Association for Behavior Analysis International

Teaching emotional self-regulation is challenging for care providers. The Zones of Regulation is a curriculum used widely by occupational therapists to teach emotional regulation. There is no evidence yet to support its efficacy. While the Zones curriculum provides guidance on progression of teaching skills and a plethora of teaching materials, there is no standard method of teaching within the curriculum. For instance, there is no guidance correcting errors, prompting hierarchy, or standardized instructions. Additionally, challenges in teaching emotional regulation are more pronounced given significant communication barriers. Many individuals with developmental disabilities have comorbid medical issues, including neurological and gastrointestinal complications such as epilepsy and fecal impaction, which can be painful and lead to negative emotional responding. Difficulty communicating pain has been reported to lead to lack of medical care, attributions of symptoms to behavioral issues, unnecessary or incorrect medical care, and invasive medical procedures. This paper explores a way to apply the curriculum with an applied behavior analytic framework, and examines if using stimulus equivalence and automaticity of reinforcement by pairing overt indicators of pain (e.g., precursors to problem behaviors, overt symptoms of illness) with colors that correspond to the Zones might increase the ability to identify and communicate distressing emotions in order to receive appropriate interventions from caregivers.

Virtual reality is an immersive 3D virtual environment within a removable headset. VR has been applied to educational and therapeutic environments to supplement learning through exposure to naturalistic and contrived environments. Although VR’s effectiveness in teaching has been proven through a treatment package, it has yet to be assessed as a stand-alone method for teaching a new skill. The purpose of the current study was to compare outcomes of typically-developing adults learning a receptive language DTT task when taught using a VR headset and traditional DTT methods similar to those in Gutierrez et. al., 2009. Furthermore, we assessed generalization of skills learned within VR to the real-world environment and maintenance of skills under both conditions with a follow-up assessment. Preliminary data suggests that VR is effective as a standalone method of teaching receptive discriminations. Data also suggests that participants had a higher degree of mastery in the VR condition. Currently, our data collection is ongoing.

Little to no research on the effectiveness of reading instruction implemented during extended school year sessions was found in the literature base. Students with educational disabilities in reading often struggle with oral reading fluency. The primary purpose of this research study was to demonstrate improvements in the pattern of correctly read words and a subsequent decrease in incorrectly read words during oral reading. The instructional aim of this project was to use of repeated readings and practice procedures with Precision Teaching measurement approaches during one-minute timings to improve the oral reading of students with educational disabilities enrolled in an extended school year educational program. Both students involved in the study made improvements in oral reading fluency. The pattern of correctly read words improved and the error rate decreased to nearly zero incorrect responses during the one-minute reading probes. Interobserver agreement and procedural integrity related to the experimental procedures were assessed using the audiotapes of full sessions reviewed by the research advisor to verify proper implementation of the measurement and instructional procedures. Forty percent of all the sessions across participants were assessed for interobserver reliability and procedural integrity. The overall median of interobserver reliability for all sessions reviewed was 100%. The range of interobserver reliability for the sessions reviewed was 98-100%. Results of the procedural integrity measures indicated that the researcher implemented the procedures correctly 100% of the sessions reviewed. The two participants believed that they became better readers because of the research study. The classroom teacher felt that the repeated readings intervention was an effective method for implementing oral reading fluency. The classroom teacher responded that the students were reading more fluently in class. The data indicated that oral reading fluency using repeated readings and Precision Teaching measurement approaches were functionally related to reading improvements across the two participating students during the extended school year educational program.

