Association for Behavior Analysis International

There is a growing focus and interest in including DEI values in research, practice, and dissemination in behavior analysis. As we learn to incorporate culture-specific components into our services, more is needed to develop a fluid understanding of this process. The first presentation includes a review of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) literature in ABA. The discussion will include overarching themes in previously published research and discussions for future studies. The second presentation will discuss a web-based training designed to teach consumers in Nigeria to conduct functional analyses. The discussion will include adjustments and considerations for providing telehealth services overseas. The third presentation includes the adaptation of an online training module tailored towards parents of Korean autistic children. The discussion will include the adaptation process of Autism Focused Intervention Resource and Modules (AFIRM) and the demonstration of behavior change following collaboration. The fourth presentation includes collaboration with Black families to develop individualized treatment to increase children’s cooperation with different hair care routines. The discussion will include opportunities for choice in treatment selection and idiosyncratic modifications that may be relevant to Black individuals. Implications of the presenter’s findings will be discussed.

Prerequisite skills include understanding of basic behavior principles, functional assessment, and behavior skills training. It is recommended that learners are also familiar with some recent literature related to culture in behavior analysis.

Families in Nigeria have limited access to professionals with expertise on the functional analysis and treatment of behavior disorders. Preparing professionals in Nigeria via synchronous remote training may address this barrier to services. However, issues involving restricted access to web-based devices, poor Internet connection, and time zone differences may limit the practicality of synchronous training. This study evaluated the effectiveness of remote behavioral skills training via a culturally sensitive, self-paced eLearning tool. Training included lectures on the fundamentals of behavior analysis, video modeling of functional analysis conditions, and modified roleplay that involved observing video scenarios and entering how to respond in those situations while receiving automated feedback. A total of five professionals who work with children with autism in Nigeria have completed this training. Experimenters evaluated baseline performance through role plays of functional analysis conditions. After the participants completed the web-based training, they conducted functional analyses in role plays and with an actual child in the absence of feedback. Results showed substantial increases in procedural integrity and interpretation of functional analysis data following training. These results suggested the efficacy of this self-based eLearning tool for preparing professionals in Nigeria to conduct functional analyses of challenging behavior.

In this study, we adapted Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (AFIRM; Sam et al., 2020), originally developed by the University of North Carolina Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute for Korean parents following the Cultural Adaptation Checklist framework (Lee et al., 2023). Following parents’ input during the adaptation process, we conducted a multiple probe design study to examine the effects of the online modules (Korean-AFIRM; K-AFIRM) and coaching on three Korean parents’ fidelity to the implementation of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI) strategies. Three children aged 5 to 7 years (2 males, 1 female) participated in the study. Visual analysis (Ledford et al., 2018) was conducted to examine the trend, level, variability, and immediacy of effect across three parents to evaluate whether a functional relation between the module+coaching and parent fidelity of implementation was demonstrated. During the presentation, we will present the graph, results of the visual analysis, and the standardized mean difference (SMD) measure (Hedges et al., 2012; Shadish et al., 2014) as well as implications for future research and practice.

Behavior analysts have an ethical responsibility to consider the culture of the individuals we serve. This practice may include increasing awareness, seeking knowledge, and practicing the skills to provide culturally responsive care. One underexplored area is hair grooming for Black children with autism. Though there is existing research on increasing cooperation with hair grooming among children, little has been done to address hair-grooming differences that are more unique to Black individuals. Given these differences, it is important for clinicians to take a culturally responsive approach when helping families with this need. This may include involving caregivers and other relevant stakeholders in the assessment and intervention process. The current study utilizes a participatory research approach toward developing a treatment package to increase cooperation and decrease indices of distress with hair grooming procedures. Our approach included collaborating with caregivers to identify treatment goals, develop task analyses, and select ecologically important treatments. In this presentation, we will also discuss critical decision-making points, social validity of behavior-change programs, and the importance of developing culturally relevant protocols.