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Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) is a treatment designed to increase adaptive behavior and decrease maladaptive behaviors for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). EIBI service providers typically collect data using pen‐and‐paper. Participants were four service providers employed at a large community‐based EIBI program. Differences in accuracy between collecting discrete‐trial‐teaching (DTT) data and challenging behavior data using pen‐and‐paper and an eHealth electronic data collection (EDC) application were assessed. The social validity of both methods of data collection was also examined. Pen‐and‐paper and EDC were equally accurate, but participants preferred using pen‐and‐paper. Our accuracy findings agreed with previous comparisons of EDC and pen‐and‐paper. Both methods of data collection are viable for an EIBI program; however, social validity considerations will determine the ease of EIBI programs transitioning to using an eHealth tool for data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research involving international research communities has been advocated in the field of behavior analysis (Dymond et al., 2000; Martin et al., 2016). The purpose of the present study was to report the status of behavioral research in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, in terms of number of publications, types of research, and frequency of collaboration with international researchers. Fifteen behavioral journals were selected from the list by Cooper et al. (2020). These were searched by hand to find publications conducted in or authored by researchers from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan dating from each journal's inception to December 2021. The earliest publication we found appeared in 1980 in The Psychological Record. Over the following four decades (1980–1989; 1990–1999; 2000–2009; 2010–2021), the number of publications per decade increased dramatically and continues in recent years to rise. Publications include research reports, review papers, and conceptual articles, with the majority being basic research reports published in Behavioral Processes. Approximately half the publications involve collaboration with international researchers, mostly in North America. Implications for behavioral research, practice, and policy in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to provide a review of the current state of the literature on response interruption and intervention (RIRD) beginning with the year the term was first coined. The paper aims to replicate and refine previous reviews on this topic by including: (1) only articles that used the term "RIRD"; (2) all behaviorally oriented journals with publications on the topic; (3) articles that evaluated RIRD across multiple topographies of automatically reinforced behavior; and (4) an evaluation of measures of treatment integrity, social validity, maintenance, and generality. Suggestions for future research and use of RIRD in clinical practice will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have observed that preference for edible items may displace preference for leisure items when items from the stimulus classes are assessed together within multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessments. The current study extends previous research by examining patterns of preference and displacement when assessing preference for high‐tech and low‐tech leisure items. We conducted three separate MSWO preference assessments; one assessing low‐tech items, another assessing high‐tech items, and a combined assessment (using the top four high‐ and low‐tech items from the previous assessments) to test for displacement. Preference for high‐tech items fully or partially displaced preference for low‐tech items in five of eight participants. We then conducted concurrent and single operant reinforcer assessments using the highly preferred high‐tech and low‐tech items. Reinforcer assessment results demonstrated similar levels of responding for the highest preferred high‐tech and low‐tech items, indicating that combining high‐ and low‐tech items within preference assessments may influence the validity of results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) service delivery is a complicated process and some issues stemming from this process can be controversial. Ethical dilemmas can challenge ABA practitioners and require thorough examination. The goal of this paper is to identify the existence of value‐based ethical dilemmas stemming from potential tensions among underlying values and to provide behavior practitioners with a systematic approach to addressing these dilemmas. Specifically, we use a step‐by‐step protocol for ethical deliberation and dilemma resolution in situations involving value‐based ethical dilemmas. We describe the application of this approach to clinical cases and its implications for services provided via telehealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University of California at Los Angeles‐Young Autism Project (UCLA‐YAP) provides one of the best known and most researched comprehensive applied behavior analysis‐based intervention models for young children on the autism spectrum. This paper reports a systematic literature review of replication studies over more than 30 years. The data show that the relatively high‐intensity UCLA‐YAP model can be greatly beneficial for children on the autism spectrum, particularly with regards to their cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior. This review concludes that, while more research is always welcome, the impact of the UCLA‐YAP model on autism interventions is justified by more than 30 years of outcome evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key component to any successful intervention aimed at increasing appropriate behavior for individuals with disabilities is the identification of potential reinforcers (Verriden & Roscoe, 2016). Preference assessments allow for the identification of specific preferred items for each individual; however, little is known about the stability of preference over time. The purpose