Applied Behavior Analysis has applications that extend into special education and the teaching of academics. Additionally, Single Case Design Research (SCDR) is a preferred method in Applied Behavior Analysis for determining the effectiveness of and building evidence for specific interventions and teaching strategies (Trump, Pennington, Travers, Ringdahl, Whiteside & Ayres, 2018). Students in the Master of Arts program in Special Education at University of Massachusetts Global complete a year-long research project that is presented at a virtual conference at the end of their program. The students are in their final year of studies and have emphasis areas in either Applied Behavior Analysis, Autism, Early Childhood Special Education or Teaching and Learning. Students in the Applied Behavior Analysis emphasis must use single case design research, however other students also select this research methodology to support the work that they do. This presentation will describe how the research is incorporated into their curriculum, the support they receive from faculty, and highlight student research across academic areas. A summary of each study will be provided together with their data and interpretation.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is commonly utilized to address the core deficits of autism spectrum disorder and other intellectual disabilities. However, the use of behavioral change tactics has been demonstrated to be effective in increasing physical activity levels across intervention type and populations. Identified using the PRIMSA Model, 50 articles, which investigated the application of behavior analytic interventions to increase physical activity in individuals with sedentary lifestyles, illness, and/or disease, were included in this analysis. Various measures were delineated to evaluate the research including participant age and diagnoses, number of participants setting, experimental design, type of intervention implemented, treatment package or independent intervention, duration of intervention, and outcome and maintenance. The measures revealed 90% of reviewed experiments demonstrated meeting mastery level criterion, statistical significance, or high statistical significance. A review from this analysis also includes the effectiveness of utilizing behavior analytic interventions, behavior analysts’ responsibility to this area, current implications in involving behavior analysts in this specialized of application of ABA, limitations, and relevant areas for future research.

Open Educational Resources (OER) are materials released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions (UNESCO, 2022). Using OER and other zero-cost course resources improves student grades, persistence, and course enrollment density (Fischer et al., 2015), particularly for first-generation students, Pell-eligible/low-income students, part-time students, and students from historically marginalized groups (Colvard et al., 2018), yet these adoptions often thrive on discretionary faculty effort. This project highlights the grassroots faculty professional development program to promote OER adoption at an open-enrollment university in the Pacific Northwest. Special attention will be given to exploration of the institutional opportunities and challenges surrounding the program (including resource restrictions/financial exigency plus substantial faculty and staff attrition) through a Stages of Community Readiness lens. Performance-based elements designed using a Behavioral Skills Training approach and longitudinal university data on OER adoption are also included with suggestions for adoption at other behavior analytic training programs.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an auditory visual discrimination training with and without echoic response requirement in the emergence of tacts and evaluate if the moment in which the response was required (e.g., after the auditory stimulus was presented meanwhile children attempted to the visual stimulus) could lead to the emergence of tact responses. Three children diagnosed with ASD participated in the study and were exposed to the following experimental conditions: 1) Pretest tact probe; 2) Auditory visual discrimination training with echoic response requirement to one set of stimulus in which the participant was required to emit the echoic response after the auditory stimulus was presented meanwhile children attempted to the visual stimulus, 3) Auditory visual discrimination training without echoic response requirement to another set of stimuli, and, 4) posttest tact probe to evaluate the effects of echoic responses requirement in the emergence of tacts. An alterned treatment design was implemented and the results demonstrate high levels of tact emergence for all participants suggesting that echoic responses requirement in an specific moment in which it is emitted could play an important role in the emergence of tacts in an auditory visual discrimination training procedure.

A biobehavioral phenomenon, pain can be studied from a behavior analysis perspective. The present research assessed the effects of antecedent verbal stimuli on pain tolerance using the Cold Pressor Task (CPT). In such a task, participants put a hand inside water at body temperature (calibration phase) and afterwards inside a cold water (39,2 ºF), which functions as an aversive stimulus (experimental phase). We used a mixed-design, with the antecedent verbal stimulus as a within-subject factor, and the order of exposure as the between-subjects factor. We exposed the 12 participants to two verbal antecedent stimuli describing the temperature of the water at experimental phase. A tact with the quantifier autoclitic “very cold” (condition A); and a tact with a qualifying autoclitic “good” (condition B). The dependent variable was the time participants remained in contact with the water. Out of twelve participants, eight showed greater tolerance in condition A, two in condition B, and two maintained the same tolerance across conditions. Also, we found an order effect, as shown by a mixed Anova with random effect per participant (p=0.003). We concluded that the accuracy of verbal stimuli of previous episodes, rather than the content of descriptions, modulates pain tolerance.

