Association for Behavior Analysis International

Research shows that older adults diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have the ability to learn and retain new information, and that rehabilitative interventions can help those with AD to increase their functional independence and goal attainment. This single subject, multiple baseline design (MBD) research investigated the clinical efficacy of an 8-week individualised intervention for people with early-stage AD. Three participants were recruited to participate. The intervention consisted of eight sessions of 60–90 minutes of cognitive rehabilitation. Outcomes included goal performance and satisfaction, quality of life (QoL), cognitive and everyday functioning, mood, and memory self-efficacy for participants with AD. Visual analysis of MBD data demonstrated a functional relationship between the intervention and improvements in goal performance. Subjective ratings of goal performance and satisfaction increased from baseline to post-test for all participants and were maintained at follow-up for two. Baseline to post-test QoL scores improved for all, whereas cognitive function and memory self-efficacy scores improved for two. A behavioural brain-health intervention can improve goal attainment for people with AD. This study represents a promising first step towards filling a practice gap in this area. Additional research and randomised-controlled trials are required.

Background: Rule-Governed Behavior (RGB) is a closely related topic to clinical study. Persistence to a rule increases psychological sufferings and gets in a way of behavior which moves toward to well-being or QOL. Pliance, which is one of the subclasses of RGB, plays critical roles for psychological sufferings. However, the experimental study of RGB is limited. Kissi et al., (2017) and Harte & Barnes-Homes (2021) reviewed studies of RGB. Purposes: The current study reviews studies, which are not included in Kissi’s and Harte’s reviews and conducted in Japan. Methods: The similar key words are used to select the papers. Japanese databases (CiNii and J-stage) are used. After searching a paper, the same criterion as Kissi's study is utilized to select the experimental study. Results: The 1965 papers were found. However, there was no study satisfying with Kissi’s criterion. Finally, while these were not satisfied with Kissi’s criterions, 10 studies (six experimental, two clinical and two review) were selected as the related study. Conclusions: 1) No study of RGB investigating the subclasses of RGB (Pliance, etc.). 2) In the six experimental studies, authors investigated which factors affected rule following behaviors. 3) No experimental study treating RGBs as relational responses.

The identity matching procedure with compound stimuli is an alternative to standard matching-to-sample procedure to establish emergent relations between abstract stimuli. The present study is the first to investigate whether this procedure would be effective to produce emergent relations among some stimuli that are important to provide financial education considering the high population indebtedness. Stimuli were the following printed word: debt (A1), buy with credit card (B1), pay in installments (C1), acquittance (A2), buy with debit card (B2), cash payment (C2), investment (A3), buy credit bills (B3), and buy treasury bonds (C3). Seven adults were exposed to nine phases: (1) Pretests, (2) AB-AB Training, (3) A-B Posttest, (4) B-A Posttest, (5) AC-B Posttest, (6) A-C Posttest, (7) B-C Posttest, (8) C-A Posttest, and (9) C-B Posttest. The results showed that all participants achieved the learning criteria and five of them showed the emergence of all the tested relations only after training. These results suggest that the identity matching procedure with compound stimuli is efficient to rapidly establish derived relations that may be important to produce financial education.

In recent years, a large amount of basic research on Relational Frame Theory has been undertaken. The present study used fictitious names of Japanese and Russian martial artists and explored whether trained comparative responding between pairs of fighters' names would generate ranking responding within and between the two nationalities. Sixteen Japanese undergraduates participated as test subjects. In the training, they were asked to guess who between the two names presented on the screen is the stronger/heavier fighter. Half of the participants worked on determining the “stronger” fighters, while the other half worked on the “heavier” fighters. Feedbacks showing the correctness of their responses followed each training. Comparative responding was trained under two conditions, namely the “within-nationality training” (WNT) where each set of choices showed two fighters from the same country, and the “between-nationalities training” (BNT) where the choices showed one Japanese and one Russian. One participant's data was excluded from the analysis due to a procedural error. In the result, regardless of the comparative condition (i.e., stronger or heavier), all the 15 participants showed correct ranking responses after the WNT, and 14 participants showed correct ranking responses after the BNT, particularly when they operated with the assumption that the strongest and heaviest Japanese fighters are inferior to their weakest and lightest Russian counterparts. This demonstrated that among adults with enough verbal repertoire, establishing minimal comparative relational responding within and between stimulus classes generates ranking responding within and among those stimulus class members even without direct training.

This study investigated whether using abstract or meaningful stimuli would interfere with equivalence class formation and reorganization. Experimental sessions were conducted using remote access software. Undergraduates were divided into two groups. For the Faces Group (N=10), set A stimuli were faces expressing happiness (A1) and anger (A2). All stimuli were abstract pictures for the Abstract Group (N=11). Both groups trained AB (A1B1; A2B2) and AC (A1C1; A2C2) relations and tested the formation of equivalence classes (A1B1C1; A2B2C2). All participants from Faces Group and eight from Abstract Group completed the training and formed the classes. When the choice speed of these participants was compared, Faces Group responded significantly faster than ABS Group in the formation tests. They were then submitted to AC reversals (A1C2; A2C1) followed by tests that assessed class reorganization (A1B1C2; A2B2C1). Three (out of 10) participants from Faces Group and five (out of eight) from ABS Group completed the reversal training and reorganized the classes. Logistic regression showed reduced odds of reversing AC relations for the Faces Group. Speed in reorganization tests was higher for the ABS Group. These results indicate that meaningful stimuli not only enhance class formation but also increase class resistance to changes.

When people are physically or economically unable to obtain or consume a nutritious and plentiful diet there are many various consequences, two of them being poor mental well-being and substance use. Despite this fact, it becomes complicated when you look at the bi-products of substance use or poor mental health. They are all interchangeable, giving this issue bi-directional properties. By using a financial management treatment, like Advisor Teller Money Management Therapy (ATM), patients would be able to create a personalized functional plan that could fit their specific needs and change behavior. Because it is usually implemented on a large time scale, 30-50 weeks, this experiment explores what aspects of the treatment can be pulled and implemented in smaller periods of time. By using a modified version of ATM in the context of delay discounting and behavioral economics, this experiment could decrease impulsive behaviors associated with alcohol-related expenses and encourage expenses being allocated to reduce a food-insecure state. The results in longer-term studies have been highly effective, which can potentially be reflected in the results of this study. With more participants, this experiment is hoped to yield successful results on a shorter timeline.

In order to evaluate the effect of the duration of events and their interval between occurrences on learning and recall of sequences of positions, an experiment was carried out using a recall task. Twenty four undergraduate students participated. The task consisted of the presentation of a 4x4 and 5x5 matrix of squares. Different sequences of lighting of squares were presented and participants had to recall that sequence. They were divided into two groups. The first group was exposed to a condition in which the duration of events (square illuminated) increased while the interval between occurrences was kept constant. The second group was exposed to the inverse condition by increasing the interval between occurrences and keeping the event duration constant. No substantial differences between groups were identified in the results. However, in both conditions, participants required fewer trials to learn and recall sequences compared to a previous study in which the same recall serial task and procedure was used. This suggests a facilitating effect of increasing the durations which can, in turn, favor the establishment of attentional processes.