of this review was to synthesize results from 20 studies that conducted two or more preference assessments, at least 24 h apart, and analyze the stability of preference assessment outcomes across repeated assessment administrations. This paper investigated the impact of the inter‐assessment interval (IAI; i.e., how often assessments were conducted), preference assessment format, and stimulus type (i.e., leisure items/activities, edibles, social interaction) on the stability of preference assessment outcomes. Results suggest that, across repeated administration, preference is most stable at brief IAIs (8–30 days) and when using the paired‐stimulus format (Fisher et al., 1992). Implications for practitioners and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pica is a severe behavior disorder involving the persistent consumption of nonnutritive substances. Due to health complications and risks for fatality, designing effective behavioral treatments that are feasible for implementation by family members at home is imperative. This case report presents a parent‐conducted functional analysis and treatment evaluation of automatically maintained pica in a teenager with autism spectrum disorder. Initial treatment with a competing stimulus was effective when paired with response interruption and redirection. Although effective, this combination of treatment components required very close parental proximity and led to increases in untargeted body‐oriented pica (e.g., ingestion of skin, hair, and nails). Upon extending treatment to include the second topography of pica, both the originally targeted (object‐oriented) pica and body‐oriented pica decreased. Nonetheless, treatment effects were not sustained while fading parent proximity. The treatment was then augmented a third time with response cost. This final treatment package produced clinically significant reductions in all pica, facilitated parent proximity fading until the participant was alone, extended to their home, and maintained over a year of follow up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prader–Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a rare neurogenetic disorder that presents with a variety of behaviors that could be considered challenging by caregivers, including excessive food consumption and volatile tantrums. Although these behavior challenges can be dangerous and interfere with successful daily living, previous research suggests that caregivers have trouble accessing effective interventions. Twenty‐seven caregivers of individuals with PWS completed a survey to assess their needs and wants for services addressing behavioral challenges related to PWS. The survey was classified into four sections: prevalence of behavioral concerns, current access or barriers to accessing behavioral supports, familiarity with applied behavior analysis (ABA), and specific needs when accessing behavioral services. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Although caregivers reported struggling with behaviors, such as tantrums, repetitive behaviors, and rigidity, many identified barriers to accessing treatment, including difficulty in finding services or practitioners familiar with PWS. Applied behavior analysis shows potential for addressing many of the behavioral challenges associated with PWS reported by caregivers. As caregivers of PWS continue to advocate for ABA‐based therapy for the individuals they support, practitioners need to take into account the needs and wants of PWS caregivers and specific behavioral needs of individuals with PWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) is commonly used to reduce behavioral excesses. Momentary DRO schedules involve delivery of reinforcement contingent upon the absence of the target behavior at a given moment. Two variations of momentary DRO exist: fixed‐momentary (FM) DRO and variable‐momentary (VM) DRO. In the current study, we directly compared FM‐DRO and VM‐DRO schedules to reduce challenging behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement exhibited by four children with autism spectrum disorder. The results suggest that both the DRO schedules were equally effective to reduce challenging behavior. A social validity measure showed that most caregivers rated the VM‐DRO as a preferred schedule and noted the potential for FM‐DRO schedule to become more discriminable over time, which could reduce its effectiveness. However, most caregivers also commented that the FM‐DRO schedule was easier to implement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, applied behavior analysis services for many autistic individuals were transitioned to telehealth. The current study assessed caregiver‐reported quality of life (QoL) and social validity for families of autistic children receiving only telehealth services (n = 96) or a combination of telehealth and in‐person services (n = 173). Barriers to the telehealth experience were analyzed via an ANOVA, and the impact of funding source was analyzed using an independent samples t‐test. Caregivers reported benefit across QoL and social validity items, with scores ranging from 3.31 to 4.44 (1 = least benefit, 5 = most benefit). While many caregivers reported no barriers regarding technology (44.61%), childcare (69.52%), and employment (64.68%), the presence of those barriers significantly impacted QoL and social validity scores. Funding source was not found to have a significant impact. Overall, caregivers found value in their child's telehealth services. Clinicians have an obligation to mitigate barriers to ensure the success of the intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study adopted a pragmatic trial with randomization to investigate the relative effectiveness of web versus live training on special educators' competence and perceived skills in functional behavior assessments (FBA) and behavior interventions. Pragmatic trials seek to determine the effectiveness of an intervention in a real‐world setting to ensure better application and generalizability in routine practice conditions. The live training group received an in‐person workshop delivered in a lecture format via powerpoint slides. The web