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) are at an increased risk to experiencing limited social network size, dependency on paid support staff and family members, as well as behavioural deficits and excesses that serve as barriers to social inclusion. Research has identified staff behaviours that facilitate and maintain social inclusion in the lives of individuals with IDDs, but few have analyzed immediate, direct, and sustained observation of actual staff behaviours when supporting such endeavors. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to learn from staff what they do to support social interactions by analyzing sustained self-observations of staff behaviour when supporting clients towards social inclusion. This study analyzed anonymized service data where staff indicate whether they prompted, reinforced, or provided other support during social interactions of clients. Data was requested from St.Amant, a community-based service provider. Staff and clients were from St.Amant’s Community Residential Program (CRP); a series of community homes that support adults with IDDs live in the community. Data was analyzed descriptively and inferentially, to determine the prevalence, frequency, and relationships of various staff prompting behaviours. This study aims to further the knowledge of the role of staff when supporting social inclusion of individuals they support.

An increasing number of individuals with ASD are entering adulthood in India. There is growing concern among parents of these individuals, about their employability, future living arrangement, financial independence and safety, particularly as the caregivers grow older. Majority of these individuals struggle with communication and social isolation, according to parent narratives. The participating adults continued to live with their families, having limited social interface and faced a lack of employment opportunities at the time of the study. The study also indicates a need for shift in parental attitudes towards long term planning for the child early into the intervention years. This descriptive study also points to the need for psychoeducation and focused intervention for better adult outcomes and the ongoing need for trained personnel who are specialized in working with adults, apart from residential options for all socio-economic sections of the affected population.

For some individuals with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, communicating with verbal speech presents a challenge. Access to Augmentative and Alternative Communication can be the difference between students having communicative independence or continued challenges with language. Determining appropriate communication options comes down to trailing various systems and measuring these through a comprehensive assessment. Woodbury’s device trials assess three alternative communication options each trailed over 3 weeks in collaboration with speech and language pathologists. Data collection tracks a student’s level of independent communication, variety of words accessed across communicative functions (e.g. requesting, protesting, greeting, commenting, asking and responding to questions), and acknowledges student’s personal preference for an alternative communication system. This dynamic assessment examines user abilities across several areas of competence, including linguistic, operational, strategic, emotional, and social-functional domains. While commercially available options allow students quick access to relatively low-cost communication support, it does not necessarily guarantee access to the appropriate communication system, nor does it ensure improved student communication outcomes meeting the students long term needs. This poster reviews 3 case studies of primary school-aged students with Autism, demonstrating this assessment process and highlighting the importance of offering choice when choosing a communication option.

This research evaluated the reading comprehension of English as a foreign language of indigenous students enrolled in a high school education program at a public university in Jalisco, Mexico. Eighteen students, 10 men and 8 women, aged 16-18 years with different domains of the Spanish language participated. His mother tongue is Huichol and no data was obtained on his ability to read in the mother tongue. They were exposed to two reading tasks in order to identify significant variables that could explain their reading performance. In the first task, they had to deduce the meaning of words and phrases in a children's story. In the second task, they were presented with an advertisement and they had to answer questions regarding the characteristics and uses of the advertised product. Low performances were found in both tasks given the specific experimental conditions to which they were exposed: instructions in Spanish, face-to-face interaction with a non-indigenous experimenter, presentation of the advertisement in digital format, use of a non-indigenous children's story. This first approach opens up future research questions where the role of these variables in reading performance in Spanish as a foreign language is evaluated.

