Association for Behavior Analysis International

The purpose of the annual meeting of members is for ABAI leadership to provide an update on the ongoing activities of and major developments in the association.

Revive and refresh from the busy conference with this yoga session open to all. No experience necessary to participate. A certified instructor will take you through this 1 hour long mixed level yoga class. Bring a mat or towel and wear comfortable clothes (no shoes).

This talk will provide a brief overview of procedures used in the behavioral pharmacology of learning and remembering with a focus on prescription drugs used to treat clients with intellectual disabilities. The talk will also provide a more detailed analysis of research using novel procedures that vary the number of stimuli to remember as well as the retention interval. We will briefly review findings from the animal laboratory on drugs that impair learning and memory as well as the search for “cognitive enhancers.” Factors that have made it difficult to translate findings from the animal behavioral pharmacology laboratory to improvements in human learning and remembering will be discussed and we will consider the implications of these difficulties for the treatment of clients with intellectual disabilities.

Researchers and practitioners interested in the behavioral pharmacology of learning and remembering.

Approximately 6.5 million animals reside in animal shelters at any given time (ASPCA, 2017). Approximately 25% of animals surrendered to shelters are surrendered due to behavior problems (Salman et al., 1998). Certain behaviors during interaction with potential adopters, may hinder the chances of adoption (Protopopova & Wynne, 2014). However, there have been few behavior analytic studies conducted to address dog behavior in the shelter environment. One area that has been evaluated is the functional analysis of problem behavior in owned dogs (Dorey, Tobias, Udell, & Wynne, 2012; Hall, Protopopova, & Wynne, 2015). While successful, these studies do not account for variables that may influence the behavior of dogs in animal shelters, which may vary greatly from the home environment. This symposium addresses these variables in two areas. First, Grisom and Payne conducted descriptive analyses of dog problem behavior in the animal shelter and determined several variables that have not been previously considered in the functional assessment literature. Second, Salazar, et al. conducted an assessment of human attention as a reinforcer for shelter dog behavior and used response-stimulus pairing procedures to condition attention as a reinforcer.

Ample research has demonstrated the effectiveness of behavior analytic procedures for producing substantial improvements in relatively socially meaningful behaviors, for example, severe behaviors, social behavior, and the elementary verbal operants. Relatively little behavioral research has addressed complex human verbal behavior. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a contemporary behavior analytic approach to psychotherapy that is based on an analysis of relations between complex human verbal behavior and other socially relevant overt behaviors. Although ACT has primarily been applied by clinical psychologists, its basis is entirely behavior analytic and great potential exists for combining ACT with applied behavior analysis. This symposium brings together three presentations on ACT from a behavior analytic perspective. The first presentation, by Elizabeth Meshes, is a conceptual presentation that ties together the ACT literature and the behavior analytic literature on self-control versus impulsivity (aka delay discounting). The second presentation, by Jessica Hinman, describes a study that used an ACT approach to training self-perspective taking an evaluates collateral effects on physiological measures. The third presentation, by Sebastian Garcia-Zambrano, describes a study that employed a defusion approach to training flexible self-directed verbal behavior.

Board certified behavior analysts working with individuals with autism with well developed verbal repertoires

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) was originally developed as a behavioral approach to psychotherapy for treating disorders traditionally treated by clinical psychology, including substance abuse, depression, and anxiety. However, the functional analyses that form the foundation of ACT are equally applicable to anyone who has verbal behavior and rule-governed behavior that interacts with socially meaningful overt behavior. Most problems of behavior faced by typically developing adolescents and adults involve making difficult choices between smaller short term reinforcers (e.g., avoiding work) versus larger longer-term reinforcers (e.g., successful career). Delay discounting research has shown clearly that unfavorable delays and proportions of reinforcement determine that individuals will make less favorable behavioral choices. At the core of the ACT model is the attempt to transform the function of verbal behavior such that choosing the harder choice in the short term in order to access the larger reinforcer later is more probable. This presentation will present the radical behavioral conceptual analysis behind this process and discuss applicability across work with individuals with autism, parents of children with autism, and behavioral supervision of staff. Potential for using this analysis for extending applied behavior analysis into other important areas of applied work will also be discussed.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of using Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) with adolescents and young adults with autism to change the function of verbal statements made about the self while talking about a negative thought. Throughout the study, participants will wear an Empatica wristband measuring physiological responses. Participants will determine a negative thought they have about themselves and discuss why they believe the thought is true. Participants will then receive a version of ACT and be asked to talk about the same negative thought. Verbal statements about the self and physiological measures before and after ACT will be compared. Preliminary anecdotal results for three typically developing adults suggest that ACT was effective in increasing self-as-context statements and decreasing self-as-content and reason giving statements. Additionally, the physiological data show stabilization while discussing the negative thought after receiving ACT, suggesting that ACT can change the function of verbal statements and affect physiological responses. While little research has been done on using ACT with adolescents and young adults with autism, the preliminary and expected results of this study suggest a clinical utility of ACT to improve the way individuals with autism interact with their thoughts.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of a defusion exercise in combination with perspective- taking interactions as a brief protocol based on the Relational Frame Theory. The protocol is designed to train deictic frames (I-YOU, HERE-THERE, AND NOW-THEN) in conjunction with an exercise of defusion focused on the regulation of verbal statements about the self. A pre-post design with control group is implemented to evaluate the effects of the protocol on the probability of occurrence of self-as-context and self-as-content statements. Adolescents with autism are selected and assigned to each group based on the frequency of self-as-content statements. After the assignment of the participants to each group, each participant is interviewed individually through a structured interview aimed at identifying deictic frames and negative statements. Then, participants in the treatment group receive the protocol of defusion and deictic frames individually, and participants in the control group receive a Behavioral Skills Training session on an individual basis. Finally, participants are interviewed individually through an interview based on the identification of deictic relationships and negative statements about the self. A preliminary result showed an increase of the probability of occurrence of the self-as-context statements after the implementation of the protocol.

Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge (PEAK) Relational Training System is a four part assessment and curricula that includes programs related to direct training, training for generalization, and training via stimulus equivalence and relational frame theory. PEAK Relational Training System assessments and curricula are designed to be easily accessible by anyone, but programs with more advanced or less commonly applied verbal behavior concepts may be problematic for non-expert personnel. The current set of studies evaluate the effects of training strategies used with staff to teach them how to utilize PEAK relational training system validly. Results will be discussed.

Practitioners and therapists who conduct discrete trials with children with autism.

The present study sought to evaluate the extent to which behavioral skills training (BST) program impacted treatment integrity for six direct care staff (3 male, 3 female; aged 20-25) implementing the Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge Relational Training System (PEAK) with six individuals with autism (5 male, 1 female; aged 9-12). Students and their respective target programs were selected based on PEAK-DT PA and PEAK-DT Assessment results. BST improved overall procedural integrity for all staff involved and, more importantly, all six learners with autism improved their total percentage scores specific to the targeted programs. Generalization probes were conducted at 2-months post-BST, and all staff performance maintained well above baseline levels with novel programs. The importance of appropriate training and treatment integrity specific to the implementation of PEAK is discussed.

PEAK Relational Training System assessments and curricula are designed to be easily accessible by anyone, but programs with more advanced or less commonly applied verbal behavior concepts may be problematic for non-expert personnel. On advanced PEAK-DT programs, behavior technicians, parents, or other service implementers may choose inappropriate stimuli for training, or fail to insert stimuli at all. Three participants (2 female, 1 male; aged 21-23) working in an autism clinic demonstrated 100% accuracy in selecting appropriate stimuli to train on PEAK programs such as tacting animals and colors. However, accuracy of stimuli selected on more advanced programs (e.g., programs for metaphorical emotions, autoclitics, metonymical tacts) averaged 37% across participants in baseline conditions. In multiple baselines across two advanced PEAK programs, each participant received lists of additional multiple exemplars of appropriate stimuli to target in training. Provision of additional exemplars resulted in 93-100% accuracy across all targeted programs. Generalization probes verified participants could successfully generate additional appropriate novel stimuli for training. Results suggest that PEAK users may wish to keep records of stimuli used for programs to increase future accuracy and ease of implementation in more challenging programs.

The current studies evaluated the effectiveness of three paraprofessionals' implementation of equivalence based multiple exemplar training following behavioral skills training (BST). The paraprofessionals were trained using programs from Promoting the Emergence of Advance Knowledge Relational Training System-Equivalence (PEAK-E) and Transformation (PEAK-T) Modules. Both consist of evidence based assessment and curriculum that uses behavior analytic language and discrete trial process to promote language skills and the use of stimulus equivalence. Each was used as a tool to teach paraprofessionals how to apply equivalence training following BST. Two multiple baseline designs were used to implement a behavioral skills training package across three paraprofessionals in an autism classroom. Task analyses were used to teach symmetrical relations among weather, seasons, and months using a program in PEAK-E (data included). Results showed that paraprofessionals unfamiliar with behavior analytic language used PEAK-E to conduct multiple exemplar training following BST.

Equivalence-based instruction has utilized a one to many, many to one, and linear series training structure, with varying degrees of effectiveness. These three studies demonstrate the efficacy of equivalence-based instruction using three different training structures. In Experiment One, a participant diagnosed with autism will be taught to sort a variety of physically dissimilar items, followed by visual-visual match-to-sample training. It is expected that posttests will demonstrate the formation of generalized equivalence classes and generalization of money skills to the natural setting. Experiment Two will assess for the emergence of selection and topography-based verbal and non-verbal behavior in two children diagnosed with autism. Visual-visual conditional discrimination training and tact training will be conducted through an equivalence-based format. It is hypothesized that nine additional relations will be demonstrated following the training of three relations for each stimulus class. Experiment Three demonstrated that learners emitted substantially more errors and formed fewer equivalence classes with a trial-and-error protocol compared to an errorless learning protocol. It is anticipated that these results will be replicated when the reinforcement density is kept constant across both training conditions. These three experiments will expand upon the existing equivalence research through the use of different training structures.

This presentation is appropriate for behavior analysts of an intermediate and advanced skill level.

Equivalence based instruction has been demonstrated to be an efficient strategy for teaching a variety of individuals functional money skills; however, the generalization of the emerged relations in the natural environment has yet to be assessed. Several equivalence-based studies, conducted in laboratory settings, have utilized a variety of pictures of the stimulus class members during conditional discrimination training to form generalized equivalence classes. The purpose of the current study is to demonstrate the emergence of a minimal generalized equivalence class in an applied setting. In the current study a 14 year-old boy, diagnosed with autism, will be taught to sort a variety of physically different items (C) that can be purchased at a school store based on price. Followed by training the participant to match coins (B) to their corresponding written values (A) and items that can be purchased in a school store (C) to their corresponding assigned coin values (B). After acquisition of trained relations, all tests for a minimal generalized equivalence class and generalization probes of purchasing a variety of items in a school store will be conducted. These data will be discussed in terms of maximizing student learning and programming for stimulus generalization during conditional discrimination training.

Teaching children with autism to select members of a class by category name (e.g. selecting drum in the presence of the spoken word instrument), tact the class of a stimulus (e.g. saying furniture when shown a chair or bed), and match members within a class to one another (e.g. fork to knife; guitar to piano) are three skills that are often addressed in language acquisition programming. The applied literature, however, lacks evidence of participants demonstrating this type of class formation, as well as efficient teaching procedures to produce. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficiency and efficacy of training one arbitrary visual-visual conditional discrimination (D-B) and two tacts (B-Name and C-Name) and then testing for the emergence of nine additional untrained relations: tacting by class name (D-Name), selecting members of the class in the presence of the auditory stimulus (A-B, A-C, & A-D) and arbitrarily matching class members to one another (C-B, B-D, C-D, D-C). The participants included two children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. It is expected that the results of this study will demonstrate the emergence of these nine untrained relations across three stimulus classes, with only three directly trained relations.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are lifelong neurodevelopmental disabilities (Allen & Rapin, 1990). The number of referrals for evaluation of children with ASD has dramatically increased since it was first recognized as a disability in China 1982. The Mental Health Institute of Beijing University reported that more children being referred for suspected ASD than any other mental health issues, and the numbers rose 210% from 1980 to 1999. Researchers estimate that over one million children in China have autism using the prevalence rate of 6 in 1,000 from the United States (Wang, 2008). A 2001 Chinese government survey reported that intensive behavioral intervention was the most requested service by parents of children with ASD (Yang, 2003). However, there is a severe shortage of professionals who can deliver early intensive behavioral interventions (EIBI) to children with ASD in China. Approximately 90% of the children with autism never received any type of intervention. The symposium will include two experimental studies that investigated the interventions designed to improve teacher's use of EIBI to improve learning outcomes of children with autism in China.

Researchers and practitioners who are interested in early behavioral interventions for children with autism and education in China.

Procedural integrity has a direct impact on Early Intensive Behavioral Interventions (EIBI) outcomes for children with autism. Research evidence suggests that providing feedback can improve procedural integrity. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of delivering feedback using distance learning technologies on EIBI procedural integrity for teachers in China. Three teachers from a school serving children with autism in China participated in the study. During the baseline, we recorded and measured teachers' procedural integrity while implementing discrete trial training (DTT) and incidental teaching (IT). During the intervention, the teachers received feedback regarding their procedural integrity on either DTT or IT using distance learning technologies. In the context of an alternating treatment design, we directly compared the percentage of steps implemented correctly between the two conditions. The study showed that there was a functional relation between the intervention and teacher's improved procedural integrity. The effects were replicated when the teachers received feedback on the other procedure. The results of the study suggest that delivering feedback using distance learning technologies can be an effective intervention to improve procedural integrity for practitioners.

It is critical to find effective error-correction procedures used in early behavioral intervention (EBI) for children with autism because they tend to make persistent errors. However, studies have not provided empirical support as to whether instructors should deliver reinforcers during error correction. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of the error correction with and without reinforcement on (a) the acquisition of a match-to-sample skill and (b) intervention preference of children with autism in China. We will recruit four children with autism from China to participate in the study. When error occurs, the instructor will first prompt the student to make a correct response. The instructor will either deliver a reinforcer or not use any reinforcers following student correct response under the respective conditions. We will use a repeated acquisition design to compare which error-correction procedure will result in faster skill acquisition. We will also assess student preference of the procedures. The results will contribute to the knowledge of effective error correction used in EBI for children with autism. In addition, we will discuss the potential mechanism responsible for error correction in the context of stimulus control and punishment. We will complete data collection in January 2018.

Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) and Behavioral Systems Analysis has had huge successes in changing variables to increase productivity and profitability over time. Contract fulfillment, as defined as contracted versus billed hours, is a concrete measurement related to profitability across any company providing intensive Applied Behavior Analysis therapy. In this symposium, presenters will be discussing the history of Organizational Behavior Management and Behavioral Systems Analysis, how one agency utilized these systems to increase contract fulfillment and the potential other benefits Organizational Behavior Management can have with an agency. This presentation will give a practical real-world look at how one organization has begun to improve an issue that plagues most ABA service providers. This will also serve as an example of how Organizational Behavior Management can be applied at a large scale to solve business-wide issues from a behavior analytic systems perspective.

BCBA practitioners, clinicians, administrators

Behavior Analysis as a science has the potential to produce significant changes in all areas that involve human behavior. Recently, the field has had a tremendous impact in the treatment of autism and other developmental disabilities, and has gained much public recognition and acceptance. However, many behavior analysts often lament the apparently narrowing focus of the field into just one subject area, and frequently ask - why haven't we done more? Outside of clinical behavior analysis, there are a number of individuals working to apply the science of behavior to a great variety of settings and populations. The present talk will present a case study of how behavior analysis has been used to influence performance in a very "non-traditional" setting - A real estate company.

The rapid change in the world of autism treatment has sparked rapid growth, and big challenges for companies providing ABA treatment services. One major challenge many such organizations encounter relates to providing all treatment hours deemed clinically necessary by ABA professionals. Under-providing hours can slow clinical progress, as clients receive fewer service hours than are deemed clinically necessary. It also presents a significant business challenge, as it leaves hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars unbilled by service providers. Many of the factors that contribute to low contract fulfillment rates are behavioral in nature, and may be improved by taking a behavior analytic approach. This presentation will present a case-study of an organization that employed OBM and Behavioral Systems Analysis to analyze and improve contract fulfillment rates. Intervention strategies included process redesigns, and implementation of task clarification and multi-level feedback systems. Preliminary data indicate the organization increased hours billed by 5% - 10% at one site, and have the potential to see increases as much as 10% - 15% organization-wide.

Change Management is a common approach to change in many organizations. The ADKAR model to change management is one of the popular change management systems being used by businesses today. Upon further inspection of the ADKAR change management model, there are many behavior analytic principles that may be extrapolated for effective organizational behavior management. If behavioral analysts are able to utilize this widely adopted practice by bridging the well-known organizational development components and verbiage of ADKAR with the underlying science and nomenclature of behavior analytics, then behavior analysts will be able to continue to make strides in supporting the ongoing needs of any organization within and outside of the ABA industry. This talk is designed to teach clinicians in the behavior analytic industry how to utilize their extensive training in behavior analysis to not only apply their knowledge to organizational behavior management, but also to generalize that knowledge across organizational systems.

Training staff is a critical component for the success of organizational interventions. Behavior analysts are often required to train staff for the organizations for whom they work or during consultations to meet the organizations goals to improve staff performance. Behavioral skills training (BST) is an effective method to training staff. BST usually includes interrelated components including instruction, modeling of the targeted skills, rehearsal, and praise or corrective feedback. In this symposium, three applications of BST will be described across three presentations. In the first presentation, the presenter will describe a study in which school staff were trained to help students initiate play with peers and engage in outdoor activities during recess. In the second presentation, the presenter will describe a study in which BST was used to train therapy staff to conduct visual analyses and make decisions based on their analyses. In the third presentation, the presenter will describe a study in which a component analysis was conducted on the components of BST within the context of training staff to implement discrete trial training procedures.

The target audience includes behavior analysts, both practitioners and researchers, who train staff or are involved in research of behavioral skills training. The contexts are applicable to those who work in organizational behavior management, and clinical and educational settings.

Data-based decision-making is an often neglected, yet extremely important behavior-analytic strategy. Behavior-analytic staff are often responsible for collecting and graphing data, but rarely analyze the data being graphed. In the current study, four employees at a behavioral organization were trained on simple visual analysis terms: level, trend, variability. Using the components of Behavioral Skills Training (BST) instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback staff were trained to interpret and make decisions based on the level, trend, and variability of the data. Implications include both autonomy on the part of behavioral staff and increases in independent work time for supervisors. As data are analyzed frequently, programs can be modified and adapted as necessary to promote the speed at which clients acquire the skills being taught.

Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) are supervising therapists who deliver behavior analytic treatment in a variety of settings and across many different cultures. The Behavior Analyst certification is international and as such, BCBAs working abroad and within the United States often encounter cultural practices that do not align with our Professional and Ethical Code. The panelists will present examples of barriers encountered while providing services to different cultures, specifically in Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, the Mexican community in California, and the Deafblind community. Some of the issues that will be discussed include the use of technology and confidentiality, professional relationships, gift acceptance, and participation in caregiver training. The panelists will also discuss the impact of some cultural practices on the implementation of the guidelines from the Professional and Ethical Code for Behavior Analysts. Finally, the panelists will discuss training of therapists and supervisors, and the need to consider formal training on multi-cultural practices and the need to understand its impact on the implementation of our Professional and Ethical Code

BCBAs working in the applied field providing services to children with ASD and related disorders

This panel is a continuation of previous panel discussions at ABAI on Behavior Analysts Behaving Badly. This year we will present ethics cases and deconstruct them in front of the audience so they can see how we approach unethical conduct. An ethicist is a professional who is sought after for ethical advice and counsel; For this panel we have brought together three such behavior analysis ethicists who are regularly consulted to provide guidance on complex cases of unethical conduct. Toward the end of the session we will open the floor to questions from the audience and again each ethicist will respond so that the range of tactics and strategies will be apparent.

The target audience is BCBAs who are practicing in schools, homes and the community as well as clinics and agencies.

As with scientists and technicians in many fields, we applied behavior scientists use precise language and we value our language highly. In addition, we often value detail and complexity because they illustrate the depth of our analysis of behavior and of the variables that influence it. But when we attempt to engage clients, parents, colleagues in other disciplines, and others not schooled in our science, our language and the complexity of our analyses and models often become barriers. We must not be simplistic in our communication with others, but we need to learn how to be simple. We can accelerate our impact by using language, models, and concepts that make sense to ordinary people and are relatively intuitive for them. We want people to "get it," and simplicity can help. Carl Binder has spent the 47 years since he first studied with B.F. Skinner learning from masters in the field of behavior science and performance engineering, and attempting to pass on what he learns to others. He has consulted with, trained and coached educators, parents, clients, business people, training and process professionals, and others not schooled in behavior science. In this lecture he will trace a path from Skinner's elegant measurement technology through his own work in precision teaching, behavioral fluency, sales and marketing enablement, organizational performance consulting, leadership and management, and talent development with examples of how simplicity and plain language have enabled "viral" diffusion of models and methods in organizations and communities. Key takeaways will include the forewarning that things get complicated before they get simple, and that we need to develop intermediate vocabularies that link our science with the vocabularies and experience of ordinary people who can benefit from what we can provide.

Anyone who communicates about our science or application to people outside our field.

Many BCBAs find themselves working in behavioral organizations that are not run or owned by other BCBAs. This is in part due to parents of children with autism starting their own organization so their child could get ABA treatment, legacy organizations dedicated to serving individuals with disabilities getting into ABA as a new offering and investment minded people and companies seeing the boom in autism treatment as a good business venture. Whatever the origin of the organization, circumstances can sometimes put the non-BCBA business owner/executive director at odds with the clinical BCBAs. These situations arise because each job requires different focuses and has a different set of objectives. However, the field needs these non-BCBA leaders to be aware of and adhere to the BABC's Professional and Ethical Compliance Code, but this can be problematic. This panel will address the conflicts often faced by BCBAs and their non-BCBA supervisors that run the organizations. Discussion will focus on how to handle these issues so that both parties can have their voice be heard and together develop a plan that meets both of their objectives.

Functional Communication Training (FCT) is an effective treatment for reducing problem behavior and increasing communication responses. This symposium explores various aspects of FCT in the treatment of problem behavior (i.e., reinforcement schedule thinning, client preference, multiple schedules), while highlighting advantages and limitations. Presentations will focus on a) client preferences of schedule thinning procedures, b) the clinical utility of treatment chaining, c) variables contributing to discriminated responding within multiple schedules, and d) prevalence of resurgence during reinforcement schedule thinning. The discussant will provide a synthesis of research findings and discuss implications for clinical practice and future research.

Practitioners treating severe behavior disorders

One limitation of functional communication training (FCT) is that although problem behavior has decreased, the functional communication response (FCR) might be emitted at exceedingly high rates (Betz et al., 2013). One potential solution to this problem is establishing stimulus control of the FCR through a multiple schedule. However, several studies have demonstrated difficulty with establishing discriminated responding across multiple schedule components (Saini, Miller, & Fisher, 2016). It is unclear if the production of discriminated responding within a multiple schedule is due to the programmed stimuli, or if some other variable is responsible for the development of stimulus control. The current study seeks to evaluate the controlling variables within a multiple schedule arrangement. More specifically, if programmed stimuli, contingencies, or therapist behavior is responsible for the development of stimulus control with 3 participants with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). A pre-assessment was used to determine the verbal repertoire of all participants and results provide preliminary evidence that some level of prerequisite skill might be necessary to establish discriminated responding in the context of a multiple schedule.

Functional communication training is a well-established treatment for socially reinforced problem behavior that typically includes differential reinforcement of the functional communication response (FCR) in combination with extinction of problem behavior. However, when the schedule of reinforcement for the FCR is thinned, problem behavior may resurge. Currently, data are unavailable on the prevalence and characteristics of resurgence during reinforcement schedule thinning. In this study, we examined previously published data (i.e., Greer, Fisher, Saini, Owen, & Jones, 2016) and evaluated the prevalence of resurgence during reinforcement schedule thinning on a per-case and per-schedule-step basis. We identified resurgence in 19 of the 25 (76%) applications of reinforcement schedule thinning. In addition, we determined the magnitude of resurgence in relation to the functions of destructive behavior. In some cases, the magnitude of resurgence exceeded the mean levels of destructive behavior observed in baseline. We discuss these results relative to prior translational and applied research on resurgence.

We treated destructive behavior maintained by both social-positive (i.e., access to tangibles) and social-negative (i.e., escape from demands) reinforcement in an individual diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder using functional communication training (FCT). We then thinned the schedule of reinforcement for the tangible function using a multiple schedule (mult FCT) and later thinned the availability of escape using a chained schedule (chain FCT). Both treatments proved effective at maintaining functional communicative responses while decreasing destructive behavior to near-zero levels. In addition, treatment effects maintained when we rapidly thinned mult FCT to the terminal schedule. Throughout chain-FCT schedule thinning, we assessed client preference for each schedule-thinning arrangement (mult FCT or chain FCT) using a concurrent-chains procedure. Client preference reliably shifted from chain FCT to mult FCT as the response requirement increased and the proportion of session spent in reinforcement began to favor mult FCT. We discuss the clinical implications of these findings.

The purpose of this symposium is to evaluate the state of service delivery for adults with developmental disabilities and other diagnoses and highlight the current and potential role of behavior analysts in the support of these individuals. First, the use of Functional Analyses to support adults in behavioral journals over the past twenty years will be reviewed. The current state of policy and available resources in the state of California will then be discussed. Based on the identified social importance of evidence based practice to support adults in life transitions; the results of a national survey of behavior analysists' preparedness related to severe problem behavior will be presented. Finally, data from three adults receiving behavioral support during or after the transition to adult services will further illustrate the role behavior analysts can play during this tumultuous time. The discussant for the symposium, who brings decades of expertise in treating severe problem behavior, will then provide valuable insights to those assembled.

