Association for Behavior Analysis International

In order to maintain ethical obligations, behavior analysts must ensure the treatment they provide to patients is effective. While research has demonstrated that applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy provided over telehealth modalities is effective for clinical supervision and caregiver consultation, there is limited research on the effectiveness of ABA over telehealth directly to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study utilized natural environment teaching and discrete trial training procedures provided over a videoconferencing platform to teach new skills directly to eight individuals, between 4 and 16 years old, with a primary diagnosis of ASD. Skills were taught directly to each individual solely over the videoconferencing platform in a multiple baseline research design. Skills taught were in the language, adaptive, and social domains. All eight individuals acquired mastery for all targets. Additionally, generalization was assessed to caregivers for some targets and findings are discussed. Results suggest that ABA provided over telehealth directly to the patient is a modality that is effective and can be considered for all patients when assessing the appropriate location of treatment.

As telehealth direct therapy is increasingly provided to individuals with autism spectrum disorder, it is critical to ensure that the intervention is provided with integrity. Not only is this central in ensuring services are of a high quality; measuring integrity is also a necessary part of meeting ethical practice requirements. The telehealth therapy treatment integrity measure (TTTIM) includes seven sections that address various aspects of a telehealth direct therapy session: 1) caregiver engagement and support, 2) planning, 3) patient engagement, 4) downtime, 5) behavior intervention plan, 6) skill acquisition, and 7) data collection. Each section includes items that specify critical behaviors the behavior technician (BT) should implement. Items specify behaviors that are telehealth specific as well as behaviors that require generalization of an existing BT skill set to the videoconferencing platform. A description of the TTTIM and strategies for implementation will be discussed. The TTTIM provides an initial definition of behaviors a BT should implement during a telehealth direct therapy session in order to ensure they are providing quality services within their scope of competence.

Differential responding to long intervals—i.e., long-interval timing—requires a functional hippocampus (HPC). However, reduced timing capacity in HPC-lesioned animals performing timing tasks is complicated by ostensible motivational effects which arise from the delay-to-reward imposed by interval timing tasks, as well as overlap between timed and non-timed responses. To address these concerns, two adjustments to long-interval timing tasks are proposed. First, subjects should be afforded with reinforced non-timing behaviors concurrent with timing. Second, subjects should initiate the onset of timed stimuli. Under these conditions, interference by extraneous behavior would be detected in the rate of concurrent non-timing behaviors, and changes in motivation would be detected in the rate at which timed stimuli are initiated. In a task with these characteristics, rats initiated a concurrent fixed-interval (FI) random-ratio (RR) schedule of reinforcement. Changes in schedule requirements affected the rate of initiating responses and the timing of changeovers, but reduced reinforcer efficacy, via pre-session feeding, only affected the former. A similar task using concurrent FI FI schedules revealed the effects of chronic variable stress—which reliably impacts hippocampal function—on motivation and interval timing.

Behavior analytic interventions delivered via telehealth have undergone a number of experimental evaluations with evidence supporting the use of telehealth to reduce problem behavior and increase functional communication. This symposium presents the results of four studies, conducted across three different research labs, evaluating innovations in the assessment and treatment of problem behavior via telehealth with a focus on parent-implemented assessments and interventions. The symposium will begin with a brief literature review focused on the evidence supporting functional assessment and function-based treatment delivered via telehealth (Talk 1). Researchers will then present advances in assessment including results from a brief functional analysis delivered via telehealth (Talk 2) and telehealth-mediated functional communication training conducted internationally with families in Asia (Talk 3). Author(s) also demonstrate the generalizability of functional communication training beyond training contexts (Talk 4). Finally, as a leader in this area of behavior analysis, Dr. Jennifer McComas, will discuss the studies, findings, and implications for research and practice.

As the world continues to navigate the COVID-19 health crisis, behavior analysts are considering how best to support families while maintaining services and ensuring the health and safety of everyone involved. Telehealth is one service delivery option that provides families with access to care in their own communities and homes. This presentation will review the findings of Schieltz and Wacker (2020) by providing a brief review of the behavior analytic telehealth literature in applied behavior analysis that provided coaching and training to families for individuals who displayed challenging behavior. These studies targeted functional assessment and function-based treatment for challenging behavior. Specifically, we will briefly summarize what is known relative to the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior via telehealth, place these results within a descriptive context of the decisions made by our research team, and discuss what we, as behavior analysts, should consider next to advance our understanding and practice of telehealth.

Interventions combining functional analysis (FA) and functional communication training (FCT) are effective in mitigating socially maintained problem behaviors. Recent studies evaluating the effectiveness of using telehealth to train caregivers across large geographical distances in the United States (Wacker et al., 2016) and internationally (Tsami & Lerman, 2019) indicate that this modality can increase families’ accessibility to evidence-based interventions for problem behavior, such as FCT. Additionally, the telehealth model reduces service costs while maintaining caregiver procedural integrity (Ferguson et al., 2018). Providing these services to international families might decrease barriers to effective treatment and promote parental well- being (e.g., reduce stress and depression; Frantz et al., 2018). In this study, practitioners and interpreters in the United States remotely coached six caregivers of children with autism residing in two countries in Asia (i.e., Pakistan and Vietnam) to implement FA and FCT. All children reached the 90% reduction of problem behavior criterion and acquired the communicative response. Additionally, all caregivers indicated that the procedures were acceptable. The impact of training on levels of parenting stress, psychological distress, and self- efficacy also will be discussed. Overall, our findings suggest telehealth is a feasible modality for service delivery in Asia.

