Abstract:Individuals diagnosed with intellectual disabilities often suffer from concomitant visual and hearing impairments (Kiani & Miller, 2010; Nielsen, Skov, & Jensen, 2007). This population may also refuse to wear the prescribed prosthetic devices that would improve visual and hearing impairments (Haugen, Aasved, & Bertelsen, 1995). This study investigated the effect of a treatment package of noncontingent reinforcement, response cost, and response blocking on an individual's compliance with the simultaneous wearing of eyeglasses and hearing aids. There was an observed increase in compliance while refusal of prostheses decreased, and these changes in behavior were generalized across locations and staff members.

Personal hygiene routines, such as nail cutting, are essential for maintaining good health. However, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities often struggle to comply with essential, personal hygiene routines. We conducted a systematic replication of Schumacher and Rapp (2011), Shabani and Fisher (2006), and Bishop et al. (2013) to evaluate an intervention that did not require escape extinction for increasing compliance with nail cutting. With two adolescents diagnosed with ASD who resisted nail cutting, we evaluated the effects of delivering a preferred edible item contingent on compliance with nail cutting. Results indicated that the treatment reduced participants' escape responses and increased their compliance with nail cutting.