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| TBA Sunday Noon |
| Sunday, May 24, 2015 |
| 12:00 PM–2:00 PM |
| Exhibit Hall C (CC) |
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| 42. Impact of Telepractice Preparation of Interventionists in Incidental Teaching for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| Area: TBA; Domain: Applied Research |
| LESLIE NEELY (Texas A&M University), Mandy J. Rispoli (Texas A&M University), Stephanie Gerow (Texas A&M University) |
| Abstract: Background: A recent focus on the use of telepractice to disseminate behavioral interventions has demonstrated the utility of technology in preparing parents and educators as interventionists for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, to date, research has not investigated the use telepractice technology in preparing interventionists in incidental teaching procedures. The purpose of this study is to extend the use of telepractice to the preparation of interventionists in incidental teaching and examine the impact on the communication skills of preschool-aged children with ASD. Methods: Three therapists were trained in incidental teaching using a training package consisting of an online module, self-evaluation, and feedback on their self-evaluation delivered via videoconferencing. A multiple-baseline across participants design was employed to evaluate the effects of the training package on therapists' implementation fidelity, as measured by the percentage of procedural steps completed and the number of communication opportunities offered. The effect of the therapists' use of incidental teaching on their students' subsequent manding behaviors was also obtained. Results: All therapists were able to reach the pre-set performance criteria within six sessions. Maintenance probes were conducted for two of the three therapists with both maintaining high fidelity. The students' manding behavior increased and maintained above baseline levels. Conclusions: Results suggest that telepractice may be an effective and efficient method of disseminating incidental teaching interventions. |
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| 43. The Effects of Staff Training for Functional Behavior Support to Severe Behavioral Problem. |
| Area: TBA; Domain: Service Delivery |
| KENICHI OHKUBO (Kio university) |
| Abstract: In Japan, many welfare institutions struggle with behavior problems. These problems are related to problems about abuse of persons with disabilities by staff, in certain cases, abuses trigger to mortality incidents. The purposes of the present study was examination of effects of staff training for FBA skills that enable to organize information and design BSPs properly. We evaluated effects of training program by AB design. 45 staff members who worked in welfare institutions participated in this study. I conducted lectures about basic principles of ABA, FBA, and designing BSP. And I conducted exercises for organizing information and designing BSP by using checklist and feedback. As a results, knowledge pertaining to Behavior Analysis of staff members improved, and problem behavior of users with disabilities decreased and appropriate behavior of users increased. Furthermore the points of Aberrant Behavior Checklist and depressive tendency of staff members improved. These findings suggest effectiveness, validity, and necessity to train staff in welfare institutions for conducting functional behavior support. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are presented. |
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| 44. Close the Research-to-Practice Gap: Do Practitioner Papers Do Their Job? |
| Area: TBA; Domain: Applied Research |
| ZIWEI XU (The Ohio State University), Marnie Nicole Shapiro (The Ohio State University), Sadaf Ameen (STEPS Center for Excellence in Autism), Nancy A. Neef (The Ohio State University) |
| Abstract: Practitioner journals publish manuscripts which provide teachers with new ideas and tools that can be applied immediately to their daily work with children and youth with exceptionalities. Presumably, a practitioner paper describes one or more innovative, evidence-based practice in sufficient detail that it can easily be implemented by readers (i.e., technological). However, there is no research examining whether practitioner papers alone are effective and efficient in teaching new behavioral techniques to teachers and bring target skills to mastery. In our experiment, we used a multiple-baseline single-subject design across participants and skills to evaluate the efficacy of practitioner papers in teaching preference assessment (i.e., paired-stimulus assessment and multiple-stimulus without replacement assessment) and least-to-most prompting instruction to teachers who work with individuals with special needs. During the intervention, our participants read the instructions from a practitioner paper and then performed the designated behavior assessment or instruction procedure with a stimulated client. Our current data showed that practitioner papers were insufficient and additional antecedent-based (e.g., modeling) or consequence-based (e.g., performance feedback) may be needed to bring the target skills to mastery. We will discuss the implications of our findings for writing practitioner papers and effectively using practitioner papers in staff training. |
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| 45. The Effects of Guided Notes for Reading Assignments on Undergraduate Student Quiz Performance |
| Area: TBA; Domain: Applied Research |
| KATHRYN ROSE GLODOWSKI (Western New England University), Rachel H. Thompson (Western New England University) |