training group received asynchronous online instruction via a secure website. The same training content was delivered to both groups. Participants were randomly assigned across both instructional modalities and completed two pre‐ and post‐test measures. Results indicated that participants (N = 104) in both groups showed a significant increase in theoretical competence of FBA and behavior interventions post training. Only participants in the live workshop group reported a significant increase in perceived skill scores. When comparing outcomes across groups, the live training group gained significantly more theoretical competence in FBA and behavior interventions than that in the web training group. These results shed light on the practical implications of online platforms for professional development among in‐service teachers in behavior management for schools with children having disabilities and challenging behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although response interruption and redirection (RIRD) and multiple schedule arrangements have sometimes been shown to be effective in reducing stereotypy for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), important questions remain about optimal methods for facilitating generalization and social validity. In the current study, we sought to extend the literature on stereotypy treatment and MSAs in several ways. First, we programmed for generalization by conducting sessions with two exemplars of two different categories of activities (i.e., school work, toy play) and assessing generalization with novel exemplars and activities and during the participant's typical instructional program. Second, we used RIRD instructions that were contextual models of appropriate behavior relevant to each activity. Third, during the free access component of the multiple schedule, we used a child's play tent as a first step toward teaching participants to engage in stereotypy during private free time. For all three participants with ASD, stereotypy decreased quickly and substantially, with reductions generalizing to novel activities and contexts. An extensive social validity assessment with board‐certified behavior analysts indicated high social acceptability of the goals, procedures, and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) for children with autism spectrum disorders is the intervention that has the strongest empirical support. EIBI requires frequent supervision by qualified professionals. Norway, like many other countries, has a shortage of qualified supervisors, particularly in rural regions. This study used a reversal design to investigate how supervisors and supervisees perceive the quality of EIBI supervision and the local team's preparedness when supervision was provided either on‐site or via videoconference. Calculations were made on how much time could be saved on travel when part of the supervision was provided via videoconference. There were no significant differences in the supervisors' and supervisees' ratings of on‐site and videoconference supervision. Moreover, the supervisors found the local EIBI teams to be better prepared when supervision was provided via videoconference, and the videoconference supervision meetings were shorter. The study discusses the implications of these findings for the accessibility of EIBI and case capacity and proposes some areas for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with autism spectrum disorder often display feeding problems, such as consumption of a limited variety of foods. It is also common for these children to be enrolled in early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) services for comprehensive treatment. Combined, these factors make it possible that behavior analysts will have a role in a child's clinical care related to feeding. However, given that the etiology of pediatric feeding disorders is complex and multifactorial, clinicians should ensure they have sufficient training and a setting that is appropriate for assessment and treatment. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of behavioral skills training in an EIBI setting to conduct a structured mealtime protocol. Training resulted in increases in procedural integrity, and we replicated these effects for all participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interruption and redirection (IR) procedures involve systematically disrupting an undesirable behavior and prompting an individual to engage in an alternative behavior. These procedures have been frequently assessed for reducing repetitive behaviors for autistic individuals. The primary purpose of this review was to assess IR interventions to determine whether outcomes vary according to intervention characteristics, dependent variable types, design quality, or publication status. A secondary purpose was to assess the extent to which generalization and maintenance outcomes were measured and whether characteristics of these conditions were related to outcomes. IR interventions were moderately successful for reducing repetitive behaviors but less effective for improving corollary variables such as appropriate vocalizations and functional engagement. Generalization and maintenance outcomes, when measured, were poor. Results indicate the need for alternative or augmentative procedures that focus on engagement in meaningful interactions and activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pica is a life threating form of challenging behavior displayed by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In most cases, pica is maintained by automatic reinforcement. Common interventions for pica use some combination of response blocking, response interruption and redirection (RIRD), differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA), and noncontingent reinforcement with competing stimuli. However, there is need for additional research regarding DRA procedures that emphasize skills acquisition by teaching alternative behaviors that modify the established behavioral chain of pica responses that occur in the presence of non‐edible stimuli. There is also a need to examine the generality of recent advances in competing