Date of Award

Fall 12-15-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA Applied Behavior Analysis

Department

Professional Psychology and Family Therapy

Advisor

Frank Cicero, Ph.D

Committee Member

Lauren Goodwyn, PhD, BCBA

Committee Member

Nicholas Maio-Aether, MAMFT, MSPSY, BCBA, CSC

Keywords

Socially interfering sexual behaviors, Autistic adolescents, Autism spectrum disorder, Board certified behavior analyst, Behavior analytic treatments, Applied behavior analysis.

Abstract

Caregivers often express concern regarding socially interfering sexual behaviors (SISB) in autistic adolescents, yet recent literature offers limited updates on this topic. Existing survey studies have primarily relied on parent, caregiver, or educator reports, with little focus from the perspective of healthcare professionals. To address this gap, the present study surveyed Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) about the SISB they encounter, commonly utilized interventions employed, and their perceived effectiveness. Of 120 respondents, 74 qualified BCBAs provided data on behaviors such as socially interfering comments, public masturbation, touching others, and public disrobing. Public arousal, verbal remarks/comments, and sexualized gestures were the most frequently observed, while hyper-masturbation, voyeurism, and stalking were the least common. The most widely endorsed interventions were response interruption and redirection, functional communication training, visual strategies and discrimination training, and the frequent use of token economies, response costs, and overcorrection within treatment packages. This pattern reflects a preference for reinforcement-based procedures alongside punishment-based strategies often implemented as components of a multi-component treatment package. Practitioners reported moderate, but variable treatment success across behaviors. Findings underscore the prevalence of SISB across the autism spectrum and the need for greater training in addressing these behaviors.

Download

Share

COinS