Systematic Literature Reviews (SLR) are important in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in order to synthesize information on particular topics to evaluate if the strategy meets criteria for evidence-based practice. SLRs can be used for summarizing literature on a particular topic, and suggesting potential future directions of research; thus providing readers an overview of a particular topic. However, topics of research may be culture-specific, targeting topics that impact the author’s population more significantly. The results of the SLR may then be only applicable to that specific culture or region and not as easily applicable to the rest of the world. This poster will present a SLR of published behavior analytic SLRs with shared insights to the research trends of the following geographical regions: North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia. The findings of the SLR will provide direction and support to increase culturally diverse research within the field of ABA.

Paraphrasing is a skill that which is fundamental in academic training, especially at a university level. This ability is considered as a study strategy. Starting from the fact that paraphrasing is a skill that can be trained, the objective of the present study is to evaluate a program to reinforce this skill. The program was developed through the Moodle platform, consisting of the phases of: Welcome, Instructions, Pretest, Intervention and Posttest and Acknowledgment. Both in the pretest and the posttest, an instrument was presented to evaluate with closed response options. In the Intervention phase, a phrase was shown to the participant and they had to press a key to continue, later the same phrase and three response options were shown, which alluded to different types of paraphrasing. The phrases could be from methodology, biology or psychology. Once the student selected the phrase, he could earn 1 or 5 points depending on the type of paraphrase. The program recorded both the selection and the latency in the responses. A non-probabilistic sample was used, made up of 90 students belonging to the online Psychology career. The design was Pretest-Posttest. The results were analyzed descriptively, the main measure was the selection by the participants of the type of paraphrase and the correct answers. The main finding is correct execution in training. A change was also observed in the selection of paraphrases, from basic to complex. It is concluded that the educational platform is a good tool for learning the skill of paraphrasing.

Teacher training and performance are closely linked in the fulfillment of the curricular objectives set out in the proposed curriculum, so it is necessary to consider their influence during its implementation, however, there is almost no research in this regard. Objective: to evaluate the opinion of the students regarding the teaching practice in the two curricula (1976 and 2015), of the psychology career of a public university at the time when both plans were in force. Method: The COPDE (Student Opinion Questionnaire on Teaching Practice ) was applied in its digital version in three different academic periods. In total, 2651 were collected questionnaires. Results: Almost 50% of the teaching staff were evaluated. A factorial analysis of variance measuring the individual and joint effect of curricula (1976 and 2015) and application periods (2018-1, 2018-2 and 2019-2), on the dependent variable was performed. The data indicate significant interaction effects between the plan and the application of 2018-1 and 2018-2 (Sig. = 0.004) and between the plan and the application of 2018-1 and 2019 (Sig. = 0.001). Discussion: The performance evaluation allowed us to assess the impact of the process transition between both plans.

In this contribution, we aim to talk about Positive Behavior Support (PBS) in the context of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). We will introduce the workshop and its content, show examples of activities, and used tools for an assessment, and we will discuss the evaluation of the workshop. The evaluation will focus on the competencies of our participants, particularly problem definition, and functional behavioral assessment. Next, we will talk about the need for continual education in teachers and non-teaching employees in the field of PBS. We will start a discussion on possible next steps, focus on our future education and upcoming research.

The present study explored mainstream primary teachers, teaching in the Republic of Ireland, causal perspectives of disruptive behaviour in the classroom. It also explored teacher stress, self-efficacy, and years of experience and how these variables relate to causal perspectives of disruptive behaviour. A total of 109 mainstream primary teachers rated the likelihood of four causes (1. parental, family, home factors, 2. access to something in the immediate environment, 3. student difficulty, 4. developmental phase) to be the cause of nine disruptive classroom behaviours. The results found that teachers in the Irish primary education system believed that student difficulty such as “student disability, student personality, health issues or emotional issues” was the most likely cause of disruptive behaviour and developmental phase was the least likely cause of the disruptive behaviour. There were no significant differences on stress, self-efficacy and years of experience between teachers when they were grouped by primary causal perspective. There were however significant relationships between causal perspectives and self-efficacy and causal perspectives and years’ experience. These relationships, implications for practice and future research will be discussed.

Ludic activities can promote learning in different contexts and ages. To evaluate the impact of ludic activities on content learning in a psychology course in high school, a didactic planning centered in ludic activities was implemented. One hundred and fifty-three students (83 women and 70 men) between 15 and 17 years of age from a public high school in the north of the State of Jalisco in Mexico participated. This area is characterized by the presence of an important population of indigenous inhabitants. A quasi-experiment was carried out with 2 experimental groups and 2 control groups. Content learning was evaluated through a traditional exam administered at the beginning and at the end of the course. Results showed high performances in the experimental groups and in a control group. Only the control group where there were more students of indigenous origin did not show high performances in all the test items. It is suggested to evaluate in a subsequent experiment the effect of a didactics focused on ludic activities in school contexts with a high degree of cultural diversity.

Teaching with acoustical guidance (TAG) is a behavioural intervention that involved the delivery of an audible stimulus contingent on the performance of the desired response (Stokes et al., 2010), and may also be used in intervention packages, such as TAGteach (TAGteach International, 2004). TAG, TAGteach, or both, have been evaluated in a variety of domains including sports (e.g., Ennett et al., 2020; Harrison & Pyles, 2013; Quinn et al., 2015), gait rehabilitation (Baram & Miller; 2007; Cassamassima et al., 2014), and daily living skills (Wertalik et al., 2018); however, the terms TAG and TAGteach have been used somewhat inconsistently in the literature. The purpose of this poster is to discuss the findings of our scoping review on TAG and TAGteach interventions, and to explicitly differentiate these two interventions. This scoping review followed the systematic methodology guidelines outlined in PRISMA-SR. In doing so, we searched MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and ERIC to locate peer reviewed articles written in English that incorporated an audible stimulus to provide feedback during skill acquisition. Two independent reviewers screened the articles and extracted and synthesized the data. The results will be discussed within the context of practical implications and suggestions for future research.

The educational outcomes and quality of life of students with moderate-to-severe disabilities (MSD) are often dependent on the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs), such as systematic instruction (SI). However, paraeducators are often tasked with serving students with MSD despite prior knowledge or training in instructional strategies. Furthermore, special education teachers are often unprepared to train paraeducators’ to deliver instructional practices with a high degree of fidelity. ParaImpact, a coaching intervention package, seeks to address this need by training teachers to implement practice-based coaching (PBC), a model grounded in adult learning, to provide on-the-job training for paraeducators. Two multiple-baseline designs across skills were conducted with two teacher-paraeducator dyads to determine if there is a functional relation between implementation of ParaImpact and increases in fidelity of implementation of the components of SI for paraeducators. The four SI components included: environmental arrangement, prompting, error correction, and reinforcement. Results of both studies including social validity will be reviewed. Additionally, implications for future research and practice will be discussed.

