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There are significant difficulties teaching concepts to individuals with ASD, primarily abstract concepts. Many studies, from sensory integration studies to occupational therapy studies, from the academic dimension of special education to the affective dimension, are trying to solve this problem. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of direct instruction and simultaneous prompting in teaching hot, cold, hard, and soft concepts to students with autism spectrum disorder. The research model is the parallel treatment model, which is a single-subject research model. The dependent variable of the research was determined as the concepts of hot, cold, hard, and soft, and the independent variables were the levels of direct instruction and simultaneous prompting. Daily probe, collective probe, and follow-up sessions were planned and implemented for the four concepts identified in the research for direct instruction and simultaneous prompting. For each concept constituting the dependent variable of the research, the researcher prepared tool sets that exemplify the target behavior and include opposite concepts. Concept tracking checklists, criterion-dependent measurement tools, application reliability, and social validity forms were developed and used to collect research data. The research was conducted with the participation of four 7-year-old students, two girls and two boys, with autism spectrum disorder, attending the Autism Studies Application and Research Center. As a result of the research, the direct teaching method is more effective and efficient than the simultaneous prompting teaching method in comparing the effectiveness and efficiency of four subjects in gaining the concepts in the application process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Gagne’s model in teaching the concept of geometric shapes, triangle, circle and square, to a student with intellectual disability. A multiple-probe design across behaviors, a single-subject design, was used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the adopted model. The participant of this study was a 74-month-old boy with moderate intellectual disability. A criterion referenced form was used to measure the performance of the student. The results revealed the effectiveness of the model in teaching geometric shapes. Moreover, the participant's special education teacher and pre-school teacher both expressed positive opinions about the intervention process. The implications of this study can be used by teachers who are studying with students with intellectual disabilities in the planning and implementation of concept teaching.

Objective: To evaluate evidence on the effectiveness of behavioral interventions using single-case experimental design (SCED) methodology and to identify behavioral interventions with sufficient evidence for possible inclusion in the development of guidelines for the management of challenging behaviors in adults following moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: As a subinvestigation of a larger systematic review process designed to identify evidence for guidelines development, the current review focused on studies using SCED methodology applied to persons with challenging behaviors following moderate to severe TBI. Articles were identified from a search of the published literature through January 2021, identifying studies in CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, MEDLINE/Ovid, and PsycINFO. Articles meeting inclusion criteria were assessed for design rigor to allow for effect size determination. The identified cases were then critically appraised using the RoBiNT (Risk-of-Bias in N-of-1 Trails) Scale to determine strength of evidence for causal inference. Results: Thirty-four studies met inclusion criteria, with a total of 44 cases evaluated for effect of the treatment intervention on defined target behaviors. Seventeen cases had effect sizes rated as large, 22 cases as medium, 3 cases as small, and 3 as no effect. An observed trend was for large and medium effect sizes to be associated with lower RoBiNT Scale internal validity scores. Randomization, blinded provider and assessor, and assessment of treatment adherence were the internal validity items unlikely to meet criteria. Conclusions: SCED methodology was found to produce large and medium effect sizes for behavioral interventions targeting challenging behaviors following moderate to severe TBI. However, the strength of the evidence is limited because of weaknesses in study designs. Most of the studies failed to meet established internal validity criteria designed to reduce risk of bias in SCED studies as such rigor is difficult to establish or often not practical in clinical settings. Suggestions and recommendations are outlined for improving the quality of published cases using SCED methodology, which, in turn, will improve credibility of evidence and better inform the development of treatment guidelines for behavior regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between self‐reported triggers and the occurrence of migraine attacks using a smartphone application. Background: One of several issues around the study of migraine attack triggers is that limited available evidence supports whether self‐reported triggers can induce a headache on a particular subject. Methods: This is an observational