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Recent events have highlighted the need for behavior analysis to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in service provision and in higher education. There has been a call to action issued, noting the need for cultural humility and cultural responsiveness. An opportunity exists within training programs to ensure that students of behavior analysis are instructed in ways that promote cultural responsiveness and that equip them to serve diverse populations. Additionally, more needs to be done to engineer environments where students of behavior analysis are treated with respect and compassion, and to ensure that educational environments promote the comfort and success of all students. This article outlines the initiatives of an applied behavior analysis department to gather information about DEI on the local level, identify goals, implement change, and evaluate progress toward these goals.

Identifying the maintaining contingencies of problem behavior can lead to effective treatment that reduces the occurrence of problem behavior and increases the potential for the occurrence of alternative behaviors. Many studies use descriptive assessments, but results vary in effectiveness and validity. Comparative research further supports the superior utility of analog functional analyses over descriptive assessments, but clinicians continue to report the consistent use of descriptive assessments in practice. Direct training on the recording of descriptive assessments as well as the process for interpreting the results are limited. The absence of research-based guidance leaves clinicians to interpret the results as they see fit rather than following best practice guidelines for this critical activity. This study examined the potential impact of direct training on several components of descriptive assessment: the recording of narrative antecedent-behavior-consequence data, interpretation of the data, and the selection of a function-based treatment. Implications for training and practice are reviewed.

We report a case with a 7-year-old girl with autism spectrum disorder and anxiety disorder who had severe restrictive eating leading to various medical concerns raised by her pediatrician. Following medical consultation and a descriptive functional assessment, a therapist implemented behavioral intervention consisting of a visual cue, choice, and differential reinforcement of alternative behaviors. The intervention was focused on both in-home meals and telehealth consultation during mealtimes, as the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated moving to remote consultation for continued treatment. The success of this study has long-standing implications for the benefits of positive feeding interventions and telehealth as well as parental training strategies.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often display repetitive and restrictive patterns of behavior, which can be seen in food selectivity and other feeding problems. Feeding problems in children with ASD not only lead to medical complications for the child but also can lead to increased caregiver stress. In order for behavior analysts to ensure adherence to the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts, many factors need to be addressed prior to and during feeding assessments and interventions. The need for interdisciplinary collaboration and ethical situations that may arise are reviewed. The purpose of this article is to assist the behavior analyst in determining best practices for feeding assessments and interventions while maintaining ethical compliance.

Repetitive and stereotypic motor movements and vocal behavior are among the diagnostic characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [5th ed.]. Washington, DC: Author). Motor stereotypy can interfere with the acquisition and demonstration of many adaptive skills and may socially stigmatize individuals, limiting the development and maintenance of peer relationships. The current study evaluated the effects of a differential reinforcement procedure used to establish discriminative stimulus control over the rate of motor stereotypy. In the second experimental phase, the child was taught a multistep self-management program using the differential reinforcement procedure. The data indicate that the procedure was effective in decreasing the rate of motor stereotypy across all evaluated settings for an increased duration. Although motor stereotypy was not completely eliminated by the procedure, a large reduction in rate was observed, as well as a large increase in the initiation of and response to social interactions. The findings are discussed in terms of social validity and the establishment and transfer of stimulus control.

Video modeling has been found to be an effective procedure for teaching a variety of skills to persons with autism, however, some individuals do not learn through video instruction. The purpose of the current investigation was to teach children with autism, who initially did not imitate a video model, to construct three toy structures through the use of a segmented video modeling procedure. Four male children, ages 4–6, diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder participated. Children were initially evaluated on a set of prerequisite skills including motor imitation and delayed match-to-sample. Children who were unable to perform delayed matching tasks were also not able to imitate an 8-step video model. A segmented video modeling teaching procedure was introduced. This procedure involved showing an increasing number of steps in the response chain across trials. A changing criterion design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the segmented video modeling procedure. Results showed that the segmented video modeling procedure was effective for teaching children to imitate an 8-step response chain.

Although response interruption and redirection (RIRD) has been shown to be successful in reducing vocal stereotypy, recent reports have suggested that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may also reduce these behaviors. The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the effects of RIRD with and without sertraline on automatically maintained vocal stereotypy of a 4-year-old boy with autism. Results suggested that vocal stereotypy decreased when RIRD was implemented and that sertraline did not affect the participant's vocal stereotypy.