Teaching Pedestrian Safety Skills to a Child With Autism Who Exhibited Dangerous Behavior in the Street: A Case Study

Abstract

For individuals with developmental disabilities to be able to live independently in a community setting, they have to have pedestrian safety skills. In the present study, we taught a boy with autistic disorder who exhibited dangerous behavior in the street to decrease that behavior and walk safely. In the response-cost procedure, he lost a reinforcer (his favorite card) every time that he showed problem behavior. In the DRO procedure, he got a reinforcer when he walked without any problem behavior. The results suggest that the response-cost procedure and the combined use of response cost and DRO were effective in reducing the problem behavior in the street and maintaining safe walking. After the conclusion of the present study, the boy could walk safely when he went to and from school.