to examine the effectiveness of a sensory diet program on the behavior of a nine-year-old student with autism. An alternating treatment design (ABAC) was used to determine whether two different sensory diet techniques were effective in reducing the target behavior of aggressive outbursts. Visual analysis was then used to examine the data and look at the subsequent effectiveness of the sensory diet program with the identified subject using mean levels and trends across all four phases. This chapter will discuss the major conclusions of the study as well as its limitations, suggestions for future research, and implications for practice. Conclusions The literature review showed conflicting results regarding the efficacy of sensory integration interventions. Some studies showed favorable results. For example, Ottenbacher (1982) revealed that subjects participating in sensory integration therapy performed significantly better in the areas of academic achievement, motor or reflex performance andlor language function. Other studies show less favorable results. Vargas and Camilli (1999), for example, concluded that when comparing sensory integration to alternative treatments, there was not a significant difference between treatments. In addition, the NASP has taken a position against the use of sensory techniques because of methodological flaws in the research which showed sensory integration techniques are beneficial (Shaw, 2002). The current study used an operationalized definition of aggressive outbursts and measured this class of behavior to determine whether a sensory diet helped to reduce this target behavior. Because staff reported the student to have difficulties related to sensory input, the chosen techniques were aimed to help the student based on his preferences and past history of 32 what staff reported as effective. This study examined the number of target behaviors occurring per day for several weeks. Mean levels and trend lines were used to analyze the frequency of the data and determine whether the interventions were successful. The data are inconclusive for the intervention consisting of deep pressure techniques. Aggressive outbursts did decrease during the phase when these techniques were used. However, when a second baseline was introduced and the intervention was taken away, the behavior continued to decrease. There are two plausible conclusions for this finding: Either the intervention of deep pressure techniques was effective and the effects lingered into the second baseline period, or the intervention was not the cause of the decrease during the B phase. Since there is not any evidence to pick one of these conclusions over the other, the effects of the intervention are determined to be inconclusive. The data for the consisting of proprioceptive technique intervention indicate that this technique was not effective. The target behavior actually increased during the phase of intervention when proprioceptive techniques were used. Limitations While the researcher attempted to obtain as much control as possible over this study, there were several limitations that may have interfered with obtaining clear and accurate results. These limitations included, but are not limited to, a lack of control over the classroom environment, inconsistent data collection due to breaks or absences, changes in schedule, the researcher not being in the building every day, and using a third party for data collection. In addition to the above, the results of this study should not be generalized to a larger population due to the single-subject design of the study.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 19:00:18 +0000
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