longitudinal cohort study of individuals with migraine registered to track their headaches prospectively using a smartphone application. For 90 days, participants entered daily data about triggers (potential triggers and premonitory symptoms) that may be associated with attack risk, as well as migraine symptoms. The statistical significance of univariate associations between each trigger and migraine recurrent events was determined for each individual. Statistically identified triggers were then compared to self‐reported triggers. Results: In 328 individuals (290/328 [88.4%] female; mean [standard deviation] 4.2 [1.5] migraine attacks/month) the mean (standard deviation) number of triggers moderately or highly endorsed per individual was 28.0 (7.7) in individuals presented with up to 38 possible triggers. Of these, an average (standard deviation) of 2.2 (2.1) triggers per individual were statistically associated with increased risk of attacks. Even the most commonly endorsed triggers (sleep quality, stress, tiredness/fatigue, sleep duration, dehydration, neck pain, missed meals, eyestrain, mean barometric pressure, and anxiety) were statistically associated in fewer than one third of individuals suspecting each, with the exception of neck pain (117/302 [38.7%]). Conclusions: Individuals with episodic migraine believe that many triggers contribute to their attacks; however, few of these withstand statistical testing at the individual level. Improved personal knowledge of potential triggers and premonitory symptoms may help individuals adopt behavioral changes to mitigate attack risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research indicating many study results do not replicate has raised questions about the credibility of science and prompted concerns about a potential reproducibility crisis. Moreover, most published research is not freely accessible, which limits the potential impact of science. Open science, which aims to make the research process more open and reproducible, has been proposed as one approach to increase the credibility and impact of scientific research. Although relatively little attention has been paid to open science in relation to single-case design, we propose that open-science practices can be applied to enhance the credibility and impact of single-case design research. In this article, we discuss how open-science practices align with other recent developments in single-case design research, describe four prominent open-science practices (i.e., preregistration, registered reports, data and materials sharing, and open access), and discuss potential benefits and limitations of each practice for single-case design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In its various forms, acceleration continues to be an evidence-based and widely used service provided to gifted students but remains controversial and unsupported in legislation in most states. Case studies, current legislation, interviews with state directors of gifted education programs, and a deep dive into the 2018–2019 State of the States in Gifted Education revealed vast differences in state policies and approaches to providing gifted services especially when it comes to acceleration. Of the 44 state responses regarding content-based acceleration, nine indicated it is required, 12 said it is not, and 23 deemed it a local decision. When coupled with professional learning, subject acceleration triumphs as an effective method supporting student growth and talent development. With careful planning, the perceived barriers to subject acceleration can be overcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Gagne’s model in teaching the concept of geometric shapes, triangle, circle and square, to a student with intellectual disability. A multiple-probe design across behaviors, a single-subject design, was used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the adopted model. The participant of this study was a 74-month-old boy with moderate intellectual disability. A criterion referenced form was used to measure the performance of the student. The results revealed the effectiveness of the model in teaching geometric shapes. Moreover, the participant's special education teacher and pre-school teacher both expressed positive opinions about the intervention process. The implications of this study can be used by teachers who are studying with students with intellectual disabilities in the planning and implementation of concept teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When using baseline logic with single case experimental designs (SCEDs), one critical step involves collecting enough treatment data points, relative to the number of data points in the previous baseline phase, to set the occasion for relatively equivalent samples of the target behavior across phases. The fail safe k metric for SCED data provides a robust metric to complement visual inspection of graphed data to determine if enough sessions were conducted within a phase of the SCED to adequately predict the level, trend, and stability of the data path if more sessions were conducted in that phase. There was a strong relationship between fail safe k values and statistical power to detect differences in the dependent variable across phases relative to different criteria for estimating treatment effect sizes. Both quantifications suggested that decision rules