Association for Behavior Analysis International

This study is a replication of Satsangi, Bouck, and Roberts (2016) with three 6th grade students with learning or intellectual disabilities who received special education services in a large suburban school. A single subject alternating treatments design was used to analyze the effects of concrete and virtual manipulatives on the percent of correctly solved one and two-step linear algebraic equations. Concrete manipulatives involved physically manipulating algebra tiles to solve an equation. Virtual manipulatives were computer-based algebra tiles presented on a website. Students had access to concrete and virtual manipulatives to solve algebraic equations during baseline. During intervention phase, virtual and concrete manipulatives randomly alternated to assess student performance. The last phase consisted of the best treatment only. All students exceeded their average baseline scores using both forms of manipulatives across intervention and best treatment phases. The average Percentage of Non-overlapping Data across participants (90%) and a combined weighted average Tau-U (0.93) confirmed concrete manipulatives as a highly effective intervention for all students and virtual manipulatives as a highly effective intervention for two of the three students. Interobserver-agreement for 30% of the sessions ranged from 83.5% to 100% across participants. Treatment integrity was 100% for all three students in this study.

High-risk youth who experience emotional, mental, or behavioral disturbances are often placed in residential care. Implementing escape extinction is not always feasible or appropriate in residential care and can be counter-productive if not implemented with high fidelity. However, manipulating the parameters of reinforcement (rate, quality, magnitude, immediacy) may be an effective alternative to extinction. Additionally, previous research has shown that self-monitoring can promote on-task behavior for individuals with emotional and behavioral disorders. We evaluated the effects of self-monitoring and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior without extinction to increase on-task behavior during educational tasks in a 13-year-old male residing at a psychiatric residential treatment facility. During baseline, the participant engaged in on-task behavior during 0% of the intervals. During the intervention phase, on-task behavior increased during both morning and afternoon observations. Results suggest that when extinction is not feasible, alternative strategies may be successful in reducing inappropriate behavior and increasing appropriate behavior.

Once aware of the power of the principles of behavior systematically applied to help to understand, explain, and predict behaviors, overt and private, those such experiences cannot help but to shape perspectives, grind the lens, by which a parent, or a child, learns to see the world. Modeling, exposure in the natural everyday setting, eventually allows deconstruction of events to the level of factors to understand the past or modify the future, be it the trajectory of ones child, or an event of world history. The 18 years of interactions, noticing patterns of behaviors, habits, offered a lifetime of opportunities for a child and parent to notice such patterns, and eventually explain and predict such patterns automatically, as the habit itself of doing so became "second nature," the neural mechanisms for doing so remaining intact reinforced naturally even when not intending to "apply behaviorism," and even phases of rejecting it. While the Dad/behaviorist was privileged to have had many outstanding ABA instructors, some of the greatest understanding of the real world application of the principles of behavior were taught by the growing daughter behaviorist. Behavioral Momentum, Successive Approximations, and Token Economies transformed from ideas on posters, to common explanations of everyday life. this presentation shares many more principles from the unique shared dad/daughter perspective from Pre k thru college application

There has been an increasing presence using electronic data collection (EDC) among applied behavior analysis (ABA) services. Studies show that both generic and custom-built proprietary software can effectively and accurately collect behavior data similar to traditional pen-and-paper data collection. The current poster evaluated the efficiency of computer-assisted relational training procedures in educational settings over an entire semester. In study one, an exploratory randomized trial was conducted using eight IEP-eligible students in a public school setting. Students were randomly assigned to either the control group or the experiment group. Through the course of three weeks, ABA instructions for students assigned to the experiment group transitioned to computer-assisted relational training. Results showed a significant increase in overall efficiency in relational training procedures compared with those in the control group (p = .003). Study two evaluated the overall outcome of a semester-long computer-assisted relational training procedure as well as its social validity and feasibility. Results from both studies suggested that EDC might offer unique benefits in extending relational training into educational settings. Implications of using EDC to assist relational training were discussed.

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) helps build a functional communicative repertoire, including requesting, thus acquisition of picture exchange may result in reductions in problematic behavior if the requests act as a replacement behavior. Current research provides inconclusive data regarding the impact of acquisition of picture exchange on problem behavior (absent additional intervention components). In addition, these studies collected behavior data for only 5-15 min sessions during or after PECS training. We taught four preschool students with autism to communicate using picture exchange using the PECS Phase I-IIIB protocol and collected data on their problem behavior across the day for at least 2 days a week for 4 months. The results suggest that the acquisition of picture exchange through Phase IIIB did not diminish problem behavior and thus may not reduce problem behaviors in schools independent of other intervention components. The acquisition of picture exchange through Phase IIIB across all participants did not result in an increase in problem behaviors, suggesting that PECS does not result in increased distress.

This study assessed the effects of Direct Instruction Peer Tutoring (Stein et al., 2018) on the automaticity and mastery of multiplication and division facts. In an inclusive, general education classroom, thirteen fourth grade students ranging in ability levels participated. The study utilized a single-case, multiple-probe design across math fact levels. Each participant was individually assessed and monitored using permanent product timed tests across four Direct Instruction Peer Tutoring levels, determined from a pretest. The dependent variable was the amount of correctly written products or quotients for the given basic facts. The independent variable was Direct Instruction Peer Tutoring utilizing a system of basic fact levels to promote retention across a math operation. The class was grouped into pairs with one peer monitoring their partner’s practice and providing corrective feedback. The study blended Direct Instruction Peer Tutoring with Response to Intervention and differentiation practices by providing individualized support across math operations, target levels, varied assessment timings, and self-monitoring. Results of the study indicated that Direct Instruction Peer Tutoring was highly effective with all participants increasing their accuracy and fluency of basic facts and maintaining mastery across four levels. Routine, repeated practice, immediate feedback, and individualized support contributed to this study’s success.

This study’s purpose was to evaluate the effects of a Token Economy on decreasing the number of talk-outs by two 14-year-old middle school students in a self-contained classroom. One participant had an intellectual disability, and the other had ADHD. Both displayed high rates of talk-outs that disrupted the classroom and prevented learning. Within a reversal design, an event recording data system added the number of talk-outs during a 10-minute session. For intervention, the Token Economy system began with goal setting that session’s talk-out maximum number. Without interrupting the class, the researchers recorded each participant’s talk-outs for ten minutes. To earn a star, the session’s talk-out total had to be less than the goal specified at the beginning of the session. For every three stars earned, the participant had a choice to exchange his stars for one of five preferred items. If the session goal was not met, the participant did not earn a star. For both participants, high rates of talk-outs during baseline decreased to near zero levels during intervention. The Token Economy intervention proved successful in the classroom setting due to goal setting, explicit rules, contingent feedback, student voice, and choice of reinforcers.