The US Department of Education declared school absenteeism a national crisis in 2017-18 after reporting over 8 million students missed at least 10% of the school year. School absenteeism is complex and results from idiosyncratic, inter-related problems (e.g., homelessness, abuse and neglect, bullying, unreliable transportation, school disengagement or failure, and inappropriate behavior management). Despite being a likely precursor to issues such as juvenile crime, adult incarceration, and unemployment, programs that address school absenteeism are limited in number, fail to address the comprehensive needs of the individual student, and are often punitive, counterintuitive, ineffective, and ungeneralizable. A functional behavior assessment, followed by an assessment-based treatment, likely is required to account for the complex nature of school absenteeism. In the current experiment, we created a functional behavior assessment to identify the putative function of school absenteeism for K-12 students who were legally truant and participating in a diversion program. We then employed a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate a treatment informed by our assessment to reduce the percentage of unexcused absences. We will depict results and discuss these outcomes as they relate to a functional approach to addressing the school-absence epidemic.

The field of applied behavior analysis has historically utilized visual and quantitative analytic methods to evaluate the relationship between context and behavior change. Qualitative research methods may add to this overarching research strategy by capturing more elements of complex contexts and the lived experiences of people (Scheithauer et al., 2019). The present study utilized qualitative analytic methods to evaluate experiences of special education learners, staff, and parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews were conducted and included multiple open-ended questions with a structured probing strategy. The participants were 10 students, 8 caregivers, and 9 staff members. Themes evident within the student responses included statements suggesting that online learning was much harder and there were more distractions. Stating that online learning was “hurtful” to their academic future. Parents suggested that their child(ren) were learning and adapting the best that they could, but that they experienced multiple new barriers both academically and personally. Teachers reported attempts to set their learners up for success, but many noted that an insight into their students' homes was both positive and negative. These data suggest that experiences of those within the context of specialized services during broad lockdowns may benefit from supports to best serve this community.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted most individuals, but the negative impact is especially exacerbated for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As such, clinicians who serve children with ASD are faced with difficult decisions regarding the necessity to weigh COVID-19 exposure risk with the need to continue services for this at-risk population. Models for decision-making regarding altering treatment services for individuals with ASD during COVID-19 have been published, with a focus on assessing the individual needs of each client or family to guide decision-making. However, few tools have been disseminated to guide clinicians in how to assess this need. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a Behavioral Health Needs Assessment, designed by experts in the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior in individuals with ASD. The questionnaire was administered to caregivers of clients seeking clinical services. Results suggested that a large percentage of caregivers reported changes in behavior and worsening caregiving issues during COVID-19. We discuss results in terms of specific caregiving issues identified as problematic by our sample and how the measure might guide the selection of evidence-based strategies matched to these specific issues during treatment development.

Caregivers interact with their young infants using infant directed speech (otherwise known as motherese speech) and vocal imitations. Motherese resembles “baby” talk which uses words and sentences in high-pitched tones, a songlike rhythm and inflections on verbs and nouns. This contingent vocal stimulation often makes a key difference in young infant’s vocalization rates as demonstrated in previous research (Pelaez et.al, 2011a, Pelaez et. al, 2018; Poulson, 1983). Our aim is to compare the findings of two studies that used contingent reinforcements of motherese speech and vocal imitation on the frequency of vocalizations of infants who are typically developing and one infant identified at-risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The first study (a single-subject design) explored the use of contingent and non-contingent bilingual motherese provided to a 6-month-old infant using a withdrawal design A-B-C-D-E. The second study explored the effects of motherese and vocal imitations on the frequency of infant vocalizations of a typically developing 8-month-old infant and a 12-month-old infant at-risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Reinforcement conditions for each infant were provided by their two caregivers (mother and father) using an alternating treatment design A-B-C-B-C. Results from both studies replicated previous findings that contingent motherese can increase the frequency of infant vocalizations. In addition, results from study 1 suggest that the use of contingent motherese provided in the home language of the infant (in this case Spanish) produced slightly more vocalizations on average. Furthermore, study 2 found that both contingent vocal imitations and motherese increased vocalizations well above the baseline for both infants regardless of developmental trajectory and caregiver providing the reinforcement conditions, with vocal imitations producing slightly higher average vocalizations.