for changing phases are associated with achieving an acceptable level of statistical power but with varying degrees of sensitivity and specificity for detecting treatment effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Epidemiological studies show the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adolescents is around 5 %. There is strong evidence for psychosocial interventions and medication for treatment of ADHD core symptoms, but these alone do not always reach a satisfactory outcome. The aim of this small-scale study was to evaluate the impact of tactile massage on ADHD core symptoms in adolescents in a clinical setting. Secondary outcome measures addressed pain perception, ability to fall asleep, and stress levels before, during, and after the intervention., Materials and Methods: Fourteen adolescents aged 15-17 and previously diagnosed with ADHD received tactile massage sessions in an experimental, single-subject ABA study combined with a group-based evaluation using descriptive statistics. The adolescents and their parents answered questionnaires to follow up on the primary and secondary outcomes., Results: The results showed a statistically significant reduction in hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention, as well as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Participants reported that it was significantly easier to fall asleep. There was also a tendency to perceive less pain, but these results were not statistically significant. The compliance in this study was excellent., Conclusion: In this study, tactile massage appears to have had a significantly positive impact on ADHD core symptoms and the ability to fall asleep. The absence of adverse physiological changes and the excellent compliance, coupled with positive results, supports the idea that tactile massage may be considered safe and beneficial for adolescents with ADHD. Our findings need to be further investigated in future research., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Syndromal classification has failed to produce a progressive science of case conceptualization for mental and behavioral health issues. An idiographic application of processes of change can provide a viable empirical functional analytic alternative if it could be linked to an idionomic approach , modeling idiographic effects first, and retaining nomothetic findings if they improve idiographic fit. Method: The present study examined this possibility by using the Process-Based Assessment Tool (PBAT), a new assessment tool linked to the Extended Evolutionary Meta-Model (EEMM) of Process-Based Therapy. The PBAT and items assessing common clinical outcomes were assessed repeatedly in 50 individuals in an experience sampling format over a 35 day period yielding at least 60 measurement occasions per person. These data were then analyzed in an idionomic fashion using Group Iterative Multiple Model Estimation (GIMME). Results: Analyses showed that the PBAT related to common clinical outcomes for virtually all participants in the individual complex networks identified by GIMME. Data showed that relationships had to be studied using an idionomic approach because participants' responses violated the ergodic assumptions underlying classical normative statistics. No overall group patterns were found. Subgroup relations did emerge for three common outcomes (sadness, anxiety, and life satisfaction) but most process to outcome relationships were idiographic. Idiographic networks were interpretable, however, using the broadened psychological flexibility approach of the EEMM. Conclusion: Idionomic network analysis of processes of change may provide a replicable form of empirical functional analysis and process-based case conceptualization. • Empirical forms of functional analysis could lead to effective case conceptualization. • Idionomic networks linked to processes of change represents possible approach. • Processes of change and common outcomes were assessed repeatedly over a month. • 45 individuals were analyzed using idionomic statistical procedures. • Processes of change related to outcomes in a coherent way for most participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As students develop understanding and fluency in single-digit operations such as addition, they develop sophisticated strategies and number sense (magnitude, number order, and composition). Deficits in number sense and reliance on inefficient approaches can lead to struggle in mathematics. Intervention research in this area reported effects on students' automaticity. Research reported observational data regarding strategy-use, but not growth in number sense and understanding of operations. This study investigated the effects of an intervention using the concrete-representational-abstract-integrated (CRA-I) sequence. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of CRA-I on students' number knowledge (magnitude, place value, and flexibility in strategy-use) and understanding of addition (commutative property and relation to subtraction). The researchers used a multiple probe across participants design. In addition, the researchers collected descriptive data on students' automaticity. There was a functional relation between CRA-I and students' number sense and understanding of addition, and students' automaticity increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the importance of individual-level effects, the purpose of this paper is to describe the new randomization permutation (RP) test for a mediation mechanism for a single subject. We extend seminal work on permutation tests for individual-level data by proposing a test for mediation for one person. The method requires random assignment to the levels of the treatment variable at each measurement occasion, and repeated measures of the mediator and outcome from one subject. If several assumptions are met, the process by which a treatment changes an outcome can be statistically evaluated for a single subject, using the permutation mediation test method and the permutation confidence interval method for residuals. A simulation study evaluated the statistical properties of the new method suggesting that at least eight repeated measures are needed to control Type I error rates and larger sample sizes are needed for power approaching.8 even for large effects. The RP mediation test is a promising method for elucidating intraindividual processes of change that may inform personalized medicine and tailoring of process-based treatments for one subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the degree of autocorrelation among single‐case design data with six measures used to estimate treatment effect size. The most commonly used measures of effect size for single‐case data over the last 5 years published in peer‐reviewed journals were selected for comparison. The overall mean degree of autocorrelation was 0.46 (SD = 0.33) across the 304 data paths, which represents a moderate degree of autocorrelation. Overall, it appears that non‐parametric measures of effect size (i.e., percent of non‐overlapping data [PND], non‐overlap of all pairs [NAP], and improvement rate difference [IRD] values) were substantially and significantly more influenced by the degree of autocorrelation. Tau‐U effect size estimate was the non‐parametric exception as it was not significantly influenced by the degree of autocorrelation. Parametric measures of effect sizes such as standardized mean difference (SMD) and log response ratio (LRR) values did not appear to be significantly influenced by the degree of autocorrelation. For SMD, LRR, and Tau‐U values, the correlation between the effect size value and the degree of autocorrelation was minimal. For NAP, IRD, and PND values, the correlation between the effect size value and the degree of autocorrelation was moderate, indicating that these estimates of effect size should be avoided as the degree of autocorrelation between data points increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine and identify effective variables related to single-subject reading interventions for the struggling readers. This study conducted meta-analysis of 84 single-subject research articles of which 54 were published in Korean and 30 were published in English. Utilizing the Improvement Rate Difference (IRD), a total of 586 effect sizes were produced with the mean effect size of 0.77. Intervention variables were categorized into two types – participant-related and intervention-related variables. Collected studies were analyzed for each effect size calculation. Variables having large effects within grade levels, disability types, implementer and session duration are discerned along with further discussion and educational implications.

Dialogic reading is an instructional strategy that has shown promise for supporting the reading development of children both with and without disabilities. Specifically, there may be positive effects of vocabulary knowledge, morphological knowledge, participation during reading, and emergent literacy skills. However, the knowledge base on the efficacy of dialogic reading with informational text is extremely limited. In addition, there are much available data on the use of dialogic reading with deaf students. The current study describes a multiple baseline single-case design study of a dialogic reading approach used with a deaf student enrolled in upper elementary school. Findings show promise for the dialogic reading approach for use with this genre and this population, though further research is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The primary aim of this study is to demonstrate that 7‐tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging (7T‐fMRI) can visualize the neural representations of the male pelvic floor in the whole brain of a single subject. Methods: In total, 17 healthy male volunteers (age 20‐47) were scanned in a 7T‐MRI scanner (Philips Achieva). The scanning protocol consisted of two functional runs using a multiband echo planar imaging sequence and a T1‐weighted scan. The subjects executed two motor tasks, one involving consecutive pelvic floor muscle contractions (PFMC) and a control task with tongue movements. Results: In single subjects, results of both tasks were visualized in the cortex, putamen, thalamus, and the cerebellum. Activation was seen during PFMC in the superomedial and inferolateral primary motor cortex (M1), supplementary motor area (SMA), insula, midcingulate gyrus (MCG), putamen, thalamus, and in the anterior and posterior lobes of the cerebellum. During tongue movement, activation was seen in the inferolateral M1, SMA, MCG, putamen, thalamus, and anterior and posterior lobes of the cerebellum. Tongue activation was found in the proximity of, but not overlapping with, the PFMC activation. Connectivity analysis demonstrated differences in neural networks involved in PFMC and tongue movement. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that 7T‐fMRI can be used to visualize brain areas involved in pelvic floor control in the whole brain of single subjects and defined the specific brain areas involved in PFMC. Distinct differences between brain mechanisms controlling the pelvic floor and tongue movements were demonstrated using connectivity analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research indicates that employers rate personal hygiene as the number one barrier to employment among individuals with developmental disabilities. However, there is limited literature on improving personal hygiene in preparation for employment among individuals with developmental disabilities. Using a multiple-baseline across-participants design, this study examined the effect of self-monitoring on personal hygiene among five individuals with developmental disabilities, ages 19 to 22 years, attending a postsecondary education program. A functional relation was demonstrated between self-monitoring and reduced distracting body odor. Limitations, suggestions for future research, and practical applications are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theorists and clinicians have long noted the need for idiographic (i.e., individual-level) designs within clinical psychology. Results from idiographic work may provide a possible resolution of the therapist's dilemma— the problem of treating an individual using information gathered via group-level research. Due to advances in data collection and time series methodology, there has been increasing interest in using idiographic designs to answer clinical questions. Although time series methods have been well-studied outside the field of clinical psychology, there is limited direction on how clinicians can use such models to inform their clinical practice. In this primer, we collate decades of published and word-of-mouth information on idiographic designs, measurement, and modeling. We aim to provide an initial guide on the theoretical and practical considerations that we urge interested clinicians to consider before conducting idiographic work of their own. • Idiographic (n = 1) research may resolve the therapist's dilemma. • There is limited guidance on how clinicians can conduct idiographic research. • We provide a primer for interested clinicians and clinical scientists. • This primer includes considerations for conducting idiographic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioral researchers are concluding that conventional group-based analyses often mask meaningful individual differences and do not necessarily map onto the change processes within the lives of individual humans. Hayes et al. (2018) have called for a renewed focus on idiographic research, but with methods capable of nuanced multivariate insights and capable of scaling to nomothetic generalizations. To that end, we present a statistical technique we believe may be useful for the task: the dynamic p-technique. The dynamic p-technique can accommodate multivariate longitudinal data and may be used to conduct single-subject and group-level analyses. After introducing the dynamic p-technique, we provide several examples of how it may be used in practice by presenting the step-by-step analyses of single-subject daily-diary dataset wherein we examined the day-to-day associations between ADHD difficulties and psychotropic medication. Although it has been underutilized by behavioral researchers, we believe p-technique analyses are particularly well-suited to model personal dynamics with nuance and within context and allow researchers to inductively build from idiographic patterns to nomothetic trends. For a fine-grain walk-through of the analyses presented, including the data and statistical code, link to our supplemental materials https://osf.io/cbyj3/ • Behavioral processes are often complex and person centered. • Statistical frameworks should accommodate person-centered and group-based data. • The dynamic p-technique is such a framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most research on risk aversion in behavioral science with human subjects has focused on a component of risk aversion that does not adapt itself to context. More recently, studies have explored risk aversion adaptation to changing circumstances in sequential decision-making tasks. It is an open question whether one can identify evidence, at the single subject level, for such risk aversion adaptation. We conducted a behavioral experiment on human subjects, using a sequential decision making task. We developed a model-based approach for estimating the adaptation of risk-taking behavior with single-trial resolution by modeling a subject's goals and internal representation of task contingencies. Using this model-based approach, we estimated the subject-specific adaptation of risk aversion depending on the current task context. We found striking inter-subject variations in the adaptation of risk-taking behavior. We show that these differences can be explained by differences in subjects' internal representations of task contingencies and goals. We discuss that the proposed approach can be adapted to a wide range of experimental paradigms and be used to analyze behavioral measures other than risk aversion.

