Behavior Analysis in Practice最新文献

Naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (NDBI) supports early social communication skills in young autistic children. Given their emphasis on child-led learning opportunities, NDBI is thought to be a socially valid approach to autism early intervention. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) practices could be an ideal setting to increase access to NDBIs for young autistic children; however, current ABA services continue to rely primarily on structured and adult-led approaches to teaching, including discrete trial training (DTT), which have been criticized for their intensity, limitations in skill generalization, and possible harms. Thus, while there is growing interest in translating NDBI into ABA settings, delivering NDBI in these settings may require de-implementing or transitioning away from using DTT approaches with young autistic children. The current study sought to understand the perspectives of ABA providers on the use of NDBI strategies within ABA clinical settings and the factors impacting the transition away from DTT approaches to effectively integrate NDBI. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 ABA frontline and supervising clinicians across several ABA organizations. Rapid qualitative methods grounded in standard content analysis were used to analyze qualitative data. Results indicated that ABA clinicians generally viewed NDBI positively. However, several themes emerged related to the relative ease of using NDBI and DTT; the relative effectiveness of NDBI and DTT; client, caregiver, and staff perceptions of NDBI; and clinical decision-making around who might benefit from NDBI. Barriers to implementing NDBI included the need to unlearn existing DTT strategies, limited training and self-efficacy delivering NDBI, mixed attitudes toward NDBI, and broader systemic issues in the delivery of ABA services. Findings underscore the importance of understanding ABA frontline clinicians' perspectives regarding the implementation of NDBI and suggest the need for more targeted strategies to integrate NDBI strategies in ABA clinical settings.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-024-01011-2.

Strategic incremental rehearsal (SIR) involves the systematic introduction of targets during instruction. Specifically, SIR includes an incrementing set size such that correct responding to a subset of targets is required before additional targets are included during instructional sessions. Prior research has arranged SIR using flashcards, although the features of SIR that are likely responsible for its efficacy may not be restricted to flashcards. In the current study, we arranged SIR in a word list (SIR-WL), which includes the presentation of target words on a single page. Instruction using SIR-WL was effective across all evaluations during sight word instruction for children exhibiting reading deficits and resulted in durable responding during maintenance and generalization probes for most targets.Several trial interspersal methods have been described in the extant literature and may confer unique benefits for skill acquisition interventions in applied practice.SIR has been shown to be effective, likely due to the arrangement of an incrementing target set size and within-session prompt delay fading.These features of SIR might also result in fewer errors than static set sizes and across-session prompt delay fading procedures.Presentation modalities, such as word lists rather than flashcards, might improve the feasibility of effective instructional methods by reducing material management.

Designing effective and preferred teaching practices for undergraduate students are common goals in behavior analytic training programs. A preliminary study by Nava et al. (2019) showed that undergraduate students generally rated peer-generated examples of the principles of behavior analysis as more preferred, relatable, and culturally responsive than traditional textbook examples. However, peer-generated examples did not result in any improvement in performance on concept knowledge assessments. The current study extended the study by Nava et al. by embedding peer-generated examples within interactive computer training (ICT) to provide opportunities for active responding, prompt fading, automated feedback, and practice with examples and nonexamples. Results showed that ICT did not produce reliable improvements in knowledge assessments but were preferred to video examples and textual examples. In addition, students reported that certain interactive features contributed to their preference for ICT. We discuss ways to further improve the efficacy of the preferred ICT package.

The purpose of this study was to extend the limited research on group stimulus preference assessment (SPA) procedures. The study occurred in two sections of a middle school special education classroom and included 20 students with multi-categorical disabilities. A paired stimulus group SPA was used to identify a preference hierarchy for each class, and results were validated using single case designs in which baseline conditions were compared to group contingency conditions with alternating sessions of the highest-preferred (high-p) and lowest-preferred (low-p) consequences. Both group contingency conditions increased the percentage of students prepared for class relative to baseline; however, consistently higher levels of students were prepared for class during high-p sessions. Student responses on a daily quiz were similar in both conditions, but social validity surveys indicated students felt the most motivation and enjoyment during high-p sessions.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-024-01003-2.

