The study included nine children age 4-9 years. The study consisted of a single-subject alternating treatments design. Treatment A was exposure-based therapy and treatment B was contingency management. Each child received both treatment approaches separately. Five children were randomly selected for treatment A and followed the ABBABAAB pattern and four children were randomly selected for treatment B and followed the BAABABBA pattern. Treatment A consisted of shaping, modeling, prompting, and stimulus fading and in vivo exposure. Treatment B consisted of a parent-based reward and consequence system for speaking/non-speaking. Each child received two sessions per week (Vechhio, 2007).
To measure the treatments integrity, rating scales were given …show more content…
A type of response initiation approach was first developed and refined at the Hawthorne Center (Giddan, Ross, Sechler, & Becker, 1997). The approach begins with a psychiatric evaluation, information presented to parents concerning selective mutism, and a brief period of therapy to develop rapport with the child. The therapist then schedules a complete day when parents and child are advised that the child will spend the majority of the day with the therapist. The child is then required to say one word to the therapist before leaving the therapist’s office (Giddan, Ross, Sechler, & Becker, 1997). Results for this behavioral approach provides support that most children felt comfortable speaking within 1-2 hours, and rarely, more than 4 hours were needed. After the child speaks, he or she is praised and reunited with the family. Further goals are then set to move into a school setting and other public outings (Giddan, Ross, Sechler, & Becker, 1997). One case study in particular that implemented response initiation as its primary treatment was in the case of 8- year-old Mimi. She was treated for 10 sessions by a child psychiatry fellow. Therapy involved meeting with the parents, a home visit, and trips out in the community as rewards for achieving set goals (Giddan, Ross, Sechler, & Becker, 1997). Rewards were used consistently which lead to a great increase in Mimi’s peer interactions and all classroom activities (Giddan, Ross, Sechler, & Becker,
To measure the treatments integrity, rating scales were given …show more content…
A type of response initiation approach was first developed and refined at the Hawthorne Center (Giddan, Ross, Sechler, & Becker, 1997). The approach begins with a psychiatric evaluation, information presented to parents concerning selective mutism, and a brief period of therapy to develop rapport with the child. The therapist then schedules a complete day when parents and child are advised that the child will spend the majority of the day with the therapist. The child is then required to say one word to the therapist before leaving the therapist’s office (Giddan, Ross, Sechler, & Becker, 1997). Results for this behavioral approach provides support that most children felt comfortable speaking within 1-2 hours, and rarely, more than 4 hours were needed. After the child speaks, he or she is praised and reunited with the family. Further goals are then set to move into a school setting and other public outings (Giddan, Ross, Sechler, & Becker, 1997). One case study in particular that implemented response initiation as its primary treatment was in the case of 8- year-old Mimi. She was treated for 10 sessions by a child psychiatry fellow. Therapy involved meeting with the parents, a home visit, and trips out in the community as rewards for achieving set goals (Giddan, Ross, Sechler, & Becker, 1997). Rewards were used consistently which lead to a great increase in Mimi’s peer interactions and all classroom activities (Giddan, Ross, Sechler, & Becker,