Association for Behavior Analysis International

One effective component that leads to better health and educational outcomes is Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPEC) (WHO, 2016) and another is developing culturally aware practices. This panel facilitates discussions regarding the initial establishment of interprofessional collaborations, ways to bridge cultures and create partnerships, challenges to collaboration from an international perspective, and the roles of cultural competencies and cultural humility in fostering effective collaborative and therapeutic relationships. Case examples will be presented from the United Arab Emirates, Europe, Canada and the United States, reflecting challenges and successes in fostering positive collaborative relationships with various stakeholders, including government. Panelists will also discuss suggestions for how to effectively resolve conflicts to improve health and education outcomes for all clients and raise a call to action for the field of behavior analysis to develop education and training systems/programs that foster building culturally aware practices and cultural humility, and promote the dissemination of the science of behavior analysis across international borders.

Behavior analysts and professionals from other disciplines that have more than 1 year practical working experience with individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. Students enrolled in an ABA master's program. University Professors of ABA programs. Clinical supervisor of ABA services. Parents who are members of ABA advocacy groups.

Over the past 10 years, as the prevalence rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) increased, applied behavior analysis (ABA) has become the topic of interest in Saudi Arabia. It has drawn the attention of medical professionals, teachers, clinicians, stakeholders, and legislators alike. ABA is increasingly being recognized as the leading evidence-based intervention for individuals with ASD, and with this rising recognition, there is a growing demand for accountability and provision of state-of-the-art services. To respond to this demand, we have established the first verified course sequences in the Middle East on both undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as provided collaborations with schools and clinics. In this presentation, I describe the dissemination efforts made through training behavior analysts, implementation of positive behavior support in schools, and advocating for services and the establishment of a local legislative body. Furthermore, the significant growth in the number of certificants, clinics using ABA, ABA training programs, as well as the current challenges and the future of ABA in Saudi Arabia are discussed.

Dr. Baowaidan is the department chair of the Master of Science Program in Applied Behavior Analysis and assistant professor of special education at Dar Al-Hekma University, Saudi Arabia. She launched the first graduate program in ABA in the Middle East.  In 2016, she became the first Saudi to hold a Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with doctoral designation (BCBA-Dâ). She earned her MA and Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis from Columbia University under the direction of professor R. Douglas Greer. She has extensive teaching experience with children with and without special needs under the CABAS® model of schooling at the Fred S Keller School, where she also acted as a program supervisor and served as a clinical professor to many graduate students.

Behavior analysts know that getting children with ASD enrolled into ABA treatment at the earliest possible age is important to achieving the best outcome. To resolve barriers that both parents and providers encounter and reduce delays to ABA service, Behavior Analysts need to collaborate with other providers in this service system. Parents typically start by talking to their pediatrician, then their insurance provider, a diagnostician, then get referred to ABA and other therapeutic/educational services. This complex process is difficult to navigate for all stakeholders, resulting in delays to service. Because other stakeholders within the system of care have earlier contacts with families, it is important for Behavior Analysts to collaborate with these stakeholders to develop ways to reduce delays in starting ABA. This presentation provides a review of barriers identified, including targeting marginalized populations, and proposed solutions created by a community-based research team made up of parents, providers at each access point, payors, community group leaders, and governmental leaders, who are currently targeting this issue. Barriers identified and discussed will include parent engagement, the referral process, coordination of care, provider and family education, equitability of services, and simplification of workflow for providers distributing resources and educational materials to families.

Intermediate - Audience members should have a basic understanding of ABA principles and procedures related to the care of individuals with ASD and their family. Audience members should also have the ability to complete a basic cost benefit analysis assessing variables associate with successful outcomes and the ability to evaluate individual client and family barriers that might impact treatment outcome.

In order to enable more equitable access to care for underserved families, providers must work to identify barriers to access behavioral services. A team of stakeholders participated in the development of products and strategies targeting access, using a collaborative community-based approach to evaluate experiences of providers and families within the Wayne County Michigan Medicaid state funded system. Both parents and providers expressed concerns about the complex processes to gain access to ABA treatment. Additional concerns were identified by the group related to ensuring equity in access for underserved families. Barriers identified included limited resources for families and providers designed to understand the system of care, knowledge on the steps to gain access to behavioral services, and what choices amongst service providers are available for families. Permanent product solutions were developed to address equitability and inclusion barriers for families and providers. A variety of surveys, media, and documents were developed through this process for use by service providers, both within and outside of the ABA community, to achieve equitable access to behavioral services. This presentation will also review recommendations about ways to facilitate collaborative work within a local healthcare system to increase awareness of barriers and urge more intervention research to explore the means for removing them.

Individuality of treatment has always been a primary focus in the field of ASD and ABA. Factors such as trauma, age, and family barriers have guided Behavior Analyst’s individualization of portions of treatment including teaching procedures, reinforcers, goals, and behavior intervention plans. However, in order to ensure true individuality of care for all clients, all stakeholders involved should be culturally competent. Cultural competence involves learning and understanding the views and practices of different cultures. Our cultural beliefs and traditions influence our thoughts and actions, and therefore, should be considered as early as screening and diagnosis. Parents have interactions with a variety of stakeholders including pediatricians, diagnosticians, schools, ABA and other therapeutic services. Starting at screening and ending at treatment implementation, each client’s cultural beliefs should be a consideration in the way stakeholders communicate with families regarding diagnosis, what assessment is chosen, what goals are chosen, what materials are used in programming, and much more. This presentation will include discussions and recommendations for how to modify treatment when encountering language barriers, stigma involving diagnosis, lack of support and understanding from support communities, and differing beliefs on the roles for men and women coming from different back grounds.

Though the principles of behavior are universal, the specific behaviors, stimuli, and social contingencies impacting our clients are rooted in the cultures in which they live. As behavior analysis grows around the world, the inherent biases and assumptions of our technology becomes more apparent. Assessment instruments need translation, revision, and validation; interventions need to be adapted to ensure social validity and relevance; and the ways in which behavior analysts provide services need to expand to ensure that they are accessible to all clients in need. This symposium will present strategies for behavior analysts to identify biases in their professional practices, minimize such biases when they arise, and learn to practice cultural humility.

Practitioners and researchers. 

The cultural and linguistic diversity that characterizes the world remains a seminal barrier for the global uptake of applied behavior analysis (ABA). Although North America accounts for only 4.7% of the world’s population, more than 95% of BCBAs live in the United States and Canada. While behavioral principles may be universally applicable, this talk will argue for why understanding cultural diversity and avoiding prejudice is important. We will discuss specific challenges for the global dissemination of ABA, with India as an example, and suggest potential training strategies with which to overcome such barriers. Our training protocol may serve as an initial framework for practitioners and researchers to achieve buy-in and positive outcomes internationally. In addition, we will highlight existing frameworks to define and describe cultural adaptations and list previously used adaptations in ABA-based treatments for individuals outside of North America. Finally, we will advocate for a behavior analytic perspective for organizing and reporting potentially relevant variables for the global success of ABA services.

Since the rise of the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter movements, and especially since the murder of George Floyd, the field of behavior analysis is experiencing tremendous growth in action toward social justice. This growth of action and activism within our field is exciting but many have concerns over how much of this change is actually structural, versus performative, and therefore whether or not it will persist over time. From the perspective of a white man in a position of substantial privilege and power within the field of behavior analysis, I will stand next to and amplify the voices of behavior analysts of color who have offered powerful and practical resources to all of us to create and sustain our roles as accomplices in furthering social justice. This presentation will amplify recent publications by behavior analysts of color on practical strategies for enacting social justice within our own personal lives, within the service provision agencies where we work, and within our graduate programs, among others. In particular, practical strategies from behavioral approaches to self-management, including acceptance and commitment training, will be shared.

Dr. Jonathan Tarbox is the Program Director of the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis program at the University of Southern California, as well as Director of Research at FirstSteps for Kids. Dr. Tarbox is the past Editor-in-Chief of the journal Behavior Analysis in Practice, a Board Member of the ABA Task Force to Eradicate Social Injustice, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Women in Behavior Analysis (WIBA) conference. He has published five books on applied behavior analysis and autism treatment, is the Series Editor of the Elsevier book series Critical Specialties in Treating Autism and Other Behavioral Challenges, and an author of over 90 peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters in scientific texts.  His research focuses on behavioral interventions for teaching complex skills to individuals with autism, Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), and applications of applied behavior analysis to issues of diversity and social justice. 

The pressing need to engage in compassionate, culturally humble behavior as a field became apparent following the needless deaths of those such as Mr. George Floyd; the world at large recognized the importance of social justice and, as behavior analysts, we are uniquely poised to engage in systems change and create levels of institutional accountability throughout all aspects of our work. This dialogue will discuss culture as a dynamic metacontingency and will focus on understanding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as related to all cultures. We will analyze our own self-bias and will describe ethical problem-solving frameworks designed to increase DEI through the engagement of culturally humble behaviors as practitioners and researchers. Finally, we will review ways to implement measures of institutional accountability to assess whether we are meeting our goals of DEI. We will end by inviting questions from the audience to promote thoughtful considerations intended to further our understanding of the topography of culturally humble behaviors and how we can begin immediately to engage in social justice change.

Nasiah is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, with a Doctorate degree in Education from Loyola University of Chicago. She holds a Master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education. She is a graduate of the Infant Studies Specialist program at Erikson Institute of Chicago. In addition to her BCBA credential, she is an Illinois licensed special education teacher and an Illinois Early Intervention provider and State evaluator. Professionally, she has served as a special educator, clinician, educational administrator, and professor of special education. Her clinical experience spans infancy through adulthood. Currently, she is the CEO & Founder of ULEZI, LLC, Co-Founder of Pivot 2 Inclusion and serves as a court appointed special advocate, for children in the Illinois foster care system. She is also an Advisory Board member for Black Applied Behavior Analysts and a Board member for the Illinois Association for Behavior Analysis. She has assisted school districts in the State of Illinois in developing meaningful educational programs to meet the needs of students with autism. Her research interests include supervision, mentoring, leadership, and culturally humble practice within the field of ABA. She is a champion for diversity, equity and inclusion and is deeply committed to using her skills and experiences, paired with the science of applied behavior analysis, to empower the lives of the people she supports and serves, in positive and meaningful ways.

Noor Syed, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA/LBS, (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Applied Behavior Analysis, Clinical Coordinator, and founding Director of the Center for Autism Inclusivity (Research, Education, and Services) with SUNY Empire State College. She is also a Senior International Program Director with Anderson Center International, an Adjunct Professor Advisor in ABA with Endicott College, and Research Coordinator for the Global Autism Project.  She is a certified general and special education teacher in New York, U.S., birth through grade six. Over the past 15 years, Dr. Syed has worked with individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities from early intervention through adulthood in school and center-based settings as a teacher, therapist, consultant, and administrator. Dr. Syed has consulted for autism clinics around the world, including in Uganda, Antigua and Barbuda, and the Czech Republic, and currently serves as the international and school-based expert on ABAEthicsHotline.com with Dr. Jon Bailey. She assisted in building Lehigh University Autism Services and its corresponding practicum, which is an insurance and university-based program offering services in the home, community, and clinic. Dr. Syed’s interests lie in compassionate care, cultural humility, ethical practices, supervision, the practice of school-based BCBAs, and diversity. She received her undergraduate degree in ABA under Dr. Raymond G. Romanczyk in the Institute of Child Development at Binghamton University and completed her PhD in ABA with Dr. R. Douglas Greer at Teachers College, Columbia University.

