Analysis of an Escalating Sequence of Problem Behaviors: a Case Study

This case study focused on a student with severe disabilities who displayed multiple problem behaviors that fit a pattern of behavioral escalation. Analysis of the pattern in which problem behaviors occurred within instructional sessions, and comparisons of conditional rates of occurrence for specific behaviors to overall base rates of occurrence, indicated that the student's problem behaviors did represent a behavioral sequence. Functional assessment led to the hypothesis that the use of rule statements by the teacher was related to the occurrence and escalation of the problem behaviors. An ABAB reversal design showed that eliminating the use of rule statements was an effective instructional intervention for decreasing the rate of the student's problem behaviors. Independent ratings of the physical effort required for specific problem behaviors in the sequence suggested that response effort may be one variable underlying the pattern of responding within a behavioral sequence. Implications are offered for our theoretical understanding of complex patterns of problem behaviors and for future research and clinical intervention.