Graduation Year

2009

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.A.

Degree Granting Department

Child and Family Studies

Major Professor

Raymond G. Miltenberger, Ph.D., BCBA

Committee Member

Kimberly Church, PsyD

Committee Member

Timothy Weil, Ph.D.

Keywords

Behavior Interventions, Developmentally Disabled, Inappropriate Sexual Behaviors, Individualized Treatment, Behavior Management

Abstract

The level system is a behavioral procedure that alters the status of a participant contingent on his or her behaviors; within each level the amount of reinforcement is different. In most cases, level systems are paired with another form of treatment such as a token economy. In the current study, the effectiveness of a level system with a built in token economy was evaluated within three intensive residential group homes with 3 male participants. Each participant was diagnosed with mental retardation and behavioral issues. The level system was comprised of 5 different levels, each having different privileges and reinforcers. Each participant received token dollars for displaying replacement behaviors and the tokens were used to purchase items from a token store. A preference assessment was conducted to determine the items and their values. The results of the current study suggest that a level system with a built in token economy is an effective form of treatment in managing severe, inappropriate behaviors in individuals with mental retardation residing in a group home setting.

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