Association for Behavior Analysis International

With increased prevalence of autism combined with its core complex behavioral characteristics (DSM-V), practitioners are more likely to work on interdisciplinary teams to address these challenges (Brodhead, 2015). One effective component that leads to better health and educational client outcome is Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPEC) (WHO, 2016). The WHO presents a framework for action based on four core competency domains to be adopted by health and education systems to improve health outcome. Benefits to collaboration include skill building, shared responsibility in client outcome, brainstorming activities with shared roles and responsibilities, adoption of discipline-specific skills, designing comprehensive interventions that maximize client outcome (Cox, 2012), improved fidelity (Kelly and Tincani, 2013), increased understanding and mutual respect of each profession's value offerings, and building partnerships (Brodhead 2015). Challenges to collaboration include disagreements to treatment selection and plan, the type of skill expertise required, theoretical and cultural differences. Obstacles to collaboration may have negative effects on client progress and may lead to delayed treatment implementation and hence client access to effective treatment. This panel facilitates discussions regarding challenges to collaboration from a cultural international perspective and provides suggestions for effectively resolving these conflicts to improve health and education client outcome.

All professional disciplines and providers, and educators, at all levels, involved in service delivery for ASD, and parents.

Telehealth technology is now becoming more frequently utilised by behaviour analysts working with families living in rural areas, who do not have access to local professionals trained in the science of behaviour analysis. Results from a systematic literature review we conducted indicated that although there is research to support the use of telehealth technologies, there is insufficient evidence on their effectiveness in teaching functional living skills and on training procedures that lead to high procedural fidelity. The present research aimed to investigate the impact of telehealth on the effectiveness of ABA-based interventions by assessing child outcomes, the fidelity of training procedures and changes in the professional’s skills. In our presentation, we will provide data collected through a multiple probe research design during our work using telehealth to train professionals working with children with autism on how to use behaviour analytic methods to teach them functional living skills. Evidence on social validity and feasibility will be discussed in the light of children’s outcomes and implementation fidelity.

Research has indicated that interventions based upon the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) are considered best Evidence Based Practice (EBP) in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Due to a shortage of sufficiently qualified professionals, and a lack of funding availability across Europe, alternative delivery models should be explored, one of which is telehealth. Telehealth utilises internet and telecommunications technology to provide remote training and supervision of ABA interventions. Results of a systematic review have indicated that although the use of telehealth is feasible, past research does have several methodological downfalls. The current applied research project has built upon the results of this review, creating a telehealth parent training package using didactic training and ongoing coaching to teach parents to implement incidental teaching strategies to promote communication. In our presentation we will discuss the development process of this package and will present data on its feasibility collected through a multiple probe across participants research design. We will also discuss barriers encountered, ways to increase parents’ fidelity of implementation and child communication outcomes.

Provider agencies are charged with designing, implementing and evaluating staff training programs to meet the unique needs of individuals with autism. The field of service provision for individuals with autism is rapidly changing in New York State, especially with adult services. There is an urgent need for the existing work force to increase their skills and competencies as it pertains to the provision of quality services to individuals with autism and their families. Evidence based strategies for improving staff satisfaction and performance through training, feedback and reinforcement will be described. In addition to a work force of skilled front line staff, retaining quality leadership is also a critical variable in maintaining excellence as providers of applied behavior analytic services. This panel will outline and describe a variety of obstacles and resources for the management, training and supervision of all staff from the direct support level through director and executive level. Creating an enjoyable work environment will be a theme throughout the panel presentation.

Target audience of BCBA and Clinical Supervisors

Dr. Peter Killeen is professor emeritus at Arizona State University. He has been a visiting scholar at the University of Texas, Cambridge University, and the Centre for Advanced Study, Oslo. He is a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Psychologists, a Senior Scientist Awardee from NIMH, a president of the Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior (from which he received the Poetry in Science Award), held the APA’s F. J. McGuigan Lectureship on Understanding the Human Mind (!), and received the Ernest and Josephine Hilgard Award for the Best Theoretical Paper on hypnosis (!!). Dr. Killeen has made many innovative and fundamental contributions to the experimental and quantitative analysis of behavior. His major work includes the development of incentive theory, culminating in the mathematical principles of reinforcement (MPR; Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 1994), the behavioral theory of timing (BeT: Psychological Review, 1988), and a new theory of ADHD (Curr Dir Psyc Sci, 2016). He is the author of over 150 peer-reviewed papers, most of which have been cited; a few ignored; a couple cursed. He has served on the boards of editors of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Behavioural Processes, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, Psychological Review, Brain & Behavioral Functions, and Comparative Cognition & Behavior Reviews. Dr. Killeen's quantitative and conceptual developments have enriched behavior analysis and the world beyond.

We shall hold this conference in a country that regularly celebrates noble achievements—recognizing them every year with Prizes to individuals in diverse fields who have “conferred the greatest benefit on mankind”. The first year’s laureates included William Röntgen, the discoverer of x-rays; Emil von Behring, developer of an anti-toxin for the deadly disease of diphtheria; and Henri Dunant, founder of the Red Cross Movement and Geneva Convention. None of the ensuing benefits would have materialized if each of these men had not had aspirations and focused their energies on achieving them. What are our aspirations, fellow behavior analysts? How do we marshal our energies? How do we make progress toward achieving them? Each of these laureates provide a model for different kinds of aspiration. Röntgen, the basic scientist, was studying very different phenomena when he made his life-saving discovery. von Behring, the applied scientist, was persistently focused on the problem of one deadly disease. Dunant, the social activist, had a vision of a world of nurturance, peace, and brotherhood. These kinds of themes are not only present in, but proclaimed by the Association for Behavior Analysis International, whose mission is to “contribute to the well-being of society” through basic, translational, and applied research, and practice. I shall draw out examples of such visions relevant to this audience, and shall ask the audience to help me formulate others. I shall describe behaviors that will help to nurture them. It is my goal in this opening lecture that you all leave here with one or more well-articulated aspirations, or the seeds of them; aspirations that prime your attention to the information and interactions in this conference, where you may continue to develop them, and carry them back in your workplace to inform your life’s work.

All conference attendees.

Research of six decades suggest that the nature and quantity of teachers’ feedback, especially the use of praise, affects students’ behaviour. Praise can be systematically deployed by teachers to increase appropriate social behaviours and improve classroom climate. Whilst a huge amount of research has been carried out in English-speaking countries on this issue, very few studies in other European countries than the UK have been published. The results from three studies on teachers’ natural use of feedback and its effects, conducted in the UK, Italy, and Iceland, will be presented for a cross-cultural comparison. Participants were teachers and pupils (age 6-18). The Mixed Interval Classroom Observation schedule was used to collect data about teachers’ feedback and students’ time on-task. The approval:disapproval ratio found outside the UK was more similar to the one found in early investigations than to the pattern found in studies from the 1980s to date in English speaking countries, i.e., teachers gave more disapproval especially for social behaviours and pupils’ on-task behaviour was lower. International comparisons of this kind can help set parameters that are important to those who work with teachers. These data are thus important for professionals working in schools and inform the design of teachers’ pre and in-service training.

Systematic observations by 33 psychologist-observers of 228 lessons in 28 UK secondary schools were included in this study. Key findings included: students were significantly less ‘on-task’ than students in UK primary schools; secondary school teachers used low frequencies of positive verbal feedback directed towards academic work and behaviour and much higher frequencies of critical comments directed towards behaviour; teachers’ critical comments directed towards behaviour were significantly associated with lessons where students were less compliant with teachers’ directions; and teachers who used high frequencies of positive comments directed towards academic work and social behaviour were not associated with lessons where students followed teachers’ directions more. The number of secondary teachers who did not use any positive comments about social behaviour was unexpectedly high. Teachers who used verbal feedback were more likely to use more with the younger year groups. Unlike primary students, no evidence was found that secondary students were more engaged with academic work when taught by teachers who used higher levels of verbal teaching behaviour: teachers who talked more. A number of contextual factors were also examined for their association with students’ compliance with teachers’ directions. Findings included: teachers who were more experienced were more likely to be teaching students who followed their directions. Conclusions are drawn about the nature of teachers’ verbal feedback in secondary schools.

Teachers have played a critical role in shaping the behaviour of students in schools. Positive and negative feedback has been used by teachers to impact student behaviour and research has shown positive feedback to lead to students being more on-task (Apter, Arnold and Swinson, 2010; Harrop and Swinson, 2000; Merrett and Wheldall, 1987). Negative feedback on social behaviour has been shown to decrease on-task behaviour among students (Nafpaktitis et.al, 1985; Sulla, 2015; Wheldall et al., 1989). The goal of this study was to use direct observation to analyse student and teacher behaviour in one Icelandic elementary school, to explore the average on-task rate and the average rate between positive and negative feedback from teacher to student. The main results showed an average on-task rate to be 78,8%. Observations showed that teachers appeared to use more negative feedback than positive to influence students‘ behaviour. Statistical significant differences were found between neutral comments and on-task behaviour with 95% confidence, between positive feedback and on-task behaviour with 99% confidence, and between negative feedback on social behaviour and on-task behaviour with 99% confidence. Results were compared to previous data collected with the same procedures in Italy and Britain.

Eva Bertilsson has a master’s degree in behavior analysis and a passion for all things related to behavior, learning and animal welfare. Together with business partner Emelie Johnson Vegh, Eva runs their collaboration Carpe Momentum, teaching seminars on the general principles of behavior and learning, and coaching trainers in the art of structuring great training sessions regardless of the venue or the species. Eva is a board member of the Swedish Association for Behavior Analysis, a faculty member of Clicker Expo, and an enthusiastic disseminator of ethical practices based in behavioral science. In addition to her own teaching, she has also been instrumental in introducing TAGteach™ and Fear Free to the Scandinavian audience.

Animal welfare is a growing concern in our society, and the principles and procedures from applied behavior analysis are widely used by animal caretakers in their effort to deliver the best possible care. Service providers in the animal care sector are continually evolving their procedures and protocols, with a growing focus on enhancing the non-human individual’s control over its situation. We cannot gain informed consent in its true sense from our animal participants, but we can strive in that direction. Strategies using response contingent stimulus presentation (sometimes referred to as “start button behaviors”) are one example of this effort, allowing the animal to direct the pace and progress of the procedure. This presentation provides variety of examples where response contingent stimulus presentation has been used in settings as diverse as service dog training, noise desensitization and cooperative veterinary care. Training protocols are described, and foundations are provided for further reflections and scientific inquiries.

Practitioners working with individuals in a dependent situation (both humans and non-humans).

Early intensive behavioral interventions are considered the intervention of choice for treating individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. However, in many instances constraints prevent individuals from receiving intensive behavioral treatments and low-intensity interventions are provided instead. In this symposium, the authors will present outcome of low-intensity behavioral interventions across different sites using a variety of assessment tools, including the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP), the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), IQ scores, and other related measures. The reliability of the VB-MAPP is discussed and it is evaluated as an outcome measure.

Practitioners and policy-makers who provide ABA interventions or prescribe interventions for autism.

We evaluated outcome of early behavioral intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) as it was provided through public service providers in Norway. One group of children received low intensity intervention (11.1 weekly hours), a second group higher intensity intervention (18.1 weekly hours), and a third group received eclectic special education. We compared outcomes on adaptive behavior, ASD severity and intellectual functioning across the groups after one year. Although, both the lower and higher intensity behavioral intervention groups received less hours than what is recommended in the literature, both groups did significantly better than the eclectic comparison group. Furthermore, the higher intensity behavioral group did better than the lower intensity behavioral group. Confirming a dose-response relationship between intensity and gains made. Nevertheless, gains in both behavioral groups were more modest than what is reported for intervention that is more intensive. We discuss the pros and cons of the publicly funded behavioral intervention model.