Behavior Analysts

Previous literature has demonstrated that interventions based on Functional Behavior Assessments produce the most effective treatment in the elimination of problem behavior for individuals diagnosed with developmental and intellectual disabilities. In addition, the literature is full of examples of the use of functional analyses and effective interventions aimed at eliminating problem behavior in children. However, where does the literature stand with respect to functional analyses and interventions with adult populations? When children grow up, what happens as they transition to a new environment (e.g., from school to a sheltered workshop) or when they get bigger in stature? Moreover, what about the assessment and treatment of individuals who develop problem behavior in adulthood, what is best evidence-based practice? This review evaluated the literature on functional analyses and interventions for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, autism, and other medical diagnoses (e.g., Alzheimer) to evaluate for evidence-based practices. We included articles that have been published over the last 20 years that utilized a functional analysis and intervention model to effectively treat problem behavior from behavioral journals. We coded whether the participants were under or over 21 years of age. If they were over 21, we coded for several factors: diagnosis, assessment and treatment setting , type of assessment, type of intervention, what kind of problem behavior was addressed, as well as whether maintenance, generalization, or social validity data were reported. This presentation will summarize the state of the current literature with respect to evidence-based practice for adults with problem behavior.

In 1977, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Act, passed in the state of California to enforce human rights of individuals with developmental disabilities. More than forty years later, we are still feeling the effects of this mandate. In the state of California, behavior analysts are being called to provide increased services to adults with developmental disabilities. This increased demand for adult-focused behavior analytic services is simultaneously happening while several new initiatives are currently underway at the state policy level. The current presentation will discuss the policies behavior analysts are currently encountering regarding the transition from center based day-programs to community-based programs, self-determination, and person-centered planning. In particular, what does the "Final Rule" policy mean for our consumers, the transition away from the traditional "group home" settings, and how does this impact the movement toward self-determination and person-centered planning? Are behavior analysts in general prepared to support these changes and provide the level of services this population of adults may require?

Recently, Reed and Henley (2015) surveyed 382 individuals with respect to various types of staff and supervisory training offered to BACB certificants. Their results suggest several areas that require increased attention; in particular, half of the respondents indicated that they did not receive initial pre-service training and nearly one third of respondents indicated that they do not receive on-going training in their work setting. The outcomes of Reed and Henley's investigation provide several valuable avenues for future research and practice. It is important to note, however, that only 18.9% of respondents reported that they work in the home setting (the remainder worked in center- or school-based programs). Moreover, the topography and severity of challenging behaviors may differ across home and other settings for a given individual. As such, the purpose of the current investigation was to extend Reed and Henley by 1) surveying BACB respondents who practice in the home setting and 2) gathering more data on the nature of training and supervision received by the respondents (with attention given to severely challenging behaviors). The present study surveyed 139 BACB certificants with regard to initial and ongoing supervision for home-based services. Of that group, 125 respondents were included in a section on training and support for severe problem behavior in the home-setting. Potential benefits associated with establishing a more robust definition of on-going training and performance management will be discussed. Implications for the concept of "Continuing Education" will also be presented.

Transitioning into adulthood is a time of change and uncertainty. According to Friedman, Warfield, and Parish (2013), this is a particularly vulnerable time, as the entitlements of the children's service system end and young adults with ASD and their families encounter fragmented and underfunded systems of care which suggests that the current models of school-based transition planning are not meeting the needs of youths with ASD. Hendricks and Wehman (2006) indicate some individuals with ASD are able to successfully transition; however, most are faced with significant obstacles in multiple areas as they attempt to negotiate their way into college, work, community participation, and independent living. This transition often involves securing appropriate behavioral services and access to community resources, including educational, vocational, and tailored day programming, as well as identifying options for residential and long-term care. The purpose of this presentation will be to review the clinical outcomes for three adults with developmental disabilities who engage in severe problem behavior, and examine how behavioral support services may influence the course of their transitions. Functional analyses conducted in relevant community settings suggested that target problem behaviors were maintained by social reinforcement in the form of access to preferred items and/or escape. Treatment data, collected in each individual's relevant environment including the progression of services, will be presented. Identified barriers to continued progress and social validity outcome measures also will be discussed.

Behavioral economics and consumer behavior analysis are two related areas in which behavior analytic principles are used to explain a wide variety behaviors. These areas are important to the dissemination and wide acceptance of behavioral science because they focus on understanding behavior that the average person engages in. If we are constantly expanding the areas that behavior analysis touches on then it is easier to refute the misconception that "behavior analysis is just for problem behaviors." This symposium will focus on the application of behavioral economics and consumer behavior analysis to explain common, everyday sorts of behaviors. The talks that compose this symposium will focus on the relation between delay discounting and distracted driving, the factors that affect distracted driving in people who drive at work, the factors that affect purchasing fuel, and the factors that affect medication adherence.

The purpose of the present study was to examine an impulsive decision-making process underlying texting while driving from a behavioral economic perspective. A sample of 109 college students completed a survey to assess how frequently they send or read text messages while driving. Based on this information, participants were grouped by those who frequently text while driving and those who infrequently text while driving. In a novel discounting task that involved a hypothetical scenario in which participants receive a text message while driving, participants rated the likelihood of replying to a text message immediately versus waiting to reply until arriving at a destination. The scenario presented several delays to a destination and probabilities of a motor vehicle crash. Results show that (a) the likelihood of waiting to reply to a text message decreased as a function of both the delay until the destination and the probability of a motor vehicle crash, and (b) drivers who self-reported a higher frequency of texting while driving showed greater rates of both delay and probability discounting. These results support the conclusion that texting while driving is fundamentally an impulsive choice and suggest the utility of a behavioral economic approach in understanding such a choice.

Texting while driving is a behavior of increasing interest in occupational safety and health. Individuals who 1) drive as part of their job (n = 161) and 2) do not (n = 151) were recruited from Mechanical Turk to complete a study on decision making related to texting while driving. Respondents completed a discrete choice experiment as well as several questionnaires, including the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale and an 8-item delay discounting questionnaire. In the discrete choice experiment, respondents were presented with sets of choice trials each consisting of two driving scenarios and asked under which scenario they would be more likely to read a text message while driving. Results revealed that relationship to the sender, the type of road condition, and the perceived importance of the message significantly affected decisions to text while driving. Additional findings from comparisons between those who do and do not drive for work and those who do and do not text and drive will be discussed (e.g., respondents who text while driving had significantly higher scores on the Impulsiveness Scale compared to those who do not [Z = -5.31, p < .05]). Advantages and drawbacks to the discrete choice experiment approach in decision making research will be outlined.

The "left-digit effect" is the phenomenon wherein a commodity's leftmost digit subjectively alters consumer motivation more than its absolute pricing. For example, a product priced as $4.99 is considered more appealing than the same product priced at $5.00, while no subjective differences in preference would be observed in products priced as $5.01 and $5.02, despite the same absolute difference in cost (i.e., one cent). Marketing and psychology researchers attribute this effect to differences in perceived price distances, with the left-digit change producing an irrational perception of a more pronounced distance. A recent call to action by behavioral economists has included the left-digit effect as a notable area of inquiry using operant demand analysis, given the utility of purchase tasks and demand modelling to evaluate changes in local elasticity at left-digit pricing manipulations. Indeed, operant behavioral economists have identified left-digit effects in cigarette purchase task research, but large-scale directed research on using an everyday product and general population remains scant. We describe a large crowd-sourced investigation of the left-digit effect using a socially important commodity: fuel. Results suggest adequate data quality in terms of systematic demand patterns, as well as pronounced left-digit effects on local elasticity. Such data contribute to the growing literature on the utility of purchase tasks to inform public policy, while also providing a novel contribution to the left-digit effect.

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease wherein the myelin sheaths which insulate neurons are progressively degraded, causing a wide range of symptoms. Multiple sclerosis is terminal, yet disease modifying therapies (DMTs) that show the disease progression and improve quality of life are readily available. Unfortunately, patients often either fail to initiate or fail to continue taking DMTs. Qualitative research suggests that this poor adherence is due, in part, to concerns with DMT side effects (costs) and with DMT efficacy (benefits). The present study parametrically manipulated the likelihood of side effects (cost) and efficacy (benefits) to explore patients DMT choices. Behavioral economic models of the interactive effects of DMT costs and benefits are constructed to quantify these choice patterns.

This symposium presents four basic and translational studies on naming and the effects of naming on stimulus class formation, seeking shed light on the relationship between speaker and listener behavior, and on the involvement of verbal behavior in human equivalence class formation. The first study focused on the acquisition of bidirectional speaker and listener relations, and found a greater degree of transfer from speaker to listener than from listener to speaker relations in typically developing children and one child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The second study examined the effects of common and intraverbal naming on equivalence class formation in kindergarten-age children who failed to demonstrate equivalence prior to learning to name the stimuli. The third study similarly investigated the effects of intraverbal naming on the acquisition of baseline matching-to-sample relations and equivalence class formation in adults. Finally, the fourth study examined the effects of training sequence on the formation of stimulus classes established via intraverbal naming in adults.

Behavior analysts; scientists; graduate students

Most Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention-manuals state that listener behavior should be mastered before training a tact repertoire. This is due partly to how typically developed children's repertoire normally develops. To date, however, only a few studies have examined this question and the results have been somewhat mixed. Participants were one child with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) aged 5 years and 11 months and 4 typical children between the age of 2 and 3 years. Using an alternating treatment design three stimuli were trained as listener behavior alternated with three stimuli trained as impure tacts. After mastering one of the conditions, transfer to the other condition were tested under extinction. The child with ASD mastered impure tacts quicker than listener behavior, as did two of the four typically developing children. All five children showed higher degree of transfer from impure tacts to listener behavior as compared to transfer from listener behavior to impure tacts. Results suggest that transfer from impure tacts to listener behavior occurs more often that transfer from listener behavior to impure tacts. Moreover, impure tacts can be acquired without first having learned to respond to the stimuli tacted as a listener.

Among others, Murray Sidman has discussed the role of naming in equivalence class formation in his book Equivalence Relations and Behavior. A Research Story. There are still disagreements about how important naming is in equivalence class formation. We asked the following research questions: Do kindergarten children form equivalence classes without any training in naming the stimuli on beforehand? Do preliminary training with homogeneous/common or heterogeneous/intraverbal naming lead to different outcome tests for equivalence class formation? In the present experiment three children aged around four years old were trained to establish six conditional discriminations in a matching to sample (MTS) format and tested for forming three 3-member classes. If failing to establish the first relation within 600 trials, they were trained in intraverbal and common naming before conducting the MTS procedure again. One child established the first relation within 600 trials and responded in accordance with stimulus equivalence (see Table 1). The two other children conducted the MTS with naming, both conditions in reversed order. The results showed that the child starting with heterogeneous naming did not respond in accordance with stimulus equivalence in this condition, but did so in the homogeneous condition. The other child starting with homogeneous naming responded in accordance with stimulus equivalence in both conditions.

Laboratory investigations are a beneficial means of evaluating socially relevant problems that are difficult to study experimentally in real-world contexts because of practical or ethical constraints. Such methods also provide a controlled environment for identifying functional relations and behavioral mechanisms responsible for the behavior of interest. This symposium includes four unique approaches to studying a range of research areas using laboratory-based methods that have implications for applied behavior analysis. The first presentation examines parametric manipulations of reinforcer dimensions of incentives on performance in a simulated online workplace. The second presentation will share findings from a laboratory investigation of varied levels of feedback accuracy and frequency on acquisition of a novel task with undergraduate participants. The third presentation used a computerized analog arrangement to examine the conditions under which differential reinforcement prevented the development of problem behavior. The final presentation evaluated the effects of conditioning histories on preference for reinforcer choice in five preschool-aged children. The symposium will conclude with comments and considerations for applied behavior analysis from a discussant.

Researchers wishing to use laboratory models to understand the controlling variables for socially relevant applied problems or practitioners hoping to gain a better understanding of laboratory-based research.

Studies have shown that children of both typical and atypical cognitive development tend to prefer contexts in which their behavior results in a choice of reinforcers rather than a single reinforcer delivered without a choice-making opportunity, even when the reinforcer received is identical across conditions. The origin of this preference has been attributed speculatively to behavioral histories in which choice making tends to be associated with differentially beneficial outcomes, but few studies have evaluated this claim and those that have yielded mixed results. The current study evaluated providing five preschool-aged children histories in which choice-making and no-choice-making contexts were differentially associated with higher-quality and larger-magnitude reinforcers and assessed changes in preference for choice and no-choice contexts in which outcomes were equated. These conditioning histories resulted in consistent and replicable shifts in child preference, indicating that choice preference is malleable through environmental experience. Thus, choice preferences may develop across children through shared learning histories.

The identification of the source of reinforcement for untaught responses has been an elusive journey for applied researchers in the field of behavior analysis. While multiple explanations for the indirect acquisition of new skills abound, the impact of the social environmental context has been less agreed upon. People depend on the indirect learning for a variety of things in their lives. Individuals watch others when they are not certain of how they should act or react in a multitude of scenarios. These environmental conditions may be social, cultural or academic. For humans success in employment, schooling and with relationships may hinge on how we critically observe our environments. We report the results of four experiments related to the acquisition of untaught responses through observational learning, social listener reinforcement and emulation each of which can be analyzed vis-a-vis a social or non-social context. The implications for educational and clinical settings are also discussed.

masters and doctoral level BCBAs

People depend on observational learning for a variety of things in their lives. Individuals watch others when they are not certain of how they should act or react to a multitude of scenarios. These environmental conditions may be social, cultural or academic. For humans success in employment, schooling and with relationships may hinge on observation. What people observe in addition to behaviors of others are the contingencies that are part of their interaction with the environmental stimuli. They are subsequently affected by how those interlocking events provide consequences for others. Recent evidence suggests distinctions between the effects of observation on the emission of previously acquired repertoires, the acquisition of new repertoires and the acquisition of observational learning as a new repertoire. Prior research has not clearly identified whether the changes in behavior from observation constituted learning because in many cases tests were not done for the presence or absence of the repertoires prior to observation. We describe new investigations reporting procedures leading to the acquisition of observational learning, and the acquisition of operants and higher order operants by observation. We also provide information on how to use observational learning for making educational and clinical decisions.

The purpose of this study was to exam the relationship between the emulation and pre-requisite cusps or capabilities. A multiple baseline design across matched triads was utilized. The study was conducted with 23 individuals diagnosed with autism. The participants ranged in ages from 3 to 13 years old (5 females and 18 males) and all of whom received over 20 hours of ABA services weekly. The participants ranged from pre-speaker/pre-listener to reader/writer levels of verbal behavior. All participants were initially probed to determine whether imitation and or emulation were present prior to the study. Imitation will be induced for all participants with baseline data of less than 80% accuracy on either imitation or emulation probes. This study will provide data on the following: correlations between emulation and cusps or capabilities, if changes in curricula are needed when imitation or emulation is in repertoire, or if consequent stimulus control is necessary for emulation.

Emulation refers to a behavior by which an individual emits one or more responses that produce an environmental change that mimics the condition of a visual model. In this study, researchers used a multiple baseline across participants design to test whether generalized emulation could be occasioned through direct training and whether the presence of generalized emulation as a behavioral repertoire would result in lower trials-to-criterion for individuals with Autism participating in a life skills oriented school program. Results are discussed as they relate to the importance of establishing emulation and improving outcomes in daily living and job skills. Further, the results discussed offer information to inform whether the presence of emulation in repertoire can impact how vocational training programs are implemented as well as indicate the level of training required to help individuals reach a greater state of independence.

In Experiment 1, I conducted a functional analysis of student rate of learning with and without a peer-yoked contingency for 12 students in Kindergarten through 2nd grade in order to determine if they had conditioned reinforcement for collaboration. Using an ABAB reversal design, I compared rate of learning as measured by learn units to criterion under two conditions: (A) rotated learn units between 2 peers with a peer-yoked contingency game board (collaborative reinforcement), and (B) rotated learn units between 2 peers without a peer-yoked contingency game board (individual reinforcement). Seven of twelve participants learned faster in the collaborative reinforcement condition, suggesting that they each had reinforcement for collaboration with a peer. Additionally, participants who demonstrated reinforcement for collaboration emitted higher levels of vocal verbal operants when yoked with a peer than the participants who did not. In Experiment 2, the participants who did not demonstrate reinforcement for collaboration were placed into a collaborative intervention, in order to determine if this potential developmental cusp could be established. In a delayed multiple probe design across dyads, four participants engaged in peer tutoring with a confederate peer, and a yoked contingency game board was utilized to reinforce their effective collaboration. Following this intervention, all four participants demonstrated a faster rate of learning when yoked with a peer, as well as increased levels of vocal verbal operants with their peers. These findings suggest a shift in reinforcement from social contract to social contact. The educational significance and implications of this potential developmental cusp are discussed.

Teaching higher order thinking (HOT) skills is a concern in all higher education settings. Teaching behavior analytic concept and principles within a HOT framework has been an object of research for many years; however, there is still little research on what to teach and how to teach when one needs solid learning of basic behavior analytic concept and principles, including their applications and evaluation, and when this needs to be done within 6-12 hours of instructional time and must serve students from different bachelor's degrees. Every year we teach about 30 classes, from 13 different bachelor's degrees that vary from Physics and Mathematics to Theater and the Social Sciences (this amounts to approximately 750 students a year). The purpose of this paper is to discuss, within a behavior analytic instructional design perspective, a model we developed that includes a concept and principle hierarchy and its derived concept and principle analyses. We also present and discuss the possible design solutions, based on Markle (1990) and Merrill, Tennysson and Posey (1992), that this model is allowing us to develop as tools to better teach our target behavior analytic concepts and principles.

In the process of teaching and providing supervision to aspiring and future behavior analysts, professors and supervisors may be in a key position to notice and respond to student and supervisee psychological distress, including both non-verbal indications of distress and direct verbal disclosures of psychological distress. Such distress may interfere with student and supervisee academic and clinical performance, providing behavior analysts with an ethical obligation to provide timely, effective, and appropriate feedback that addresses the issue and its impact on their performance. Additionally, behavior analysts may have other moral, professional, institutional, and social obligations to ensure the well-being and safety of their students and supervisees via appropriately identifying and responding to signs and disclosures of psychological distress. This presentation will address common signs of psychological distress in students and supervisees as well as practical, evidence-based strategies for effectively referring students and supervisees for professional support as needed. Finally, strategies for addressing supervisee psychological distress within the context of behavioral analytic supervision will be provided.

A competent verbal speaker is constantly bombarded with stimuli that have the potential to evoke hundreds if not thousands of discrete verbal responses, yet we can only form one sound at a time, and often we remain silent. Similarly, any sufficiently complex or abstract verbal stimulus could evoke innumerable verbal and nonverbal responses in a listener. Anything a speaker "wants to say" could conceivably be said dozens of different ways, yet only one is emitted. This talk will explore the subtle ways in which all our verbal behavior is determined and multiply controlled. Additionally, we will examine specific practices where ambiguous stimuli, both verbal and nonverbal, are used to generate interesting verbal responses. Astrology, palm reading, tarot cards, cold reading, and crystal balls, all work in similar ways to produce verbal stimuli that customers value and will pay for. Projective psychological tests operate in much the same way, combining ambiguous stimuli with the patient's present stimulus conditions and learning history. Audience members should already be familiar with Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior.

The formation of private events, self-knowledge, and rule-governed behavior have been radical points in Skinner`s legacy. This presentation is focused in such radical points and the development of relational responding to make explicit the basic learning processes responsible of effective interaction with the own behavior. The radical conceptualization on self-knowledge and the recent contextual approach on language conjoint to advance in the analysis of such complex behaviors and, consequently, in the procedures to influence in the learning process of rule-governed behavior or interacting with the own behavior.

Behavioral medicine is a field of study that integrates behavioral and biomedical sciences to improve behaviors associated with disease and health states. Behavioral medicine targets may focus on disease prevention, treatment to improve health and disease states and/or comorbidities, programming to facilitate maintenance of health behavior change, and treatments targeting adherence to medical regimes. As experts in functional analysis and behavior change, behavior analysts are well-equipped to work in the field of behavioral medicine. However, behavior analysts often do not receive specific training during coursework or continuing education focused on behavioral medicine interventions and research, and thus may be unaware of how to begin a line of research in the field. The purpose of the current panel discussion is to provide recommendations on beginning research in behavioral medicine. Panelists will provide an overview of how they entered into the field, recommendations for supervision and mentorship, and how to maintain a line of research in behavioral medicine long term.

BCBAs, BCBA-Ds, BCaBAs, Health Psychologists, Health Professionals

Gene-environment interactions are being increasingly recognized as important in the assessment and treatment of problem behavior. A notable example of this phenomenon is fragile X syndrome (FXS), a well-known single-gene cause of intellectual disability. In this symposium, we will examine how the diagnosis of FXS might be important to consider in the assessment and treatment of problem behavior. The first speaker (Tobias Britton) will describe the topographies of problem behavior commonly shown by individuals with FXS, and report on the results from a descriptive assessment of problem behavior conducted on 47 boys with FXS. The second speaker (Katerina Monlux) will describe how condition-specific in-home functional analyses can be conducted for children with FXS using a parent-coaching model. Finally, the third speaker (Arlette Bujanda-Rodriguez) will describe how function-based treatments can be administered via telehealth to decrease problem behaviors in FXS. In all three presentations, the speakers will discuss how phenotypic features common to individuals with FXS (e.g., social anxiety, aversion to transitions) need to be considered in the assessment and treatment of problem behavior in this population.

Practitioners, scientists, and educators.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a rare genetic disorder that could inform potential interactions between genes and environment. In this study, we examined the topographies and potential sources of reinforcement for aggression and self-injurious behaviors reported by caregivers of boys with FXS. Data were collected on 47 boys with FXS aged 8 to 18 years using The Functional Analysis Screening Tool (FAST), a commonly used descriptive assessment to identify potential functions of problem behavior (Iwata, DeLeon, & Roscoe, 2013). Results showed that the most common form of aggressive behavior was hitting others (58.3% of cases) and the most common form of self-injurious behavior was self-biting (56.3% of cases). For both aggression and self-injury, multiple sources of social reinforcement were more likely to be identified than single sources of social reinforcement. Automatic sensory reinforcement or pain attenuation were rarely endorsed for either behavior. Taken together, these data suggest that multiple sources of social reinforcement maintain aggression and self-injury in FXS

Many individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS), a rare genetic disorder associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), commonly show severe problem behaviors such as self-injury and aggression that can be extremely distressing to families and can severely impact the child's quality of life. In this study, we evaluated whether targeted function-based behavioral treatments for problem behaviors conducted via telehealth, could reduce problem behaviors in this disorder. Following a functional analysis, 8 caregivers of boys with FXS initially received daily coaching via telemhealth to implement function-based treatments. The frequency of telehealth sessions was subsequently faded over a 12-week period, depending on progress. Results showed that significant reductions in problem behavior occurred over the 12 week period in almost all cases. These data suggest that telehealth behavioral treatment is an effective model for reducing problem behavior in children with FXS.

The New England Center for Children, Alpine Learning Group, and The Neurobehavioral Programs at Kennedy Krieger Institute are unique clinical operations that provide applied behavior analytic-based services designed to meet the complex needs of individuals with autism and related developmental disabilities. Leaders from these three programs will discuss how their clinical practices are continuously evolving with advances in research, and how the delivery of clinical services informs their own research. Each presenter will provide examples of the products of engaging in a systematic process of integrating research and clinical service delivery. Presenters will show how the same data-based analytic approach used to address socially relevant problems at the level of the individual that is a hallmark of applied behavior analysis, can be executed at the program level to evaluate and improve clinical outcomes and generate research that contributes to scientific knowledge.

graduate students, BCBAs, psychologists, researchers, practitioners

Understanding response variability in extinction is relevant for implementation of effective shaping techniques. Rats were pressing a very soft lever that could be moved down 2 cm. Lever movement was recorded in detail. Food pellet delivery was accompanied by a "beep" sound. After acquisition of lever pressing on continuous reinforcement (CRF), two conditions of extinction compared the effect of no sound from the feeder with the effect of retaining the beep sound. For the first 20 responses in extinction, the condition with no beep decreased inter response times (IRT) compared to CRF (extinction burst) whereas extinction with beep retained IRTs from CRF. In extinction, beep sounds were initially followed by entry to the food tray, which did not occur without the beep. Response topography with beep was more similar to topography under CRF. Without the beep, response topography varied more in extinction. In both types of extinction, response duration increased in extinction (slightly more for the no-beep condition). Data will be presented for six rats. The experiment shows the importance of trivial procedural details for response changes in early extinction.

Skinner's famous article, titled 'What's Wrong with the Western World?', warned of the dangers of distancing employees from the naturalistic outcomes of their performance. Additionally, many modern work environments increasingly crossover into home life and impact our lives more so than ever before. Given the latter developments, we discuss ways to take a more mindful and purposeful approach to organizational design that leverages 21st century technology to better connect people and organizations to the impact of their behavior on larger society. In doing so, we draw on our own consulting experiences and use of supportive contextualized assessment and intervention (e.g., Ecological Momentary Assessment, Natural Language Processing, Ecological Momentary Intervention) to alter the functions of deleterious rules impeding the performance of employees, leaders, and the organization itself.

Intermediate Behavior Analysts, Graduate Students, Professionals

It may be argued that behavior analysis and behavioral neuroscience form an ideal basis for a modern synthesis for psychology; especially centered around identifying the neural replicators and core neurological mechanisms of operant selection. The potential complementary role of mentalistic, cognitive psychology may seem less clear, important and viable. Indeed it may seem incompatible considering its adherence to mentalism. We thus address the qualitiatively different, but potenitally complementary, explanatory roles of (1) life-historical, contextual behavioral science (behavior analysis, psychology of learning), and (2a) neurophysiology (behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, among others) and (2b) mainstream mentalistic, cognitive psychology relying mainly on methodological behaviorism.The extent of the explanatory differences between 2a and 2b is discussed. It is suggested that mentalistic explanations relying on methodological behaviorism are sometimes unclearly defined with regards to realism vs instrumentalism. While the ambition is often to explain behavior as (proximately) caused by real neurocognitive mechanisms, the actual terms referring to these mechanisms rather summarize recurring observable behavior. We discuss and outline possible solutions that may promote both complementary relations between these sub-fields and clarification of their largely separate and autonomous roles.