Prosocial is a systems-level intervention framework that incorporates elements of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with Ostrom's core design principles (CDPs) guiding effective organizations and collective action (Ostrom, 1990). We evaluated a Prosocial intervention to support teachers and staff in a specialized school. AB analysis supported improvements in group cohesion and values-behavior alignment during the intervention and pre-post analyses showed significant improvements in psychological flexibility and perceived stress of participants. These preliminary outcomes may support future empirical research on Prosocial in educational settings.

This Multiperspectival Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (MIPA) delves into the nuanced experiences of 20 special education teachers across severe, mild to moderate, and early childhood backgrounds collaborating with Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) in school settings. While identifying facilitators and barriers to this collaboration, the study sheds light on factors that contribute to a breakdown in rapport between teachers and BCBAs. Notable challenges include perceived condescension, feelings of blame for intervention shortcomings, and receiving recommendations deemed non-feasible or impractical. Despite these hurdles, special education teachers acknowledge the expertise of BCBAs and value their contributions. The study underscores the imperative for enhanced collaboration, communication, and mutual understanding between BCBAs and special education teachers to effectively support students exhibiting challenging behaviors in diverse school settings. Recommendations include BCBAs incorporating teacher-focused measures of social validity to foster a more collaborative and supportive partnership and tailoring BCBA training to address specific challenges encountered within educational settings.

Severe challenging behaviors, such as aggression and self-injurious behavior, have a high comorbidity with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Hill et al., 2014; Soke et al., 2016). Although we have effective assessment and treatment procedures for severe challenging behavior, the relapse of severe challenging behavior following effective treatment is highly prevalent (Briggs et al., 2018; Falligant et al., 2022; Haney et al., 2022; Muething et al., 2021). Effective in 2025, the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BACB) Test Content Outline (TCO; 6th ed.) includes a task-item requirement for Board Certified Behavior Analysts to plan for and attempt to mitigate possible relapse (BACB, 2022). Thus, it is important for practitioners to understand the variables that impact relapse of severe challenging behavior, and it is critical that they have access to tools to help them in preparing for and reacting to relapse in practice. The purpose of the current paper is to provide (a) a consumable framework on relapse for practitioners and (b) considerations for practitioners on managing relapse when it occurs.

Play is critical to child development. In early childhood, object play evolves from exploratory behavior to complex symbolic play. Engagement during play, particularly joint engagement, is essential for learning and social interaction. Board Certified Behavior Analysts® (BCBAs) who provide early intervention services to young autistic children may experience barriers when designing programming and data collection systems for play and engagement. In this paper, we compare Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) and Natural Environment Teaching (NET) approaches. Considerations for measuring object play and engagement during naturalistic play routines are presented. We encourage BCBAs to consider simple frequency counts when measuring object play actions and interval recording or rating scales for tracking engagement states. These methods may better accommodate the variability in play and engagement behavior, allow for more flexible play routines, and support a more nuanced analysis of child progress.

The use of compound stimuli in match-to-sample training arrangements can potentially increase the efficiency of target acquisition in some circumstances as a result of the development of emergent relations. However, utilizing compound stimuli in training arrangements comes with the risk that responding could come under the restrictive control of one of the individual components of the compound stimulus. The purpose of this case study was to demonstrate an evaluation process for determining the impact of compound stimuli on stimulus control within a match-to-sample arrangement.

Excessive collecting is frequently reported in children with autism spectrum disorder, but few studies have used behavior analytic interventions based on functional analysis to treat it. In the current study, functional analysis results informed the creation of a multicomponent treatment package involving parent training for a 12-year-old girl with autism spectrum disorder who engaged in interfering hoarding that was significantly limiting quality of life for both her and her family. Based on the results of the functional analysis, which suggested automatic and potential attention functions, we evaluated differential reinforcement, rules, and acceptability criteria across the two hoarding topographies. Using a multiple baseline across behaviors design, results showed that the multicomponent treatment package successfully reduced hoarding. Social validity measures indicated a reduction in symptom severity, improvements in family quality of life, and high consumer satisfaction. In addition, outcomes were maintained over 2 months. This study shows the utility of functional analysis-based treatments for hoarding in children with autism spectrum disorder.