This symposium will address three questions through four presentations related to race, culture, and behavior analysis. The first presentation will address the question of how preferences for behavior-analytic treatment strategies align across caregivers and providers of different races, and then address the implications misalignments across racial groups might have for best practice. The second and third presentations will conceptually address the question of how behavior analysts can assess for and build multicultural and antiracist education, practice, and research. Examples of an assessment tool for research and recommendations for graduate training programs in behavior analysis will be provided. The final presentation will conceptually address the question of how behavior analysis can be applied to larger cultural and race-based issues by reviewing police use-of-force reform. A discussion of these presentations will follow and focus on how behavior analysts can contribute to improvements in cultural humility and competence.

The target audience for this workshop includes college students, early-career researchers, BACB certificants in-training (e.g., RBTs), behavior analysts (BCaBAs, BCBAs, BCBA-Ds), and behavioral health aides or direct care workers with a working knowledge of the principles of behavior and basic behavior analytic procedures (e.g., antecedent strategies, differential reinforcement, etc.).

Culturally competent practices are materializing in the clinical work of behavior analysts. This growth may be the result of added components to coursework, continuing education training, and client-focused curricular materials. However, applied behavior analysis (ABA) research has been slower to see these changes. With ABA research guiding the work of new and seasoned practitioners, it is imperative that it strongly reinforces components of cultural responsiveness. Researchers outside the field of ABA, Dr. Bal and Dr. Trainor, have recognized the importance of research demonstrating cultural competence. Resultantly, they developed the Culturally Responsive Research Rubric for evaluating studies. The 15-item rubric is built upon existing tools for assessing research quality, but is not aimed at commonly accepted indicators (e.g., experimental design). Rather, the focus is on a set of culturally responsive criteria (e.g., how culture guided design). To bridge gaps in ABA research and cultural competence, two behavior analysts aim to introduce the rubric, discuss its applicability to the field of ABA, give examples of rubric components that align with the work of behavior analysts, and present a review of the behavioral research on pyramidal parent training through the lens of the rubric.

Racist policies and inequity are prevalent in society; this includes higher education institutions. Many behavior analytic training programs have been complicit in omitting cultural humility and antiracist ideas in their curricula and institutional practices. As societal demands for allyship and transformational change increase, programs must rise to the challenge and act as agents of change in our clinical, professional, and personal communities. The current paper offers a multitude of strategies for institutions to develop an antiracist and multicultural approach. These recommendations encompass policies that may be promoted on the following levels: (a) organizational infrastructure and leadership, (b) curriculum and pedagogy, (c) research, and (d) with faculty, students, and staff.

Structural racism is rooted in American social systems that were supposedly designed to promote our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Social systems like policing, for example, are built on a foundation of discriminatory practices designed to disenfranchise Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). One of the most recent visible examples of racially-biased policing is the excessive use-of-force by officers toward BIPOC. In response, advocates, policy makers, and researchers have sought solutions. Police use-of-force reforms such as Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs) and Implicit Bias Training (IBT) have become popular and are currently being applied in many police departments across the country. However, evidence supporting the effectiveness of these reform strategies to reduce use-of-force is mixed, and further evaluations are needed to understand why these strategies are purported to be an effective solution. The purpose of the current review is to ignite future empirical evaluations of use-of-force reform. Following a summary of the research conducted to date on BWCs and IBT, we will conclude with a brief discussion of how behavior analysts might improve and foster strategies that are efficacious.

The 2009 Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act directs federal funding to agencies and services that have adopted a “Housing First” or “Rapid Rehousing” approach. This approach requires that those experiencing homelessness be housed as quickly as possible and that services then be provided to keep them housed (HUD Exchange, 2020). Little controlled research has been undertaken 1) to determine the effectiveness of this approach in maintaining long-term housing stability and 2) to identify the services most important for averting a return to homelessness (Urban Institute, 2018). We suggest that behavior analytic tools, such as the functional analysis (Kanfer & Saslow, 1969), metacontingency analysis (Glenn, 2004), and contextual functional analysis (Hayes, Barnes-Holme, & Wilson, 2012), can be employed to clarify the competencies and skill deficits, supports and resources, and systems level variables that impact long-term housing stability for homeless families. We discuss the need for research that examines whether a culturo-behavior science analysis leads to improved long-term housing stability of families who have experienced homelessness. We present a brief case example to demonstrate the potential utility of this approach and discuss several research strategies to acquire empirical data related to long-term housing stability.

The application of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in the juvenile justice settings is a fairly new area of research for ABA. Recently Adapt & Transform Behavior, LLC behavior analysts have trained detention center administrators, supervisors and staff to become credentialed as registered behavior technicians (RBTs). The introduction of RBTs to this setting was hypothesized to increase the effectiveness of facility wide interventions put in place by the Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and aid in the fidelity of staff compliance with mandated facility operating procedures. The purpose of the case studies to be presented were to evaluate the effects of evidence-based interventions in the implementation and proficiency of daily detention roles and responsibilities. Pyramidal training (BCBA ? RBT? Detention staff) was used to train detention officers using behavior skills training on conducting effective and proficient searches on youth. Secondarily, a multicomponent intervention was implemented by RBTs to increase level card proficiencies.

As research shows, high intensity Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for individualized interventions is a successful approach. However, in many cases the density of services is minimized by institutions in the name of cost savings. This presentation will review a case study demonstrating the ability of highly effective FW-PBIS systems to be put in place at a quicker pace with high fidelity when high intensity Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) interventions are implemented by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs). Prior to the introduction of high doses of ABA, the facility was experiencing high rates of self injury, property destruction, fighting and noncompliance that resulted in multiple escapes, arrests and hospitalizations of youth alongside high rates of staff turnover and terminations. These issues resulted in financial consequences (in the form of fines, hospitalizations, freezes and on boarding) for the program that outweighed the cost of attempting to bypass the use of BCBAs. The results of this case study show that both facility wide and individualized interventions were effectively put in place within three months and services were systematically faded and maintained at a lower level over the next year.

Behavior analysis is expanding and diversifying to include analysts from multiple and diverse backgrounds, from Western and non-Western countries, and who speak many different languages. Fostering internationalization and diversity in our field is not only necessary to achieve optimal growth as a field but represents a strategy of turning science inward to improve the way that we operate behavior analysis as a unified and diverse field. The first talk will explore potential advantages that bilingual behavior analysts may have in areas of derived relational responding and psychological flexibility that can translate to work with clients. The second talk will discuss several barriers that international students face when completing graduate training and work within the United States. Addressing these barriers may ultimately confer several advantages not only to practitioners, but this work can also serve to improve the overall quality and scope of our evolving field.

BCBAs

There are over 38 thousand BCBAs worldwide with roughly 2 thousand residing outside of North America (BACB, n.d.). With behavior analytic work being highly sought after and needed (Carr and Nosik, 2017), the 103 institutions outside of north America that have a verified course sequences (VCS; ABAI, n.d.) serve as the educational hubs abroad before the BACB decisions to pull back certification to only USA and Canadian certificants. Many students, however, come from around the world to the USA in order to complete these courses sequences in hopes of becoming a BCBA. There is a surprising lack of data regarding international students engaged in this coursework in addition to outcomes of individuals who have graduated from USA-based institutions. International students also experience more barriers and hurdles to overcome during their time than local students (Mallinckrodt, et al. 1992; Sawir, 2005; Lian & Wallace, 2020) making the education/learning experience received, as well as future job prospects, inequitable. Given this lack of data and concerns regarding access to resources, this manuscript will be addressing the various barriers that inhibit the training experience and overall comfort of these students while completing their graduate education in behavior analytic programs. These barriers will be broken down into administrative, structural, and cultural barriers being behaviorally defined, identification of what is included within that barrier, and author lived experiences with each. Suggestions for policy change as well as future research will be suggested in order to create a more equitable model of support for international students.

Numerous professionals, including board-certified behavior analysts (BCBAs), have had to pivot to delivering ABA therapy via telehealth due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The lessons learned from these experiences can provide insights to researchers and practitioners about the state of telehealth practice in the community. This symposium includes a series of presentations to inform the field and support the application of telehealth services during times of crisis. The first presentation will describe results from a convergent mixed-methods survey study of the experiences of 657 BCBAs, three months after stay at home orders went into effect. The second will describe the results of a single-case, multiple probe design study across three BCBAs who were provided professional development via telehealth on strategies for building better rapport with caregivers and coaching them to bring about maximum clinical efficacy. The third will describe results of a randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of a series of online parent training modules on caregiver’s use of behavioral principles with their young child with challenging behaviors.

The importance of family engagement in their children's education and treatment is emphasized by researchers, professional organizations, and legislations. Providing services with caregivers via telepractice has gained more support and is becoming especially timely due to the current pandemic and social distancing requirements. Professionals, such as board-certified behavior analysts (BCBAs), who work with caregivers with children with disabilities may benefit from receiving professional development on strategies for building better rapport with caregivers and coaching them to bring about maximum clinical efficacy. The current study replicated an earlier study by Meadan et al. (2020) to examine the effects of the Coaching Caregiver Professional Development (CoCarePD) program, in which (a) BCBAs received training and coaching from researchers via telepractice on their caregivers coaching practices, (b) BCBAs coached caregivers of children with autism. A single-case, multiple-probe design study across three BCBAs was conducted. Findings support a functional relation between the CoCarePD and BCBAs' use of coaching practices. Participating BCBAs were also satisfied with the goals, procedures, and outcomes of the program. The detailed method, findings, limitations, and implications will be discussed.

Consistent challenging behaviors of young children are known to have significant impact on the child’s optimal development, such as social-emotional development or communication skills (Dunlap et al., 2006). Furthermore, some parents who live in Korea have exacerbated hardships due to limited opportunities for treatment for their children with autism. Intervention delivery using telepractice is supported with more research in these cases. To strengthen the capacity of parents in Korea, we developed and examined the effectiveness of a series of online parent training modules on behavioral principles using a randomized controlled trial with a waitlist control group (N = 88). We found significant interaction effects of Group X Time for (a) parental knowledge of behavioral principles, (b) positive parenting practices, and (c) parental stress, with no preexisting differences between the two groups. Furthermore, qualitative social validity data indicated that parents were highly satisfied with the goals, procedures, and outcomes, and that the modules affected their parenting styles, increased knowledge leading to better child outcomes, and recommendations for future research.

The latency-based functional analysis (FA) is a hypothesis testing strategy used to inform effective function-based interventions for students who engage in challenging behavior (Lambert et al., 2017). Despite the promise of interventions informed by this experimental analysis, some students—especially those with emotional/behavioral disorders—respond in unexpected ways. For example, the establishing operations presented during functional communication training may elicit challenging behaviors as part of a stress response or evoke them in the form of countercontrol. These unanticipated responses may signal intervention procedures are aversive to the student, indicating a need to adapt procedures to prioritize student autonomy and safety. One such modification is the Enhanced Choice Model (ECM; Rajaraman et al., 2018), where concurrently available alternatives to participating in intervention sessions are programmed. We implemented a latency-based FA and subsequent function-based intervention with an elementary student who received special education services under an emotional disturbance label. When initial functional communication training with isolated contingencies failed to reduce rates of challenging behavior, we implemented skill-based treatment (Hanley et al., 2014) within an ECM. Outcomes suggest, with a moderate degree of confidence, that the adapted intervention successfully increased the student’s tolerance for stressful classroom conditions.

A growing body of evidence indicates systematic practice with math fact families efficiently and effectively improves fluency. The present investigation tested the effects of a fluency building intervention on math facts performance with four elementary school students participating in multi-tiered systems of support. The researchers employed a multiple baseline design across three sets of fact families. Intervention components consisted of modeling the fact family followed by three, one-minute practice trials with immediate feedback delivered between each timing. The students received up to a ten-day window of intervention on one set of fact families before moving to the next set. Results suggest a significant increase in digits correct per minute and a decrease in digits incorrect per minute. Study outcomes also suggest that fluency instruction focusing on the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction operations can plausibly serve as a viable alternative to instruction with isolated and unrelated math facts. Discussion points on stimulus equivalence as well as implications for practitioners and recommendations for future research will be shared.

