25 minutes had elapsed, or 15
minutes of physical activity and 10 minutes of their regular session. No programmed
consequences were delivered for stereotypy. During the 10-minute observation period at the end
of the session, the participant would continue his regularly scheduled session without engaging
in any physical activity while observers tracked the stereotypy.
Schedule Thinning
For Sheringham, the amount of exercise was reduced slightly, in order to determine
whether equivalence reductions in stereotypy, while dedicating less time to exercise and
therefore more time to regularly scheduled behavior support programs. The schedule was first
changed from the initial ratio of 3 minutes exercise: 2 minutes behavioral support, to 3 minutes

10
exercise: 3 minutes behavioral support. After that, the schedule was thinned even further to a 2-
minute exercise: 3-minutes behavioral support.
Results
For Sheringham, the highest rate of mouthing behavior was observed in the baseline
condition, with a mean of 0.57 per minute and a range of 0.52 to 0.64 per minute. The second
highest rate of mouthing behavior occurred in the 5-minute exercise condition, with a mean of
0.3 per minute and a range of 0.12 to 0.44. The lowest rate of mouthing behavior was observed
in the 3-minute exercise condition, with a mean of 0.22 per minute and a range of 0.08 to 0.32
per minute. During the 10-minute observation period during both exercise conditions and
following exercise thinning, the mean was 0.28 per minute with a range of 0 to 0.5 per minute.
For Neville, the highest rate of repetitive breathing behavior was observed in the baseline
condition, with a mean rate of 0.5 per minute and a range of 0.1 to 0.9 per minute. The second
highest rate was observed in the 5-minute exercise condition, with a mean rate of 0.27 and a
range of 0.12 to 0.52 per minute. The lowest rate of repetitive breathing was observed in the 3-
minute exercise condition, with a mean rate of 0.19 and a range of 0.04 to 0.36 per minute.
During the 10-minute observation period following both conditions, the mean rate was 0.2 per
minute with a range of 0.1 to 0.4 per minute.
Discussion
The results of this study support previous research showing that physical activity can
have a positive effect on reducing stereotypical behaviors in children diagnosed with autism.
Results suggest that the 3-minute exercise condition has a more significant effect on reducing the
target behaviors than the 5-minute condition. The baseline condition showed the highest rates of
the target behaviors, suggesting that minimal exercise or mild forms of gross motor movement

11
can have an effect on behavior. Some research show that more intense physical activity is more
effective at reducing stereotypies (Petrus et al., 2008), but the current study does not support this
claim. This study does support claims made by Olin, et al., 2017, suggesting that less intense
exercise is more effective at reducing stereotypy. However, a precise definition for exercise
intensity has not been specified. To determine precise measurements for exercise intensity,
further research must be conducted. Furthermore, the intensity of exercise might vary across
participants.
The current study also implements physical activity interventions through the telehealth
format, thereby contributing to the very lean literature on telehealth ABA treatment. On one
hand, the transition from in-person to telehealth that occurred in the current study could be
viewed as a limitation, in that it represents a disruption or inconsistency after treatment had
already begun. However, especially given the necessity of providing ABA treatment via
telehealth during the current pandemic, the successful transition from in-person to telehealth in
the current study may actually be viewed as a strength. Rather than terminating the study, the
team was able to continue data collection and obtain equally successful results via a telehealth
format. These results provide preliminary evidence supporting the effectiveness of telehealth for
delivering ABA approaches to reducing repetitive behavior in children with autism.
The use of exercise as an intervention can have benefits beyond just reducing stereotypies
in individuals with ASD. Physical activity can reduce the risk of various diseases, cancers, and
brain related disorders, such as dementia at an older age. Additionally, exercise improves overall
health, like cardiovascular health. In addition to improving an individual’s overall health,
exercise is more likely to be a socially valid intervention because opportunities for engaging in
exercise can occur in the context of typical ongoing activities such as playground time or gross

12
motor play (Chazin, Ledford, Barton, & Osborne, 2017). Furthermore, parents of children with
developmental needs may be likely to incorporate exercise as an intervention into their daily
routine due to the various benefits it can produce.
The most commonly used behavioral interventions for treating stereotypies or behaviors
with an automatic function include, but are not limited to, differential reinforcement procedures
(i.e. differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior) or blocking and redirection. These
interventions are often consequence procedures and can be punitive in nature because they deny
an individual access to their preferred reinforcement or preferred sensation without that
individual’s consent. In contrast, a preferred physical activity is an intervention that is consented
to and may even be implemented as a reinforcer for desired behaviors.
This study does have some limitations that warrant discussion. First, is the small number
of participants in the study, the age of the participants, and their gender. These variables limit the
external validity of this study because the participants were all males who are adolescents or
approaching adolescence. It was also not assessed whether these results generalize to other
caregivers implementing the intervention.
Second, no follow-up measures were conducted to identify whether the effects of the
intervention maintain over longer periods of time. Even though the purpose of this study was to
identify a short-term effect, and assessed effects across a 10-minute period immediately
following sessions, future researchers should direct their studies towards examining the longer-
term effects of an intervention consisting of physical activity. Additionally, it is plausible that
engaging in any exercise might function as a differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior
procedure in that the exercise may prevent an individual from engaging in the stereotypy
completely. However, data were analyzed separate to the primary results of the study comparing