Over the last 25 years, dozens of studies on the Naming capability have advanced the theory proposed by Horne and Lowe. While there is much agreement on the significance of Naming, our field continues to unpeel the layers of the onion regarding what Naming is, how it can change behaviors, and what establishes it. Various lines of research have demonstrated the role of multiple exemplar instruction in the establishment of naming as well as the role of the echoic as the source of reinforcement for naming. The current study attempts to further our understanding of the relationship between echoic behavior during the establishment of the naming capability as well as beginning to look at the role of conditioned sensory responses, in particular, conditioned or operant seeing, during the establishment process. Implications and further research will be discussed.

We conducted a brief assessment within a multielement design to identify motivating operations (MOs) that increased or decreased the value of negative reinforcement for children with a history of challenging behavior when presented with tasks or demands. For two of the three participants, we identified specific MOs that increased the value of negative reinforcement in the form of escape from nonpreferred tasks. The results demonstrated that the demands themselves were not aversive; rather particular dimensions of the demand (e.g., difficulty, amount). The third participant engaged in challenging behavior regardless of the MOs present, suggesting that the demands were aversive. Based on the results of the assessment of MOs, each participant was provided an individualized and matched mand to use that abolished the value of negative reinforcement. The mands were provided on picture cards and the contingencies of reinforcement were explained to the participants. Within a multi-element design, we then assessed the reinforcers associated with the mand to show their relation to challenging behavior. The individualized mands had the same abolishing effect across all participants, demonstrating that the assessment had identified functionally relevant MOs for each participant. Additionally, increases were observed across task engagement, task completion, and accuracy for all participants when matched mands were utilized.

We examined the effects on child verbalizations of procedures recommended for interventions using Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) protocols. The effects of the procedures of Child Directed Interactions (CDI) were examined within a multiple baseline across participants design. Two seven-year old participants with developmental disabilities and language delay experienced a baseline condition with two experimental conditions during a free play environment. A range of child toys were rotated systematically throughout the study. The total number of therapist-child interactions remained consistent across all experimental conditions. The experimenter received bug in the ear feedback about her use of the therapy components in order to maintain similar interaction frequencies across the study. Only the topography of the interactions varied across conditions. During the first experimental condition the therapist used descriptive-labeled praise, behavior descriptions, and motor imitation of appropriate play. During the second experimental condition the therapist systematically added the use of verbal reflections of child vocalizations. Within the multiple baseline design, total verbalizations, total different verbalizations, and mean length of utterance increased following the introduction of the first intervention condition. The additive effect of reflections of verbal content was examined subsequently.

Mexico is one of the largest countries in Latin America. Over the years, social sector reform has dramatically impacted the redesign of health programs and education. Still, challenges related to fragmentation and administrative troubles have resulted in a lack of medical and educational services for many, particularly for families of children who have autism or those suspected of having autism. Extant research demonstrates that early intervention programs and research-based practices significantly improve outcomes in children with ASD. Unfortunately, most materials distributed for dissemination in Mexico are predominantly intended for English-speaking populations, and Spanish resources are not being culturally modified and responsive to Latin American culture. The current study uses the Repeated Acquisition Design (RAD) to measure the effectiveness of delivering a 5-week program focusing on introducing behavior analytic interventions and providing culturally adapted materials for caregivers and professionals supporting children with ASD. Results showed significant improvement in participants’ knowledge of behavior analytic principles, autism characteristics, and implementation of supports in the home or school environment. Recommendations for the development and delivery of culturally responsive materials are provided.

