Lag schedules to increase variability in responding in a home setting

Several studies have demonstrated that lag schedules can be used to increase variability in controlled settings. In this study, we replicated these procedures during regular home applied behavior analysis services using available resources with an adolescent with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The participant had learned multiple responses to questions but responded with little to no variability. The intervention included scripted prompts and lag schedules implemented across social contexts in a multiple baseline design. The scripted prompts assisted the participant in varying his responding and assisted the interventionists in monitoring and accurately implementing the lag schedule intervention. Results showed a systematic increase in varied responses across multiple social contexts, suggesting that lag schedules can be implemented with positive effects in naturalistic therapy settings.