The panel will discuss autism assessments, interventions and treatments in various countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, China, the Middle East and Africa. The use of Applied Behavior Analysis in these countries will be discussed. Governmental responses to the rising prevalence of autism and the challenges in providing evidenced based interventions will be explored. The panel will review the most effective strategies for the dissemination of best practices on a global basis.

Behavior Based Safety (BBS) is a well-researched intervention tool for enhancing the safety of employees in many industries. This symposium is about broadening the applicability of behavioral safety interventions to new areas. In the first paper, examples of behavior-based safety interventions in small businesses are provided (a hairdresser’s shop, a dentistry, and a sheltered workshop). Issues and obstacles to BBS interventions in such non-standard situations are discussed. The second paper describes the safeguarding supportive system (SSS) at a tunnel construction site. Tunnel construction is an especially challenging field of application for behavior analytic procedures targeting safety due to the hazardous and frequently changing work environment. Based on a sincere behavioral assessment, changes to the environment resulted in a reduction of risky worker’s behavior. The third paper is about the use of a UWB-3-dimensional position detecting system to track tunnel workers movements and postures. The study provides evidence that this system can be reliably used in the environment of tunnel construction to deliver feedback about worker’s location and poster. The results are promising for including such devices in behavior-based safety interventions.

Behavior-based safety (BBS) has helped workers in thousands of companies worldwide to work safely and probably saved thousands of lives. The typical area of application for behavior-based safety is in bigger companies with at least 100-200 employees. However, most people work in small businesses with only few employees. Many well-tried procedures of behavior-based safety require resources (manpower, finances, organizational prerequisites) that are not available to small businesses. The author will present three examples of adjustments of behavior-based safety to small businesses: in a hairdresser’s shop with only 2 employees, a dental surgery with 7 employees and a workshop for the handicapped with approx. 30 employees. All necessary components of behavior-based safety had been implemented: definitions of safe behaviors, observations procedures, verbal and graphic feedback, goal setting and use of positive reinforcement strategies. Data showed that meaningful changes in employee behavior and general workplace safety were possible, although they couldn’t be maintained in any case after the intervention ended. Aspects of social validity, challenges to implementation in such environments and the critical role of change agents are discussed.

Accidents at tunnel construction sites in Japan rapidly decreased because of development of construction technology and/or promotion of machinery construction. However, it elicits fatal result if once accident occurs because safety at many tunnel work-sites is still dependent on workers attentiveness. It is important to analyze behavior pattern of workers and to apply some intervention procedure for increasing and decreasing safety and unsafe behavior, respectively. Though our final goal is effective introduction of the Safeguarding Supportive System which was established in our project to tunnel construction site, we videotaped behavior of tunnel worker as a pilot study. We detected dangerous points of tunnel site from the videotape, which were intersection points of workers and/or machines. Then intervention trial, which changed environment using a procedure of behavioral analysis, was applied to tunnel construction site for decreasing dangerous intersections. Results in the present study suggested that the intervention procedure effectively affected behavior change of workers. Also, results showed that it was sometimes possible to change behavior by change of environment, not only direct approach. We concluded that behavioral analysis procedure might be one of the most effective measure to contribute to safety in tunnel construction sites.

We established a safety measure, the Safeguarding Supportive System (SSS) focusing on residual risks, which are left after 3-step method. The SSS counts entry/exit of worker at work-sites, confirms authority and license of worker, controls machine condition, and detects location of workers at real time. In the present study, we developed an UWB-3-dimensional position detecting system in the SSS, and evaluated validity of the system. We examined if the system enabled to monitor the location and the working posture of workers even if they were in a blind spot or in unclear-sighted condition in the tunnel construction site. As judgment indices of posture and condition of workers, angle, acceleration, heights and elapsed time of posture or workers were measured. Those results were integrated and classified into conditions of run, walk, falls down and crouches. We concluded that the UWB-3-dimensional position detecting system established in the present study was useful even if the condition of work-site was not good. We are planning to examine other systems in the SSS in the further study.

Join us for coffee and pastries.

Despite the demonstrated effectiveness of ABA therapy for individuals with autism, relatively little research has focused on the characteristics and behaviors that distinguish exemplary client-therapist interactions. This symposium summarizes research to identify and train qualities and corresponding behaviors of effective ABA practitioners: (1) A survey of BCBAs ranked therapist characteristics and qualities, resulting in the development of the Exemplary Behavior Analyst Checklist (EBAC) of 35 essential traits. In a follow-up survey, BCBAs rated the extent to which exemplary practitioners demonstrated each trait, and ranked their Top 10 qualities in order of perceived importance. (2) Characteristics of ABA therapists within the concept of Behavioral Artistry (BA) (a repertoire of interpersonal behaviors including care, attentiveness, and creativity) were investigated. Parents surveyed significantly preferred BA traits. ABA students were determined to have lower levels of BA compared to other helping professions, and autism therapists with lower levels of BA qualities were observed to deliver ABA less effectively. (3) Therapist social interactions were conditioned using an operant discrimination training (ODT) procedure. Sequential analysis of social interactions and positive social responses suggest that client/therapist positive responding to each other’s social initiations increased following ODT. Implications for training and supervising effective ABA practitioners are addressed.

The target audience for this symposium is behavior analysts currently engaged in delivering therapeutic services and supervising other behavior analysts/staff, as well as researchers and clinical administrators.

With the growth of Applied Behavior Analysis therapy services for children with autism in the United States, many professionals recognize this type of “therapy” as useful and effective at improving skill development and behavior in this population. The use of ABA therapy beyond autism has received relatively little attention. Further, a number of disabilities and developmental delays are identifiable in infancy (or prior to birth) creating an opportunity for the application of our science to improvement of important skills for infants possible, though with limited empirical support. In this presentation, the authors will review the scant literature on the use of ABA technologies to improve skills for infants (under age 1) with and without developmental disabilities and will examine the needs of the field for more research in this area. Additionally, the authors will discuss a pilot study on the use of ABA therapy with infants with Down syndrome to improve developmental skills and behavioral cusps. We will specifically share issues such as: instructional control, RIRD, prompting, shaping, and preference assessment as well as share common obstacles and ways to overcome them.

Deisy de Souza is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), Brazil. She obtained her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology at University of São Paulo (USP, 1981), and she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (1984-1985), at Charlie Catania's lab. She has conducted research on basic behavioral processes such as choice behavior, avoidance of aversive events, and stimulus control, and participated in pioneering studies applying the stimulus equivalence paradigm to investigate the acquisition of symbolic functions by auditory stimuli in users of cochlear implants. Over the past 30 years de Souza has also participated in the efforts of a research team investigating the acquisition of symbolic relations, developing equivalence-based instruction (EBI) to teach reading and writing skills, and disseminating computerized individualized teaching programs for individuals that benefit little from regular schools (children with protracted histories of school failure, children with intellectual disabilities, illiterate adults, etc.). The use of these programs by public schools gradually grew in scale, reaching progressively larger samples of learners. She is a Fellow of ABAI and a member of the Editorial Board of JEAB.

This presentation will focus on the results of the joint efforts of a research team in developing instructional procedures, derived from behaviorally oriented basic research, for teaching rudimentary reading and writing skills. Curriculum development was based on the concepts of verbal operants (B. F. Skinner), on the stimulus equivalence paradigm (Murray Sidman), and on the principles of the Personalized System of Instruction (Fred Keller). The procedures and contents were organized in a comprehensive curriculum, currently available online for use in school and therapeutic settings. The research program to validate the curriculum involved basic science to elucidate key, behavioral processes; translational science to study these processes under controlled laboratory conditions; and applied studies in the classroom to verify whether the findings of the translational program would be sustained in less controlled conditions. The delivery of the curriculum through public schools gradually grew in scale, reaching progressively larger samples of learners. Current investigations focus on the logistics to transfer the management of the teaching tools to the school system.

Board certified behavior analysts; graduate students; licensed psychologists.

Self-monitoring has been applied successfully on various behaviours (Hoff & DuPaul, 1998). Two case studies examined the effect of a self-monitoring procedure on four social skills. Two male students (15 & 14 years old) diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) participated in the studies. Both were working towards academic qualifications in a special education school. Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) was administered to evaluate their social skills. Two skills were selected for each participant. Specifically, (a) contributions to lesson discussions and (b) emitted negative comments for participant A, and (c) non-compliance, and (d) making eye-contact for participant B. A non-concurrent multiple baseline across behaviours design was utilised for each experiment. Procedure fidelity data were collected for 26% of the overall treatment sessions with an overall adherence of 94% across both studies. During the intervention the participants collected data on their target behaviours using datasheets provided by the author. The results demonstrated an improvement for all four behaviours during the self-monitoring phase, whilst skills (a), (b) and (c) were maintained post intervention. The findings suggest that self-monitoring may be an effective tactic for social skills, while more research is warranted on how the treatment affects additional social skills.

The behavioral effects of reinforcement, punishment, and extinction are the cornerstones of behavior analysis. Yet, critiques of behavior analysis often point to problems with these basic effects even to the extent of stating that “reinforcement doesn’t work” or that the effects are due to other embedded variables (such as intrusion of natural behavior). In reality, the effects are complex and highly dependent on procedural variables. For example, reinforcement can strengthen behavior even at the level of a single reinforcer, yet after several sessions of acquisition, reinforcement no longer strengthens but instead maintains behavior. Effects also depend on levels of analysis, as seen when immediate effects of reinforcement, punishment, and extinction are very different from long-term effects. Stimuli routinely associated with reinforcement, punishment, and extinction can acquire discriminative properties for ongoing behavior with both excitatory and inhibiting effects. The presentations will outline various effects of reinforcement, punishment, and extinction in both laboratory and clinic, using examples from research to illustrate the problems with interpretation and terminology. The overall purpose is to alert behavior analysts that discourse about behavior becomes complex and unproductive when basic terms refer to different effects.

In 2016, the Victorian Government undertook a comprehensive review of its Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD). The review found that, while the PSD delivers substantial funding to support students with disabilities, there are significant weaknesses in its design, implementation and accountability. Specifically, the review found that (a) Victoria lacks a clear inclusive education policy and framework, (b) inclusion of all students requires a sustained investment in the education workforce’s training and professional learning opportunities, (c) there is a lack of accountability and transparency for funding and outcomes for all students with disabilities, and (d) a more effective approach to identify and support students with disabilities is required (www.education.vic.gov.au). As a result of these findings, The Victorian Department of Education and Training is now delivering an inclusive education agenda to give schools extra resources, support and guidance, with a focus on developing the knowledge and skills of school staff, and giving schools clearer guidance and specialist support to better respond to the needs of students with disabilities. In this symposium, we will present the findings from several current projects designed to directly address the issues highlighted by the Victorian Government in the 2016 review.

This research aims to shed light on current disadvantages facing students with disability by applying a human rights analysis to the experiences of children with disability in the Victorian mainstream government school system. It highlights areas in which progress has been achieved, and those in which children with disability continue to experience discrimination and disadvantage. The report offers recommendations which are intended to strengthen the current reform process, and to assist the Department of Education and Training to protect and fulfil the rights of children with disability. Our findings are based on almost 100 interviews with stakeholders, including former students, school staff (including principals, teachers and support staff), and individuals working to support and represent them. The research also draws on detailed analysis of relevant policies and laws, in particular the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic) and state and federal anti-discrimination legislation. Of particular relevance, our research findings highlight the need for additional capacity building supports for classroom teachers, teacher’s aides, and student support service professionals who work directly with children with disability in Victorian schools.