Parent training is an essential part of quality programming for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, limited research exists exploring online training approaches to support parents of children with both ASD and complex communication needs (CCN; e.g., limited verbal ability), despite the many benefits that online training might have for these parents and the overall sustainability and scalability of such approaches. This study utilized a single-subject multiple probe design with three parents and their children to explore the impact of online parent training for parents and their children with ASD and CCN. Training included online interactive components to teach parents a communication strategy, as well as live practice sessions during which parents implemented the strategy, had an opportunity to ask questions, and engaged in self-reflection. Results indicated that training increased communication opportunities and responses provided by parents, and communication by the child. Limitations and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a third-wave behavioral therapy that is an empirically supported treatment for various mental health concerns. ACT has been found to be efficacious for treating different types of anxiety disorders. This case study presents the conceptualization (functional analysis), treatment (ACT), and treatment outcomes of a client who presented with emetophobia, a phobia of vomiting, complicated by a metabolic disorder. Measures of emetophobia symptoms, mindfulness, cognitive fusion, thought control strategies, and believability of anxious thoughts and feelings, were collected at pretreatment, posttreatment, 6-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up. The Reliable Change Index was used to evaluate changes across time. Large and clinically significant decreases on all measures were observed at posttreatment. At 12-month follow-up, improvements were maintained on all measures except the Reappraisal subscale of the Thought Control scale. The implications of this study are discussed, and recommendations are made for clinicians using ACT for the treatment of emetophobia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of immediately prompting a general education teacher to increase her rate of Opportunities to Respond (OTR) through bug-in-ear technology on the academic engagement of a first-grade student with emotional and behavior disorders (EBD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In addition, the study investigated if raising the rate of OTR would increase the teacher’s positive feedback while decreasing negative feedback. Using an ABA single-subject design, results indicated that student academic engagement increased as the intervention was introduced and continued to stay at elevated levels during a maintenance phase. Results on teacher feedback were mixed, with both positive and negative feedback increasing when OTR was increased. Implications for using immediate feedback to increase OTR for rural educators are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: When depression alternates with mania, as in a bipolar affective disorder, creativity might be enhanced. To investigate this, we employed a single‐subject design, looking at both affective space and the spectral covariation of mood and creativity in a participant presenting with bipolar affective disorder. The study was conducted over a period of 54 days, and employed a standard measure of mood (the Brief Mood Introspection Scale) and a standard task of creativity (Alternative Uses Task). Both positive affect and negative affect appear to be somewhat undifferentiated for this participant, and her mood space does not conform to that described by the accepted major dimensions of Arousal and Pleasure. Conceivably, this is because of her rapid mood fluctuations. A 2.7‐day periodicity was found for Tired, Peppy, Nervous, and Calm, on the one hand, and ideational fluency, ideational flexibility, and originality, on the other. In addition, a 9‐day periodicity was common to Happy, Sad, and Gloomy—all three affects clustering in the same affective space—together with both ideational flexibility and originality. This finding brings into question the relationship between creativity and both positive and negative mood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied whether gray matter network parameters are associated with rate of clinical progression in nondemented subjects who have abnormal amyloid markers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), that is, predementia Alzheimer's disease. Nondemented subjects (62 with subjective cognitive decline; 160 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI); age = 68 ± 8 years; Mini–Mental State Examination (MMSE) = 28 ± 2.4) were selected from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort when they had abnormal amyloid in CSF (<640 pg/mL). Networks were extracted from gray matter structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and 9 parameters were calculated. Cox proportional hazards models were used to test associations between each connectivity predictor and rate of progression to MCI or dementia. After a median time of 2.2 years, 122 (55%) subjects showed clinical progression. Lower network parameter values were associated with increased risk for progression, with the strongest hazard ratio of 0.29 for clustering (95% confidence interval = 0.12–0.70; p < 0.01). Results remained after correcting for tau, hippocampal volume, and MMSE scores. Our results suggest that at predementia stages, gray matter network parameters may have use to identify subjects who will show fast clinical progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of an individual's historically recorded personal measurements vary over time, thereby forming a time series (e.g., wearable-device data, self-tracked fitness or nutrition measurements, regularly monitored clinical events or chronic conditions). Statistical analyses of such n-of-1 (i.e., single-subject) observational studies (N1OSs) can be used to discover possible cause-effect relationships to then self-test in an n-of-1 randomized trial (N1RT). However, a principled way of determining how and when to interpret an N1OS association as a causal effect (e.g., as if randomization had occurred) is needed.Our goal in this paper is to help bridge the methodological gap between risk-factor discovery and N1RT testing by introducing a basic counterfactual framework for N1OS design and personalized causal analysis.We introduce and characterize what we call the average period treatment effect (APTE), i.e., the estimand of interest in an N1RT, and build an analytical framework around it that can accommodate autocorrelation and time trends in the outcome, effect carryover from previous treatment periods, and slow onset or decay of the effect. The APTE is loosely defined as a contrast (e.g., difference, ratio) of averages of potential outcomes the individual can theoretically experience under different treatment levels during a given treatment period. To illustrate the utility of our framework for APTE discovery and estimation, two common causal inference methods are specified within the N1OS context. We then apply the framework and methods to search for estimable and interpretable APTEs using six years of the author's self-tracked weight and exercise data, and report both the preliminary findings and the challenges we faced in conducting N1OS causal discovery.Causal analysis of an individual's time series data can be facilitated by an N1RT counterfactual framework. However, for inference to be valid, the veracity of certain key assumptions must be assessed critically, and the hypothesized causal models must be interpretable and meaningful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary focus of this study was to examine the effects of Shared Story Reading (SSR) during mathematics instruction on the behavioral outcomes of four elementary students with academic difficulty and challenging behaviors. In addition, the study examined the effect of implementing SSR during mathematics instruction on the teacher’s use of opportunities to respond (OTR). A multiple baseline design across participants was implemented to examine the effects of this curricular approach on increasing the teacher’s OTR, increasing student engagement, and reducing disruptive behavior. Results indicated there was an increase in OTR during the SSR lessons and suggest implementing SSR during mathematics instruction was effective for increasing engagement for students with academic difficulty and challenging behaviors. Results were not definitive regarding the effects of SSR decreasing disruptive behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose Atypical Parkinsonian disorders ( APD) frequently overlap in clinical presentations, making the differential diagnosis challenging in the early stages. The present study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the [18F]fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography Statistical Parametric Mapping ( SPM) optimized procedure in supporting the early and differential diagnosis of APD. Methods Seventy patients with possible APD were retrospectively included from a large clinical cohort. The included patients underwent [18F]fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography within 3 months of the first clinical assessment and a diagnostic follow-up. An optimized SPM voxel-wise procedure was used to produce t-maps of brain hypometabolism in single subjects, which were classified by experts blinded to any clinical information. We compared the accuracy of both the first clinical diagnosis and the SPM t-map classifications with the diagnosis at follow-up as the reference standard. Results At first diagnosis , 60% of patients were classified as possible APD (progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, dementia with Lewy bodies, multiple system atrophy) and about 40% as APD with uncertain diagnosis, providing 52% sensitivity, 97% specificity and 86% accuracy with respect to the reference standard. SPM t-map classification showed 98% sensitivity, 99% specificity and 99% accuracy, and a significant agreement with the diagnosis at follow-up ( P < 0.001). Conclusions The SPM t-map classification at entry predicted the second diagnosis at follow-up. This indicates its significantly superior role for an early identification of APD subtypes, particularly in cases of uncertain diagnosis. The use of a metabolic biomarker at entry in the instrumental work-up of APD may shorten the diagnostic time, producing benefits for treatment options and support to the patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research indicates teachers feel teaching goal-setting is an effective way to enhance academic engagement. However, teachers ultimately feel unprepared to embed goal-setting instruction into academic content to support active student engagement. Given the importance teachers place on goal-setting skills, there is a need to identify strategies to support teachers embedding goal-setting instruction across the academic day. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of goal-setting instruction on academic engagement for middle school students at risk for academic failure. Results indicated a functional relation between goal-setting lessons and students’ active academic engagement. Limitations, suggestions for future research, and implications for practice are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid increase in new fNIRS users employing commercial software, there is a concern that many studies are biased by suboptimal processing methods. The purpose of this study is to provide a visual reference showing the effects of different processing methods, to help inform researchers in setting up and evaluating a processing pipeline. We show the significant impact of pre- and post-processing choices and stress again how important it is to combine data from both hemoglobin species in order to make accurate inferences about the activation site.