This literature review was conducted to synthesize the research studies that evaluated point of view video modeling and analyze the behavioral, academic, and social outcomes it had on students with autism. Video modeling has been established through research as a robust intervention with positive effects across disabilities to teach behavioral, academic, functional, social, and life skills. Methods: A literature search was conducted using the online databases ERIC and APA PsychInfo. The Boolean search string: video technology AND modeling AND point of view AND autism was used. The titles and abstracts of the articles were reviewed to identify relevance and, in order to be included in the review, studies had to meet the following criteria: (a) independent variable is POV video modeling, (b) study participants are individuals with autism, and (c) study was conducted using a single-subject research design. Results: Twenty studies met the criteria for this review. Analysis of these studies indicate a functional relation between POV video modeling and the skills and behaviors the researchers were targeting. Implications: This systematic review provides evidence that point-of-view video modeling has positive effects when used to teach play, social skills, vocational tasks, letter writing, mathematics, and transition related tasks.

We tested the effects of implementing a CABAS® based educational model for 12 adolescents and young adults, aged 13 to 21, all enrolled in a learning and research centre in Italy. We collected monthly data on the total number of Learn Units, on the learning objectives achieved and on the number of Learn Units to Criterion by each participant. Data were discussed based on graphical analysis and suggested that CABAS® can be an effective tactic for the individualized education of our Participants. Also, the model appeared to successfully adapt to the Italian welfare system, and could provide Public Services leaders with easy-to-read data on the efficiency of evidence-based treatments for adolescents and young adults. Further research should compare different treatment intensity packages and add norm-based data. This pilot project was aimed to measure treatment effectiveness and efficiency using Learn Units, with the purpose of sharing the results with the Italian Health Department and stakeholders.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a widely accepted science in which treatment for problem behavior reduction and skill acquisition interventions has been developed for learners diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Discrete Trial Training (DTT) is an effective teaching method within ABA that presents teaching targets in a rapid instructional format until a mastery criterion is met (Smith, 2001). Clinicians and researchers select instructional format and mastery criterion when designing the DTT protocol for their clients with ASD. Modifications in the instructional format present ratios of mastered teaching targets relative to targets in acquisition. Furthermore, the specified mastery criterion demonstrates when a skill is learned to sufficiency. The interaction of teaching format and mastery criteria options may impact the efficient acquisition and maintenance of the novel skills. The purpose of this review was to systematically categorize and evaluate instructional format and mastery criteria within a discrete trial teaching procedure for learners with developmental disabilities. The review included 15 studies organized into the following categories: Mass trial, interspersed trial, and distributed trial, as well as mastery criteria. Task interspersal (75% of those that compared instructional format) and an 80% mastery criterion correct across 3 days or sessions (80% of those that compared mastery criteria) were the most commonly identified. However, there was extreme variability across studies and future research is needed to allow clinicians to form a rationale for their treatment modification selections. Clinical implications and future directions for research are discussed.

Today, gaining competitive employment often requires searching for jobs and completing applications online, which may be a barrier for older, chronically unemployed adults with heroin addiction. In contrast, college students in the job market are presumed to be skilled with computers. To compare these populations, we measured digital literacy using interactive, online assessments (https://digitalliteracyassessment.org). Participants were 31 adults with chronic unemployment and heroin addiction (Treatment) and 115 college students enrolled in introductory computer science courses as part of their general education program (Control). Treatment participants had low median scores in assessments of Microsoft Word (52% vs. Control=83%), Microsoft PowerPoint (37% vs. Control=73%), and information literacy (49% vs. Control=67%). Although Control participants had higher median scores than Treatment participants in all domains, scores were within 10 percentage points in Social Media (difference=2.8%), Computer Basics (difference=7%), and E-mail (difference=9.2%). Employment support in addiction treatment should target computer skills to address this potential barrier to employment.

Educational policies over the past two decades have prioritized integrating students with disabilities into the general education setting. With this shift, the demographics of the general education setting have become more diverse, requiring teachers to implement a variety of behavioral and academic interventions to support the varying needs of individual students. To support teachers and students, interventions that are effective, while still socially valid, must be identified. Self-monitoring interventions have widely been used to address behavioral and academic concerns across a variety of educational and clinical settings and across a variety of disabilities. However, limited studies have examined the use of self-monitoring in the inclusive setting. Previous research would suggest that general education classroom teachers would benefit from implementing self-monitoring based intervention packages. Additionally, interventions capable of intervening on a group of students at one time, thereby reducing effort and oversight on the part of the teacher, are more favorable and socially valid. The combined use of a student-directed intervention (such as self-monitoring) and a group-based intervention (such as a group contingency) could have a significant impact on the performance of target and non-target students within a general education classroom. This study analyzes previous use of self-monitoring interventions, the possible implications of these interventions on the general education classroom setting, and makes suggestions for future research.

Brief Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) exercises focusing on values clarification and committed action were delivered to post-master’s participants qualified to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst exam in a virtual setting during a 6-week test preparation class by RogueABA. The current study was an extension of Palilunas et al. (2018) who conducted a randomized controlled trial and delivered the same exercises to master’s levels students in a university setting. The current study differed in that a single-subject experimental design was utilized, along with differing dependent variables. Following exposure to ACT exercises, there was an increase in psychological flexibility as indicated by results by the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire 2 (AAQ-2); however, there was no clear evidence of a functional relation between these ACT exercises and several overt dependent variables. It was noteworthy that Group One, who gained more psychological flexibility as measured in an AAQ-2 self-report, completed an increased percentage of asynchronous online modules immediately following exposure ACT exercises. This was evident in a withdrawal design. However, this effect was not replicated for Groups Two and Three. Furthermore, the current study serves as a proof of concept in which automated data collection methods can be utilized to measure socially significant public behaviors in addition to self-reports that are commonly used in contextual behavior science research.

Special education programming in public schools relies heavily on the use of paraprofessionals to support instructional, behavioral, and social learning for students with disabilities (SWDs), however, paraprofessionals often lack formal training in the use of evidence-based practices (EBP). Traditional lecture-style methods of professional development for school-based staff are neither cost or time-efficient, nor effective at producing long-term changes in instructional behaviors employed by staff in the classroom. Research has demonstrated that paraprofessional-level practitioners can learn to use high levels of implementation fidelity of EBPs with SWDs when provided experiential training such as coaching. We conducted a systematic and quality review of literature on the use of coaching to train paraprofessionals to implement interventions for SWDs. We reviewed 174 full-text articles for inclusion and evaluated the methodological rigor of the research. Contextual variables, including trainer and participant characteristics, target skills, and implementation fidelity were synthesized to provide a summary of strengths and gaps in the evidence. Recommendations for practice and future research will be discussed.

The increased need for Applied Behavior Analysis services, especially in autism treatment, has resulted in behavior analysts working with client populations, in settings, and addressing behaviors of concern that they were not explicitly trained to address. It is essential that our field provide guidance for how behavior analysts can become competent in new practice areas. However, the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s Professional and Ethical Compliance Code provides limited guidance in this area. Brodhead et al. (2018) has made recommendations for how behavior analysts can self-evaluate and expand their own scope of competence. This poster will expand on the work of Brodhead et al. (2018) to suggest a framework of specific practices to expand one’s scope of competence. This framework will include both technical skills as well as other important repertoires including clinical decision-making, problem solving, rapport building, and culturally responsive practice. Implications for graduate training and professional development will be discussed.

This presentation will report a review of single-case studies across cultures to summarize the characteristics of caregiver involvement in communication interventions for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual/developmental disability (IDD) for recommendations on culturally responsive practices. Caregiver involvement can improve communication skills in CLD individuals with ASD and IDD; however, there is a need to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate support to CLD caregivers during caregiver involvement. Limitations and implications for future research and practice will be addressed.

The importance of the distant provision of psychological and behavioral interventions is crucial during COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores psychologists’ and behavior analysts’ attitudes toward using telehealth-based ABA services to support individuals with disabilities in Saudi Arabia. The research addresses a two-fold problem? inadequate corroborated empirical evidence concerning the effectiveness of using telehealth models to provide individuals with disabilities with ABA services and a lack of research on practitioners’ attitudes toward employing telehealth-based ABA services. A quantitative survey method informed the study. The researcher used 20 survey questions to collect quantitative data from 104 participants about their general perceptions toward using telehealth-based ABA services to support individuals with disabilities. The researcher used descriptive, correlational, and statistical analyses to analyze the data. The results showed that most of the surveyed people (53%) stated that they were aware of the concept of telehealth in the field of applied behavioral analysis. Moreover, the majority of respondents expressed positive attitudes toward telehealth-based ABA services in terms of utility, willingness to provide the facilities, and potential benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results also indicated that most of the respondents (88%) are willing to provide telehealth services if an adequate training is provided. On the other hand, (43%) of the participants disagree with the statement that telehealth provides the same benefits as the direct healthcare services. Keywords: Telehealth, applied behavior analysis, behavior analytic interventions, individuals with disabilities, COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth-based ABA services

This study wanted to determine if the addition of novel stimuli in the form of costume pieces (primarily novelty hats) would increase student engagement in pre-recorded lectures for an asynchronous masters level course. When comparing the results between a control and an experimental group, the first experimental test results showed better outcomes including a decreased range of scores between the lowest score and highest score across group participants and an increased low score on the exam. Following the first experimental test, however, scores leveled out to scores similar to baseline and the control groups, suggesting either satiation (i.e., wearing off of the effect) or anticipation of the procedure, resulting in no effect. Limitations and future research considerations are also discussed.

A series of studies has demonstrated that video modeling is effective to train staff to conduct stimulus preference assessments. However, only a few studies have conducted the evaluation of content validity of the video presented to participants. The purpose of this study was to produce a video to teach the implementation of paired-stimulus preference assessment, and evaluate its content validy. Initially, a task analysis was carried out to identify the necessary steps to a correct implementation of a paired-stimulus preference assessment. Then, we produced a video containing a written description of each one of steps identified through the task analysis, followed by a depiction of a full assessment. Finally, six professionals with different areas of expertise viewed the video and answered a questionnaire evaluating its content. They indicated that the video had all the steps necessary to conduct the assessment, and suggested a few modifications which were made to improve the comprehensibility of the information presented in the video. Considering that the report of the professionals is not enough to prove the effectiveness of the video, it is necessary to evaluate its effects on the implementation of a paired-stimulus preference assessment.

Scientific evidence clearly supports the existence of climate change, attributes this change largely to human behaviour, and warns that these changes will produce rapid and potentially catastrophic changes (Houmanfar, & Mattaini, 2015, Lehman & Geller, 2004; Luke, Roose, Rakos, & Mattaini, 2017; Thompson, 2010). Research has provided insight into changing individual’s pro-environmental choices using both consequence and antecedent strategies (Bacon & Krpan, 2018; Wansink & Love, 2014; Kongsbac et al., 2015; Baca-Motes, Brown, Gneezy, Keenan, & Nelson, 2012; Arieley, Bracha, & Meier, 2009). One area of research involves nudges, which are a collection of tools which make purposeful changes in the choice architecture and influence the behaviour of individuals (Lehner, Mont, & Heiskanen, 2015). In reviewing the literature, there are at least eight strategies that can be employed to increase the probability that people will engage in pro-environmental behaviours. These strategies can be implemented at the individual, community and governmental levels to move societies towards a sustainable and livable future.