| Abstract: Due to the growing cost and demand for higher education, variables that influence quality of college teaching should be thoroughly studied. One way to assess efficacy of teaching is to evaluate student performance. Researchers have already demonstrated quizzes (i.e., smaller, less frequent tests) lead to higher scores (Daniel & Broida, 2004; Fulkerson & Martin, 1981; Narloch et al., 2006), and response cards and lecture notes during lecture increase performance on quizzes following lecture (Kellum et al., 2001; Marmolejo et al., 2004; Neef et al., 2006). Less is known regarding variables that influence student performance on quizzes prior to lecture, which was the purpose of the current study. We used a multi-element design to evaluate the use of guided notes for assigned readings on performance of quizzes administered at the beginning of each class for 23 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory psychology course. The guided notes increased quiz performance for eight students, decreased performance for one student, and had no effect for the remaining 14 students. Overall, guided notes for reading assignments may be beneficial for some undergraduate students, but more research should be conducted to determine the boundary of generality for these results. |
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| 46. The Effects of Multiple Exemplar Instruction across Letter Names and Letter Sounds on Reading, Typing, and Writing Novel CVC Words for Two Preschool Students |
| Area: TBA; Domain: Applied Research |
| KIEVA SOFIA HRANCHUK (Teachers College, Columbia University), R. Douglas Greer (Columbia University Teachers College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences), Jennifer Longano (Fred S. Keller School) |
| Abstract: A concurrent multiple probe design counterbalanced across participants was used to examine the effects of multiple exemplar instruction (MEI) across letter names and letter sounds on: 1) Correct responses to letter names, 2) Correct responses to letter sounds 3) Transformation of stimulus function between typing and writing letter names, 4) Transformation of stimulus function between typing and writing letter sounds, 5) Transformation of stimulus function between typing and writing novel CVC words, and 6) Reading novel CVC words. Two preschool students, aged 4, participated in the study. Participant A was diagnosed as a preschooler with a disability and Participant B was typically developing. The independent variable was MEI across letter names and letter sounds for all 26 letters in the alphabet. Pre- and post-intervention probes were conducted on writing letter names and letter sounds, and on typing and writing novel CVC words. The results demonstrated that the intervention was successful in significantly increasing correct responses to letter names and letter sounds for both participants. The results also demonstrated that both participants ability to read, write, and type novel CVC words increased significantly following the MEI across letter names and letter sounds intervention. |
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| 47. Evaluation of Changes in the Value of Therapist Attention following Exposure to Functional Analysis Conditions |
| Area: TBA; Domain: Applied Research |
| SARAH BERGTHOLD (Mississippi Bend AEA), Jill Andresen (Mississippi Bend AEA), Seth Piro (Green Hills AEA), Billie Jo Clausen (Green-Hills AEA), Amy Hoffman (Green-Hills AEA), John F. Lee (The University of Iowa), Brenda J. Bassingthwaite (The University of Iowa Children's Hospital), Sean D. Casey (The Iowa Department of Education) |
| Abstract: The Functional Analysis (Iwata et al. 1994) is the gold standard when it comes to identifying the function of problem behavior. Functional Analyses have been conducted in school settings (Mueller et al. 2011) and have been conducted by a variety of professionals (Hanley 2012). There are idiosyncratic variables that may influence functional analysis (FA) outcomes (Schlichenmeyer et al. 2013). Studies have shown that pre-session social interactions can act as an abolishing operation thus reducing problem behavior (Berg et al. 2000), or motivating operation thus increasing problem behavior (Roantree, & Kennedy 2006) related to attention conditions or other functional contexts (McComas 2003). This study will highlight case examples of FAs conducted in school settings by trained education-agency behavior consultants (Challenging Behavior Teams). In each of the cases, behavior that appeared to be related to escaping/avoiding attention emerged during the control or free play context, after a test condition where the therapist evoked problem behavior. The challenging behavior teams (CBT) used experimental analyses in an attempt to provide data that would support their hypotheses that the students, who had in previous sessions engaged in social interactions with therapists, were subsequently using problem behavior to avoid social interactions with therapists. |
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| 48. Using SAFMEDS to Teach Educational Staff Common Field-Related Terms |
| Area: TBA; Domain: Applied Research |
| TOBY J. HONSBERGER (Renaissance Learning Academy), Danielle Doherty (Renaissance Learning Academy), Christine M. Honsberger (Renaissance Learning Academy) |
| Abstract: Thirty staff members at a public charter school for student with autism spectrum disorder, including teachers, teacher's assistants, speech pathologists, vocational specialists, and occupational therapists voluntarily participated in a school-wide SAFMEDS challenge. The SAFMEDS included 58 terms common to a behavior analytic exceptional student education environment. All participants were introduced to the terms via initial employment trainings. Pretest baseline data were collected on how many terms staff were able to correctly identify untimed. After baseline, staff participated in daily, one-minute timings for approximately two weeks until he or she completed nine sessions. At the conclusion of one minute timings participants completed an untimed post test.