The Government of Victoria has recently launched an inclusive education reform agenda, which has included a considerable boost to funding. As part of this reform agenda, over 300 Victorian government schools have or soon will adopt the School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) framework to promote student engagement and well-being. SWPBS uses a tiered response-to-intervention framework which invests in prevention (Tier I), identifies and provides targeted, individualised, and small group interventions for students not responding to prevention (Tier II), and utilises function-based, individualised, and intensive interventions for students requiring further support (Tier III). Within the Victorian Department of Education, processes and resources are being established to ensure implementation is sustained at the state-level. In light of this, we conducted a systematic literature review to identify the factors that impede or enhance the successful and sustained implementation of SWPBS. Appropriate resourcing and the presence of an effective SWPBS support team were noted to be the most critical factors enabling the implementation of SWPBS, at both the school and state/district level. In this presentation, we will discuss the strengths and limitations of this body of literature, and propose several best practice recommendations for sustained implementation of SWBPS in Victorian schools.

ABA principles, procedures and ethical standards are directly relevant to improving the welfare of zoo animals. A basic internet course was developed to improve ABA knowledge and skills of zoo keepers, veterinarians, and other animal professionals. In this presentation, the course and three case-studies of ABA interventions implemented by zoo keepers, will be briefly described: reducing self-injury with an elephant, increasing time in the visitor viewing area with a rhinoceros, and replacing rough handling of a baby orangutan by a surrogate orangutan mother.

Applied behavior analysts interested in the application of basic principles and procedures to the zoo setting.

In this study, it was aimed to examine the effect of a peer education program developed on the acquisitions of knowledge and skill of writing and implementing social stories by students attending primary school, and the effect of social stories delivered by peers who have completed the program on the acquisition of crossing skills by students with developmental disabilities, maintenance of this skill two weeks after the end of the implementation, and generalization with a different street. In the study, social validity data were collected from peer tutees and peer tutors using a subjective evaluation approach. The study was carried out with a total of six participants consisting of three students aged between 7 and 9 years who attend a primary school in Turkey/Bingöl province, two of whom are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and one of whom is diagnosed with a mild intellectual disability, and these students' peers with normal development. Peer tutees were taught how to write and deliver social stories with one-on-one instruction by following the steps of Powerpoint presentation, modeling, experimenting, and providing feedback. In the study, a multiple probe design with probe conditions across dyads (peer tutor - peer tutees), one of the single subject research models, was used to evaluate the effect of social stories written and delivered by peer tutors on peer tutees' learning crossing skills. Research results showed that peer tutors acquired the social story writing and implementation skill accurately by 100%. After the instruction delivered by the peers who acquired the social story writing and implementation skill, it was observed that peer tutees acquired the crossing skill and could generalize it to a different street, and that two peer tutees with the autism spectrum disorder continued to exhibit this skill they acquired accurately by 100% two weeks after the end of the study. Social validity data collected from peer tutees and peer tutors using a subjective evaluation approach showed that both peer tutees and peer tutors had positive opinions on the target skill, social stories, and research results. These results were discussed within the context of the literature, and suggestions were made to include peer-mediated implementations in teaching different skills with different methods and to make the use of social stories in teaching safety skills by parents, siblings, specialists working in the field and teachers widespread.

Many applied behavioral interventions are concerned with affecting the choices (i.e., response allocation) of clients. For example, when a behavior analyst treats severe problem behavior, the goal is often conceptualized as decreasing problem behavior choices (e.g., aggression) while increasing choices to engage in appropriate alternatives (e.g., communication). Likewise, an interventionist working with adults on health-related goals may be interested in promoting more time engaged in physical activity. The first presentation in this symposium will present data from a series of human-operant studies demonstrating the effects of variables (e.g., differential reinforcement parameters) on response allocation and will discuss the implications of these basic findings for arrangements in applied settings. The second presentation will provide a systematic review of the choice-based intervention literature from the last 15 years and show clinical data to demonstrate the effects of concurrent-operant arrangements for treating challenging behavior. The third presentation will present a study investigating contingency management and noncontingent reinforcement on adults' allocation of time to physical activity. Together, these talks will show the benefits of bidirectional translational research on the use of concurrent-operant arrangements to help understand and refine choice-based interventions for socially significant problems.

The target audience for this symposium is behavior analysts who are researchers or practitioners and are interested in using concurrent-operant choice interventions in applied settings.

Five years ago, Hanley and colleagues (2014) introduced the Interview-Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis (IISCA) and the accompanying skill-based treatment (SBT) process as a means to improve the efficiency, safety, and social validity of the functional assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior. Since then, a number of applications of IISCA and SBT have been published as demonstrations of a practical functional assessment process. This symposium includes a review of the literature in which state-of-the-art methods for evaluating single case research were applied to evaluate the evidence base for IISCA and SBT for reducing problem behavior and supporting skill acquisition. The symposium also includes two consecutive case series in which the efficacy of variations on the IISCA and SBT approach were evaluated. Specifically, the focus of one case series was an application of the IISCA in which 3-minute sessions were used and total analysis time to inform treatment was as little as 15 minutes. In the second case series, experimenters evaluated the efficacy of SBT in the absence of physical intervention and in the context of an enhanced choice model intended to mitigate the collateral effects of extinction.

Researchers, practicing behavior analysts and graduate students

Functional analyses (FAs) are frequently being used in treatment of problem behavior. Thus, there is a need to review whether FAs represent an evidence-based practice and should be recommended. We performed a systematic review of a special application of FA, the Interview-Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis (IISCA) resulting with Functional Communication Training and Tolerance Training (FCT-TT). A systematic search strategy was performed in relevant data bases for those peer-reviewed articles published between 2014 and 2018 in English or a Scandinavian language, employing a single-case experimental design in which treatment was a combination of IISCA and FCT-TT, the dependent variable was problem behavior, and a line-graph showing results was included. Studies were appraised and results were synthesized through the following methods: Descriptives, methodological quality and evidence base, were assessed. The synthesis included extracting the BC-SMC effect size (equal to Cohen’s d), and Meta-Analysis yielding a combined effect size and forest plot. The methodological quality was low across studies, so IISCA/FCT-TT cannot yet be regarded as an evidence-based practice. The combined ES was -2.82 (95 % CI: -6.98–1.34), (PI: -10.16–4.52). The results were quite heterogenous (I2 = .95), leaving the meta-analysis results largely uninterpretable.

Skill-Based Treatment (SBT) uses synthesized contingencies to teach alternative responses that will compete with problem behavior (Hanley et al., 2014). When manual guidance is prohibited, unsafe, or non-preferred by caregivers, the Enhanced Choice Model of SBT (ECM-SBT; Rajaraman et al., 2018) may be employed to mitigate collateral effects of extinction. Within ECM-SBT, trained responses (e.g., functional communicative responses [FCR]) and two additional alternatives to problem behavior operate concurrently. These two alternatives include (a) entering a ‘hangout’ area, in which evocative conditions are suspended and the client may access all preferred items and activities as well as low-quality attention from the therapist and (b) leaving the session entirely. We replicated ECM-SBT procedures with three elementary students in a public special day school for children who engage in severe and persistent problem behavior, in which manual guidance by non-district personnel was prohibited. We present procedures, including methodological deviations from the Rajaraman study, results of Interview-informed Synthesized Contingency Analyses, SBT, and generalization protocols, as well as client response allocation among alternatives within the ECM-SBT model.

In the first paper, Arntzen and Bevolden Rustad present an experiment which aimed to study the correspondence between the results on the matching-to-sample test and the sorting test. Twenty-one participants were taught 12 conditional discriminations and tested for the emergence of three 5-member classes. The degree of correspondence in responding on the two types of test formats supports the notion about the usefulness of sorting tests. In second paper, Dunvoll, Arntzen, Elvsåshagen, Hatlestad-Hall, and Malt argue that unrelated stimuli pairs produce a more negative wave line the EEG than the related approximately 400 ms after stimuli presentation (N400 ERP). Five adults with high functioning autism were trained in six conditional discriminations, testing only a third of the trials in a matching to sample (MTS) format. The results show a small negativity in the unrelated stimuli pairs in the frontal and central midline compared to related stimuli pairs. Finally, Aggio, Rezende, Sbrocco, and de Rose argue that the N400 is observed after presentation of two abstract stimuli from different equivalence classes. The authors ask if this effect would be replicated with arbitrary equivalent stimuli in elderly participants. The main findings show that participants had reduced amplitude and longer latency of N400.

students and researchers

One of the problems often described in individuals with autism spectrum disorder is the lack of ability to generalize skills from one setting to another. One way to measure generalization is through equivalence class formation, training directly trained relations, and testing for emergent relations. Also, N400, a measure with electroencephalography (EEG) where related and unrelated stimulus pairs are tested can be used. Unrelated stimuli pairs produce a more negative wave line the EEG than the related approximately 400 ms after stimuli presentation. In the current experiment, five adults with high functioning autism participated. They were all trained in six conditional discriminations, testing only a third of the trials in a matching to sample (MTS) format. The rest of the possible emergent relations were tested in a priming procedure including EEG measurements. At the end, a full MTS test was conducted. The results show a small negativity (insignificant) in the unrelated stimuli pairs in the frontal and central midline compared to related stimuli pairs. On the other hand, when looking closer at the individual data there are differences between the participants. This might indicate that ASD should be considered a heterogeneous group with respect to the EEG measures.

Join us for a catered lunch.

The discipline of behavior analysis is experiencing rapid growth, which is especially noticeable in the recent increase of university programs offering training in behavior analysis. There are currently two mechanisms for university training programs to be recognized by ABAI: accreditation of degree-granting programs and verification of course sequences. This meeting is designed to review and discuss these systems, including their procedures for obtaining and maintaining recognition along with their respective goals. Attendees may include program directors, faculty, coordinators of VCSs and ABAI-accredited programs, and those interested in applying for either system of recognition.

Play is an integral part of a child’s typical development and should be an emphasis in early intervention for children diagnosed with autism (Lifter & Bloom, 1989). The use of behavioral interventions can lead to significant increases in play skills (Stahmer, 1995) while simultaneously decreasing inappropriate behaviors including self-stimulatory behaviors (Sani-Bozkurt & Ozen, 2015). The Pretend Play and Language Assessment and Curriculum (PPLAC) is a developmentally-sequenced, behaviorally- based tool designed to establish and expand pretend play in children, ages 2-7. The 5 elements of pretend play (category, agent, object, advanced, and the essential skills to sociodramatic play) are systematically targeted to teach independent and sociodramatic pretend play to children with autism. The studies in this symposium evaluate the effectiveness of utilizing the PPLAC to teach pretend play. The first study analyzes Stage 1: Single Agent to teach children with autism single play actions and vocalizations across 19 different targets. The second study examines Stage 2: Chaining Play to teach a sequence of play actions and corresponding vocalizations to children with autism across 24 different targets. The targets in Stage 1 and Stage 2 are designed to move a child through the progression of play by introducing and expanding on the 5 elements of pretend play.

