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ABSTRACTChildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can often demonstrate restricted and repetitive patterns of free play with toys, limiting their contact with the social and tangible reinforcement that is the result of more varied play. Lag schedules of reinforcement have been shown to increase novelty and variability of play actions in children with intellectual disability (ID; Baruni, R. R., Rapp, J. T., Lipe, S. L., & Novotny, M. A. (2014). Using lag schedules to increase toy play variability for children with intellectual disabilities. Behavioral interventions, 29(1), 21–35.). The current study extended the findings of Baruni et al. in three boys with ASD and ID, aged 8–10 years, in the United Arab Emirates. Novel actions increased for all participants during Lag 2 conditions following a systematic prompting strategy. Toy engagement, while variable, either increased or maintained across the intervention period. Maintenance and generalisation of behaviour change are discussed.

This study assessed the use of behavioral skills training for teaching online safety skills to two children, 7 and 9 years old. In situ assessments took place while playing the popular online game, Among Us, and consisted of confederates presenting lures to the child participants. Before training, the participants scored 1s and 0s, indicating a lack of online gaming safety skills. Both participants scored at mastery criterion (i.e., three scores of 3 in a row) following training. During the first 2-week follow-up, one participant scored a 1 because he did not leave the game following the presentation of a lure; his mother immediately implemented in situ training (IST). He scored at mastery criterion during the next follow-up assessment, indicating the effectiveness of the caregiver-implemented IST. The second participant scored a 3 during his 2-week follow-up.

This survey study examines the clinical practices and opinions of Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) certificants regarding safety skills training with their clients with neurodevelopmental disabilities. This article focuses on five safety threats: abduction, sexual abuse, poisonous substances, firearms, and fire-starting agents. Respondents were asked to rate the importance of teaching their clients safety skills for each of these safety threats. Furthermore, the survey included questions pertaining to the use of behavioral interventions, notably behavioral skills training. Results from this preliminary survey of BACB certificants (N= 695) are included and we provide a discussion of current practices and recommendations for future research related to safety skills training among practitioners in clinical settings.