For decades, researchers and practitioners have both isolated challenging behavior's controlling variables by observing the effects of systematic manipulations of antecedent and consequent events. These functional analyses (FA) have served as the basis for countless effective interventions and represent the most empirically validated approach to functional assessment currently available. In this symposium, speakers will highlight two applications of this methodology directly relevant to clinical practice. In the first talk, the presenter will explore the collateral effects of stimulant medication on child behavior by tracking rates of targeted and non-targeted responding during FAs conducted across stimulant and placebo conditions. In the second talk, the presenter will highlight some limitations of standard FA methodology and will describe how latency-based FAs might be employed to identify the function(s) of low-frequency high-intensity challenging behavior. The symposium will culminate with a discussion of each study's strengths and weaknesses and will highlight areas for future research and practical application.

Masters- and doctoral-level practitioners and scientists

Previous research has examined the influence of stimulant medication on disruptive behavior's maintaining variables in individuals diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by conducting functional analyses across drug conditions (stimulant vs. placebo or no medication; e.g., Dicesare, McAdam, Tonner, & Varrel, 2005; Northup et al., 1997). While functional analyses conducted during no-medication conditions resulted in differential responding across conditions, functional analyses conducted during stimulant conditions resulted in low rates of disruptive behavior across conditions. We conducted functional analyses across dexmethylphenidate (DMPH) and placebo conditions in a withdrawal design for an 8-year old boy with ADHD. Results suggest disruptive behavior was maintained by attention when DMPH was present, but not when it was absent. Results also suggest DMPH may have collateral effects on the probability of non-targeted behavior (crying) as crying was present during DMPH conditions and absent during placebo conditions. Implications for future research and practice will be discussed.

Standard functional analysis arrangement work for a multitude of challenging behaviors. However, they often fall short when trying to assess low-rate, high-intensity behavior. Various manipulations have been offered as potential solutions when initial functional analyses prove inconclusive. Most often offered is for extended session length (O'Reilly 1996, Kahng et al 2001, Davis et al 2012). While this alteration can be a great assistance in ascertaining a clear function, assessments can take days, if not weeks, to complete. In order to be more efficient with time, the modified functional analysis was altered to be latency based. This assessment followed past research that the use of latency as a measure did allow for more differentiated functional analysis outcomes (Call 2009). Additionally, in moving to a latency based functional analysis, there would be the potential to complete the assessment at a faster pace allowing for less chance of injury to the individual and for appropriate treatment to be introduced sooner.

Training staff to implement effective behavioral interventions for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) requires effective training techniques. This training can occur on a scale from one-on-one, group based, all the way to large scale internship models. The purpose of this symposium is to present two models of staff training. The first presentation describes a common model of staff training (i.e., one-on-one) that used a teaching interaction procedure (TIP) to teach three interventionists the skills to implement a TIP to target the development of social skills for children diagnosed with ASD. The second presentation describes a comprehensive internship program designed to train therapists on the historical, conceptual, and theoretical underpinnings of our field as it applies to the behavioral treatment of ASD as well as the direct implementation a comprehensive behavioral intervention for children diagnosed with ASD. Both presentations will be discussed with respect to their strengths as well as future directions.

Those in charge of training staff on providing behavioral interventions for individuals diagnosed with ASD including, but not limited to, BCBAs and BCaBAs.

The teaching interaction procedure (TIP) is an evidence based procedure that has been utilized for the development of social skills. The TIP consists of labeling the targeted skill, providing a meaningful rationale for the importance of the skill, describing the steps of the targeted skill, modeling how the skill, and providing feedback throughout the TIP. Although the TIP has been used to teach a variety of social skills for children and adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or other social and behavioral disorders, its use has not been evaluated to train staff. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a TIP to teach three interventionists the skills to implement a TIP to target the development of social skills for children diagnosed with ASD. The results of a multiple baseline design showed the TIP was effective at teaching all three interventionists how to implement a TIP with children diagnosed with ASD.

The essential skills required for a behavior analyst to function as a scientist-practitioner within autism intervention are vast. As a result, many university programs, training institutes, and certifications have been developed to engender, maintain, and assess the skills required to be effective practitioners. While these systems are effective in establishing minimum competencies, the development and refinement of the skills required by the scientist-practitioner should continue after achieving these milestones (e.g., graduating, certification). One way to continue expanding and developing these skills is through behavior analytic internships. The purpose of this presentation is to provide a description of the development of an internship for autism interventionists. The internship was designed to develop/extend behavior analytic conceptual knowledge as well as develop/extend clinical skills (i.e., direct intervention). Lessons learned with the first cohort, changes made to the second cohort, and future directions with respect to research and refinements to the internship will be discussed.

With behavior analytic laboratories closing and many of the second generation of scientists reaching retirement age, basic behavior analysis is at a crossroads. The applied area is strong, because behavioral methods have achieved recognition as the treatment of choice for autism spectrum disorders and because professional certification programs and state regulatory requirements have further solidified applied behavior analysis as an established therapy. But the future of the basic area is unclear. Furthermore, because basic science provides much of the theoretical underpinning for the applied area, the future positioning of the applied area as an academic discipline is also somewhat uncertain. Constructed as an imaginary presidential address, this presentation will offer an assessment of the current status of the wider field of behavioral science and make suggestions for the future role of behavior analysis within that wider field. In "Changing Course," a recent essay in The Behavior Analyst (Vyse, 2013), I outlined personal reasons for turning my attentions away from the field of behavior analysis. The current presentation will take a different tack, imaging a new course for basic behavioral analysis (with implications for the applied area) that might help ensure the field's continued contribution to behavioral science. Among the topics considered will be: (a) the role of theory in behavioral science, (b) the limitations of a field so tightly bound to a distinct set of research methodologies, (c) future directions for graduate training, (d) the role of ABAI, and (e) the prospect of behavior analytic contributions in as yet unexplored areas. Basic behavior analysis is not alone in facing existential challenges. The "reproducibility crisis" has had profound effects on psychology and other social and biological sciences. At this moment of flux, there are new opportunities for innovation and collaboration that could strengthen our field.

Basic and applied researchers who are interested in the future of the field.

Despite growing interests in the applied behavioral analysis (ABA) training from different constituents, China is still in a great demand for training more qualified behavioral analysts and other clinical professionals who can deliver effective ABA based interventions to Chinese children with special needs. Applications of ABA to children with ASD were first introduced to China in 1990s primarily through Chinese parents and parent-run organizations. Not until the dawn of 21st century had the first ABA delegation to China from ABAI taken place. Interests from the different constituent groups (e.g., professionals in the medical field, parents of children with ASD, professionals in various clinical or rehabilitation settings for children with ASD, and special education school teachers etc.), towards ABA kept permeating since. Yet the status quo and outcomes of ABA training in China are unsatisfactory and of most concern. In this presentation, I will provide a historical review of the trends and issues surrounding the ABA training in China through the lens of special education. Based on my interactions with a few Chinese universities over the last decade regarding ABA training to university faculty and students, I will discuss the key issues and challenges. Suggestions for improvement of ABA training in China will also be discussed.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Assessing the preferences of animals in human care is important for many reasons. Practically speaking, an understanding of animals' preferences can help caregivers predict response patterns and enhance training and enrichment strategies. The presentations in this symposium describe efforts to apply behavior-analytic methodology to the assessment of animal preferences. Subjects include domestic and exotic animals, and formats include MSWO and PSPA preference assessments, as well as an assessment utilizing a disequilibrium perspective of reinforcer valuation. Dr. Meagan Gregory will bring her expertise in preference assessment methodology and application to bear in an analysis of the work presented.

This event is appropriate for behavior analysts who want to learn more about applying preference assessment methodology in applied animal behavior contexts.

Husbandry and medical training are critical components of animal care in zoos. Training allows animals to voluntarily participate in their own care in many ways, including day-to-day husbandry routines such as shifting and visual examinations as well as periodic medical procedures such as injections and ultrasound examinations. Maintaining these behaviors throughout an animal's life requires careful selection of reinforcers, which might be aided by the use of a preference assessment protocol. We describe the development of a multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment protocol for regular use with African lions, an attempt to validate the protocol by comparing preference test choices with training trial outcomes, and next steps in applying this evidence-based practice in a new setting.

The paired-stimulus preference assessment (PSPA) has been widely accepted as the gold standard for identifying preferred items. These are then used in teaching to promote efficient learning. We examine the application of the PSPA to a group of black vultures, and discuss similarities and differences in responding across members of the same species. Applied animal training should incorporate more of these well-known behavior-analytic procedures to improve the training and quality of life for animals in captivity.

Animals in Shelters need training and/or enrichment, whether they are a social species, such as a dog or cat, or whether they are an animal that lives with humans, such as a rat or a parrot. Training can make a dog (and sometimes a cat) more adoptable, and training can be seen as an actual form of enrichment for an animal that does not live in a home. An enriched environment is one in which an animal has variety, choice and control over its daily activities, and environmental enrichment can be described as an improvement in the biological functioning of captive animals resulting from modifications to their environment. Preference assessments fulfill a need in both helping trainers and handlers to choose possible reinforcers and to discover preferences of possible enrichment food or materials. In this experiment, as array of known preference assessments were applied to a wide array of animals in an open-admission shelter; data showed that nearly all animals made choices when given the opportunity.

The Disequilibrium Model (Timberlake & Farmer-Dougan, 1991) states that the degree to which the ratio of instrumental (I) to contingent (C) responding is disrupted from a baseline bliss point (Oi/Oc) results in predictable reinforcement effects. When the contingency reduces the contingent response below baseline (I/C > Oi/Oc), a deficit is imposed for the contingent response (e.g., treat eating), and the rate of instrumental responding (e.g., initiate to human) increases. Punishment effects occur when the I/C is pushed above baseline, I/C < Oi/Oc, producing a satiation in operant responding. For example, dogs with little experience with human interaction may have different Oi/Oc baselines than experienced dogs when human-delivered treats are used to reinforce responding to human cues. The baseline rate of human approaches for inexperienced dogs may be lower, thus a contingency which requires increased approaches may result in reduced approaches to humans: a punishment effect, I/C > Oi/Oc). This paper presents data demonstrating predicted differences in reinforcer efficacy between dogs who were experienced with or those with little experience interacting with humans. The data support the predictions of the disequilibrium model, and demonstrate the importance of assessing baseline rates of both the contingent and operant response to determine reinforcer efficacy.

Response blocking and redirection can be effective in decreasing unwanted behavior, to include treatment resistant topographies, such as automatically maintained pica and self-injury. This symposium will present the results of four studies that utilized response blocking and redirection as part of a behavior intervention. Fisher et al., analyzed the effectiveness of competing items with and without response blocking and redirection in reducing treatment-resistant automatically-maintained self-injurious behavior. Priehs, Kishbaugh, Steinhauser, Cividini-Motta, and Ahearn examined the effectiveness of response blocking as compared to an overcorrection procedure when trying to treat public masturbation. Rettig, Fritz, Campbell, Williams, Smith, and Dawson examined whether blocking pica related behaviors earlier in a response hierarchy would be more effective than blocking only pica attempts. Finally, Clark, Muething, and Call sought to increase the ecological validity of response blocking and redirection procedures by examining if reductions in pica behaviors could be maintained when the discriminative stimulus associated with response blocking (i.e., caregiver or therapist) was absent. Together, these studies provide potential methods for reducing automatically-maintained behaviors through the use of response blocking and redirection procedures. Additionally, challenges associated with using response blocking and redirection will be discussed.

Professionals, practitioners, BCBAs, and clinicians.

Behavior such as masturbation is considered a part of normal sexual development and should be expected in adolescents and adults with autism (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1996). However, this behavior can be problematic when individuals engage in masturbation in public. The current study investigated the effects of overcorrection and response blocking on public masturbation (PM) of children and adolescents with autism. Initial assessments showed that PM was not sensitive to social consequences. During the treatment evaluation phase we compared overcorrection and response blocking to determine whether either procedure was successful in decreasing PM. In the overcorrection condition, the participant completed physical activities involving both hands (e.g., moving chairs, touching toes) contingent on the occurrence of any PM. In the response blocking condition, the therapist blocked all PM using physical and verbal prompts (e.g., neutrally saying, "Stop that," and moving hands away). Both procedures were effective in decreasing public masturbation but response blocking required fewer resources and time. Interobserver agreement was collected for a minimum of 30% of sessions and was 85% or greater. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are reviewed.

Competing Stimulus Assessments (CSA) are designed to identify stimuli that when freely available, are associated with reductions in problem behavior. In addition, treatments involving noncontingent delivery of stimuli identified by CSAs are more likely to be successful in reducing automatically reinforced behavior than those involving stimuli were selected based on other methods (Rooker, Bonner, Dillon, & Zarcone, in press). Beyond simply providing free accesses to stimuli during the CSA, one approach involves examining additional procedures aimed at promoting exposure to the potential reinforcement provided by the test stimuli through prompting, and interfering with problem behavior (through response blocking; Jennet, Jann, & Hagopian, 2011). The purpose of the current study is to extend earlier research on these methods, by prompting engagement with the test stimulus, and if necessary blocking of SIB during CSA trials. The CSA was conducted under three conditions: a) stimuli were freely available, b) engagement with test stimuli was prompted, and c) engagement was prompted and SIB was blocked. Following these manipulations, we repeated the free access condition to determine increased engagement and suppression of SIB persisted in the absence of prompting and response blocking

Behavior skills training is an evidence-based training package for increasing the accuracy with which staff and caregivers implement behavioral interventions and teaching procedures. Behavior skills training packages typically include instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback components. The purpose of the current symposium is to further evaluate the effectiveness of behavior skills training to increase the fidelity with which staff or caregivers implement a variety of behavior-analytic interventions and teaching procedures. The first study evaluated the effectiveness of self-monitoring following behavior skills training to increase the fidelity with which caregivers implemented three-step prompting. The second study combined group-based behavior skills training with in-situ training to teach participants to implement incidental teaching. The third study used behavior skills training and multiple exemplar training to teach participants to implement mand training. The fourth study combined behavior skills training and coaching to train teachers to arrange incidental teaching opportunities to teach verbal operants. All four studies evaluated the maintenance or generalization of skills trained during behavior skills training.

The target audience for this symposium is BCBAs or behavior analysts responsible for overseeing, training, and supervising staff or caregivers of behavior services.

This study extends the literature on caregiver training methods by assessing self-monitoring as a method for increasing caregivers' procedural integrity when implementing three-step prompting with a family member. Experimenters used a behavior skills training package and procedural integrity training to train two caregivers how to implement a three-step prompting procedure and evaluate procedural integrity. Following training, caregivers implemented the procedures with their family member and monitored their own implementation of the procedures. For one caregiver, self-monitoring was effective at increasing overall procedural integrity above mastery levels and effects maintained when self-monitoring was removed and the procedures where implemented with new instructions. The caregiver who did not master the procedures when self-evaluation was the only form of feedback received performance feedback, additional behavioral skills training, and post-session performance feedback. Results obtained from this study provide useful information about the effectiveness of self-monitoring as a method of performance feedback for caregivers and demonstrates that the way procedural integrity is evaluated may influence the perceived effectiveness of an intervention.

Active engagement broadly refers to the delivery of reinforcers and use of incidental teaching to promote skill acquisition and language development. In school settings, incidental teaching is vital to promoting learning and positive behavioral outcomes. However, training staff to actively engage with children can be difficult and resource intensive. We used a multiple-baseline across-participants design to evaluate the use of group-based behavior skills training and in-situ training with seven trainees to increase their implementation of incidental teaching procedures to preschool children with developmental disabilities within an integrated classroom. The group-based behavior skills training consisted of the trainer delivering a presentation describing procedures, modeling the skills, and providing feedback after role-plays. During in-situ teaching, the trainer delivered feedback as participants implemented incidental teaching. The group-based behavior skills training increased incidental teaching with six participants; however, only one participant met mastery levels. In-situ training was necessary to increase levels of incidental teaching to mastery with six participants. Incidental teaching skills maintained for 1 to 20 weeks.

Children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities typically have delays in their communication skills. It is important for teachers and other school personnel to have an understanding of the different verbal operants and how to use incidental teaching to teach children to emit mands, tacts, and intraverbal responses. The purpose of the study was to use a multiple-baseline across-participants design to evaluate behavior skills training with classroom coaching to train school personnel to use incidental teaching to teach verbal behavior. Six females who were currently enrolled in a practicum to become bachelor's level or Master's level Special Education teachers participated. Trainees were provided with instructions on each verbal operant and observed the experimenter modeling how to use incidental teaching to arrange opportunities to teach a child with autism spectrum disorder the targeted verbal operant (mand, tact, or intraverbal). Following the model, the trainee worked with the child while the experimenter provided coaching in the form of in-situ feedback and feedback following each session. Behavior skills training and coaching was effective to increase participants' use of incidental teaching to teach mands, tacts, and intraverbals.

In the behavior analytic literature, there are several effective studies highlighting sport performance and improving the efficiency of specific sport topographies, such as in gymnastics and football. The studies presented will highlight findings demonstrated through behavior analytic studies on golf, swimming, and dance. Children and adult populations will both be considered, along with differing diagnostic criteria.

Practitioners interested in research relating to skill acquisition in sports using TAGteach™

Teaching with Acoustical Guidance™ (TAGteach™) involves providing a brief and consistent sound in the form of a clicker or beep to provide feedback on a targeted behavior, which has demonstrated positive effects for athletic skill acquisition. This study is a replication of Quinn, Miltenberger, and Fogel (2015), and uses a multiple baseline design across behaviors to examine the effects of TAGteach methods on the acquisition of novel dance movements. The participants in this study were three typically developing children aged 5–9 years old who regularly participate in a dance studio program. The findings demonstrated more rapid and generalized skill sets for different topographies of targeted dance movements: a turn, kick, and leap. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Teaching with Acoustical Guidance™ (TAGteach™), has been demonstrated as effective in sport performance literature across various topographies and types of sports. The following study is an extension of Quinn, Miltenberger, and Fogel (2015), and uses a multiple baseline design across behaviors to examine the effects of TAGteach methods on the acquisition of novel dance movements. The participant in this study was a child with multiple diagnoses who participates in regular dance instruction. Results indicated that the use of TAGteach resulted in rapid skill acquisition for three different topographies of advanced targeted dance movements: a turn, kick, and leap. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Drowning is a leading cause of unintentional death among children worldwide. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at higher risk for incidents of drowning then their non-disabled peers. Mastering water safety skills, such as underwater submersion, has been associated with a decreased risk for incidents of drowning. Using a combined multiple-baseline and changing-criterion design, this study examined the effects of a behavioral treatment package consisting of shaping, prompting, and positive reinforcement utilized to teach three young children to demonstrate underwater submersion during weekly swimming lessons. During baseline, none of the participants submerged their head underwater despite previous modeling and instruction. Following the implementation of the behavioral treatment package, all three participants submerged their entire head underwater. Each participant maintained this skill following instruction and later developed more advanced swimming abilities utilizing the mastered skill of underwater submersion. This research is a demonstration of the application of behavioral techniques to teach an extra-curricular sporting skill that also can save a child's life.

In competitive sports at all levels, skill acquisition and improvement is an area of focus for many athletes. Several studies have been done to examine the use of operant conditioning or behavioral coaching on acquiring or improving new skills in several different sports. The following study seeks to examine the use of TAGteach™ and video modeling and feedback with experienced golfer ranging in age from 20 to over 40. This study will also examine the generalization of acquired or improved skills to the golf course.

Assessing individuals' preferences for and the efficacy of stimuli used during behavioral interventions as well as the interventions themselves remains an important topic for research. In this symposium, novel applications of preference and reinforcer assessments will be presented. The research includes: (a) a methodology for assessing preference for social interactions (N=5); (b) an evaluation of edible versus leisure item displacement during preference assessments (N=26); (c) a comparison of individuals' responding for highly and moderately preferred stimuli under varying reinforcement parameters (N=6); and (d) a quantitative review of published research that assessed participants' preferences for instructional activities (N=132). Respectively, results of these studies showed that (a) differences in individual preferences for social interactions were observed; (b) edible stimuli do not always displace leisure stimuli in preference assessments; (c) insensitivity to changing reinforcement contingencies is response-specific and does not reflect a general pattern of responding; and (d) preference for instructional activities often, but not always, corresponded to treatment efficacy. Collectively, results of these studies further demonstrate the idiosyncratic nature of individual preferences and reemphasize the importance of conducting preference and reinforcer assessments prior to and during behavioral treatment. Implications for clinical practice will be discussed.

Clinicians, researchers

Results of recent research suggest that automatically reinforced SIB (ASIB) appears comprised of distinct subtypes. One subtype (Subtype-ASIB) appears highly insensitive to concurrently available alternative reinforcement in both the context of assessment and treatment. It remains unclear whether this observed insensitivity to disruption by alternative reinforcement reflects a broader pattern of insensitive responding for these individuals across other responses, or whether it is specific to ASIB. As a preliminary means of addressing this question, the current study compared arbitrary responses (i.e., button presses) of six individuals' socially-reinforced SIB (n=3) or Subtype-2 ASIB (n=3) under various reinforcement conditions. Specifically, button pressing, which was reinforced using preferred edible stimuli, was examined under continuous, progressive-ratio, and extinction schedules. Results did not indicate any differences in sensitivity to schedule changes across groups. That is, individuals with Subtype-2 ASIB showed comparably similar degrees of sensitivity to schedule changes relative to individuals whose SIB was maintained by social reinforcement. These results provide preliminary evidence that insensitivity to disruption of SIB by alternative reinforcement, which is the hallmark of Subtype-2 ASIB, is specific to ASIB as a response class and does reflect a general insensitivity to alternative reinforcement across other response classes.

Empirical evidence shows that early and intensive behavioral interventions result in better treatment outcomes and are therefore considered the intervention of choice for treating individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. In many instances practical constraints prevent individuals from receiving intensive behavioral treatments and low-intensity interventions are provided instead. In this symposium, We will report outcome of low-intensity behavioral interventions across different sites, and with a variety of assessment tools, including the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP), the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), IQ scores, and other related measures.

Clinicians who provide treatments for individuals with autism spectrum disorder

Early Behavioral Intervention for children is provided through a range of different service models across countries. Supervision and consultancy on Early Behavioral Intervention for children with autism are available through public taxpayer-funded centers in Oslo (STI) and Bergen (AA), Norway. The day-to-day intervention is done in the child's local mainstream pre-school. An intervention team is formed based on the extra resources (person) provided through the child's special educational needs statement - along with the ordinary staff in the preschool. Also, students doing practicums are part of the intervention teams. We have compared outcomes of 46 children with autism (2-6 years of age at intake) who received services of moderate intensity (10-20 weekly intervention hours) through STI and AA with a comparison group of 28 children receiving treatment as usual of similar intensity. After two years, children receiving behavioral intervention had larger gains in IQ scores, adaptive behavior composite scores. The children in the behavioral intervention group also scored significantly better on a measure of autism severity. Strengths and weaknesses of this intervention model are discussed.

Skinner argued that behavior analysis was part of the larger field of evolutionary approaches. Advances in evolution science and in a contextual behavioral account of human language suggest that human beings have common motivations that needed to be taking into account when dealing with possible reinforcers for human behavior. In this talk I will argue that a small set of typical human yearnings emerge from this way of thinking, and surprisingly, that these connect behavioral thinking to some ideas often seen as oppositional to behavioral thinking.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

When reinforcement occurs independent of the mediation of others, it is referred to as automatic reinforcement (Skinner, 1969). The response product that automatically reinforces the behavior may be in the form of an unconditioned reinforcer, or it may be conditioned. That is, it is possible for a once neutral stimulus to be paired with other reinforcers until the neutral stimulus itself becomes a conditioned reinforcer. Understanding factors that influence the process of conditioning automatic reinforcers is critical for acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of successful behavior changes. Researchers have utilized conditioning procedures to establish neutral stimuli as conditioned reinforcers for decades (e.g., Greer, Pistoljevic, Cahill, & Du, 2011). This symposium consists of three presentations describing applied evaluations of several procedures for conditioning stimuli as automatic reinforcers for behaviors of social significance (e.g., physical activity in sedentary adults, vocal behavior by young children).

Fifty-two percent of adults do not meet the Physical Activity Guidelines and inactivity is associated with serious health concerns. �This study aimed to (a) investigate the relationship between self-reports of preferences for physical activity and actual preferences using a Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement (MSWO) preference assessment, and (b) assess whether physical activity can be conditioned as a reinforcer using a pairing procedures for sedentary adults. Eight participants completed a MSWO preference assessment at the beginning of the study to determine a preference hierarchy, including 5 leisure-time and 1 physical, activities. The four sedentary participants then completed a multiple-baseline design during which they attended weekly 30-min sessions where they paired their most highly preferred leisure-time activity with walking on a treadmill. A second MSWO was conducted after pairing to determine changes in physical activity rank on the hierarchy. Self-reports were highly correlated with actual preferences for all eight participants. The pairing procedure increased preference and enjoyment for physical activity in the sedentary participants. These results suggest that a pairing procedure can be used to increase preference and enjoyment from physical activity among sedentary adults; however, more research is needed to determine how to translate this in to behavior outside the laboratory.

The current study examined the use of a stimulus-stimulus pairing (SSP) procedure in an attempt to condition vocalizations as automatic reinforcers for increasing vocalizations and establishing echoic responses. Two auditory stimulus presentation styles of the SSP procedure, which differed in the rate of pairings, were compared with two students with autism. Following an initial SSP phase, direct reinforcement of phoneme emissions was introduced. Data were collected on the frequency of target and non-target vocalizations for both participants. A parallel-treatments design was implemented to compare the variations of SSP across phoneme sets within and across participants. Results suggested the variation of SSP with 3 presentations per minute of the auditory stimulus was more effective in increasing target vocalizations than the variation with 12 presentations per minute of the auditory stimulus when followed by direct reinforcement of vocal imitation. Probes showed echoics were established for all phonemes in the 3 presentations condition. A mand-model procedure was implemented in an attempt to increase vocalizations for phonemes not established as echoic behavior. Interobserver agreement data were collected for a minimum of 33% of each condition, mean IOA was always above 90%.