BCBA, BCaBA

Play in children with autism is often referred to as stereotypical and lacking in symbolic qualities and flexibility (Lifter, Sulzer-Azaroff, Anderson, & Cowdery, 1993). When utilizing behavioral interventions children with autism are capable of the same level of symbolic play as typically developing children (Charman & Baron-Cohen, 1997). Lifter (2011) emphasized the importance of a developmental sequence of play paired with behavioral interventions. The purpose of this study was to utilize the developmental sequence of play to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching a series of 8 components encompassing the second developmental stage of play, chaining play. Least-to-most prompting was used to teach a chain of 3 play actions and vocalizations to 3 children diagnosed with autism, ages 3-5. All 3 children were taught each chain of play actions across agent of play: self as agent, passive figure, and active figure. Advanced play was targeted in the form of rotating and combining play schemes both independently and with peers. Lastly, the essential skills to sociodramatic play, initiating, responding, and expanding were targeted through the sequence. A multiple baseline across participants was conducted. The outcome of this study demonstrated the efficacy of the 8 teaching components as steps to teach all 4 children a chain of play actions with corresponding vocalizations across all 5 elements of pretend play.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) has been spreading throughout the world over the last few decades. There has been a steady rise in access to ABA coursework, people pursuing certification in the field of ABA, and the availability of ABA services for those in need. However, these overall increases are not without challenges. In regions of the world where ABA is still relatively young, the establishment of behavioral services has often meant unsupported growth. Pioneering practitioners have been met with struggles in promoting the value of ABA, developing a local peer-group in the science, finding professionals for collaboration, and addressing the overwhelming demand of families in need. The Czech Republic and Australia, although on different sides of the globe, have both met with such growing pains. Despite drastically different locations, histories, and cultures, practitioners in both regions have shared experiences with the hardships of ABA practice and dissemination. In this panel we will discuss the barriers that have been faced when working to expand ABA, the measures that have been taken to overcome them, and how the culture of behavior analysis can sometimes bridge worldwide gaps.

Practitioners looking to disseminate behavior analysis in emerging regions.

Dr. Dermot Barnes-Holmes graduated from the University of Ulster in 1985 with a B.Sc. in Psychology and in 1990 with a D.Phil. in behavior analysis. His first tenured position was in the Department of Applied Psychology at University College Cork, where he founded and led the Behavior Analysis and Cognitive Science unit. In 1999 he accepted the foundation professorship in psychology and head-of-department position at the National University of Ireland Maynooth. In 2015 he accepted a life-time senior professorship at Ghent University in Belgium. Dr. Barnes-Holmes is known internationally for the analysis of human language and cognition through the development of Relational Frame Theory with Steven C. Hayes, and its application in various psychological settings. He was the world's most prolific author in the experimental analysis of human behavior between the years 1980 and 1999. He was awarded the Don Hake Translational Research Award in 2012 by the American Psychological Association, is a past president and fellow of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science, is a recipient of the Quad-L Lecture Award from the University of New Mexico and most recently became an Odysseus laureate of the Flemish Science Foundation and a fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International.

Applied behavior analysts with an interest in human language and cognition.

While responding in accordance with stimulus equivalence has been demonstrated across a variety of content areas, questions still remain pertaining to variables that can affect class formation (e.g., topography of class stimuli, nodal distance effects). This symposium will present recent data aimed at addressing some of these potential variables. In the first study, three groups of participants formed classes consisting of stimuli related to Skinner’s verbal operants. Groups were outlined by the format of the stimuli used across classes. These included videos, animated pictorial stimuli, and textual stimuli. The second study, evaluated the combined effects of nodal number and relational type on relatedness of stimuli within equivalence classes. After classes were formed participants were presented with within-class relational preference tests pitting a consistent equivalence relation against increasingly distal transitive relations. In our final study, equivalence-based instruction was used to teach college students to identify functional relations when presented with graphs. Training resulted in the formation of equivalence classes consisting of graphs, functional relation rules, and functional relation statements. A novel EBI training system was used in this study and the impact of computer-based EBI systems in general is discussed.

While equivalence-based instruction (EBI) has been thoroughly investigated using a variety of stimulus-stimulus relations (e.g., auditory-visual, visual-visual etc.) across settings and participants, direct comparisons of the efficacy of EBI using different compound/complex stimuli during training has not been conducted. In particular, video or animated stimuli have rarely been used in EBI research. Videos and animations are widely used by learners of all ages in training and educational settings, and the widespread availability of devices with high-speed internet access makes an investigation into how to incorporate video-based stimuli into emergent learning protocols socially relevant and necessary. The current study evaluated the use of video and animated vignettes to teach Skinner’s verbal operants to ABA practitioners, and the establishment of six 4-member equivalence classes (the elementary operants) where only two relations in each class were directly trained. Specifically, the purpose of the current study was to assess whether the use of video or animated vignettes as part of an EBI system using selection-based conditional discrimination and match-to-sample training, and topography-based tact training, would be more effective than using written or audio vignettes alone. Initial data suggest that, like other stimulus-stimulus relations, compound/complex auditory-visual stimuli, such as videos of applied vignettes, can be used to form equivalence classes with minimal direct training and a near immediate emergence of derived relational responding. Implications and future research questions will also be discussed.

Published research has suggested that practicing behavior analysts do not demonstrate consistent agreement when identifying the levels of functional relations depicted in graphs (see Wolfe, Seaman, & Drasgow, 2016). Given this research, it appears that traditional (i.e., didactic) instruction is insufficient to train this applied and analytical skill (Danov & Symons, 2008; Diller, Barry, & Gelino, 2016). More effective teaching methods appear to be necessary to ensure the accuracy and reliability of visual analysis across behavior analysts. Equivalence-Based Instruction (EBI) research has demonstrated that conditional discrimination training is an effective teaching method that also results in the emergence of responses to untrained stimuli. EBI has been shown to be effective across a wide range of learners and skills. The current study used an EBI system consisting of computer-based match-to-sample procedures to teach six college students to identify functional relations when presented with graphs. Training resulted in the formation of equivalence classes consisting of graphs, functional relation rules, and functional relation statements. A novel EBI training system was used in this study and the impact of computer-based EBI systems in general is discussed.

Studies have shown that students tend to favour student active learning such as flipped classroom and peer instruction compared to traditional lectures. Interteaching is a procedure, based on behaviour principles, where the emphasize is on student active learning. In interteaching, students work on study guides, discussing the course material in pairs, and make notes on what they do not understand. The teacher then designs short lectures based on these notes. However, for interteaching to be evaluated as evidence based, studies must verify its efficacy. Sturmey, Dalfen and Fienup (2015) did a literature review in March 2014, identifying 18 articles on interteaching using Google Scholar and PsychINFO. The current study is a replication of Sturmey et al. conducted in December 2018. We limited the search to the period from March 2014 to date, using Google Scholar, PsychINFO, and ERIC. The review lead to identification of 12 articles on interteaching, published in 10 different journals in six different courses (e.g., psychology, physiology and nursing). The studies will be described and discussed.

This study investigated the relative effects of procedures used in equivalence research and a student active learning format (SALF) in establishing basic behavior principles. Equivalence procedures included matching-to-sample (MTS) training and test and SALF included elements from peer instruction and flipped classroom. All participants, college students, experienced both SALF and MTS. Some experienced MTS in an early phase (MTS–SALF group) and others experienced MTS at the end of the course (SALF–MTS group). A multiple choice test was presented three times (pre-test, post 1 and post 2). The MTS component included a generalization test. The results showed that MTS was equally effective as SALF and no effect of order was obtained. However, participants experiencing MTS in a late phase fulfilled the experiment and they were more positive to the MTS training in a social validity questionnaire than participants who experienced MTS in an early phase. Finally, participants who formed equivalence classes performed better on a generalization test than participants who did not form classes. Despite some limitations, the present results adds to previous findings demonstrating the effect of MTS in higher education and extends these by comparing the outcome of MTS to student active learning format.

Functional communication training (FCT) is a widely used and effective function-based treatment for socially-maintained problem behavior. Further, parents can be effective behavior change agents and providing rural caregivers with increased access to behavioral expertise via telehealth is a promising approach. However, challenges do occasionally arise, including lack of high-speed internet in rural areas, providing behavioral coaching internationally, and problem-solving when typically effective procedures prove ineffective. Further, less is known about the utility of FCT for individuals who have no formal communication system but who do not engage in severe destructive behavior, including individuals with Rett syndrome and related neurodevelopmental disorders. Kristín Guðmundsdóttir will kick off the symposium with the presentation "Caregiver training via telecommunication with rural Icelandic families of children with autism: Experimental findings and social validity," followed by Loukia Tsami who will present "An Application of Delivering Functional Communication Training via Telehealth Internationally." Kelly Schieltz will then present "Single-Case Analysis to Determine Reasons for Failure of Behavioral Treatment via Telehealth" and then Rebecca Kolb will then present on "The effects of functional communication training coached via telehealth for individuals with Rett syndrome." David Wacker will discuss the presentations in terms of methodological, clinical, and conceptual implications of behavioral consultation delivered via telehealth technology.

Parents can be effective behavior change agents and providing rural caregivers with increased access to behavioral expertise via telehealth is a promising approach. This presentation will describe results from two experimental studies of the effects of using telecommunication in training of rural Icelandic caregivers of children with autism. Furthermore, results from evaluation of the social validity of the training will be described. Participants included five caregivers and their preschool children with autism and one child‘s teacher. The intervention, included teaching the caregivers basic naturalistic teaching strategies to increase the frequency of their child’s socio-communicative skills. According to the results experimental control was demonstrated with all families. Measurable progress was displayed for all caregivers and children across all skill areas. Preliminary analysis of the social validity data indicates the caregivers believed the telecommunication training was feasible and viable. Challenges encountered during the studies regarding technical aspects, measurement and training procedures will be discussed. The results extend and confirm previous research on the effectiveness of teaching naturalistic strategies to caregivers via telecommunication. They also indicate that training via telecommunication is a promising alternative for families that have limited access to evidence-based behavioral expertise. However, further development and experimental study is important.

Functional communication training (FCT) based on functional analysis (FA) results is highly effective for treating socially maintained problem behavior of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) and ASD. Less is known about the utility of FCT for promoting a formal system of communicative behavior for individuals with Rett syndrome or other related neurodevelopmental disorders. We will describe the assessment and intervention procedures we have used with more than 15 participants with Rett syndrome who used idiosyncratic forms of communication as their primary means to communicate with family members. In addition, we will present illustrative case examples of various formal communication modes (e.g., microswitches operated with hands, eye pointing at picture cards, and eye-gaze activated speech-generating computer system). Challenges, limitations, and future directions will be discussed.

Designing effective human service and education systems and organizational models with essential features that are clearly defined, consistently implemented, and result in positive outcomes so that the model can be effectively disseminated has been a challenge in the field. Creating a system of interlocking behavioral contingencies aligned with organizational goals that produce positive outcomes is the approach used by behavior analysts consistent with organization behavior management (OBM) (Glenn & Malott, 2004). This symposium will present: 1) a description of the behavioral model of intervention for individuals with ASD developed by McClannahan and Krantz (1993) that includes a system for training staff, monitoring learner progress, and incorporating feedback from colleagues, parents, and community stakeholders in a yoked accountability system that has been implemented in multiple sites in the USA; 2) the dissemination of this model as the Institute for Child Development (IWRD) in Gdansk, Poland and then to other sites in Poland; and 3) dissemination of the model to other countries in Europe. Data demonstrating that the implementation and effectiveness of the model is maintained across programs will be presented. Effective systems that consistently benefit learners with autism and their families are a priority for use by behavior analysts.

Board Certified Behavior Analysts who are working in with individuals with disabilities in education or human service settings. The content is particularly relevant for program directors or staff supervisors.

The critical features of a model based on the principles of behavior analysis developed by McClannahan and Krantz with a focus on the education and training for individuals with autism will be presented. This yoked, or interlocking system, of training and intervention has resulted in consistent progress for individuals with autism maintained for years of intervention, and across programs implemented at multiple sites in the USA. Using data for feedback and decision-making at all levels is a hallmark of this model. Data is collected on learner progress with goals, staff competence with identified skills, including interpersonal communication, and parent and consumer satisfaction. This model incorporates an accountability system that ensures consistent program effectiveness and addresses behavioral drift. Examples of the data collected at all sites using this model will be presented including, graphs of learner progress, summary data that includes inter-observer agreement scores on learner progress with intervention programs, staff training data with inter-observer agreement data from multiple supervisors, and annual evaluation data from colleagues, parents, and consumers.