Functional communication training (FCT) is a well-established treatment for problem behavior in young children with autism (National Autism Center, 2015; Wong et al., 2014). Parent-mediated FCT delivered in the home, but facilitated by therapists through telehealth is an effective approach that extends the treatment model into a natural context (Lindgren et al., 2016). Despite an extensive literature base supporting FCT, little is known about the generalized effects of FCT outside of the training context. In this study, generalization of treatment effects were evaluated as part of a large multi-site study on parent-delivered FCT for children with autism using telehealth. To meet this purpose, data were collected from pre- and post-treatment parent ratings of targeted and non-targeted problem behavior in settings and contexts outside of the training conditions. Results suggest that the effects of FCT may extend beyond the behaviors and contexts targeted for treatment. Possible reasons for successful generalization, implications for practice, and suggestions for future research will be discussed.

Studies on interteaching have shown that it leads to higher exam scores, more positive course evaluations, and increased levels of student participation in class. Most interteaching research has been conducted in traditional face-to-face classes, thus there is a need to demonstrate the efficacy of this approach in online learning environments. The first presenter will acquaint the audience with interteaching and discuss results of a literature review summarizing the published research that has evaluated interteaching in an online environment. The second presenter will describe results of a study which evaluated the effect of adding cumulative exams to the interteaching method in an online asynchronous class. The third presenter will highlight the findings of a study on the effect of instructor presence on student engagement during online synchronous interteaching discussions. The final presenter will review the interteaching literature related to the effect of different components of interteaching on student outcome, and include a tutorial on how to implement components of interteaching in an online classroom. Together, these four presentations illustrate current online interteaching research and practice in higher education.

Academics, supervisors, and teachers.

The present study is an extension of the previous study presented at ABAI International in 2019. The investigators looked at the effects of instructor presence on student engagement in an online graduate behavior analysis class. Student engagement and instructor presence were evaluated in an interteaching environment. Interteaching is an approach which incorporates engagement between at least two students and/or student with faculty to improve learning and increase fluency of definitions and class material (Boyce & Hineline, 2002). In this study, participants were assigned to groups based on availability and given weekly preparation guides, composed by the instructor, to answer collaboratively and subsequently submit for further clarification. Student engagement and instructor presence were recorded using partial-interval recording and a modified alternating treatments design.

Interteaching is a behavioral instruction method that departs from the traditional lecture format in College settings (Boyce & Hineline, 2002). Though previous research has consistently supported its effectiveness (Querol et al., 2015; Saville et al., 2011; Sturmey et al., 2015), a recent meta-analysis (Hurtado-Parrado et al., under review) found that less than 5% of published studies reported implementation of interteaching in online settings (synchronous or asynchronous). The dramatic increase in remote teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic has required instructors to adjust their methods accordingly, including those implementing in-person interteaching. The experience of adapting interteaching to synchronous and asynchronous online instruction will be described. While doing so, data related to different components of interteaching and their relation to students’ performance will be discussed, with an emphasis on the relationship between Preparatory Guides (10-15 questions of varying complexity based on the course readings) and Discussions (students peer review the Preparatory Guides of other students). Preliminary data show that scores on Preparatory Guides and Discussions significantly predict 44% of the variance in Quiz scores. A related mediation analysis (Hayes, 2013 - Model 4) indicates that the relationship between Preparatory Guides and Quiz scores is significantly mediated by Discussions (95% CI [.1038, 1.3795]).

The ECHO- Education: Autism model utilizes videoconferencing technology to simultaneously connect parents, caregivers, and family members (known as the ‘spokes’) to an inter-disciplinary panel of university-based specialists (known as the ‘hub’) in regularly scheduled sessions. These professional learning opportunities are grounded in the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis and family support, seeking to provide families with the support necessary to decrease child engagement in challenging behavior, while increasing access to systems of care. This model seeks to increase collaboration and support among caregivers across the country, especially in areas that may have limited access to these resources. Measures of efficacy of the implementation of the ECHO model include positive child and caregiver outcomes, as well as development of a community of support for caregivers navigating similar experiences. This symposium will discuss three different ECHO networks focused on providing caregiver coaching and support for families of children with autism and other related disabilities. Further, implementation of this model at the University of Washington, the University of Virginia, and University of Wyoming will be presented and discussed.

Behavior Analysts providing parent coaching and caregiver/family support to families of children diagnosed with disabilities.

Being confined with inadequacy to explore may cause animals housed in managed-care facilities to engage in stereotypic behaviors. Stereotypic behaviors often include pacing, random motor behaviors, or any repetitive behavior without any apparent goal. Enrichment devices prove to be one solution that may help increase the quality of life for animals in managed care. Environmental enrichment provides non-human organisms opportunities to engage in adaptive behaviors and may improve their well-being, however the exposure and enrichment animals receive in the wild can be difficult to replicate. In the current study, we used the results of food and color preference assessments to create individualized enrichment devices. Researchers used highly preferred food in enrichment devices based on the most and least preferred colors of the loggerhead seat turtle. An alternating treatment design was used to assess the effects of each device on stereotypic and adaptive behaviors. Results and implications for practice will be discussed.

