Association for Behavior Analysis International

Applied behavior analysis is concerned with improving or solving socially relevant problems (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968; Fisher, Groff, & Roane, 2011). A socially relevant problem for service organizations and training institutions is ensuring employees and trainees acquire minimum competency to meet job expectations and to be eligible for employment. The purpose of this symposium is to provide examples of behavior analytic training applications in applied and university settings. The first paper provides an example of how behavior analytic training strategies were incorporated into a state mandated medication administration training. The number of organizational medication errors, number of opportunities to pass a written exam, and number of opportunities to pass a competency exam were examined to determine training outcomes. The second paper provides an example of an organizational training to improve outcomes of a functional behavior assessment. The third paper provides an example of university supported training for special educators to conduct trial-based functional analyses and develop function-based supports. The fourth paper provides an example of training for university students learning to conduct functional analyses.

Practitioners, educators, and administrators who design and implement employee and university training programs specific to behavior analysis.

Melmark is a multi-state human service provider with premier private special education schools, professional development, training, and research centers. Training at Melmark is designed to increase the professional skills of employees, which in turn increases life outcomes for the individuals we support. Melmark trains based upon the principles of competency based instruction, performance-based instruction (Brethower & Smalley, 1998) and behavioral skills training (BST; Reid, Rollyson & Parsons, 2012). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of added material (i.e., 8-hours of video-based instruction), increased opportunities to respond during the training (i.e., fluency-timings, guided notes), and behavior skills training. Additionally, employees observing competency of the medication administration process were retrained using principles of fluency-based methods, active student responding, and behavior skills training. The outcomes of the trainings are discussed in light of medication errors, testing, as well as initial and maintenance observations. Impact on the organization will also be discussed.

This study explored methods for training behavior analysis students to conduct functional analyses. Students (n=5) in a behavior analysis graduate program were first taught to conduct one condition of a trial-based latency functional analysis using three 30-minute sessions including instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. Performance following training was significantly better than baseline measures, however the criterion for competency was not met for all participants. Students (n=3) that did not demonstrate competency with the behavioral skills training alone were then provided 3 additional 10 minute training sessions using TAGTeach methodology. This additional training was sufficient for all students to attain competency. The same treatment integrity checklist used during training was then used to check for generalization in the students’ applied settings. All students (n=5) performed at mastery criterion under applied settings. Results indicate that behavioral skills training combined with TAGTeach training may be an effective way of training graduate students to conduct complex behavior analytic analyses.