Association for Behavior Analysis International

Recent reports suggest a 78% increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in the last 7 years, increasing the urgency to identify interventions that yield maximum results while conserving resources. Of particular importance are interventions that improve pivotal behaviors, and assist individuals with ASD to independently navigate natural environments. Interventions based on the theory of applied behavior analysis (ABA) have been identified as the most effective interventions for individuals with ASD, particularly when programming consists of explicit training, modeling, practice in context, and systematic feedback. Although research has focused on how to implement ABA to improve skill deficits such as communication and social skills, a focus on how these interventions can be applied effectively and efficiently in inclusive settings has been limited. This symposium, comprised of both meta-analytic and applied research studies, will explore the impact of behaviorally based interventions on increased access to inclusive settings. Specific implementation and contextual factors to maximize results will be explored.

Students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) present deficits in social interaction skills that may prevent their successful inclusion in general education placements. Behaviorally-based interventions have been demonstrated to be useful to teach social interaction skills for these students. However, the overall and moderating effects of these interventions have not been previously investigated in inclusive settings. The goal of this study was to investigate the overall and contextual factors that moderate intervention effectiveness in inclusive settings through meta-analytic techniques. Findings showed overall high effect size based on studies meeting minimum standards of methodological quality in single-case research. Interventions are demonstrated to be effective for children between the ages of 2 and 10 years. While differences were found according to targeted social skills and behavioral components used, no differential effects were found regarding intervention implementer and peer training. These findings add to the literature regarding best practices to support inclusion of students with ASD in general education.

Many students with autism engage in a variety of complex and often disruptive stereotypic behaviors. While these behaviors likely present difficulties to task related goals, they most assuredly impact the social opportunities and access to inclusive settings . Research has demonstrated that self-management interventions often lead to improvements in a variety of behavioral targets for students with Autism. One salient component of effective self-management is self-monitoring, which involves instructing students to attend to and record their own behavioral levels. Self-monitoring has effectively impacted a variety of outcomes for students with Autism however, typical paper-pencil versions are cumbersome and stigmatizing. Technology may be one mechanism to increase the acceptability and efficiency of self-montioring yet, little empirical evidence exists regarding how technology can be utilized to provide prompts and collect self-monitoring data. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional relationship between the use of a mobile self-management program, ICONNECT, and decreases in the percentage of intervals students with ASD engaged in stereotypy utilizing a multiple baseline across students with an embedded withdrawal design study. Initial results indicate significant decreases in stereotypy. Implications of the technology delivered self-management intervention and areas for future research will be discussed.

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders often demonstrate disruptive behaviors across educational settings. Teacher time to effectively intervene is often limited requiring further evaluation and identification of efficacious behavioral interventions for children with autism. Self-monitoring interventions in schools often require the implementing student to assess and record their own behavior and have the potential to meet behavioral needs without overburdening school resources. To further examine the potential of self-monitoring as an effective intervention for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders a review of single case studies employing self-monitoring were evaluated to identify the specific ingredients which moderate the impact of self-monitoring for students identified with autism. Using an advanced nonoverlap metric, a comparison of 15 studies including 24 participants and 45 unique effect sizes was conducted with an emphasis on participant age, setting (e.g. inclusive vs self-contained classrooms), and targeted behaviors. Overall, self-monitoring for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders resulted in promising results with an overall TauU of .85 CI95(.807 - .900). Areas of future research and implications for application of self-monitoring interventions for students with ASD in educational settings will be discussed.