Association for Behavior Analysis International

As the goal of applied behavior analysis is socially significant outcomes, an intervention is incomplete without a consideration of social validity from the consumers themselves. When working with autistic individuals/individuals with autism and their families, it is insufficient to assume that meaningful outcomes automatically follow instruction. For minors, involvement of caregivers before the start of intervention, and throughout the process, is a critical component to ensure the intervention has a positive impact on the child and family as a whole. To provide an example of the application of family involvement at all stages of the planning and intervention processes, a study to teach the concept of privacy to three autistic children/children with autism will be shared. First, the importance of identifying caregiver priorities and setting a plan to meet those needs will be discussed, along with examples. Then, results of the study will be shared, along with explanation of the procedural modifications that were made and the involvement of caregivers in that process. Lastly, a description of social validity measures will be provided, along with examples as it relates to teaching the concept of privacy.

BCBAs, BCaBAs, and those working towards national certification

Autistic individuals/individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulty discriminating which behaviors are appropriate in different contexts. Additionally, inhibiting actions in public locations that are only appropriate in a private context is a foundational and essential safety skill for children. The current study used discrete trial training (DTT) to teach discrimination of public and private locations and actions. Three participants, ages 8, 9, and 14, with a primary diagnosis of ASD were included in the study. The training targeted different skills, including discriminating whether an action or location is public or private, naming public and private actions and locations, identifying an appropriate location in which a specific public or private action may be performed, and identifying an appropriate action that may be performed in a specific public or private location. This study used a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention, with additional probes to assess for generalization. Modifications were made to accommodate each participant, with input from caregivers, with all participants demonstrating progress in their understanding of the concept of privacy. Results suggest that DTT is effective for teaching discrimination of public and private behaviors, with modifications, to autistic individuals/individuals with ASD.