Programming for generalization is a critical component of applied behavior analysis. Previous research has evaluated several procedures for achieving stimulus generalization in the context of tact training with children with autism spectrum disorder, including serial multiple exemplar training (S-MET), concurrent multiple exemplar training (C-MET), and instructive feedback (IF). Although previous research has compared some or all of these procedures, results have been mixed. In the present study, we used an adapted alternating treatments design to directly compare the efficacy and efficiency of S-MET, C-MET, and IF for producing generalization of tacts of various types of stimuli (e.g., color photographs, black and white outlines, colored drawings) with four males with autism spectrum disorder. For most participants, C-MET led to generalization in the fewest training sessions, followed by IF. These results suggest that S-MET is unlikely to lead to generalization more efficiently than other conditions, but that the ideal training arrangement may be idiosyncratic.

The current study examined the efficacy and efficiency of incorporating the use of instructive feedback within matrix training to teach children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to label common objects and adjectives. The study was conducted in a private school providing educational services to students with ASD based on the principles of applied behavior analysis. We taught one set of responses using a non-overlapping matrix, a second set of responses using an overlapping matrix, and a third set of responses using a non-overlapping matrix along with secondary targets to three individuals with ASD. The results demonstrated that all teaching methods were effective and all trained and untrained responses were acquired. Additionally, results will be discussed across different measures of efficiency, including training sessions and training time to mastery. Our findings will be discussed in light of the extant matrix training and instructive feedback literatures. Additionally, we will provide directions for future research.

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.

Since first published (Iwata et al., 1982), the process of Functional Analysis (FA) has profoundly changed the process and effectiveness of Applied Behavior Analytical (ABA) treatment for individuals with challenging behaviors. Across ages and diagnoses, ABA has provided empirically validated evidence based treatment for behaviors maintained by attention, escape from demand, or tangibles. Yet in the years that have followed, the identification of automatic (assumed to be sensory) or undifferentiated findings has not kept pace, and this has left Behavior Analysts without a clear approach to treatment. This often results in needing to rely on default technologies that are often controversial, and less effective. In this symposium, we will discuss the potential significance of medical issues on understanding the individual’s idiosyncratic function(s) of behavior; Looking at neuro-biological variables as potential motivating operations in further clarification of the function(s) of behavior; and working toward awareness of environmentally mediated variables informed by fine grained analysis of automatic reinforcement maintaining the behavior. Practical suggestions regarding more effective practice and research to address challenging behavior will be included.

This symposium is intended for intermediate behavior analysts engaged in research and application of applied behavior analysis in treatment of challenging behaviors.

Nearly 40% of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have at least one comorbid anxiety disorder (van Steensel, 2011). Behaviors associated with anxiety have shown greater differences in heart rate range (Chock & Koesler, 2013). Additionally, some individuals with ASD manifest hyper- or hypo-reactivity to sensory input (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition [DSM-V], 2013). Due to this, physiological measures that require contact with the skin may present problems for individuals with atypical responses to tactile stimulation. In order to address this concern, a habituation protocol was used to assess participants’ tolerance to wearing a vest for the collection of physiological measures. Specifically, a repeated presentation procedure was conducted to decrease possible sensitivity to a vest (Thompson & Spencer, 1966). The results indicated that all six participants in this study successfully completed the habituation protocol and none required a lengthy fade in protocol for wearing the vest. Based on these results, apparatus using these types of physiological measures are feasible for conducting research. These findings should encourage other researchers interested in assessing physiological responses in individuals with possible sensory sensitivities.

The diagnostic severity of ASD is partly based on restrictive and repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, and activities (APA, 2013). Automatic reinforcement function accounts for 16.9% of restrictive and repetitive behaviors and 25% of self-injurious behaviors (SIB) based on functional analyses (Beavers, Iwata, and Lerman, 2013; Hagopian, 2015). The types of behaviors within this category include 1) stereotyped or restrictive motor movements or vocalizations, 2) insistence in sameness, inflexibilities with routines, ritualized vocal or non-vocal behavior, 3) highly restricted/fixated interests, and 4) hyper-/hypo- reactivity to sensory factors (APA, 2013; CDC, 2013). Due to the nature of automatically reinforced behaviors, it is recommended that physiological assessments be used to determine relationships between physiological events and behavior (Romanczyk and Gillis, 2006). Tools that are sensitive to biological activity may help to discern sources of automatic reinforcement. The current investigation is a continuation of the utilization of functional analysis, treatment analysis, and physiological measures to investigate the role that positive and negative automatic reinforcement play in the treatment of problem behaviors. The results show an association between non-socially mediated behaviors and physiological events and adds to the empirical basis for differentiating operant psychology principles for operant and respondent conditioning.