The symposium includes three studies that targeted healthcare and hygiene routines for individuals with developmental disabilities. The first presentation evaluated the utility of a total-task chaining procedure to teach female adolescents with autism spectrum disorder to care for menses followed by assessing responding in a non-training setting and in the absence of an instructor. The second presentation examined a forward chaining procedure combined with positive and negative reinforcement for task tolerance to establish compliance with hygiene routines and extinguish problem behavior for an individual diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and down syndrome. The third presentation conducted a treatment procedure that consisted of demand fading and differential reinforcement both with and without extinction, and evaluated the negative side effects associated with the use of extinction to assess the extent to which extinction can be safely included when teaching compliance with healthcare procedures. Collectively these studies provide support for the value of teaching the healthcare needs for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Target audience are practitioners and researchers who serve the needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.

Feminine hygiene skills, including steps required for care of menses, is a skill that nearly all young females with autism spectrum disorder need to be taught. Little applied research has focused on procedures to teach these skills. Two studies have demonstrated chaining to be a successful procedure in teaching related skills. This study extends methods used by Veazey et al. (2016) on using total-task chaining to teach females with autism to care for menses by programming for and assessing generalization in novel settings and in the absence of an instructor. Results demonstrate increases in correct responding across conditions for two participants, and generalization was demonstrated for one participant.

Hygiene related tasks are commonly non-preferred tasks for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, but individuals who engage in problem behavior to escape and avoid these tasks are at particular risk for infection, dental decay, and potential social ostracization. This presentation describes a case study in which we established compliance with hygiene routines including tooth brushing, shaving, hair combing, and the application of chap stick with a 21-year old male diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and down syndrome who displayed escape-maintained aggression and property destruction. The model for each of these tasks was to (a) conduct a task analysis of each task, (b) gradually introduce each step of the task analysis using forward chaining, (c) provide positive and negative reinforcement for task tolerance, and (d) extinguish problem behavior. Following acquisition of these tasks, we completed parent training and observed successful generalization of tolerance to applying deodorant and lotion, changing clothing, and spraying cologne.

The presence of certain stimuli during healthcare procedures (e.g., haircuts, dental) may evoke noncompliance in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (Shumacher & Rapp, 2011). Noncompliance with such procedures can be a serious problem, especially when sharp objects are involved. Numerous interventions have been described, several of which included the use of extinction (e.g., Allen & Stokes, 1987; Cuvo, et al., 2010). However, the use of extinction treatment procedures may be associated with increased problem behavior. We evaluated a treatment procedure that included demand fading and differential reinforcement both with and without extinction. Additionally, negative side effects associated with the use of extinction were evaluated. A multiple-baseline-across-subjects design was combined with a multiple-probe design to evaluate acquisition, maintenance, and generalization. Ten young children with IDD participated. Results showed successful increases in compliance both in the presence and absence of extinction. However, acquisition was much slower without extinction. Further, the use of extinction was associated with moderate increases in problem behavior and negative vocalizations. This study extends behavior-analytic literature by assessing the extent to which extinction can be safely included as a treatment component when teaching compliance with healthcare procedures.

Life is full of choices between moderate-value rewards and risky higher-valued rewards (e.g., a decent restaurant that always has room versus a fabulous restaurant that is often full). One factor that influences risk preference is how these options are presented. When choices are described (common in behavioral economics), people are typically more risk seeking when choices involve losses (e.g., -$20 vs a 50/50 chance of -$40) than when they involve gains (e.g., +$20 vs. a 50/50 chance of +$40). In contrast, if outcomes are learned through experience (typical in operant research), people tend to be more risk seeking for relative gains that for relative losses. We proposed an extreme-outcome hypothesis, in which the best and worst outcomes have more impact than moderate outcomes on experience-based choices and on self-reported memory. In several studies, we have shown that outcomes at the ends of a distribution are weighted more, leading to biases in choice behavior and over-estimations in memory; moreover, these effects on choice and memory are correlated. The effects are also context dependent—outcomes are overweighted only when they are the best or worst outcomes in the current context. The fluidity of risky choice has implications for understanding risky behaviors such as gambling.

Graduate students and researchers interested in behavioral analysis, choice behavior, or gambling.

With the enactment of Senate Bill 946 in California, Easterseals has experienced unprecedented growth. This growth presented many challenges, including standardizing the treatment model across seven clinical locations to be congruent. In January 2017, Easterseals Bay Area Clinical Services enacted the standard that every six month authorization, a client will receive a developmental assessment and curriculum assessment. In addition to this, it became apparent that a standardized approach to assessment was necessary. A tool was created establishing the recommendation criteria for which curriculum based assessment to use and how many hours are deemed medically necessary. These recommendations are based on the following components of the client's learner profile: client age, Vineland 3 scores, Parenting Stress Index and/or Vineland 3 Maladaptive Behavior index. This tool was introduced to Easterseals Bay Area clinical staff in October 2017, with full implementation by January 2018. The curriculums recommended, the hours recommended, and results of this full implementation will be discussed in how it impacts ease of treatment planning, increased confidence in treatment recommendations for practitioners, and decrease in number of different curriculums used across seven clinical offices.

BCBA ABA Agencies

As the field of Applied Behavior Analysis has grown over the last two decades, a variety of curriculum based assessments have also been introduced. Some curriculums focus on specific domains, such as verbal behavior or social skills, while others focus on skills that are at the center of developmental or academic milestones. Further, there are also curriculum based assessments that focus on specific functional skills needed for daily living, outside of any developmental or age based protocol. As of January 2017, Easterseals Bay Area clinicians were implementing at least eight different curriculum based assessments across the seven offices. Members of the clinical leadership team met in June 2017 and started researching the different curriculums to identify those that best represented Easterseals Bay Area client needs and to standardize the use of these assessments across offices. Comparisons of each curriculum based assessment researched and the process of choosing the final three being recommended for Easterseals clients will be discussed.

Operant Behavioral economics (OBE), also known as Economic Behavior Analysis (EBA), is an interdisciplinary field in which behavior analysts and economists interact to improve our understanding of economically-relevant behaviors. These are the social behaviors identified by economic theories as determinants of the way human societies are organized: like consuming, working, investing, etc. The intersection between behavior analysis and economics contributes positively to the objectives of both disciplines by bringing theoretical perspectives and novel methodologies to bear on each of its constituents. A number of analytical tools brought from Microeconomics has already made its way to the psychological arena. Concepts like demand elasticity, discounting curves, substitute and complement goods, among others, have had their validity and usefulness proven in behavioral researches on substance abuse, compulsive behaviors, obesity etc. But any interdisciplinary dialogue should be two-way. This symposium will examine the recent progress of the operant paradigm within the behavioral economic field in various countries and research domains.

Four studies were conducted to illustrate how the framework of temporal discounting (decrease in reinforcing value with increasing delay) can be used to interpret and predict behavioral patterns in diverse fields, such as consumer and legal contexts. Study 1: product stockpiling in routinely-purchased food products was investigated, with the use of consumer panel data, showing that the value of products was hyperbolically discounted as delay to consumption increased. Study 2: in a simulated shopping task, the value of brands with higher level of informational reinforcement was hyperbolically discounted more than the value of brands with lower level of informational reinforcement. Study 3: in a simulated task, the accepted value of damage compensation was hyperbolically discounted as a function of the time since the damage occurred. Study 4: using data from court hearings, the values of proposals, agreements and convictions were systematically discounted from the original value given to the cause.

The recently announced Nobel Prize awarded to behavioral economist Richard Thaler has put behaviorally-oriented social policies at the center of the economic arena. Government officials, economists and the general public are increasingly asking how behavioral findings they can be applied to produce better, cost-effective social interventions. In parallel, there has been a constant growth in behavioral-analytic studies on topics like sustainable consumption, environmental policies, or social changes. Can we envision a conversion between the two tendencies? Albeit desirable, such merging seems unlikely in the near future we are willing to change a couple of cultural practices within the BA community. One is the development of a verbal repertoire more appropriate to communicate behavioral findings to policy planners and the public in general (a highly successful strategy in Thaler's books). Another is adoption of more socially-relevant topics for behavioral research. There are very few BA studies nowadays that directly address the problems that policy-planners face. In an attempt to advance an interdisciplinary agenda, this talk will discuss the inquiries policy-planners commonly have for behavioral scientists, and offer an overview of what is available today to address them. Most examples will come from cases that happened in the U.S.A. and Brazil.

Are you tired of working in Autism? Are you looking to expand your scope of practice, challenge your clinical skills or try your hand at working on an interdisciplinary team? If so, this is the event for you! Historically brain injury rehabilitation teams have worked to integrate programming efforts across disciplines, overcome issues associated with problem behaviors and demonstrate the efficacy of programming efforts. However, until recently the utilization of behavior analytic concepts and principles uniquely suited towards these same goals has been misunderstood, underutilized or simply excluded within brain injury rehabilitation settings. This panel of experts will discuss the growing role of the behavior analyst within brain injury rehabilitation. They will discuss present and future of opportunities for behavior analysts to integrate themselves into this dynamic and growing field. Academic and clinical training opportunities will be reviewed as well as tips for getting started and opportunities to get involved.

BCBAs looking to expand their scope of practice.

Counting, measurement quality, and displaying behavioral data often occurs via interval time-sampling, interobserver agreement, and linear graphing. Each practice has a long history within behavior analysis. However, each has evoked debate as to its usefulness. Interval time-sampling, for example, epitomizes a discontinuous time-based method of measurement. Adopting such a system of data collection leads to over or underestimating the occurrence of behavior. The most common metric to determine measurement quality calculates the agreement between two independent observers for the same phenomena. In fact, the measure establishes believability rather than quality between observations. Once measured and assessed, behavior data appear on linear graphs. Yet linear graphs visually display an absolute amount of change and do not offer important behavior change statistics.The panel will address questions about each of the previously mentioned measurement and data display practices. A discussion surrounding the weakness of each practice and potential solutions will occur. Audience members will have opportunities to interact with the panel.

Practicing/Certified Behavior Analysts, Instructors of Behavior Analytic Content, Behavioral Researchers

Investigating Verbal Behavior can be challenging due to its speed of emission, complex topography and the multiple controlling variables that often summates into a single response. Various technologies have been successfully used by many branches of science to further investigations within those fields. This symposium will examine the use of some readily available technology for research conducted in Behavior Analysis, but with particular emphasis in the area of Verbal Behavior. Speech to Text recognition, eye-trackers and computers in general will be three technologies discussed, among others. Some examples of these technologies being used for research purposes will be presented, as well as potential use of each of them. Over the years these tools have become inexpensive, ubiquitous and more accessible to people unfamiliar with the technology used to develop and deploy them. Some of these advances, and methods used to implement them in behavioral research will be examined. In addition, several of these technologies will be demonstrated in the symposium.

All Behavior Analysts who are interested in research or application.

In 2010 David Palmer proposed that eye movement could be measured as an observable dependent variable and may complement existing measures of complex behavior. A brief review of eye tracking research as utilized in nicotine and tobacco research will be provided. Eye-movement tracking has been utilized to study standard tobacco marketing as well as a response to interventions that reduce the likelihood of purchasing tobacco products (e.g., graphic health displays). Palmer (2010) also proposed that eye movement may be the relevant stimulus in tacts of relation among visual stimuli (e.g., "Above," as in Above the refrigerator). It has been assumed that the stimulus positions control the tact of relation, but it is possible that this tact may be controlled as a response to the behavior of the eye movement as the eye orients towards the space above the refrigerator. The second part of this presentation will focus on a review of the behavioral literature on eye-movement tracking following Palmer's (2010) call for additional research on eye-movement tracking. This review will emphasize the conceptual position of eye movement as the relevant stimulus in the tact of relation among visual stimuli.

The population of the United States has been increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse for many years. In spite of this growing diversity, these groups are significantly underrepresented in the research literature for applied behavior analysis and special education. Practice guidelines have not been developed to address the needs of these populations, many of whom are served by behavior analysts. Previous research has found that language preference and language of intervention are some of the variables that need to be systematically addressed through research applications. This symposium will include the results of two intervention studies focusing on how linguistic differences affect intervention generalization (FCT), behavioral assessment (functional analysis), language preference, and skill acquisition. To aid researchers and practitioners working directly with these groups, a position paper reviewing bilingual literature and providing recommendations for practice for bilingual learners with ASD and a systematic literature review on the recruitment and retention of participants in research who are economically, linguistically, and culturally diverse are also included. Practice recommendations and areas of future research for these growing populations will be presented.

Practitioners and researchers

Resurgence of problem behavior following effective functional communication training (FCT) can occur if the functional communication response (FCR) contacts a barrier, such as lack of generalization across communication partners. One barrier to generalization may be language variations among communication partners. We evaluated the effect of language of implementation on functional analysis and functional communication training outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Linguistic diversity and choice of language may be particularly important to children with ASD as core communication deficits often contribute to engagement in problem behavior. Participants were three children with ASD who engaged in problem behavior and whose parents reported Spanish was primarily spoken in the home setting. Assessment conducted in both English and Spanish identified the behaviors were maintained by escape from demands in both languages. FCT was conducted in the English language and probes for generalization to the Spanish language were conducted. Results indicate that intervention may generalize naturally across languages as one participant code switched. However, two participants required specific instruction in both languages. Implications for practice and future research will be discussed.

Recent research has suggested language of instruction may have an effect of the behavior of children with autism spectrum disorder during instructional sessions. This study aims to add to the literature base by evaluating preference of instructional language as a potential variable that may account for differences in problem behavior and skill acquisition during instructional settings. There were three participants for this study. All of the children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. All of the participants came from a Spanish speaking family. In the first phase of the study, functional analysis were conducted in both English and Spanish. The results of functional analysis demonstrated the behavior was maintained by escape from demands. In the second phase of the study, a language preference assessment was conducted using a concurrent operant design embedded into an ABAB reversal. In the final phase, skill acquisition will be evaluated using novel responses in both English and Spanish with the schedule of reinforcement held constant.

Special education intervention literature largely fails to report participant demographics; moreover, when race or ethnicity are reported, it reflects a homogeneous, majority culture (Artiles et al., 1997; Sinclair et al., in press; Vasquez et al., 2011). Researchers in special education and behavior analysis have called for an increase in diversity of participants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disorders (DD) (Sinclair et al., in press), but few studies have empirically evaluated the relation between recruitment and retention strategies and increased diversity for these participants. A conceptual framework for increasing the inclusion of diverse participants in research involving parents and children with ASD and other DD will be presented. Findings are presented from a systematic literature review (i.e. electronic database searches, ancestral search) from studies published between 2011-2016 evaluating recruitment and retention strategies and papers offering conceptual frameworks to recruit and retain diverse participants in parent implemented interventions. Findings are discussed across the 41studies in relation to variables such as: (a) demographics, (b) recruitment and retention strategies, (d) attrition rate, (e) social validity, etc. A conceptual framework for increasing the inclusion of diverse participants in research involving parents and their children with ASD and other DD will be presented.

The practice of advising bilingual parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to speak in a single language, often the majority language of the region, with their child with ASD seems to be common. Such advice, however, is not grounded on empirical evidence but appears to be based more on logical arguments and assumptions. This presentation will discuss fears surrounding dual language exposure, empirical evidence supporting bilingualism in children with ASD, and key steps that clinicians can consider taking to better address the needs of diverse learners. Specifically, clinicians can inquire about a family's language usage and preferences, address fears about dual language exposure, and support parents in their use of heritage language through parent training.

In this symposium, we will discuss the effects of escape extinction in the treatment of pediatric feeding problems and describe treatments for food selectivity that involve choices, progressively increasing eating requirements, and differential reinforcement of appropriate eating without nonremoval of the spoon. Our first presenter will discuss the effects of escape extinction and differential reinforcement on selective eating. Our second presenter will identify the prevalence of extinction bursts during escape extinction interventions for food refusal. The third presenter will discuss the effects of an intervention that involves offering choices and shaping appropriate eating using synthesized reinforcers. The last presenter will review a treatment package that incorporates choice, differential reinforcement, stimulus fading, and modified escape extinction (nonremoval of the plate).

Behavior analysts, graduate students, educators, practitioners

Repetitive and restricted response patterns are one of the core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which includes "resistance to change," behavior. Children with ASD may display resistance to change in the form of food selectivity. In fact, Schreck, Williams, and Smith (2004) found that 72% of children diagnosed with ASD had these types of feeding difficulties. In the current study, we demonstrated that our behavior-analysis intervention reduced resistance to change in the form of food selectivity to clinically acceptable levels for two participants between the ages of 3 and 8 diagnosed with ASD. We were able to shift the participants' responding from resistive feeding responses (e.g., always selecting hot dogs and cheerios) to alternative, appropriate feeding responses (e.g., selecting healthier target foods like chicken and green beans) by using differential reinforcement of alternative behavior and escape extinction. The treatment effects maintained when escape extinction was no longer in place. These results have implications for the treatment of other symptoms of resistance to change as well as the generalization of treatment effects from one symptom to another.

Food selectivity is a pervasive problem and affects up to 45% and 80% of individuals with and without disabilities, respectively. Food selectivity and mealtime problem behavior have primarily been treated through differential reinforcement and various forms of escape extinction. Escape extinction, while efficacious, may result in increased aggression, gagging, or vomiting and, therefore, may not be feasible to implement under some conditions. In response, we describe a model for addressing food selectivity without extinction for five young children who were highly selective eaters. The model involved: (a) indirectly and directly measuring food preferences in order to identify foods that established mealtime problem behavior and other foods that could be used as reinforcers, (b) evaluating the variables maintaining mealtime problem behavior through an interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA), and (c) incorporating the assessment results into a progressive treatment process that relied on choice making opportunities and differential and synthesized reinforcement of successive approximations to eating.

Food selectivity (eating a narrow range of foods) is a common problem in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Common dietary patterns in children with ASD include strong preference for processed foods coinciding with a bias against fruits and vegetables. Food selectivity in ASD increases the risk of underlying nutritional deficiencies and related medical complications, underscoring the need to identify effective interventions. While behavioral intervention is well-established for food refusal in young children, relatively few studies have examined treatment of food selectivity in ASD - particularly among older children who may require adaptations to established methods (e.g., non-removal of the spoon). This study evaluated the use of a treatment protocol involving choice, stimulus fading, reinforcement, and a modified extinction procedure (non-removal of the plate). Four male children (8-13 years) with food selectivity and ASD admitted to an intensive multidisciplinary day program received intervention based on established inclusion criteria. Mean number of foods accepted increased from 8 at admission to 28 at the time of discharge. These results provide provisional support for the use of this treatment package as an alternative to more well-documented extinction-based procedures among older children with ASD who can engage in a choice-based treatment model.

We present 4 papers that address new behavior analytic advances in teaching functional reading, writing, and math repertoires across a range of students with and without disabilities. The first paper tests the effects of a behavior momentum blending procedure on the acquisition of textual and spelling responses with preschool students with disabilities. The second paper reports the establishment of conditioned reinforcement of math with pre-kindergarten students on the acquisition of student's rate of learning of new math repertoires. The third paper utilizes a writer immersion procedure to increase student's functional writing repertoires (i.e., to write to affect the behavior of a reader) for middle and high school students with disabilities. The fourth paper used an editing and writing package to test the effects of teaching middle school students with disabilities to write functional math algorithms for solving word problems. The four papers will be discussed in terms of the reinforcement sources for function in verbal behavior.

The target audience for this symposium includes professionals that work in a school setting (i.e., implements behavior analytic procedures in the school setting)

In 2 experiments, I tested the effects of a behavioral momentum blending procedure on the accuracy of component and composite textual and spelling responses emitted by 5 preschool students with disabilities using a multiple probe design across participants. The participants were between 3 and 4 years old and were selected to participate because they emitted low numbers of correct textual responses to words comprised of previously mastered phoneme-grapheme correspondences. Dependent measures in the experiment included blending responses to novel text stimuli, composite vocal blending responses, and spelling responses. Prior to the intervention, the participants were taught to textually respond to a set of known, regular words comprised of up to 5 phoneme-grapheme correspondences at a target rate. During the behavioral momentum blending intervention, participants responded to these words, presented in rapid succession by the experimenter, followed by the immediate presentation of novel words. The experimenter provided a vocal model of the component phonemes which was faded during each phase of intervention. Results for both experiments showed increases in textual, spelling, and vocal blending responses for all participants. These findings are discussed with regard to blending as a potentially critical speaker-as-own listener cusp in the establishment of reader repertoires.

In two experiments, we sought to teach middle and high school students with disabilities the function of writing (i.e., to write to affect the behavior of a reader). In Experiment 1, we compared two writing procedures: writing instruction with learn units and a writer immersion procedure. The dependent variables included structural and functional writing measures for descriptive writing tasks. The results of Experiment 1 demonstrated that both the learn unit condition and writer immersion condition resulted in increases in functional writing repertoires. Experiment 2 sought to use a writer immersion package with learn units embedded to increase student's functional writing repertoires using writing tasks specific to academic subjects (i.e., math, science, and social studies). The dependent variables included structural and functional writing measures for descriptive writing tasks. The results of Experiment 2 will be discussed in terms of effective writing practices and the importance of integrating the procedure across academic areas.

I tested the effects of a writing/editing package on the functional writing for 7 middle school students with disabilities using a multiple probe across dyads design. The dependent variables were 1) functional components of a math algorithm written by a participant and solved by a naïve adult reader; 2) written rationale for why each operation was used and why the problem needed to be solved; and 3) resistance to extinction measures for solving above grade level algebra problems as a measure of reinforcement value. The independent variable was an editing and writing package for producing a written explanation for specific steps to solve a multi-step math problem. The participant as the writer produced a written math algorithm, and the participant as the editor provided questions to the writer so that a rewrite would help the editor solve the math problem correctly. Criterion was achieved when the writer produced a written explanation with all four necessary functional components and required no additional rewrites. The results will be discussed in terms of the importance of establishing functional writing repertoires, and the establishment of "why" when only how to solve a problem was taught.

Functional Analysis is the standard in Behavior Analysis for the identification of those variables responsible for the maintenance of challenging behavior. Over the past 35 years literally thousands of replications and extensions of the initial Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman and Richmond (1982) have been published, extending the procedure across settings, populations, types of behaviors assessed, etc. The current symposium will review research on the latest iteration in this process, the Interview Informed Synthesized Contingency (IISCA).

University Faculty, ABA Researchers, ABA graduate students

Since its inception, the functional analysis methodology (FA) described by Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, and Richman (1982/1994)has consistently been referred to as the "gold standard" for identifying the controlling variables that maintain behavior. The FA is unique in that it specifically manipulates variables to help isolate various reinforcing contingencies. The behavior analytic literature is abundant with evidence in the use of the FA to guide clinicians toward function-based interventions to effectively treat problem behavior(s). Although the general definition does not require a commitment to specific procedures, multiple functional analysis formats have been developed to address specific concerns (e.g., practicality, efficiency, safety). Recently, an emerging literature has proposed yet another modification of the original FA methodology, utilizing synthesized contingencies to determine the function(s) of behavior, followed by its hypothesized treatment. The objective of this review is to evaluate the current literature on the synthesized functional analysis (SFA) approach proposed by Hanley, Jin, Vanselow and Hanratty (2014). We provide an objective review of the history, some of the procedural variations, and novel interpretations. We will also discuss future research as well as clinical considerations.

Despite the prevalence of breaks in treatments for escape-maintained problem behavior, no studies have empirically evaluated preference for different break environments (e.g., break with attention and/or tangibles). In this study, a pictorial preference assessment was conducted with 2 individuals with autism to identify preferred break environments. Assessed breaks were based on indirect assessments and direct observations. The highest- (HP) and lowest-preferred (LP) break environments and a control with no associated break were included in a reinforcer assessment using a reversal design within a concurrent-chains arrangement. Participants selected a multi-task sequence (initial link) associated with one of the break environments (terminal link). Phase A evaluated the reinforcing properties of all three break environments; the HP was removed in Phase B. Both participants allocated more responding to HP than LP, and LP than control, suggesting that breaks functioned as reinforcers. Interobserver agreement and procedural integrity were assessed in at least 33% of assessment trials; mean agreement and integrity scores were at least 98%. Social validity measures indicated that the results were useful for clinical programming.

Problem behavior has been a scientific focus of behavior analytic intervention since the inception of the discipline. Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, and Richman (1982/1994) demonstrated the isolation of variables in analogue conditions to analyze and determine the maintaining functions of problem behaviors and refer to this process as a functional analysis (FA). Hanley, Jin, Vanselow, & Hanratty, 2014) suggests that synthesizing these variables and the addition of an open-ended interview may determine function more efficiently and accurately called the Interview-Informed, Synthesized Contingency Analysis (IISCA). The purpose of this presentation is to replicate and extend the current literature by exploring the utility of the IISCA with clients seen within a private practice setting (i.e. clinic and in-home) who engage in severe problem behavior. These participants are referred based on an "at-risk" of out of home placement due to the severity of behaviors.

Functional Analysis literature has culminated in over a three thousand replications, modifications and extensions, making it the gold standard in experimental assessment and most frequently used by researchers as an initial assessment to guide treatment interventions for problem behavior (Beavers, Iwata, & Lerman, 2013). The purpose of this paper is replicate and to extend the current literature by exploring the utility of the IISCA in private practice, more specifically, within a more natural setting (i.e. home, group home, dayhab) and within anolder population that engage in severe problem behavior that inhibits participants from participating in their daily activities (i.e school, social, work).