We demonstrate the effect of sample and trial size on statistical outcomes for single-subject analyses (SSA) and group analyses (GA) for a frequently studied performance activity and common intervention. Fifty strides of walking data collected in two blocks of 25 trials for two shoe conditions were analyzed for samples of five, eight, 10, and 12 subjects and five, 10, 25, and 50 trials. SSA revealed a greater number of differences (p < .05) than GA for all sample and trial sizes. Increasing sample size resulted in consistent increases in the number of differences for GA; differences for SSA were independent of sample size. Increasing trial size from five to 50 resulted in increased differences for SSA; GA were independent of trial size. Detecting significant differences in group designs is more dependent on the number of subjects, while SSA are more dependent on the number of trials. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite rapid progress both in psychology and neuroimaging, there is still a convergence gap between the results of these two scientific disciplines. This is particularly unsatisfactory, as the variability between single subjects needs to be understood both for basic science and for patient diagnostics in, for example, the field of age-related cognitive changes. Active and passive behaviors are the observables in psychology and can be studied alone or in combination with the neuroimaging approach. Various physical signatures of brain activity are the observables in neuroimaging and can be measured concurrent with behaviors. Despite the intrinsic relationship between behaviors and the corresponding neuroimaging patterns and the obvious advantages in integrating behavioral and neuroimaging measurements, the results of combined studies can be difficult to interpret. Experiments are often optimized to yield either a novel behavioral or a novel physiological result, but rarely designed for a better match between the two. Since integrating the results is probably a key to future progress in clinical psychology and basic research, an attempt is made here to identify some difficulties and to provide some ideas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social difficulties represent a major area of concern in children with specific language impairment (SLI). Social skills interventions targeting communication or language skills of children with SLI have been generally ineffective. The current study tested the efficacy of a social skills intervention consisting of multiple behavioral interventions to increase nonverbal, verbal, and turn-taking conversation skills of an 8-year-old male with SLI. Using a multiple baseline across skills design, data were collected in a university clinic setting. Visual analysis indicated that when training for a target skill was introduced, percentage of skill steps successfully demonstrated increased. In addition, pre- and postintervention standardized rating scales completed by parents and teachers indicated improvements in pragmatic skill use in nontraining environments. Results and implications are described in terms of utilization of interventions for pragmatic skills of children with SLI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replication research is essential to scientific knowledge. Reviews of replication studies often electronically search for replicat* as a textword, which does not identify studies that replicate previous research but do not self-identify as such. We examined whether the 83 intervention studies published in six non-categorical research journals in special education in 2013 and 2014 might be considered replications regardless of using the term replicat* by applying criteria related to (a) the stated purpose of the study and (b) comparing the findings of the study with the results of previous studies. We coded 26 intervention studies as replications. Authors of 17 of these studies reported that their findings solely agreed with the results of the original study(ies). Author overlap occurred for half of the replicative studies. The likelihood of findings being reproduced did not vary as a function of author overlap. We discuss implications and recommendations based on these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structured input from both teachers and peers maximizes the opportunities for preschoolers to learn grammatical forms. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using a teacher and a peer with typical hearing and language skills to model grammatically correct verbal responses to action wh- questions (“What is he/she doing?”) using picture stimuli with three preschool-aged children with hearing loss. Data from a multiple probe across participants design indicated that (a) all children learned to appropriately answer the wh- question using their targeted grammatical form during intervention, (b) all three children were able to generalize these skills to untrained pictures with varying degrees of success, and (c) all three children maintained the skills for 6 to 10 weeks following intervention. Implications for teaching grammatical forms to preschool children with hearing loss are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]