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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of an intervention selection model on the outcomes of function-based interventions for escape-maintained problem behavior. The study included five children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and was conducted in a school setting. We conducted functional analyses to determine the function of problem behavior. BCBAs and special educators then independently used the intervention selection model to select an indicated intervention for each participant, with agreement as to the selected intervention in four of five cases. We then implemented identified function-based interventions resulting in reductions in problem behavior and acquisition of an appropriate replacement behavior for all participants. This study has implications for practitioners seeking to reduce problem behavior of students with ASD in school settings.

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder continues to rise, there is a growing demand for well-trained service providers to provide behavior analytic interventions. With this increased service need comes the necessity to develop new and efficient training methods as an alternative to traditional face-to-face training. This paper provides a review of research focusing on the use of asynchronous training methods to train service providers to implement interventions and strategies based on the principles of behavior analysis with individuals with developmental disabilities. Twenty-two studies were included and divided into five asynchronous training modalities: self-instructional manuals, self-instructional manual packages, video modeling, video modeling with voiceover instructions, and computer-based instructions. Clinical implications and future directions for research are proposed.

Several studies have examined the efficacy of behavior analytic coaching strategies in sports to increase performance fluency. Rock climbing is a multifaceted sport requiring mastery of several complex behavior chains in order to successfully navigate climbing surfaces. To date, most investigations have focused on the physiological aspects of rock climbing, as opposed to training specific rock-climbing movements. In this replication and extension, researchers used a multiple baseline design across skills to examine an expert video modeling plus video and verbal feedback training package on foundational rock-climbing skills of novice adult climbers. Results demonstrated that all participants showed an increase in accurate performance for all three skills that were targeted in the intervention.

The World Health Organization identified the promotion of "Nurturing Care Environments" as a global health priority. Responsive caregiving, 1 of 5 domains describing nurturing care, is critical for healthy child development. Relatively little research has evaluated population-level interventions aimed to increase responsive caregiving during the first 1,000 days of an infant's life. In this pilot study, we evaluated an intervention designed for population-level dissemination that targeted responsive caregiving. The self-guided behavioral skills training aimed to teach mothers to imitate infant vocalizations. The intervention was delivered within an on-line asynchronous training. All 3 mothers increased vocal imitative behavior following training without receiving coaching or behavior-specific feedback from an implementer. The results offer a preliminary proof of concept with implications for population-level intervention design and evaluation.

The present study examined effects of providing varied reinforcement versus constant reinforcement using an iPad and applications (apps). Participants included three typically developing children in a school setting. We conducted a preference assessment to identify highly preferred and moderately preferred apps. We then conducted a concurrent chains assessment to examine responding for varied moderately preferred content or constant highly preferred content. Although participants demonstrated different response patterns, all participants responded to gain access to varied moderately preferred reinforcement more than constant highly preferred reinforcement although preference for content alone would not have predicted this outcome. This research has implications for using high-tech devices (i.e., iPads) as reinforcers in educational settings.

Researchers and clinicians have successfully demonstrated the use of telehealth in supporting parents to conduct functional analyses (FAs) and subsequent functional communication training (FCT). We replicated and extended previous research by utilizing telehealth to train an existing Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Behavior Specialist to support parent implementation of behavioral procedures. Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) coached the existing Behavior Specialist via telehealth, who in turn trained and supported parents to conduct FAs and implement FCT in a community clinic. In four children, 3 years of age and younger, the function of challenging behavior was successfully identified according to a multielement research design. Challenging behavior reduced, and the selected appropriate communication response increased for all participants, evaluated using an AB research design. This study provides initial evidence that parents in rural settings can successfully implement assessment and intervention procedures with the support of an existing ECSE Behavior Specialist receiving coaching from BCBAs via telehealth.

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) has been used to assess variables contributing to undesirable staff performance. In this study, three preschool teachers completed the PDC-HS to identify the factors contributing to four paraprofessionals' inaccurate implementation of error-correction procedures during discrete trial training sessions. The PDC-HS indicated insufficient training as a contributing factor. We then implemented a nonindicated intervention (posting reminders), followed by an indicated intervention (behavioral skills training). The nonindicated intervention failed to produce desired performance improvements; however, the PDC-HS indicated intervention resulted in improvements for all paraprofessionals.

Young children with autism may fail to mand using a range of frames (e.g., "I want," "May I have," "Please give me"). We examined the effects of simultaneous script training and script fading on acquisition and maintenance of varied mand frames with six preschool children with autism. For participants who did not demonstrate increased mand variability under fixed-ratio (FR) 1 conditions, we assessed the effects of post script-training extinction on response variability. Following training of up to four different mand frames, three of six participants emitted more varied mands under FR1 conditions relative to baseline. Posttraining extinction resulted in increased mand variability for two of the three remaining participants. Results are discussed in terms of considerations for both establishing and ensuring the persistence of varied verbal behavior among children with autism.