The education of values as competencies for life is one of the current challenges of the school. The values can be analyzed as a psychological phenomenon, based on the behavior of an individual in relation to the functional changes of the individual or object before whom he behaves. The conditional relationships are analyzed based on the taxonomy proposed by Ribes (2018). An experimental design with Baseline, Intervention Phase and Follow-up Phase was used. Twelve preschoolers from a Kindergarten in the city of Xalapa, Veracruz participated. The study suggests that the performance of children's rights during the intervention phase was high on average in the three behaviors under study in the five functional levels: higher in promoting the “common good” and “tolerance” and a little lower in “equality between people”. However, in the follow-up phase, under natural conditions, the level of functional aptitude was identified more frequently in the first levels of functional aptitude; higher in “tolerance”, then in "equality between people" and lower in promotion of “the common good”. The results suggest that children's rights are learned and performing as life practices and that they can be studied from the Analysis of Behavior Theory.

Binge drinking is prevalent among college students. Students who count drinks and set limits are less likely to binge drink; however, these tactics require knowledge of standard servings. Unfortunately, most students are unable to identify or pour standard servings of alcohol. Although Behavioral Skills Training (BST) has been used to teach this skill, researchers have not evaluated the generality of this skill across different types of cups and across time. We used a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants design to examine whether students (N=6) can acquire the skill and whether this skill generalized across untrained cups and a 5 -10 day follow-up. After receiving BST, most participants poured accurately into the trained cup and into one of the untrained cups. At follow-up, three participants poured accurately into all cups without needing additional BST. Two participants poured accurately into all cups after an additional round of BST for one cup. One participant continued to pour inaccurately. Because most participants poured accurately into at least one untrained cup after receiving BST, this suggests that some skill generalization and maintenance occurred. The time investment of BST may be worthwhile, and college administrators may want to incorporate BST into college alcohol education courses.

This research involves a critique of the concept of childhood “pathologization” that has been given greater importance, mainly due to the increase in children diagnosed with disorders that did not exist before, which has given rise to a catalog of treatments that include behavioral management therapies on occasions accompanied by drugs, losing sight of the individuality of the minor and only attending to a clinical diagnosis. In the present study, the effect of a behavioral change program was designed, applied, and evaluated through Contingency Analysis to observe human behavior, whether it is valued as problematic or not. This research was carried out using an experimental ABC design in two primary school children, referred for presenting behaviors valued as "problem behaviors". The interventions were carried out in three phases: Analysis, application, and follow-up. The analysis shows that morphologically similar behaviors, defined by the teacher, should be addressed differently in each one, given their circumstances, and that approach does not depend on a diagnosis. The application phase consisted of the use of behavior modification techniques adjusted to each context. The results show a decrease of problems behaviors on intervention and follow-up phases. The discussion is based on Behavior Analysis Theory.

Although Acceptance and Commitment therapy or Training (ACT) derives from behavior analytic principles, ACT has only recently become popular amongst behavior analysts. Although an incredibly large body of research already exist, supporting its utility to produce meaningful behavior change, most of the studies are conducted outside behavior analytic settings. The current project examines the state of ACT research conducted within the field of behavior analysis. Preliminary results suggest that the majority of empirical research conducted on ACT within behavior analytic journals (N = 36) has not been conducted by behavior analysts (n = 9). The current study also examines participant demographics, types experimental designs used, dependent variables, and the types of interventions implemented. Our brief review suggests that more empirical research is needed to examine the direct effect of ACT among diverse clinical populations typically served by behavior analysts.

Moreso than in most medical problems and health crisis situations, leaders of many and diverse disciplines repeatedly cite “changes in behavior” as the mainstay of addressing the challenges of the Covid 19 pandemic. Given the lack of preventative, protective, and treatment modalities, the importance of behavior and habit change by individuals and society becomes the most prominent “tool in the box,” and allows for empowerment of individuals, familys, organizations, and societies. This presentation highlights ways in which behavioral principles and techniques, especially when integrated with relevant principles of medicine and public health, can, and need to, be applied by clinicians and non clinicians to promote desired behaviors/habits including mask/PPE use (and techniques) and practicing social distancing,as well as remembering to NOT do many things we habitually do like shaking hands and holiday family gatherings. It applies as well to "private" behaviors of attitudes, opinions, knowledge (reality of the illness, safety of vaccines). The current pandemic serves as yet another opportunity for those most skilled in the principles and techniques of the management of behavior and development of habits to showcase the power of the discipline in making substantive desirable impacts on many phases of the Covid 19 pandemic, and the people affected by it.

Parental distress and coercive parent-child interactions are of major issues in our society. Cultural biases, stigma, and language barriers keep Asian-American parents and children away from mental and behavioral services. Behavior parent training as part of applied behavior analysis services is usually available to parents and children if their child has a diagnosis, but not for parents of children without diagnoses. Research in the area of parent-child interactions suggests a combination of behavior parent training and acceptance and commitment training as an effective preventative intervention alleviates parental distress and fosters positive parent-child interactions. However, limited research is available that examined the effectiveness of preventative acceptance and commitment training-based interventions for this population. Thus, the current study evaluated the effects of the individual acceptance and commitment training Matrix online training for Japanese-speaking distressed parents in the United States, using a single-subject design. Specific dependent variables measured were value-driven behaviors, parental engagement in treatment, parental distress, and psychological flexibility. The results revealed that the acceptance and commitment training Matrix training was effective in improving all four dependent variables. Parents reported that the training was culturally sensitive, effective, and appropriate in the social validity questionnaire.

Healthy eating is essential in combating diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Unfortunately, healthy eating has decreased with the decline of home-cooking and increased consumption of convenience foods. Research shows some indication that cooking interventions that contain social contingencies are more likely to have results that maintain and generalize to the home versus those that do not. The current study targeted meal preparation in the homes of college students utilizing an interdependent group contingency. 18 participants were divided into three groups, added to a social media group page, and required to post about their home cooking. The group contingency included a goal where all members of the group had to increase their number of weekly meals prepared in the home in order for all members of the group to receive monetary reinforcement. Results indicated that while the intervention initially increased meal preparation, these increases quickly declined. This is most likely due to group members failing to meet goal and not contacting reinforcement. However, further research is needed to determine if other group contingencies or goal levels may be more successful and utilizing social media groups may still have utility as it allows remote delivery of social consequences.

Physical inactivity continues to be a national health concern contributing to increased risk for mental and physical health problems in childhood (Reiner et al., 2013; Väistö et al., 2014). Environmental factors such as decreased activity and increased sedentary routine (i.e., video gaming and television watching) as well as social influence regarding physical activity among children are thought to contribute to and maintain the problematic unhealthy lifestyle trends (McKenzie et al., 1997; Väistö et al., 2014). Introduction to physical activity habits at a young age can help to promote beneficial lifelong health behaviors. Obesity prevention and physical activity intervention programs are often costly and require extensive resources to run (Chen & Wilkosz, 2014; Rivera et al., 2016). Recent advances in mobile technology, such as the Fitbit,® can potentially offer a cost-effective solution to increasing physical activity levels among children. Few research studies have been published on the effectiveness of Fitbit® use among young children. Even fewer studies have examined the impact that social influence, such as gamification or challenge features, have on the user’s level of physical activity. The current study was aimed at determining: the effectiveness of the Fitbit® with children and the impact of social influences on physical activity. Overall, it was found that the Fitbit® alone and when using its 24-hr challenge feature were ineffective at increasing step counts to recommended levels. Similarly, adding the goal, for two out of the three dyads, was ineffective at increasing step counts, and the one dyad who did respond to this component was found to have confounded data due to learning about the upcoming rewards phase. The addition of tangible rewards was only found to increase steps for two of the four participants who received them.

Tummy time is an activity for infants to practice their early motor skills. Although most pediatricians recommend tummy time, parents may avoid the procedures due to infant discomfort during this period. The present study investigated whether a preferred item increased head elevation and decrease negative vocalizations during tummy time with two typically developing infants. We compared more-preferred items identified using preference assessments to that of maternal attention. In addition, we evaluated social acceptability of the two procedures with the mothers in two ways. First, the mothers were given the direct opportunity to select which tummy time treatment they would like to implement in a concurrent chains design. Second, the mothers completed social validity questionnaires regarding their personal experiences. We found that more-preferred items and mother’s attention were effective at increasing head elevation and decreasing negative vocalizations during tummy time for both infants; however, the caregivers preferred the treatment including the more-preferred items.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of different diabetes diagnoses on sharing practices. Diabetes is a family of diagnoses that involves a dysfunction of the pancreas and impacted insulin levels. Different forms of diabetes include type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and prediabetes. Diabetes is a health condition that may incur certain stigma and bias, and this may impact social interaction. Through this study, data collection was performed in order to surmise if there is a difference in sharing practices concerning diabetes diagnoses. It was hypothesized that sharing practices would be impacted by the types of diabetes diagnosis, versus control, in a negative manner. Using a between subject model, social discounting was tested at different social distances within each different group. The participants, university students, were divided into four different groups correlating to type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and control. Data was collected and analyzed. Through the use of different statistical analyses including non-parametric statistics, it was seen that there may be a difference between sharing for diabetes and non-diabetic individuals with participants trending towards being more willing to share with individuals diagnosed with diabetes.

Before the COVID19 pandemic, 20% of the children population was already at risk of showing problem behaviors associated with parents´ raising behaviors. Furthermore, we can study behavioral mechanisms through understanding behavioral learning principles underlying children´s choice of behaving. This paper describes the relationship between children´s behavior function and discounting of reinforcement in specific contexts as a pilot study. Thirteen scholar children, between 6 and 8 years old (M= 7; 69% were girls) took part in this preliminary study. The parents´ mean age was 34 years old (SD=6.01), 92% were women, and 100% were in confinement because of the COVID-19. We used the Children´s behavior inventory, the Alabama Questionnaire, the Probability of Compliance Occurrence Questionnaire, a Caregivers-children´s Observational System, and the Rabbat software version 2.0 (Escobar et al., 2020). We used a within-subject design to get the baseline thorough functional analysis situations (e.g., Waiting to receive reinforcement) and to assess the subjective value of reinforcement through delay, probability, and effort discounting tasks. We used Zoom®, Meet®, Visual Basic 10 Express®, and Google Forms® platforms, and accomplishing APA (2013) ethical guidelines. Mainly, results from the 104 behavioral patterns from the behavior´s functional analysis and the 780 trials of discounting task (260 temporal, 260 probability, and 260 effort discounting task) suggested children´s waiting to receive reinforcement negatively associated with opposition defiant, and hyperactivity behavior; both associated to effort and probability discounting (respectively). Furthermore, data indicated a generality of the children´s context choice effect over reinforcement devaluation when used the virtual rewards in computational environments and how different mechanisms of choice behavior resulted from the cost associated with the delivery of prizes. We have initiated to study the relationship between these subjective values of reinforcement, functional analysis of behavior, and choice procedures explaining children´s behaviors.

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a Tier 1 classroom intervention used to encourage teachers to implement effective classroom management strategies to increase academically engaged behaviors (AEB) and decrease disruptive behaviors (DB) in the classroom. The GBG literature demonstrates positive effects across various settings and participants. However, only two studies explore the effects of the GBG on students with severe disabilities. To expand the GBG literature, this study used a single-case multiple probe baseline design to investigate the impact of the GBG intervention on students with severe disabilities and general education teachers in inclusive classrooms. Findings indicate students were able to understand classroom-wide expectations and participate in the GBG, as demonstrated by an overall increase in AEB and an overall decrease in DB across all participants. Findings also suggest that the GBG had positive effects on general educator behaviors illustrated by an increase in praise statements and the implementation of positive classroom management strategies. This study demonstrates how the GBG can be used to provide positive behavioral supports to all students, including those with severe disabilities in inclusive settings. Findings also indicate several implications for practitioners as well as future researchers in the field of special education.