A central component of the Morningside Model of Generative Instruction is teaching students specific repertoires, called “learning skills”, that allow them to more effective and more confident learners in the classroom. Online learning created many challenges for teachers and students, particularly in the area of learning skills instruction. Morningside teachers had to assess, then teach, not only the specific skills needed to effectively learn in the remote setting, but also those that would be necessary for in-person setting. This presentation will focus on that assessment, instruction, and measurement process. With the students working at home, amidst several distractions, online learning created a unique opportunity to teach the students to advocate for themselves and to take control of their own learning. To develop these independent learning repertoires, students were taught to identify when they were confused, what part of the instruction confused them, and how to ask specific questions to get the information necessary to be successful. Students were then coached to track these behaviors using Morningside’s Daily Support Card and the Standard Celeration Chart, to set goals to decrease the amount of time between activities and the number of prompts given in each instructional period.

As the world of remote learning unfolds, old habits and patterns must be adjusted for technological advances. Markle describes good instructional design as having meaningful active responding, errorless learning, and immediate feedback. Donald Cook observed, “...the principles of active response and low error rate were widely cited, but they were often misunderstood and misapplied.” Often overlooked is the word meaningful; being active is not enough. Responding that is a function of prompting, copying, or echoing, are all active, yet all should be avoided when teaching cognitive tasks. When Morningside Academy moved to online learning, faculty had to stay true to the model. The author will provide examples of response requests that require active responding, how a mathetics approach limits errors and facilitates an error analysis, and new ways to to provide immediate feedback.

Learning at the Judge Rotenberg Center shifted from the school buildings to individual residences. Dining rooms and living areas became classrooms and teachers were tasked with instructing a new group of students organized by residential assignment to accommodate the school health and safety plan. High rate responding activities during ELA instruction occurred at the school daily before moving to in-person instruction from the residences. From March-June, students continued to engage in high rate responding activities during ELA instruction, from their residence opposed to the structure of the classroom. This presentation aims to share data from one classroom/residential group of students diagnosed with severe disabilities and between the ages of 15-19, before, during, and after initial pandemic response adaptations to learning environments within the Judge Rotenberg Center. This Presentation will also detail steps taken to deliver in-person instruction from the residential environment. Data presented was collected using the IReady Assessment tool for both Reading and Math for each student.

Behavior analysis offers a variety of instructional technologies to teach all types of students a variety of skills. Many college-level instructors have incorporated behavior analytic techniques to the college classroom successfully to improve learning outcomes across subject areas. While there are a plethora of data available on the effectiveness of these techniques in face-to-face classroom, several issues arise regarding the practicality of these techniques in an online classroom. The current presentation highlights the literature on instructional design and evidence-based instructional strategies as it applies to virtual learning. Additionally, the presenters offer practical recommendations with associated examples on how to extend additional strategies to meet the demand of virtual learning.

In order for behavior-analytic treatments to be maximally effective, caregiver training (e.g., parents, teachers) is necessary. This symposium will describe four studies examining methods for assessing variables related to poor caregiver performance and strategies for training caregivers to implement behavioral interventions. The first study describes an evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services, designed to assess the environmental determinants of poor staff performance. The second study will present data examining the utility of a self-instructional manual for training special-education teachers and graduate students in behavior analysis to select appropriate prompting strategies. The third presentation describes a study evaluating methods for training staff to implement task analyses with high levels of fidelity. Finally, the fourth presentation will describe a randomized controlled trial assessing the effects of a manualized parent-training program targeting high-frequency challenging behaviors displayed by children with autism spectrum disorder. Training caregivers to become effective treatment agents is an integral part of behavior-analytic service delivery and each presentation will provide thoughtful insights on the topic. To end, the discussant will review the collective findings and provide directions for future research.

The target audience for this symposium will be students, researchers, and practitioners that are interested in caregiver training.

Manualized parent-training protocols (e.g., the Incredible Years) are available to parents whose children engage in problematic behaviors. These protocols typically utilize an eclectic range of therapeutic strategies. To date, however, there has not been a manualized parent-training protocol that exclusively utilizes behavior analytic-based techniques to address problematic behaviors common among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We examined the efficacy of a 6-week, focused parent training intervention across 38 parents of children with ASD. Parents were randomized into either a behavioral parent training or an active control intervention. A variety of outcome measures were used to examine the effects of the intervention at baseline, the conclusion of treatment, and at a 6-month follow-up. The primary outcome measure was the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scale administered by an Independent Evaluator (IE) who was unaware of treatment assignment. The CGI-I scale score reflected the IE’s assessment of overall improvement from baseline to endpoint. Differences in improvement were found between groups. In the control group, 22.2% of families improved significantly, compared to the treatment group, of which 62% of families improved significantly. Results will be discussed in relation to other manualized parent-training protocols, and directions for future research will be presented.

This study used independent ABAB withdrawal designs to determine whether BPT increased parent fidelity of implementation of function-based intervention which then resulted in decreasing rates of child challenging behavior while increasing rates of appropriate replacement behavior. Four participants aged 8-17 were included in the study with their parents serving as interventionists. The routines of concern were mealtime, toothbrushing, and room cleaning with various topographies of challenging behavior impacting the quality of these family routines. Each parent achieved high treatment fidelity with one session of BPT and bug-in-ear coaching. Three participants had an immediate decrease in challenging behavior upon the introduction of the intervention. Three participants showed reliable reversals to their challenging behavior with the withdrawal of the intervention and corresponding decreases in challenging behavior when the intervention was reintroduced. All parents reported high acceptability, ease of use, and contextual fit pre- and post-intervention. Results and implications for practice and future research were discussed.

