Association for Behavior Analysis International

The guiding principle of inclusive education is all children, regardless of perceived differences, have equal opportunities to quality education. Closing the gap between the guiding principle and practices at school has been widely researched and still no optimal inclusive approach has been found to address diversities. While studies on inclusive education indicating that successful inclusive practice must consider personal traits of both students and teachers, there is a dire need to equip mainstream classroom teachers with the knowledge and skills in developing personalized inclusive education practice that cater the needs of both teacher and students in their classrooms. This study presented a A-B single subject design study to investigate 1) how would applied behavior analysis (ABA) and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) contributes to professional development in mainstream teacher in developing effective inclusive practices, and 2) the conducive factors in facilitating the emergence of personalized inclusive practices in a mainstream classroom. The findings revealed that ABA and DRO training in teachers that enable them to identify and manipulate IV are needed in developing effective inclusive practices. Support by professionals leads to empowerment in teachers in integrating the newly constructed knowledge and skills into existing repertoire into a cohesive whole.

Previous Studies examined factors that lead to division among minority college students that resulted in bias and discrimination in the acceptance and retention of students of color. Hagedorn et.al (1996) looked at achievement outcome among diverse demographics of students at a four year university. Furthermore, dropout behavior in minority students was largely attributed to lack of social interactions and mentoring opportunities. In the current study we examine the enrollment of students at Indiana University-South Bend is 72.8% White, 9.73% Hispanic or Latino, 6.68% Black or African American, 3.02% two or more races. There is a decreasing trend over the last 5 years in the enrollment and graduation of African American students. The total degrees awarded recently White Female 470 degrees awarded, White Male, 243 degrees awarded, Black or African American Female 41 degrees awarded and 31 degrees African American males. There is a need to increase the enrollment of minority students across regional colleges as they struggle with outreach to underrepresented students, retention and graduation efforts. Cipani (2017) offers behavior analytic methods to examine problems and present them in a scientific way that can then be utilized to offer real life applications.

Many individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) fail to acquire manding repertoires sufficient for success in a range of environments. Further, those without this essential repertoire may exhibit increased levels of problem behaviors to access reinforcers or escape aversive stimuli. Since school plays a critical role in the lives of most children with DD, educators are responsible for ensuring all students receive adequate instruction in the effective use of mands. Unfortunately, many educators may be unfamiliar with procedures for implementing mand training and may not see themselves as responsible for communication instruction. To more strongly advocate for the inclusion of mand training procedures in schools and in teacher preparation programs it is important to better understand the literature related to mand training in schools. In the current poster, the presenters will provide data related to mand training for students with DD in school settings across a range of variables including school demographics, change agent characteristics, staff training procedures, intervention procedures, technology, dosage, and range of instructional targets. The presenters will discuss implications for research and practice.

The typical elementary schooldays are filled with examples of behavioral concepts, terminology, and phenomena. Students, teachers, and parents (indeed, all of us) are constantly living a breath and depth of behavior more robust than any textbook can capture, but rarely are those experiences captured, labeled, defined, or described in behavioral terms. This presentation highlights various domains in which one could classify these behavioral phenomena and terms. These categories overlap and include but are not limited to those involving interactions between students and staff, students and other students, and students and other aspects of their antecedent state milieu. Among them are behavioral momentum, successive approximations, shaping, chains of behaviors, reinforcement, things that decrease likelihood of future behavior emission (punishment), token economies, latency, and over correction, among many others. Elementary school students and staff engage in behaviors throughout the day but are unlikely to capture them, label them, or understand them in behavioral terms. Yet any time behavior changes, by definition, those involved have followed the principles of behavior even without realizing it. Particularly with terms and concepts deemed to be societally sensitive, such as punishment, the greater exposure, done well, might lead to less misunderstanding, and greater acceptance of behaviorally based approaches. Highlighting the most clear cut examples of such could be used to help understand and modify behavior, and done well, could serve to increase awareness of Applied Behavior Analytic practices, and perhaps contribute to a greater acceptance of, and less resistance to, the discipline and its approaches.

