Behavior Analysis in Practice最新文献

Behavior analysis is an emerging field of practice across the world. However, a lack of global standardization has led to disparities in the quality and scope of practice in different countries. In Latin America, the field of behavior analysis is still relatively new, and the issue of regulation has been a significant challenge for professionals seeking to establish and expand their practice. This paper provides an overview of the current situation in the regulation of behavior analysis in 15 Latin American countries, examining each country's regulations, laws, and coverage, and identifying the challenges and opportunities for implementing and enforcing behavior analysis practices. By identifying these challenges and opportunities, this paper seeks to contribute to the ongoing efforts of behavior analysts in Latin America to establish a robust and sustainable framework for the regulation of behavior analysis.

Risk assessment and evaluation before behavioral assessment and intervention is required by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB®) Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (BACB, 2020). Methods to do so and potential factors to consider are not readily available. Deochand et al. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 13, 978-990, (2020) developed the Functional Analysis Risk Assessment Decision Tool (FARADT) to aid behavior analysts in ethical decision-making regarding whether to conduct a functional analysis. An empirical evaluation of whether use of the FARADT impacts novice users' ratings of risk has not yet been conducted. The present study served as a pilot evaluation of expert and novice behavior analysts' ratings of risk with and without access to the FARADT when given scenarios in which a functional analysis was being considered. Results indicated that for our participants, FARADT decreased variability of risk ratings for novices and produced ratings of risk that more closely matched the intended risk level of the vignette for both experts and novices. Results provided preliminary evidence that decision-making tools may be helpful to both novice and expert behavior analysts.In order to be in compliance with the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (Behavior Analyst Certification Board® [BACB®], 2020), it is important that behavior analysts are evaluating risks associated with functional analyses prior to beginning assessment.The FARADT is a tool that may be helpful to both expert and novice behavior analysts as they evaluate the risks inherent in functional analyses.There is limited empirical research on the utility and effectiveness of behavior-analytic decision-making tools.Our findings suggest experts engage in complex covert verbal behavior when evaluating risk.More research is needed on the decision-making processes experts utilize when analyzing complex and nuanced contexts of assessment and treatment.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-024-01006-z.

The implementation of behavior analysis for the provision of autism services frequently entails the close supervision and direction of behavior technicians implementing programs designed and overseen by qualified applied behavior analysis (ABA) providers. To date, there has been no investigation into the geographic distribution of the supervision of ABA services, which has important implications for the implementation of a quality tiered service-delivery model. In this study, we examined county-level distribution of the supervision of ABA services by BCBAs in the U.S. as well as the number of Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) with an active credential overseen by BCBAs. The sample included all U.S. counties in 50 states and D.C. (N = 3138). Of all qualified supervisors, one-half were not supervising any RBTs. Most actively supervising BCBAs oversaw 10 or fewer RBTs. Just over half of counties did not have either at least one RBT with an active credential or at least one qualified supervisor; 24.2% did not have a qualified supervisor or an RBT with an active credential. These and other results are discussed in the context of the provision of a tiered service-delivery model of ABA services to children with autism.

In their seminal work published in 1988, Van Houten and colleagues established foundational principles for the rights to effective behavior intervention, ensuring ethical and effective treatment for individuals with behavioral challenges. This revisitation of their pioneering article investigates the enduring relevance of these rights in contemporary practice and the evolving context shaping our considerations. Re-examining these principles reveals their continued pertinence and essential role in safeguarding the welfare of clients and their caregivers. In light of evolving therapeutic approaches and societal changes, it is crucial for behavior analysts to reaffirm their commitment to upholding these rights. By highlighting the challenges and barriers persisting in current practice, this paper aims to ignite a vital conversation within the field, fostering collaboration and innovation to identify solutions that protect the well-being and dignity of the individuals we serve. This re-evaluation underscores the ongoing importance of these rights and encourages practitioners to critically assess how they are applied today. By acknowledging the obstacles and dilemmas that clients, caregivers, and professionals encounter in contemporary practice, we can collectively work toward solutions that ensure the ethical and effective treatment of individuals with behavioral challenges. This paper is a call to action, emphasizing the need for a renewed commitment to these rights and inviting dialogue to drive progress in the field of behavior analysis.

Current trends in the general American population favor parenting strategies with a relationship-focused approach highlighting secure attachment, respecting children, parenting proactively, showing empathic leadership, and using positive discipline. However, these strategies generally have not been validated by the research literature or may be based on behavior analytic strategies without reference to their origins. Although behavior analytic strategies have been shown to be effective throughout decades of research, these approaches have acquired a negative reputation in many communities with the perception of applied behavior analysis (ABA) being cold, harsh, and robotic. This study seeks to assess parental perceptions of ABA interventions, the likelihood of using those interventions, and parental preference for the integration of relationship-focused aspects into behavioral interventions. Results for antecedent-, reinforcement-, and punishment-based interventions are presented followed by a discussion about improving rapport, treatment adherence, and enhancing the perception of ABA.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-024-01010-3.

The design and practice of ethics in a profession can shape how it develops over time, setting the field apart from others. Professional training in ethics, however, is challenging. Application within the classroom is nearly entirely hypothetical, in comparison to more direct and precision-driven concepts and skills in the field such as data collection, schedules of reinforcement, assessment, and treatment procedures. This tutorial provides considerations for teaching the creation and use of decision trees in three parts (1) recommendations based on an interdisciplinary review of literature, (2) recommendations based on the results of a pilot study conducted by the authors, and (3) recommendations based on the authors' pedagogical experiences in behavior analytic graduate course sequences.

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.

This study included a retrospective consecutive controlled case series analysis of 17 function-based elopement treatments developed for 14 children with autism in an inpatient setting. Results from functional analyses indicated elopement was most frequently maintained by access to tangible items, followed by automatic reinforcement. All treatments used a combination of multiple consequence-based or antecedent- and consequence-based strategies. Individual treatment components and strategies for testing treatment generality are reviewed to provide examples of how such treatments may be implemented to reduce elopement attempts. Effective treatments, defined as reducing elopement by at least 80%, were developed for 13 children. These findings may help guide clinicians as they plan for the safe assessment and treatment of this difficult and dangerous behavior.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-024-00979-1.

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.