A Competing Stimuli Intervention Package to Treat Automatically Reinforced Destructive Behavior

Behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement are often more difficult to treat due to difficulty with identifying the relevant maintaining variable(s). One common intervention to treat automatically maintained behavior includes competing stimuli. Competing stimuli promote item engagement which may replace challenging behavior (i.e., response competition). Competing stimuli have shown to be a widely successful intervention across diverse topographies of challenging behavior; however, few studies have evaluated the use of competing stimuli on destructive behavior. The purpose of the current study was to treat automatically maintained destructive behavior with a competing stimuli intervention package for an adolescent with developmental disabilities. Results showed a decrease in destructive behavior when access to competing stimuli was a component of an intervention package in a clinic setting. Also, preliminary data are provided showing treatment effects when caregivers implemented the intervention. Due to the complexity of the final intervention package, recommendations for clinicians are provided which focus on improving feasibility, practicality, and sustainability of treatment components.