Virtual reality is one of the fastest growing areas of accessible technology in the world. Educators have begun to explore the use of virtual reality in classrooms and the early findings are extremely promising. This paper reports on a pilot project where 35 pre-service behaviour analyst graduate students in higher education taught clients from a community partner agency in a synchronous, networked, multi-player virtual environment. Qualitative data were collected in the form of reflective journal entries and survey responses from the students. Some survey responses were quantified and analyzed using basic statistical analyses. The remaining qualitative data were analyzed from both the perspective of Relational Frame Theory (RFT) and Verbal Behavior Developmental Theory (VBDT), using an analysis of the verbal behavior reports in both journal and short answer form from the students. The value that this type of analysis can bring to our understanding of verbal behaviour is explored. Findings showed the emergence of several themes suggesting that there may be benefits from using the virtual medium for teaching and that training in these situations should be further explored.

Children with Autism often engage in less complex and fewer spontaneous pretend play behaviors. Although research has highlighted the value of providing parents with sustained support to promote positive child outcomes, parents rarely receive coaching around play skills. This study examined the effects of a multi-component remote coaching package on parents’ implementation of a systematic, multi-step modeling procedure with fidelity, to engage in pretend play with their children. A multiple-baseline design across pretend play behaviors was replicated across two triads. Each triad consisted of a parent, a preschool-age focal child with Autism and a sibling. The coaching package included three virtual trainings and email performance feedback. Caregivers were trained on using the modeling procedure to teach three pretend play behaviors. During intervention, email feedback was provided to caregivers on each video submitted. There was a functional relation between the coaching package and caregivers’ fidelity to the modeling procedure. Nonoverlap (NAP) indicated that the change from baseline to intervention condition was statistically significant for caregivers’ modeling procedure fidelity. Caregivers found the coaching to be beneficial and expressed strong interest in continuing to use the strategies. This study expands applied behavior analytic ways to support caregivers of children with autism around play.

Treatment fidelity is the extent to which essential intervention components are implemented accurately and consistently. This is an important component to implementing evidence-based practices for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as higher levels of treatment fidelity are directly related to improved outcomes and strength of the intervention. Therefore, it is important to identify methods to promote and maintain high levels of treatment fidelity among practitioners implementing behavior analytic interventions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative effectiveness of immediate and delayed performance feedback on the implementation of interventions incorporating compound schedules of reinforcement (i.e., multiple and chain schedules). Specifically, we provided immediate feedback for implementation of one of the compound schedules and delayed feedback for the implementation of the other compound schedule. We randomly assigned feedback to compound schedules ensuring an equal number of pairings across the participants. Participants were graduate students enrolled in a verified course sequence and completing supervised field experience. The results indicate that both immediate and delayed performance feedback effectively increased the fidelity of implementation, however participants did report a preference for immediate performance feedback.

Self-monitoring is a process that involves recording data on one’s own behavior. This intervention has shown to be effective in the organizational behavior management research as a behavior change agent for staff performance. This review paper evaluates the research and the trends in the self-monitoring literature that has been published in The Journal of Organizational Behavior Management (JOBM) from 1977-2021. This is the first review of the self-monitoring literature since 2008 (Olson & Winchester) and the first to look solely at the research in JOBM. An initial search of the self-monitoring literature yielded 148 results. Only 10 of those articles met the inclusion criteria outlined in this paper. For each of the included articles, the authors evaluated the following variables: the environment where the study took place, additional interventions used with self-monitoring, the dependent variable(s), training provided on self-monitoring procedures, reliability measures, experimental design, social validity measures, and effectiveness. While all of the articles reviewed demonstrated that self-monitoring was effective, the trends identified for the other variables this paper evaluated provide a guide for future areas of research.

Healthcare must provide safe and effective treatment while being cost effective and ethical in its delivery. Anaesthesia is particularly prone to production pressure, which can lead to compromises in patient safety through risky decision making. Anaesthetists (N = 192) completed an electronic survey asking whether they would proceed with surgery in 11 scenarios involving a violation of a standard or practice guideline. The percentage of anaesthetists who would have proceeded ranged from less than 10% to more than 90% across the scenarios. Likelihood to proceed and confidence was influenced by gender, age and level of expertise. Although not originally designed to investigate rule-governed behaviour, evidence for the influence of pliance and tracking was found in the explanations which participants provided for their decisions. For example, tracking was evident when participants noted that they previously had no problems despite the absence of a “critical” piece of equipment. Pliance was evident, for example, in the importance participants placed on the professional regard with which they were held by other anaesthetists. These data provide insight regarding educative processes that might be most likely to increase adherence to standards and guidelines, thus improving the safety and effectiveness of anaesthetics and healthcare delivery more widely.

Occupational accidents worldwide cause approximately 300 000 fatalities annually (1). One of the economic sectors most affected by occupational accidents is the construction industry, accounting for more than 20% of all occupational fatalities in Europe (2). Randomized controlled studies in naturalistic settings are warranted to understand how safety-leadership practices can be advanced within the construction industry (3). A randomized controlled study was undertaken to assess how construction site managers can advance their safety-leadership behaviors through an individually tailored leadership training program grounded on operant behavioral learning. Construction site managers (n=68) were recruited and randomly assigned to control group or intervention group. The manager’s leadership behaviors were assessed pre- and post-training by their subordinate foremen (n=92) and workers (n=109) using questionnaire scales measuring feedback, safety-specific feedback, antecedent listening, and consequential listening. To evaluate the effect of the training on leadership behaviors, multilevel modeling (MLM) is currently being performed. The main fixed effects for measurement time (pre- and post-training), experimental condition (experimental and control group), and interaction between time and experimental condition will be estimated for each dependent variable. The results will be reported in Table 1 (attached). This study expands our knowledge of how to train managers in operant safety-leadership behaviors.

Biological interventions by medical professionals are often warranted for specific diagnoses, particularly when direct etiology is identified. However, with certain psychiatric disorders, etiology is not easily assessed or includes a combination of biological and behavioral variables. For example, children diagnosed with Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal infection (PANDAS) might have underlying infectious and inflammatory processes where simultaneous treatment of biological and behavioral symptoms are recommended (Thienemann, et al., 2017). Accurate treatment data are crucial to ensure adherence to medical and behavioral interventions to improve functioning and decrease suffering. However, due to the simultaneous treatment of bio-behavioral symptoms, accurate treatment data from medical and behavioral interventions are often difficult to progress monitor. In this presentation, we demonstrate ways to track changes in symptomatology in children diagnosed with PANDAS in response to biological and behavioral treatment strategies by a multidisciplinary team of professionals (e.g., behavior analysis, psychiatry, pediatrics, immunology). ABA-based data collection methods including scatterplot, multi-element designs, and function-based narratives were used to track intervention variables as well as changes in symptoms over time for 2 children diagnosed with PANDAS.