The emergence of joint attention is a critical point in children’s social and language development. Research shows the efficacy of various behavioural teaching strategies in increasing responses and initiations of bids for joint attention among children with autism spectrum disorder. The use of gaze-based behaviours has been the predominate method of evaluating the attainment of joint attention, as a marker of social engagement and awareness of others’ attention. Although children with visual impairment have difficulty perceiving how others’ attention is directed towards stimuli, they are assumed to acquire joint attention through alternative sensory modalities and positive social experiences. The purpose of the current study is to examine the effectiveness of a parent-implemented behavioural teaching strategy via telehealth to teach children with cortical visual impairment to engage in more bids for joint attention. Three to five children under 6-years and their caregivers will participate in a behaviour skills training procedure using a single-case, multiple baseline design. This study will report on the findings from pre to follow-up changes in children’s engagement in joint attention. The results of the study are expected to provide valuable information about effective caregiver-implemented behavioural teaching strategies to increase joint attention skills of children with visual impairment.

According to the Center of Disease Control, approximately 40 million adults in the workforce have a disability; the numbers are increasing ((Disability and Health Data System [DHDS], 2020). There is growing support for inclusive workplaces for adults with disabilities alongside legislation and State endorsed vocational training however eligibility criteria, costs, and limited availability to training programs often make them inaccessible. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate other training options. Behavior Skills Training (BST; Fetherson & Sturmey, 2014) is considered an evidence-based training model used to teach novel skills to a variety of populations including adults with disabilities. A systematic literature review from 2000 to 2020 was completed to determine what is known about using Behavior Skills Training to teach vocational skills to adults. Eleven articles met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Results supported that while Behavior Skills Training was effective in teaching vocational skills to adults, there were inconsistencies across components of Behavior Skills Training used, limited technological and measurement information reported, and outcomes indicting that the procedure was not efficient. Recommendations for future research are provided.

Many adults with developmental disabilities supported in residential services engage in challenging behaviour, interfering with their quality of life. Training direct care staff is essential to address these behaviours and improve relationships between service providers (SP) and service users (SU). However, little research directly assesses the effectiveness of training based on direct measures of behaviours or the long-term effects of these changes. This meta-analysis of 13 single-subject experimental designs evaluated staff training's effect on outcomes for SP and SU. The purpose of this research was to examine the types of training and factors responsible for improvements in SP and SU behaviours directly following training and during maintenance. Training in positive behavioural support was the most effective training for changing SP and SU's behaviour, followed by active supports. In-situ training and incorporating multiple components of behavioural skills training (particularly models and feedback) appeared to lead to greater changes. Follow-up was conducted for six out of 14 studies, and four maintained their results. The only factor found to account for these results was the use of a group format. This research demonstrates that the type of training and how training is delivered influence the effectiveness and maintenance of outcomes.

After an initial, multielement functional analysis resulted in low and undifferentiated levels of aggressive behavior across conditions, experimenters evaluated a diverted-attention condition in which a target therapist engaged in conversation with a secondary therapist and delivered mild reprimands following instances of aggression. The sensitivity of aggression to attention during this condition was demonstrated in a reversal design. Next experimenters evaluated multiple permutations of this condition including one in which a single therapist was present but engaged in a conversation on the phone. This condition required fewer staff members but also occasioned elevated levels of aggression as when both therapists were present. Aggression under this condition was then reduced using functional communication training.

Functional Communication Training (FCT) is a well-known and often recommended intervention to treat problem behavior among individuals with developmental disabilities. FCT consists of teaching a functional, alternative communicative response to replace problem behavior in the individual’s repertoire to allow them to obtain functional reinforcers that previously maintained problem behavior. Despite a number of literature reviews on FCT, to date, no literature review has examined studies that have evaluated FCT as a treatment for negatively reinforced problem behavior. It may be beneficial to explore treatment-related factors to inform practitioners and researchers on how to increase the social validity and generalization of FCT outcomes for negatively reinforced problem behavior(s). The primary purpose of this literature review was to evaluate factors that impact the effectiveness of FCT alone and/or in conjunction with other interventions to treat negatively reinforced problem behaviors. Results across 47 empirical studies supported and extended prior literature review findings. Some novel identified findings on factors that can affect FCT efficiency and generalizability were quality of reinforcement, variability of mands, and the exposure of problem behavior to establishing operations. Recommendations for clinicians and potential avenues for future research will be discussed. Keywords: functional communication training, negatively reinforced behavior, escape-maintained problem behavior

Cultural biases are prevalent in our society, and many instances have the power to influence individuals in different degrees. Within the South Asian community, there are numerous social stigmas and negative perspectives on seeking mental health services. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the social stigmas and cultural biases within the community experienced by parents who are raising children with developmental disorders. As a result, furthering their readiness to seek services for their child. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is beneficial in identifying values and choosing committed actions to aid parents in overcoming the barriers they face to better support their child. The specific ACT tools such as, identifying personal values, paying attention to the present moment, and choosing committed actions that are meaningful to them can help shift how this specific group approaches treatment for their child. Once caregivers identify what specific changes need to occur in their behaviors, whether that is influenced by South Asian stigma and biases experienced, this can influence the ability to access services for their child as early as possible. ACT is a powerful tool to overcome the prejudice caregivers encounter and promote fulfilling lives for their children.

The effectiveness of interventions based on functional analysis is well established in the empirical literature. A variation of the functional analysis is the trial-based functional analysis. The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of studies that utilize the trial-based functional analysis as a means of assessing challenging behavior, synthesized with the Rispoli et al. (2014) study. The method is based on the method described in Rispoli et al. (2014), with some minor changes including the addition of an examination of interobserver agreement and procedural integrity, and a look at the number of studies published on trial-based functional analysis through the years. The results of the current study add to the growing literature on the effectiveness of the trial-based functional analysis as a means of identifying the function of challenging behavior. This systematic review adds to and synthesizes with the Rispoli et al. (2014) literature review by examining participants and trial-based functional analysis characteristics in studies ranging in date from 2013 to October 2020. We compare the results of each review and discuss directions for future research, implications for practitioners, and limitations of this study.

The present research study sought to elaborate and adapt necessary vocational skills training procedures to a remote climate. Adapting Constant Time Delay procedures (CDT) to online instruction allows researchers to examine the effects of teaching domestic and vocational skills, identified by the LIFE curriculum (Dixon, in press), to two individuals with various developmental and/or intellectual diagnosis. Throughout this study, researchers utilized a matrix training approach to assist in developing the selected domestic skills (i.e. washing a table, washing a fridge door, washing a window) to increase autonomous living and potential future employment opportunities. A multiple probe design across targeted skills was replicated across the participants within their homes with prompting provided over virtual conferencing due to COVID-19. Results demonstrated an increase of task completion independent of prompting for both participants and when presented with the Treatment Inventory - Short Form (TEI-SF) participants indicated the intervention was helpful, positive, and adaptable to their current circumstances.

Individuals with developmental disabilities have limited access to participate in leisure activities compared to typically developing peers. Despite an abundance of free time, this population has limited access to leisure activity participation due to maladaptive behaviors and deficits in communication and social interaction. Leisure activities provides an opportunity for them to build relationships and gain skills that are essential for successful integration into the general public. Video modeling provides several advantages, such as, it can be edited to show the desired behavior, and the video can be repeated for better understanding. This systematic literature review analyzed 16 single-subject studies published from 2000 to 2020 that used video modeling to teach individuals with developmental disabilities to complete leisure activities. The dependent variable was the percentage of completion of the leisure activities. The studies were analyzed using the guidelines of the What Works Clearing House (2020). Participants in the study were aged between 3-35 years and were diagnosed with a varying diagnosis that fell under the generic term of developmental disabilities. Initial results analyzed through visual analysis indicate that video modeling is effective. The study’s limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

The relative effectiveness of accumulated reinforcement over distributed reinforcement among persons with developmental disabilities (DD) has been well established especially on easy tasks. However, inconsistent findings have been found for studies using diverse task difficulties. In this study, effectiveness of distributed and accumulated schedule of reinforcement was investigated using a visuospatial working memory task with moderate level of task difficulty. 33 children with intellectual disability (ID) ages from 7 to 11 years old were recruited. This study used a within-subject design in which visuospatial working memory task was administered under a distributed and an accumulated schedule of reinforcement. Dependent variables were accuracy rate, response rate per minute and correct response per minute. The results showed that accuracy rate and correct response rate per minute in the accumulated schedule of reinforcement were significantly greater than the distributed schedule of reinforcement. There was no significant difference between the groups in response per minute. Implications and limitations of current research and suggestions for future research were discussed.

Perspective taking is a common skillset of interest when considering individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Emerging trends suggest a relational frame theory (RFT) lens can be effective in establishing deictic responding as a generalized operant of behaviour, which is arguably synonymous with improving perspective taking skills, and thought to underlie diverse social skills. The current project seeks to explore the extent to which relational training can improve deictic relational responding, as well as the effect of such training on performance on common Theory of Mind (ToM) tasks. This case study examines the learning trajectory of an 8-year-old boy with ASD via PEAK Equivalence and PEAK Transformation modules. Results suggest an RFT approach is effective for the participant, yielding program mastery and demonstrating relational responding. Despite evidence suggesting relational training may not transfer to performance on common ToM tasks in individuals with ASD, the results discussed in this paper may indicate otherwise. Implications and next steps are discussed.

Early intensive behavioural internvention (EIBI) is a treatment program designed to increase adaptive behaviour and decrease maladaptive behaviours for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The current standard of data collection used by EIBI programs in Manitoba is paper-and-pencil. Participants were three Autism Consultants and one Autism Senior Tutor currently employed in a large, community-based EIBI program. Differences between accuracy of collecting Discrete Trial Teaching and challenging behaviour data using paper-and-pencil and an eHealth tool (TNAC®) were examined. Questions regarding the social validity of both methods of data collection were also examined. There were no substantial differences in accuracy between collecting DTT and challenging behaviour data using paper-and-pencil or TNAC®. Respondents indicated in the social validity questionnaires that paper-and-pencil was the preferred method to collect data across all categories. These findings suggest that using an eHealth tool for data collection could provide benefits to an EIBI program if the social validity components are addressed.

Children with autism require specific course of psychosocial and educational interventions to reach their full potentials. Often, these interventions are based on the principles of applied behavior analysis, which are reported to be effective regardless of cultural or geographical boundaries. However, relatively little is known about what practices are prevalent in efforts to treat children with autism in many countries and regions outside the United States, particularly in Asian countries, which accounts for a large portion of the world’s population. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review of all single-case research conducted with children with ASD in all of East Asia, and examined what practices are currently being promoted using single-case design, and the overall situation for autism treatment in these countries. Furthermore, we collected data specifically on social validity in order to examine perceptions of participants in these interventions. Through a systematic search of the literature, we identified a total of 27 single-case studies, and we systematically coded, synthesized and analyzed the data from all studies. Implications and recommendation for future research will also be discussed to address the treatment gap of evidence-based practices in these regions.

For individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a wide variety of treatment techniques have been proposed to decrease stereotypic behaviors. A majority of studies used consequence-based approaches exclusively. I used a self-management treatment package to reduce stereotypic behavior of a 17-Years-Old Student with ASD, in the school setting. The treatment package includes: teaching to emit the target behavior when the therapist says so, teaching to tact the target behavior when the therapist does it, check on a card if the target behavior was emitted using a momentary time sampling measurement procedure; gradually increase of the interval of measurement. I use a withdrawal with a parametric design to show internal validity. Data shows an increase from a mean of 54% of intervals without stereotypic behaviors in baseline, to 100% of intervals without stereotypic behaviors with the treatment package starting from a 1 minute interval until a 3 minutes interval.

