Recent advances in the assessment of aberrant behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement in individuals with developmental disabilities

Many aberrant behaviors exhibited by individuals with developmental disabilities are maintained by "automatic reinforcement". These behaviors are often difficult to treat, with the most effective behavioral interventions often resulting in only moderate success. However, a series of recent studies has advanced our ability to understand and treat these behaviors through the innovative use of behavioral assessment. We review the recent development of three categories of assessments: (a) nonhypothesis-based stimulus preference assessments, (b) hypothesis-based stimulus preference assessments, and (c) hypothesis-based assessments incorporating noncontingent reinforcement and sensory extinction procedures. We consider each category's contribution to both our ability to prescribe effective behavioral interventions and our ability to more fully understand the concept of automatic reinforcement.