The relationship between sleep deprivation, irregularity of bedtime and waking time, and length of sleep onset latency and health risks has been shown in several studies (e.g., Luyster et al., 2012). In addition, sleep problems are widely recognized among Japanese university students (e.g., Steptoe et al., 2006). However, there are few intervention studies on sleep in non-clinical university students and few online intervention studies. In this study, we conducted an online workshop based on CBT-I and an intervention using graphical feedback of sleep in four university students and examined the effects using sleep diaries and questionnaires. The results showed that the sleep onset latency decreased in one participant during intervention and follow-up, but there were no effects of the intervention on bedtime/wake time, sleep onset/wake time, sleep duration, mid-wake, or subjective sleep quality in all participants, and the PSQI-J scores of two participants decreased before and after the study period. These results suggest that the intervention package in this study may improve sleep onset latency and insomnia tendency. In future studies, it will be necessary to individualize the intervention procedures, provide incentives for implementing the procedures, examine the effects of each intervention technique alone, and quantitatively measure sleep.

The Children Psychiatry Department at the Sheba Health Center offers a pioneering model of collaboration between Psychiatry and Applied Behavior Analysis. The health center also includes an Applied Behavior Analysis certification program. Patients are six to twelve years old children experiencing complex behavioral challenges requiring intensive and professional care. Among the challenges are self-injury, social and school difficulties, psychotic and medical issues. Children reside at the department for a few weeks up to three months. Staff include Psychiatrists, Nurses, Psychologists, Social Workers, Teachers, Speech Therapists, Behavior Analysts, Dieticians. The department hosts a school supervised by the Ministry of Education. It also enables students from the certification program to experience practicum within the department, beneficiary to both. The Behavioral program includes a “growth ladder” for each patient, based on a Token Economy system supporting target behaviors defined by the Psychiatrists. It also includes individual interventions such as functional communication training, differential reinforcement, and gradual exposure to frustrating triggers. The Behavioral model will be presented followed by key challenges related to its implementation.

Teaching receptive language is often overlooked in applied studies in speech pathology. This multiple baseline, single case experimental design (SCED) study attempted to address this concern by teaching receptive vocabulary using a matching to sample (MtS) procedure (matching objects to pictures) to three preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or developmental disability (DD). An additional purpose of the study was to investigate if teaching using MtS generalized to receptive identification of non-identical pictures. Social validity was increased by completing the study at a preschool, with vocabulary taught by the local speech pathologist. Results indicate that all children learned to match the objects. At the time of submission, one child had learned to match identical and non-identical pictures, and identify the objects in the absence of pictures. He also began to label the objects, without direct teaching. The other participants are continuing in the study and data collection is not yet complete.

Temporal relational responding involves responding to how events are related in time (e.g., if A comes before B, then B comes after A). This skill is important to performance in everyday life situations (e.g. sequencing events, planning, talking about the past or future). The present research assessed and trained temporal relational responding in children. Study 1 was a correlational study in which twenty-five 3-8-year-old typically developing children were assessed on temporal relational responding tasks of increasing levels of complexity. Results showed (i) a correlation between temporal relational responding and age and (ii) that arbitrary “after” trials were more difficult than arbitrary “before” trials. Study 2 was a non-concurrent multiple baseline study, focused on training temporal relational framing in two 6-year-olds using multiple exemplar training (MET). Both participants demonstrated temporal relational responding during training and passed generalization tests. This research provides initial data on acquisition of temporal relations in young children and suggests that MET can be used to train this skill.

Having a clearer understanding of what qualities and corresponding behaviors contribute to exceptional service delivery may allow practitioners to strengthen their behavioral repertoire and, by extension, improve client well-being. Initial data utilizing the Exemplary Behavior Analyst Checklist (EBAC) indicates that U.S.-based behavior analysts believe being ethical, data-driven, analytical, client-centered, and applied are the most important characteristics to being an outstanding practitioner (Zayac et al., 2021). The current study expanded this research by asking Board Certified Behavior Analysts located outside of the United States to identify the characteristics and corresponding behaviors of individuals they consider to be exemplary in the profession. Seventy participants from 22 countries rated the extent to which exemplary behavior analysts display each quality and corresponding behaviors on the EBAC using a 1 (never exhibits this quality) to 5 (always exhibits this quality) Likert-type scale. Participants also ranked their top ten qualities in order of importance. The results showed agreement between the international and U.S.-based behavior analysts on eight out of the top ten characteristics, with the top five selections being the same (but in different order). These findings suggest there are a set of core characteristics and behaviors displayed by exemplary behavior analysts.

Research indicates that staff knowledge and perceived confidence to manage behaviours that challenge is positively impacted by staff training. Following the recent increase of remote working, this study investigates whether online training in key areas of applied behaviour analysis improves an understanding of behaviours that challenge. Staff supporting individuals with behaviours that challenge at four different care homes were invited to complete online training videos. Participants (N=18) completed pre and post questionnaires to measure knowledge at four points: before viewing, during the video, upon completion and one month after. Participants were provided with fictional scenarios and correctly identified the function of a behaviour 38.9% of the time at baseline, 83.1% after training and 100% at 1-month follow up. Overall, scores in most knowledge domains increased, however on average were high (79%) at baseline. Fourteen participants described what they will do differently following the training, of which 10 described how they have changed their practice one month later. Results suggest that training can be an effective tool for increasing an understanding of behaviours that challenge. Further evaluation of training in combination with individualised input to reduce behaviours that challenge should be considered.

Transition-aged youth with intellectual disability (ID) often experience barriers to community integration due to limited transportation. One method to overcome this barrier is to teach youth with ID to use a ridesharing application (app), such as Lyft or Uber. Four youth with ID, ages 18-22, used a ridesharing app to access community locations as part of their transition program on a university campus. A single case multiple baseline across participants design was used to evaluate the efficacy of classroom and community direct instruction. Social validity of the teaching procedures was assessed via participant satisfaction surveys and exit interviews. Results indicated a functional relation between the classroom and community instruction and number of steps completed independently to request and use a ridesharing app for two of the four participants. Two participants demonstrated an ascending trend line during baseline which diminished the confidence in a functional relation for these participants. Implications for teaching transportation skills to enhance quality of life for transition-age youth with ID is discussed.

This study investiaged whether an iPad-based speech-generating device (SGD) and systematic insruction were effective in child acquisition of question answering. The study was conducted with two children with autism using a multiple probe across behaviors design. Results demonstrated that the iPad-based SGD and systematic instruction resulted in acquisition of answering all questions. Follow-up data were collected one, three, and five weeks after instruction ended. For all participants, skills maintained during follow-up and generalized to novel settings and skills. Social validity data were also collected and indicated that teachers without experience using SGDs found them to be effective and feasible for teaching communication skills.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have communication support needs and many rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems to communicate. Previous research suggests that AAC use does not preclude the acquisition of spoken language and, in some cases, may facilitate improvements in spoken communication in children with ASD. This study systematically applied echoic prompting and manipulated reinforcer magnitude in an effort to increase the spoken requests of three children with ASD ages 10–12 years who used iPad-based Speech Generating Devices (SGD). The spoken language (vocal requests) of all three participants increased in frequency and one participant began using spoken language exclusively, even when the SGD was an option. In this poster, we will present the results and discuss the implications for practitioners and provide directions for future research.