Ethical training has become a cornerstone of the (re)certification process for board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs): course sequences approved by the behavior analyst certification board (BACB) have at least one course in ethics, continuing education explicitly related to ethical competence is requisite for practicing BCBAs wishing to maintain credentials, and ethics-related literature is widely available from journal articles to full-length books. Although individual sources provide insightful, often objective, advice on ethical decision-making, a ubiquitous "how-to" guide in how practitioners should respond to applied ethical dilemmas has not emerged. The present article uses the author's own applied research, and several other case studies sources within behavioral literature to recommend a matrix-type system by which ethical dilemmas, their co-relating compliance codes, and potential solutions may be organized, starting with proposed "in-house" solutions specific practitioners or agencies may take, culminating in filing a notice with the BACB. While a completely comprehensive system will require collaboration across populations and setting in which behavior analysts work, the present paper suggests a starting point, as evidenced by current ethical literature.

One of the more unique things about dogs is their particularly social and affiliative disposition towards people. In fact, the idea of sociability is particularly important in the animal shelter setting, where decisions about who lives and dies are made. This symposium will cover all aspects of dog-human sociability in the shelter, from considering sociability from a behavior analytic perspective to validating (and questioning) typical sociability assessments to ensuring that we encourage particular social behaviors from dog to encourage adoption.

Practitioners who are interested in social behavior in different species and the factors that might affect it.

There are a variety of procedures used to measure canine sociability, and these methods vary both systematically and unsystematically. The tests are typically used in isolation; thus, it is unclear whether they measure the same concept. The purpose of this three-part study was to determine whether a wide range of canine sociability tests would each produce the same results. Experiment 1 examined the effects of minor methodological changes for detecting social behavior in a shelter setting; we employed a mixed-subjects design to assess whether experimenter position (standing, sitting, or kneeling) and presence of affection (petting and praise or none) affect leashed dogs' social behaviors. In Experiment 2, we tested the effects of leash presence on a range of social behaviors including time in proximity, gazing, and touching. Experiment 3 explored the relationship between sociability and potentially related concepts using reinforcer efficacy, following, pointing, and attachment paradigms. Results indicated moderate consistency within tests, but very low correlations between behaviors on different tests. The findings suggest that minor methodological deviations can affect a dog's performance on a sociability test, and sociability may not be linked to attachment or social cognition.

The need for behavioral interventions that increase adoption rates are crucial to animal shelters. A recent intervention, based on each dog’s preference for toys in addition to structuring the first interaction between the dog and adopter was successful in increasing adoption rates by 68% in one municipal shelter site. The benefits and feasibility of this intervention remained to be established using a large-scale randomized and controlled multi-site study. Nine animal shelters in four states in the US were enrolled into a multiple baseline design. Each shelter was randomly assigned to 2-5 months of the baseline condition, in which they continued their current unstructured adoption counseling program, followed by 3-6 months of the experimental condition (total of 8 months each). During the experimental condition, the staff were asked to conduct the intervention. Throughout the study, data was recorded using automated equipment that tracked the number of adopter-dog interactions and the number of interactions that resulted in an adoption.

Sociability is thought to be an important factor for shelter dog adoption success. One way of assessing sociability is to determine dogs' preference for human interaction. A straightforward way of assessing preference is using a concurrent schedule in which dogs can choose to interact with one individual or another, and measuring the time spent with each alternative. We used a concurrent schedule to assess shelter dogs' preference for petting or food and petting or vocal praise. We found that some shelter dogs preferred food but many prefer petting, which is in contrast to owned dogs. However, petting was preferred to vocal praise across shelter dogs and owned dogs. Finally, we assessed how quickly shelter dogs would form a preference for one stranger over another. In a 10 minute session, shelter dogs showed a preference for one individual over another with a magnitude of preference similar to owned dogs' preference for their owners. Our results point to ways to assess sociability and the interactions that might enhance it. They will also help us facilitate effective dog-human relationships.

Impairments in communication and social interactions along with restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior comprise the core characteristics of autism (DSM-5). These deficits often manifest as deficient play skills, especially when play includes a social context. The play skills of children with autism may appear rote or repetitive. Additionally, play skills may lack the key component of language whether solitary or when play includes peers. Behavioral research supports the use of script training as well as manipulations of reinforcement schedules to teach children with autism play skills as well as social interactions. However, additional research is warranted to address topics such as skill generalization and maintenance once scripts or programed reinforcement schedules are removed. This symposium will focus on 3 studies, each with a specific aim to address these skills in children with autism. One study utilizes scripts and script fading to addresses verbal behavior during play for 3 dyads of children with autism. A second study addresses variability of play and play skill generalization through the use of a Lag schedule. While the final study evaluates script format (auditory or textual) and the efficiency of producing contextually-appropriate spontaneous language in children with autism. Implications for generalization, skill maintenance, as well as future research possibilities will be discussed.

Practitioners and Researchers

Decades of research suggest that script training approaches can be used to teach social skills to children with autism. The current study extended this line of research by applying script training procedures to an activity with embedded reinforcement (i.e., a treasure hunt) among pairs of children with autism. In baseline, the children did not initiate social interactions with one another. During treatment, text scripts were used to teach the target child to recruit attention from a peer and echoic prompts were used to teach the peer to comment in response to the target child. During the post-test, the children in 2 out of the 3 pairs consistently emitted recruits for attention and reciprocal comments without any adult mediated reinforcement. Implications for observational learning, script fading, generalization, and the use of rules to assist in the removal of adult support will be discussed.

One of the defining characteristics of autism is the presence of excessive repetitive behaviors. Many children with autism engage in rigid and repetitive play. Researchers have shown that variability of play behavior, among other behaviors, can be increased through contingencies of reinforcement. However, little is known regarding generalization of response variability beyond the specific responses that are trained. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of combining multiple exemplar training with discrimination training on promoting generalization of varied play behavior to untrained play materials. After increasing variability of play behavior by implementing lag schedules across multiple play sets, we observed generalization of varied play to untrained play sets with all three participants.

Children with autism often have difficulty producing spontaneous language and social initiations (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Current research suggests that scripts are an effective tool for teaching children diagnosed with autism play based initiations (Reagon & Higbee, 2009). While there are data to support the effectiveness of script and script fading procedures, there is little to no information regarding the relative effectiveness of the auditory versus textual script formats for children with autism. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine which script format, auditory or textual, was the most efficient at producing contextually-appropriate spontaneous language in three children between 3 and 5 years old with autism.

Racial discrimination is widespread and exists in all culture as social contingencies in different forms (Guerin, 2003). Verbal behavior may provide one of the form of racism as well as the possible solution/prevention for the forming racism. The school and community may need to act differently toward the racism language to reduce the value. Racism may be conceptualized from many perspectives similarly, the contingencies which maintain racism may be just as varied. On a basic level, behavior analysts believe that racism is a learned behavior and maintained through consequences on reinforcement, punishment and extinction. Is it possible to apply those same contingencies to change racist behavior, or does the behavior come into contact with punishers far too infrequently to extinguish it? Could it be that even our behavior principles are biased when working with non-Western European American? Take for example, teaching a tasks analysis is directly opposite of the holistic learning approach commonly used in Native Americans, Hispanics, African Americans, Arabs, and some Asian Americans cultures (McIntyre, n.d.). In another example, the "task oriented" concept of the Premack Principle, favors Western European Americans as opposed to "people oriented" cultures (McIntyre, n.d.)

BCBAs, BCaBAs, RBTs, clinicans

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Assessment and treatment of severe behavior disorders carries inherent risk to the client and/or staff due to the topography and/or magnitude of the target behavior. The studies presented in this symposium will address modifications to assessment procedures and treatment strategies to reduce the occurrence of severe behavior and increase the safety of the clinical process. Specifically, the approach of identifying precursors to problem behavior and placing reinforcement contingencies on precursors during functional analysis, rather than severe problem behavior, will be addressed, as well as strategies involving latency as the dependent measure during assessment and treatment. The first presentation will address a simplified, trial-based approach for selecting precursors for further assessment, as well as evaluate the effects of a structured indirect assessment for caregivers to nominate potential precursors. The second presentation will describe a model of progressing through assessment strategies (i.e., multiple-respondent anecdotal assessment, trial-based precursor analysis, functional analysis of precursor behavior, and functional analysis of severe behavior only when necessary) to develop a function-based intervention while minimizing the occurrence of severe problem behavior. Finally, the third presentation will evaluate the use of latency as the dependent measure during functional analyses in an outpatient setting, as well as during treatment to reduce risk.

Practitioners who assess and treat problem behavior

Functional analysis provides a well-validated methodology for assessing environmental influences on severe problem behavior; however, standard functional analyses pose potential risk because they involve procedures specifically designed to evoke severe behavior. Previous studies have examined strategies to improve the efficiency of and reduce risks related to the functional analysis process. The purpose of the present series of studies was to develop and evaluate a decision-making framework in which a series of evidence-based assessments and analyses is implemented in a systematic, escalating fashion, until sufficient evidence to form a function-based intervention is obtained. The model incorporates several evidence-based procedures, including multiple-respondent anecdotal assessment, trial-based precursor analysis, functional analysis of precursor behavior, and, if necessary, functional analysis of severe behavior. These assessments are arranged in a series, such that procedures that are least likely to produce large amounts of severe behavior are presented before those that are increasingly likely to result in severe behavior. When data permit the development of a hypothesis about the operant contingency maintaining problem behavior, that hypothesis can be tested using a test-control analysis using either noncontingent or differential reinforcement as a control/treatment.

4. One challenge to typical functional analyses (FAs) is that repeated occurrence of the problem behavior is required to determine the function of the behavior, which can pose risks to the client or therapist in the case of severe or dangerous behavior. Previous research has demonstrated that results of latency FA typically correspond with the results of a standard FA (Thomason-Sassi, Iwata, Neidert, & Roscoe, 2011). In fact, correspondence was shown in 90% of cases in that study. This outcome was significant because the use of latency as a dependent measure resulted in fewer instances of problem behavior. However, the assessments were conducted in a setting (and potentially therapists) familiar to the participants. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which similar results are obtained in an outpatient setting where unfamiliar therapists typically work with the client in a novel setting. In addition, treatment including functional communication training (FCT) and noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) using latency as a dependent measure will be evaluated to determine whether latency corresponds with rate and the extent to which typical treatment sessions might be modified to further reduce risks posed by severe problem behavior.

In 1971, in Beyond Freedom and Dignity, Skinner provided a broad and comprehensive analysis for why behavior analysis had been generally ignored by the mainstream. Now, in 2018, has all that much changed? Yes, there are many more today who can claim the title "Behavior Analyst," and the explosion of behavioral intervention services for individuals with autism has led to greater recognition of one of the science's significant (and successful) applications, at least in the US, but do we now have a seat at the table and are we invited out to play with others? The world is a big place and whilst some of us may still describe ourselves as the "happy few," the response effort involved in international growth remains hampered by the same issues described by Skinner nearly 50 years earlier, and some new ones, so let's talk about this, what we are doing, what we would like to do, and how we can make the world a better place.

BCaBAs, BCBAs and BCBA-Ds

The neural code and mechanisms that underlie the generation of behavior has been difficult to crack. Innate behaviors such as aggression, fear, and mating may pose a tractable model because they are highly conserved across evolution, their proper regulation and display is essential for fitness, and some of the essential circuit, amygdala and hypothalamus, are known. However, the identity of the precise neurons and logic of the circuits that generate these innate behaviors remains largely unknown and therefore unstudied. In the mouse, all of these essential behaviors can be robustly initiated by olfactory cues. We have identified specific sensory ligands that now enable us to precisely stimulate and identify the neural mechanisms that generate behavior. We are creating and assessing novel tools to be able to identify and manipulate the circuits that generate behavior. In addition, we are studying how the sensory information elicits variable responses depending on state, gender, or the complexity of the environment.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Over the last 35 years, the Behavior Analysis Program in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Iowa has produced 45-plus students who received their PhDs under the leadership and mentorship of Dr. David Wacker. This panel will focus on the components of the "Iowa Training Model" as it pertains to the mentorship and training of behavior analysts in training. The discussion will include mentorship and training tactics and strategies utilized in the Program to promote skill acquisition by PhD students in clinical (i.e., in Outpatient and Day Treatment contexts) and research (i.e., in Clinic Research, Grant-Funded Research, and Advanced Seminars contexts) practice. The discussion will be grounded in the experiences of our panelists, who are prominent behavior analysts and were members of distinct "generations" of students in the Program, from their time in training in the Behavior Analysis Program in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Iowa.

A conditional discrimination is a four-term contingency, and behavior controlled by both auditory and visual stimuli is an auditory-visual conditional discrimination (i.e., AVCD; receptive identification). Conditional discriminations like AVCD are relevant to many repertoires targeted in behavior analytic interventions and research on how to teach these repertoires is warranted. Bergmann et al., evaluated the efficacy and efficiency of three auditory discrimination procedures with two typically developing children; results suggested do-this/do-that was efficacious and most efficient in three of five comparisons. Gee, Hiett, Devine, and Petursdottir examined sample first and comparison first in AVCD training with error correction with typically developing children. The authors found that when error correction did not insert a delay, it was efficacious with both stimulus-order conditions. Cubicciotti, Vladescu, Reeve, Carroll, and Schnell investigated multiple stimulus orders (e.g., sample first, simultaneous) on acquisition of AVCD with three children with ASD. Idiosyncratic findings were reported. DiSanti, Eikeseth, and Eldevik employed two procedural arrangements to teach AVCD to children diagnosed with ASD. The structured mix was more efficacious for learners with less advanced AVCD repertoires whereas both arrangements were efficacious for learners with more advanced repertoires. Discussion on clinical implications and directions for future research will follow.

The target audience is individuals conducting research and providing applied behavior analytic academic and behavioral interventions to individuals in need like children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

An auditory discrimination is when behavior comes under the control of auditory stimuli (e.g., sounds, words) in one's environment. To maximize benefit from instruction and function appropriately in the environment, one must develop a reliable auditory discrimination repertoire. A paucity of research on how to assess and teach auditory discrimination is currently available in the behavior-analytic literature. This translational study examined the efficacy and efficiency of three different conditions, go/no-go, do this/do that, and auditory match-to-sample, using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants and embedded adapted alternating treatments design to demonstrate auditory discrimination with two typically developing preschool girls. Do this/do that was the most efficacious and efficient procedure in three of five comparisons. Go/no-go was the most efficacious and efficient procedure in two comparisons following several procedural modifications including error correction. Auditory match-to-sample was never the most efficient condition. Implications for applied research and future directions will be discussed.

In laboratory studies, conditional discrimination acquisition typically proceeds via trial and error as subjects contact the consequences of correct and incorrect responses in a matching-to-sample (MTS) task. In practical applications, by contrast, differential reinforcement is typically combined with prompting and prompt-fading strategies. The present study followed up on previous data on stimulus presentation arrangements in auditory-visual conditional discrimination training by examining if the effects of prompted error correction trials depended on stimulus presentation format (sample first vs. comparison first). Six typically developing children participated in two N=3 experiments. Each participant received eight sessions of instruction, two in each of four conditions, with new stimuli in each session. The dependent measure was accuracy in the last two trial blocks of each session. In Experiment 1, error correction reliably increased all participants' performance in the comparison-first but not in the sample-first condition. In Experiment 2, when the error correction procedure was altered such that it no longer created a delay between sample and comparison presentation in the sample-first condition, error correction reliably increased accuracy in both conditions. When a sample-first presentation format is used, prompts may be ineffective if they intervene between sample and comparison presentation.

Children with autism spectrum disorder are typically taught conditional discriminations using a match-to-sample arrangement. Consideration should be given to the temporal order in which antecedent stimuli (the sample and comparison stimuli) are presented during match-to-sample trials, as various arrangements have been used in the extant literature. The purpose of the current study was to compare four stimulus presentation orders on the acquisition of auditory-visual conditional discriminations. More specifically we included a clinically-relevant population (three children with autism spectrum disorder), employed clinically-relevant teaching procedures, and included two presentation formats not included in previous comparison evaluations (simultaneous and sample-first with re-presentation conditions). The results of the current study indicated that the most efficient method, regardless of measurement scale evaluated, for presenting stimuli during MTS trials was learner specific. More specifically, the simultaneous procedure was most efficient for Adam, the comparison-first arrangement was most efficient for Zeek, and the sample-first and sample-first with re-presentation arrangements were essentially both most efficient for Max. We will discuss results in light of previous studies and make suggestions for future research.

Individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often engage in repetitive and stereotypical behavior (APA, 2013). These repetitive behaviors can often interfere with skill acquisition, can be stigmatizing, and, in some cases, be can be dangerous. As these types of behavior are usually maintained by automatic reinforcement, identifying effective treatment strategies can be particularly challenging. Response interruption and redirection (RIRD) is one of few empirically-supported intervention strategies that has been effective for the treatment of repetitive behavior (Ahearn, Clark, MacDonald, & Chung, 2007). While the evidence is clear regarding the effectiveness of RIRD, the extent to which other treatment components may enhance its effectiveness is unclear. Differential reinforcement procedures may represent a useful adjunctive intervention component for RIRD treatments. The purpose of the current symposium is to share research findings regarding the effects of RIRD in conjunction with other treatment components, such as differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) and differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI).

Content would be appropriate for masters level practitioners and above (BCBAs)

Individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often engage in repetitive and stereotypic behavior (APA, 2013) which may be disruptive to others but also hinder acquisition of appropriate behaviors. Ahearn and colleagues (2007) employed a response interruption and response redirection procedure (RIRD) to decrease stereotypy however limited research has evaluated whether reinforcement-based procedures, alone or in combination with RIRD, result in similar or greater suppression of stereotypy. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects on RIRD, DRA, and RIRD plus DRA on levels of stereotypy and appropriate item engagement. Participants were two children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or another disability who engaged in stereotypy. This study employed a combination of reversal and multielement designs to evaluate the effects of these interventions. The results showed that both RIRD and RIRD plus DRA resulted in greater suppression of stereotypy than DRA alone and that, in general, appropriate item engagement remained at low levels. We discuss clinical implications and areas for future research.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders often engage in stereotypical or ritualistic behavior. Pica and mouthing are common forms of ritualistic behavior. The empirical literature has indicated that the use of competing items and response interruption and redirection (RIRD) can be effective for addressing these forms of ritualistic behavior (e.g., Horner et. al., 1991; Piazza et al., 2000; Zhou et al., 2000). In the current investigation, we assessed the use of an alternative item (bracelet) and response interruption and redirection for a 15 year old adolescent male diagnosed with ASD using a reversal design. The student engaged in high levels of object mouthing throughout his school day during baseline. During intervention, the student was given continuous access to an alternative source (silicone bracelet) and was taught an alternative response (biting the bracelet) with RIRD in place in the event that mouthing occurred. The implementation of the alternative item reduced mouthing non-edible objects to approximately 80% from baseline.

As individuals with autism age, available supports for promoting community integration dwindle, while their needs remain the same or grow. Specifically, challenging behavior is often reported as a barrier to successful community integration for this population (Allen, Lowe, Moore, & Brophy, 2007). In order to provide opportunities to engage in community-based activities, it is important to address challenging behaviors that can interfere with these activities. For the present study, a reversal design was utilized to display the efficacy of a Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior (DRI) schedule for food stealing exhibited by a 33 year-old man with autism. Results of the study demonstrated significant decreases in food stealing attempts when provided access to reinforcement contingent on engaging in a response incompatible with food stealing.

Characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) include restricted patterns of interest, stereotypical behavior, and insistence on sameness (ASD; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Further, individuals with ASD may engage in ritualistic behaviors which include, but are not limited to excessive straitening or arranging, tapping, or ordering of objects. Ritualistic behavior often interferes with on-task behaviors and can result in safety issues and concerns for developing and maintaining meaningful community opportunities. Interruption or redirection of these ritualized patterns of behaviors have resulted in maladaptive behaviors (e.g. Sigafoos, Green, Payne, O'Reilly, & Lancioni, 2009). As individuals with ASD age, the severity of challenging behavior can be considerably more intense and complex resulting in time-consuming and, often, ineffective assessments and treatments. Several studies have conducted functional analyses of maladaptive behavior caused by interruptions of ritualistic behavior (Hagopian, Bruzek, Bowman, & Jennett, 2007; Sigafoos et al., 2009; Rispoli, Camargo, Machalicek, Lang, & Sigafoos, 2014). While studies have examined various treatment options for addressing challenging behavior evoked by restricted access to rituals in children with ASD, there is a dearth of literature related to older learners and adults with ASD. The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the effects of functional communication training with signaled delays to address challenging behaviors maintained by restricted access to rituals for a 29-year old man with ASD. The results showed that functional communication training was an effective treatment for reducing challenging behavior maintained by restricted access to ritualistic behavior.

Young children may come into contact with unsafe situations that may lead to abduction, drowning, firearm discharge, accidental poisonings, or spread of infection and illness. Damaging outcomes from these situations could be prevented if the children were taught how to appropriately respond in those conditions. As such, the development of effective procedures for teaching children how to react in these situations is of significant need. The research presented in this symposium will explore (a) using behavior skills training, multiple exemplar training, and discrimination training (across strangers and familiar adults) to teach abduction-prevention skills; (b) using video modeling for training abduction-prevention skills; (c) teaching a three-step safety response in the presence of a variety of dangerous stimuli using behavioral skills training plus in-situ training; and (d) teaching appropriate handwashing to prevent the spread of infections using video modeling and visual feedback. We are fortunate to have Dr. Linda LeBlanc, one of the most productive and well-respected researchers in applied behavior analysis, serve as our discussant.

Behavior Analysts

Although the abduction of a child by an unknown adult is unlikely to occur in a child's lifetime, the consequences are serious and devastating. In response to recent reports of an abduction in the area, we sought to replicate previous research on using behavior skills training (BST) to teach abduction-prevention skills to children with autism by demonstrating its efficacy during in-situ probes across four different types of lures delivered by unknown adults. In addition, because undesirable generalization to known adults may occur, particularly with children with autism, we extended this literature by testing the effects of our training on following matched instructions to leave with known adults. No feedback was provided during in-situ probes. Participants learned to engage in appropriate safety behavior when presented with a lure from an unknown adult; however, undesirable generalization was observed with the known adult. Discriminated responding across unknown and known adults was observed following discrimination training. These results generalized across settings and maintained up to 3 months for two participants.

While much of the behavior analytic literature focuses on teaching skills to individuals with disabilities, there is less extensive research assessing skill sets typically-developing individuals, which may also benefit people with disabilities. The first study evaluates refinements to a model for teaching eye contact to children with autism spectrum disorder. This is followed by a study using a descriptive analysis for eye contact in typically developing adults, with a goal of providing normative data for research in eye contact interventions. The third study focuses on teaching group home staff to increase the frequency of praise given to foster children. While this intervention was of direct benefit to typically-developing children, the procedure focused on teaching staff, which may benefit a number of populations under group home staff care. The last study evaluates teaching culinary skills to adults with Traumatic Brain Injury.

The target audience of this symposium are clinicians and researchers interested interventions for people with and without disabilities.

Cook et al. (2017) recently described a progressive model for teaching children with autism spectrum disorder to provide eye contact with an instructor following a name call. The model included the following phases: contingent praise only; contingent edibles plus praise; stimulus prompts plus contingent edibles and praise; contingent video and praise; schedule thinning; generalization assessments; and maintenance evaluations. In the present study, we evaluated the extent to which modifications to the model were needed to train 15 children with ASD to engage in eye contact. Results show that 11 of 15 participants acquired eye contact with the progressive model; however, 8 participants required one or more procedural modifications to the model. Results also show that participants who acquired eye contact with or without modifications continued to display high levels of the behavior during follow-up probes. For those participants who acquired eye contact in this study, three did not require any modifications, six required one modification, and two required multiple modifications. The most frequently employed modification across participants was prompts to sit (PTS). Specifically, investigators' addition of PTS produced mastery-level eye contact for 4 of 6 participants who received the modification. Taken together with the findings from the Cook et al. (2017) study, results suggest that adding a PTS sub-phase (when low eye contact correlates with low in-seat behavior) to the progressive model could increase training efficiency.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder have demonstrated difficulty initiating and maintaining eye contact from early infancy into adulthood (Jones & Klin, 2013). Interventions that target improving eye contact are of paramount importance given that eye contact and appropriate use of eye gaze during social interactions may function as a behavioral cusp that provides access to other environments and contingencies (Bosch & Fuqua, 2001). Currently, normative data regarding appropriate eye contact are lacking in the literature. The purpose of the current study was to use descriptive analyses to collect normative data on levels eye contact exhibited by typically developing college students during a brief social encounter. A secondary aim of the study was to assess whether the probability of eye contact increased or decreased in the presence of vocalizations. Participants engaged in a 5-min social interaction with trained confederates wearing video recording glasses. High levels of eye contact and vocalizations were observed across all participants. Conditional percentages indicated that vocalizations decreased participant's engagement in eye contact. Lower proportions of eye contact occurred during periods of vocalizations. Findings suggest that although high levels of eye contact are observed during brief social interactions, eye contact is more likely to occur when an individual is not engaging in vocalizations.

This study used a combination of a multiple baseline across participants and a reversal design to evaluate the effects of a MotivAider on the frequency of behavior specific praise provided by staff members to youth at a residential facility for youth in the foster care system. Two staff members were given a brief training on providing behavior specific praise and were instructed to wear the MotivAider on their hip and to delivery behavior specific praise whenever the MotivAider vibrated. Results demonstrated an increase in the frequency of behavior specific praise delivered by staff to the youth when wearing the MotivAider.

Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury often need to be taught independent living skills in order to reintegrate into community settings. This study examined the use of video modeling to teach culinary skills to three individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury. Video modeling is easily accessible, inexpensive, and not reliant on an additional person to directly teach skills. For all three participants, video modeling resulted in increases in cooking skills using a task analysis created for each food item prepared. For one participant, the skills maintained over two weeks and generalized to a novel food. For another participant video modeling was insufficient in reaching high skill levels therefore a second phase utilizing reinforcement and corrective feedback was implemented. This phase demonstrated with the additional component including reinforcement and corrective feedback, the third participant reached high skill levels.

