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| ABA Therapy for Down Syndrome and Developmental Delays |
| Sunday, September 29, 2019 |
| 10:30 AM–11:20 AM |
| Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre, Level 6, A3/A4 |
| Area: DDA |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Chair: Christian Sabey (Brigham Young University ) |
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| Behavior Analysis Practice and the Down Syndrome Behavioral Phenotype |
| Domain: Applied Research |
| Blake Hansen (Brigham Young University), Kaylee Christensen (Brigham Young University), CHRISTIAN SABEY (Brigham Young University) |
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| Abstract: Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal condition associated with intellectual disability. Although descriptive studies have shown that individuals with Down syndrome engage in fewer challenging behaviors than their peers with other intellectual and/or developmental disorders, there is still substantial need for behavior analytic service delivery in this population. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the Down syndrome behavioral phenotype and show three studies conducted within this population that address some of the challenges associated with Down syndrome. The first study was on skill acquisition for reading skills. Parents of 17 children with Down syndrome provided instruction on phonological awareness skills (e.g., blending and segmenting words, rhyming), letter-sound correspondences, and word reading. Parents were also trained on strategies for building compliance. The study indicated that children with Down syndrome can benefit from literacy instruction using direct instruction and natural environment procedures for building reading skills and compliance. The second study was a single case example of antecedent controls for increasing compliance (high probability requests, therapist, and contextual modifications) with physical activity in a child with Down syndrome. This study demonstrated that physical activity can increase given appropriate antecedent interventions. The final study is an updated meta-analysis of functional assessment and function-based treatments for individuals with Down syndrome. Applying standards for evidence-based practice, the meta analysis indicated that functional assessment-based treatments are effective for this population. Implications for service delivery in this population will be discussed. |
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