Play is critical for healthy development of children (Lifter, Foster-Sanda, Arzmarski, Briesch, & McClure, 2011). Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often do not engage in appropriate play and tend to display stereotypic behaviors (Cunningham & Schreibman, 2008; Lang et al., 2009). In this study, we examined the effects of lag schedules of reinforcement on play and stereotypy of three children with ASD (ages 9 to 12 years old) on a playground during recess in a summer camp. During intervention, children were reminded to engage in a variety of play behaviors and received praise that emphasized change in play behavior. All children remained in a Lag 1 schedule throughout intervention. Using a multiple baseline across participants design, the results indicated an increase of the frequency and variability of appropriate play using the playground equipment and a concurrent decrease of stereotypy of all three children. However, no increases of opportunities for social interaction between the participants and their peers were observed which warrants further research. We will discuss the results and provide recommendations for future research and practice.

Despite inclusion efforts in higher education in recent years a growing commitment to educational equity among historically underserved students is required. There is limited support for persistence and graduation of college students with learning disability. These groups of students come from a diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds such as historically Black, Latinx and other subgroups that identify as non-white. Herbert et. al (2014) suggested that learning disability such Autism as one group that should be supported. A more systematic, culturally sensitive approach is essential to connect the educational gaps. There is limited research on successful interventions for underrepresented college students with Autism. Behavior Skills Training (BST) is a method to teach students, staff, parents, and anyone else you are teaching a new skill. BST as “a procedure consisting of instruction, modeling, behavioral rehearsal, and feedback that is used to teach new behaviors or skills” (2004, p. 558). This Project utilized a workshop training using behavior skills training, modeling, rehearsing, feedback to teach college students with disability selected skills including time management, self-advocacy, job interview skills and other daily living. Early data suggest that there’s a significant difference in the success of students early in the semester, compared to past graduations rates. 5 out of 8 students showed an increase of overall GPA. 3 students reported increased in social skills. Although this project is currently underway, promising significant outcomes are anticipated.

Severe problem behaviors are highly prevalent in autistic children (Schreibman, 2005). Relaxation exercises have been successful at decreasing problem behaviors (Charlop & Kelso, 1997; Loomis, 2013) but using such procedures with precursor behaviors has not been explored. Research demonstrates treating precursor behaviors, or mild problem behaviors that precede those that are more severe, may be effective in reducing severe problem behaviors (Dracolby & Smith, 2012). The present study used a multiple baseline design across four autistic children (aged 7-11 years) to assess the efficacy of a relaxation intervention on reducing precursor and problem behavior. During an observational functional analysis, researchers identified precursor behaviors and antecedents of problem behaviors. In baseline, participants worked on their typical therapeutic tasks. If problem behaviors occurred, researchers implemented the participant’s behavior plan. During separate relaxation training sessions, children were taught deep breathing relaxation exercises. Following this relaxation training, researchers cued relaxation exercises when precursor behaviors occurred during the children’s typical therapy sessions. Frequency of precursor, problem, and on-task behavior were recorded. Results indicated that problem behaviors decreased for all participants following intervention. Precursor behaviors decreased and on-task behaviors increased for 3 of 4 participants. Results suggest future research is needed on precursor behavior.

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children has significantly increased since it was first identified. To address this increase, many behaviorally-based treatments have emerged, including video self-modeling (VSM). VSM has demonstrated efficacy as an intervention in treating a variety of ASD symptoms, ranging from communication deficits to maladaptive behaviors. VSM uses edited video clips that allow a child to watch him or herself successfully performing the targeted skill. To classify VSM as evidence-based practice, research is generally recognized as the most valid source of evidence for determining efficacy especially when synthesized across multiple, high-quality, experimental studies. This meta-analysis focused on the available literature to determine the efficacy of VSM as an intervention to increase prosocial behaviors in children diagnosed with ASD.. This meta-analysis used Cohen’s d and percentage of nonoverlapping data as metrics of effect size. Cohen’s d results (Intervention d = 1.0; Maintenance d =1.5), supports VSM as an effective intervention for children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD. While analysis of PNDs failed to provide equally robust findings this can be accounted for by variability of baseline data is some studies. Results are discussed in terms of implications for ABA practice.

Self-control occurs when it is chosen a larger delayed reinforcer instead of a smaller immediate one. Individuals who exhibit low self-control are commonly referred to as “impulsive” and are at increased risk for behavioural problems (e.g.: poor academic performance; addiction; excessive risk-taking; etc.). Concurrent schedules force the “impulsive” person to allocate a disproportionate number of responses to the smaller reinforcer immediately delivered. In this study we conducted a conventional delay tolerance assessment to evaluate: waiting time; magnitude sensitivity; sensitivity to delay; and impulsivity assessment. We then applied an intervention based on: rule, forced choice, concurrent activities, delay fading. The participant is a 12-year-old boy with autism, he follows an ABA treatment of 15 hours a week in a therapy center. In the baseline, the participant always chose the smaller immediate reinforcer and showed a waiting time of 0 seconds; after training he started choosing the larger delayed reinforcer and in 22 days, he reached a waiting time of 85 seconds. We used a changing criterion design to show internal validity.

Autism Spectrum Disorder shows deficit in social skills (SINPIA, 2011). Barale et al (2003) argue that more than 90% of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder remain with those deficit all life long. The aim of this studies is to improve social reciprocity evaluating a treatments to improve the quality of life of children with autism. Recent evidence (Jonsson et al., 2019; Otero et al., 2015) validates Social Skills Training as an effective treatment for social skills. However, the lack of literature supporting this training persists only in children and teenagers (Hotton & Coles, 2016). This study involves four people with autism aged between 19 and 27, who attend an Italian Social Promotion Association called "Il Tortellante”. We evaluated their conversation skills acquired through an online Social Skills Training. The data analysis shows a significant statistically improvement in interpersonal skills. Social and Communication skills improved in both subjects of the treatment couple. The obtained results validate the use of Social Skills Training with young adults with autism. Telehealth service, used to support the entire procedural package, produced results that are comparable to in-presence training.

Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) is a widely recognized reinforcement schedule used in behavior analytic procedures aimed at decreasing challenging behavior. DRO commonly includes a programmed reinforcer delivered on an interval-based schedule dependent on the omission of a target behavior, and the reinforcer is withheld following the occurrence of the target behavior (i.e., extinction). Although interventions employing DRO can be an effective, procedures that include extinction can, at times, be impractical or potentially lead to undesirable side effects. A DRO schedule can be implemented without extinction, but previous research has shown limited utility of this tactic. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate an asymmetrical DRO arrangement in which meeting the omission requirement resulted in a greater magnitude of reinforcement than the target behavior that continued to produce a lesser magnitude reinforcer. We examined DRO with and without asymmetrical magnitude of reinforcement for the omission and emission of the target response in a human-operant arrangement with nine adult college students. None of the participant’s exhibited a greater reduction in responding reliably during the higher magnitude DRO condition in comparison to the equal magnitude DRO condition.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of Discrete-Trial Training (DTT) combined with prompt-fading, shaping, and chaining procedures on acquisition of social communicative skills of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Four participants with previous diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) were selected from the list of children receiving services from the Korean Institute for Applied Behavior Analysis (KIABA). Target behaviors of this study were: ? eye contact when his name is called, ? gaze shift following simple direction, such as "look here" or "look there", ? pointing the item related when the usage or function is explained, ? imitating vowels "Ah, Eoh, Oh, Uh, Eeh", ? telling a story after arranging a set of three serial picture cards in order. According to the ME book written by Lovaas (1981), the first three targets were assigned to early language, and remaining two targets were assigned to intermediate and advanced language respectively. Five DTT programs were developed to teach each of the target behaviors on the basis of prompt-fading, shaping, and chaining procedures, and tested the effectiveness through the experimental intervention. The multiple-probe design across training steps was conducted with 4 participants receiving discrete trial training (DTT). The results showed that all of the five discrete trial training (DTT) programs designed on the basis of prompt fading, shaping, and chaining procedures were highly effective to teach social communication skills to children with ASD and PDD. Furthermore, the maintaining effects over relatively short period of time were observed. For the long lasting effects, the author suggested that future research on participation of parent and significant others should be conducted by teaching them how to implement the discrete-trial training programs.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an individualized positive behavior support on challenging behavior(self-injurious/aggressive behaviors and transition refusal behaviors) and alterative requesting and transition-related obedient behaviors of a middle school student with autism spectrum disorder in South Korea. The subject of this study was a student with autism spectrum disorder in 9th grade who was enrolled in a special school in South Korea. The individualized positive behavior support intervention was implemented utilizing multiple baseline design across behaviors. The collected data were analyzed to examine the effects of PBS intervention through visual analysis(the mean and range of behavioral performence, the trends of data using the split-middle line and percentage of non-overlapping data points; PND). The results of this study were as follows: First, individualized positive behavior support was effective reducing the self-injurious/aggressive behaviors and transition refusal behaviors of the target student. Second, the individualized positive behavior support was effective increasing the requesting and transition-related obedient behaviors. The results of the study were discussed in terms of PBS intervention based on functional behavior analysis, assessment and multi-element intervention strategies.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience skill deficits that can impede independent living, social interactions, and employment. Caregiver-implemented interventions based on applied behavior analysis (ABA) lead to improvements in targeted skills. The purpose of this study was to expand on current research that evaluated the efficacy of a caregiver training program, delivered via telehealth technology. A sample of 30 children with ASD and their caregivers (e.g., parents, grandparents) participated in all phases of the study. The effect sizes based on time series data indicated large or very large improvement for more than half of the goals addressed. Caregivers typically implemented the program with higher than 90% fidelity on average, indicating the coaching resulted in caregivers’ accurate implementation of the interventions. Caregivers reported high levels of acceptability for the telehealth coaching model. These results, along with the results of previous studies, provide preliminary support for the feasibility and social validity of using telehealth to provide ABA services.

Autism is often associated with repetitive and ritualistic behaviors, which may include adhering to a sequence to perform tasks and activities, arranging objects in a specific way, persisting in a special interest. In some cases, such behaviors can be a challenging, if blocking the access to the rituals evokes problem behavior. Only a few studies have conducted a functional analysis on this idiosyncratic function of behavior and carried out a treatment consistent with its function. This work involved three autistic children, who emitted problem behaviors maintained by accessing to rituals. A standard and two precursors functional analysis were conducted to identify the function of problem behaviors. The results of the assessment identified that for all three participants, access to the ritual was the main function for problem behaviors. An intervention coherent with behavioral function was implemented. Namely, treatment consisted in functional communication training (i.e., manding for the access to the specific ritualistic behavior) and progressive delay to reinforcement (i.e., postponing reinforcement on the occurrence of the communicative response). The results indicate that this approach can be effective in reducing problem behaviors maintained by access to rituals.

Functional communication training (FCT) is one of the most common and effective interventions for the treatment of severe behavioral problems. FCT is a differential reinforcement (DR) procedure in which an individual is taught an alternative response that results in the same reinforcement class identified as maintaining the problem behavior. This study introduced FCT as a procedure to reduce problem behaviors of a 15-year-old girl with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The participant started an ABA intervention at the therapy center less than a year ago. The problem behaviors were high in frequency and magnitude. The behaviors consist of self and hetero-aggression and destruction of the environment. In the baseline whenever we asked to return a reinforcer or we interrupted an activity or we proposed a dif-ferent activity rather than the one she asked, she engaged in aggressive behaviors. We selected a recognizable and easy-to-learn functional response (i.e. “I do not want to”) to teach her how to ask appropriately instead of engaging in challenging behaviors. We arranged multiple learning opportuni-ties with prompting, extinction, and reinforcement procedures. The functional response was taught using a direct vocal prompt with prompt fading. After training the participant demonstrates to engage the functional response with mastery, recording a drastic decrease in problem behaviors.

Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have significantly more stress and depression than parents of children without ASD (Cohrs & Leslie, 2007). Additionally, parenting stress correlates with and exacerbates future child behavior problems (Lecavalier, Leone, & Wiltz, 2006). Although limit setting for parents of children with ASD can reduce parental stress, their limit setting tends to be lower than the population mean (Osborne & Reed, 2010). Involving parents in their child’s ABA program may be one strategy to address these issues. This study examines whether completion of Incredible Years for Autism parent-training program (IYA-P; Webster-Stratton, 2014) improves parenting, parents’ mental health, and child behavior. Fifteen parents of children with ASD (ages 2-10) attended the 12-week IYA-P group, employing video-based discussions and practice. A pre- and post-test within-group design was used. Self-report measures assessed parental depression, stress and parenting skills. The IYA-P assessed children’s behavior. Parents reported improvements in supporting positive child behavior and limit setting, and less problems in parenting (see Figure 1). Parents reported decreased depression but increased parenting stress upon completion of IYP-A (see Figures 2 & 3). Results indicate that IYA-P may be a promising new parent-training program for parents and their children with ASD.

Challenging behaviors (CB) are among the comorbidities that have repercussions on individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; McGill et al., 2018), and have been shown to affect parents’ well-being (Lindsey et al., 2020). Moreover, community-based professionals have expressed a need for a CB program involving the parents (Rivard et al., 2015b). The Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Young Children (PTR-YC; Dunlap et al., 2013) was developed specifically for early childhood settings and could very well meet parents’ needs and demands. Part of a larger study that assesses the implementation of PTR-YC among community-based services in Québec, this communication aims to present the main barriers and facilitating factors to implementation according to the parents who used the program with their children with ASD. Twenty parents’ interviews were analyzed qualitatively using Chen’s (2015) program evaluation logical model. This model categorizes barriers and facilitating factors by six components: 1) the organization, 2) the facilitators, 3) the intervention, 4) the targeted population, 5) the partners, and 6) the ecological context. Content and thematic analysis allowed for an inductive approach to categorize recurrent sub-themes and summarize qualitative data into an insightful parental view of the strengths and challenges regarding the implementation of a behavioral program at home.