13
the rate of the stereotypy during engagement in exercise and outside of the actual exercise. No
substantial differences were evident in the data, and exercise did not prevent the participants
from engaging in stereotypy.
Lastly, it cannot be determined whether the reductions in stereotypy can be solely
attributed to physical activity. It is plausible that a preferred activity, even if not physical, could
cause a reduction in repetitive behaviors. Furthermore, the physical activity did take a large
amount of time to implement relative to the session duration (15 minutes of exercise and 10
minutes of no exercise). Although, reductions were observed with small forms of exercise
thinning, it is unclear whether these reductions would persist if more thinning had occurred.
Despite the limitations, the results of this study have positive implications for researchers
and practitioners who work with children with ASD. The physical activity interventions and the
preference assessments conducted in this study were very practical to implement, and required
minimal to no training. The shortened duration of the physical activity in this study could also
help suggest an appropriate prescription for physical activity, which addresses a need identified
in previous studies. This study also shows that physical activity interventions can be prompted
through a telehealth format. In order to better understand how physical activity can have positive
effects on behavior, additional research is needed on preferred physical activity, and how taking
preference into consideration could affect behavior. Finally, research on exercise interspersal as
an intervention is still relatively new and much more is left to be researched, but the initial
results are encouraging.

14
References
1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th
ed. Washington (DC): American Psychiatric Association; 2013.
2. Bahrami, F., Movahedi, A., Marandi, S. M., & Sorensen, C. (2015). The Effect of Karate
Techniques Training on Communication Deficit of Children with Autism Spectrum
Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(3), 978–986. doi:
10.1007/s10803-015-2643-y
3. Chazin, K. T., Ledford, J. R., Barton, E. E., & Osborne, K. C. (2017). The Effects of
Antecedent Exercise on Engagement During Large Group Activities for Young Children.
Remedial and Special Education, 39(3), 158–170. doi: 10.1177/0741932517716899
4. Luke, S., Vail, C. O., & Ayres, K. M. (2014). Using Antecedent Physical Activity to Increase
On-Task Behavior in Young Children. Exceptional Children, 80(4), 489–503. doi:
10.1177/0014402914527241

5. Mccoy, S. M., Jakicic, J. M., & Gibbs, B. B. (2016). Comparison of Obesity, Physical
Activity, and Sedentary Behaviors Between Adolescents with Autism Spectrum
Disorders and Without. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(7), 2317–
2326. doi: 10.1007/s10803-016-2762-0

15
6. Miramontez S, Schwartz I. The Effects of Physical Activity on the On-Task Behavior of
Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. International Electronic Journal of
Elementary Education. 2016;9(2):405-418.
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1967312996/.

7. Nicholson, H., Kehle, T. J., Bray, M. A., & Heest, J. V. (2010). The effects of antecedent
physical activity on the academic engagement of children with autism spectrum disorder.
Psychology in the Schools, 48(2), 198–213. doi: 10.1002/pits.20537

8. Olin, S. S., Mcfadden, B. A., Golem, D. L., Pellegrino, J. K., Walker, A. J., Sanders, D. J., &
Arent, S. M. (2017). The Effects of Exercise Dose on Stereotypical Behavior in Children
with Autism. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 49(5), 983–990. doi:
10.1249/mss.0000000000001197

9. Petrus, C., Adamson, S. R., Block, L., Einarson, S. J., Sharifnejad, M., & Harris, S. R. (2008).
Effects of Exercise Interventions on Stereotypic Behaviours in Children with Autism
Spectrum Disorder. Physiotherapy Canada, 60(2), 134–145. doi:
10.3138/physio.60.2.134

10. Reiner, M., Niermann, C., Jekauc, D., & Woll, A. (2013). Long-term health benefits of
physical activity – a systematic review of longitudinal studies. BMC Public Health,
13(1). doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-813

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11. Zhao, M., & Chen, S. (2018). The Effects of Structured Physical Activity Program on Social
Interaction and Communication for Children with Autism. BioMed Research
International, 2018, 1–13. doi: 10.1155/2018/1825046

17
Figure 1. Graph of Sheringham’s repetitive mouthing behavior per minute.

Figure 2. Graph of Neville’s repetitive breathing behavior per minute.

18
Figure 3. Graph of Sheringham’s mouthing per minute during the extended maintenance period.

Figure 4. Graph of Neville’s repetitive breathing per minute during the extended maintenance
period.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Alzaabi, Khaled (author)

Core Title Effects of preferred physical activity on stereotypical behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder: adapting from in-person to telehealth

School College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Degree Master of Science

Degree Program Applied Behavior Analysis

Publication Date 02/26/2021

Defense Date 12/18/2020

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Adolescents,alternating treatments,Applied Behavior Analysis,ASD,autism,autism spectrum disorder,behavior,behavioral support,challenging behaviors,Children,deep breathing,duration,Exercise,high magnitude breathing,interspersal,maladaptive behaviors,mouthing,OAI-PMH Harvest,physical activity,preferred activity,reduction,repetitive behavior,stereotypy,Teenagers,telehealth,virtual

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Tarbox, Jonathan (committee chair), Cameron, Michael (committee member), Moll, Henrike (committee member)

Creator Email kalzaabi@usc.edu,kylo18@hotmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-423643

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