Research has demonstrated imitation to be a pivotal skill in early childhood, serving learning and social interaction functions for young children. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently experience delays in this skillset, demonstrating challenges in the ability and/or propensity to imitate the actions of others. Current intervention programs frequently use Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) or Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) to teach imitation to young children with ASD. This study combined one component of RIT – contingent imitation – with DTT to enhance learning outcomes related to both the ability and propensity to imitate. A multiple probe design across three preschool children with ASD was conducted within participants’ early learning classrooms. Participants were between 4-years and 4-years, 8-months at study onset. One participant was White, one participant was Black, and one participant was of mixed racial background, Black and White. Response to intervention varied across participants, with participants whose teachers reported observing some appropriate object engagement at onset of intervention experiencing greater outcomes than the participant whose teacher reported observing limited appropriate object engagement. Further research is needed to improve the teaching of imitation to young children with ASD who exhibit low object engagement and an inability to imitate actions with objects.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, all affected countries have been forced to implement safeguards to protect their population, such as social distancing, mandatory quarantine, and contact restrictions. These safeguards impose drastic changes in people’s everyday life that may have an effect on their behavioral and mental health. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are especially vulnerable to these changes, and little is known about the effects of the pandemic on their functioning. This study aimed to explore caregivers’ perceived impact of COVID-19 on individuals with ASD in 15 Latin American (LATAM) countries. 1826 caregivers from the 15 different countries completed an online survey. Participants were asked about behavioral changes in the individual with ASD that occurred after the implementation of COVID-19 safety guidelines. Results indicated that caregivers perceived more irritability (64.9%), anxiety (59.1%), and wandering (46.6%). Changes in aggression, eating and sleeping habits were not as frequently endorsed but still significant. COVID-19 has resulted in increased challenges for individuals with ASD worldwide. Knowledge about the impact of COVID-19 on behavioral and socioemotional functioning among those with ASD is needed to better understand and support their needs during these uncertain times.

Self-efficacy refers to an individual’s perceived ability to accomplish specific expectations. Research indicates that individuals with higher self-efficacy are more likely to demonstrate persistent behaviors associated with meeting expectations. Special educators are required by law to implement evidence-based practices for students with autism, most of which are rooted in the concepts and principles of applied behavior analysis. Special educators with high self-efficacy are likely to believe that they have the ability implement evidence-based practices for students with autism and behave in a manner that ensures such practices are implemented with fidelity. Therefore, it is pertinent that special educators have high self-efficacy related to the ability to effectively teach students with autism. The Autism Self-Efficacy Scale for Teachers (ASSET) is a reliable and valid measure of special educator’s self-efficacy for educating students with autism. We administered the ASSET to 100 special educators who work with students with autism in public schools. Results indicated variability in responding across and within participants. We evaluated potential moderating variables such as grade level taught, instructional setting, and years of experience. Practical implications and recommendations for future research will be discussed.

One of the core features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is restrictive and repetitive behavior. It is also common for individuals with ASD to engage in problem behavior. The Behavioral Flexibility Rating Scale - Revised (BFRS-R), is structured rating scale that may be used to identify the severity of problem behavior that occurs when restrictive and repetitive behavior is somehow disrupted (i.e., demonstrating a lack of flexibility). Previous research suggests the BFRS-R may be used to inform the functional behavioral assessment process (Liddon et al., 2016). The present series of clinical data evaluates the use of the BFRS-R to inform a trial-based functional analysis and systematic treatment evaluation for severe aggression in a young man with ASD. Preliminary results demonstrate that that BFRS-R can be used to identify specific functional analysis conditions, yielding conclusive results (i.e., problem behavior occurrence during near 0% of control segments and 80-100% of test segments) and subsequent, function-based treatment evaluation conditions. That is, the BFRS-R may be informative in the assessment and treatment process of severe aggression with idiosyncratic functions of problem behavior related to behavioral inflexibility.

Children with developmental disabilities often achieve urinary continence later than their typically developing counterparts, or not at all. Incontinence can negatively impact an individual’s independence, hygiene, and physical comfort and can lead to stigmatism and reduced participation in social and community events. In this case study, we used an AB design to evaluate the effects of an intensive toilet training package on the continence of a young boy with autism spectrum disorder. The clinical team implemented a 1-day intensive toilet training package in the child’s home. For all subsequent days of toilet training, the caregivers implemented the packaged intervention. Following the first intensive day of toilet training, the percentage of appropriate urinations steadily increased and reached the mastery criterion of three consecutive days with 100% appropriate urinations and no accidents. We subsequently introduced a phase of enhanced reinforcement for self-initiations and observed a stable number of self-initiations until the treatment concluded. Results will be discussed within the context of practical implications, limitations associated with the weak experimental design used, and suggestions for future clinical applications.

Researchers and clinicians rely on single-subject comparison designs (e.g., alternating-treatment, parallel-treatment designs) to identify efficient intervention procedures that can improve learner outcomes. However, the extant literature has repeatedly noted the poor generality of the outcomes from such comparisons (e.g., Ledford et al., 2019; Johnston, 1988). That is, the efficiency of an intervention procedure is often idiosyncratic among the learners. Despite between-participant inconsistencies, some studies have demonstrated relatively consistent within-participant outcomes when multiple comparisons were conducted (e.g., Carroll et al., 2018; McGhan & Lerman, 2013; Yuan & Zhu, 2020). We will systematically review the studies that included multiple comparisons of the interventions to examine whether and the extent to which within-subject replication was demonstrated. If replication can be reliably achieved, clinicians may be able to utilize an initial comparison of the interventions to predict the relative efficiency of the intervention and can, therefore, inform the treatment-selection decisions.

Response to name (RTN) is often a deficit of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is a common treatment goal for children receiving early intervention services. Previous research has evaluated different prompting strategies to increase RTN without using physical guidance, which can be overly intrusive (Connie et al., 2019). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the use of pairing to teach RTN to preschool-aged children diagnosed with ASD. During pairing sessions, the child engaged with moderately preferred items and the experimenter said the child’s name three times while placing a preferred edible item in the child’s mouth. Following the completion of ten trials, the experimenter began a post-pairing session. During post-pairing, the experimenter stated the child’s name five times. A correct RTN (i.e., looking at experimenter’s eye region for any duration within 5 s) resulted in a brief social interaction (e.g., greeting, comment). Following every three post-pairing sessions, we conducted generalization and control sessions. During control sessions, the experiment stated a name other than the child’s five times. Preliminary results show pairing is effective at increasing RTN with two children with autism. We continue to implement this protocol with additional participants to provide more evidence supporting the effectiveness of this procedure.

Functional communication training (FCT) typically consists of determining the function(s) of challenging behaviors and teaching the child an appropriate communicative response that can serve the same function as the challenging behavior once did. In this study, FCT was used to teach infants/toddlers at risk for autism to appropriately request for their caregiver instead of engaging in challenging behaviors when the caregiver left the room. This study expands upon the current literature because of its participant age (under three years old) and “at-risk for autism” criteria (discussed in participant section). Five children were taught a functional communicative response (FCR) for their caregiver and then introduced to a time delay of reinforcement. Problem behavior decreased in all participants while the use of the FCR increased. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, data collection was cut short for 2 participants.

Early childhood interventions (e.g. Early Start Denver Model, Naturalist Development Behavioral Intervention), specifically parent or caregiver training for children at -risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are prevalent and there is an increasing concern for the caregivers sense of competency. Parent-Led Autism Treatment for At-Risk Young Infants and Toddlers (PLAAY) is a grant funded research initiative which identifies toddlers who are at high-risk for ASD and provides parent-assisted treatment for their children who experience challenging behavior and intervene through Functional Communication Training (FCT). This poster specifically evaluates the pre/post information to measure the change in responses from the Parent Sense of Competency (PSOC) scale. The PSOC will be used as a measure of social validity through a self-reporting questionnaire using a 6-point Likert scale to measure the parent’s competence through efficacy and satisfaction. The aim of this evaluation is to measure the caregivers change in overall competence after the PLAAY 10-week program. The results indicate a significant increase in parent’s competency after receiving caregiver-assisted treatment. This provides more information on the acceptability of early childhood interventions, specifically parent training with toddlers at-risk who display challenging behavior.

Involving typically developing siblings during interventions can be cost-effective and may lead to long-lasting and generalized behavioral outcomes for children with autism. Among the few studies that investigated the effects of sibling-mediated intervention, researchers have found that typically developing siblings were able to learn various procedures to improve learning outcomes of children with autism (Shivers & Plavnick, 2015). However, it may be difficult for typically developing siblings to learn and implement multiple interventions with varying protocols at a high level of integrity when teaching different skills to children with autism. Using a multiple baseline across behavior design, we investigated if 1) self-management could be used to maintain a high level of integrity when the typically developing sibling implemented a model-lead-test strategy and 2) the sibling-mediated model-lead-test strategy could effectively improve skills across multiple domains for children with autism. Our results showed that the self-management tactic effectively led to the correct implementation of the model-lead-test strategy and, in turn, resulted in improvement of the target skills across domains.

Because 30% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience difficulties with vocal communication, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems provide a means for those persons to communicate with others. When making a recommendation for a suitable AAC for an individual with communication impairments, practitioners must have access to the most current data. This systematic review screened various academic and professional data bases which yielded nine (n=9) alternating treatment design single case studies. These studies were compared to evaluate the efficacy of various AAC modalities using the TauU method of data non-overlap. This study also compared operants, evidence-based best practices, quality indicators, and modality preferences of participants. Visual and statistical analyses indicate most of the participants both preferred and performed better using a speech generating device (SGD) compared to picture exchange systems and manual sign. The findings of this study suggest that practitioners should consider using SGD systems to facilitate verbal behavior in children who experience ASD with limited or no vocal communication and that there is a need for SGD research beyond the utilization of mand training and participants 13 or younger.

Vocal stereotypy often interferes with an individual’s ability to acquire adaptive skills and can be socially stigmatizing (Gibbs et al., 2018). Vocal stereotypy is often maintained through automatic reinforcement. Response Interruption and Redirection (RIRD) is often used to address automatically maintained behavior. However, vocal stereotypy can be difficult to physically redirect. This study investigated the impact of RIRD on reducing vocal stereotypy on a student with ASD, whose stereotypies often pertained to past and future events. The intervention included a mindfulness component that required the student to engage in three verbal responses answering questions regarding the immediate environment or engaging the five senses. The study utilized a multiple baseline across settings design. The settings were a) sensory room where student is alone with preferred items, b) group lesson in which the student engaged in an activity with peers, and c) during workstations/independent work in which direct 1:1 instruction is given. The results showed decreased rates of vocal stereotypy in all settings. A withdrawal design demonstrated a return to increased rates of vocal stereotypy. The intervention appears to keep the student engaged with their immediate environment, reducing the likelihood of engagement in vocal stereotypy.

Autism is a neurological disorder that presents marked differences in behaviors in individuals. The external context which surrounds both the neurotypical population and individuals with autism is similar, yet there are consistent differences between these two groups. We have proposed a model which allows a functional contextualistic account of behavior that emphasizes the interaction between a neurological context, the external context, and behavior, to allow behavior analysts in conjunction with neuroscientists an equivalent approach for behavior. We reviewed the existing literature comparing neurological differences between individuals with autism and matched typically developing peers during executive functioning tasks that may require verbal relational responding. Neurological activity within the neurotypical population involves activation in the frontoparietal regions, which appears to overlap with regions of deficits within the autism population. These results support a potential complex interaction between neurological contextual differences and external contextual similarities that predicts performance difference in individuals with autism.

