ORIGINAL PAPER Use of a Self-monitoring Application to Reduce Stereotypic Behavior in Adolescents with Autism: A Preliminary Investigation of I-Connect Stephen A. Crutchfield • Rose A. Mason • Angela Chambers • Howard P. Wills • Benjamin A. Mason Published online: 18 October 2014 Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014 Abstract Many students with autism engage in a variety of complex stereotypic behaviors, impacting task completion and interfering with social opportunities. Self-monitoring is an intervention with empirical support for individuals with ASD to increase behavioral repertoires and decrease behaviors that are incompatible with successful outcomes. However, there is limited evidence for its utility for decreasing stereotypy, particularly for adolescents in school settings. This study evaluated the functional relationship between I-Connect, a technology-delivered self-monitoring program, and decreases in the level of stereotypy for two students with ASD in the school setting utilizing a with- drawal design with an embedded multiple baseline across participants. Both students demonstrated a marked decrease in stereotypy with the introduction of the self-monitoring application. Results and implications for practice and future research will be discussed. Keywords Autism Á Self-monitoring Á Stereotypic behavior Á Technology-based application Introduction Along with qualitative impairments in communication and social interactions, restrictive and repetitive patterns of behavior are considered a defining characteristic of indi- viduals on the autism spectrum (American Psychiatric Association 2012). This encompasses a wide variety of behavior, including preference for sameness and routine, narrow interests, stereotypic behavior, and self-injurious behavior (Bregman and Higdon 2012). Stereotypic behav- ior is often associated with individuals on the autism spectrum, and there is some evidence that higher rates of stereotypy occur in individuals who demonstrate more severe symptoms of autism (Reed et al. 2014). Stereotypy is heterogeneous, and encompasses a variety of motor and vocal behavior including: brisk arm movements, rigid or odd walking postures, toe-walking, body rocking, non- communicative vocal repetitions, and head shaking (Bregman and Higdon 2012; Lanovaz et al. 2014; Lee et al. 2007). These complex behaviors, though not fully under- stood, are thought to serve a variety of sensory, stimula- tory, and communication functions (Kennedy et al. 2000; Reed et al. 2014). However, they often present barriers to task completion, instructional routines, and social interac- tions while also contributing to the stigmatization sur- rounding ASD and disability in general (Kennedy et al. 2000; Koegel and Koegel 1990; Koegel et al. 1992; Lanovaz et al. 2014). Consequently, learning to manage these behaviors may lead to improved learning opportuni- ties (Cervantes et al. 2014) and increases in social inter- actions (Lee et al. 2007). Self-monitoring (SM) is a plausible candidate for addressing this need. While other interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing stereotypy (see Boyd et al. 2012; DiGennaro Reed et al. 2012), SM can be S. A. Crutchfield (&) Á R. A. Mason Á H. P. Wills Á B. A. Mason Juniper Gardens Children’s Project, University of Kansas, 444 Minnesota Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66101, USA e-mail: stephencrutchfield@ku.edu R. A. Mason e-mail: rosemason519@gmail.com A. Chambers Department of Special Education, School of Education, University of Kansas, 1122 West Campus Rd., Lawrence, KS 66045-3101, USA 123 J Autism Dev Disord (2015) 45:1146–1155 DOI 10.1007/s10803-014-2272-x