Resumen de Efeitos do equipamento de proteção no comportamento autolesivo

Giovana Azevedo Reolon Brasil, Ilma A. Goulart de Souza Britto

• English

  The ASD comprises a complex behavioral pattern, expressed in a variety of topographies such as, for example, self-injurious, which are actions that cause physical damage to the individual. The available statistical data indicate that 64% of children aged 3 to 14 years diagnosed with ASD present at least one self-injurious topography. In view of seriousness of these behaviors, it is importante that the analysis and interventions prodedures implemented are scientifically proven. In other words, behavior must be explained by surveying the functional relationships between environmental variables, body responses and their consequences. There are currently few studies on the use of protective equipment for these behaviors. The interventions most com-monly found in the literature are those based on different reinforcement schemes, such as non-contingent reinforcement and differential reinforcement. The main objective of this study was to identify the antecedent and consequent events of the self-injurious behavior of a teenager with atypical development. A second objective was to evaluate the effects of the protective equipment use on the functional analysis and intervention of these behaviors. To achieve this, it was used indirect functional assessments as strategies through interviews with professionals and family members, direct functional observation at the participant’s institution and at home, and functional analysis with five conditions: attention, tangible, demand, alone and control. All conditions were controlled by multiple element design, with and without the use of protective equipment. For the control of the procedures during the intervention in self-injurious behavior, it was used the ABAB design succeeded by follow-up, where the use of helmet was manipulated. The results suggested that self-injurious behavior was maintained by positive reinforcement, that is, accessing items and social care. In the conditions of demand, control and alone with the protective equipment, there was no occurrence of self-injurious. The use of the protective equipment produced a suppressive effect on the available response. Thus, it is argued that its use is not recommended during the functional analysis procedure, as it may mask the results. With regard to the intervention, the protective equipment may be part of an intervention that aims to change the contingency responsible for maintaining the response, but it is not enough as the only procedure.

• português

  Os objetivos deste estudo foram avaliar o controle exercido pelos eventos antecedentes e consequentes sobre o comportamento autolesivo de um adolescente com desenvolvimento atípico, e investigar os efeitos do uso do equipamento de proteção na análise funcional e na intervenção deste comportamento. Partiu-se das estratégias de avaliação indireta por meio de entrevistas com profissionais e familiares, avaliação descritiva que envolveu observação direta na instituição e na casa do participante e a análise funcional (experimental) com cinco condições: atenção, tangível, demanda, sozinho e controle. Todas as condições foram controladas pelo delineamento de múltiplos elementos, com e sem o uso do equipamento de proteção. Para o controle dos procedimentos durante a intervenção no comportamento autolesivo foi empregado o delineamento ABAB seguido de follow-up, onde foi manipulado o uso de capacete. Os resultados sugerem que o comportamento autolesivo era mantido por reforçamento positivo, para acesso a itens e atenção social. O uso do equipamento de proteção produziu efeito supressor na resposta. Desta forma, discute-se que o uso do mesmo não seja recomendado durante o procedimento de análise funcional, pois pode mascarar os resultados, ainda que possa ser uma parte de uma intervenção que vise alterar a contingência responsável pela manutenção da resposta.