Staff turnover can pose a significant problem for human service organizations. For Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) service providers, turnover may be particularly problematic due to the resources required for training. Accreditation organizations such as the Behavioral Health Center for Excellence® (BHCOE®) collect large amounts of organizational data that can point to trends in ABA organizations and provide a basis for problem identification and intervention. In this study, we evaluated BHCOE® data to examine potential predictors of staff turnover as well as staff and caregiver satisfaction in ABA organizations. Results of multiple regression analyses suggest that high rates of turnover among job classes (i.e., technicians and supervisors) correlate with each other’s turnover. Behavior Technicians are also more likely to turnover when wages are lower and caregiver satisfaction wanes. Staff satisfaction was not a significant turnover predictor but was generally predicted by caregiver satisfaction. These findings suggest that turnover and satisfaction are multi-faceted processes worthy of examination; we provide broad recommendations for improvement and avenues for further study.

The climate crisis challenges all of us to step up our sustainability efforts as soon as possible: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that global greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by nearly 50% by 2030. How can we help accomplish the necessary changes using behavior-analytic principles? A high-profile study by the American Psychological Association found that two of the major behavioral barriers to more individual climate action are a sense of futility, and the difficulty of transitioning to new green habits (see the 2009 report from the APA Task Force on the Interface Between Psychology and Global Climate Change). Both of these - motivation and habits - are areas where behavior analysis offers major contributions. How can we build on what we have already accomplished in climate action? How can we transfer what has worked in our related areas of strength? Each of the panelists is experienced in behavioral sustainability, and will offer a few suggestions. Opening the floor to the audience, we will attempt to put together a plan of action.

All behavior analysts concerned about climate change and environmental sustainability

Experimental behavior analysis has produced a robust literature on the role of bias in matching and choice. Despite its beginnings in the laboratory, this work has extended far beyond simple choice models and operant responses to address how bias impacts social responding. This symposium will present contemporary research on the assessment of implicit bias, translational models of choice, and the ways in which bias can impact the choices researchers make within the laboratory.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students. 

The study of implicit bias in behavior analysis has been dominated by one particular method, the implicit relational assessment procedure (IRAP). The IRAP could be considered quite unusual as a method for studying implicit bias because it targets verbal relations as defined within relational frame theory (RFT). In contrast, implicit bias in the non-behavior-analytic “mainstream” literature is often interpreted as reflecting the strength of associative links in a mental realm (e.g., a memory store). Despite this conceptual difference, research on implicit bias using the IRAP could be seen as relatively successful, at least in terms of number of published studies and the results of a meta-analysis of IRAP studies. On balance, until relatively recently IRAP research tended to focus on the method as a measure of implicit bias without conducting experimental analyses of the multiple variables, from an RFT perspective, that are brought into play when participants complete an IRAP. Conducting these more recent experimental analyses has served to produce an increasingly sophisticated and complex understanding of exactly what so called “implicit bias” involves from an RFT and a behavior-analytic perspective. The current paper will provide an overview of this research story.

Delay discounting measures a facet of impulsivity and is related to various socially significant behaviors. Researchers suggest that altruism and impulsivity arise from the same underlying mechanism; thus, individuals are less altruistic towards people that are different from themselves (e.g., a different race or ethnicity). However, researchers have yet to analyze the relation between delay discounting and implicit and explicit racial bias. In the present study, participants will complete a delay discounting procedure and several Likert scale surveys: the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP), the Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS), and the Scale of Ethnocultural Empathy (SEE). The delay discounting task will assess discounting for two delayed magnitudes (i.e., $100 & $1000) using an adjusting amount procedure. The IRAP measures implicit racial bias by having participants categorize stimuli based on either pro-Latino stereotypes or pro-White stereotypes; the difference in the length of time required to categorize stimuli that are consistent or inconsistent with the stereotypes measures bias. To examine explicit racial bias, we will use the total scores on the CoBRAS and the SEE. We expect participants who steeply discount delayed rewards will be more implicitly and explicitly racially biased toward members of a different race or ethnicity.

Historically, women have experienced bias in science. This bias has affected women as participants in research, as well as women as conductors of research. Although little recognized, another form of bias extends to female laboratory animals. Female laboratory animals, particularly rodents, have long been regarded as more variable in their behavior and other dependent measures and therefore were excluded from experiments. I will describe the inclusion of female laboratory animals in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. I will describe trends over time in the inclusion of female laboratory animals for different types of animals (e.g., pigeons and rats). For studies involving both sexes and in which animals are identified by sex, I will examine the level of variability in the behavior of male and female animals. Finally, I will review published data describing the variability in a wide variety of dependent measures for both male and female laboratory animals. These data show that female laboratory animals have been excluded from research based on bias rather than fact. The exclusion of female laboratory animals precludes learning about genuine sex differences with important health implications and is no longer allowed in NIH-funded research.

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.

