Behavioral Interventions最新文献

Basic research suggests that reinforcer immediacy is important; even short delays to reinforcement may impair learning. Further, a previous applied study showed that most participants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) acquired tacts more quickly with immediate reinforcement, compared to delays of 6 and 12 s. However, no research has examined variable delays to reinforcement, which may be more common than fixed delays in applied settings. In this study, we examined the effect of variable delays to reinforcement on the acquisition of tacts. Specifically, we evaluated three conditions: a 0 s delay, a 4–8 s delay, and a 10–14 s delay to reinforcement among three children with ASD. The results show that two of the three participants achieved the mastery criterion most quickly in the 0 s delay condition. We discuss the results and implications of this finding.

Autistics/individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly display deficits in executive functioning. These deficits negatively impact social success and the autistic's/individual with ASD's ability to form meaningful friendships. Yet, there is limited research provided for the effective teaching of executive functioning skills to autistics/individuals with ASD. The current study provides an evidence-based behavior analytic approach for developing executive functioning skills for autistics/individuals diagnosed with ASD. The study also provides the preliminary steps to creating a curriculum that is easy to implement and uses minimal resources. Finally, the study extends current literature on the Teaching Interaction Procedure (TIP) and evaluates the effectiveness of the TIP for developing executive functioning skills for older children diagnosed with ASD. The executive function program resulted in acquisition of all six targeted executive functioning skills for all the participants. While generalization and maintenance data were slightly variable across participants, all three participants displayed improvement in executive functioning skills following the implementation of the executive function program and a social validity assessment indicated that the participants were satisfied with the skills taught, the treatment, and the outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to replicate previous research that examined the effects of tact and listener instruction on the emergence of bidirectional intraverbals, and to extend this research line to include teaching a foreign language to students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) via telehealth. The study participants were four Chinese native primary school-aged students. An adaptive alternative treatment design was used to compare the effects of tact and listener instruction on bidirectional intraverbals, and pre-probe and post-probe data demonstrated that both forms of instruction led to bidirectional intraverbal relations, with tact instruction being relatively more effective. Maintenance and social validity were assessed for all participants, and booster instructions were provided as needed. The results were discussed in the context of inclusive education and improving foreign language instruction for students with special needs.

The present study evaluated the use of auditory scripts and script-fading procedures to teach three children with autism to request additional instruction, select teaching materials, and solicit confirmation during discrete-trial teaching. Scripts were placed on instructional materials to evoke initiations, and script fading strategies were used to transfer stimulus control to the materials used for each discrete-trial activity. A multiple-probe across-activities design was used. Generalization of initiations was promoted by teaching to multiple exemplars, including common stimuli, and using naturally maintaining contingencies. The results showed that scripts and script-fading procedures were effective in increasing the number of initiations made during discrete-trial teaching, and generalization across activities, settings, and instructors. These procedures provide a way to increase the number of opportunities for initiations during discrete-trial teaching in place of passively waiting between instructor-initiated trials.

When an individual has limited language, concurrent-chains schedules offer an objective means of assessing preference among behavior-change procedures so that recipients can be incorporated into the treatment selection process. We initially attempted to use a concurrent-chains schedule to assess children's preference for different types of token systems. However, upon observing children engaging in patterned selections, we evaluated procedures for eliminating biased selections. This was done using simple and salient terminal-link arrangements with seven children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. For five of seven children, manipulating the number of successive forced-choice trials to the reinforcement link was sufficient to produce discriminated responding. Removing the academic task in the terminal link was necessary for two children. For all participants, discriminated responding maintained when the initial exposure arrangement was reinstated. Results are discussed regarding the potential effects of a history of errorless teaching biasing selections during concurrent-chains schedules.

Since its inception, modifications to experimental functional analyses have been conducted to improve contextual fit. One variation, a trial-based functional analysis (TBFA), naturally embeds conditions within the environment, has been used across diverse participants (e.g., neurotypical development, autism spectrum disorder [ASD], etc.) and settings. Although interest in TBFA has grown, few TBFA literature reviews have been conducted. Detailed participant characteristics, reliability measures across dependent and independent variables, social validity, and details of function-based interventions have yet to be reported. Therefore, the purpose of the literature review was to replicate and extend past TBFA reviews by assessing publication characteristics (e.g., authors, year), participant characteristics, procedures (e.g., number of trials), validation across comparison FAs, function-based interventions, reliability (interobserver agreement [IOA] and procedural integrity) measures, social validity, and intervention details (type. Implementer, setting, and outcomes. We identified 32 articles across 88 participants. Strengths of TBFA research include usability across a range of problem behaviors in natural settings (i.e., in classrooms or in homes) by teachers and direct service providers, IOA, and the inclusion of effective function-based interventions. Most research included preschoolers with ASD and other disabilities. Limitations and areas for future research are discussed.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience challenges with social skills when interacting with peers, which can affect their ability to form friendships and participate in inclusive settings. This study evaluated text messaging prompts and prompt fading delivered by a smart watch to increase social initiations of three adolescent students with ASD and their peers without ASD. We used a single-case, multiple probe across participants design to assess participants' level of and type of independent and prompted appropriate social initiations without and with the intervention. Textual prompts substantially increased each participant's social initiations compared to baseline. Two participants remained reliant on textual prompts to make initiations, whereas the third was less reliant on prompts and continued to make independent initiations after prompts were completely faded. Participants' social skills gains maintained up to 3 weeks following intervention and participants and parents reported agreement with the goals, procedures, and outcomes of the strategy.

Manding for information is important because information is a valuable part of learning and interacting with our environment, allowing for more autonomy (i.e., access reinforcement). Despite the importance of this skill, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often do not engage in manding for information without explicit instruction. In the current study, we coached caregivers via telehealth to teach three children with ASD to mand for information using the phrase “I don't know, please tell me” (IDKPTM). All three participants independently engaged in the IDKPTM response for information during intervention and post intervention generalization probes. The results of this study extend the findings of previous research by demonstrating caregivers coached via telehealth can teach their children to mand for more information using the “IDKPTM” phrase. Additionally, the results of this study reflect the benefits of involving caregivers to implement evidence-based interventions while being coached through telehealth.

The disequilibrium theory suggests restricting a behavior below baseline levels will induce response deficit and make that behavior a more impactful reinforcer. This reinforcement principle was incorporated into a behavior change project for eight students, where the instrumental behavior was homework, and the contingent behavior was social media (SM) access. Students self-selected their level of SM access deficit and completed both a baseline and treatment phase during the first 8 weeks of an undergraduate learning and behavior course. Most students increased daily homework rates during treatment relative to baseline, although the average increase was not statistically significant. Daily SM rates were significantly decreased during treatment relative to baseline, which was evidence of response deficit. Students rated the behavior change project high on most social validity measures. These results indicate that behavior change projects based on the disequilibrium theory are a viable way to induce changes in socially significant behaviors.

The purpose of the current study was to systematically replicate the independent variable used in Moore et al.'s (2015) experiment using sensory integration therapy (SIT) as a treatment for automatically maintained stereotypy. According to sensory integration theory, providing certain sensory experiences to individuals with autism can change their repetitive behavior. Despite the lack of research supporting SIT as a valid treatment to reduce episodes of stereotypy in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it remains a common treatment in most schools and centers designed for these individuals. The study was conducted with three preschool students with ASD using a multiple baseline design across participants to test for a functional relation between the independent variable, the participants' individualized, prescribed sensory diets and the dependent variable, their episodes of stereotypy in morning and afternoon sessions. The results do not support the use of a sensory diet as a treatment for stereotypy.