Using Contingency Mapping for Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Contingency mapping, a visual representation of the contingencies for engaging in desired and undesired behaviors, has been found to improve student behavior in the classroom setting. This study examined the use of the contingency mapping intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who demonstrated difficulty engaging in classroom activities. Specifically, the study evaluated whether the contingency mapping intervention would increase on-task behavior during natural classroom activities. Three young children with ASD, ages 6 to 8 years old, were recruited from self-contained classrooms in a U.S. public school, along with three corresponding classroom teachers who also participated in the study. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the intervention outcomes. The results indicate immediate increases in on-task behavior for all children during intervention, with high rates maintained during follow-up observations. The results of the social validity assessment confirmed that teachers and students found the contingency mapping intervention acceptable, effective, and useful. This study adds to previous findings of contingency mapping as an effective intervention in reducing target behaviors in a classroom environment. It also extends prior research by applying it to a special education classroom for students with ASD.