The purpose of the present symposium is to provide an overview of research advances on variables that impact the efficiency of language acquisition interventions. Two presentations will discuss the role of stimulus disparity within conditional discrimination training and two presentations will evaluate the efficiency of instructional sequences on acquisition of targets. In the first study, Halbur and colleagues compared the acquisition of high-disparate sounds, low-disparate sounds, and words as sample stimuli during conditional discrimination training for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the second study, Wu and colleagues manipulated stimulus disparity of color saturation and conducted analyses to identify error patterns during conditional discrimination training. In the third study, Martin, Lechago, and Romo investigated acquisition of listener skills when the instructional sequences (i.e., English-Spanish, Spanish-English, mixed language) were varied for bilingual children with ASD. In the fourth study, Devine, Cox, and Petursdottir conducted multiple experiments that evaluated the impact of tact instruction on the establishment of bidirectional intraverbals and other relations. Following the four presentations, our discussant will summarize, provide clinical recommendations for efficient teaching procedures, and suggest areas for future research.

behavior analysts, graduate students, researchers

Conditional discrimination skills are foundational in teaching many functional skills in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Antecedent- and consequence-based intervention are commonly used without the understanding of patterns comprising these errors. A framework based in behavioral-choice and signal-detection theory can quantify error patterns due to (1) biases for certain stimuli or locations and (2) discriminability of stimuli within the conditional discrimination. Three children diagnosed with ASD responded in delayed matching-to-sample procedure. We manipulated sample disparity through changes in relative color saturation between samples on a touchscreen across four experimental conditions. Sample-disparity differences were high, low, zero, and a return to high disparity. Decreases in sample disparity primarily produced corresponding decreases in discriminability without systematic changes in stimulus or location biases. These findings demonstrate the use of these analyses to identify error patterns during conditional-discrimination performance in a clinically relevant population under laboratory conditions. Further development of this framework could result in the development of technologies for categorizing errors during clinically relevant conditional-discrimination performance with the goal of individualizing interventions to match learner-specific error patterns.

Two experiments were conducted with typically developing children (5-9 years) as participants to evaluate the effects of tact instruction on the establishment of intraverbal relations between the names of U.S. states and their respective state birds and jowers. In Experiment 1 (4 participants) we compared the eMciency of two instructional sequences; tact-before-intraverbal and listenerbefore- intraverbal, using an adapted alternating-treatments design combined with a multiple-baseline design across participants. After tact instruction, all participants performed at mastery in probes for bidirectional intraverbals and other derived relations, so intraverbal instruction was not necessary. By contrast, only one participant demonstrated intraverbals at mastery after listener instruction. The remaining three went on to receive intraverbal instruction, but the listener-before-intraverbal sequence resulted in a greater number of trials before intraverbals were established than did tact instruction alone. In Experiment 2 (3 participants), tact-only instruction was compared with intraverbal-only instruction without a preliminary step. Tact instruction established bidirectional intraverbals for all participants, whereas unidirectional intraverbal instruction did so for 2 of 3 participants. Tact instruction took fewer trials than intraverbal instruction for 2 participants, whereas intraverbal instruction took fewer trials for 1 participant. The process of building intraverbal repertoires may be achieved most efficiently through tact instruction.

Distinguishing it from other service-delivery fields, behavior analysis places strong emphasis on accountability through ongoing data collection and objective progress monitoring. As part of this model, behavior analysts are expected to use data to guide their clinical decision-making. However, these decisions are only meaningful when the data they are based on are reliable and valid. In this symposium, we address issues related to data collection in the practice of behavior analysis. In the first presentation, Dr. Morris will review data collection practices reported by Board Certified Behavior Analysts and their relation to data integrity. In the second, Ms. Snyder will discuss barriers to reliable and accurate data collection by group home staff. In the third, Dr. Becraft will present data on the validity of parent report of severe problem behavior. In the fourth, Dr. Edelstein will discuss the validity of parent report via telehealth. Collectively, these studies further our understanding of factors impacting data collection in behavior analytic practice, which is critical to evaluating and improving outcomes for recipients of behavioral services.

Behavior analysts, licensed psychologists, clinicians

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.

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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.

Skinner (1957) differentiated the roles of the speaker and the listener in a verbal encounter. Although not extensively emphasized, Skinner suggested an individual often behaves verbally even when responding as a listener. Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other language impairments often display the absence of important, and basic verbal repertoires that limit their ability to engage in a variety of social skills or problem- solving skills. Joint control suggests that multiply controlled verbal responding involves functional control of two 2 or more stimuli or verbal operants. This systematic literature review an introduction to the conceptual basis of the analysis of joint control, as well as provide a summary of publications specifying the relation and implications of the analysis of joint control and joint control training in the acquisition of multiply controlled, non-speaker behaviors (e.g., selection-based behavior; , se- quencing behavior). The synthesis suggests that joint control training presents as a promising analytic tool in guiding interventions to teach complex, multiply controlled verbal and non-verbal repertoires to children diagnosed with autism ASD and/or other developmental disabilities. Recommendations for future research in joint control, as well as the implementation of joint control training, are provided.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic replication and extension of Causin et al. (2013) to assess the efficacy of a self-rehearsal procedure to teach five individuals with autism to follow multiple-step selection of stimuli. Within a multiple probe design across participants, participants were taught to echo and self-echo and then select multiple pictorial stimuli, in the order in which they were requested, from an array of directly-trained and untrained sets of stimuli. The self-rehearsal and accurate selection did not generalize to direction-following related to activities of daily living in the natural environment, so we taught it directly. Probes of novel multiple-step tasks were conducted. Implications for the role of joint control in developing skills sequences to teach generative responding, conceptual analyses of covert verbal behavior, and designing instructional goals related to transition from formal education settings are discussed.

