Behavior Analysis in Practice最新文献

The experimenters examined two different levels of acquisition criteria—Set and Operant Analysis—to assess acquisition and response maintenance of tact operants for four participants. Set Analysis involved replacing acquired operants at a set level, whereas Operant Analysis involved replacing acquired operants at an individual operant level. All participants required fewer instructional trials to acquire tacts under the Operant Analysis condition. Three participants maintained a similar number of operants in both conditions, whereas one participant maintained more operants under the Set Analysis condition.

Individuals within the Autistic and Neurodivergent communities have shared numerous concerns about applied behavior analysis (ABA). These criticisms often relate to the ableism reflected within current practices, which have impeded the dignity and autonomy of many individuals with disabilities served through ABA. Both within the field and outside of the field, there is a growing acknowledgment of the need to listen, reflect, and reconsider approaches to service delivery, which can ultimately benefit service recipients well beyond the Autistic or Neurodivergent communities. ABA is committed to being responsive to consumers, even when the social validity data are unfavorable, and the path forward is unclear. This article will provide an overview of historical and current perspectives regarding disability rights, the Autistic and Neurodiversity advocacy movements, and disability as a form of diversity. Calls to action will be presented with accompanying neurodiversity-affirming actions for behavior analytic practitioners. These calls to action are informed by feedback from the Autistic and Neurodivergent communities as well as other interested parties and are related to (1) client identity and language; (2) dignity, self-determination, choice, and assent; and (3) social validity, which may be acted on through compassionate and affirming approaches.

Compassion in health care has been associated with improved patient outcomes, better treatment adherence, patient engagement, and satisfaction. However, much of this literature is limited by weak design and measurement strategies. Despite researchers’ efforts to demystify compassion and produce an evidence-based understanding of it, empirical models and definitions remain a work in progress. In this article, we discuss how contemporary methodological features of organizational behavior management (OBM) could be used to advance our understanding of compassionate care and its impact on important outcomes for patients, clinicians, and organizations alike. Recommendations for measuring, assessing, and intervening at both the individual and systems-level to promote compassionate care are provided. Though the origin, development, and maintenance of compassion may be complex, it is clear that behavior analysts have an ethical obligation to invoke compassion in their service to others. Likewise, those at the executive level of decision making in organizations have an obligation to purposefully design environments that support behavior analysts’ engagement in compassionate care. Viewing compassionate care through a systems lens may help to align the values and goals of patients, clinicians, and organizations by treating compassion like a critical business metric.

Although applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a science committed to improving the lives of others in socially meaningful ways, it exists within complex structures of power that are at odds with the values of our science. Current research practices perpetuate the oppression of people with disabilities. For too long ABA researchers have disproportionately conducted research with people with disabilities without their input. It is time for a paradigmatic change toward more compassionate and participant-centered research practices. In this article, we (1) highlight the concerns with current research practices and how ABA may perpetuate ableism; (2) provide suggestions for more compassionate, participant-centered research using two applied research studies to illustrate compassionate research in action; and (3) point to systems-level changes that we believe will disrupt oppressive and ableist research practices.

Although applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a well-supported evidence-based practice in the United States, other countries have a lack of national practice standards, training programs, and public policy that has made it challenging for practitioners to provide services to individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities. In addition to these barriers, smaller countries, like the island of Curaçao, must also contend with their small size and limited resources. Nonetheless, over the past 6 years a small multidisciplinary team has established an ABA therapy center, identified some funding sources for families who may not have the resources to afford these private pay services, and created a training program for local people interested in a career in behavior analysis. The steps taken, barriers encountered, and successes achieved, provide a guide for others attempting to make an impact when resources are limited. With these achievements, Curaçao joins a small group of other islands that are paving the way for the establishment and regulation of behavior analysis in the Caribbean.

