Function-based Modification of Check-In/Check-Out to Influence Escape-maintained Behavior

Prior research has suggested Check-In/Check-Out (CICO) effectiveness is linked to the function of problem behavior. Though effective for students whose misbehavior occurs to gain attention, findings are equivocal for behavior that occurs to escape academic tasks. The purpose of this study was to therefore evaluate a modification to CICO, wherein students were permitted to escape portions of a supplemental assignment contingent upon appropriate behavior. Participants included two elementary students, both of whom were exposed to three conditions as part of an alternating treatments single-case design, including baseline, traditional CICO, and CICO-escape. Visual and statistical analyses indicated that relative to both baseline and traditional CICO, the modified CICO procedure was moderately to highly effective in promoting academic engagement and decreasing disruptive behavior for both students