Applied behavior analytic methods have been used to effectively train individuals to utilize a variety of individualized instructional approaches (e.g., Discrete Trial Training) with learners with developmental disabilities. However, limited research exists that has evaluated the effectiveness of training methods for use with special educators to utilize complex instructional practices aligned to grade level content for learners pursuing a diploma in a small group instructional setting. The current study included an evaluation of various training components (e.g., bug in the ear, guided lesson planning, behavioral skills training) to increase the curricular treatment integrity across two curricula as delivered by career English/Language Arts teachers. Curricular treatment integrity included a complex instructional repertoire that included components such as teacher think alouds, use of explicit instruction model, use of scaffolds during independent practice opportunities. Results will be evaluated at the conclusion of the studies. Early findings highlight the need for additional research for this population of students pursuing a diploma in a group instructional environment.

Despite the need for effective approaches to training new teachers given the current teacher shortages, few researchers have evaluated training approaches for instructional practices to be used in a small group instructional setting for learners pursuing a diploma. The current study included an evaluation of a training package to increase the complexity of instructional demands delivered by early career teachers during small group science instruction. Instructional demands were evaluated across the following domains: demand complexity (e.g., know vs. application), type of response (e.g., recall, fill in the blank, open ended), and active student method (e.g., choral, Turn and Talk). Training included pre-requisite instruction on the domains described above, supported lesson planning, development of scripts to be used during instruction, and en vivo coaching. Results will be evaluated via single subject design at the conclusion of the study. Expected findings highlight the need for ongoing research in this area to inform efficient training practices for early career teachers who will be delivering group instruction to learners with developmental disabilities.

Effectively using data to guide decision making has been identified as the most powerful educational strategy at educators' disposal (Hattie, 2008). Recent data from large scale studies and program evaluations reveals three key findings about the state of data within K-12 education: 1) educators have access to more data now than ever before, 2) effective decision-making models exist to guide educators' use of these data, and 3) data are not typically being used effectively in schools. This study experimentally tests the effects of a newly developed professional development package targeting Academic Team-initiated Problem Solving (AcTIPS), on the decision making process used by the reading supports team (consisting of 5 members) in one elementary school. The primary dependent variables were the team’s use of effective problem solving procedures as indicated by the percent of points earned on subscales of the Decision, Observation, Recording and Analysis (DORA-II) tool. Data from a concurrent multiple baseline across skills design indicate that the professional development package was successful in changing the decision making behavior of data team members across the three fundamental domains of team-initiated problem solving performance: Meeting Foundations, Problem Solving, and Implementation & Adaptation. At each stage of the multiple baseline design the team documented immediate and sustained improvement in functioning following delivery of the AcTIPS package. Data were analyzed using visual analysis and non-overlap of all pairs (NAP). Both analyses indicated clear and compelling effects of the training package on team members' decision-making behavior.

Social-communication skills impact academic achievement, social-emotional development, and relationships with others. Therefore, early interventions that support and promote the development of these skills are needed for young children with disabilities who have delays or deficits in their communication skills. To date, in Israel, there are limited training materials in the native language for caregivers related to practices that support social-communication skills of young children with disabilities. Access to quality training is very restricted due to a shortage in native-speaking qualified experts in this area and the cost of such training. Online self-paced, self-directed training modules, developed in the US, which include information on evidence-based behavioral practices for promoting children's' social-communication skills were translated and culturally adapted to address the needs of caregivers in Israel. The purpose of this project was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the online training modules, based on the ecological validity framework. Satisfaction questionnaires and focus groups with caregivers and professionals were conducted and are currently being analyzed using qualitative methodology. The poster will include a description of the process and framework used to inform the ecological validity of the culturally and linguistically adapted modules and the data collected from different stakeholders during the process.