In this first part of a two-part tutorial, basic component skills involved in establishing jointly controlled responding will be specified including echoic responding for vocal responders, imitative responding for sign-language responders, and critical tact repertoires. Included will be a discussion of strategies to specify sources of control for component responses and methods to establish response strength for rehearsal strategies. Joint control is one example of responding that is multiply controlled. One source of multiple control is the responders own verbal behavior. Implied in this analysis is the emission of previously acquired verbal responses that come to strength in certain stimulus conditions external to the responder, such as an antecedent mand for a selection response. Such previously acquired verbal responses may be covert and as such present ongoing challenges related to response documentation and in certain arrangements, response blocking. The tutorial will include demonstrations of teaching procedures to establish skill sets involved in paradigms to study joint control in applied settings.

In this second part of a two-part tutorial, various protocols relevant to sequences of skills that may involve jointly controlled responding will be described. Examples of forms documenting skill tracking within a hierarchy of listener responding sequences will be provided. Protocols and demonstrations of multiple item listener responding (manded-stimulus selection) will be iterated. The tutorial will also include considerations for establishing jointly controlled listener responding for practical life skills, academic performance, and employment skills. Considerations relevant to the necessary concepts involved in practical applications of jointly controlled responding including prepositional relations and tacts of actions will be presented. Joint control procedures may have a role in establishing yes-no responses relevant to antecedent conditions involving mands to discriminate motivation or the accuracy of an emitted tact as an antecedent stimulus. This session will review a protocol (Carbone, 2014, conference presentation) that identifies a procedure to teach tacting the presence of joint control by saying yes or no.

Within the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), it is widely accepted that evidence-based practice (EBP), or the integration of the best available evidence with clinical expertise, client values, and context (Slocum et al., 2014) should be guiding principle in clinical decision making. However, there continues to be a research-to-practice gap in which practitioners are not readily implementing the most up to date evidence-based practices. In order to promote evidence-based practices within clinical settings, clinicians should have readily available access to literature and should be exposed and encouraged to participate in research opportunities. The current panel aims to discuss the conceptualization and implementation of a research framework developed within an organization, with the aim of working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to move the field of ABA forward by reviewing, conducting, and publishing innovated research. The panel will review the evolution of a steering and sub-committees (i.e., manuscript, conference, literature, proposal, and research review), and the development of a research manual, workflows, and related forms.

Introductory understanding on the systematic application of ABA principles to conduct research. Introductory understanding on processes (e.g., literature reviews, proposals, Internal Review Boards) related to conducting ABA-based research and treatment evaluations.

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.

Many schools, learning centers, and agencies find themselves awash in learner data, much of which is never analyzed or used to make immediate decisions about a learner’s program. The Morningside Model of Generative Instruction encourages efficient data collection, by emphasizing that the primary role of data should be to encourage timely and effective decision making. This symposium will describe how MMGI designers carefully select data to be collected, and how those data are organized to optimize decision making by learners, teachers, and school administrators. First, Austin Seabert, a consultant at The Performance Thinking Network, will describe the design and implementation of a revised progress monitoring system to facilitate quicker and more effective decisions by classroom teachers. Second, Morningside Academy’s School Psychologist and Vice-Principal, Julian Gire, will describe how MMGI’s placement testing and new progress monitoring assessment system were subsequently modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Next, Morningside Academy’s Associate Director, Andrew Kieta, will detail the development of a teacher coaching system informed by the data collected and analyzed via the new, modified progress monitoring system described in the first two talks. Lastly, Morningside Academy faculty member Bailee Scheuffele will describe the development of a new Curriculum Based Assessment (CBA) within the new progress monitoring system to assess emerging sentence-writing repertoires in order to make more-informed curriculum decisions.

Morningside Model of Generative Instruction features a multi-tiered assessment system. At the Micro level, Morningside teachers use Precision Teaching to collect daily measurements on several academic pinpoints. The Meta level consists of placement tests and progress monitoring tests to validate data at the Micro level, diagnose potential obstacles to desired growth, and predict performance on end of the year tests. Those end-of-the-year assessments make up the Macro level, where standardized, norm-referenced tests are used to evaluate student growth across an entire school year. Implementing this system requires timely assessment administration, clear communication of results to all relevant individuals, and most importantly, effective instructional decision making based on assessment data. This has proven particularly challenging at the Meta level, prompting a one year revision project. This presentation will describe a process improvement methodology involved with the creation of a new system, including: Defining the assessment problem, outlining features and capabilities of an ideal assessment system, identifying resource limitations, system design, testing and rollout, and feedback. Data will be presented that show how and why redesign decisions were made as well as their effect in improving MMGI’s assessment system.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to figure out how to adequately serve their students in the on-line environment. While the disruption caused to instruction has been well documented, the challenges of remote assessment have received less attention. As the pandemic continues, schools must not only work to maintain student’s academic achievement but also to further it. However, how can student progress be assessed in the online learning environment? The Morningside Model of Generative Instruction details a multi-tiered system of assessment, which is made up of dozens of assessments across different subject matters, and which guide the placement of students and ongoing progress monitoring efforts. The most pressing problem is that all of these assessments and their associated protocols were designed to be administered in person, not online. This talk will outline the process of designing, implementing, and revising Morningside’s placement testing process and recently redesigned progress monitoring system to ensure the collection of the best data possible. The speaker will present lessons learned, as well as future use of the online assessments once we are back to in person school.