Our work in service to individuals with autism, their families, caregivers, educators, therapists, and healthcare providers, has experienced significant growth and success thanks to those who pioneered the science, as well as those who pioneered the legislative and regulatory efforts to ensure services are available to all. As far as we have come, with insurance mandates in all fifty states, a majority of states in compliance with CMS requirements, and licensure laws being implemented in over 32 states to date, we still have work to do to ensure high quality services remain accessible, to increase acceptance and understanding, as well as to ensure the delivery of services remains viable. Our professional organizations continue to provide us with the necessary efforts to ensure our work continues to move forward. Nonetheless, it can be overwhelming, whether as an individual within a service organization or state professional organization, to try to begin to address these things without the right tools and teams. Resources, sample policy recommendations, and general tips will be provided for those interested in pursuing advocacy efforts in your area, developing opportunities for collaboration and collegial relationships with our peers to ensure advocacy efforts for access and acceptance are attainable.

Introduction: Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the current gold standard for treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), yet barriers for treatment are not well understood. Methods: Patients were identified from four children’s hospitals in Florida, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania during 2021. Patients ages 1-8 with a diagnosis of ASD were included. ASD diagnosis <6 months were excluded. Caregivers were voluntarily surveyed on demographics, parental assertiveness, treatment perceptions/knowledge. Data analysis was performed on patients who received and never received ABA services. Results: 444 surveys were completed. Median ASD diagnosis was 3-5 years ago. A majority of patients from Florida, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey received ABA services(>67%) compared to Delaware(45%) (p<.001). Caregivers with children who received ABA services were more likely to know how to find the right services(2.06[1.38-3.08]p<.001), know what to do when not getting the right services(1.98[1.33-2.95]p=.001), comfortable finding services through phone(2.04[1.25-3.34]p=.004), email(1.81[1.05-3.14]p=.034) and social media(1.72[1.16-2.56]p=.007). Caregivers believe the earlier a child gets treatment for ASD the more progress they will make(3.07[1.61-5.86]p=.001), and with proper treatment, behavior(2.24[1.36-3.69]p=.001) and development(1.70[1.01-2.83]p=.044) will improve(OR[95% CI]p-value). Conclusion: Barriers to accessing ABA services is a multifactorial issue. Demographics, parental assertiveness, treatment perceptions, and knowledge contribute to children with ASD not receiving ABA services.

Almost 40 years of functional assessment methodology had proven the effectiveness of the model in identifying the function of the behaviors and implement an intervention coherent with the function. The current study addressed the effectiveness of an outpatient treatment for adolescents with Self-Injurious Behaviors (SIBs), in the context of the Italian public healthcare system. A latency-based functional analysis and function based treatment were carried out for an adolescent with severe autism and intellectual disability, displaying SIBs (head hitting and arm biting). The results of the assessment highlighted tangible and attention as main functions. A Functional Communication Training (FCT) was implemented for each function in one weekly sessions of about 90 minutes, involving parents as therapists since an early stage. Socially significant results were reported in terms of a decrease of SIBs, and increase of alternative responses higher than 80% with respect to the baseline level. Generalization to different settings (home, school, day care center) was achieved through Telehealth sessions. Parents stated that intervention was socially significant and anecdotally reported a reduction of the duration the participants was wearing self-protection equipment. This case study highlights the possibility to provide effective treatments for severe SIBs in public health services. Specific adaptation of functional assessment and treatment in public healthcare system are discussed.

The notion that principles of behavior are so robust across species and settings that they should be universally applicable conflicts with both the importance of context in behavior analysis and the real-world expectation for behavior analytic clinicians to incorporate culture considerations into their service delivery. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the patterns and usefulness of cultural considerations documented by behavior analytic clinicians for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A total of 208 cultural considerations were included in qualitative analyses that involved both inductive and deductive approaches to thematic analysis. Results showed that the cultural considerations documented by behavior analytic clinicians mostly described the race/ethnicity of clients and their families as well as the language(s) spoken by them. Behavior analytic clinicians did not describe the steps taken to critically examine and/or systematically test hypotheses regarding the influence of culture-specific variables. Implications for documenting and utilizing cultural considerations for children with ASD are discussed.