The Institute for Child Development (IWRD) is the first and the only institution in Poland, which is the member of Alliance for Scientific Autism Intervention (ASAI). All members of ASAI continue to implement the model developed initially by McClannahan and Krantz (1993). The following presentation will describe the process used to implement the effective science-based intervention model not only in Poland but also in other countries in Europe. Details of the staff training approach used in this model will be presented that includes: workshops on the theory, principles and practices of behavior analysis, practical training at IWRD in Poland, systematic supervision in the workplace in another country and staff evaluation. Staff training in this model requires evaluating therapists’ professional skills at the beginning of the training, after internship in our Institute, and also after one year of independent work under our supervision. Sample data from the professional evaluation demonstrating progress in all needed areas will be presented. Our model of training is also evaluated by all stakeholders or consumers and examples of these data also will be presented.

Parents and caregivers play an important role in the success and maintenance of gains achieved with behavioral procedures. Therefore, parents should be actively included and engaged in their child's intervention process. In addition, parents can also be the main agent of change and be trained how to implement behavioral interventions to promote socially relevant changes in their child's behavior. This symposium will explore two clinical applications for behavior change in which parents were the implementers. First, Abigail Kennedy will present a study that evaluated the effects of a parent-implemented deferred time-out procedure (i.e., a hands-free method in which the child learns to independently sit in contingent observation time-out) on the reduction of challenging behavior in four children with typical development. Next, Maegan Pisman will discuss the results of a study that implemented behavioral skills training (BST) with two mother-son dyads to train the parent how to implement behavioral strategies to improve child-parent interaction and to teach mands and tacts to their child who had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Finally, Marie-Hélène Konrad will reflect on the importance of considering families' cultural background while designing and implementing parent training procedures in clinical settings.

Clinicians, practitioners, and master students

Time-out is one of the most widely disseminated and commonly used behavioral interventions for managing problem behavior in early childhood. Although time-out has been shown to be an effective method for reducing children’s problem behavior, time-out resistance is nonetheless prevalent, and has the potential to increase caregivers' use of more intrusive and effortful implementation methods and negatively affect parental adherence. Deferred time-out (DTO) is a hands-free method for training children to sit in contingent observation time-out, and may provide an alternative to put-backs, back-up rooms, and other more restrictive methods that have been used to enforce the time-out location. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of DTO implemented by trained caregivers on time-out resistance. Participants were four children and their caregivers. DTO reduced the latency to comply with the time-out instruction and the duration of time-out trials for three of four participants. Additionally, overall improvements in initial command compliance were observed for all participants, and caregivers generally found DTO to be an acceptable approach for children’s problem behavior. This research contributes to time-out and parent training literature by increasing our understanding regarding DTO as a method for improving compliance with parents' instructions with contingent observation time-out.

The use of functional behavior assessment (FBA) and positive behavioral interventions in the management of challenging behavior within the school systems, has gained empirical support over the last few decades. FBA is grounded in the discipline of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and it aims to understand the underlying function of behavior to inform behavioral intervention planning. In this symposium, three teams will discuss their process of training educational staff in various FBA and behavioral intervention technologies. The first two papers will address methods that help to guide steps that ABA consultants take when working in public schools. Specifically, Peterson et al. describe a tool for evaluating the classroom environment that can guide whether a consultant should focus on an individual student or on the effective teaching and classroom management. Bassingthwaite et al. will discuss a method of reviewing functional behavior assessments that can guide decisions made related to developing assessment skills in FBA. Finally, Staubitz et al. presents a training model that has helped to improve the assessment practices of educators that they have worked with in Tennessee public schools. Together, these papers will serve to provide guidance for creating systems change in public school settings through evaluation and training.

The event is aimed towards professionals and educators in the field.

Few educators who serve students with disabilities report having adequate training to apply tertiary interventions for students who present with challenging behavior. One difficulty related to pre-service training and professional development on this topic are the idiosyncratic resources and needs at the tertiary level across students, educators, and schools. Funded by a contract with the Tennessee Department of Education, we train 12 school-based teams per year (50 educators annually) through our Intensive Partnership for Behavior Intervention (IPBI) program. Over the course of 5 to 9 months, BCBA consultants deliver training through workshops and online learning platforms, as well as through on-campus and remote assessment, coaching, and consultation sessions. Our BCBAs deliver a customized training program designed to improve each school-based team’s capacity to assess, decision-make, and deliver tertiary-level behavioral interventions. Throughout the program, the BCBA serves as a consultant to the team as they address the school-based team’s self-selected goals, and the needs of 1 to 3 targeted students per school. Data generated over the last two years allows for an analysis of team participant roles and goals, target student profiles, trainee implementation and student behavioral improvement as a product of the specific quantities and types of consultant effort invested.

Bidirectional naming (BiN) developmental research has advanced our understanding about how children come to learn the names of things incidentally from experiences and how this leads to continuous expansion of new controlling stimuli. Interventions are available that allow the instantiation of BiN when children are missing the relevant stimulus control (i.e., children with autism, those raised in dis-enfranchised environments, and second language learners). Several types have been identified including the simultaneous acquisition of: actions, additional sounds, learning under exclusion conditions, and different effects of familiar and nonfamiliar novel visual stimuli. We are leaning how BiN in one language affects: bilingual children’s responses in each language, monolingual children and adult response to tests of BiN in an unfamiliar language, and the role of echoic precision in derived naming in an unfamiliar language. Moreover, the types of BiN that are part of children’s verbal developmental repertoire, at any given point in stimulus control development, determine what can be taught/not taught, what can be learned/not learned from observation, the types of learn unit presentations that are most effective, and the relations between BiN and other relational responding.

Intermediate to advanced.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by qualitative impairments in social interaction and communication skill, along with a restricted repetitive and stereotyped pattern of behavior. In addition to these core features of autism, researchers have reported that children and adolescents with ASD respond to sensory experiences differently from peers without disabilities. These sensory processing disorders are well documented in the basic science literature clinical literature and first-person accounts of living with autism. In fact, the initial appearance of these sensory processing findings often predates. The current study aimed to examine the effect of training children with ASD on body awareness exercises on reducing stereotyped behaviour and improving sensory processing. A two group experimental design was used to test the effectiveness of the training program. A sample of16 children aged 5 to 7 years were purposefully selected from the and were divided into an experimental group and a control group. The training program continued for three months. In addition children’s response was assessed using Short Sensory Profile, and the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R). Based on the use of nonparametric analyses of Mann Whitney and Wilcoxon tests, findings showed that the training program was effective in reducing the stereotyped behavior and improved the sensory processing of the experimental group as compared to the control group.

Children with autism spectrum disorders may exhibit deficits in adaptive behavior such as functional living skills and health-related behaviors. A strong repertoire of adaptive behaviors may be closely linked to positive long-term outcomes (Carothers & Taylor, 2004) and quality of life (Kuhlthau et al., 2010) for children with autism spectrum disorders. Despite the success that behavior analysts have had teaching adaptive skills to this population, there are still many areas in which evidence-based teaching strategies are lacking. This symposium will focus on strategies aimed at increasing adaptive behaviors in children with autism. The first presenter used a progressive treatment model to teach children with autism to tolerate having their fingernails cut. The second presenter used activity schedules to promote sustained engagement in physical activity with three children with autism. The third presenter used video modeling and multiple exemplars to teach teenagers with autism to use a debit card in the natural environment. Taken together, these studies add to the growing pool of evidence-based strategies available to practitioners working with children with autism spectrum disorders on health behaviors and functional living skills.

Many individuals with developmental disabilities exhibit uncooperative behavior during hygiene routines with caregivers (e.g., Schumacher & Rapp, 2011). Uncooperative behavior may hinder or prevent caregivers from completing these routines and may put these individuals at risk for poor health outcomes. Although a limited number of studies have assessed the function of uncooperative behavior during hygiene routines, it is assumed that these behaviors are maintained by escape from and avoidance of these routines. Despite the well-documented effectiveness of escape extinction as a treatment for escape maintained problem behavior, the nature of many hygiene routines could render escape extinction a dangerous and risky treatment option. A number of treatment studies have successfully treated uncooperative behavior during hygiene routines without escape extinction. We sought to extend this line of research by addressing a number of the limitations of previous studies. More specifically, the purpose of the current study was to: (1) replicate and extend the procedures described by Shabani and Fisher (2006) to routine nail cutting, (2) present a progressive treatment model, (3) provide a comprehensive account of caregiver training, and (4) measure and report behavioral indicators of participant distress.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate deficits in performing generalized responses that occur in natural environments and vary in stimulus conditions. Previous research has discussed the importance of teaching adaptive skills to adolescents with ASD that generalize to the natural environment to increase independence throughout adulthood. To address such deficits, Horner and colleagues (1982) recommended using general-case analysis strategies to identify the full range of stimulus variations and required responses; then creating multiple teaching exemplars that facilitate for generalization of the target skill. To date, general-case analysis and multiple exemplar training have not been used to teach individuals with ASD to use a chip debit card. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to contribute to the general-case analysis literature while addressing limitations of previous studies that did not implement generalization strategies to teach adolescents with ASD adaptive skills. A multiple-probe design was used to demonstrate skill acquisition across teaching and generalization probe exemplars for three adolescents with ASD. Pre- and posttest probes were conducted at stores in the natural environment to assess generalized responding. Results suggest that all participants acquired the target skill following video modeling and multiple exemplar training, and demonstrated maintenance during a four-week posttest probe.

Best practice in the treatment of problem behavior is for the clinician to begin the process with a functional behavior assessment (FBA) to identify possible variables that are contributing to and maintaining the problem behavior. In this symposium, we will present recent research regarding the use of FBA in the treatment of problem behavior. Stefania Dögg Johannesdottir will discuss an analysis of the agreement between mothers and their children on responses to FBA interviews. Bethany Contreras will present the results of systematic literature review that compared the outcomes for descriptive assessments and experimental functional analyses. Anna-Lind Petursdottir will end the symposium by presenting data from an application of function-based behavior support plans to improving challenging and appropriate behavior of six children in a typical pre-school setting. Each presentation will include a discussion of the implications of the data and considerations for enhancing the success of FBA in the treatment of problem behavior.

Clinicians who use functional behavior assessments.

Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) interviews are convenient tools for discussing and identifying influencing factors of behavior problems. Findings from FBAs serve as an important foundation for effective interventions to reduce challenging behaviors of children with severe emotional and behavioral difficulties. Including these children as informants in the process can have important benefits for the FBA and intervention process. The present study compared information gathered from children with persistent behavior problems and their mothers. Participants were six patients at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Department of the National University Hospital of Iceland, (4 male and 2 female) with severe emotional and behavioral problems, aged 7 to 13 years, and their mothers. Results showed high agreement between the children and their mothers regarding the definition of target behavior, antecedents and consequences of problem behavior, medium agreement on function of the problem behavior and low agreement on setting events. Participants found the interview to be useful for better understanding the cause and function of the problem behavior. Findings indicate the importance of exploring different views of children and parents of behavior problems and their influencing factors.

Effective early intervention is crucial to reduce persistent behavior problems of preschoolers and improve their engagment and well-being. This study evaluated the effects of function-based behavior support plans (BSPs) on the long-lasting problem behavior and lack of engagement of five children in preschool activities. Participants were five boys, aged three to six years, in public preschools in the capital region of Iceland. One participant had been diagnosed with speech impediment and one was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. Single-subject multiple baseline designs across participants showed that function-based BSPs reduced the frequency of disruptive behavior (on average by 95,3%) and increased active participation (on average by 175%). Improvements in behavior and engagement were maintained when token systems were faded. Teacher ratings of participants behavior on the Pre-School Behavior Checklist improved significantly. Also, participants´ self-assessment of their well-being showed that they were feeling much better in different activities in preschool. Semi-structured interviews conducted with teachers and parents revealed high social validity of the procedures. Findings support the effectiveness of function-based behavior support to reduce persistent behavior problems of preschoolers and improve their school adjustment and well-being.

