Efficacy of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior on the on-task behaviors of deaf and hard of hearing students: a single subject study

Background and Aim: Function-based intervention have been shown to have positive increase in social skills of children with behavioral problems. The same findings can be potentially applied to the deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) children. The present study examined the efficacy of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) on the on-task behaviors of deaf and hard of hearing students in school. Methods: Three subjects from one education center were selected. Multiple baseline design across subjects was utilized. Baseline data were collected through frequent observation of behaviors for each subject. In the intervention phase, three subjects were assigned to DRA programs. Results: The data from the present study were analyzed by visual inspection and effect size index indicating that DRA was effective on the improvement of on-task behavior of these students. Conclusion: The results showed that DRA was effective on improvement of academic task behavior of D/HH students.