Clinical practitioners have been challenged by the relative persistence of behavior reported during and after treatment. For instance, they report difficulties when trying to extinguish a response or when relapse is shown by means of removing the contextual stimuli present during treatment. The studies in this symposium will present some data from basic research, that could provide some information about the variables involved in resistance to change and renewal. Podlesnik et al examined whether changing the stimulus context could produce relapse of an alternative response even when DRA contingencies remained in place during Phase 3. Madrigal et al examined the effects of different types of reinforcers and unsignaled/signaled delayed reinforcers on resistance to extinction. Texeira et al assesed the effects of different response-reinforcer dependencies and contingencies on response rates on resistance to change. Al assessed the effects of the alternation of the frequency and magnitude parameter in two experiments using a multiple-schedule on resistance to change. Overall, these findings provide a wide view of the complexity of behavior and its persistence. Andrew Craig, our discussant, will discuss the implications of such findings in applied settings.

Our goal is to investigate the effects of the alternation parameters of multiple-schedule components on resistance to change. In Experiments 1 and 2, rats are exposed to rich- and lean-schedule components, created by manipulating the VI values (reinforcement frequency) and the amount of condensed milk delivered per reinforcemer cycle (reinforcement magnitude), respectively. Overall, the rich component delivers 3-4 times more condensed milk than the lean component. These ongoing experiments consist of conditions comprised of one Baseline and one Satiation-test phase. Across phases, a 2-s intercomponent-interval separates multiple-schedule components. Conditions differ in the number of alternations and the duration of the multiple-schedule components per session. These parameters vary between 239 alternations and 10 s per component, and 1 alternation and 20 min per component. All conditions have the same total duration of exposure to each component in each session. Condition order is counterbalanced across subjects, but all start with a 2-min schedule-component alternation. Generally, greater resistance to change was found in the richer component in both experiments in the first condition. The results of these parametric analyses will clarify the role of component duration in modulating the direct relation between resistance to change and reinforcement frequency and magnitude.

Response-reinforcer relations established during baseline training are known to have an effect on resistance to extinction. For instance, when a high frequency of food is delivered in one of two components, subjects responding is more resistant when responding is placed on extinction. Therefore, since differences in resistance to extinction can be observed by means of manipulating a reinforcer parameter (i.e. frequency), it might be possible to also observe differences when delivering different types of reinforcers or by their delayed delivery. Experiment 1 assessed resistance to extinction using a two-component multiple schedule, where each component was correlated to sugar or food-grained pellet deliveries upon lever-pressing in rats. Experiment 2 assessed resistance to extinction using a three-component multiple schedule, where each component was correlated with the Immediate, 5s Unsignaled and Signaled delay food deliveries in rats. In both experiments, different response rates were observed during baseline. Also, during extinction, a greater resistance to extinction was observed in the Food component (Experiment 1) and the Unsignaled Delay component (Experiment 2). The results suggest that temporal contiguity does not seem to play a crucial role in resistance to extinction; nevertheless, further testing should be considered.

The effects of different response-reinforcer dependencies and contingencies on response rates on resistance to change were assessed in an experiment with rats. In baseline, reinforcers occurred at similar rates after variable interreinforcer intervals in each component of a two-component multiple schedule. The dependency was 100% in one component, and 30% (in the first condition) and 20% (in the second condition) in the other. A tandem variable-interval differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate schedule was in effect in the component with 100% dependency to produce lower response rates in this component than in the component with lower dependency. Extinction was in effect in each schedule component during the test. In baseline, in both conditions, response rates were lower in the higher dependency component. Also, in both conditions, resistance to extinction generally was greater in the higher dependency (and lower baseline response rate) component. These results are consistent with those of previous studies in which differential resistance to change occurred as a function of procedures that altered baseline response rates. In addition, they suggest that there might be a functional similarity between manipulations of the response-reinforcer relation by means of different percentages of dependency and different schedules of reinforcement in determining resistance to change.

This symposium includes four talks that span basic to applied experimental investigations using a behavioral economic framework. Two of the presentations summarize behavioral economic demand analyses. Novak will share findings of a study that assessed the effects of incentive arrangements on college student performance on a computerized group work task. Naud will describe results of a study that examined the extent to which digital and print media interact with operant demand and delay of gratification, using the "marshmallow test" with preschool children. The remaining two presentations will summarize discounting analyses. Stancato will present a study that assessed whether college students are more likely to complete or pass on a terminal investment, after previously completing an initial investment, as it relates to sunk cost and alcohol use. Call will then share results of an investigation on caregivers' choice between immediate or delayed access to services for children with problem behavior or skill deficits. The symposium will conclude with discussant remarks by Mikhail Koffarnus.

Researchers and practitioners interested in applying behavioral economic analyses to socially relevant problems

Humans exhibit a bias against delayed outcomes (Critchfield & Kollins, 2001). This predisposition has been most often shown for delayed monetary rewards (Dixon, Mui Ker Lik, Green, & Myerson 2013) and consumable commodities, such as food (Green, Myerson, Holt, Slevin, & Estle 2004) or drugs (Madden, Petry, Badger, & Bickel 1997). Delay discounting studies have resulted in quantitative models that account for the data from these paradigms well. Recently, Call et al. (2015) demonstrated that when parents of children with ASD and problem behavior made choices between treatments that would produce cessation of their child's problem behavior immediately or after a delay, they discounted the results of delayed treatment outcomes in a manner consistent with temporal discounting. This study extended those of Call et al. in two ways: a) treatment outcomes were presented as a percentage of treatment goals each treatment would achieve, rather than periods of differing durations without problem behavior, and b) half of the participants (n=20) were caregivers of children with ASD receiving treatment for problem behavior, whereas the other half were caregivers whose children were receiving treatment for skill deficits. Results showed that caregivers of children with problem behavior discounted delayed treatment outcomes more steeply.

The symposium will focus on different dimensions of behavior analysis within research on stimulus equivalence. Hence, conceptual, experimental, and translation research will be exemplified. The symposium will include papers from four different laboratories. The first paper by Dr. Vaidya will discuss the Sidman’s (2000) theory of stimulus equivalence and that all the features of equivalence class formation result from the merger of individual contingencies due common elements. This address will critically evaluate the DOE literature with human subjects to determine if a detailed examination of the empirical evidence will support or refute an interpretation cast in terms of Sidman’s theory of equivalence relations. The second paper by Drs. Steingrimsdottir and Arntzen study the role of including reflexivity trials in the test for emergent relations in two experiments. Experiment 1 employed a linear series training structure while Experiment 2 employed a many-to-one training structure. The results so far show a difference in equivalence class formation with respect to inclusion of reflexivity trials depending on the training structure. The third paper by Dr. Albright et al. study relatedness of stimuli in equivalence class members in college students. The main findings showed that relatedness was influenced by the combination of nodal number and relational type. Furthermore, the experiment showed a strong post class formation graded nodal distance effect. The fourth paper by Drs. Fields and Reeve is focusing on translation research. The paper will present protocols for the establishment of stimulus classes will be considered as vehicles to enhance the generalization to “novel exemplars” after the training of a target response. This approach is an example of translational research.

The Differential Outcomes Effect (DOE) is usually attributed to the development of stimulus-specific outcome expectancies that supplement the control exerted by antecedent stimuli to facilitate learning or terminal performances. Sidman's (2000) theory of stimulus equivalence proposes that all elements of a contingency of reinforcement become part of an equivalence relation and that the traditional relations of symmetry, transitivity, and equivalence result from the merger of individual contingencies due to common elements. The theory also requires that common elements that conflict with the development of reinforced conditional relations selectively drop out of the equivalence relation and implicitly predicts that contingencies that avoid class merger would produce faster acquisition relative to contingencies which do not avoid the class merger. These predictions are routinely borne out in the DOE literature. This address will critically evaluate the DOE literature with human subjects to determine if a detailed examination of the empirical evidence will support or refute an interpretation cast in terms of Sidman's theory of equivalence relations.

The affordability, quality, and overall success of higher education remains a national interest for the 21st century (Hunt & Tierney, 2006), and therefore, there is a demand for identifying and incorporating cost-effective teaching components that support college student success. Recent research demonstrates undergraduate courses that incorporate active learning strategies, as opposed to the traditional lecture, increase student performance and decrease student failure rate (Freeman et al., 2014). There are a plethora of ways to incorporate active learning into college courses, and this symposium will provide an overview of several different options. Glodowski and Thompson will review ways to incorporate quizzes into higher education courses to support ideal student behavior. Information regarding the use of SAFMEDS and precision teaching will be presented by Sweeney and Iverson. Neyman and Weber will describe their use of application exercises to improve students' data-based decision-making skills. And finally, Killu will provide an overview of strategies to increase individual and group engagement in and out of class; as well as potential barriers, and solutions to the barriers, for implementing the strategies. Members who attend will attain a better understanding of various options to improve student engagement, and ideally student success, in college courses.

Master's or Doctoral level behavior analysts who teach at the undergraduate level

Several researchers have shown quizzes effectively support college student success; however, instructors can implement quizzes in multiple ways. We searched peer-reviewed journals and carefully reviewed published studies that evaluated the effects of quizzes on college student behavior in undergraduate courses; when we could not find examples of research conducted in college classes, we reviewed studies conducted in academic settings at other levels (i.e., middle school, high school, and graduate school) or in laboratory settings with college students. We used this body of literature to develop evidence-based recommendations for how instructors can program quizzes to improve college student preparation, class attendance, class participation, and performance on exams. Instructors can follow the provided recommendations to implement quizzes that support ideal student behavior necessary for success in higher education.

This demonstration project evaluated the effectiveness of SAFMEDS on the classwide acquisition and fluency of basic concepts in curriculum-based assessment/Precision Teaching course. SAFMEDS, an acronym for "Say All Fast a Minute Each Day Shuffle," was coined by Lindsley (1983) as a functional flashcard procedure for building large repertoires of sight words in a given content area. Second, the instructor wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to model the importance of frequent and daily measurement of curriculum through the use of the SAFMEDS procedure with the class. The perspective of this project was to implement SAFMEDS procedures as a means of teaching college level students to recognize important concepts related to instruction covered in a curriculum-based assessment/Precision Teaching course. Additionally, these SAFMEDS instructional procedures combined with Precision Teaching measurement approaches provide an opportunity to model and engage in the development of skills related to frequent and daily measurement of curriculum through the use of the SAFMEDS procedures. Further, the ongoing repeated practice procedures and formative evaluation procedures assure the pre-service teachers in this course practice essential skills necessary for successful implementation of appropriate and measurably effective instructional practices for future use in their respective classrooms and professional settings.

Engaging students as part of the learning process has a great deal of evidence and support (Brophy & Good, 1986; Bulger, Mohr, & Walls, 2002; Rosenshine & Furst, 1973; Walls, 1999). Rosenshine and Furst (1973) were first to address the topic and stated that engagement and content were key in effective teaching. Since that time, further research has identified key components regarding student learning that includes four areas. These areas are outcomes, content clarity, engagement, and enthusiasm (Bulger, Mohr, & Walls, 2002; Walls, 1999). Although much information is available, many teaching faculty maintain a lecture style of presenting information to students. Modifying instruction to include active engagement is not difficult and can assist with increased understanding of the content. This presentation is designed to model several ways to more actively engage students to increase their decision-making capabilities. Building content mastery slowly through application exercises, practicing and using data recording, analyzing video clips, as well as using case studies to teach how to ask the right questions provides students with skills to help them analyze critical features and make instructional decisions that will likely benefit the needs of the children in the classroom.

The obesity epidemic has been discussed at different levels—from research to health professional policies to general media interest. Arranging the environmental conditions so that people make better decisions, therefore, has the utmost potential for successful obesity prevention. In order to develop successful interventions, it is of vital importance to understand how environmental conditions influence consumers' food choices, and how they are constantly being altered through new marketing settings and stimuli. The ongoing digitalization transforms retail grocery to omni-channel retailing where "the distinctions between physical and online will vanish, turning the world into a showroom without walls" In this symposium, we will discuss recent advancements and possibilities within consumer behavior analysis in order to address challenges related to health. The symposium starts with a theoretical paper that discusses a range of topics relevant to the application of operant behavioral economics to health. In the second paper, the authors will focus on consumer behaviour related to smart carts and key environmental touch points throughout the consumer journey in a real-life grocery store. The third paper explores the opportunities for behavior analysts to examine the interrelationships of multiple variables and socially important choice settings, and to promote desired behaviors. The final paper examines the impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) based stimuli, and how it can influence consumers in the grocery choice situation.

For consumer behavior analysis the store is the main laboratory and the future analysis lies in smart shelves, pricing and carts. The talk provides an introduction to a research program aimed at improving research practices in this laboratory, particularly emphasizing the importance of new behavioural data and experimental opportunities stemming from video surveillance, retail analytics, and the Internet of things. This talk presents a research strategy studying consumer behavior related to smart carts and key environmental touch points throughout the customer journey in a real-life grocery store in Norway. We show how shopping carts are not only used as an aid for the shopper's behaviour, as a device that increases sales, but how their selection and use can be further developed and tested as triggers and reinforcement in relations to healthy food choices.

The impact of complex environmental factors on consumer choices and preferences can be analyzed through the prism of consumer behavior analysis, whereas variations of marketing attributes and their impact on choice can be measured using conjoint analysis. Considering the case of the constantly growing online food selections, we discuss choice-based conjoint analysis and explore the opportunities for behavior analysts to examine the interrelationships of multiple variables and socially important choice settings, and to promote desired behaviors. We show a few examples of using trade-off analyses in online food retail to understand consumer behavior with respect to healthy food items. As demonstrated in these examples based on our own pilot research, conjoint analysis can be used for complex behavior—that which is not amenable directly to an experimental analysis—or as an efficient initial step before moving into further experiments or analyses using biometrics (e.g., eye-tracking) or web analytics conducted in different settings such as e-commerce, e-mail, social media, or on mobile platforms. This paper summarizes the personalized, data driven economic analysis that is possible with a choice-based conjoint analysis.

Internet of Things (IoT) presents an opportunity for retailers to develop an environment that makes physical things such as mobile phone, shopping basket, store shelves, digital display, and, even the product itself smart, allowing real-time interaction with customers in the physical store. The aim of this study is to expand understanding of how IoT can influence consumers in the grocery choice situation. To investigate the impact of IoT-related stimuli, we arranged a conjoint experiment in which participants purchased healthy food in a grocery store using a smart phone app. The results show that, relative to static information, IoT based information related to price, expiry date, quality indicator, and offer was the most salient stimulus related to tendency to interact with the smart phone app, and, the most salient stimulus related to likelihood to buy based on information from the smartphone app. These findings contribute both to researchers and managers within grocery retailing who want to understand how IoT technology influence consumers' in the grocery choice situation.

This symposium describes novel applications of behavior analytic training procedures across a variety of applied settings. In the first presentation, Erath will share results from a study that evaluated the effects of pyramidal behavioral skills training (BST) on the extent to which novice trainers used BST to teach new staff how to implement behavioral procedures. Next, Kamana will describe a study using BST and in-situ feedback to increase staff implementation of healthy behavioral practices within settings serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Silva will summarize the findings of a study that assessed whether a generic treatment integrity measure could be used to demonstrate mastery of several teaching procedures when compared to a program specific-treatment integrity measure within a school setting. The last presentation by McGarry will describe a study that evaluated the effectiveness of an adapted training protocol for teaching therapists to interact with their clients in the natural environment. The symposium will conclude with discussant remarks by Dr. David Wilder.

Practitioners Researchers

Providing high quality services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is difficult despite policies and procedures implemented by various entities (Parsons, Cash, & Reed, 1989). Studies conducted in residential facilities (e.g., Parsons et al., 1989) and day-treatment programs (e.g., Reid, Parsons, & Green 2001) have reported that adults with IDD are typically engaged in low levels of appropriate behavior and relatively high levels of inappropriate behavior. In addition, staff often lack the skills for providing consumers with engaging environments (Parsons & Rollyson, 2004), potentially resulting in inadequate service delivery. Therefore, there is need for effective methods for training staff to provide engaging environments and good practices following inappropriate behavior to adults with IDD. The purpose of this study is to use Behavioral Skills Training (BST) and in-situ feedback to increase staff implementation of healthy behavioral practices including (a) providing high quality, positive interactions, (b) providing choices and promoting engagement in appropriate leisure activities, (c) delivering effective instructions, and (d) implementing good practices following disruptive behavior. Results show increased levels of staff engagement in the target healthy behavioral practices across all 18 residential homes and day programs.

Training behavioral therapists tends to focus on teaching accurate implementation of behavioral intervention programs in the form of discrete trial training. One criticism of this type of intervention is it shapes rote responding from clients and does not embed opportunities for generalization of skills to the natural environment. The aim of the proposed study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a training protocol adapted from McNeil and Hembree-Kigin (2010), a program of therapeutic play with the goal of strengthening communication and the quality of the interactions between caregiver and child, for teaching therapists to interact with their clients in the natural environment. Eight registered behavioral technicians were trained to implement the naturalistic behavioral intervention protocol using behavioral skills training, which included six positive behaviors targeted for increase and five negative behaviors targeted for decrease. All participants reached mastery criteria of 95% positive behaviors during a five-min session, maintained skills at follow-up session, and demonstrated generalization of skills with novel clients.

Behavior analytic treatments have demonstrated effectiveness across populations, age groups, settings, and the many social issues they target. One potential weakness of applied research, however, is the frequent absence of long-term follow-up data and technical descriptions of the procedures used to program for generalization and maintenance. Generality may be the most neglected of our applied framework, even though it is a critical component of social validity. The presenters will explore this challenge through an examination of the literature and through studies with unique generalization approaches and a focus on maintenance of treatment outcomes.

Behaviour analytic researchers, educators, and practitionners

Functional analysis (FA) has become one of the most relied upon assessments within our field and is typically used to make treatment decisions. However, relatively little is known about the stability of function over time or how changes in behavioral function impact treatment success or maintenance. This study examines the long-term effects of FA-informed treatments, specifically the duration of treatment, reported follow-up data, and data regarding the stability of the function during and following treatment. Studies included in this review are those that used the results of an FA to identify and implement an appropriate treatment. This study contributes to the literature in two important ways: first, it details the current trends in long-term follow up and the collection of longitudinal data on treatment outcomes, and second, it provides directions for future research on the stability of function over time and the implications of functional stability on treatment maintenance.

Mediator training has a long history in ABA. While the need and strategies for programming generalization and maintenance were acknowledged by Stokes and Baer over 40 years ago, programming for generalization and maintenance of mediator skills still is not commonplace. The presenter will describe several of his studies that programmed generalization and long-term maintenance of direct-care staff and parent ABA behavior change skills. He will highlight the applicability of general case training for mediator skill generalization and the systematic thinning of home visits and reinforcement for maintenance of parenting skills.

Augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) systems are often used by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and communication impairments. Some AAC systems, such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS; Bondy & Frost, 1994), have been extensively researched and are considered evidence-based practice for individuals with ASD (Wong, 2013). However, many parents and practitioners opt to use alternative AAC systems, including speech-generating devices (SGDs) on tablet-based applications (e.g., Proloquo2go, PECS IV App). SGDs offer several benefits, including the voice output feature, which is easily understood and reduces the requirement for users to obtain the attention of their listener, and the ability to easily add and expand vocabulary in a compact and efficient manner (Lorrah et al., 2014). Despite these advantages, SGDs currently lack sufficient empirical support to be considered evidence-based practice. Further, the impact on associated vocal behaviour is relatively unknown. This symposium will present two research studies, both of which evaluate the effects of a tablet-based communication system (i.e., PECS IV App) on the vocal communication of young children with ASD. Results will be discussed in terms of implications for selecting and training AAC communication systems. Practical considerations for the use of SGDs with children with ASD will be discussed.

Graduate level practitioners and researchers

Given the identified benefits of SGD's there is increasing pressure on clinicians to transition children from picture-based communication systems (e.g., PECS) to SGD's, including tablet-based applications (e.g., PECS IV App). Although there is emerging research exploring the use of SGD's to teach manding (e.g., Sigafoos et al., 2013), tacting (e.g., Kagohara et al., 2012), and the use of SGD's compared to other AAC's (Lorah et al., 2013), little is known about the effects of SGD use on the vocal behaviour of children with ASD (Gevarter et al., 2013; Schlosser, & Wendt, 2008). Specifically, the impact on vocalizations during the transition from a low-tech system (pictures) to a high-tech system (iPad) remains relatively unknown. This multiple-baseline design across participants' study explored the vocal behaviour of four children with ASD across three conditions: (a) PECS (book), (b) PECS IV App (no voice output), and (c) PECS IV App (with voice output). Treatment fidelity data were collected while training PECS Phase IV (pictures) and while training the PECS IV App. Results will be discussed in terms of the implications of transitioning from low- to high-tech devices, and the impact of the voice output feature, on the vocal behaviour of young children with ASD.

Individuals with ASD typically have deficits in complex language. The first study, evaluated a behavior interruption chain strategy to mand for information. Specifically, an establishing operation was contrived by withholding a highly preferred item. Once a participant manded "when," access to the item was made contingent on the completion of a mediating response. The second study evaluated the most efficacious procedure to teach prepositions. Prepositions were trained as a mand by placing a highly preferred item either on top of or next to a bin or as a tact by placing a highly preferred item either inside or under a bin. Access to the items was provided contingent upon a mand or tact that included a preposition, depending on the contingency arrangement for the particular training condition. Following training of one verbal operant, transfer to the other verbal operant was assessed. The third study evaluated the effectiveness of a set of procedures taken from the PEAK-T curriculum in teaching perspective taking responses of here/now and then/later to children with ASD. Participants were taught to correctly respond to single-reversal deictic relations given a set of stimuli and were tested for the transfer of the skill to a set of untrained stimuli.

Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Graduate students

Children with autism spectrum disorder tend to communicate using simple mands for tangibles and rarely mand for information without explicit training. The current study examined the effectiveness of using behavior chain interruption strategy to teach adolescents with autism spectrum disorder to mand for information. Specifically, an establishing operation was contrived by withholding a highly preferred stimulus. Participants were taught to mand for this currently unavailable stimulus. Once a participant manded "when," experimenters stated that the stimulus would be available after the completion of a mediating response. Abolishing operations were contrived by complying with a participant's mands. Results indicated that a behavior chain interruption procedure was an effective method to teach a generalized repertoire of mands for "when" across participants. Results indicated that using preferred items and providing a denial statement successfully contrived an EO to mand "when." Interspersing AO trials allowed mands for "when" to come under appropriate establishing operation control. Generalization data indicated that this skill successfully generalized to novel materials and settings across participants. Using a naturalistic teaching procedure and incorporating multiple exemplar training facilitated generalization. Results replicate and extend previous research by demonstrating that all participants acquired this skill using a behavior chain interruption strategy.

Although prepositions are commonly taught during early intervention service delivery, there is limited research evaluating the most efficacious and efficient procedures for teaching them. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate two methods for teaching prepositions as a verbal operant. The first method sought to train prepositions as a mand by placing a highly preferred item (as determined through a multiple stimulus without replacement preference assessment) either on top of or next to a bin and providing access to this item contingent upon a correct mand that included a preposition. The second method sought to train prepositions as a tact by placing a highly preferred item either inside or under a bin and providing access to highly preferred items contingent upon responding tact that included a preposition. Following training of one verbal operant, transfer to the other verbal operant was assessed. The current study utilized a multiple baseline across participants with an embedded adapted alternating treatments design, and included five male participants with autism spectrum disorder. All participants acquired prepositions during mand training, with three of the five participants acquiring prepositions more rapidly during mand training as opposed to tact training.

From a Relational Frame Theory analysis, deictic relations account for perspective taking responses. Perspective taking skills are often lacking in the repertoire of individuals with disabilities, therefore, this population could benefit from procedures to teach perspective taking skills. Currently, limited literature exists with procedures for establishing perspective taking skills when they are lacking. The current study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a set of procedures taken from the PEAK-T curriculum in teaching perspective taking responses of here/now and then/later to children with autism. Baseline performances suggested that participants demonstrated high levels of correct responding when presented simple here/there and then/later deictic relations, but demonstrated low levels of correct responding when presented simple-reversal here/there and then/later deictic relations. Participants were taught to correctly respond to single-reversal deictic relations given a set of stimuli (set 1) and were tested for the transfer of the skill to a set of untrained stimuli (set 2). Following training, both participants not only correctly responded to the trained set of stimuli (set 1), but also demonstrated mastery of the untrained stimuli (set 2). The data suggest that individuals with autism can be taught perspective taking skills, and they can generalize responding when presented novel stimuli.

Rigidity is a diagnostic feature of autism spectrum disorders and challenges with inflexibility amongst some individuals in the autism community are well-known among practitioners working in this area. Despite how common rigidity is, a surprisingly small amount of research has been done on flexibility in autism and an even smaller amount has been done on interventions for increasing flexibility. This paper reviews existing research and conducts a behavioral conceptual analysis of rigidity and flexibility, in terms of some of the potential behavioral repertoires that may be under-developed and some that may be over-developed in individuals who have challenges in this area. In particular, the distinction between "cognitive flexibility" and "behavioral flexibility" will be analyzed in terms of which repertoires may be involved in each and which may overlap between the two. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of future directions for research and practice in flexibility and autism.

Consisting of five levels of understanding, perspective-taking (PT) encompasses skills individuals require to take on perspectives of others. While this skill is frequently absent in repertoires of children with autism, adults with autism also lack key components for strong PT skills. The term "advanced theory of mind" was devised to account for the subtlety in social information and difficulty in interpreting such information, which is encountered on a daily basis. Existing literature on PT yields limited studies focusing on adults with autism. In turn, treatments to strengthen PT skills in adults with autism are scarce, which indicates a bigger need for such treatments. In the current study, participants, consisting of adults with autism, will complete five theory of mind (ToM) tasks in a multiple probe across participants design. As part of exclusion criterion, participants possess an intelligence quotient of at least 90. Using a Relational Frame Theory and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy perspective, participants will expand their PT skills if low performance is demonstrated. Preliminary data obtained from typically developing adults demonstrate high scores. It is hypothesized that participants' scores on ToM tasks will improve in the post-test phase and their skills will generalize to a novel ToM task.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) interventions, including at least some discrete trial teaching (DTT), are often considered the standard of care for preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder. However, it is unclear whether community agencies can sustain effective early ABA intervention over time. Also, alternatives to DTT, often emphasizing naturalistic child-led interactions, have generated increasing empirical support in recent years, and it is unclear how these approaches should be integrated into ABA interventions. In this symposium, the first presentation documents sustainability of effective services in a quasi-experimental study of 94 participants, age 18-75 months at onset of intervention, seen for three years (48 children in early intensive ABA at a community agency and 46 matched children in early childhood services as usual). The second presentation shows single subject data for eight participants, age 2-5 years, in a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial aimed at tailoring DTT and Verbal Behavior techniques to the needs of individual children. The third presentation describes a three-center, randomized clinical trial that compared DTT to an empirically supported naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention, JASPER, in 161 children, age 33-54 months. Although DTT and JASPER differ markedly in intervention content and method, outcomes were mostly similar across interventions.

