Week 2 Assignment 1: Antecedent-Based Strategies
School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Capella University
PSY 7713 - Behavior Analytic Interventions
, Case study
John is a 9-year-old Hispanic boy who lives with his parents and two siblings. He is
fluent in both English and Spanish and can effectively communicate his wants and needs through
verbal expression. John is currently enrolled in 3rd grade at a local public school but prefers to
observe other children rather than interact with them. He enjoys spending time with his family,
playing soccer, watching TV, playing Uno, and using his tablet. John occasionally throws
objects, punches, or hits people when upset. He also struggles with watching his siblings receive
something he wants, often resulting in him aggressively or physically taking it without asking.
When John is denied attention or excited about an upcoming event or new item, he engages in
repetitive behaviors or perseverative statements. Although he rarely has a tantrum, a sudden
outburst of intense and uncontrolled anger or emotion is often accompanied or associated
with crying, screaming, yelling, whining, kicking, and throwing objects and aggressive behavior,
any instance in which John intentionally makes physical contact with another person, object, or
himself by striking, hitting, or kicking, resulting in observable force or impact, his perseverative
behavior is concerning. John makes perseverative statements when he is ignored, wants
something that is not immediately provided or is denied attention. He repeatedly repeats the
same statements when discussing his interests, asking questions, or expressing excitement about
upcoming events or outings.
The targeted behavior is perseveration, which involves fixating on sameness, making
repetitive requests, asking the same questions repeatedly, persisting in talking about a specific
topic even after the conversation has shifted, and continuing to pursue a desired item or activity
despite being informed of unavailability or delay. This behavior persists even after receiving an
answer to a question or being asked to change the subject (Chen & Kreibich, 2023). John's
School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Capella University
PSY 7713 - Behavior Analytic Interventions
, Case study
John is a 9-year-old Hispanic boy who lives with his parents and two siblings. He is
fluent in both English and Spanish and can effectively communicate his wants and needs through
verbal expression. John is currently enrolled in 3rd grade at a local public school but prefers to
observe other children rather than interact with them. He enjoys spending time with his family,
playing soccer, watching TV, playing Uno, and using his tablet. John occasionally throws
objects, punches, or hits people when upset. He also struggles with watching his siblings receive
something he wants, often resulting in him aggressively or physically taking it without asking.
When John is denied attention or excited about an upcoming event or new item, he engages in
repetitive behaviors or perseverative statements. Although he rarely has a tantrum, a sudden
outburst of intense and uncontrolled anger or emotion is often accompanied or associated
with crying, screaming, yelling, whining, kicking, and throwing objects and aggressive behavior,
any instance in which John intentionally makes physical contact with another person, object, or
himself by striking, hitting, or kicking, resulting in observable force or impact, his perseverative
behavior is concerning. John makes perseverative statements when he is ignored, wants
something that is not immediately provided or is denied attention. He repeatedly repeats the
same statements when discussing his interests, asking questions, or expressing excitement about
upcoming events or outings.
The targeted behavior is perseveration, which involves fixating on sameness, making
repetitive requests, asking the same questions repeatedly, persisting in talking about a specific
topic even after the conversation has shifted, and continuing to pursue a desired item or activity
despite being informed of unavailability or delay. This behavior persists even after receiving an
answer to a question or being asked to change the subject (Chen & Kreibich, 2023). John's