This session will examine typical school schedules and discuss the plethora of inclusionary opportunities available to students with Autism Spectrum Disorders of various functioning levels. The planning process and necessary steps to take to ensure success will be discussed. Areas of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) that address inclusionary time, and possible language will be presented. The importance of inclusion for school-aged people with Autism Spectrum Disorders cannot be overstated! People are an adult in the social world longer than they are a student. Preparation for the outside world is imperative and we need to get better transitioning. Applied Behavior Analysis and Positive Behavior Support is the foundation I work from. We will look at creative scheduling techniques for maximum appropriate inclusion. Such an eclectic schedule can be accomplished with teamwork and collaboration with others. Strategies and examples of forward and backward chaining, task analysis, environment exposure, sensory regulation, social stories, and video modeling will be presented. Staff and student safety "outside" the classroom will be addressed. Discussion of opportunities for peer exemplars is all around with proper proactive "training" and procedures. Data driven planning with the social and academic team members is crucial for success. These are all topics that will be open for discussion, examples given, and video of particular sections will be presented during this session. These programs can provide students with Autism Spectrum Disorders increased, productive, and effective peer interactions.

As behavior analysts, working in applied service settings, having the ability to measure efficacy and analyze results is the cornerstone of all behavior analytic interventions. In an effort to improve organizational performance across multiple domain areas of concern to staff and consumers, it is essential to identify, measure and analyze the essential measures of healthy organization performance. Areas of focus for evaluating organizational performance include consumer progress on goals, staff performance management data relative to reduction of work related injuries, reduction in use of physical restraints, and accurate implementation of clinical protocols. Ensuring achieving transparency with an organizations’ board of directors can be achieved by using performance metrics to indicate organizational health. The purpose of the present symposium is to share findings from three service domain areas that have been measured and evaluated for successful outcomes in the delivery of critical services and interventions to consumers and staff. Each presentation will cover measures used and current performance data that demonstrate overall organizational success and performances.

Intermediate learners BCBA's in applied settings who direct or develop service models

This presentation will present data relative to behavioral safety concerns in the areas of application of restraint and staff injuries resulting in workman’s compensation claims and lost work time. Data will demonstrate a successful decrease in restraints and decrease in workman’s compensation claims and lost work time through the application of performance measures, evaluation and intervention strategies to produce safe work behaviors.

This presentation will highlight specific staff performance management systems essential to producing success with consumer’s making progress on goals and benefitting from the clinical interventions identified as needed for effective treatment. Data presented will show the specific performance management procedures used with staff. This data will show successfully staff performance on clinical protocols, identify training and supervision systems essential for staff success and link staff performances to consumer successes in the meeting of goals.

Julian Leslie has been publishing in psychology, behaviour analysis and related fields since 1972, and now has more than 150 publications. He obtained his doctorate from Oxford University in 1974 since when he has been in academic posts in Northern Ireland. he published textbooks in 1979, 1996, 2000, 2002 (the 1996 volume was reprinted until 2008 and remains in print, and the 2002 text also remains in print). As well as teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses, he has successfully supervised 48 students who have obtained PhDs in fields including, experimental analysis of behaviour, applied behaviour analysis, psychopharmacology, behavioural neuroscience, experimental psychology, applied psychology. Three recent PhDs are concerned with behavioural strategies to address environmental issues. In 1977 he was co-founder of the group, Behaviour Analysis in Ireland which became a chapter of ABAI. In 2004, the group became the Division of Behaviour Analysis of the Psychological Society of Ireland, and he is currently the Division chair. He organised the Third European Meeting for the Experimental Analysis of Behaviour in Dublin, Ireland 1999, and has co-organised 13 annual conferences of the Division of Behaviour Analysis from 2007 to 2019. He was a keynote speaker at the European Association for Behaviour Analysis in Milan in 2006, and in Crete, Greece in 2010, and was a keynote speaker on behavioural strategies to address environmental issues at the Brazilian Association for Behaviour Analysis, Salvador 2011. From 1984 to 1994 he was head of the Ulster University Psychology Department, and from 2008 to 2015 was head of the Research Graduate School, Faculty of Life & Health Sciences, Ulster University. In 2013, he was a member of an international committee reviewing research in the Systems Biology Centre, University of Skovde, Sweden. In 2014, he was awarded a Doctorate of Science by Ulster University for career research on the experimental analysis of behaviour. From 2014 to 2019, he has given a series of papers on behavioural accounts of consciousness and the metaphysics of behaviour analysis. In 2018, he was made a Fellow of the Association of Behavior Analysis international, and was an invited speaker at the Sixth Sarasota Symposium on Behavior Analysis, an invited international speaker at the ABAI Convention, and an invited speaker at the 30th International Conference of the Spanish Society for Comparative Psychology.

Behavior analysis takes a natural science approach to human and animal behavior. Some basic tenets are widely agreed in the field but, arguably, some other assumptions are implicit in our approach and, if unexamined, may impair progress. Some of these are in the realm of metaphysics, that which is known a priori, and what can be deduced from what is so known. There is a strong Western philosophical tradition of naturalism and realism since the time of David Hume and these principles are embedded in the metaphysics of science and thus have been imported into behavior analysis. However, 20th-century American philosopher, Rorty suggests that these are not necessary truths but conventions of that philosophical tradition. Alternatively, we can adopt metaphysical assumptions that do not entail the familiar problems of dualism. Additionally, we have been constrained by some assumptions made by Skinner about the operant conditioning process which again are not necessary and may need to be discarded. Revising our metaphysical and theoretical assumptions, while retaining core principles which define behavior analysis, may enable us not only to resolve debates about private events, but also to provide accounts of interesting findings on animal cognition which otherwise pose problems for behavior analysis.

All those interested in the conceptual basis of behavior analysis and other sciences.

Join us for coffee and pastries.

Stimulus equivalence is a special case of generalization in which stimuli acquire novel functions due to histories of reinforcement which have indirectly related them to other, topographically distinct, stimuli. Although work on this topic has typically focused on transfers of operant functions (e.g., conditional discriminations), some research demonstrated that Pavlovian (stimulus-stimulus) functions can also be transferred to novel stimuli through the same process (e.g., skin conductance can be elicited by stimuli which participate in frames of equivalence with shock). However, little is known about the parameters across which the transfer of Pavlovian functions is possible. For example, Behavioral-Momentum Theory (BMT) explains that context-specific operant response persistence is the product of a Pavlovian conditioning process involving reinforcement but it is unclear whether this effect can be transferred to novel stimuli via stimulus equivalence. Three college students completed a three-part experiment to explore this possibility. All demonstrated equivalence during Experiment 1. One of three demonstrated patterns of persistence consistent with BMT during Experiment 2. Persistence did not transfer to novel stimuli during extinction in Experiment 3 (IOA and fidelity scores fell above acceptable ranges for all experiments). These results suggest equivalence may not always facilitate the transfer of all stimulus functions.

Effort discounting refers to the decrease in subjective value of a reward as a function of effort for the reward. In previous experiments of effort discounting, the reward recipients were exclusively the participants themselves. Sometimes, however, people may dedicate more effort not for themselves, but for someone else, for instance, significant others. In the present experiment, discounting of hyperbolic monetary reward by a job, handing out various number of advertising packs of tissues, was measured for each of 23 undergraduates when the recipient was the first dearest person (the #1 condition), the 20th dearest person (the #20 condition), a mere acquaintance (the #100 condition), or her/himself (the self-reward condition). Effort discounting rates for all four conditions were well described by hyperbolic functions (see Figure attached). The more social distance decreased, the shallower the effort discounting was. Interestingly, the steepness of effort discounting in the #1 condition was not significantly different from that in the self-reward condition, suggesting that people make effort for their intimates as they do for themselves.

Animals choose stimuli that precede preferred events to those that precede less preferred events. In contrast, stimuli that follow less preferred events are more preferable to those that follow more preferred events. The “work ethic effect” has been investigated in many studies, but some have failed to replicate it. It is possible that an important factor of the effect is to expose subjects to a strenuous schedule that results in energy expenditure. This study employed a reinforcement schedule in which the distance between operanda was manipulated as a response effort (Kono, The Psychological Record, in printing). In training, a simple simultaneous discrimination followed shorter response distance in an initial stimulus and a different simple simultaneous discrimination followed long response distance in the initial stimulus. During test trials, pigeons exhibited preference for stimuli that followed low effort schedules. The results were hence contrary to the predictions based on the work ethic effect.

Speech is a natural event that comes down to sounds that affect the behavior of conspecifics. How may Darwinian selection aid our understanding of the selection of behavior during ontogeny? To identify what constitutes ontologically and epistemologically sound units of analysis, I investigate verbal behavior in conversations through a selectionist lens. The poster explores how Baum’s (2013, 2016) multi-scale approach may be applied to verbal behavior. This implies treating larger verbal episodes as wholes, induced by a context and correlating with consequences. Thus, the poster, first, debates theoretical reasons to place verbal behavior in an evolutionary framework by viewing it as shaped by its consequences, through a person’s lifetime and through interactions with the environment across many generations of natural selection. Second, the poster exemplifies experimental procedures treating verbal behavior as allocation of time.

Children and adolescents with language disorders have difficulties learning, understanding and using language, and these difficulties can have a negative impact on both social interactions and academic achievements (Wright, Pring & Ebbels, 2018). Scripting has previously been shown to be a successful intervention to increase communication in academic settings for children with autism, for example requesting help (Dotto-Fujot et al., 2011). In this study, scripting was used to teach a partially verbal adolescent student, with an expressive language disorder, to answer questions in class; stating that she was in need of assistance and to describe what she needed help with. A multiple-baseline design across situations was used, in order to assess the effects of scripting procedures across two different school subjects. Written scripts proved not to be successful in increasing verbal responses, and audio recorded scripts were therefore introduced as a second intervention. Although audio recorded scripts were not initially successful, later occurrences of scripted answers indicate that they did have some effect. After implementing audio recorded scripts in the first setting, scripted answers occurred in the second setting, indicating generalization across settings. Unscripted responses also occurred in the second setting, indicating further generalization.

During the past decade, a substantial increase of children enrolled in daycare or preschool settings as more than 71% of mothers work outside their home (Institut de la Statistique du Québec; ISQ, 2014). A population survey across Quebec revealed that 26% of Quebec families live with a child with special needs (e.g., developmental disabilities (DD) or mental health problems), which represents a potential of one in four families that receives daycare services (ISQ, 2013). Young children with DD exhibiting challenging behaviors is estimated between 40% to 64%, which is two to four times higher than rates of typically developing children (National Research Council and Institute of Medicine; NRCIM, 2009). The management of these challenging behaviors and adapting the activities to meet the needs of these children demands specialized trainings. There has been growing evidence on the effectiveness of the Pyramid Model (PM) for promoting young children’s social-emotional competence and reducing challenging behaviors. The current study involves 2 parts; study 1, a 2-day training on PM for 40 daycare educators and study 2, a live coaching in the classroom to 12 educators on how to implement the PM strategies in the classroom, using the BST model of coaching. The effects of the training on educator’s knowledge of PM practices and attitudes towards inclusion (study 1) will be evaluated using a pre-post design and results will presented.

