Association for Behavior Analysis International

There exists a growing body of research showing the effectiveness of technology in areas such as treatment integrity and social skills for individuals with ASD. In this data-based symposium, the presenters will expand upon 2 such uses of technology in the field of ABA. The first presenter used a multiple baseline design to illustrate the use of remote instruction, remote video modeling, remote quizzes and feedback and their effects on multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessments (PA). The results illustrate the value of remote behavior skills training to teachers in special education. The second presenter used a multiple baseline design to evaluate students’ frequency of appropriate social initiations to typical peers with and without the use of an Apple Watch. The results expand upon previous research in this area and suggest that Apple Watches can be a effective means to teach social skills. Both studies extend the growing body of literature on technology and its contributions to the field of ABA.

Attendees should have an understanding of multiple baseline designs as both presentations will present data in this format.

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience skill deficits when interacting with typical peers, which can inhibit their ability to form friendships and participate in inclusive educational settings. In the current study, the researcher evaluated the effects of delivering textual prompts using an Apple Watch® to increase appropriate social initiations of students with high-functioning ASD in a clinical setting in the presence of typical peers. A single-case, multiple baseline design was used to evaluate students’ frequency of appropriate social initiations with and without the intervention. In addition, the researcher incorporated script fading and a discriminative stimulus (emoji) to evaluate whether these interventions led to the creation of novel statements and produced generality of responding by the participants. The results showed that the intervention was effective at increasing appropriate and independent social initiations and led to the creation of novel phrases by the participants. This research extends the previous research on the use of the Apple Watch® as an effective social skills intervention. Limitations and areas of future research are discussed.

Implementation fidelity of evidence-based behavior assessment and intervention is critical for pre-service special education teachers who enter the classroom for the first time. To support the use of evidence-based assessment, the effectiveness of a remote Behavior Skills Training (BST) package was evaluated on pre-service special education teachers' implementation of a Multiple Stimulus without Replacement Preference Assessment (MSWO). BST components included remote instruction, remote video modeling, a remote quiz, and explicit feedback. This study was conducted to (a) evaluate the effects of pre-service special education teachers’ fidelity when implementing an MSWO preference assessment using remote BST, (b) measure the maintained training gains over and extended time frame, and (c) understand the perception of pre-service special education teachers' acceptability of the training package using social validity measures. Results suggest that a remote BST package is a viable training strategy when training pre-service special education teachers to implement MSWO preference assessments. Implications of these findings for both professional development, training, and pre-service teachers will be discussed.