This symposium will bring together four studies that focus on improving outcomes for students both at the class-wide and individual level. The first study will describe a federally funded grant to develop a class-wide modular approach for assisting teachers in self-contained classrooms with students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD). The second presentation will provide the audience with an overview of coaching fidelity data from a tri-state implementation of the MAAPS model and a conceptualization on virtual (telehealth) coaching. The third presentation will move to describing individual outcomes for students with disruptive behavior and describe the use of the collaborative Prevent-Teach-Reinforce model to develop an effective interventions for students. The last presentation will describe another study at the individual student level in which two interventions were compared (choice vs. DRO without extinction) to determine which intervention resulted in the best outcomes and was more preferred by students with EBD. These studies describe how behavior analysts can work at the systems, class-wide, and individual level to best support educational personnel and students.

Participants should have basic behavioral knowledge and education in behavior analysis (at least one course in behavior modification/behavior analysis) and/or at least one year practicing behavior analysis.

As the number of school-aged students receiving IEP services for Emotional Disabilities (ED) increase, the need for well-trained teachers of students with ED also increases. Teachers of students with ED have higher rates of burnout, stay in the profession fewer years, and experience higher rates of stress compared to teachers of students with other special education disabilities. Furthermore, individuals with ED encounter poorer post-secondary outcomes than those with other disabilities including higher rates of drop-out, substance abuse, and incarceration as well as lower rates of graduation and employment. Successfully ameliorating the challenging behaviors of students with ED while enrolled in schools is essential for reversing the negative outcomes. However, research reports that teachers of students with ED do not consistently use evidence-based strategies, or if used, need support in implementation. This presentation will present outcomes from the first year of a three year federally funded grant to develop a modular based intervention process for implementing evidence based behavioral strategies class-wide for students with ED. A theoretical description of the MOTIVATED framework will be presented along with a description of class-wide modules. Outcomes from themes that emerged from initial focus groups with key stakeholders (teachers, administrators, and students) will be presented that will address barriers and enhancers to implementing behavioral interventions class-wide for students with ED.

Although there are established evidence-based interventions for students with autism, they are often not implemented as intended in school settings. Multiple factors impact school implementation including lack of resources, inadequate training, and transfer of research-based interventions to classrooms. Modular Approach to Autism Programming in Schools (MAAPS) is a collaborative, team-based framework that guides school teams to select and implement evidence-based interventions, utilizing a modular approach that customizes specific interventions to best address individual student needs. This presentation will provide an overview of the social validity and coaching fidelity data from implementation of MAAPS within schools across three states. There will be a particular focus on coaching fidelity data with discussion about how to adjust school consultation to a telehealth model based on the transition in this study from in-person to virtual coaching. Future consideration will be discussed about how to reach rural schools using a telehealth virtual model to assist them with implementing a modular approach to support students with autism.

The Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) model has been utilized to both decrease student problem behaviors and increase appropriate behaviors (Dunlap, Iovannone, Wilson, Kincaid, & Strain, 2010). The PTR model is a 5-step teaming approach to identify critical components that enhance the success of Tier 3 individualized behavior supports. PTR is a standardized, function-based model that incorporates the principles and procedures of applied behavior analysis and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). The current study utilized the systematic approach of the PTR model to conduct a functional behavior assessment (FBA) of the disruptive behaviors of a first-grade student. Then, following the PTR model, the researchers collaborated with stakeholders on the development of an individualized behavioral support plan and teacher training. The intervention resulted in a reduction in disruptive behavior, increase in academic engagement, and teacher implementation fidelity was high throughout the intervention. A discussion of how both school psychologists and behavior analysts worked together to support the student will also be described.

As the number of students with developmental disabilities increases in schools (U.S. Department of Education, 2017a), so does the need for effective interventions within school settings. Both antecedent and consequence interventions have been conducted within schools in attempts to decrease maladaptive behaviors and increase appropriate behaviors in relation to academics. Providing choices and reinforcement have demonstrated empirical evidence that both interventions were successful in creating positive behavior change in students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). This study compared the use of an antecedent-based intervention (i.e., activity choice) versus a consequence-based intervention (e.g., differential reinforcement without extinction) to determine which of the behavior management strategies produced a more effective behavior change for three students with or at risk of EBD. A non-concurrent multiple baseline across participants with an alternating treatments design was used. The feasibility for teachers to implement the interventions in their classrooms was also evaluated. Results indicated that both interventions were effective in increasing on-task behavior for all participants, although activity choice demonstrated a slightly higher effect for two of the three participants. Both interventions resulted in high levels of treatment fidelity by the teachers.