The behavior technicians who work with persons with autism are the personnel on the front-line during intervention sessions in the Home-Based programs. The behavior technician must have a minimum theoretical knowledge for a well understanding of the program written by the behavior analyst - supervisor, he must have the capacity to record the data correctly with great accuracy for a good analysis of the results, he must have fluency in the necessary skills for the application of the programs and he must give maximum opportunities of learning for the person during his/her sessions. The quality of their training is one of the keys for an efficient application of programs developed by the behavior analyst - supervisor. We repeated the utilization of the Behavior Technician Training Program (BTTP), previously presented in Paris during the poster session of the international conference of ABAI in November 2017, to train our new staff. We used BTTP with two new technicians have not received any prior training. The results show that both technicians meet the criteria before the 150 hours of the program.

The training of behavior-technicians is a priority for ABA-based home-service delivery. If the acquisition of technical competencies and theoretical knowledge is important, their maintenance and their daily practical use have predominant importance. The supervision of behavior-technicians by the behavior analyst-supervisor is therefore essential. However, it’s necessary that the behavior analyst-supervisor be able to rely on a clear reference framework of observable and measurable behaviors to objectively measure the skill level of the behavior technician. To increase the frequency of behavior to occur in the future, it must be reinforced. That’s why it’s necessary to ensure the maintenance of the skills and the improvement of the behavior-technicians by facilitating the reinforcement of their competence by the behavior analyst-supervisor with appropriate and clear feedback. To reach this goal, we have developed a direct supervision curriculum. This curriculum was used with 2 behavior-technicians, who were trained by the Behavior Technician Training Program (BTTP), to maintain or increase their performances. This curriculum of supervision uses the same data collection as the BTTP. The results of the supervision curriculum show good maintenance or improvement of the competencies of the behavior technicians.

In France, applied behavior analysis is being taught very little at the universities, even though the best practice guidelines by the French National Authority for Health is recommending its use for the treatment of individuals with autism (HAS, 2012). In order to develop and maintain competency and motivation for direct staff in service agencies for these individuals, it is important to provide training and supervision. Usuually, this training is conducted by supervisors at the workplace. How can we offer a training programme that takes little time and is still effective? From this perspective, the Programme d’Amélioration des Compétences de Terrain (PACT) has been developed. The PACT is an individualized curriculum that optimizes the type of staff training being delivered. The aim is to not only offer structured training for improving quality of ABA-based treatment, but also to respond in an organized way to the issue of staff turnover. This poster presents the current state of development of the PACT, after its first year of implementation, at a center for specialized behavioral support for 14 children with autism on Reunion Island, France.

More than forty years of evidences establishes the behavior analytic approach to Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) as the strongest treatment for persons included in this spectrum. One of the key components for the continued offer of this treatment is to spread the accumulated knowledge of Behavior Analysis and offer opportunities for young undergraduates students to experience it firsthand. The Centro para Autismo e Inclusão Social (CAIS) at Universidade de São Paulo (USP) offers since 2007 a supervised and intensive theoretical and direct training to undergraduates and fresh graduates where they can experience firsthand behavior analytic procedures with this population. Collecting data, training in charting and writing a final report are included in the training. Postgraduate students are responsible for evaluation and planning of those activities. After tested for five years, this training has been included in the syllabus of the psychology graduation course as a formal discipline. Three measures are obtained: performance students in the theoretical classes, performance of the participants in practicum activities, and a behavioral product, the charted progress of the autistic children that undergo treatment at USP´s Social Clinic. The three measures show an increase of correct responses in the two groups (students and children).

Various staff training strategies have previously been evaluated to determine how to improve staff performance of large groups across a variety of skills. Although shown to be effective, training strategies are often implemented in a one-on-one format with skilled supervisors, requiring extensive resources in terms of cost and time. The present study compared three staff training formats – in-vivo, video, and computer-based training – plus behavioral skills training (BST) components to determine effectiveness and efficiency of each format on staff performance during an orientation training. Using a multiple-probe design, effects of each modality on performance of each participant was measured across three content areas – best practice strategies, prompt and prompt fading, and group instruction - and nine increasingly complex skills via role-plays with scripted scenarios. Additionally, generalization probes were conducted with students with autism, during which student outcomes were measured as well. Maintenance data were collected for six months following intervention. Results were reported for both performance-based and knowledge-based competencies across participants in an orientation training. A cost and time analysis was conducted to determine efficiency of each training format.

The purpose of this preliminary study was to examine the effects of noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) procedure to reduce annoying telephone calls for a 95-year-old female with dementia. The mother’s calls could frustrate her family members because the contents of the callings were usually grumbling and complaining. At first, a functional assessment interview was implemented for one of her daughters. As a result, the function, or maintain factor, of the annoying calls was presumed to be social attention from four blood relatives of her family. Then, the assessment-based NCR procedure, in which all blood relatives hanged up briefly (in ten minutes) all mother’s calls, and made a short and unexpected visit or phone frequently, was conducted. Results indicated decreases in annoying telephone calls during implementing NCR. Moreover, in her family members, the degree of satisfaction for these procedures and results were very high. These results suggest that a functional assessment and the assessment-based NCR procedure delivered with non-professional family members improve so-called BPSD (a behavioral and psychological symptom of dementia) “positively”.

Behavior analytic approaches to solve the behavioral problems in children has been gradually accepted and used in Japanese schools and hospitals. To measure the current state of knowledge of behavior principles in those places, short version of the Knowledge of Behavioral Principles as Applied to Children (KBPAC) was conducted. Participants were caregivers, medical staffs, nurse students, and teachers in junior high schools, primary schools, and kindergartens. Only the nurse students were tested the KBPAC in before and after a lecture on behavior analysis. The short version of KBPAC contains 25-items of multiple-choice instrument. The results showed that the score in medical staffs was higher than that in other groups, and the lecture on behavior analysis to nurse students increased the score. These results indicate that the knowledge of behavior principles (1) is still low in homes and schools, (2) relatively high in medical stuffs, and (3) can be increased at least in nurse students.

Telehealth is an effective way of conducting functional assessments that can be used with families who live in remote areas. The current study’s goal was to evaluate the accuracy of contingency space analysis (CSA) applied to structured descriptive assessments (SDA) of parent-child interactions at identifying the function of problem behavior compared to an experimental functional analysis (FA). Four male children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their parents participated. Assessments were conducted within participants’ homes with parents serving as interventionists with coaching from remote behavior therapists using videoconferencing. The percentage of intervals with child problem behavior across motivating operation contexts was calculated for the SDA, and the conditional probability of various parent-delivered consequences given the presence and absence of problem behavior were calculated for the CSA. Percentage agreement for each descriptive assessment was calculated by taking the number of agreements with functions identified by the FA divided by the number of agreements plus errors of omission. Agreement with the FA was 67% and 83% for the SDA and CSA, respectively. CSA coding of telehealth videos may be an efficient technique of remotely identifying potential functions of children’s problem behavior when implementing an experimental FA might not be an option.

One problem with aging is that many people experience less events and venues with social interaction with others. In particular it is a challenge in nursing homes, and several studies have shown that activation in everyday life increases life expectancy (Langer & Rodin, 1976) and the experience of pleasure and quality of life (Moore,. Delaney, & Dixon, 2007. Løkke et al, 2011). There have been some studies where they have looked at how priming with coffee and cakes (Quattrochi – Tubin & Jason. 1980), and activities (Løkke, et al. 2011) increased the interaction between patients in a nursing home. This study looks at how preferred activities increases social interaction between 3 patients at a nursing home, and measured how it was maintained after the activity had ended. The results show that participants had increased social interaction with fellow patient as long as the activity was ongoing, but this dropped considerably as soon as the activity was completed. The study shows that one must see further which elements to change within the nursing homes to maintain good social interaction between the patient, as this study showed that staff was essential to maintain social interaction.

The objective of the present study is to describe positive behavior changes of three kids with three to five years old, diagnosed with ASD, submitted to intensive ABA early intervention at a center in São Paulo, Brazil. Verbal Behavior Mapp (VBM) is going to be presented as a Pre and Post test measure, describing children' long term evolutions and its coherence with percentage of correct responses during training of different operants, in two years. Although VBM was published in 2007 (Sundberg), studies are necessary to show its clinical relevance in predicting areas to be taught and its relation with other behavioral measures. In the present study, VBM was applied by a behavior analyst, before the child started the program. This first evaluation specified the main areas to work with the child. During the intensive early intervention therapy, daily measures of the child's performance were taken. Every six months of ABA therapy , VBM was applied again. Data of three children will be presented (P1, P2 and P3) along two years of treatment in two types of measures: VBM and percentage of correct responses per sessions. Results shows that operants evaluated through VBM as weak in the first evaluation were those that showed, in the continuous measures daily taken, occurrence of a shaping process during trainings. Such comparisons show that VBM has clinical relevance and it is also a predictor of child' s performance during training. VBM also demonstrates behavior change in a synthetic way for long periods of behavior therapy.

We aimed to assess the function of the inappropriate vocalizations of an adult male with autism and informing a behavioral treatment for establishing more functional verbal operants. The client was a male in his thirties who presented with multiple challenging behaviors. An interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA) demonstrated that the function of the aberrant speech was attention. Treatment was matched to the attention function and involved establishing verbal operants with a treatment package containing verbal operant training, a token economy and differential reinforcement. The effect of treatment was analyzed with a multiple probe design across two settings. Treatment resulted in significant reduction in aberrant speech, and an increase in functional verbal behavior for the client. We argue that a verbal behavior based treatment that is informed by an IISCA may be a viable treatment alternative for adults who present with multiple challenging behaviors.

Smith-Magenis Syndrome (SMS) is a rare genetic disorder. Individuals diagnosed with this disorder often display severe challenging behaviors that can impact their quality of life. Despite the clear need, there is currently a dearth of research using applied behavior analytic techniques to address challenging behavior among individuals with SMS. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) to address attention-maintained elopement and physical aggression in an adult with SMS residing in a community based group home. This study is one of the first assessing applied behavioral techniques to address challenging behaviors maintained by attention in a person with SMS. DRO was demonstrated effective in reducing both target behaviors, resulting in a 100% reduction of elopement and physical aggression. The present study reinforces prior research, suggesting that maladaptive behavior was maintained by environmental factors and can be successfully addressed in adults with SMS. These findings, based on a single subject design, also suggest a need for more behavioral research among those with SMS.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to allow ASD children with intellectual disabilities to be able to pick out participant child clothes according to room temperature by environment control and discrimination training so that he can wear it. Setting: This study was conducted in house of participant. Participant: A 14 years old child (male) diagnosed with ASD and intellectual disabilities (IQ 40) participated. Procedures: In the B.L., we measured that the child picked his clothes suitable for the room temperature in his chest. As an intervention, we conducted environment control and discrimination training. Environment control is the disposition of clothes in an easy to select place. Discrimination training is to reinforcement pick out he clothes according to room temperature. We classified according to matched the room temperature and then did training. After that, we evaluated generalization to untrained clothes. Results: It became possible to pick out the suitable clothes from the chest and change it. He was also selected the right pick out the clothes in the generalization scene.

Research has consistently demonstrated that behavioral and academic interventions are effective to improve academic outcomes for students with or at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders (Rogevich & Perin, 2008). However, very few studies adapt behavioral and academic interventions for linguistically diverse students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). The assumption is that adaptations addressing values, culture, and language will increase the effectiveness and sustainability of these interventions (Cabassa & Baumann, 2013). Yet, this has not been confirmed via a systematic review of the literature. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to examine to what extent linguistically diverse students with emotional and behavioral disorders in pre-k to 12th grade were included in behavioral and academic intervention studies, whether adaptations of research-based practices using different cultural variables to support those students were used, and to what extent linguistically diverse participants benefitted from these adaptations. Implications for linguistically diverse students with or at risk of EBD, professionals, and educators will be discussed. Additionally, recommendations for future research will be provided.