Prompting is classified as an evidence-based practice for individuals with autism (National Autism Center, 2015). Within the last ten years there have been several reviews on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for individuals with autism that commonly report prompting. However, there exists a need for further research to focus exclusively on prompting in AAC intervention research that provides details on the systematic prompting procedures and procedural parameters. This project reviewed six literature reviews published since 2011 on AAC and autism. From these six reviews, there were 125 included studies; 71 after duplicates were removed. These original 71 studies were reanalyzed to extract prompting elements from the intervention procedures. Thirty-three studies provided sufficient detail to be included in this analysis. Results suggest that the most commonly reported prompting procedure was system of least prompts (n=14) followed by constant time delay (n=8). Additional procedural parameters evaluated include: prompt levels, the types and arrangement of prompts, as well as time components. Results are also reported for the types of AAC systems and the targeted communication skill. The identification of these elements can aid practitioners in making informed decisions when utilizing prompting, as well as highlighting additional areas of need for future research.

Self-stimulatory behaviors in the form of hand flapping is a common form of stereotypy found in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The participant in the study engaged in this form of stereotypy so often that it was directly impeding with his learning and affecting his ability to form social relationships with others. Data collection and analysis indicated that the behavior may be primarily functioning as self-stimulation. Using a behavioral intervention package involving DRI, response interruption, and DRO strategies, the behavior was significantly reduced. The participant was able to engage in classroom activities and independent activity schedules with minimal engagement of hand flapping. His on task behavior and rate of skill acquisition has increased and maintained as the plan was systematically faded out.

The current study sought to establish whether rate of task acquisition may be affected by the interaction between learning ability and task difficulty for children with autism spectrum disorder enrolled in an early intensive behavioural intervention (EIBI) program. To do so, specific teaching tasks selected from the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills-Revised (ABLLS-R) that were previously categorized into learning ability levels were taught to two children recruited from an EIBI program. Each participant, P05 and P07, was assigned three teaching tasks that were programmed as a match, a mismatch above, and a mismatch below their current learning ability level. Teaching tasks were taught using discrete trial teaching methods for a maximum of 64 trials per task. A single teaching task, mismatched below P05’s learning ability, was mastered after 25 trials. No other teaching task was mastered within 64 trials for either participant. As this was only the first study to assess the rate of task acquisition for ABLLS-R tasks categorized into learning ability levels through direct observation, future researchers should continue to explore the effects of task difficulty on rates of task acquisition.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by challenges in social skills, repetitive behaviors, and communication. Feeding problems are highly prevalent in children with autism spectrum disorders. Feeding problems can include food selectivity, prompt dependence, and refusal during meals.These behaviors are socially stigmatizing and can negatively impact an individual’s nutritional status. Research has demonstrated that strategies based on applied behavior analysis are effective for increasing appropriate behavior and decreasing inappropriate behavior in children with autism; however, there is little research on treatment of feeding problems in children with autism. The current study examined the effects of using reinforcement and systematic prompting to increase independence while eating. A reversal design (ABAB) was utilized in which treatment consisted of the therapist presenting a token board containing 3 tokens and a picture of chosen reinforcer, along with the verbal cue, “Time to Eat, 3 tokens for ___.” A vibrating timer was set for 10 seconds. If ten seconds elapsed with no independent bite, a gesture prompt (in the form of therapist pointing to fork) was provided. No verbal prompts were provided. The present study demonstrated that using systematic reinforcement was effective in increasing independence in eating. Additional sessions should be run to systematically fade the number of responses required for reinforcement, and to demonstrate maintenance.

The present study used a variation of the go/no-go procedure (Serna, Dube, & McIlvane, 1997) to teach auditory matching to four preschool-aged children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Two sounds were presented in a continuous, alternating fashion at the start of each trial. If the sounds were the same, students indicated a match by touching a button; if they were different, students would refrain from touching that button for the duration of the trial. Phases of the intervention began with sound discriminations that became successively more complex, until they involved word discriminations. We used a nonconcurrent multiple-probe design to assess each participant’s performance on a list of echoics before, during, and after the intervention. Two students acquired a generalized echoic repertoire, one improved his articulation, and one acquired some vocal imitation skills; all four students could receptively identify matching sounds and words by the end of the intervention.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, children with ASD have limited access to therapy sessions which would lead to worse behavioral and cognitive outcomes (Zwaigenbaum et al., 2015). Therefore, it is important to train parents on delivering evidence-based practices. As a regular practice in early education as well as home settings (Mucchetti, 2013), shared reading offer adults opportunities to read aloud to children while using strategies asking questions, commenting about the story, or expanding on the child’s utterance to promote interaction between the adult and child, as well as support the child’s language and literacy development (NELP, 2008). This systematic review provides evidence that actors as reading quality, duration as well as book types may impact children’s performance. In addition, prompt, repeated reading, praise, expand, evaluate as well as question prompts will contribute to language acquisition as well as communication. Also, behavior skill training which includes instruction, modeling, role-play, feedback is still the main and effective parent training method. However, the limited studies included in this review also indicate that more research needs to be conducted to explore effective interventions on supporting engagement and verbal behavior of children with ASD in home setting.

This poster presents a service delivery model for using Immersive Virtual Environments (IVEs) to teach children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) social interaction opportunities with their typically developing siblings. The relationships between children with ASD and their typically developing siblings are often strained due to the lack of social skills and other problem behaviors (Hastings, 2003, O’Brien, Cuskelly, & Slaughter, 2019; Ward, Tanner, Mandleco, Dyches, & Freeborn, 2016). Immersive Virtual Environments consisting of putting children with ASD into different social scenarios is a method that can be used to teach them appropriate social skills. This session will guide the audience through procedures used to teach children with ASD different skills used during play and social interaction through Immersive Virtual Environments. Specific procedures include children with ASD reviewing virtual scenarios prior to play opportunities then demonstrating observed skills with their siblings. Preliminary results indicate virtual reality is an effective way to teach children with ASD different social skills. Data will be shared if available by conference date.

In-home applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatment has well-documented results and is widely recommended for children with autism. Since 1987, parents have sought and implemented ABA treatment in their homes for their children with autism. However, research on parents’ lived experiences with in-home ABA treatment is limited. As such, there is a need to study the impact and influence of ABA treatment on parents’ quality of life (e.g., challenges, scheduling, parenting). This qualitative study explored parents’ lived experiences while their children with autism received in-home ABA treatment using a phenomenological approach. Five parents participated in a 60-minute interview about in-home ABA treatment for their child with autism. Data was processed and analyzed using structural and descriptive textures. Results revealed 5 themes: perceptions of the child’s ABA clinicians, knowledge of in-home ABA services, satisfaction with child’s progress, facing challenges, and commitment to child’s in-home ABA treatment. These results may help ABA professionals improve their understanding of parents’ lived experiences involving their children’s in-home ABA treatment. Additionally, the study may help parents understand the empirical implications of seeking and receiving in-home ABA treatment and help extend knowledge, support, and treatment integrity for positive change in the effectiveness of in-home ABA treatment.

Parent training has a strong research-base in behavior analysis and is a viable solution for problems associated with raising a child with a disability. The present study is a single-case parent training study conducted in a university-based clinic. The participants were a mother of three boys, one of whom was diagnosed with autism. The parent training involved assessing the parent’s values and aligning the training to the parent’s values. Over ten weeks, the parent was trained on implementing a naturalistic teaching program. Each training and feedback session included an assessment of values, progress, and committed action. Measures included the child’s communication and problem behaviors. The parent’s implementation fidelity was measured each session along with levels of acceptance and fusion. The study utilized an ABCB reversal design. The B condition involved parent training with the child’s two siblings present, while the C condition was conducted without the siblings present. The study demonstrated that increases in implementation fidelity were related to improvements in psychological flexibility and committed action. Concurrent changes in the child’s communication and reduction in problem behaviors were likewise observed. These findings are discussed in light of current research on integrating components of acceptance and commitment therapy in parent training programs.

The current study used a multiple-probe design to examine the effects of a treatment package, including systematic desensitization, demand fading, and behavioral momentum, on increasing tolerance to delayed and denied access. The intervention was presented to a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder receiving center-based one-on-one applied behavior analysis therapy who engaged in high rates of screaming, property destruction, physical aggression, and self-injurious behavior when presented with demands to wait or denied access to items or activities. The participant was given demands to wait or denied access to items or activities by being told “no” in a game format using items of varying preference in a classroom setting. Maladaptive behaviors were defined according to the participant’s individualized behavior intervention plan. Results indicated that the treatment package increased the participant’s tolerance to delayed and denied access and decreased rates of behavior targeted for reduction. The study was extended to a generalization phase where the game format was faded and being told to “wait” and/or “no” were applied to naturally occurring opportunities. Data from this study suggests that the treatment package was effective in reducing problem behavior, increasing tolerance for “wait” and “no,” and generalizable to natural settings.

The profound effects of social injustice have been become undeniable and the systemic challenges affect the work of behavior analysts. For many, including culture in behavior analytic work may feel completely incompatible with our science. For those seeking to learn more, it can be overwhelming to dive into this area and it may clash with a lifetime of personal learning history. Behavior analysts unsure how to incorporate multiculturalism, diversity, and antiracism into their behavior analytic work, how to reconcile this with our science, and where to begin to learn about this topic are invited to this panel discussion. In this event, panelists with varying perspectives and levels of expertise will discuss existing resources within and outside the field of behavior analysis, how we can understand antiracism from a behavioral perspective, how to utilize behavioral tools to support culturally competent practice and supervision, and make recommendations for the training of culturally competent behavior analysts.

Target audience include graduate students, practitioners, and faculty.

The concept of freedom is analyzed in reference to the negative consequences of a capitalist system. Specifically, the contingencies that interfere with clinical and educational quality will be addressed. These contingencies include the exploitation of the labor force by private equity firms and universities, as well as the restrictions of for-profit health insurance. Each contingency highlighted may seem like a system in which we are free to behave as clinicians or educators. However, we hope to point out the restrictive and arguably unethical contingencies that capitalism produces, as these contingencies interfere with our ability to provide high-quality services. Furthermore, we provide solutions to these issues as well as the challenges we will likely encounter in pursuit of changing the system.

This content is intermediate to advanced. The prerequisite skills should include knowing the BCBA codes of ethics as well as an understanding of meta-contingencies.

Publication bias is the disproportionate representation of studies with certain characteristics, such as strong experimental effect, in the published research literature. Publication bias skews the body of scientific knowledge by overrepresenting studies with specific methodologies, analytic techniques, and data, which distorts the scientific literature and, ultimately, foments public distrust in science. Scholars in psychology and education have documented the presence of publication bias within these broad bodies of research. However, to date, behavior analysts have focused little attention on the possibility of publication bias in basic and applied behavior analysis research. Participants in this panel will reflect on their experiences as researchers, journal editors, and manuscript reviewers regarding issues of publication bias in behavior analysis. Their discussion will explore whether publication bias is a problem in behavior analysis research; how publication bias might manifest uniquely in our work; the potential impact of publication bias on the corpus of scientific knowledge in basic behavior analysis, applied behavior analysis, and on consumers of behavior analytic interventions; and potential strategies for reducing publication bias.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students. 