Behavior analysis is an extraordinary science and used wisely, can make crucial contributions to individuals, groups, and even entire countries. Thus, behavior analysis should be a science available and known to all, regardless of origin, culture, race, ethnicity, or gender. As an advocate for the use and dissemination of behavior science in Latin American countries and as the first person to be certified in my country, I present my experience as a Latin American woman in the field of behavior analysis and invite other women in Latin America to pursue behavior analysis. This article provides a description of the challenges in practicing ABA internationally, outlines my actions to overcome those challenges, and includes specific recommendations to other practitioners in the field.

The current study implemented an alternating-treatments design with Standard Celeration Charting. The applied experiment occurred via telecommunication and assessed the effectiveness of repeated reading (RR) on reading fluency for two adults with specific learning disabilities using high-level and low-level reading passages. Participants reread each passage until they met a predetermined fluency criterion. We measured participants reading fluency using correct words per 1 min (CWPM) and assessed for retention at 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1 month. Both participants reached their fluency aims and maintained their progress postintervention.

• RR can improve reading fluency for children and adults with reading deficits.

• RR practice sessions require minutes to implement, which offers great flexibility for scheduling.

• Telecommunication represents an effective modality for implementing RR procedures for adults with reading disabilities.

• Participants in the study retained their fluency gains post-intervention, supporting that time spent on RR may represent a good investment for clinicians.

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) released the third iteration of ethical practice guidelines for certificants, which went into effect on January 1, 2022. This Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (hereafter Ethics Code) is streamlined and more enforceable than its predecessors, with the continued overarching directive to improve consumer protection. In the decades after the BACB was founded, the internet and social media have become ubiquitous in daily life, including within applied behavior analysis (ABA). Social media can benefit ABA stakeholders by providing access to enhanced professional networks, practitioner resources, and study guides or social support for behavior analysis students. However, the use of social media leads to a potentially increased risk of ethical concerns. Therefore, the authors of this article sought to explore how behavioral products in ABA social media forums on Reddit align with the Ethics Code. Findings suggest that most user engagement in ABA subreddit is ethical, but users also engage in ways that potentially misalign with the Ethics Code. Finally, the authors describe implications for future research and practice to promote ethical user engagement online by ABA practitioners.

The field has made significant strides in establishing applied behavior analysis (ABA) interventions as evidenced-based practices in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder; however, treatment delivery has been criticized as lacking compassion. Based on research in other fields, approaching caregiver collaboration with compassion may foster collaborative relationships between clinicians and caregivers, who play a vital role in their child’s treatment, and may bolster treatment adherence, satisfaction, and outcomes. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the impact of a compassionate care training for clinicians to support therapeutic relationships with caregivers. Participants included nine clinical supervisors employed at a community-based behavioral health agency. Clinical supervisors were randomly assigned to either an immediate-treatment group or delayed-treatment control group. Clinicians participated in a 5-week training program, which involved didactic instruction, behavior skills training, and acceptance and commitment training. At baseline, postdelay, and posttreatment, caregiver collaboration sessions were recorded, and the clinicians’ use of compassionate care was evaluated using a measure developed for the study. A statistically significant difference in clinicians’ use of compassionate care strategies following intervention was observed. Variability observed in pretreatment compassionate care scores for a single clinician across different caregivers appeared to normalize posttreatment for several clinicians. In addition, marked increases were seen in compassionate care scores for clinicians with lower initial ratings. Although limited to a small sample size, the results of the pilot study demonstrated feasibility of the compassionate care training and revealed an overall positive improvement posttreatment.

The current case study investigated the use of a picture prompt and teacher proximity with an adult learner with significant disabilities during a postsecondary classroom management class and generalization setting. Results indicated that the learner had a higher percentage of intervals of on-task behavior during intervention than baseline. Teacher and learner satisfaction ratings suggested that the intervention was an acceptable strategy. A discussion of study limitations, implications, and future research directions are included.

• A simple low tech instructional strategy can improve student on-task behavior.

• Teachers can use an antecedent strategy to improve student behavior.

• Strategies used in K–12 environments may work in higher education settings.

• Successful applied behavior analysis strategies help include students in group participation.