stimulus assessment (CSA) methodologies—namely, the augmented‐CSA (A‐CSA)—to pica. Thus, the purpose of the present investigation was to systematically replicate and extend previous research for the assessment and treatment of pica in an individual with IDD. First, we conducted a functional analysis to identify environmental variables associated with pica. Next, taught Patrick a differential response (i.e., discard pica items in trash receptacle) to earn reinforcers in conjunction with a RIRD procedure. Finally, we conducted an A‐CSA for pica. Overall, low rates of pica were maintained over time with a combination of these procedures, and treatment was generalized across settings and people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We extended Carroll et al. (2018) by evaluating the predictive validity of an abbreviated error‐correction assessment (abbreviated assessment) for four adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. One abbreviated assessment and one validation assessment were conducted for each participant. We used a ranking procedure similar to Carroll et al. to analyze results of the abbreviated assessment and identify the most efficient error‐correction procedure (ECP) for each participant. Results showed high correspondence between the ECP identified during the abbreviated assessment and the most efficient ECP identified during the validation assessment for one of four participants, and moderate‐to‐low correspondence for the remaining three participants. Each participant's average rate of responding during each ECP was comparable across abbreviated and validation assessments, so we conducted statistical analyses to evaluate the strength of relation (Pearson's r) between assessment results. Overall, there was high correspondence between measures taken during both assessments for all participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment for inappropriate mealtime behavior often includes extinction and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) in a distributed arrangement in which delivery of brief reinforcer access immediately follows each appropriate mealtime response. Alternatively, DRA may be arranged using accumulated reinforcement wherein delivery of longer, continuous access to reinforcers follows the consumption of multiple consecutive bites. Research has suggested that individuals prefer and perform better under accumulated arrangements in academic settings; however, no research to date has evaluated the efficacy of accumulated arrangements with children with feeding disorders. We compared preference for and efficacy of distributed and accumulated (with and without tokens) reinforcement with nonremoval of the spoon. All three treatments effectively reduced inappropriate mealtime behavior and increased acceptance for two participants and decreased packing and increased mouth clean for one participant. Two participants preferred distributed reinforcement and one preferred accumulated reinforcement without tokens. Findings differ from some previous research, which demonstrated that participants favored accumulated arrangements in academic contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Response interruption and redirection (RIRD) often results in a reduction in level of vocal stereotypy in children and adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, research is still needed on the effects of RIRD on adults and on the mechanism by which RIRD produces its effects (i.e., punishment vs. differential reinforcement). The current study used an uninterrupted data collection procedure to evaluate the effects of RIRD, and specifically the contingent demand component, in an adult participant. Results showed that motor RIRD was effective in reducing vocal stereotypy when the demand aspect (i.e., redirection) was included but was ineffective when neutral talking (i.e., interruption) was presented. The impact of RIRD on appropriate vocalizations is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous prompting and graduated guidance procedures have been used successfully in teaching various academic and functional skills; however, there is a scarcity of research that directly compares these two procedures delivered within embedded teaching trials while teaching chained skills. The researchers used an adapted alternating treatments design to compare the efficacy of simultaneous prompting and graduated guidance procedures delivered within embedded teaching trials for teaching two chained skills (i.e., snap fastening and buttoning up skills) to three young children with developmental disabilities. They also examined the generalization and maintenance effects of both procedures in the study. Last, the researchers examined the social validity of the study through social comparison. Results indicated both instructional procedures delivered within embedded teaching trials produced the acquisition of targeted chained skills in all children. Also, both produced maintenance and generalization of the acquired chained skills. However, a consistent finding was not obtained for the efficiency of the procedures in favor of one procedure. Finally, social validity findings were highly promising. The participating children reached the performance of their peers after the intervention. Future research is needed to support these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four recent experiments demonstrated roughly parametric effects of acquisition‐performance criteria, or mastery criteria, on response maintenance outcomes: higher criteria produce higher maintenance. In this systematic review, we analyzed the generality of these effects across 3 years of articles published in three prominent applied behavior analysis journals. We identified skill acquisition articles and extracted general characteristics, the acquisition criterion, and maintenance and generalization outcomes at the level of individual participants. Our review included descriptions of the existing skill acquisition literature as well as a statistical analysis (chi‐square) of the association between acquisition criteria and maintenance and generalization outcomes. Overall, the results corroborate experimental work showing that higher acquisition criteria are associated with higher response‐maintenance outcomes across varied populations, interventions, and teaching tactics. We extended the literature by detecting the same associations with generalization outcomes. Future directions and important implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of TAGteach™ to develop skills across a variety of sports, such as football, golf, and dance, however, the role of vocal consequences in skill development is not yet fully understood. To date, there have been no studies that have examined the effects of these two interventions. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to demonstrate the effects of vocal consequences and TAGteach on the skill acquisition of a series of dance movements for two adults aged 28 and 43. Neither participant made substantial gains in skill acquisition during the vocal consequences (e.g., "great," "not quite") phase, yet each demonstrated increased skill acquisition for all movements during the TAGteach phase. Although no direct comparison occurred, the data suggest that the TAGteach intervention was more effective for increasing skill acquisition of the movements across a multiple baseline of movements. At the 2‐week and 4‐week follow‐ups, both participants maintained higher percentages of correct tag point demonstration than were displayed during baseline or the vocal consequence phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment is commonly used to identify potential reinforcers. In this arrangement, individuals can choose the order in which they consume edibles or activities. The item selected first is often designated the highest preferred, and the item selected last is often designated the least preferred. Scattered reports suggest that some individuals may save the best for last in an MSWO. Despite these reports, few systematic evaluations of "saving the best for last" in the MSWO have been conducted. We examined this phenomenon using an MSWO and progressive‐ratio‐reinforcer assessment. Evidence of "saving the best for last" was obtained for one of four individuals across assessments involving edibles and leisure activities, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with autism spectrum disorder engage in restricted and repetitive behavior. Some of these children engage in problem behavior when these rituals are interrupted. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the use of the trial‐based functional analysis to assess problem behavior related to ritual interruption and to treat the problem behavior using functional communication training plus a multiple schedule. We found that the trial‐based functional analysis correctly identified the presence of a rituals function and the treatment was effective in four of four participants, and the treatment generalized to additional rituals for three of three participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited research on the social validity of treatment for pediatric feeding disorders. When it is assessed, the evaluation of treatment acceptability may focus on a few specific procedures or the entire program post‐treatment. This report took place within a home‐based behavior‐analytic treatment model in Australia. Caregivers of eight children (aged 3–11) with pediatric feeding disorders provided treatment acceptability ratings for the full range of treatment procedures, at pre‐ and post‐treatment. Caregivers were also provided the opportunity to provide open‐ended responses. Results showed that caregivers unanimously gave strong ratings of the importance of goals, and preferred that treatment be effective and quick, over minimizing side effects. Procedures experienced by all caregivers (differential attention, tangible reinforcement, nonremoval of the spoon, and re‐presentation) were rated highly at admission and increased at discharge, with the exception of tangible electronics. Caregivers of children receiving additional procedures for acceptance or clean mouth also provided high acceptability ratings for these at both timepoints. This report is the first to examine pre‐ and post‐acceptability measures on the full range of treatment procedures with caregivers experiencing treatment. Results inform future research and will serve to improve efforts to disseminate behavior analysis as an acceptable and effective treatment for pediatric feeding disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competing stimulus assessment (CSA) is used to identify stimuli that are associated with high levels of engagement and low levels of problem behavior. However, few studies have used CSA results for adults with problem behavior. The goal of this study was to expand on previous literature by targeting an adult's self‐injurious skin picking, while incorporating caregivers into treatment and examining reduction maintenance. Noelle was a 27‐year‐old female diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability referred to an intensive outpatient clinic. Functional assessment results suggested that skin picking was maintained by automatic reinforcement. Treatment included noncontingent access to competing stimuli identified via a CSA with response disruption and response promotion tactics. This intervention reduced skin picking to near zero rates, was effectively implemented by caregivers, and treatment gains were maintained over 5 months. Limitations and future considerations for behavior reduction procedures with adults are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving on‐task behavior can allow individuals to access more learning opportunities and is especially relevant for individuals with developmental disabilities. The current study examined the efficacy of an intervention package that used percentile schedule of reinforcement, feedback, and application of lower limits to changes in criteria to increase on‐task behaviors in children with developmental disabilities. Using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants design, data revealed a functional relationship between the implementation of the intervention and an increase in