Dr. Galizio received his BA from Kent State University and his PhD from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee where he worked with Dr. Alan Baron.  In 1976, he joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina Wilmington where he is currently Professor of Psychology. His research interests include behavioral pharmacology,  stimulus control/concept learning, aversive control, and human operant behavior.  He has published two books, more than 100 articles and his research has been supported by NIDA, NSF and NICHD. He is a Fellow of ABAI and four APA divisions and is a past-president of APA Division 25 (Behavior Analysis) and of the Southeastern Association for Behavior Analysis and served as an At-Large member of the ABAI Executive Council. He has served on numerous NIH study sections and chaired two of them. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. 

Early intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder is historically rooted within two distinct theoretical foundations: behavioral and developmental sciences. Proponents of each discipline have traditionally held opposing views toward treatment, with little collaboration. A recent shift in autism intervention has led to the emergence of a group of interventions that incorporate elements from both developmental and behavioral science. These naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBI) have been used effectively in a variety of settings. This symposium includes a series of presentations describing the application of NDBI across a range of settings, with a focus on describing the integration of developmental and behavioral science. The first presentation will provide a broad overview of NDBI, including a description of its core components. The second will describe the implementation of NDBI in a hospital-based clinic setting, including data related to the characteristics of children enrolled in the program. The third will describe outcomes from a group-based delivery of NDBI for preschool-aged children. The final presentation will shed light on the actual use of NDBI strategies by describing the self-reported utilization of developmental and behavioral strategies from a large sample of applied behavior analysis providers.

basic

A recent trend in early intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder is the development of interventions that bridge both developmental and behavioral sciences. This new breed of interventions, Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI), merge best practices in these two previously opposing approaches to intervention. NDBI integrate behavioral learning theory and developmentally-focused strategies within natural environments. Several efficacious NDBI treatment models have been successfully implemented across a variety of settings with improved child and family outcomes. Yet, this approach has yet to be disseminated widely among behavior analysts. This presentation will provide an in-depth overview of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions, with an emphasis on how this approach can be incorporated into existing applied behavior analysis programs for young children with autism spectrum disorders. The presentation will include: a description of the theoretical background underlying the approach, the core components of NDBI, and examples illustrating its application. A summary of the evidence supporting the effectiveness of NDBI and recommendations for incorporating NDBI strategies into existing programs will be provided.

This presentation describes the clinical implementation of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs; Schreibman et al., 2015) in a hospital-based autism center. Parents of young children recently diagnosed with autism are coached on strategies to promote social communication. Different service delivery models (e.g., telehealth) and the strategies comprising the parent-mediated NDBIs will be discussed. Data will be presented about characteristics of the parents and children referred for, enrolled in, and who have completed one of the center’s NDBI programs. As enrollment in NDBIs is ongoing, we anticipate including additional data related to child social communication and other behaviors over time, and other factors potentially related to enrollment and completion of NDBI programs. Important considerations for implementation of parent-mediated NDBIs in a hospital-based clinic setting will be discussed, including advantages, possible barriers, need for modifications, and future directions for research and practice.

Group-learning models for young children with autism provide environments rich with opportunities for teaching social communication and interaction skills. Comprehensive preschool programs that incorporate naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (NDBI) strategies have produced improvements in children’s social communication skills, social engagement, and core ASD symptoms (Stahmer & Ingersoll, 2004; Strain & Bovey, 2011). This presentation will provide an overview of an NDBI treatment model delivered within a group program for preschool-aged children with autism. A description of the treatment model and subsequent changes in children’s social communication skills for 20 preschool-aged children enrolled in the program will be discussed. Staff fidelity was measured using a direct observation fidelity tool designed to measure the core components of a group-based NDBI model. Fidelity was high and averaged over 87% accuracy across all NDBI components. Changes in children’s social communication were measured at baseline and following six months of intervention using the Social Communication Checklist, a curriculum-based measure of social communication. Improvements were observed across all domains, with significant improvements in the group’s overall social communication score (p < .05), social engagement (p <.01), and play skills (p <.05). Implications for research and practice incorporating NDBI into group-based treatment programs will be discussed.

Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs; Schreibman et al., 2015) are a class of early interventions for autism spectrum disorder with growing empirical support, however, their similarity to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as delivered in the community is unknown. This online survey-based study characterized the self-reported utilization of developmental and behavioral intervention techniques in a large sample of ABA providers (n=368) and explored what aspects of provider background predict utilization. Respondents rated the extent to which they used each of a number of intervention techniques in a recent session with a specific child. ABA providers self-reported less use of developmental techniques than behavioral techniques, t(356)=-26.35, p<0.001. Providers with greater self-reported competency in NDBIs reported more frequent use of developmental techniques (Table 1); NDBI competency was not related to use of behavioral techniques, which were reported at high levels across providers. Point-biserial correlations indicated some trending relationships with training background such that providers with a background in psychology reported greater use of developmental techniques and those with backgrounds in ABA and special education reported less use (Table 1). Results suggest that further research on the similarities and differences between NDBIs and ABA delivered in the community is warranted.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong disorder that affects children and families in several ways. A growing body of research has documented the ways in which racial disparities affect the rate of identification, access and use of services, and relationship with professionals making the diagnoses. In general, Latino children are diagnosed with ASD later in life; usually with more severe symptoms, lower IQs, and more health conditions, compared with non-Latino children. Furthermore, cultural factors can shape how the signs of ASD are conceptualized and how families accept a positive diagnosis, especially how they are affected by stigma. Diminished access to diagnostic services as well as having a caregiver with a non-English primary language can act as barriers to identifying children with ASD, in particular Latino children. This lecture will review current research in health disparities in both early identification and access to services of Latino children with ASD. Research with this underserved population contributes to enhancing diagnosis and identification methods for Latino children with ASD and assessing the unidentified risk factors and barriers to accessing services, hence improving their outcomes.

researchers, allied health professionals, educators

Converging evidence pinpoints the basic conditions that people need to thrive—minimal amounts of coercion or threat, high levels of positive reinforcement for prosocial behavior, psychological flexibility, and environments that have minimal influences or opportunities for problem behavior. There is, however, a substantial gap between what we know about human thriving and the quality of social environments for millions of people. This symposium describes the creation of the Coalition of Behavioral Science Organizations, which ABAI helped to create. It is designed to foster the translation of behavioral science knowledge into widespread implementation of programs and policies that. By working in cooperation with other behavioral science organizations we can increase our influence on public policies advance the use of our knowledge. This symposium will describe the rationale and development for the Coalition of Behavioral Science Organizations and will then describe the progress that the coalition is made in promoting a long-term effort to improve individual and family well-being in neighborhoods of concentrated disadvantage.

The attendees should have training in any area of behavior science, including not just behavior analysis, but also behavioral medicine, education, and prevention.

This panel represents the second annual DEI Board discussion in a series designed to provide the ABAI membership with: 1) updates on Board activities, 2) opportunities for considering specific topics of relevance to advancing DEI efforts within ABAI and more broadly, and 3) a mechanism for input and ideas from the audience. This year’s panel will focus on the potential contributions of behavior analysis theory and scientific research to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in ABAI and, more generally, in society. After a brief review of the Board’s actions over the past year by Carol Pilgrim, Chair of the ABAI DEI Task Force, DEI Board members will share perspectives on how the science of behavior analysis can be brought to bear in designing DEI initiatives and evaluating their effectiveness. Time for questions and comments from the audience will be included to allow for sharing relevant experiences and lessons learned.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Jovonnie Esquierdo-Leal is the Program Development Specialist for the Diversity and Inclusion Office at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). She received her M.A. from California State University, Fresno and is currently a doctoral candidate at UNR. Jovonnie’s scholarly interests include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); social justice; Behavioral Systems Analysis (BSA); verbal behavior; and leadership.

Dr. Jomella Watson-Thompson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science, and the Director of the Center for Service Learning at the University of Kansas. She is also affiliated with the Center for Community Health and Development. She attained a Ph.D. in Behavioral Psychology and a Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Kansas. She applies behavioral science methods and interventions to improve how communities address issues related to community health and development. Her research has focused on behavioral-community approaches to neighborhood development, substance abuse prevention, and youth and community violence prevention. Dr. Thompson supports community-engaged scholarship using participatory approaches to address social determinants or factors that may contribute to disparities, particularly for marginalized groups and communities. She has researched the effects of community-based processes and behavioral-community interventions to promote mobilization and change in communities. Dr. Thompson has received numerous funding awards and co-authored articles on community capacity-building, youth and neighborhood development, and adolescent substance abuse and youth and community violence prevention.  She is as an Associate Editor with Behavior and Social Issues and serves on the ABAI Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Board.

Behavior analysts have a history of demonstrating large-scale reductions in severe behavior disorders among the individuals we serve. While this may lead to a quality-of-life improvement, problem behavior is not likely to be eliminated entirely. As such, there are still times in which problem behavior could produce significant danger to an individual, including when unaware or untrained first-responders answer a crisis. The current symposium will first include a presentation on survey results related to the physical and emotional impact of problem behavior on caregivers as well as modifications caregivers have made to their homes to prevent damage caused by problem behavior. These impacts may be critical when training first-responders or other professionals who may be called upon to mitigate the impact of problem behavior. Second, we will present caregiver reports of the use of first-responder services based on their child’s demographics (e.g., race, ethnicity, age, and type of challenging behavior exhibited). Finally, we will show an effective procedure to teach law enforcement officers strategies to promote compliance when responding to a crisis. Overall, these presentations will go beyond the direct reduction of problem behavior to begin to address the safety of individuals with severe behavior disorders during emergency circumstances.

N/A - Basic level

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder who engage in challenging behaviors are at increased likelihood of coming into contact with first responders during crisis situations. Currently the demographic risk factors associated with contacting first responders is unknown. The purpose of this study is to examine whether caregivers report differential use of first responder services based on their child’s demographics, including race, ethnicity, age, and type of challenging behavior exhibited. Experimenters evaluated 579 participant case files for information regarding caregivers’ use of first responders during crisis situations. Findings from the study suggested no significant differences in contacting emergency services based on race. In regards to ethnicity, findings indicated individuals who identify as Hispanic are less likely to contact emergency services in response to their child engaging in challenging behaviors than those that identify as non-Hispanic. We discuss the clinical implications of outcomes and present areas of future research.

Law enforcement officers (LEOs) may use physical force unnecessarily or escalate problem behavior when attempting to gain the compliance of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Copenhaver & Tewksbury, 2019). Although specialized training may remedy this problem, the relatively small literature on such training programs indicates the need for further research (Railey et al., 2020). This study evaluated the outcomes of performance-based instruction on strategies to promote compliance when LEOs respond to calls involving individuals with ASD. Results for three LEOs and 24 police cadets demonstrated the efficacy of behavioral skills training (BST) for teaching LEOs how to interact more effectively with individuals with ASD. Results also suggested that hands-on training should supplement commonly used forms of didactic instruction.

Compassion is showing concern for others who are experiencing suffering. In recent years, an emphasis has been placed on “compassionate care” within healthcare, and some studies have suggested that an empathetic approach to patient care may lead to improved outcomes as well as increased social validity. ABAI’s recent Presidential Address highlighted compassionate behavior analysis as a guiding core principle. Over the past year, we have faced numerous challenges, including a deadly virus, racism, violence, natural disasters, fiscal worries, political unrest, and rising mental health issues. Given these challenges, a compassionate approach within healthcare and education seems more necessary now than ever. With the necessary migration of graduate education to online formats, the absence of human connection emphasizes the need for compassionate education and support. How can we, as behavior analysts, incorporate compassionate practices into how we mentor, teach and train graduate students in an online format? In this panel, we will discuss various methods for weaving compassion into our teaching, mentoring, and advising of students. This discussion will focus on curriculum, communication, administration, and organizational systems. Panelists will describe their experiences and recommendations to support students in this ever-changing world.

Graduate students and faculty of online ABA programs.