Providers and researchers who work in early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder

This study examined whether outcomes in early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) during a university-led multisite project could be replicated by the same community agency independently of the project. Participants, age 18-75 months at onset of intervention, were 48 children with autism spectrum disorder enrolled in 35 hours per week of publicly-funded, community-based EIBI for three years and 46 children who were matched on baseline characteristics and received early childhood services as usual (SAU) through local early childhood special education providers. Linear mixed models indicated that EIBI participants improved significantly more than SAU participants on standardized tests of IQ, nonverbal IQ, adaptive behavior, and academic achievement, administered by independent evaluators. Although limited by the use of a matched comparison group rather than random assignment, the study provides evidence for the sustainability of effective EIBI in community settings for children with ASD who start intervention at varying ages throughout early childhood.

As high as 47-48% of children receiving Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) have been reported to experience optimal outcomes; however, the responses of children who do not respond optimally to EIBI vary widely. One source of variability in treatment response may be the model of EIBI implemented. Preliminary data will be presented from a 16-week treatment outcome study comparing two behavior analytic models of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) for children ages 2-5 years old diagnosed with autism: 1) the Lovaas/UCLA Model (LM) and 2) the Verbal Behavior Model (VBM). The study used a dynamic experimental design (i.e., Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial; SMART) developed to inform adaptive treatment strategies. Participants were randomly assigned either to low-intensity LM or VBM conditions and received 90-minute sessions 3 times/week. At the end of the first 8 weeks, it was determined whether the child was responding to the intervention. Participants slow to respond were randomly assigned to receive either an intensified version of the initial intervention or the unassigned intervention for an additional 8 weeks. Preliminary empirical evidence of participants'responses to LM and VBM conditions will be presented and we will discuss how the outcomes of the study inform adaptive treatment decisions.

Learning to be "your own best therapist" may be essential to becoming a competent and joyful practitioner. An informed self-care repertoire often leads to satisfying ways to manage stress and deal with emotional issues; and, importantly, it prepares the practitioner to help other analysts take care of themselves and their clients. To accomplish such results, we suggest a self-care approach that draws from basic learning principles and self-management strategies, combined with the values, attitudes, and practices of mindfulness meditation. Using this approach, I'll describe how I revamped my daily life for a more satisfying and productive existence. Initially, the aim was to address health and emotional issues; later, the focus turned to maintenance and elaboration of skills learned. My procedures targeted both public and private events and included: direct and indirect measures, journaling, formal and informal practices, and social networking. Recent variants of the program use neurofeedback and experience sampling technologies to monitor and evaluate formal and informal practices, respectively. The outcomes have been remarkably satisfying, "cusp like" in nature, and impactful across several key personal values: health and wellness, relationships, professional and personal growth. Colleagues have conducted similar investigations and achieved satisfying results. College students have responded favorably to a program designed expressly for emerging adults, and selected graduates are being groomed as peer facilitators in the program. Our hope is to offer the program college-wide to help address growing concerns about students' health and wellness.

Anyone interested in the topic.

Currently, the planet is experiencing a series of record breaking storms, melting ice caps and sea level rise, ocean acidification, the loss of coral reefs, deforestation, drought, and the sixth mass extinction of plants and animals, which is occurring up to 100 times more quickly than pre-human mass extinctions. In short, the world is becoming increasingly less inhabitable for organisms, and we, human organisms, are far from doing all that we could to ensure its thriving. Behaving with ecological responsibility, however, not only involves greater effort for fewer immediate reinforcers, but often involves exposure to significant aversive contingencies. For this reason, the dominant education interventions tend to fall short of effecting the kind of behavior change necessary for even minor changes to our current planetary course, behavior analysts have the opportunity to make real impact. This panel will discuss behavioral conceptualizations of action vs. complacency in the face of the climate change, and the role of behavior analysis in promoting ecological behavior.

Behavior analysts and behavior therapists with an interest in discussing obstacles to educating the public and encouraging/implementing change, discussing the historical role of Behavior Analysis in climate change education, and discussing potential avenues for Behavior Analysis intervention in the future.

The effects on children's developmental trajectory other than phylogenetic can be environmental, like the effects of the poverty and post- war outdated systems of health and education in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). The goal of "EDUS- Education for All", a non-for-profit organization in B&H was the advancement of early childhood development for children with developmental delays and disorders through science of behavior. Through partnership with USAID, UNICEF-B&H and relevant ministries, EDUS was able to work on developing whole systems of Early Detection and Intervention for B&H. This included creating standardized screening and assessment tools and training for professionals who were to deliver services to children identified with developmental disorders. Professional staff in health clinics and governmental day-care programs with appropriate standardized tools and training became providers of an early detection and intervention services throughout the country, while EDUS teachers trained to be strategic scientists, became the trainers and mentors. In this symposium, we will present first two steps in the system creation, development of early detection standardized tool and training protocols for the teacher trainers-mentors. The two studies were both done in order to advance skills of the professional staff and therefore children they work with in the B&H. The importance of the science of behavior in developing such tools and trainings and the data-driven systems as the key for monitoring and evaluation of all the steps will be discussed.

graduate level students, professionals, supervisors, program coordinators, college professors, teachers of teachers

Anxiety disorders are the most common of internalizing problems, and current studies show that one in five children in every classroom is at risk to develop high levels of anxiety (Boyd et al., 2000). Because these students are more likely to be quiet and follow the directions (Herzig-Anderson et al., 2014), teachers do not pay attention until they become more serious. As a result, they are usually left unidentified and untreated in school settings (Kendall, 1994). Placing these children without treatment may cause a significant adverse impact on children?s relationship with peers and teachers (Bittner et al., 2007), and can cause the lack of interest in learning (Beidel et al., 2000). This study will present specific issues with identification, prevention and treatment of high levels of anxiety in school settings. The paper will provide an overview of addressing anxiety in school settings, and guidance on how to identify students with or at risk for high levels of anxiety within the Multi-Tiered System of Supports?(MTSS). Then, key issues related to teachers and parents in treatment will be provided. At the end of the study, evidence-based interventions for each tier of MTSS with appropriate measures of anxiety will be demonstrated.

Teaching novice teachers to analyze data and make correct teaching decisions in order to improve students? outcomes in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) was the goal of the study. We measured the effects of the mastery of the teacher decision protocol on the acquisition of new skills by students diagnosed with developmental disorders. Twenty-seven teachers from nine EDUS experimental ABA Early Intervention, Preschool and Kindergarten classrooms participated in the study. They had no previous formal ABA training or education, EDUS had to train them and create strategic scientist in order to provide services for children that had no other options for education. Since teacher training is one of the main components of CABAS? and EDUS systems, this study was a systematic replication of several CABAS? publications. In this presentation I would like to analyze and discuss some of the trials and stipulations I encountered providing teacher training in B&H according to the very high CABAS? standards. How trying to change an education system that is outdated and communist past heavy, is not an easy task even when you have science on your side. With this data summary of the past year of teacher training, I would like to show you that change is possible. We will discuss concrete teacher training steps and the effects they had on the numbers of skills sixty students acquired pre and post the intervention. We were able to create teachers who were strategic scientist and therefore increase numbers of objectives achieved across all the classrooms.

Children's optimal development is hampered by risks in the child's environment that get exacerbated by poor economic and social systems like the ones in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Good systems detect risk factors and atypical development, and support the individual needs of families and young children through parent education and direct early intervention in the first few years of the child's life. Such systems rely on science, data, and use validated measuring tools. With the support of USAID and in partnership with UNICEF and the relevant ministries in B&H, EDUS worked on developing such systems, which can provide evidence-based early detection and intervention based on the science of behavior. We created and standardized a behavioral developmental tool for early detection and monitoring of early childhood development on the sample of 1100 children with and without disabilities. Throughout the process, we compared development of matched pairs of children with disabilities vs. typically developing children vs. low-SES children in B&H. Once published, this tool with the intense training of the professionals enabled a creation of Early Detection System in the country. In the phase II of the project, with the funding from the USAID, we were able to develop an App for early detection and monitoring of the development of children birth through six years old. The behavioral screening and behavioral intervention tools were then used in EDUS Early Intervention and Preschool ABA programs and those pre-post data will be presented. The data show the effectiveness of behavioral developmental approach for early detection and intervention in B&H. I will talk about promoting early childhood development through concrete steps, measures, tools and applications, all utilizing the science of Applied Behavior Analysis in B&H.

Smoking is a behavioral pattern that negatively affects the smoker's health. Consequently, the effectiveness of programs to reduce smoking became the focus of scientific investigation. Along the decades, behavioral analytic studies have investigated variables related to smoking reduction. The aim of the present study was to conduct a systematic review of behavioral experimental studies over the 1960's to the 2010's decades. Two groups of descriptors were combined for article search. Group 1's descriptors were: smoking, tobacco abuse, tobacco dependence and smokers. Group 2's were: behavior analysis, habit change, behavior change, behavioral therapy and contingency management. Experimental studies whose main gold was to reduce smoking were analyzed. The search was conducted in scientific databases (Apa, Pubmed and Psyinfo). 240 articles were found and 35 were selected for analysis, which consisted in the identification of: dependent variables, independent variables, target population and experimental design. Overall results demonstrated that throughout the 60's and 70's, aversive smoking control was widely used. In the following decades, such control suffered a steep decline. From the 80's onward, the monetary reinforcement contingent to abstinence was the main target variable. The role of aversive control on behavior and the feasibility of using large-scale monetary reinforcements are discussed.

Behavior analysis has a specific commitment to establishing principles of behavior that generalize to allow for prediction and influence of a number of distinct behaviors across a range of contexts. In this way, the application of behavior analysis is quite broad—being relevant to any personal or professional activity where behavior change is the goal. The resulting diversity of professions, settings, populations, and roles relevant to the practice of behavior analysis can be a strength. This diversity presents, however, unique ethical challenges that most scientific disciplines avoid. These challenges are magnified as behavior analysts are increasingly recognized as a profession, and state-level licensure becomes common. This panel will explore the ethical challenges that arise as behavior analysis aims to fully realize its potential for broad impact. The panelists are three board certified behavior analysts who bring a range of experiences including administration, supervision, training, and advocacy. Panel topics will focus broadly on the ethical challenges met by behavior analysts and by the field as a whole, as behavior analysis grows in influence. Questions will be taken from the audience to facilitate discussion.

The global rise of entrepreneurship has left no stone unturned. Behavior analysts are now well-positioned to start their own companies due to several factors: a demand for services that increases the supply, possession of credentials within a field that is increasingly finding new applications and a small population of individuals providing models for how to break out into other markets. Moreover, encouraging and educating aspiring entrepreneurs to develop ethical, successful businesses is advantageous for the growth and dissemination of behavior analysis, as we are able to dismantle our stereotypes and redefine the field. In this panel, each contributor offers their own experience and resources on the topics of marketing, branding, financial logistics, ethical scaling and creating a purpose-driven niche.

Behavior Analysts in Practice, including but not limited to those with credentials from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB).

What can you do to support children who are aggressive and disruptive? Through an interactive Prezi presentation, paired with case studies, research, and a group discussion, participants will explore Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), attachment, temperament, emotional milestones, expulsion, and early childhood mental health consultation.

Mental health professionals, school psychologists, and educators who work with young children.

This panel discussion will provide a dialog on the potential schism between basic and applied behavior analysis. Panelists will discuss their experiences in the conduct of translational research that informs basic process or applied technologies. Panelists will also share their interpretations on what constitutes "translational" research, the role of translational research in bridging divides between basic and applied sciences, and how researchers might arrange translational research programs in ways that advance both basic and applied science. Finally, panelists will suggest potential fruitful avenues for future translational research.

Researchers or consumers of behavior-analytic research.

Women face various barriers in society and in particular within academia. Recent media trends across the globe suggest that the 'glass ceiling' is starting to crack for women across businesses and industries, but is not yet fully broken. This panel will discuss important considerations and tips for the success of Applied Behavior Analysts seeking or just beginning a career in academia. The following topics will be covered: applying to and landing a job in academia via traditional and non-traditional routes; navigating gender biases in the workplace; building a community of support within and outside your field; integrating research, teaching, and service activities; and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. All three panelists are Program Coordinators/Directors of their respective graduate program and represent varied teaching, research, and clinical experiences.

applied behavior analysts (graduate students or post-docs) seeking a position in academia, applied behavior analysts working in academia during (pre-tenure)

Behavioral history effects are those of prior experience on subsequent current behavior. This study investigated history effects of reinforcement schedules correlated with high or low reinforcement rates on stimulus control in later contingencies using chicks. In the first phase, four chicks were exposed to two tandem variable-interval differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate schedules under different stimulus conditions. The values of DRL schedules were adjusted so that reinforcement rates in one stimulus condition were higher than those in the other, even though response rates in the two conditions were nearly identical. In the second phase, a fixed-interval schedule was introduced to each chick under the same stimulus conditions as those in the first phase. In the final phase, chicks' key-peck responses were extinguished under the same stimulus conditions as those in the previous phases. All chicks showed similar response rates in each phase. Figure 1 showed the typical results of two chicks. The effects of reinforcement rates under two stimulus conditions on later stimulus control were not clear. The chicks' key-peck response rates seem to be affected not by the prior reinforcement rates but by contingencies of reinforcement in each phase. Thus, the reinforcement rates may not be an important variable for behavioral history effects.

Recent studies have found that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show robust impairments in behavioral flexibility. The current study aims to better understand how decreased 5-HT6 receptor activation may lead to an alleviation of the reversal learning impairments found in the BTBR mouse model of ASD. Control C57BL/6J and BTBR mice were tested on three separate behavioral measures including repetitive grooming, locomotor activity, and probabilistic reversal learning. We predicted that the 5-HT6 receptor antagonist BGC 20-761 would reduce repetitive grooming and alleviate the probabilistic reversal learning impairment found in these mice, while having no overall effect on locomotor activity. For the probabilistic reversal learning task, mice were tested on acquisition then reversal learning in a T-maze using an 80/20 probabilistic reinforcement procedure. The high dose of 2.5 mg/kg BGC 20-761 reduced repetitive grooming in BTBR mice compared to controls, but also decreased locomotor activity. The low dose of 0.25 mg/kg BGC 20-761 also reduced repetitive grooming but did not similarly reduce locomotor activity. BGC 20-761 treatment similarly improved probabilistic reversal learning in the BTBR mice. These findings highlight how 5-HT6 receptor down regulation may aid in attenuating lower order repetitive motor behaviors and higher order behavioral rigidity.

Cooperative responding has been investigated under continuous reinforcement (CRF or FR 1). The present study investigated the effects of fixed-ratio (FR) and variable-ratio (VR) schedules of reinforcement on the patterns of cooperative responding in seven pairs of rats. Experiment 1 arranged FR 1, FR 10, and VR 10 schedules for cooperation (order was counterbalanced). The contingency required the responding of both rats within a short time interval (< 500 ms). Cooperative responding was higher under intermittent schedules than under continuous reinforcement. FR 10 generated a break-and-run pattern, while VR 10 schedule generated a constant responding pattern. Experiment 2 compared responding under a cooperative intermittent schedule (FR 6), and under a yoked schedule programming the same reinforcement rate, without a requirement for joint responding of two rats for reinforcement. Coordinated behavior was maintained at higher rates under social intermittent contingencies than under yoked contingencies. Therefore, cooperative responding in rats was established and maintained under intermittent schedules of reinforcement, the patterns of responding were similar to those obtained for a single organism, and the removal of the contingency for coordinated responding did not maintain cooperation. These results extend previous findings on the conditions that foster coordinated behavior in non-human subjects. Keywords: cooperation, schedules of reinforcement, fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, water, rats

Most studies on food accumulation by rats involve two different response classes: earn and collect. However, in experiments done in our laboratory accumulated food has only been delayed from the earn response. By contrast the present study compared the effects of delayed reinforcement on both, earn and collect responses. For the earn condition three rats each were exposed to a chained FI 30 s FT t FR1 while for the collect condition three other rats were each exposed to a chained FI 30 s FR1 FT t. For both conditions t was either 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32. Results showed that lengthening reinforcement delay in both conditions increased the rate of the earn responses although more markedly when food was delayed from the earn response than when it was delayed from the collect response. These results suggest that delaying reinforcement on the earn responses, as done in studies from our laboratory, yield similar functions than when reinforcement is delayed from the collect responses, a fact not hitherto known.

The author investigated interrelationship between attacker pigeons' extinction-induced attack (EIA) and their target pigeons' pecking towards the attackers by comparing inter-response times (IRTs) per opportunity of respective behavior. Three of seven pigeons were attackers and the remaining four were their targets. All attackers were paired with each of thFe targets. Each attacker was introduced into an operant chamber with one key and the target was introduced into a box adjacent to the operant chamber via transparent panel. When the attacker emitted EIA or the target pecked towards the attacker, this panel was operated. Due to this operation, attackers' EIA and the target's pecking were measured. Each attacker's key pecking was exposed to continuous reinforcement and extinction schedules during the respective pairing. The figure shows distributions of IRTs per opportunity in each pairing of an attacker (#2) and the four targets (#12, #24, #31, #82) and correlation coefficient r between their behaviors' IRTs per opportunity. The distributions of IRTs per opportunity of the attacker and the targets were very similar and all correlation coefficients were high. As other attackers' pairs showed comparable results, the author found that attackers' EIA and targets' pecking towards the attackers are related to each other.

fAn organism's behavior is shaped through interactions with the environment or an agent acting as a "shaper." Herrnstein (1964) demonstrated that a teacher-pigeon could shape a student-pigeon's behavior so that both could obtain food. This experiment replicated this demonstration using a pigeon as a teacher to a second pigeon, designated the student. Each pigeon faced a separate panel divided by a transparent wall. The panels included a food hopper for each pigeon, and a response key was located on the teacher's side of the wall. Food was delivered to both pigeons when two criteria were met: 1) the student was standing in a specific location designated by an orange rectangle on the floor and 2) the teacher pecked the key. When the orange rectangle moved around the chamber across sessions, the student tracked the location. The teacher showed some evidence of differentially responding when the student was closer to the designated location, although this was not as clear of an effect. Herrnstein, R. (1964). Will. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 108(6), 455-458. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/985862

An experimentally used pigeon 2748 was placed in a holding cage. Once in the cage 2748 would exhibit an escape behavior. The holding cage is commonly used in the lab and no prior learning of the escape behavior or shaping. The pigeon doesn't receive a food reinforcer upon escaping. The reinforcer in the experiment is the opportunity to escape. After conducting baselines on 2748, we received an average escape time. Next, we placed a mirror in front of 2748's holding cage, on average 2748 significantly escaped faster. This ruled out the possibility of social facilitation. We then conducted a baseline on the naïve pigeon. The pigeon did not exhibit the escape behavior. We plan to place twonaïve pigeons across from each other. We are looking to see if the one pigeon will imitate the other's behavior and escape. We do not expect that to occur since the pigeon has not previously escaped. Once all baselines are conducted we will place thenaïve pigeon across from 2748. We expect 2748 will continue to escape in the presence of thenaïve pigeon. After repeated exposure, thenaïve pigeon will imitate 2748 and escape, in the presence of the 2748 and on his own.

Studies suggest that social enrichment speeds up many learning processes, including habituation to novel and aversive stimuli. However, the effect of social enrichment on habituation to positive reinforcers has not been examined. The current investigation compared within-session responses of socially enriched (SE; n = 4) and socially isolated (SI; n = 4) male Wistar rats on (1) a VI-7.5 s schedule of reinforcement and (2) an open-field apparatus. Repeated measures analyses of variance were used to analyze proportions of operant responses and open-field activity made in successive 2-minute bins. Both SE [F(14, 42) = 22.96, p < .001, ?2p = .88] and SI [F(14, 42) = 19.40, p < .001, ?2p = .87] subjects exhibited significant within-session decreases in operant responses rates. However, while SE subjects exhibited decreased locomotion in the open field [F(6, 18) = 6.23, p = .001, ?2p = .68], SI subjects did not [F(6, 18) = 1.89, p = .14, ?2p = .39]. Further research will examine brain and adrenal gland weights relative to body weight in the two groups. Results from this investigation will aid in interpreting future data collected from socially housed subjects, which may better generalize to real world applications.

The foundational research in operant behavior exclusively employed electro-mechanical relay equipment to arrange contingencies of reinforcement. Variable interval schedules were programmed using a punched-tape reader that arranged a fixed series of repeating inter-reinforcer intervals. This repetition possibly undermines the construction of prediction-proof reinforcement schedules; however, it is unknown whether this feature affected behavior. The present study was conducted to determine whether a repeated loop of inter-reinforcer intervals would exert control over key pecking in pigeons. In the initial four phases of the experiment, pigeons pecked on either a VI 180-s or a VI 15-s schedule of either 15 or 5 total inter-reinforcer intervals generated using the Catania and Reynolds (1968) algorithm. A list of intervals were repeated each session. Analyses were conducted to discover evidence of behavior's sensitivity to the repetitive nature of the variable interval schedule. No such signatures were discovered, suggesting that the repetitive nature of the inter-reinforcer intervals of variable interval schedules used in the classic pigeon studies likely did not influence their outcomes. The components of the current condition, which mimic that of a two-component mixed fixed interval, could help to establish whether or not temporal learning can be accomplished with the current subjects and apparatus.

The effects of delay of reinforcement on resistance to change and resurgence were assessed in an experiment with four rats. In the Training phase, left-lever pressing was maintained on a two-component multiple schedule. In the immediate component, the schedule was a tandem variable-interval (VI) differential reinforcement of low rates (DRL); in the delay component, the schedule was a tandem VI fixed time (FT). Conditions were programmed so that both reinforcement and response rates, variables known to affect resurgence, were similar between components in this phase. In the Elimination phase, in both components, left-lever pressing was extinguished and right-lever pressing was maintained under equal VI schedules. In the Test phase, right-lever pressing also was extinguished in both components. The resistance to change of left-lever pressing was similar between components and, in the Test phase, resurgence did not occur in each component, for each rat. These are results of an ongoing experiment in which both delay of reinforcement and Training-phase response rates are being manipulated. The results obtained so far indicate the importance of considering response rates in the Training phase in analyses of the effects of delay of reinforcement on both resistance to change and response recurrence.

The present experiment investigated the effect of reinforcement delay on resistance to extinction. Four rats were exposed to a two-component multiple schedule. In the immediate component, a tandem VI DRL schedule was in effect; in the delay component, a tandem VI FT 3-s schedule was in effect. In baseline, reinforcement rates were similar between components; for two rats, response rates were similar between the components and, for the other two, response rates higher in the immediate component than in the delayed component. For three of four rats, resistance to extinction was greater in the delay than in the immediate component, regardless of the difference in baseline-response rate between components. However, the difference in resistance to extinction between components was greater when response rates differed between components in baseline. These results indicate that reinforcement delay affects resistance to change and that this relation can be modulated by the baseline rate of responding. In addition, the present results fail to replicate those of previous studies with pigeons, in which greater resistance to change in the immediate than in the delay component has been reported.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the utility of functional communication training (FCT) in the treatment of challenging behavior. Ringdahl et al. (2009) evaluated the role of proficiency across mand topographies with regard to the effectiveness of FCT. Ringdahl et al. found that FCT was more effective when higher proficiency mand topographies were targeted during FCT in the treatment of challenging behavior. The purpose of the current study was to examine mand proficiency on resurgence of challenging behavior within FCT. We conducted a mand proficiency assessment (MPA) with children who engaged in challenging behavior. Based on the results of the MPA, FCT was implemented with high and low-proficiency mand topographies; subsequently, we tested for resurgence (i.e extinction of mands and challenging behavior) across the two mand topographies. Results showed similar patterns of resurgence of challenging behavior in both high and low proficiency mand topographies; however greater persistence in high proficiency mands was observed during extinction phases relative to low proficiency mands.

In one previous study on the recurrence of observing responses, both primary and secondary reinforcers were removed during the resurgence test. The current procedure addressed this limitation by only withholding the conditioned reinforcer during the resurgence test. Responses on the central key were reinforced according to a mixed VI EXT schedule. During the training phase, the target and alternative responses were pecking on side keys reinforced by presenting the availability of reinforcement on a central key. In the alternative reinforcement phase, responses on one of the side keys no longer produced the color change on the center key. When the alternative response was no longer reinforced, there was an increase in responding on the target key. By the end of the resurgence test, responding on the center key increased. Thus, this experiment demonstrated the resurgence of responses maintained by secondary reinforcement without removing primary reinforcers.

The present study examined the effects of reinforcement probability of target and alternative responses on resurgence in humans. In Phase 1, a target response was reinforced. In Phase 2, the target response was placed on extinction and an alternative response was reinforced. In Phase 3, all responses did not produce reinforcers. Across all phases, two control responses were recorded but had no programmed consequences. The probabilities of reinforcement for the target and alternative responses in Phases 1 and 2 were varied among 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 across conditions. All possible combinations of these probabilities yielded nine conditions and each participant was exposed to one of nine conditions. Although both the target and control responses increased in Phase 3 relative to Phase 2, resurgence of the target response exceeded the control response in eight of nine conditions. This result suggests the possibility that resurgence of the target response can be distinguished from extinction-induced variability. With respect to the relation between probability of reinforcement and resurgence, the reinforcement frequency for the target response had no effect on the magnitude of resurgence. On the other hand, the magnitude of resurgence was greater when the probability of reinforcement for the alternative response was high.