the percentage of intervals that participants were on task. Overall, the participants' on‐task behavior improved from a mean of 32% during baseline to 68% during intervention, with a proportionate percentage change of 118%. Although there is no widely accepted method for shaping, using percentile schedules as part of an intervention package appears to be a promising way to shape behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social validity is often defined as the degree to which an intervention has value to the community that it effects, but it is seldom reported in the literature. Most social validity questionnaires are purposely created by the authors of the study and often lack a description of scale development process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate methods for the development of a Likert‐type social validity scale. Caregivers of children who took part in a study on behavioral treatments for pediatric feeding disorders were part of an initial interview to inform scale development. We analyzed interviews using thematic (qualitative) analysis and textual (quantitative) analysis, and used the resulting themes to generate items for two social validity questionnaires. We examined the inter‐rater reliability of the questionnaire development process and evaluated the content validity of the questionnaires resulting from each method. Textual analysis had higher inter‐rater reliability for producing themes that could be converted to questionnaire items. The textual analysis method produced a questionnaire with content validity equal to that of the thematic analysis method. The study demonstrates the successful use of a quantitative approach to the development of social validity questionnaires for behavioral interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep disturbances have frequently been associated with trauma and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Effective treatments for sleep disturbances are therefore likely to be indicated for individuals who have experienced trauma. With the aim of advancing evidence‐based practice in this area, this review focuses on studies evaluating behavioral treatments for sleep disturbances among civilians who have experienced trauma. Seventeen studies were identified that met inclusion criteria. Data were extracted from each study on (a) the type of sleep disturbance experienced, (b) assessments used, (c) treatment procedures, (d) outcome measures, and (e) main findings. Research quality was also evaluated. The results of these 17 treatment studies were generally positive, but ratings of the strength of the research varied from strong to weak. Overall, this review finds evidence to support the use of behavioral treatments for sleep disturbances resulting from experiences of trauma. The implications of these findings for clinical practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder may engage in repetitive vocal behaviors which interfere with a structured environment and social inclusion. If untreated, these vocal behaviors maintain into adulthood potentially impeding gainful employment and independent living. This analysis specifically focused on treatments available for presumed or functionally determined automatically reinforced repetitive vocal behaviors, also known as vocal stereotypy. For this review, a systematic keyword search of the literature identified 66 articles and a Tau‐U measure of effect size was calculated for 34 eligible studies in order to determine impact of interventions on vocal stereotypy. Of the single‐component interventions assessed, three interventions demonstrated a very large effect: interactive activity (0.94), self‐management (0.89), and response interruption and redirection (interrupted measurement, 0.86). Additionally, 92% of treatment packages reached a very large effect (0.85–1.00), all of which included stimulus control and/or response cost intervention components. Theoretical and practical applications are discussed, as well as implications for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three assessors conducted paired stimulus preference assessments with an adult with autism spectrum disorder, his mother, a staff member, and an unknown researcher. Results indicated that the participant preferred different social interactions with his mother, as compared to the other assessors. In a follow‐up reinforcer assessment, the social interactions identified as most preferred for each assessor produced higher frequency responding when compared to no consequence or nonmatching preference conditions. Results suggest that preference for social interactions may vary based on the assessor. Implications regarding the impact of the assessor in social preference assessments are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Face touching is a prevalent behavior for individuals of all ages. However, frequent face touching has potential negative side effects such as the transmission of viruses, bacterial infections, and skin infections. The present investigation extended previous research by evaluating a reinforcement‐based intervention package on the reduction of face touching for children with autism spectrum disorder who tolerated face coverings (i.e., masks, face shields). The treatment package included an unsignaled, momentary differential reinforcement of other behavior procedure with prompts. Results indicated that rates of face touching decreased from baseline levels for all three children during 5‐min treatment sessions. Furthermore, low levels of face touching were observed during follow‐up sessions that were longer in duration (i.e., 15 min) across participants. Results support the utility of behavioral interventions on the reduction of potentially unsafe behaviors related to medical routines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional communication training (FCT) is a behavioral intervention that results in reduction of problem behavior and acquisition of adaptive communication responses. After FCT, schedule thinning is typically conducted to make community implementation of FCT more feasible. Specifically, the density of reinforcement for the alternative response is gradually decreased over time. It is plausible that one could avoid schedule thinning by proceeding to the terminal schedule thinning value without first systematically decreasing the density of reinforcement along the way. However, very little applied research exists in which the terminal schedule values are probed prior to schedule thinning. We conducted terminal schedule probes before schedule thinning and analyzed the relapse of problem behavior before and after schedule thinning. Rates of problem behavior in the terminal probes exceeded those in baseline in two out of three treatments prior to schedule thinning. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applied verbal behavior (AVB) is an intervention approach grounded in Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior. Common components of the AVB approach have been established as evidence‐based, indicating the approach should be progressed into the manualization and implementation phase of research. In the present study, we used an intervention package consisting of computer‐based training, performance and competency‐based training, and in vivo training to promote the use of AVB procedures in 26 classrooms in a nonpublic school serving students with autism. We evaluated the effects of this intervention package on the performance of teacher level staff via a controlled consecutive case series design, nonconcurrent multiple probe design, and aggregate data analysis using inferential statistics. Results showed that staff members demonstrated high levels of fidelity with AVB procedures when working directly with students. Measures of student behavior showed significantly increased engagement with staff members, reduced interfering behavior, and increased rates of manding. These findings have implications for the dissemination of AVB in educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at risk of experiencing social victimization and should be taught to respond to potential victimization they may encounter in a workplace. Using a multiple probe across participants design, the current study evaluated the effectiveness of behavioral skills with multiple exemplar training (BS + MET) to teach four young adults with IDD a four‐step response to coworker victimization protocol. Two participants demonstrated mastery of this response after only BS + MET, while the other two participants demonstrated mastery of the response after BS + MET and additional in situ training (IST). Three of the four participants demonstrated generalization across settings, across exemplars, and with coworkers, and they maintained the response up to two months after the completion of training. This study expands research of BS + MET and IST to teach safety skills to adults with IDD. Implications for further research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and visual inspection of graphical representations of single subject designs is a hallmark of applied behavior analysis. Much of the research on training individuals to develop single subject design graphs has involved a limited number of graphing programs (i.e., Microsoft Excel and Prism). Many graphing programs require task analyses specific to their user environment (e.g., separating data from different conditions in different columns), which may decrease the likelihood of generalization of the results of previous studies to other graphing programs (e.g., SigmaPlot). In the present study, we have evaluated the effectiveness of a video tutorial for training behavior analysts to create multiple baseline across participants graphs using SigmaPlot, which includes the inputting of data. The effectiveness of the video tutorial was evaluated using a multiple baseline design. For two of the participants, the video tutorial alone resulted in mastery level performance. The third participant required feedback before reaching mastery level performance. All three participants demonstrated generalization to a different data set and performance maintained following a week of no intervention. Social validity data indicates that participants found the skill, training, and results to be important, enjoyable, and acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act (2011) mandated states to monitor psychotropic medication usage in foster care systems. In response to that legislation, the Deputy Director of the Alabama Department of Human Resources developed the Alabama Psychiatric Medication Review Team (APMRT). To date, our team has engaged in actions to target relevant personnel in foster care systems including caseworkers, foster parents, biological parents, and prescribers of psychotropic medication. One component of APMRT services involves tracking psychotropic medication prescriptions in Alabama foster care through our state Medicaid base. This process led the APMRT to include residential facilities as a target for services. What follows is a detailed account of the steps the APMRT initiated within a specific inpatient residential facility to improve (a) behavior tracking systems and (b) staff members' implementation of general behavior interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of interventions that are both effective and efficient is an ongoing need for the practice of applied behavior analysis. The parallel treatments design (PTD) has been described as powerful tool for comparing interventions in applied settings. The PTD combines elements of the multiple probe design and the adapted alternating treatments design. Execution of a PTD requires adherence to experimental tactics related to both designs, as well as adherence to specific features of the PTD outlined by the original authors (Gast & Wolery, 1988). The purpose of this systematic literature review was to evaluate (a) publication trends with the PTD, (b) applications of the PTD across behaviors and interventions, and (c) the extent to which articles that named the PTD as the design adhered to its defining features. Outcomes are discussed with respect to the utility of the PTD, limitations of the PTD, and potential refinements of the definition of the PTD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]