Enhancing Assent and Treatment Outcomes: A Case Study on Responding to Aversive Ambient Auditory Stimuli for an Autistic Adult

We explored assent procedures to promote assent and treatment effectiveness for an autistic adult. The objective, at the request of the participant, was to evaluate an innovative approach to (a) identify aversive auditory stimuli and (b) teach Steven, a 19-year-old male, appropriate responses in the presence of these stimuli without directly exposing him to the stimuli. The results suggest that the procedures effectively identified auditory stimuli for assessment and taught the participant to avoid the aversive stimuli appropriately (that is, in ways that were not dangerous). Through the implementation of this novel approach, assent and treatment effectiveness were enhanced for the autistic individual.