Behavior Analysis in Practice最新文献

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.

There is a concerning lack of published smoking cessation research on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). A Functional Assessment for Smoking Treatment Recommendations (FASTR) was recently developed to help personalize patients’ tobacco treatment. Adapting this tool to effectively identify putative environmental variables that maintain smoking for people with IDD is predicted to improve current treatments. The purpose of this study was to pilot the FASTR with people with IDD to understand modifications necessary to implement it in this population. During 1-hour interviews participants (n = 8) described the extent they agreed with each FASTR statement using a Likert scale, corresponding to one of five potential functions of smoking (i.e., Automatic Positive, Automatic Negative, Social Positive, Social Negative, and Antecedent). Participants gave input on potential modifications to make the assessment more inclusive for people with IDD. A quantitative approach was used to pilot the FASTR and participant narratives were used to understand difficulties and potential modifications. For each participant a function was endorsed if the average response to questions corresponding to that function was greater than 3 (neutral) or over 50% “yes” responses. The two most frequently endorsed functions were Automatic Negative (87.5% participants) and Social Negative (75% of participants). Participants recommended making the focus of each statement larger and in bold so respondents can understand the most important part of the statement. The FASTR was modified based on their feedback and will be distributed to a larger sample of people with IDD for further validation.

The present article details the data collection behavior of residential staff employed in community-based settings for adults with intellectual disabilities and significant behavioral challenges. The staff members who participated in the study were responsible for collecting behavioral data related to episodes of aggressive behavior that were observed in their residential settings. A descriptive analysis data collection system was in place for each of the residences in the study. Individualized preference assessments were performed with a representative staff member from each of the homes. Once a highly preferred item was identified by the staff person, they were able to earn the item that had been identified contingent upon data collection in the house meeting or exceeding 80% completion of their daily data expectations. The assessment and intervention were examined across all three of the residences in the study via a multiple baseline design with a reversal design embedded within one of the legs of the design. The results demonstrated increases in data collection across each of the residences in the study as the intervention was introduced at each of the sites.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether untrained visitors at a wolf sanctuary could collect behavioral data, within an acceptable range of interobserver agreement (IOA), using a freely available instrument on their smartphones. Two independent groups of untrained visitors continuously recorded one target behavior only or two target behaviors simultaneously. Observations occurred during a 50-min educational presentation with multiple wolves. Whereas IOA was at or above 80% for all participants, kappa was below the acceptable range of 0.6 or greater for some participants observing two target behaviors simultaneously.

• Clinicians may consider the use of untrained observers for limited data collection purposes

• Simple recording rules or pictures of conspicuous target behaviors may facilitate acceptable interobserver agreement

• Clinicians may consider the use of a similar smartphone data collection instrument for untrained observers

• Clinicians should be cautious of any competing smartphone behaviors that may interfere with the behavior of observing a target

Behavioral interventions are highly efficacious in reducing elopement. However, few studies explicitly examine elopement during transitions, and they typically do not discuss distance traveled during the transition. We report on a successful treatment consisting of functional communication to “go see” stimuli during transitions along with blocking and competing stimuli during reinforcer delays for a young boy whose elopement occurred during transitions and was maintained by positive reinforcement in the form of access to tangibles. During generalization, the distance of the transitions was gradually increased while maintaining low levels of elopement.

Active and empathic listening skills are considered crucial to the success of behavior analytic practitioners; however, minimal feasible, technological, and generalizable training methods and outcome data are available to guide the development of these skills in trainees. The current study evaluated the effects of a novel, peer-led behavioral skills training on increasing active and empathic listening skills in six behavior analytic trainees split into three dyads. A concurrent multiple baseline across participants design demonstrated the positive and generalized effects of this training across four of the six participants (i.e., two dyads). One additional, expert-led rehearsal and performance feedback session led to the immediate acquisition and generalization of the skills in the final two participants (i.e., one dyad). Results are discussed in terms of trainer feasibility and trainee acceptability, considerations when using peer-led BST, and the importance to the field of explicitly teaching socially valid interpersonal skills in various environments.