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Behavioral parent training has proven effective in improving the skill performance of foster caregivers and biological parents of dependent children during role-play assessments. To date, however, no studies have examined the impact of behavioral parenting skills training on child placement outcomes. We conducted a quasi-experimental archival analysis of the case files of 171 biological parents who completed a behavioral parent training program and 171 control families who did not participate in the program but were matched on the county of service and time of Child Protective Services involvement in Alabama. Results indicate that parents were not only able to demonstrate use of the new skills after behavioral parent training, but that skill acquisition was associated with better placement outcomes for their children compared to control families and a greater number of closed cases for the state service-delivery system.

LeBlanc, Crossett, Bennett, Detweiler, and Carr (2005) described an outpatient model for conducting intensive toilet training with young children with autism using a modified Azrin and Foxx, protocol. In this article, we summarize the use of the protocol in an outpatient setting and the outcomes achieved with a large sample of children with autism spectrum disorders. Thirty archival clinical records were coded for several variables related to treatment implementation and outcome. The majority of participants achieved full continence in an average of approximately 2 weeks. Details on the typical implementation and course of treatment are presented to provide a profile for future practitioners.

Social deficits are a hallmark feature of Asperger's disorder. However, social skill training is often complicated because clinician trainers usually do not have the opportunity to observe social behavior in naturally occurring contexts. One way to overcome this limitation is to teach family members to become effective change agents for social behavior. A mother and a sibling of a child with Asperger's disorder were trained to use behavioral skills training (BST) procedures to teach him social skills at home. The authors collected direct observation data of (a) family member performance while learning BST, (b) family member performance while teaching the client a target social skill, and (c) client performance during BST intervention of the target skill. These data indicated that family members acquired proficient performance of BST and taught the client with a high degree of treatment integrity. An AB design was used to demonstrate that the child's frequency of the target social skill increased following BST intervention.

Structured choice-making procedures, referred to as preference assessments, have been frequently used to identify reinforcers for individuals with developmental disabilities; however, few studies have examined the use of preference assessments with older adults with dementia. This study evaluated the utility of 4 versions of a 2-choice preference assessment for identifying items and activities associated with high levels of engagement in clients at an adult day care program. The same 8 items were presented in 4 formats (ie, verbal, pictorial, textual, tangible), and items from each assessment were ranked with respect to the subsequent level of participant engagement with each item. Correlations were computed between the preference hierarchy and subsequent engagement levels for each format. The format with the highest correlation coefficient was subsequently used in interventions in which frequent structured choice opportunities were presented throughout the day to increase engagement. For 3 of 4 participants, the vocal modality was optimal, while the tangible modality was optimal for the fourth. Moderate to substantial increases in engagement were observed for all participants when structured choices were offered. Implications for activity engagement in adult day care programs are discussed.

Three children With autism Who Were previously nonresponsive to loW-intensity toilet training interventions Were toilet trained using a modified Azrin and Foxx (1971) intensive toilet training procedure. Effects Were demonstrated using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants. The training Was conducted across home and school settings by parents and school staff. Each child achieved continence, and 2 children eventually initiated the majority of toileting events. Implications for future research and clinical practice and dissemination are discussed.

The authors conducted brief assessments in an outclinic setting to identify the functional properties of severe tantrums in three preschool-age boys with language delays. For one child, tantrums were sensitive to positive reinforcement in the form of access to preferred tangible stimuli (toys and preferred food). For a second child, tantrums also were sensitive to positive reinforcement but in the form of maternal attention and access to preferred stimuli (toys). The third child's tantrums were multiply controlled. For each participant, alternative communicative responses were identified and reinforced as replacements for tantrums. Results showed that brief functional analyses of tantrums serve as viable assessment options in outclinic settings. Further, identification of the functional properties of tantrums allowed for selection of replacement behaviors, which may be particularly useful for children with communication delays.