Association for Behavior Analysis International

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Behavioral skills training (BST) procedures are one approach to teaching complex skills based on the principles of applied behavior analysis. Clinicians and researchers have successfully implemented BST across a wide range of skills while working with children, adolescents, care providers, and paid staff. Extension of BST to fields of burgeoning interest to behavior analysts, such as behavioral gerontology and higher education remains limited. In this symposium, we will describe how BST can be applied in three diverse settings. The first presentation will describe how BST was applied to teach adaptive living skills for individuals with ASD transitioning to adulthood in a community setting using college students as instructors. The second presentation will share the results of a BST intervention designed to support college faculty members to adopt new teaching techniques over the course of an academic semester. The final presentation will provide a comparison of interventions commonly used to support care providers of older adults with cognitive loss, then make a case for the utility of BST as an intervention appropriate to this growing population.

Clinicians working within diverse settings, designing behavior change programs.

In this study, community service gaps were identified in relation to the development of adaptive living skills for individuals with ASD transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. A scan of the literature was conducted to identify evidence based practices for this population and target skill area. In the initial phases of research, the Assessment of Functional Living SkillsCommunity Participation Protocol was used to identify target skills in 8 participants diagnosed with ASD, and subsequently these skills were taught in a five-week skills group format called the "Life Prep Course." A treatment package that included Behavioral Skills Training, Video Modelling and In-Vivo Generalization opportunities was implemented. Assessment scores, probe data and social validity scores were collected to demonstrate the effectiveness and acceptability of the intervention. Results showed that the participants acquired the targeted skills. Specifically, 6/8 participants increased their assessment score by over 10% upon reassessment. Generalization of skills was moderate, and was demonstrated to be at 80% success by week 5 of the program. Participants and caregivers reported high levels of satisfaction with the intervention. In upcoming phases of research, maintenance will be assessed, and a replication of the "Life Prep Course" will be conducted.

The landscape of higher education is evolving. Students are accustomed to almost continuous use of their mobile devices. As a result, professors may feel pressure to incorporate technologically savvy instruction into their practice with the goal of leveraging those devices to improve learning outcomes. While professors often have expert content knowledge and/or research expertise they may not have well developed pedagogical or technological skills. This may leave faculty members who are motivated to adopt new teaching techniques uncertain how to proceed. In addition, attempts to incorporate technology in the classroom may not have the desired effect further discouraging experimentation with new techniques. Behavioral skills training (BST) has been demonstrated to be effective in numerous settings with varied participants. The purpose of this presentation is to describe the effect of a modified BST procedure on faculty adoption of technology-enhanced teaching practices. The intervention spanned one academic semester, used a changing criterion design, and incorporated instructions, modeling, rehearsal, performance feedback, and goal setting. The results of the intervention were positive, with participants endorsing the approach.

Most older adults with cognitive loss live at home and are cared for by family members. Family care partners require skills to effectively assist their loved ones with basic and instrumental activities of daily living, with managing co-occurring chronic illnesses, and with the emotional and behavioral changes associated with cognitive decline. Family care partners predominantly receive interventions addressing caregiver stress, burden, and depression. These interventions neglect skills-based approaches that would otherwise equip care partners to implement behavioral interventions targeting their loved one's presenting problems. Additionally, increased skills might alleviate stress, burden, and depressed behavior related to overwhelming task demand. Despite care partner need for skills, the application of evidence-based training practices such as Behavioral Skills Training (BST) remains unevaluated. Both prevalence of use and potential efficacy of in-home BST for care partners of adults with cognitive loss are unexamined. A detailed comparison of interventions for family care partners of adults with cognitive loss will be provided, and aspects related to the implementation of behavior analytic methods assessing for and informing skill-based interventions will be discussed.

Classrooms worldwide report difficulties with implementing systematic, manageable approaches to creating effective educational environments. The Pyramid Approach to Education (Bondy, 2011) provides a systematic and manageable framework for creating effective environments using elements of applied behavior analysis. This model and it's systematic and functional approach have achieved worldwide appeal while achieving meaningful outcomes for learners. Structural elements of the Pyramid target the creation of functional activities, use of powerful reinforcement systems, teaching a range of critical communication skills, and the functional assessment of contextually inappropriate behavior. Instructional elements include planning for generalization, matching each skill to a lesson format, carefully choosing teaching and error correction strategies. Data collection and most importantly, analysis are central to the overall functioning of a Pyramid Classroom. A key distinction from other approaches involving the application of applied behavior analysis is that classroom teachers and all other support staff are empowered to teach - within the parameters of good science, but it is not a "one size" fits all approach. Teaching staff are involved in the decision making process and lesson development for all students with an emphasis on individual needs while maintaining both group and individual learning. This symposium will present an overview and implementation from several perspectives. Data will be presented from a school program where several classrooms have achieved Pyramid Certified Classroom Status. Within that program, leadership teams have been created to foster the maintenance of implementation. Programs in a variety of countries using the Pyramid Approach to Education will be described and attendant results discussed.

Members of multi-disciplinary teams including teachers, speech-language pathologists, behavior analysts. Anyone who actively participates in the supervision and direct service delivery required to set up and maintain classrooms.

Pyramid Educational Consultants has offices in 14 countries with nearly 40 Pyramid Consultants who provide both training and consultation services. All training and consultation involves a description of or direct application of The Pyramid Approach to Education, a systematic framework for designing effective educational environments. One example of the direct application of the Pyramid Approach is a Pyramid Certified Classroom, a process that involves training and consultative guidance on implementing the nine elements of the Pyramid Approach to Education. The Pyramid elements are implemented in a specific sequence as the sequence is an essential component of this approach. Upon successful demonstration of the items listed on the Pyramid Classroom Checklist in one element, consultation begins in the next. Throughout this process teams design/build their own effective environment, one is not prescribed. This consultation and certification approach has been successfully implemented in classrooms worldwide. How teams across the globe implement the Pyramid Approach as well as the similarities and differences will be highlighted in this presentation.

In-situ staff training often involves verbal feedback, which tends to be delayed and may be distracting to staff. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of an auditory clicker sound as a conditioned reinforcer to train behavior interventionists' relevant clinical skills during in-situ training. A multiple-baseline across behaviors design indicated that the intervention was effective in increasing all target behaviors for all three participants. For two of the participants, we conducted maintenance probes one to five weeks after the final training session and performance continued to occur at a high level. Although the participants ranked the contingent clicker presentation as less disruptive and fairer than typical feedback methods, they ranked it as slightly less helpful, slightly less worthwhile, and slightly less pleasant than typical feedback methods. Two of the three participants asked for this procedure to be used for other clinical skills outside the scope of the study. Findings of this study can offer a different and perhaps more practical approach to in-situ staff training.

Behavior Analysts, Behavior Analysts in training, para-professionals, ABA masters students

Successful intervention requires ongoing evaluation in the form of objective data to determine the effects of treatment. The importance of ongoing data collection with the ability to make changes to treatment plans based on immediate information is essential to the treatment of individuals requiring behavioral interventions. However, if those implementing behavior intervention fail to submit this information, data-based decisions cannot be made. Support for the effectiveness of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) procedures for improving and or maintaining staff performance in the human services field has been well documented. The use of group contingencies have been used in an organizational setting to decrease staff problem behavior and a variation of a group contingency has used to decrease staff absenteeism. However, previous studies have not determined the most effective components to Group Oriented Contingency based procedures to change staff behavior. A group multiple baseline will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a single intervention (e.g., lottery-based group contingency) procedure with the addition of the remaining intervention (e.g., performance feedback) across 4 groupings of staff providing behavior intervention services.

Historically sex education has been a delicate topic, and both education on healthy sexual behaviors and attitudes, as well as interventions for dangerous or problematic sexual behaviors, are often overlooked. This symposium presents social validity research on parent preferences and needs for sex education, recommendations for conducting functional assessments and functional analyses for sexual behaviors, and data on the effects of creative and interactive sex education on relationship satisfaction. Presenters will discuss resulting data and their implications as applicable, as well as directions for future research, instruction, and applied projects.

Due to the lack of formal sex education and misconceptions regarding their abilities, rights, and level of functioning, adults with various developmental disabilities (DD) and intellectual disabilities (ID) face a unique situation when navigating sexual and intimate relationships. In the presented study participants and their romantic partners (ages 36-55 years old) completed a pre-and post-test Scale of Intimacy Assessment to measure the overall satisfaction of their relationship. Then participants participated in social/sexual skills training in the context of a board game, Sorry!, and skills were evaluated based on their correct and incorrect responses. Results showed that all of the players who participated in the social skills training by playing the Sorry! Board game increased their correct responses over the course of the study. However, there was not a significant increase following the implementation of training relative to the baseline probes. Findings of the study will be discussed in the context of sex education and efficacy.

Sexual stimulation is a primary reinforcer, yet often education and behavior analytic services fail to address sexual behavior. Effective interventions must be developed to resolve sexual behaviors which put the client's health or safety at risk, while promoting healthy sexual behaviors and attitudes. Functional assessment or functional analysis should be conducted, but behavior analysts may not have expertise or feel comfortable with addressing sexual behavior. Further, research on functional assessment for sexual behaviors may be hard to find. This presentation will offer recommendations for how to objectively define a variety of maladaptive sexual behaviors, examples of design and implementation of functional assessment or functional analysis for sexual behaviors, suggestions for how to handle staff and/or family training for implementation of behavior change plans, and, finally, will offer examples of outcomes based on functional assessment for sexual behaviors. References to research on functional assessment of sexual behavior will also be included.

In the current symposium, the authors will present a series translational and applied studies related to reinforcement schedules and reinforcement parameters. In the first presentation, Harman and colleagues will present two studies that demonstrate the interaction between delays to reinforcement and different parameters of reinforcement with typically developing adults. In the second presentation, Falligant and colleagues will present a three-part study evaluating the relationship between response force and conjugate schedules of reinforcement with typically developing adults. In the third presentation, Donovan and colleagues will present a study evaluating the effectiveness, efficiency, and preference for different magnitudes of reinforcement for teaching an arbitrary and novel skill. In the fourth presentation, Frewing and colleagues will present a study evaluating the effectiveness, efficiency, and preference for different reinforcement schedules during skill acquisition programs for children with autism spectrum disorder. Finally, DeLeon will discuss the four studies in terms of future research directions and possible clinical implications.

Researchers and practitioners

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which common parameters of reinforcement (quantity, quality, magnitude, and duration of reinforcement) interact with delays to reinforcement in hypothetical and response-based measures of delay discounting. In Experiment 1, 42 participants responded to a series of hypothetical scenarios in four different conditions involving different sums of money and delays to reinforcement. Each condition manipulated the sum of money across one of the four parameters of reinforcement. Area under curve measurements (AUC) demonstrated idiosyncratic differences in discounting patterns across conditions. Participants with similar discounting patterns were grouped for further comparisons. In Experiment 2, participants responded in a progressive-ratio procedure in which the completion of each successive step resulted in a successive increase in an actual sum of money available to the participant. The sum of money was manipulated according to the reinforcement parameters in the four conditions. Data from two participants showed that the condition that yielded the highest AUC measure in the hypothetical delay discounting procedure also yielded the highest break point in the progressive-ratio procedure. The findings from this study may inform basic and applied scientists seeking to manipulate a parameter of reinforcement during assessments.

In conjugate schedules of reinforcement, the amplitude or intensity of a reinforcing event is proportional to an aspect of the target behavior or response (e.g., MacAleese, Ghezzi, & Rapp, 2015; Rapp, 2008). In a novel series of experiments, MacAleese et al. demonstrated that changes in clarity of a visual stimulus conjugately reinforced an arbitrary target response in a sample of undergraduates. In Experiment 1, we extended the results from MacAleese et al. (2015) by evaluating whether different parameters of response-contingent volume change in audiovisual stimuli conjugately reinforced responses on a force transducer in a sample of undergraduates. In Experiment 2, we evaluated the degree to which responding was maintained when conjugate changes in the volume of audiovisual stimuli (either high-preferred or low-preferred) were provided as a consequence for exerting force on the manipulandum, in addition to assessing the degree to which responding maintained when it did not produce changes in auditory stimuli (i.e., extinction). In Experiment 3, we evaluated the degree to which responding was maintained across multiple extinction components. Results from these experiments indicate response force covaries with changes to the amount of force required to produce conjugate changes in audiovisual stimulation. Furthermore, results suggest force may be an important index of response effort and preference across low-and-high preferred stimuli within this conjugate schedule framework.

Previous comparisons of differential reinforcement and nondifferential reinforcement in skill acquisition programs have often produced participant-specific results. Further investigation of factors that influence the effectiveness and efficiency of differential reinforcement and nondifferential reinforcement may help practitioners arrange reinforcement contingencies that maximize instructional efficiency. Specifically, given the variability in results of comparisons of differential and nondifferential reinforcement across participants, it may be valuable to conduct within-participant replications of comparisons of differential and nondifferential reinforcement. In the present study, we used an adapted alternating treatments design embedded within a concurrent multiple-probe design to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of differential reinforcement, nondifferential reinforcement, and extinction when teaching language skills to two children with autism spectrum disorder. We conducted three evaluations, across a minimum of two different skills for each participant (i.e., tacts, intraverbals). We used a concurrent chains arrangement to evaluate learner preference for differential reinforcement, nondifferential reinforcement, and extinction when teaching language skills to two children with autism spectrum disorder. We will discuss the results in terms of clinical implications and directions for future research.

In this symposium, we celebrate the work of our mentor, Dr. Maria R. Ruiz. Maria's work balanced her commitment to the experimental analysis of behavior, to radical behaviorism, and to the application of behavior analysis in service to individual consumers and humanity at large. Sharing the science, philosophy, and practice of behavior analysis with others was one of the great joys of her life. Presentations will focus on (a) her graduate training and early translational research; (b) her study of social prejudice and discrimination through the lens of derived relational responding; (c) her theoretical and conceptual contributions, particularly with respect to contextualism, radical behaviorism, and feminist theory; and (d) her commitment to empowering her students not only by teaching them about behavior analysis, but also by encouraging perspective taking and critical thinking. In the last minutes of the symposium, an opportunity will be provided for attendees who choose to do so to share their memories of Maria.

College graduates and above with training in behavior analysis.

Maria Ruiz was mentored by Hank Pennypacker at the University of Florida and trained in the experimental analysis of behavior. During her time in graduate school, she conducted translational research addressing problems of learning and behavior in individuals with developmental disabilities. She continued to apply behavior analysis in her work to improve the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families throughout her career. This presentation will include a description of Dr. Ruiz's research in self-injury and stimulus overselectivity, and a discussion of the pragmatic and humanistic values that were the basis of Dr. Ruiz's approach to educating children with autism.

Maria Ruiz was a tireless advocate for groups who experience prejudice and discrimination. Her dedication in this area is reflected in her work on a behaviorist conceptualization of the development of implicit prejudice and discrimination. Working in collaboration with Bryan Roche and his colleagues, she demonstrated that implicit prejudice (i.e., verbal relations that may not be readily tacted by individuals) could be created in the laboratory using a derived relational responding task involving arbitrary stimuli (Gavin, Roche, & Ruiz, 2008). Expanding on their work, Maria and her colleagues developed the Function Acquisition Speed Test (FAST) as a behavioral alternative to implicit measures (e.g., the Implicit Association Test). The FAST is both a method of training stimulus equivalence classes and a tool for assessing the emergence of non-reinforced (i.e., derived) relations among stimuli. Providing a behavioral measure and understanding of implicit prejudice and discrimination avoids the difficulties inherent in mentalistic ontologies and points toward possible methods of changing discriminatory behaviors. This talk will examine Marias work in implicit prejudice and discrimination, as well as potential future directions and implications.

In this presentation, the evolution of Maria Ruiz's (1950–2017) conceptual writings on the alliance between feminist epistemology and radical behaviorism will be revisited. Over 20 years ago, Ruiz's (1995) groundbreaking paper on the points of contact in feminist and behavior analytic theories appeared in Psychology of Women Quarterly. Written primarily for a feminist audience, Ruiz argued that radical behaviorism's appeal to a contextual understanding of human behavior was similar in kind to a feminist epistemology grounded in the experiences of women and other marginalized groups. Behavior analysis also offers feminism an understanding of human behavior that rejects the personal pathologization of behavior that feminists agree have environmental determinants in oppressive sociopolitical systems. Further, behavior analytic principles have the potential to enhance acts of resistance, the means by which we increase the likelihood that cultural practices are designed for the good of all. While the alliance between feminism and behavior analysis has long had the potential to strengthen both disciplines, it has yet to be fully realized by either community. As behavior analysts look to broaden their impact on social issues, Ruiz's call to action has taken on renewed urgency during this particularly volatile time in our cultural history.

Maria Ruiz will be remembered for many contributions to our field—theory, philosophy, science, application. However, her pedagogical contributions may prove to be paramount. Over her 36 years as a professor in the psychology department at Rollins College, Dr. Ruiz created distinctions for her students that allowed them to find their own voices and question traditional cultural practices—within and outside of psychology. Her feminist pedagogy led to the development of sophisticated critical thinking skills and empowerment for the many students she mentored. The current paper will illustrate the importance of Dr. Ruiz's unique pedagogical practices with respect to the advancement of our science and our ability to impact the world.

Behavior analysis principles have been exhaustively replicated and applied, as we're well aware. The sustainability community, however, is frequently not aware of the full scope of our science. Climate change exemplifies the tragedy of the commons with its delay discounting: rampant greenhouse gas emissions for short-term reinforcers, externalizing and delaying the mammoth aversive consequences. Similarly, "choice architecture" and other portions of behavioral economics - a significant part of the sustainability effort - are built on learning principles. In this symposium, we'll examine where our principles have successfully been incorporated - and where they are overlooked, misused, or ignored. Through more interdisciplinary collaboration, behavior analysis has the opportunity to build significantly on its existing contributions to the critical challenge of climate change mitigation.

Bachelor's or master's level

The speaker is a behavior analyst working as a research psychologist at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies and Energy & Efficiency Institute. She will share her experience working on issues related to sustainability in an interdisciplinary research environment. In particular, she will discuss opportunities for (and progress toward) integrating behavior analysis principles in two areas of energy and transportation research: eco-feedback and eco-driving. Eco-feedback--providing people with information about their resource consumption with the aim of promoting sustainable behavior--is a strategy pioneered by behavior analysts in the late 70s-early 80s, but since then largely abandoned by behavior analysts and left to the more cognitive-oriented fields of environmental psychology and human-computer interaction. This talk will introduce a theory of eco-feedback that builds on behavior analysis principles and suggest opportunities for behavior analysts to get involved in eco-feedback research and initiatives. Another area discussed will be eco-driving--driver behaviors that increase vehicle fuel efficiency. This is an area of research that has been dominated by engineers and transportation researchers, with more attention to vehicle behavior than human behavior. Additional examples of integrating behavior analysis principles, theories, and methodologies will be reviewed briefly.

B. F. Skinner's 1981 Selection by Consequences was a call for us to use the science of behavior to meliorate world problems. With emerging research, models, and practices of the last 20 years, more behavior analysts are directing applied programs toward cultural problems such as poverty, education, organizational safety, and climate change. For five years, the work of interdisciplinary, cooperative groups at Fresno State has led to administrative support for an Institute of Water and Sustainability. The function of this institute is to coordinate research across colleges, ensure best practices on campus through Facilities, coordinate student and facility projects, develop a sustainability minor, and to educate and interact with the greater community. The use of behavior analytic principles is seen as integral to our work, has been well accepted by group members from a wide variety of backgrounds, and has enhanced our outcomes.

Applied Behavior Analysis can and should play a significant role in the realm of higher education. This symposium takes two looks at this interface. The first presentation looks at the course redesign of an undergraduate education course, Classroom Behavior Supports, and how this course changed from being primarily didactic with project-based assignments to taking on a civic engagement/civic learning focus. The second presentation looks at using interventions designed to reduce procrastination on the completion of long-term projects in an undergraduate psychological science class, and the effect that this intervention had on individual and overall class grade point average, task completion, and subjective stress measures. Together, these presentations provide a window into the teaching and use of Applied Behavior Analysis at the University level in an ethical, socially valid manner that enhances student learning, performance, and generalization.

Procrastination, which can be defined as delaying or avoiding engagement in high-effort activities, is a frequent problem for many people, and occurs with regularity in university students. It has been associated with poor learning outcomes, lower grades, and increased subjective stress reporting. Ultimately, degree of procrastination can play a role in whether a student is successful in graduating. There are components of procrastination, such as planning/prioritization, time management, and goal-directed persistence, that can be viewed through the lens of executive functioning. Executive functioning deficits have been addressed in a variety of ways, including the use of a coaching model that focuses on providing short-term goals and checkpoints paired with frequent feedback. This study uses an executive functioning model to reduce procrastination in long-term projects through the use of short-term feedback, checkpoints, and reinforcement for meeting these checkpoints. Implications for assignment completion, overall grade point average, and measures of subjective stress are discussed.

We present a series of studies that evaluate operant learning procedures for early acquisition of social behaviors in three populations: infants at risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), children with ASD, and children with neurotypical development. This symposium extends the findings of Pelaez and colleagues (1996, 2011, 2012) by showcasing parent-training procedures where the caregivers implement the operant-learning principles of reinforcement. The first presenter highlights early behavioral markers for autism and the use of socially-mediated reinforcement procedures such as synchronized reinforcement to sustain infant eye contact (i.e., attention). The second presentation discusses procedures for increasing infant vocalizations and extends those findings to infants at risk of ASD. The third study compares two forms of social reinforcement on the acquisition of vocalizations as well as joint attention procedures with neurotypical infants. The fourth presentation reports on the acquisition of joint attention responses to three different types of caregiver bids in children with ASD. The discussant highlights the developmental sequencing of these social skills as well as prerequisite repertoires for early learning of communication and other more complex social skills like perspective taking. The operant procedures and the data reported have significant implications for future research and for effective interventions with children with ASD.

Masters & PhD Level Students, Practitioners, and Researchers

Lower incidences of eye contact marks one of the first indicators of social disability in infancy. Parents are important contributors to infants' early social development and can successfully increase engagement behaviors such as eye contact and positive affect with young children at risk of autism. This presentation reviews the at-risk literature indicating early behavioral markers, and discusses the use of socially-mediated reinforcement procedures to strengthen infant eye contact. The current study replicate and extends the findings of Pelaez and colleagues (1996), evaluating a parent training model where caregivers are taught an operant-learning procedure consisting of contingent smiling, verbal praise, and rhythmic touch to establish eye contact in the natural environment. The assumption is that teaching early social behaviors such as eye contact in young children can promote learning of other—prerequisite—skills required to develop complex social and communicative behaviors. Further, the importance of establishing contingencies of reinforcement during mother-child interactions are stressed.

The emission of vocalizations during early infancy serves as the preverbal foundation for the development of subsequent complex language skills later in childhood. Research on interventions that facilitate the acquisition of these preverbal skills during infancy, and the subsequent extension of this methodology to at risk populations is discussed and conceptualized. The present research illustrates the use of two forms of contingent social reinforcement (vocal imitation and Motherese speech) delivered in a parent-training model, and their effects on increasing the overall rate of vocalizations in infants at risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The presenter concludes that establishing and increasing the rates of pre-verbal vocalizations during early infancy among infants at risk may help facilitate the development of more complex language and potentially mitigate the severity of language delays in later childhood.

Replicating Neimy et al., (2017), five children diagnosed with autism ranging in age from 3-5 years old participated in a joint attention operant learning procedure. Using an ABAB reversal in a multiple baseline across participants' design, three of the five children met mastery criterion for independent, correct responding. Joint attention responses were defined as first making eye contact with a therapist, switching their gaze to a novel object, and then returning their gaze to the therapist. In baseline conditions, children were exposed to different types of interactions with the therapist and the objects but were not provided any reinforcement nor any correction, regardless of their responses. In Treatment 1, three different bid types were used by the therapists: show, point, or engage. Responses were either reinforced or corrected. In Treatment 2, only one type of bid was used, the "show" bid. Responses were either reinforced or corrected. All five children showed evidence of differential responding during treatment conditions when compared to baseline conditions. Results are discussed in terms of the theory of joint attention and its importance as a prerequisite skill which is thought to be significant in terms of social and communicative development for all children.

School-aged children with autism receive most of their treatment in public schools. This is especially true for children from low-resourced communities, who are much less likely to receive supplemental treatments aside from their educational program. However, evidence-based practices for students with autism are often implemented with low fidelity in schools. Efforts to improve the implementation of evidence-based practices in schools often comprise training and consultation to improve teacher's skills and use of these practices. However, barriers unrelated to teacher skill may also impede the implementation of evidence-based practice in schools. This symposium includes a series of presentations describing large-scale efforts to improve implementation of evidence-based practice in schools. The first will present a summary of qualitative interviews with autism support teachers describing their challenges with implementing evidence-based practice in their classrooms. The second will present data regarding implementation fidelity and barriers to implementation in a randomized trial of Classroom Pivotal Response Training. The third will present data regarding teachers' intentions to use discrete trial training and pivotal response training and actual use of these interventions throughout the school year. The final presentation will provide recommendations for behavior analysts consulting in schools targeted toward addressing organizational and systemic barriers to implementation through effective consultation.

Behavior analysts consulting in schools

Teacher implementation of Classroom Pivotal Response Teaching was evaluated using a large-scale, randomized waitlist-control design. Classroom Pivotal Response Training is an evidence-based, naturalistic behavioral intervention adapted from Pivotal Response Training to be delivered by teachers in classroom settings. Teachers (n=109) and students (n=256) from 17 school districts participated. Training procedures included 12 hours of small group didactic instruction, goal setting, supervised exercises and role-playing. Individual coaching followed at weekly, then monthly intervals. Teacher fidelity of Classroom Pivotal Response Training was measured throughout the school year by coaches in vivo while teachers implemented Classroom Pivotal Response Training with their students during regular classroom activities. Fidelity was also coded by trained observers naïve to the training condition via video. Multilevel models indicated significantly higher fidelity, as coded by naïve observers, for teachers who completed training as compared to control teachers (B=0.27, p=.001). Seventy-three percent of teachers met trainer-rated fidelity after an average of 7.6 coaching sessions. Sustainment of Classroom Pivotal Response Training fidelity during the school year following training was challenging. Potential enhancements to intervention adoption and implementation may involve increased teacher engagement and organizational leadership support. Future directions include a current randomized trial testing methods of facilitating increased engagement and leadership support to promote greater teacher fidelity and subsequent positive child-level outcomes.