Once all participants had completed post tests a second set of SAFMEDS were introduced which included almost all of the same terms but with applied examples as opposed to definitions. The same pretest, post test, nine session minute timings procedures were followed for the second set of SAFEMEDS.
Participants showed significant improvement in their knowledge and fluency of the terms with definitions as well as the terms with applied examples. |
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| 49. Reading Group Attendance by Direct-Care Staff |
| Area: TBA; Domain: Applied Research |
| TAYLOR P. BARKER (Little Star Center), William Tim Courtney (Little Star Center) |
| Abstract: Carr & Briggs (2010) described strategies and the need for contacting the scholarly literature and Parsons and Reid (2011) demonstrated the knowledge enhancement effects of reading groups with human service practitioners. Although the effects of reading groups enhanced the knowledge base of those practitioners it is notable that the reading groups occurred during normal work hours of the practitioners. For organizations that are unable to allot continuing education opportunities to their employees during business hours due to budgetary constraints, off-the-clock volunteer participation in those learning opportunities is one of the only ways to provide those opportunities. The dilemma then becomes, how do we motivate those staff to take advantage of these reading groups, off the clock, when other contingencies may hold greater control over attending the provided reading groups? The current study will analyze attendance at reading groups by direct-care staff and the contingencies in place to motivate staff to attend. |
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| 50. An Evaluation of the Efficacy of Interteaching in an Undergraduate Classroom |
| Area: TBA; Domain: Service Delivery |
| STEVEN ANBRO (Southern Illinois University, Carbondale), Ruth Anne Rehfeldt (Southern Illinois University), John O'Neill (Southern Illinois University Carbondale) |
| Abstract: Behavior analysis is often introduced to students for the first time at an undergraduate level. The manner in which this subject is taught should be a reflection of the behavioral principles that are being taught. In the present study, a standard lecture method is compared against a behavioral method of teaching, known as interteaching. This method of instruction requires more student involvement and participation in the learning process. An undergraduate behavior analysis class, comprised of 24 students, participated in an alternating treatments design in which lecture and interteaching were implemented. Weekly quiz scores were used as a measure of student learning. The present study demonstrates that interteaching procedures result in classroom performance that is more stable at a higher level than classroom performance following lecture procedures. |
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| 51. Conditioning Books as Reinforcers for Three Preschoolers with Disabilities Using an Observational Intervention |
| Area: TBA; Domain: Applied Research |
| SHAHAD ALSHARIF (Teacherss College, Columbia University in The City), Jessica Singer-Dudek (Teachers College, Columbia University), Kieva Sofia Hranchuk (Teachers College, Columbia University) |
| Abstract: Abstract
Using a delayed multiple probe across participants design, we tested the outcomes of an observational intervention on conditioning books as reinforcers for three participants diagnosed as preschoolers with a disability in the book area in the participants’ classroom (the carpet). Moreover, conditioning books as reinforcers was tested for generality in the toy area such that the experimenters observed if the participants would choose to look at books over toys during free play. In this experiment, we used a pre- and post-interventional probe phase, as well as an observational intervention phase where a peer confederate was used and was reinforced with books for correct responding to a pre-determined performance task. Following a mean of two sessions for each participant, the neutral stimulus acquired reinforcing properties and was therefore successfully conditioned as a reinforcer in the book area for all three participants. Choosing books over toys in the toy area was only observed to have been successfully established for one of the three participants. |
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| Keyword(s): Poster |