Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at 1:00 p.m.
Scarfe, Room 304C
Title: Examining the Implementation of a Family-Centred Positive Behaviour Support Approach Designed to be Sibling-Friendly: A Single-Subject Experimental Investigation
Examining Committee:
Dr. Joe Lucyshyn (SPED), Research Supervisor
Dr. Ishu Ishiyama (CNPS), Committee Member
Dr. Bruno Zumbo (MERM), Departmental Examiner
ABSTRACT:
Research suggests that being a sibling of a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may come with unique and challenging experiences not typically experienced by siblings. Children with ASD and their siblings tend to have less close relationships and spend less time together. Siblings of children with ASD may also experience emotional or behavioural adjustment issues, which may be the result of such issues as the amount of problem behaviour exhibited by the child with ASD. Research to date on these sibling dyads has focused on improving interactions between siblings or decreasing challenging behaviour exhibited by the child with ASD toward the sibling. Positive behaviour support (PBS), with its focus on improving child and family quality of life, may offer a more comprehensive approach when intervening with these sibling dyads. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a PBS approach designed to be sibling-friendly on the challenging behaviour and participation of a child with ASD in two routines involving sibling interaction. This study employs a multiple probe design across two routines, in combination with a one-point treatment withdrawal phase in the first routine. Due to professional requirements to graduate in the May convocation, the study is currently in the intervention phase of the first routine and only baseline data and interventionist initial training data have been collected. Preliminary results are discussed in terms of cautions and limitations and directions for future research.