We investigated the impact of response effort on variability. Participants worked on a computer task moving a light around a five by five matrix. Participants moved a light from the upper left to the lower right position. The "A" key shifted the light down. Across components, the "S," "G," and "L" key moved the light rightward. Each time the light reached the target position, a point was earned. During baseline, any sequence of 4 presses on each key produced a point. Participants were instructed to earn as many points possible during each component. Once baseline responding was established, a lag five schedule was implemented to evaluate the effects of key distance on sensitivity to differential reinforcement of variability. The results showed that increasing the distance between keys reduced the number of novel sequences emitted and reduced the number of key switches per sequence. The lag schedule increased the number of different sequences emitted during the session, but those effects were not altered by key distance. The results indicate that response effort, here defined by key distance, may reduce spontaneous variability in response topography. Baseline variability, however, does not seem to limit the effects lag schedules to engender further variability.

Several studies have shown that reinforcement schedules systematically affect the dimensions of responses not directly reinforced under the schedules. For example, the spatial locations of pigeons' responses have been investigated under a fixed-interval (FI) schedule. The results show that the response location moves closer to that of the most recent reinforced response over time, and that the variability of the response location increases as an FI requirement. The present study compares the effects of ratio and interval schedules on pigeons' response locations. Pigeons are exposed to multiple fixed-ratio yoked FI and multiple variable-ratio yoked variable-interval schedules. A circular response area (22.5 cm in diameter) is used to ensure that pecking responses are effective over a wide range. The results indicate that the response locations vary between the schedules in both cases. In addition, the mean deviation, defined as the mean distance between the median of the coordinate and the location of each response, is higher for interval schedules than it is for ratio schedules. Therefore, the results show that interval schedules produce greater variability than ratio schedules do in terms of response location.

Zebrafish are used as an animal model in biomedical studies including vision research. However, behavioral contrast sensitivity, a basic measure of visual function, of zebrafish has not been measured. In the present experiment, zebrafish were trained to discriminate between a sinusoidal grating pattern and plain gray having equivalent luminance. The visual stimuli were presented by an organic light-emitting diode display that has high contrast ratio. The experimental chamber had one observing gate and two entrance gates through which subjects could see the discriminative stimuli. Trials were initiated and discriminative stimuli were presented when a fish passed through an observing gate. Fish were reinforced by an automated food delivery system only when it entered the gate where sinusoidal grating pattern was presented. If fish entered the gate where plain gray was presented, a timeout was implemented. Contrast of sinusoidal grating pattern was decreased until fish cannot detect the difference between a sinusoidal grating pattern and plain gray having equivalent luminance. Zebrafish showed high-level performance in preliminary discrimination between the sinusoidal grating pattern and plain gray having lower luminance. In discrimination between sinusoidal grating pattern and plain gray having equivalent luminance, the accuracy was not so robust but approached statistical significance.

A teacher's use of praise is beneficial for students, as it provides encouragement, helps build self-esteem, builds a close student-teacher relationship, and reduces the amount of disruptive behavior in the classroom (Brophy, 1981; Alber & Heward, 1997). In the current study, praise rates of a target paraprofessional, who worked in a general education setting, in an elementary school, were measured. Concurrently, on-task and off-task behaviors of a target student were also measured. The target paraprofessional and student were chosen based on baseline measures indicating low praise rates coming from the paraprofessional, and low on-task and high off-task behaviors from the student. A reversal design was used for this study to evaluate the effects of the intervention. During intervention, a praise training was provided to the classroom staff, followed by implementing a MotivAider that was used to prompt the target paraprofessional to deliver praise to the students for engaging in on-task behaviors. Results of the intervention, barriers to implementation, and areas of future research will be discussed.

Physical activity performed by children and adolescents in school settings can have a range of positive effects on cognitive skills and attitudes, academic behaviors, and academic achievement. Physical activity including free-dance and yoga can increase on-task behavior in kindergarten students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder in a journal-writing activity. The primary, peer-reviewed literature examining the relationship between exercise/yoga/mindfulness interventions on academic skills and behaviors is limited, and there is a notable lack of studies at the preschool level. These interventions hold a great deal of promise as they are inexpensive to administer and accessible to a wide range of populations. The objective of the current study is to assess the acute effects of three levels of physical activity (no exercise/circle time, low intensity exercise/yoga and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on time-on-task in a block building task in 3-4 year old preschool children. We tested the hypothesis that both yoga and MVPA activity would increase time on-task compared to the circle-time (CT) control condition.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Self & Match System, a self-monitoring behavior package, as a group intervention system to increase socially significant behaviors (cusps) in an early intervention preschool classroom for students with disabilities. Students were taught to match their recordings of their own behavior to the teacher's recordings. The results of this study yield the conclusions that preschool students in this study were able to learn to accurately self-record and positively increase appropriate classroom behavior following the introduction of the Self & Match system. There was a reoccurring theme in the data that the Self & Match System, and/or behavioral cusps, might have been the factor that increased the three subjects' behaviors. However, the lack of experimental control made drawing functional relationships impossible. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of the influence of behavioral cusps on experimental control, as well as implications, limitations, and recommendations for further research.

Daniel is a six-year-old student who has been diagnosed with ADHD and ASD. He receives 1:1 ABA services and attends integration classes in Grade one for Literacy, Math Music, Mandarin, PE and Art class. Prior to the intervention, Daniel has exhibited over 1000 call outs (defined as using an above average loud volume in comparison to the noise level in class) of repetitive words throughout the school day. This was causing a lot of disruption in class and learning for him and his classmates were impeded. It was hypothesized that the classroom may have been paired as an aversive stimuli as he was required to sit and attend to the teacher, participate in class discussions, and completed worksheets. Although high rates of praises and generalized reinforcement was provided throughout the lessons, the amount of effort Daniel had to pay was much higher than anticipated. Intervention of reconditioning the classroom as a reinforcer was employed. Results has shown a positive effect of the intervention in which there was a significant decrease of call out behavior throughout the school day.

Effective and evidenced based instruction is a key component to making meaningful progress with regard to skill acquisition in individuals with autism or related developmental disabilities. Previous research suggests correlations between participation in programming outlined via PEAK Relational Training System with subsequent increases in participant scores on intelligence quotient testing (Dixon, Whiting, Rowsey, & Belisli, 2014) and rapid skill acquisition and mastery with as little as twenty minutes of exposure per day (McKeel, Dixon, Daar, Rowsey, & Szekely, 2015). The present investigation sought to examine the outcomes of "non-behavior analytic" special education programming as outlined by Individualized Education Programs versus programming informed by the PEAK Relational Training System. Participants enrolled in two separate summer programs for individuals with a diagnosis of autism were assessed using the modules in the PEAK Relational Training System curriculum at intake and program completion. The experimental group received instruction derived from the curricular programs of the PEAK Relational Training System; participants in the control group received instruction as usual for based on supports indicated for summer programming in their Individualized Education Programs. The results indicated notable rates of skill acquisition and mastery in the experimental group while the control group remained largely the same with the exception of a few participants that demonstrated skill regression. Implications for follow up research and practice are further discussed.

This study will look at how completing fluency building activities impacts participants' performance on state testing, specifically in History. Participants are all required to complete and pass New York state testing, either the Regents exam or the Regents Competency Test to earn their high school diploma. These tests are comprised of multiple choice questions, short answer questions and an essay. Participants in this study worked on fluency building activities for several weeks before the exam, building fluency in the areas of vocabulary, dates and general concepts. Timings are completed daily, with the material, presented in a randomized sequence. Immediate feedback is given, goals are set and data is plotted on a standard celeration chart. Once a pre-determined mastery is achieved, new material is presented. We will be looking at participants' scores on the state tests and also the effect the fluency building activities had on the participants' overall experience in completing the tests.

An important part of the Common Core Standards is the requirement of fluency in basic math facts, in the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. At the Judge Rotenberg Center, students work through a paper based curriculum, Morningside Basic Number Skills, which teaches the basic math facts through a series of fluency based timings. Curriculum is broken into small steps or slices, which each student completes timings in, until they reach a pre-determined level of mastery. Data is plotted on a standard celeration chart, allowing the education staff to make data based decisions. We will be looking at the impact of using this curriculum, potentially in the areas of math facts grade level, generalization to more complex mathematics operations, and generalization to computer based timings.

One strategy some schools are using to promote inclusion of students with disabilities is peer mentoring or peer modeling. There are various ways to implement peer-mediated strategies in the school setting. One method is to teach peers to model behaviors and act as peer tutors, which is the approach used by in the Special Olympics "Young Athletes" program. Although promising, this program was not being used widely by teachers due to their confusion about how to implement it. Therefore, I have modified this curriculum in order to make it more accessible to teachers and to better include students with diverse behavior and academic needs. I incorporated behavior analytic teaching strategies in order to support students' learning. These modifications will allow teachers to implement the "Young Athletes" program more readily, thereby promoting the inclusion of students with disabilities. Examples of the modifications based on behavior analytic principles are included, and implications of promoting peer-mediated strategies are discussed. As behavior analysts and those interested in behavior analysis, we are committed to dissemination of behavior analysis. This paper serves as a way to enter the education discussion proactively and for students with and without disabilities.

Children with Autism are often labeled as non-compliant or distracted. Too often, complex behavior intervention plans are put into place before simple strategies are ruled out. A variation of Additive Antecedent Interventions (AAI) as described by Stephenson and Hanley (2010) was implemented in this study. This study showed the impact of six antecedent variables (proximity, position, physical contact, eye contact, vocal attention, and play interruption) on compliance as assessed in five male students diagnosed with Autism aged five to eight using a multi-element design. All participants attended 6:1:3 classrooms at a private school. Two of the participants were in the same class. One of the participants received an additional antecedent (model) of the skill after it was determined that the tasks being asked of him were not in his repertoire. After all participants were exposed to the intervention, their compliance with demands increased to an average of 80% across four consecutive sessions and challenging behaviors averaged 0%-5% for all participants across four consecutive sessions. These findings support those of previous research on AAI and add to the level of confidence in their effectiveness.

A 15 year old student diagnosed with autism and a seizure disorder presented with a high number of verbal perseverations throughout the course of his school day. He attends a specialized school for students with autism and has a 1:1 instructional staff for 85% of his school day. His curriculum includes communication training, self-help, daily living, leisure and pre-vocational skills. An analogue FA was conducted and results indicated that behavior served a primary function of socially mediated positive reinforcement via access to tangible items or activities. His intervention consisted of being placed on a differential reinforcement of diminishing rates (DRD) schedule. Upon verbal perseverations, the therapist would address the topic by answering the first time and then present him with a "talk time" card and told him that they could discuss the topic during "talk time". Reactive procedures included the following: upon the display of the defined targeted behavior, a token was removed at each occurrence of the verbal perseveration, at the end of the interval if he had not exceeded the allowable amount he was able to access reinforcement. If he had exceeded the allowable amount, a neutral statement was made ( " You can try again", etc...) and another interval began. Alternative teaching included a talk time scheduled many times throughout his day, count and mand procedure, self monitoring his vocal volume and a waiting program. These procedures helped the student go from a baseline of 65 allowable perseverations per 10 minutes to 9 allowable perseverations per 10 minutes over a 6 month period.

Data collection and analysis is the cornerstone of what drives decision-making that is ultimately beneficial for students with disabilities. Not only is it mandated by law (e.g., IDEA, 2004), it also good practice for practitioners to utilize effective data collection practices. Proper data collection is necessary to make informed decisions about interventions that are meaningful for the child. However, even though preservice teachers receive coursework in assessment, they do not always collect data in systematic ways to guide instructional decisions once they complete their preparation programs (Campbell & Evans, 2000). Some perceived barriers to collecting data include the setting, lack of time, and the skill set necessary for effective data collection (Sandall, Schwartz, & Lacroix, 2004). This project developed a user-friendly training module that taught classroom teachers skills for effective data collection to monitor intervention effectiveness. Skills taught included developing an operational definition; selecting appropriate dimensions of behavior to monitor; creating a practical, reliable data collection system; graphing data; and analyzing collected data using basic visual analysis.

Special education teachers are required to establish collaborative relationships with parents and other professionals in schools. To this end, teacher education programs are required to teach and demonstrate candidates' mastery of communications skills that foster collaboration as part of accreditation. Behavioral Skills Training (BST), which includes presentation of explicit information about the skill, expert modeling, practice with expert feedback, and participant self-assessment has been shown to be an effective method of changing teacher behaviors (Parsons, Rollyson, & Reid, 2013). The current study examined the use of BST to teach a previously validated communication strategy, LAFF Don't CRY. Participants included 40 undergraduate special education teacher candidates in their first practicum course for the major. Using a multiple probe across groups design, researchers randomly assigned participants to groups, delivered explicit instruction including individualized feedback, and then participants self-assessed their strategy usage while receiving emailed instructor feedback across probes that consisted of simulated parent-teacher or teacher-teacher conferences. The dependent variable was percent of strategy steps completed during the probe. Data showed that groups went from achieving a mean of 15% (range 11-23%) of strategy steps in baseline to a mean of 91% (range 81-96%) of strategy steps after training.

Catalyst is an electronic data collection and management platform that allows users to collect real-time data through the use of an app on a portable electronic tablet. It also allows users to create and manage skill acquisition and behavior reduction programs through their online (desktop) portal. With Catalyst, users can collect the same range of data that have traditionally been collected using pencil and paper (e.g., frequency, duration, interval) but removes the redundancy of entering paper data into an online graphing program (e.g., Microsoft Excel). Catalyst automatically analyzes and graphs the data making it readily accessible via the app or online portal. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a data collection platform, Catalyst, in decreasing the duration of data entry for ABA teachers at a small school for children with autism and related disabilities. Five teachers collected baseline data on the duration of daily skill acquisition and behavior reduction data entry, including transferring data from clipboards and binders into their existing data collection platform (Microsoft Excel) and updating graphs. A multiple baseline across participants (teachers) was used. Duration data will be collected after the implementation of Catalyst to determine its effects on data entry duration.

Teachers are increasingly required to meet the needs of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Students with ASD often present with a range of challenging behaviors and skill deficits that interfere with learning. Teachers often lack adequate training to effectively work with students who have ASD. There are several existing studies that have documented the effectiveness of in situ direct training via a bug-in-ear for increasing teachers' capacity to use effective classroom management techniques. Although direct training is often found to be an effective teacher training method, it can be time and resource intensive especially in under-resourced schools. This study sought to increase the feasibility of teacher training by using technology to provide in situ training from a remote location. Specifically, this study used a non-concurrent multiple baseline design with a Koehler Levin randomization procedure to (a) evaluate the effectiveness of direct training via a bug-in-ear device (BIE; i.e., Bluetooth earpiece and webcam) provided remotely from an off-site location, and (b) evaluate the effect of behavior specific praise (BSP) for improving compliance and decreasing disruptive classroom behaviors in students with ASD. Data for four participants will be presented.

A two-phase review examined 180 studies on safety skills training published in 30 behaviorally-orientated journals from 1968 to 2014. First, a systematic review organized the literature according to: publication trends, participant demographics, experimental characteristics, and distribution safety skill types and training contingencies (e.g., positive, negative reinforcement, punishment of unsafe skills, etc.). Second, a preliminary meta-analysis of the single-case studies yielded treatment effect sizes across training contingencies. Results and discussions underscore the need to advance applied technology pertaining to this socially important repertoire.

Excess psychological control affects children's performance in cognitive tasks of problem solving, school performance, socioemotional adaptation (O'Connor, 2002) and mathematical performance (Aunola and Nurmi, 2004). By contrast, parental children have higher language skills (Hudson, et al., 2015) and higher self-regulated learning (Pino and Whitebread, 2010). However, maternal sensitivity has generally been assessed using self-assessment scales which, because of their global nature, do not capture the moment-to-moment dynamics of interactive processes (Cerezo, et al., 2011). Therefore, the objective of the present research was to describe the behavioral variables related to maternal sensitivity in two samples of children with high (7 dyads) and low academic performance (10 dyads), from the city of Tijuana from the second to second behavioral records video sessions of 30 minutes divided into two conditions: playful and academic activity (average Kappa = .87). The results indicate that mothers of underachieving children are more coercive and less interactive, whereas mothers with well performing children outweigh social and approval attenuations, whereas children with low academic performance are more indifferent to aversive behaviors of their mothers.

Much research exists to address compliance for children and adults. Several reviews of the literature pertaining to compliance exist, however, none of the reviews has investigated the functions of noncompliance nor the effectiveness of the interventions based on function. Therefore, the purpose of the current literature review was to examine the functions of noncompliance, and analyze which function-based interventions were the most effective. Past studies which conducted a functional analysis or functional assessment on compliance or noncompliance were collected and organized. Results of this review suggest that the functions of noncompliance include attention, escape, access to tangibles, or combinations of the three. The percentage of effectiveness was calculated for each function-based intervention. The results of the review along with recommendations for future research are discussed.

This poster will present findings about the impact of using Applied Behavior Analysis principles including Functional Behavior Assessment and implementation of multi-component Behavior Intervention Plan in a public school, general education setting, in reducing escape maintained challenging behavior and increasing adaptive responses in a middle school student with mental health diagnoses. The multi-component intervention includes: 1) Functional Communication Training, 2) self-monitoring, 3) visual schedules, 4) written previews of academic, social and behavioral expectations across all activities and environments, 5) transition strategies and 6) providing instructive and corrective feedback with a sixth grade student diagnosed with Oppositional Defiance Disorder and a Mood Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Self-initiated Functional Communication Responses, time on task, work initiation and work completion increased and dangerous unsafe behavior decreased to near zero rates. Successful implementation of strategies resulted in student remaining in his home school in a general education setting, rather than requiring a move to a more restrictive therapeutic setting.

A series of studies has demonstrated that typically developing children and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are able to categorize, without direct training, when they can tact stimuli using a common name (the name of the category) and behave as a listener in relation to this common name. However, academic and social situations require us to tact and to behave as listeners to both the name of an item and to the category to which it belongs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether multiple-tact training would produce categorization and listener behavior in two children with ASD (9 and 10 years old), using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants. Multiple-tact training consisted of teaching children how to tact nine Brazilian states maps and the three regions they belong to. After criterion was met, tests were introduced to assess whether participants would match states by region and select the correct comparisons after hearing the names of the states and their regions. Multiple-tact training led to the emergence of categorization and listener behavior for both participants. Although replication is necessary, results can contribute for educational and clinical practice for children with ASD.

Efforts to evaluate the most efficient methods to teach verbal operants, such as the tact, to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have experimental and applied relevance. The purpose of the present study was to compare two tact training methods: individual versus simultaneous presentation of stimuli. Two children with ASD (3 and 5 years old) were exposed to both methods, using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants and an adapted alternating treatment design to compare the effects of the two methods. Experimental stimuli consisted of two sets of three non-familiar pictures for each participant. During tact training with individual presentation, one of three pictures was presented in each trial. During tact training with simultaneous presentation, three pictures were presented simultaneously in each trial. After training, tests were conducted to verify the emergence of the corresponding listener relations for stimuli in both sets. One participant reached criterion in fewer trials with the individual presentation method, while the other one met criterion faster with the simultaneous presentation method. We have not completed the study; however the results suggest that the stimulus discriminability and participants' discrimination repertoire may influence performance on both methods.

Imitation can be defined as two organisms emitting similar behaviors and the behavior of one is under the topographical and immediate control of the other. When an organism shows an imitative repertoire, one may use this repertoire to generate new behaviors, which amounts to imitation being an important tool in interventions for people with deficits in any area. Despite its possible use, the scientific literature does not provide many examples on how to teach imitation to non-imitative children. Thus, our purpose was to evaluate the effects of a 12-step prompt hierarchy on the motor imitation of non-imitative children. In addition, we monitored the hierarchy effects on eye contact and problem behavior. A nonconcurrent multiple baseline design was used. Participants were between 2 and 4 years old and diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In baseline, participants did not show any imitative behaviors or eye contact and displayed several problem behaviors such as tantruming, whining, and not remaining seated. Intervention resulted in increase in eye contact and decrease in problem behavior. Overall, the hierarchy increased independent imitative behavior for one child, but not for the other. We discuss the issues with prompt dependency and how pre-requisite behaviors might have influenced the results.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of self-management on on-task behavior for a junior- high school student with learning disability. A single subject research design (ABAB) is used as the research method. A junior-high school student with LD who had advanced speaker repertories and normal IQ participated in this study. However, his teachers reported that the student has showed disruptive behaviours and lack of on-task behaviour, which caused negative impacts on his academic performance. The independent variable was self-management which included self-recording and self-evaluation, plus token system. Self-recording was taught to the student to record his on-task (attention) behaviours individually before implementing to the natural environment. The dependent variables in this study were the percentage of on-task behaviour and the completion of academic task. The results showed positive outcomes on self-management and token system for this subject (Figure 1). With the on-task behaviors increased, the academic performance also improved, and the disruptive behaviours decreased. This research provided self-management as a useful intervention strategy for promoting attention behaviors for adolescent with learning disability. With the on-task behaviors increased, the academic performance also improved at the same time. Implications of the intervention for middle school student were discussed, and the suggestions for practice and further research were also included.

This study was to compare to ADHD's diagnostic factors (Inattention, Hyper-activity, Impulsiveness) and working memory using active game task with robot. The subject of this study was 269 of normal children, 24 of ADHD at risk and 35 of ADHD who diagnosed by doctor in Y elementary school and H hospital, South Korea. The multimedia content consisted of diagnostic factors and working memory and conducted 3 levels of difficulty on task for 15 minutes per subject. In the task situation, there were 45inch TV and Kinect on the front, 3x3 digit mat on the center and humanoid robot moving with wheels on the front-right. All subject should step by step on the digit mat as directed from 3 to 5 digit units by robot and they also should correct-react by sudden stimulus of Wolf/Neighbor as directed in advance. The behaviors of their route, reactions of sudden stimulus, and deviant behaviors—moving before start direction, attempting incorrect (commission/omission error) reaction before correct reaction, attempting deviated route and attempting to move before moving alarm. The results of this study were that It was a significant difference of success/fail on route per level among the subjects, ADHD children failed on the first level in most easier of level than ADHD at risk and normal children. In the response behavior of stimulus, it was a significant difference among the subject on the first level. The half of ADHD children have incorrect response and more ADHD at risk children failed than normal children. Finally, It was also a significant difference among subject on 2 deviant behaviors - attempting incorrect (commission/omission error) reaction before correct reaction and attempting to move before moving alarm.

Because audible errors in a musical performance are easily identified, fluent execution is essential. Precision teaching is an effective evaluation of music education, as it provides accurate feedback regarding progress toward fluent performance. See/Do Play written music was the pinpoint used to measure correct responses (correct notes played at correct time) during one-minute timing sessions. Written music was played on a marimba or vibraphone with a metronome. Specific beats were targeted to increase the number of correct responses until fluent performance (defined by the required tempo for the music) was achieved. Data were used to guide instructional decisions and monitor progress.

Functional Analysis (FA) has been addressed as the "gold standard" recommendation for understanding and treating severe problem behaviors. Nonetheless, treatment challenges such as the presence of uncontrolled sources of reinforcement and resistance of staff impede its use in educational settings. Ayvazo and Eldar (2016) published a pioneer sample data of Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) processes executed in schools in Israel and addressed the challenges Israeli behavior analysts encounter when attempting to implement FA. The authors encouraged promoting the infusion of FA into routine behavioral-analytic practices provided in educational and clinical settings in Israel. This study surveyed 72 Israeli behavior analysts regarding their FA knowledge and practice, 57% of them were certified by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (nine BCBA, thirty-one BCaBA, one BCBA-D). Participants responded to a questionnaire concerning their FBA practices, training and experience with FA, and reasons for refraining from conducting FA. Data will be statistically analyzed and presented in tabular and graphical form. Preliminary findings presented as frequency of responses per question indicate 66% of the participants had never conducted FA. Foremost reasons are lack of resources, training or experience. Implications for training programs and the future development of applied behavior analysis in Israel will be discussed.

To proceed to higher math like Algebra, adding positive and negative integers must be developed. This study's purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of an adapted Direct Instruction (DI) Mathematics subtraction strategy to add negative integers. The participant was a 14-year-old girl with a learning disability. The dependent variable was the number of correctly written answers including the correct value and sign. A permanent product data system employed 10-problem worksheets adding positive and negative integers within a reversal design. This study adapted the DI Math subtraction crossing-out strategy to teach adding integers with vertical counters/lines for positive quantities and horizontal counters for negative quantities. For the first addend, the correct number and type of counters was drawn. For the second addend, the correct counter amount was added to or crossed out the first set of counters. The sum was determined by the number and type of counters that were not canceled out. During baseline, low numbers of correct problems were completed, while intervention showed higher numbers completed to mastery level with 100% inter-observer agreement. Adapting the DI subtraction method was successful in teaching adding negative integers and provides a new strategy for high school instruction within Direct Instruction Mathematics.

Training staff to conduct behavioral procedures with high procedural integrity (PI) can be very costly. There is some research evidence that participants may learn performance-based skills through Observer Effects, which is the effect of rating other individuals' PI on one's own PI. However, few researchers have looked into capitalizing on the Observer Effect for cost-efficient staff training. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to assess if a video training that has been efficacious in teaching PI recording of Paired Stimulus Preference Assessments (PSPA) would have ancillary effects on participants' implementation skills. We conducted a multiple baseline design across 5 undergraduate students and found that watching a video model, accessing a Performance Monitoring Tool (PMT), and undergoing the video training were not enough to bring participants' implementation skills to mastery. However, two participants reached mastery after engaging in the interactive portion of the training, which involved observing and rating an individual's PI (i.e., Observer Effect). Three participants required additional verbal feedback on implementation to reach mastery. Our findings suggest that trainees benefit from observing and recording video models' PI and trainers may be able to capitalize on observer effects for more cost-efficient training.