Behavioral Interventions最新文献

A small but growing body of research in pediatric feeding disorders asserts the importance of comprehensively measuring social significance of goals, procedures, and effects of intervention, and incorporating social validity into practice to inform treatment. This report sought to extend this literature by detailing procedures to measure and improve social validity during a clinical case of a 3.5-year-old during a home-based intensive feeding program. A multiple baseline design demonstrated effectiveness of nonremoval and re-presentation added to a treatment package. Repeated choice via direct child preference assessments informed demand fading and gradual progression across six feeding skill domains (medication, cup drinking, independence, texture, volume, variety) and arrangements of response effort (preference, skill) with layers of reinforcer parameters (quality, magnitude, rate, immediacy). Indices of happiness definitions were modified, and extinction bursts examined. Fostering a collaborative approach, caregivers provided detailed input on social validity measures pretreatment, at discharge, and long-term follow-up (6-month, 1-year), inclusive of both qualitative and quantitative responses, written and verbal communication, and permanent product data. Further implications for practitioners included detailing the process for caregiver training and generalization to family meals with siblings and community settings, and providing adaptable full-text guidelines for free access/choice contexts.

Researchers have investigated several schedule-thinning approaches during functional communication training (FCT), including FCT with delay schedules (Delay FCT), FCT with discriminative stimuli (Signaled FCT), and FCT with delay-and-denial tolerance training (DDTT). Despite many publications on these approaches, it is unclear how regularly, how often, and under what conditions behavior analysts use these FCT thinning strategies. We analyzed survey data from 129 board-certified behavior analysts® to determine (a) how often they use the three thinning approaches during FCT, (b) their most preferred thinning method, and (c) the variables (e.g., years of experience, treatment setting) associated with their most used and preferred approaches. DDTT was the most commonly implemented and preferred FCT thinning strategy. Relative to DDTT, Signaled FCT was more frequently used and preferred by doctoral-level behavior analysts and those working in clinical settings. However, regardless of approach, behavior analysts reported several challenges that hold implications for practice and research.

Reinforcement is considered an essential component of many behavioral interventions. However, caregivers may criticize the use of edible reinforcers, particularly those viewed as unhealthy. Still, as evidenced by current attitudes toward the profession, addressing the concerns and criticisms of behavior analytic consumers is paramount. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which edible reinforcers are used within published behavior analytic research. To this end, we analyzed research published in six major behavior analytic journals across 3 years. Results indicate that edible reinforcement was utilized in less than one third of the studies using reinforcement often in combination with other nonedible reinforcers. However, it is important to consider potential negative externalities with the use of edible reinforcement and the need for future research on the use of edible reinforcers in clinical practice and research contexts.

Recently, there has been a call for the application of behavior analytic technology to more diverse domains. Although general-case procedures are most often applied in autism service delivery, they can be applied to more diverse domains ranging from organizational behavior management to public health initiatives. This literature review, therefore, provides an overview of technological descriptions of general-case procedures and their applications in areas other than autism intervention. Evaluated variables include the population, independent and dependent variables, generalization measures, and social validity assessments. The results suggest that most researchers are not using a technological description of general-case procedures nor are they assessing for generalization. Recommendations for future researchers and clinicians include better descriptions of general-case procedures, evaluation with different populations, assessment of acceptability and more comprehensive evaluations of generalization.

We conducted a functional analysis of severe problem behavior (aggression, disruption, and self-injury). The analysis examined four potential socially mediated functions: attention, escape, receipt of tangible items, and restoration of environmental items. Restoration involved the experimenter replacing missing puzzle pieces, ring stacker rings, and shape sorter blocks without giving the items to the participant. An initial multielement functional analysis, followed by a brief pairwise comparison identified restoration of environmental items as the variable maintaining the participant's problem behavior. Subsequently, we conducted brief functional communication training to teach the participant to mand for restoration of disturbed items in the absence of problem behavior.