No study has documented the impact of Early Intensive Behaviour Intervention (EIBI) interruption due to the pandemic of COVID-19 which led children and their families to miss out on intervention at a critical timeframe for child's development and prognosis. Thirty-six families with children aged between five and six years old with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) living in a metropolitan area of the province of Quebec were recruited in a larger study evaluating the quality of the transition from EIBI to kindergarten. Families completed a socio-demographic questionnaire and a questionnaire evaluating their trajectory (ETAP 2*COVID) in which they answered four open questions discussing the impacts of EIBI interruption for their child and family. This poster aims to present quantitative and qualitative data documenting perceived quality of EIBI before and after the onset of the pandemic and the impact of EIBI interruption on the child development and the family adaptation. Results indicate a drop in EIBI intensity, an impact on children development (e.g. social and communication skills, challenging behaviours, etc.) and emotional difficulties for parents (e.g. stress, sadness, tiredness, guilt, worries, etc.).

This study demonstrates the benefits and impact of a novel teleservice delivery model engaging Part C early intervention (EI) providers as facilitators of early identification and intervention services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Through this ongoing partnership in our state, our early assessment and mentorship team supported 52 EI providers across 5 EI resource agencies. Training was provided via virtual learning communities focused on applied behavior analysis (ABA) and other evidence-based strategies. Targeting continuity of care, EI providers also received training around early identification of ASD and participated in telediagnostic evaluations for over 100 of their families. Results show high levels of caregiver fidelity in use of strategies introduced by EI providers (Figure 1), positive outcomes for children across several domains of child functioning as recorded by EI providers and caregivers (Figure 2), high levels of caregiver satisfaction with tele-services (Tables 1 and 2), and increased caregiver confidence and competence using ABA strategies to address the needs of their child (Table 3). Overall, data suggest that leveraging existing service systems can improve access to ASD services for families, especially those in under-resourced communities where specialty care (e.g., tertiary evaluations and intensive ABA therapy) can be difficult to obtain.

In this study, we conducted Brief Parent Training, which consisted of short-term intensive comprehensive support (2 months, about once per week) for five parents with children aged 1;8 to 5;1 years old who had autism spectrum disorder. The training consisted of on-job training, video feedback via an iPad, a record of family care at home, and video recording. The on-job training and video feedback were supported by a specialized agency. The record of family care at home and video recording were overseen by experts at specialized agencies, and the parents provided support at home. After the training, the parents’ skills related to interacting with their children improved greatly. This was generalized not only to interactions at the special institution but also to family care at home. In addition, the time devoted to such interactions at home also increased significantly before the start of support. These two improvements were maintained even after the Brief Parent Training was over. The results suggested that effective support can be provided to parents with children on the autism spectrum by comprehensively combining training at professional organizations and within family care.

Inappropriate contact with others, whether in the form of aggression or sexualised behaviour can have a significant negative impact on an individual’s social opportunities and academic placement. As such the development of effective interventions to address these behaviours is of huge social significance. The current study examined the use of Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviours (DRO) to reduce inappropriate contact with others. The participant was a nine-year-old male with a diagnosis of autism. An AB design was implemented. Prior to the experiment, the participant was emitting high levels of inappropriate contact in the form of pressing his groin area against and hugging other people. Initially, the DRO was implemented in order to address the aforementioned topographies, resulting in an immediate decrease in frequency to near zero levels even with reinforcement being delivered every 1.5 hours. When an additional topography of biting emerged, this was also successfully addressed with DRO. As the DRO does not teach alternative behaviours itself, the functional components of the inappropriate contact were also addressed during the course of the study, though with less success than the DRO.

Students with autism who attend public school are expected to cooperate with a wide range of difficult instructions throughout the day. Students who engage in severe problem behavior might require physical management and physical restraint of those instructions lead to episodes of dangerous behavior. Rajaraman et al. (2021) suggested that physical restraint should be considered potentially traumatizing for the student and that clients in ABA programs might regularly experience such trauma. We evaluated the extent to which trauma-informed ABA practices could minimize the need for restraint in a public school ABA program. Data suggest that the adoption of a universal protocol for new students, the practical functional assessment process, and skill-based treatments lead to fewer physical restraints.

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often display academic challenges. Numerous variables, including the COVID-19 pandemic, present behaviors to families accessing high-quality reading intervention. The present study aimed to improve reading comprehension for a 12-year-old boy with ASD using an adapted shared reading intervention delivered via telehealth in the participant's home. Effects of the adapted shared reading intervention were evaluated using a multiple baseline design across reading content areas (i.e., science, social studies, and English Language Arts). Additionally, generalization data were collected with the participant's mother. Data on challenging behavior were also collected as a secondary dependent variable. The results showed that the adapted shared reading intervention resulted in increases in reading comprehension across all content areas. Challenging behavior data remained consistently variable in the intervention phase. Major findings, limitations, and implications for practice are discussed.

People with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities has found a higher prevalence of nocturnal enuresis (also referred to as bedwetting). However, there have been relatively little research on behaviorally based interventions for nocturnal enuresis in children. The purpose of this study is to investigate and examine the effects of behavioral approaches to the treatment of nighttime incontinence for a 11 years old boy with ASD. A treatment package included (a) controlling the environment (an antecedent manipulation), (b) rewarding morning dryness with verbal praise and (c) using a reward chart with preferred tangibles. A component analysis was attempted to determine which part of an independent variable or component is responsible for behavior change and the result documented a clear pattern of decrease in frequency of nocturnal enuresis episodes following the implementation of a reward chart with preferred tangibles. This study shows that effective treatment of nighttime incontinence should be adapted and modified to the specific needs of child.

Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often engage in challenging behavior that requires individualized intervention. However, access to high-quality services is limited for adults, and caregivers often assume primary responsibility for behavior management. This study addressed the needs of a 22-year-old man with ASD and intellectual disability (ID) who lived with his grandmother and engaged in tangibly maintained challenging behavior. The interventionist coached his grandmother via telehealth in the implementation of two behavior analytic interventions: signaled multiple schedule arrangement and a modified contingency contract. The effects of the interventions were evaluated using an alternating treatments design with baseline. While both interventions were effective at decreasing challenging behavior when compared to baseline, the signaled multiple schedule arrangement resulted in zero instances of challenging behavior. Both the participant and the grandparent completed post-intervention social validity assessments and reported overall positive satisfaction with the interventions. Practice recommendations are presented.

Background: Little is known about the maintenance of long-term change and generalization outside of ASD interventions. Utilizing an online group platform for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we investigates the improvements of social communication via social skill practice. Objectives: 1. Organize personalized online peer social groups for individuals with ASD to implement and exercise social skills acquired from ASD interventions. 2. Offer new methods for assessing alterations in social communication skills at an individual and group level. Methods: 40 participants with ASD completed 5-8 sessions of social groups over an 8 week period. Each participant was pre-screened by parent-child interview, and grouped with others, based on similar communication level. Participants joined their 60-minute online peer group of neurotypical and ASD youths (3-5 youth/group), led by a trained facilitator. They freely engaged in conversations and activities. Sessions were recorded and individually analyzed to evaluate social engagement and emotional health. Results: Youth (median age = 15.2 years, IQR 8-22; 82% male) took part in the groups. 80% of participants exhibited significant improvement in social communication, as measured by equity of speech production. Conclusions: These results with novel objective measurements show that our online peer groups provide an opportunity for individuals with ASD to effectively practice and apply social skills acquired in interventions. Long-term follow-up is planned to determine the stability and persistence of acquired skills.