Functional Communication Training (FCT) is a common treatment for problem behavior Carr & Durand (1985) and it is defined as a procedure that reinforces a functionally equivalent communicative response. The current study investigated the efficacy of FCT to reduce disruptive behavior maintained by escape avoidance; verify the efficacy of a alternative fading out procedure used by Lalli, Casey, & Kates (1995), to teach the participant to tolerate, engage and complete the task independently. Participants were three children between three and six years old, diagnosed with autism, that never had received any previous behavior treatment and were regularly attending to a mainstream school for at least one year. The sessions were conducted at a particular clinic. An experimental functional analysis was conducted to assess the function of disruptive behaviors for all the participants. The functional analysis was composed of three experimental conditions: A - Demand; B - Control; and C - Attention condition. All functional analysis and intervention sessions were 5 min induration, and data on disruptive behavior were collected using 10-s momentary time sampling. In the Functional Communication Training (FCT) condition, each participant was taught to request a pause to perform tasks through verbal responses. Teaching the non verbal response. A fading out procedure was implemented. The task execution response was taught and a gradual decrease of the prompt was implemented, from highest to lowest: FP - total physical prompt, DL - partial physical prompt, DG - gestural prompt and I - independent response. A naive experimenter were asked to conduct the same procedures of condition 1 and 2. Functional analyses results showed that the there was a considerably greater number of disruptive responses emitted by the three participants in the demand condition.The results showed all the participants presented a decrease in disruptive behavior after the acquisition of a verbal response to request a pause to perform tasks. The results also indicated the participants acquired responses for the task execution, reducing the emission of verbal pause requests and maintaining a low number of disruptive behavior. The generalization test of the verbal response (mand) and the non-verbal response (do the task) to a naive experimenter, it was verified that for all the participants there was generalization of the verbal and non verbal responses.

Selective eating is common among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It can in some cases threaten the physical development of the child, as it requires a variety of nutrients from different sources. In a single-case experimental design (SCED) a 5.6 year old boy with ASD who displayed food selectivity and only ate pasta, french fries, vegetables and fruit received a food choice intervention in order to increase his consumption of food containing protein. The target behavior was to eat meatballs during family dinner. In the baseline condition the boy could pick any amount of meatballs he wanted from a bowl in the middle of the table, whereas in the experimental condition the boy was asked to choose between two bowls containing different amounts of meatballs. An ABAB design was used to demonstrate experimental control over the target behavior. The boy displayed an increased consumption of meatballs and thus protein during the SCED’s two experimental conditions, which proved the effectiveness of the intervention.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of social story intervention using video self - modeling and discrete trial teaching intervention using text card on social communication skills of children with autism spectrum disorder. The subjects of the study were six boys with autism spectrum disorder between the ages of 5 and 7 years. This study used alternating treatments design with initial baseline phase , final best-treatments phase and maintenance and the frequency of greeting, requesting, pecentage of responses were estimated through the sessions. The results of this study were as follows: First, DTT using text card was effective to acquire social communication skills for children with autism spectrum disorder with acquisition deficits and social story intervention using video self-modeling was effective to increase the social communication behavior for the children with performances deficits. Second, the children received the social story intervention using video self-modeling performed faster than the children received DTT using text card. Third, all subjects showed the maintenance effect of acquired skills after withdrawal of best effective intervention. Fourth, the effect of intervention was generalized during follow-up sessions except greeting behavior. The subjects received social story intervention using video self - modeling showed a higher level of generalization than the subjects received DTT using text card. These results indicated that DTT intervention using text card is effective for social communication skills for children with autism spectrum disorder with defects acquiring social communication skills and social story intervention based on video self-modeling was effective for social communication behaviors for the children with autism spectrum disorder with defects skill performances.

Eating issues are a major problem for a lot of children with ASD. It can be a real challenge for their health and for their inclusion to the community at the short, middle or long term. This problem’s resolution has a great social significance for improving the lives of the persons. A functional assessment coupled with a questionnaire on eating habits was implemented in 2 children with autism of 5 and 6 years to increase for one, the amount of food ingested, and for the other, the food diversification. The coupling of these 2 types of evaluations made it possible to set up effective programs in both cases to decrease the number of challenging behaviors and to increase the amount of food or the number of accepted different foods by a better definition of the program steps in the food exposure, the shaping, and the acquisition criteria. It would be interesting to use the food habit questionnaire for other situations in order to assess its effectiveness in developing food-related programs.

Feeding disorders can range from mild (e.g., food selectivity by taste or texture) to severe (e.g., total food refusal). If left untreated, feeding disorders can result in serious health ramifications, including malnutrition, growth delays, and developmental delays. Recent studies comparing commonly used occupational therapy (OT) treatments (sensory integration therapy and a modified sequential oral sensory approach) and empirically supported behavioral treatments found behavioral treatments to be more effective for all participants while both OT treatments were ineffective for all participants. The purpose of this study is to compare a modified version of another commonly used OT treatment, food chaining, to an empirically validated behavioral treatment, simultaneous presentation plus nonremoval of the spoon, to treat food selectivity in three children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

This research is for a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder who can not perform appropriate calculation when asked to add and subtract in words (For example, "+" is replaced by the word "add"). The signs of addition and subtraction and words expressing them was learned by T-IRAP, which is a computer task, and then it was investigated whether an appropriate calculation could be performed. T-IRAP displays stimuli at the top and center of the monitor and it involves a task to seek appropriate selection ("same" or "different") based on the relationship between the two stimuli. Participating child did 32 sentence problems expressing additions and subtractions in words before T-IRAP, immediately after T-IRAP, 2 weeks after and 1 month after implementation. As a result, the number of correct answers before T-IRAP implementation was 20, but immediately after implementation, after 2 weeks and after 1 month all questions were answered correctly. In other words, by using T-IRAP, learning the relationship between signs of addition and subtraction and also words expressing them, makes it possible for a child with the disorder to perform appropriate calculations.

Literature suggests that Early Intervention (EI) is the most effective intervention program to increase behavioural outcomes of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Solomon et. al. (2007) reported that although the methods of early intervention programs available to children may vary, they all share a few characteristics: Early, Intensive, and one-on-one intervention. While researchers continue to “perfect the formula of early intervention”, a number of studies have demonstrated positive outcomes for parent-implemented EI approaches to address behavioural problems, parent-child interactions, and to facilitate communication. In a first study of its kind, we share outcome data from a 6-week ABA-based and parent-implemented EI program at a private clinic in Bangalore, India. Thirty children between 18 months to 60 months old and their caregivers enrolled in the program. The teaching goals were designed in the areas of co-operation, play, visual performance, motor imitation skills, social interaction, behavioral skills, receptive and expressive language. The parents were taught errorless teaching procedures for skill acquisition along with behaviour management strategies. The result of the program demonstrated significant gains for children across all domains, supporting the existing literature. This is an especially important outcome for a country such as India which has few trained professionals, very limited knowledge and awareness about ABA and a growing recognition of the prevalence of ASD and need for EI.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairments in social interaction, language, and communication as well as restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Multimodal communication intervention (MCI) focuses on children's natural speech productions that children are taught to develop their own communication skills via nonsymbolic and symbolic forms of expression to communicate with others. After receiving training from professionals, caregivers with limited experience can be taught to implement communication intervention correctly. However, culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional (CLDE) children with ASD and their families who speak native languages other than English usually do not receive sufficient and appropriate services and supports. To understand CLDE children’s cultures and special needs, collaborating with parents is an important component of a successful special education program. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of cultural and family factors on parent-mediated multimodal communication intervention for children with ASD. The participants were four families who spoke more than one language and shared more than one culture at home. The parents' implementation of the intervention strategies and the children's communication behaviors were evaluated in a multiple-probe design with baseline, intervention, and maintenance phases, as well as generalization phases across all phases. One cultural background survey, a parent interview, and the short coaching surveys were conducted to understand each family's acculturation, cultural background, and parent feedback to provide culturally appropriate parent coaching. Parents implemented learned strategies with the children and got feedback from the coach during each parent coaching session. This presentation will present the results of parents' implementation of intervention components, children’s communicative outcomes, and social validity. Limitations and suggestions for future research will be discussed.

Positive reinforcement is effective in reducing inappropriate behaviours, while increasing appropriate and adaptive behaviours. In this study, we demonstrated the use of positive reinforcement, by a speech therapist within the participant’s speech therapy session. The intervention was developed using a consultative model, along with a Board certified Behavior analyst using telehealth. The intervention was developed address out of seat and screaming behaviours in a 3 years and 9 months old child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The participant was enrolled in an autism centre in Kerala, India where he was receiving Occupational Therapy (OT), Speech Therapy (ST) and Individual Education Program. The intervention was implemented by a speech therapist in the regularly scheduled speech therapy session, where the therapist collected ongoing data, and also videotaped the session for review and feedback. A multiple baseline design was used to evaluate the outcome of the intervention. Inter-observer agreement (IOA) data were collected for 100% of the sessions. IOA was calculating by dividing the number of agreements by the sum of the number of agreements and disagreements and then multiplying by 100%. For the sessions, IOA was 100%. The results indicated that the intervention was effective in reduction of the two target problem behaviour.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) acquired school readiness skills through parent-implemented video modeling intervention using iPad. Two preschool children with ASD participated in this study. We used multiple baseline design across stimulus sets to evaluate the intervention effect. We created videos about school-readiness skills such as rules for engaging in collective action or making friends. In the baseline, the child watched a video which are not presented the corrected answers and the therapist asked the child what to do in such a scene. In the training1, the appropriate answer in a sentence were presented after video and the child was asked to read the answer. In the training2, the child watched a video modeling video which were presented the appropriate answers on an iPad with parent. When the child answer appropriate answer, the parent presented the verbal praise. At the baseline and training1 phase, all children had low correct rates. However, all children increased their correct response rate following training2 and maintained the correct response at follow up. The results suggest that parent-implemented video modeling intervention using iPad can be an effective procedure for acquiring school readiness skills.

Engineering technologies have provided various perspectives for the social intervention in children with autism spectrum disorders. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine whether the motion capture system (MCS) could quantify the social interactions between an adult and two typically developing children (age 5, respectively). This experiment consisted of a single session including two types of phases: testing and interaction. In testing phases, the children wore a specialized cap which acquires the information about head position, and then freely played with several toys in the circle with a diameter of approximately four meters. The adult was pinned to a predetermined position and took little initiative in that play. In interaction phases, the adult exhibited positive affect such as smiling, laughing, and playful vocal tone to provide reinforcement for the child’s social-communicative responses. After interaction phases, the children engaged in increased levels of social behavior although the observable distances between the children and the adult on the testing phases were almost the same level through the session (the MCS data is under analysis). The results may suggest that a wide variety of social behaviors other than making an approach are available for typically developing children.

Telepractice parent coaching facilitates communication between therapists and parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and provides the potential to decrease the discrepancy between demand for behavioral intervention services and families’ ability to access those services. The purpose of this single case multiple probe design was used to evaluate the effects of telepractice coaching on child communication skills in a multimodal communication intervention with parents of children with ASD. Three parent-child dyads and one parent-child triad participated in the study, with child ages ranging from 3 years to 15 years. The study design included three main phase changes in each level, including baseline, intervention, and maintenance phases. The generalization data was conducted across all three phases. All parents completed 10 to 12 coaching sessions ranging in duration from 30 to 60 minutes one time per week via a telepractice platform. The coach provided weekly feedback to parents after data analyzation of a video-recorded parent-child interaction. Results of the functional relation between parents’ fidelity and intervention, correlation and effects between parents’ fidelity and the child’s behavior, study limitations, and implications will be discussed.

As repetitive vocalizations are common in students with autism spectrum disorders, it is important that educators working with this population understand the function of