Effects of Lag Schedules and Response Blocking on Variant Food Consumption by a Girl with Autism

Food selectivity by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is often viewed in the behavioral literature as a problem with compliance and treated accordingly. However, when viewed as a problem with invariance, it may be appropriate to treat the problem by using procedures that increase variant food consumption. Lag schedules of reinforcement have been shown to increase variability in verbal and play behavior of children with ASD. Therefore, we attempted to evaluate the effects of a lag schedule of positive reinforcement on variant food consumption by a girl with ASD and food selectivity. Ultimately, a lack of baseline variability in consumption precluded an evaluation of the programmed lag schedule but suggested that a discovery research approach may be informative. Thus, additional treatment components were added and evaluated in a component analysis. Response blocking of invariant consumption appeared to establish a lag schedule of reinforcement that increased variability and variety in food consumption, which was maintained across changes in the value of the lag schedule. Some potential behavioral processes responsible for the effects and implications for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.