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| Recent Advancements in Treatment Integrity Assessment and Intervention |
| Sunday, May 26, 2019 |
| 5:00 PM–6:50 PM |
| Hyatt Regency West, Lobby Level, Crystal Ballroom B |
| Area: DDA/OBM; Domain: Translational |
| Chair: Sandra Alex Ruby (University of Kansas) |
| Discussant: Linda A. LeBlanc (LeBlanc Behavioral Consulting LLC) |
| CE Instructor: Linda A. LeBlanc, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: This symposium summarizes novel research on interventions to improve treatment integrity as well as extensions of parametric analyses of treatment integrity. Bergmann will share results from a parametric analysis of treatment integrity to determine at which level of error most participants acquired a skill. The second presentation by Hodges evaluated an assessment to identify barriers and solutions to effective parent implementation of behavioral programming. Luck will describe findings from a study that measured teacher’s integrity of function-based treatments for escape-maintained problem behavior in the presence and absence of environmental distractions. The fourth presentation by Erath will summarize findings of a study evaluating the efficacy of antecedent- and technology-based training procedures on the integrity with which staff used behavioral skills training to teach colleagues how to implement a behavioral procedure. The symposium will conclude with discussant remarks by Dr. Linda LeBlanc. |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Target Audience: Supervisors |
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When Do Errors Affect Learning?: A Parametric Analysis of Treatment Integrity of Skill-Acquisition Procedures |
| (Basic Research) |
| SAMANTHA BERGMANN (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; University of North Texas ), Tiffany Kodak (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Marquette University), Mike Harman (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Briar Cliff University) |
| Abstract: Treatment integrity is the extent to which components of an intervention are implemented as intended (Gresham, 1989). Recent behavior-analytic literature has begun to evaluate the effects of treatment integrity on efficacy and efficiency of skill-acquisition interventions. We extended current literature on the effects of errors of omission and commission of reinforcement by replicating and extending Hirst and DiGennaro Reed (2015). We compared instruction implemented with varying degrees of integrity in a parametric analysis using a randomized-control group design with undergraduate students. A computer program made errors on 0% to 50% of trials. The purpose was to identify a level of error at which most participants could still acquire the task. Most participants assigned to integrity levels at or above 85% acquired the skill; therefore, errors of reinforcement on 15% or fewer trials did not hinder acquisition for most participants. The potential implications for training teachers, parents, and therapists to implement behavior analytic interventions with integrity will be discussed. |
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| Further Evaluation of a Tool to Identify Barriers to Effective Parent Implementation of Behavioral Programming |
| (Applied Research) |
| ANSLEY CATHERINE HODGES (Florida Institute of Technology), Hallie Marie Ertel (Florida Institute of Technology), David A. Wilder (Florida Institute of Technology) |
| Abstract: We evaluated the utility of an informant-based tool used to identify the barriers to effective parent implementation of behavior analytic programs. Specifically, we compared the effectiveness of two interventions to increase parent implementation of a mand training program. The first intervention was not indicated by the tool as likely to be effective, whereas the second intervention (task clarification and prompting) was indicated by the tool as likely to be effective.
The results showed that the non-indicated intervention was ineffective to improve parent performance; the indicated intervention improved performance of all three parents. In addition, manding increased and problem behavior decreased for all three children during the indicated intervention. In a social validity analysis, both parents and clinicians reported that the tool was useful and that they would recommend it to others. Results are discussed in terms of the utility of the tool to identify effective interventions to increase parent performance in a variety of contexts. |
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| The Effects of Environmental Distractions on Teacher’s Procedural Integrity When Implementing Three Function-Based Treatments |
| (Applied Research) |
| KALLY M LUCK (University of Houston - Clear Lake), Dorothea C. Lerman (University of Houston-Clear Lake), Sarah Williams (University of Houston - Clear Lake), Victoria Fletcher (University of Houston -- Clear Lake), Landon Cowan (University of Houston- Clear Lake) |
| Abstract: Past research has demonstrated the effectiveness of a variety of function-based treatments, including differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO), differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA), and noncontingent reinforcement (NCR). However, the ease with which teachers can implement these procedures in busy classrooms may vary across possible treatment options. In this study, we compared the procedural integrity of teachers when implementing three different function-based interventions with and without the presence of environmental distractions. Experimenters taught five special education teachers to implement DRO, DRA, and NCR for escape-maintained problem behavior. Following training, the experimenters assessed the teachers’ procedural integrity in a simulated classroom setting. Although the teachers’ integrity was similarly high for all three treatments when the setting was free of distractions, their integrity for certain aspects of the procedures declined in the presence of common classroom distractions (e.g., other students engaging in problem behavior or requesting attention). In general, distractions were more likely to impact the integrity of DRA relative to DRO and NCR, particularly for the delivery of reinforcement and data collection. Furthermore, all teachers indicated that they were least likely to implement DRA in their classrooms. These findings have important implications for behavior analysts who consult in school settings |
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| Increasing the Training Repertoires of Human Service Staff Using a Technology-Based Intervention |
| (Applied Research) |
| TYLER ERATH (University of Kansas), Florence D. DiGennaro Reed (University of Kansas), Abigail Blackman (University of Kansas) |
| Abstract: Training integrity, or the degree to which a training procedure is implemented as intended, is a critical variable to providing effective and evidence-based training to staff working in human service settings. Recent literature has demonstrated a growing body of support for antecedent-only and technology-based training procedures as two potential modalities to increase the resource efficiency and integrity with which training is provided. Two studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of a technology-based, antecedent-only training procedure on the degree to which human service staff could be taught to use BST when teaching others how to implement behavioral procedures. Results across both studies suggest improvements in BST integrity following the video-based training for all participants. Brief experimenter feedback was necessary though to increase performance to mastery levels. Training effects generalized to implementation of other behavioral procedures and were also found to maintain at follow-up. These findings provide support for the use of a technology-based, antecedent training procedure to enhance the training repertoires of direct support staff operating as novice trainers, as well as one potential modality to increase the resource efficiency with which human service organizations can provide evidence-based training that aligns with best practice. |
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