Inappropriate mealtime behavior (IMB) is a class of food refusal behavior that is commonly observed in children with neurodevelopmental disorders or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. An abundance of research has demonstrated that IMB is commonly maintained by negative reinforcement in the form of escape from food or drink presentation. Given the common association between IMB and escape as a reinforcer, more efficient methods of conducting functional analyses have been called for. The present study examined the extent to which indirect assessments and a functional analysis screening process reliably predicted an escape function in three children with autism spectrum disorder who engaged in IMB. The results of the two assessments were then compared to a standard functional analysis. For all participants, the functional analysis identified an escape function, which corresponded with both the indirect assessment and screening. Additionally, within-session analyses of screening sessions further validated the screening process. The functional analysis screening of IMB is discussed in terms of its efficiency, practicality, and experimental design. The results of this study offer a framework for efficiently assessing the function of IMB, while providing recommendations for future research.

Research has demonstrated that latency is a reasonable index of response strength in the functional analysis and treatment of behaviors targeted for reduction. The literature contains numerous examples of functional analyses emphasizing latency informing effective treatment for problem behavior in various scenarios. Latency measurement can improve the versatility of functional analyses by allowing researchers and practitioners to examine behaviors that are not amenable to a traditional functional analysis arrangement and conduct assessments in challenging environments. Although there have been several reviews of the functional analysis literature, to date none have specifically addressed functional analyses emphasizing latency measurement. Given the unique advantages of latency-based functional analyses, a systematic review could be beneficial to researchers and practitioners in behavior analysis. Therefore, we conducted a systematic literature review of research on functional analyses using latency to measure target behaviors. Our review included 79 cases across 27 empirical research articles. We present a summary of the extant literature, highlight strengths and limitations of the empirical foundations, provide clinical implications, and discuss future directions for research.

Functional analysis (FA) methodology has been deemed the best practice in the field of applied behavior analysis. The data collected in an FA allows behavior analysts to develop the most effective and ethical behavior interventions. With the diagnosis for individuals with autism on the rise along with the forecast of adults who will need support, it may be time to take stock of the available literature. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the behavior analytic research over the last 25 years (1997–2022) on FA and treatment for adults who engage in severe problem behavior. Utilizing specific inclusion and exclusion criteria resulted in the identification of 28 articles. These articles were examined across participant characteristics, target behavior, FA type, FA settings, interventions, generalization, and maintenance. Implications on adult FA and treatment are discussed along with recommendations for practitioners who desire to support this population.

Functional communication training (FCT) in the treatment of escape-maintained problem behavior for children with disabilities often includes extinction for problem behavior, which is difficult for educators to implement in classroom settings. This study evaluated the effects of FCT with concurrent schedules, as an alternative to extinction, for two children with disabilities and multiply maintained problem behavior including escape functions. FCT with concurrent schedules reduced problem behavior for one participant and increased mands for both participants. The mixed effects across participants and behaviors may inform boundary conditions for FCT with concurrent schedules.

Young children's display of emotional and behavioral difficulties is relatively commonplace. However, if left unaddressed, these challenging behaviors have potential to develop into more serious problems. Furthermore, parents often report feeling unprepared to prevent and address their young children's emotional and behavioral difficulties. Fortunately, behavioral parent training strategies, such as Parent–Child Interaction Therapy, have been found to be effective for helping parents learn to effectively improve young children's behavior. Although effective, there are barriers to accessing behavioral parent training, such as cost, lack of transportation, and living in rural areas with limited mental and behavioral health care. Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effects of internet-delivered PCIT (iPCIT) on parents' use of praise, reflections, imitations, descriptions, and enjoyment/enthusiasm (PRIDE skills) with children referred for disruptive behavior. Participants in this study included three parents and their 2-year-old children. We used a concurrent multiple probe across participants' design to test the effects of iPCIT on parents' use of PRIDE skills and maintenance of treatment effects. Results indicated that all three parents increased their use of PRIDE skills and maintained them following termination of treatment. Results, implications, and future directions are discussed.