Introduction. The few studies that have described parental involvement in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a key factor to the success of the interventions, do not seem to investigate the family context. Moreover, the existing literature shows limited data discriminating maternal contributions in ABA intervention and the family, from paternal ones. While taking into account systemic factors, our study describes and compares the type and frequency of paternal and maternal involvement in ABA. Method. Twenty-one mother-father dyads (42 parents) of a child with ASD participated to the study. The families received on average, 13 hours of ABA for 13 months. We measured and analyzed: (1) sociodemographic information, (2) parental involvement in ABA (PIQ), (3) the parent’s satisfaction of the ABA services (CSQ-8), and (4) the family’s quality of life (FQoL). An interview on paternal and maternal involvement in the family during the ABA services was also conducted with each parent. Results. The quantitative results of the study demonstrate associations between paternal and maternal involvement in structured ABA sessions and correlations between paternal PIQ and both ABA satisfaction and family QoL. Qualitative data brings precision on the direction and interpretation of those results.

In attending children with ASD, the application of procedures to decrease the frequency of inappropriate behavior must be necessary, besides strategies to increase appropriate behavior. The present paper describes the application of Non Contingent Reinforcement (NCR), Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO) and the use of biker’s gloves procedures with a 12 years old boy with ASD. The objective was to reduce stereotyped responses (flapping), which produced disturbance in child’s control by the relevant stimulus, as well as being precursor of tantrums. Stimulus control of appropriate and inappropriate behavior (cards with red thumbs down and green thumbs up) were also presented. In NCR, during blocks of 10 minutes, the child was engaged in a free activity, without demand. Every 30 seconds on average (VI30 seconds) a tray with high magnitude reinforcers was presented to him and he could pick up one of the items. Also, contingent upon proper behavior, a green card was also presented (DRO). If he emitted inappropriate behavior, the green card was replaced by the red one and the reinforcement tray was removed, until the inappropriate behavior stopped for 3 seconds. Results showed an immediate reduction in stereotyped responses with gloves, as well as without it.

Introduction: Examining pain in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is largely un-explored. Due to the communication difficulties that exist within this population, most often pain goes unrecognised and untreated. Aim of Investigation: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of pain among individuals with ASD with or without Intellectual Disability(ID).This study examined 7 key areas on the impact of pain; demographic information, presentation and frequency of pain, challenging behaviour and pain, locations of pain, health problems, daily functioning and health related decision making. Methods: This research consisted of a cross sectional study (caregiver report) that examined the impact of pain in individuals with ASD and ID from children aged 5 years and above and adults aged 18 years and above who required caregiver support in Ireland. Results: Abdomen pain was reported the most common location of pain. Challenging behaviour increased significantly during painful episodes. The results also reported that 68% never reported pain independently and over 74% was not involved in treatment received. Conclusions: The results from this study demonstrate that pain has a significant impact on individuals with ASD/ID who experience pain. It is critical that individuals with ASD/ID who experience pain must be taught the communicate pain in order for pain to be recognised and treated.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder includes repetitive behaviours such as compulsions and rituals that can inhibit a persons daily life. Interventions to decrease repetitive behaviours for a comorbid diagnosis obsessive compulsive disorder and autism mainly focus on a persons thought process such as using cognitive behavioural therapy. Research incorporating both inner thoughts and manipulating environmental variables has not been researched as an intervention to decrease repetitive behaviours. Differential Reinforcement is an environmental strategy used in in this case to decrease inappropriate behaviours and increase socially significant behaviours determined by the function of the behaviour. The participant for this case has a diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder and autism. The individual was discharged from a psychiatric inpatient unit after 9 months of being non responsive to treatment to a natural non-restrictive environment to facilitate transition to home setting. The purpose of this poster is to provide evidence that environmental strategies such a differential reinforcement should be implemented alongside cognitive behavioural therapy for persons with a comorbid diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder and autism to decrease ritualistic behaviours. Data collection is still occurring, therefore, no conclusion have been discussed.

Interventions to support individuals with developmental disabilities have been effectively taught to caregivers via telehealth. Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT) is a naturalistic communication intervention that focuses on arranging the environment, following the child’s lead, and imitating and modeling language use during naturally occurring play routines. The present study utilized a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across dyads to train caregivers to implement EMT via online modules and weekly coaching sessions. The study adapted methods to fit the needs of families with children newly diagnosed with autism and related disabilities, including immediate data collection following recruitment, flexible scheduling of sessions, and little time commitment. Results indicate that low-intensity naturalistic communication interventions may increase caregiver strategy use and child communication during play routines, but that families require different levels of support, particularly if they do not have experience navigating special the education and early intervention systems. Future implications of caregiver-implemented naturalistic communication interventions for families of newly diagnosed children are discussed.

Some adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) develop inappropriate sexual behaviors such as public masturbation, disrobing, and touching others in an unwanted manner. Such problematic behaviors have significant negative consequences such as restricted community access, decrease opportunities for appropriate social interaction and legal ramifications. Purpose of this study was to evaluate behavioral treatment to reduce inappropriate sexual behavior in adolescent with ASD. Participant was 15-year-old boy with ASD and target behavior was pulling down pants and touching his own penis in public. Following a functional analysis of his target behavior, we identified he wanted to check his underwear and get an attention from others at the same time. During the intervention, we taught him alternative behavior, which was to ask to use washroom or find an empty room to check his underwear. When he did the alternative behavior instead of disrobing, he was reinforced by tokens which could be exchanged to the preferred items later. During Non Contingent Reinforcement (NCR), he received positive attention from practitioners every 10 minutes. NCR reversal design was conducted for the component analysis. The results showed that it was the most effective when NCR and token system were both applied.

This study used a technology-based self-monitoring application and visual supports to improve conversation skills of three males with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ages 19 to 26. The conversations were audio recorded to accurately measure the dependent variable which was number of questions asked during structured conversations with same age peers. The technology-based self-monitoring application was I-Connect (Wills & Mason, 2014). I-Connect uses customizable prompts, intervals, and alerts to assist users to self-monitor on handheld devices (e.g., smart phones, tablets). The visual supports were graphic organizers in which participants generated a list of topics and questions to ask their partner prior to the structured conversation. A single case multiple baseline across participants design was used to evaluate the efficacy of the self-monitoring intervention alone versus self-monitoring plus visual supports. All three participants demonstrated an immediacy of change upon introduction of the self-monitoring intervention. There was little difference between the self-monitoring alone versus self-monitoring plus visual support conditions, which indicates evidence-based practices may be combined to best meet the needs of learners with ASD. Confidence in a functional relation is high given visual analysis of the graphed data. Implications related to improving the social and communication skills of young adults with ASD is discussed.