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| How Do We Teach That? Effective Strategies for Teaching Behavior Analytic Skills |
| Saturday, May 24, 2025 |
| 10:00 AM–10:50 AM |
| Marriott Marquis, M2 Level, Marquis Salon 12-13 |
| Area: VBC/AUT; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Kimberly R. Ford (University of South Florida) |
| CE Instructor: Kimberly R. Ford, M.A. |
| Abstract: Often, the understanding and application of behavior analytic principles by stakeholders (e.g., caregivers) can make a profound difference in the efficacy of treatment for autistic individuals. Teaching stakeholders’ skills related to these principles can be accomplished in many different ways, as exemplified by the studies in this symposium. The first study explored communication strategies (e.g., terminology use; use of examples) used when teaching verbal operants to lay listeners. The second study consisted of a literature review and experimental evaluation on the use of potentially problematic terminology and its impact on procedural fidelity. The third study evaluated the efficacy of video modeling in training caregivers to implement Phases 1- 3a of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) with their children. The fourth study investigated the efficacy of behavior skills training (BST) in teaching soft skills (i.e., solution-based problem solving) to graduate students in a behavior analysis program. Each of these studies lends new insight to best practices in teaching and training neurotypical adults to understand and apply behavior analytic principles which should foster better service delivery and improved outcomes to individuals receiving services. Finally, the discussant will provide valuable comments about each of these studies. |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Keyword(s): BST, PECS, Procedural Fidelity, Verbal Behavior |
| Target Audience: Practicing behavior analysts, researchers, BCBA's within first 5 years of practice, graduate students, BCBA's providing parent training. |
Learning Objectives: 1. Participants will be exposed to several, varied experimental design methods applied to teaching different skills.
2. Participants will be able to identify potentially aversive behavior analytic terminology and how it effects procedural fidelity.
3. Attendees will be exposed to the use video modeling to teach implementation of the PECS protocol
4. Attendees will be exposed to a novel application of BST to the teaching soft skills. |
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| Effects of Differing Communication Methods on Recall, Clarity, and Perceived Understanding of Verbal Operant Terminology |
| MICHELLE LYNN AMMON (Louisiana State University Shreveport), Margaret Rachel Gifford (Louisiana State University Shreveport), Grace Hildenbrand (Louisiana State University Shreveport), Brandi Butler (Louisiana State University Shreveport) |
| Abstract: As behavior analysts acting in the speaker role, it is important to consider how a [lay] listener’s learning history with a term may differ from its intended purpose (Foxx, 1996). The science of behavior analysis seems to have its own lexicon, with words that deviate from their colloquial use (e.g., tact) or present as vernacular unique to the profession (e.g., mand). The purpose of this examination was to evaluate how differing communication methods as a speaker impact a [lay] listener’s recall, clarity, and perceived understanding of verbal operant terminology. Six different variations of videos explaining mands, tacts, and intraverbals were shown to 522 qualifying participants. The six video types included jargon, no jargon, jargon with repetition, jargon without repetition, jargon with examples, and jargon without examples. Participants viewed their assigned video and then completed a variety of tasks measuring recall, clarity, and perceived understanding of the verbal operants. Data analysis consisted of a 2 (jargon/no jargon) x 3 (explanation strategy: control, repetition, examples) posttest-only, between-subjects design. Significant effects were found between no jargon and recall, examples and clarity, and examples and jargon on perceived understanding. To put results colloquially, avoid jargon and use examples when teaching verbal operant terminology. |
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| Evaluation of Video Modeling to Teach Caregivers to Implement Picture Exchange Communication System |
| CARLIE GRACE LAWSON (University of South Florida), Catia Cividini-Motta Cividini (University of South Florida), Meka McCammon (University of South Florida) |
| Abstract: Individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities may not develop functional vocal repertoires. For these individuals, the use of an alternative augmentative communication (AAC) system may be required. Training caregivers to use an AAC system with their children can increase communication in the home. The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is a type of AAC commonly used with individuals that have little or no vocal speech. Video modeling is a training procedure that has been shown to be effective when training individuals to implement behavioral analytic procedures. To date, there is no published research on the use of video modeling to train caregivers to implement PECS procedures. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess whether video modeling was effective at teaching caregivers to implement the first three phases of the PECS. Additionally, this study evaluated if training caregivers to implement PECS with their children increased mands emitted by their child. Results showed that, following implementation of video modeling, all caregivers reached mastery criteria in each phase of PECS and that skills of the caregivers maintained over time. Additionally, results show an increase in independent manding across all three children after the caregivers were trained to implement the PECS procedures. |
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Evaluation of Behavioral Skills Training (BST) to Teach Problem-Solving Skills to Graduate Students |
| MEGAN MARIE HARPER (Marquette University), Tiffany Kodak (Marquette University), Jessi Reidy (Marquette University) |
| Abstract: Board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) are required to demonstrate a variety of hard and soft skills in their clinical roles. Researchers have found that 45% of BCBA supervisors reported deficits in soft skills are more common than deficits in hard skills (Cowan & Kodak, 2024). Additionally, they found that soft skills like solution-based problem-solving lead to promotion but are most in need of improvement. Although the Behavior Analyst Certification Board has created an outline of skills to teach trainees soft skills, there is a lack of empirically validated procedures for how to teach them. Behavioral skills training (BST) is a method for teaching trainees a variety of hard skills, but it has not been empirically validated as a method for teaching soft skills (Andzin and Kranak, 2021). A multiple-baseline across participants design was used to evaluate the efficacy of BST to teach graduate students in a behavior analysis program to engage in solution-based problem-solving. For both participant 1 and participant 2, there was a significant and an immediate level change in the percentage of correct responses from baseline to BST sessions. Participant 1 continued to engage in high levels of responding up to 1-month post-mastery. Data collection is ongoing. |
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