Behavior Analysis in Practice最新文献

Objectivity in behavior measurement is a defining feature of behavior analysis. With the increased accessibility of technology, there has been an increase in electronic data collection methods, which carry several advantages, such as ease of data transformation and transfer from electronic outputs (e.g., Microsoft Excel files). Countee is an electronic data collection application that has been named in over 30 articles in behavior-analytic journals. It is available for free on both iOS- and Android-based smartphones in multiple countries. The application allows for the programming of both frequency and duration keys, which can be used to derive additional measures. Despite its use in behavior analytic research and practice, a tutorial has not yet been published on the application. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to outline its features, provide instructions on its use, data transformations and calculations, and describe its benefits to ease replication and disseminate its use.

Many adolescents, particularly those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), fail to get ≥ 60 min/day of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), in line with the World Health Organization’s guidelines. Whole-day interventions (i.e., interventions implemented throughout the day) can increase physical activity (PA) levels throughout the day to meet these guidelines. However, there are no known behavior-analytic studies examining the effectiveness of whole-day interventions for increasing PA levels in adolescents diagnosed with ASD in both the short- and long-term. Two adolescent boys diagnosed with ASD and their mother tested the effectiveness of a parent-implemented multicomponent intervention package comprising progressive goal setting, feedback, reinforcement, and self-monitoring to increase whole-day step count. The participants increased their daily step counts to 14,000 steps (which translates to ≥ 60 min/day of MVPA) by the conclusion of the intervention, thus meeting or exceeding PA guidelines. The family then adjusted the procedure to better meet their lifestyle needs, resulting in long-term maintenance of PA above baseline levels at 6- and 11-months post-intervention for one participant, and 11-months post-intervention for the other participant. This study therefore shows the importance of tracking long-term changes in outcomes and understanding factors influencing the sustainability of these outcomes.

We conducted an online survey of board certified behavior analysts (n = 67) at a human services organization to assess their attitudes and opinions about trauma-informed care (TIC) of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and compatibility with behavior analytic practice. Survey respondents indicated they had no to minimal college level/graduate school coursework, training, supervision, and implementation experience in TIC. They largely agreed that TIC should be considered for persons with IDD, provides knowledge that can improve behavior analytic services, should be emphasized in training, and is within the scope of behavior analyst practice. However, there was strong agreement that TIC is not defined or practiced consistently and is not well-researched by behavior analysts. We discuss the implications of these findings and present survey informed recommendations for advancing TIC within the behavior analytic professional community.

Effective intervention for children on the autism spectrum who engage in challenging behavior is critical. To ensure meaningful behavior change, caregiver training to support intervention implementation in the natural environment is often required. It is fortunate that both behavioral interventions and caregiver training are considered evidence-based for the reduction of challenging behavior. However, behavioral interventions may be comprised of an idiosyncratic combination of behavior-change strategies that require caregivers to accurately implement several strategies simultaneously or sequentially. The complexity of these interventions may affect parents’ ability to implement interventions accurately and consistently in the natural environment, which may in turn affect child outcomes. However, no review has synthesized the evidence from single-case design studies that evaluate the effects of caregiver training on a variety of caregiver-mediated interventions for autistic children who engage in challenging behavior. Given the complexity of caregiver training and caregiver-mediated interventions, and their increasing popularity, a greater understanding of the related evidence is warranted. We identified trends in participant demographics, caregiver training approaches implemented, child challenging behavior addressed, and behavioral intervention approaches employed. We propose recommendations for interpreting and applying results in practice, and avenues for future research directions.

Toe walking, which is defined as walking with a bilateral toe-to-toe gait, is common among children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and can result in a number of medical problems. Both medical and behavioral treatments for toe walking have been evaluated. In the current study, we surveyed caregivers of individuals who engage in toe walking about their use of various medical and behavioral treatments. Results suggest that the use of medical treatments is more common, and most respondents reported that they were unaware that behavioral treatment of toe walking is an option. Most respondents reported that the hypothesized function of toe walking by their child is automatic positive reinforcement, although more than half attributed toe-walking to a disorder (e.g., autism spectrum disorder), a physical cause (e.g., tight muscles), or reported they did not know why their child engaged in toe walking. Surgery and increased response effort via weighted boots were the medical and behavioral treatments, respectively, perceived to be most effective in treating toe walking. To assist the behavior analytic community in managing toe-walking cases, we also provide some specific recommendations for practitioners, including a description of the advantages and disadvantages of behavioral treatments for toe walking and a decision tree for behavior analysts unfamiliar with the literature on this topic.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can struggle to acquire social, communication, and safety skills. Many of these skills can be targeted in individualized behavior analytic instruction. However, some skills can be challenging to teach given the difficulties associated with reconstructing a real-world scenario within a learning session. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising technology that can help people with ASD practice these types of skills in an immersive environment. VR is an emerging technology, and more research is needed to determine its efficacy as well as its impact on variables such as client indices of happiness and social validity. In this study, we successfully taught three children with ASD three different skills using a VR treatment package that consisted of VR, prompts, and reinforcement. Prior to teaching these skills, we included a cooperation phase with the intent to increase acceptance of VR equipment as needed. We found that each of the three participants accepted the equipment and VR sessions without the need for additional training. In all cases, the skills the participants acquired in the VR platform were maintained and generalized to the natural environment. Participants demonstrated indices of happiness when engaged with the VR software and parents and clinical staff ranked the VR software positively. Results are discussed in terms of the use of the VR treatment package in intervention and future research for similar technologies.

We evaluated the effects of a video modeling training package on the implementation of graduated guidance instruction for three caregivers of young children with autism spectrum disorder. The video model was narrated and featured a generic model of graduated guidance that was different from the tasks used in the study. One of the caregiver–child dyads participated via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. During baseline, caregivers performed the teaching procedure with low accuracy. In the last two training sessions, caregivers performed each activity with few or no errors.

Nail biting has been successfully reduced using habit-reversal procedures. Two important components of these procedures are self-monitoring, which includes self-recording using pen and paper, and emitting behavior incompatible with nail biting. In this study, an electronic bracelet was tested as an aid during these components. Three habit-reversal treatments were conducted with undergraduate students. In the first, participants used the bracelet to record nail biting and to record incompatible behavior of pressing a sensor. Nail biting decreased relative to baseline. In the second treatment, preference for a traditional (pen and paper) method or the electronic bracelet was assessed during baseline an intervention conditions but in many cases, participants preferred pen and paper. In the third treatment the bracelet generated a prompt for the occurrence of the incompatible behavior of making a fist. Nail biting was reduced to near-zero levels within 10 days and preference for the bracelet over the paper data collection was observed in all participants.