A Study of the Elopement Prevention and Safety Training Program
Condition: Elopement; Autism Spectrum Disorder
MeSH terms: Autism Spectrum Disorder
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of the Elopement Prevention
      Safety (EPST) program in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have engaged in
      eloping. This is a program created by the Behavior Treatment Clinics to help caregivers come
      up with a safety plan to prevent their children from running away or wandering off.
    

Detailed description: 
      A large number of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a current or past history
      of elopement. For parents of a child with ASD, having their child go missing is potentially
      dangerous and far more likely compared to typically developing children. This behavior
      interferes with household routines, engenders vigilance, and restricts the family's
      participation in their community. Such restrictions contribute to the family's isolation and
      hinders development of community supports. Elopement can result in injuries and deaths of
      children with ASD.
    

Intervention name(s): Universal Safety Measures Module (All participants); Proximity Training Module (Bolting Prevention Participants); Check-In Training Module (Wandering Prevention Participants)
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): During the first session, the therapist conducts a home safety evaluation. During the second visit the therapist provides the caregiver with an individualized Elopement Prevention & Safety Plan (EPSP) based upon the results of the evaluation. The remainder of the session is spent helping caregivers make plans to implement the EPSP to reduce the risk of elopement or lessen the risk of harm to the child if they do successfully elope.; During the first session a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) of bolting is conducted to identify the motivator(s) that evoke bolting. Caregivers identify a setting that is most problematic because it contains the item/activity that most frequently serves as a motivator for elopement. In the next session, caregivers are taught to identify effective alternative reinforcers. In subsequent sessions, antecedent and consequence based strategies are employed to reduce motivation for elopement and reinforce remaining within the designated proximity of a caregiver for increasing durations.; This module employs behavioral strategies to teach a child to check in with a caregiver at frequent fixed intervals during periods of low supervision. Delivering potent reinforcement for checking in counteracts any motivation to wander. Furthermore, if the child does wander caregivers become aware of it immediately because they failed to check in. During the first session caregivers are taught to identify effective reinforcers. A vibrating alarm that can be carried in a participating child's pocket serves as a prompt to seek out a caregiver and check-in. Participants receive access to a previously identified and individualized reinforcer for checking-in with the caregiver.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention