Association for Behavior Analysis International

The teaching of behavior analysis in developmental psychology is critical because it is a core discipline in the preparation of teachers, psychologists, social workers, journalists, and other professionals, as well as a major influence on parents. Unfortunately, very few behavior analysts are themselves prepared to teach this important topic. This problem has been compounded by the scarcity of available materials from a behavior-analytic perspective. The result is that much of what is taught about development is, at best non-behavioral, and at worse, anti-behavioral. The authors will present a model of teaching child development based on Behavioral Systems Theory. They will provide examples of materials available, and methods that have been used successfully for over 40 years of combined experience teaching behaviorally-based classes in development and learning.

Reinforcers lose their effectiveness when they are presented repeatedly. Early researchers labeled this loss of effectiveness as satiation without conducting an experimental analysis. When such an analysis is conducted, habituation provides a more precise and empirically accurate label for the changes in reinforcer effectiveness. This tutorial will review some of the arguments that support habituation. Then it will be argued that habituation has surprisingly different implications for applied work than satiation. In particular, postulating that habituation occurs to repeatedly presented reinforcers suggests different ways than satiation for maintaining the strength of an existing reinforcer, for weakening the strength of a problematic reinforcer, and for conceptualizing applied behavioral problems. Finally, potential theoretical implications of habituation will be discussed. Habituation may contribute to multiple-schedule behavioral contrast and to understanding the characteristics of behavior undergoing extinction (e.g., spontaneous recovery, disinhibition). Habituation may also help to regulate many different behaviors. In particular, it may contribute to the termination of behaviors that are usually attributed to satiation (feeding, drinking), fatigue (wheel running), and obtaining a high (consuming alcohol).

Over the course of our recent past, behavior analysts and the consumers of their services have demonstrated increased interest in applying principles from Precision Teaching to the intervention programs of children with autism. Unfortunately, the addition of this highly effective, powerful, and efficient measurement system to childrens programs has sometimes been hampered, because of what some may view as barriers to the use of Precision Teaching in such programs. This tutorial will introduce audience members to the principles that form the foundation of Precision Teaching and will address and suggest solutions for some of the most commonly held concerns that surround the use of Precision Teaching with children with autism. Specifically, the tutorial will address concerns related to: errors students may make during instruction; the use of frequency as a measure of behavior and change in frequency as a measure of learning; the frequency aims used as criteria for mastery in Precision Teaching programs; and the use of the Standard Celeration Chart to depict human performance in meaningful ways.

The field of behavior analysis has contributed enormously to the development of effective methods of treatment for children with autism. Ivar Lovaas and his colleagues have contributed extensively to the behavior analytic research in this area. His 1987 outcome study led to an increased interest and recognition of the benefit of early and intensive behavioral interventions for children with autism. The effectiveness of behavioral treatments for children with autism is now widely recognized by professionals and even demanded by parents and other consumers. Despite parent and consumer demands for behavioral treatments many practitioners have failed to take full advantage of the behavioral analysis of language presented by B.F. Skinner (1957) in his book Verbal Behavior. While most behavioral programs for children with autism target communication and language skills, the treatment methods are usually chosen from language paradigms that ignore and even conflict with Skinners natural science approach. Notwithstanding the current state of affairs regarding language instruction for children with autism, a substantial body of experimental research has demonstrated the benefits of Skinners analysis for teaching verbal behavior to persons who have not acquired it typically. In recent years the publication of Sundberg and Partingtons (1998) teaching manual along with other developments in the field have resulted in greater application of the verbal behavior research findings. The purpose of this tutorial is to identify and briefly discuss several lines of verbal behavior research that have led to successful clinical applications for children with autism. In each instance a brief review of the research findings will be followed by video illustrations of the clinical applications. Issues related to the clinical training of practitioners necessary for successful application of Skinners analysis will be discussed.