Analysis of behavioural responding across multiple instructional conditions for a child with childhood disintegrative disorder

The effects of multiple instructional conditions on self-injury/aggression and on-task behaviours were assessed with a 9-year-old boy diagnosed with childhood disintegrative disorder. Behavioural responses were assessed as part of an educational evaluation to determine the occurrence of target behaviours in relation to varying degrees of educational support. Self-injury/aggression and task engagement were assessed across baseline conditions and instructional conditions involving pre-session access to preferred items, followed by systematic presentation of work tasks with contingent reinforcement and auditory cueing. Results indicated an increase in task engagement and a decrease in the target behaviours from baseline across subsequent conditions. This study lends support for directly assessing the efficacy of specific potential instructional support as a means of developing individualised treatment packages for learners with childhood disintegrative disorder.