Evidence-based practices for students with autism often are implemented with low fidelity in public schools. Poor implementation may relate to characteristics of teachers or characteristics of the schools in which they work. The Theory of Planned Behavior posits that an individual's intention to perform a certain behavior is the most proximal determinant of that behavior, when individuals have the ability to act on their intentions. If teachers' intentions are low, efforts should focus on improving intentions. If teachers' intentions are high but implementation is poor, efforts should focus on removing barriers to acting on intentions. To determine the association between intentions and evidence-based practice implementation, we surveyed 64 autism support teachers at the beginning of the school year in one school district about their intentions to use discrete trial training and pivotal response training using a validated 7-point likert scale (1 = low intentions, 7 = high intentions). Use of each intervention was assessed monthly throughout the school year and rated on a 5 point likert scale (0 = no use, 4 = daily use). Teachers received training and consultation in discrete trial training and pivotal response training throughout the school year. On average teachers reported high intentions to use pivotal response training (mean = 5.8) and discrete trial training (mean = 5.9), while use of both was low (pivotal response training mean use = .48, discrete trial mean use = .69). Intentions were not correlated with use. These findings suggest that while teachers have high intentions to implement evidence-based practices, they often face barriers not addressed through traditional models of training and consultation that prevent use.

Traditional behavioral consultation focuses on changing teachers’ behavior to improve implementation of evidence-based practices for students with autism in schools. When behavior change is limited, consultants often rely on the behavioral consultation literature to identify effective consultation strategies, including collaborative problem solving, rapport building, training, and in-vivo coaching. However, there are many organizational and systemic barriers to implementation of evidence-based practices for students with autism in public schools that are not addressed through traditional models of behavioral consultation. While a traditional model of behavioral consultation may improve teachers’ skill and motivation to implement evidence-based practices in their classrooms, failure to address systemic barriers can limit the success and sustainability of these interventions. By addressing systems-level variables that affect individual performance, behavior analysts can broaden their focus to strategies that more meaningfully modify teachers’ implementation of evidence-based practices. Here we present an overview of the system-based action plan currently implemented through consultation to teachers of students with autism in a large, under-resourced, urban school district. Recommendations for behavior analysts providing consultation to teachers in under-resourced school settings will be offered, with a focus on consultation strategies intended to overcome barriers to implementation of evidence-based practices in these settings.

As behavior analysts, we have the responsibility of training other individuals (parents, educators, or Registered Behavior Technicians) to deliver service or accurate instruction directly to our clients. Much research has demonstrated that instructor accuracy (i.e., errorless instructional delivery) is critical for learner outcomes. There is a significant quantity of behavior analytic literature that discusses evidenced-based methods for improving teacher training and supervision. In this symposium, we present an experimental analysis of the necessary components that constitute effective and efficient supervision and identify tactics to increase supervision by clinical management. In summary, this experimental study established the following: 1) supervisor accuracy in presentation of instructional trials across student programming is a required prerequisite for training and supervising others, 2) observing others deliver instruction via video training, Powerpoint presentations, or role playing are ineffective methods of increasing teacher accuracy, 3) the controlling variable for how teacher accuracy is achieved is through the use of direct, objective measurement of instruction using the Teacher Performance Rate Accuracy Scale (TPRAS) provided during in situ supervision, and 4) self-monitoring one's own instructional delivery through conducting TPRAS on oneself is another effective way to increase teacher accuracy.

BCBAs, BCaBAs, and any individuals who are responsible for training and supervising RBTs, paraprofessionals, and/or school aides in direct instruction with learners.

Supervision of Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT) in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis is a key quality indicator to providing the best outcomes for consumers. Previous research has demonstrated that the Teacher Performance Rate and Accuracy Scale (TPRA) measure is the most effective tool used to increase instructional accuracy of instructors in the field by providing immediate and objective feedback. In contrast, the frequency of which a Clinical BCBA Managers implement the TPRA measure with RBTs is to be considered. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of a yoked-contingency tactic to increase the implementation of TPRAs with a group of 3 BCBA managers who delivered very few TPRAs during RBT supervision sessions, using a delayed multiple probe design across groups of participants. The dependent variable is the number of TPRAs each BCBA manager completed per day. The independent variable is the implementation of a yoked- contingency tactic, in which individuals in a group must work together to access reinforcement (Greer & Ross, 2008). This study is on-going, however, current results indicate that a yoked-contingency intervention is overall an effective tactic to increase TPRAs delivered by current BCBA manager participants during sessions.