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| Behavioral Applications for Human Services Staff |
| Sunday, May 24, 2020 |
| 5:00 PM–5:50 PM |
| Virtual |
| Area: OBM; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Michael Passage (Florida Institute of Technology) |
| CE Instructor: Michael Passage, M.Ed. |
| Abstract: In this symposium, the authors will present research on staff behavior in human service settings. In the first paper, the presenter describes using a checklist to increase the frequency of questions about the client’s culture by behavioral clinicians during a mock intake interview. The checklist alone was shown to be effective at increasing cultural questions across a variety of domains including diet, communication, provider outcomes, religion and reward/discipline. The second presenter will discuss the effectiveness of video modeling to increase the frequency of participants’ play behaviors and vocalizations during play. Results support the use of video modeling to increase adult play behavior across 3 stimulus sets (e.g., train set, blocks). The final presentation will review results from a study evaluating the effects of self-monitoring and goal setting on therapist-provided mand opportunities. Participants were 3 behavior technicians who experienced unobtrusive and obtrusive baseline phases, followed by a self-monitoring phase, a self-monitoring plus goal-setting phase, followed by other individualized interventions. Results varied across participants. |
| Target Audience: Human Service Staff |
| Learning Objectives: 1. Attendees will be familiar with the effectiveness of checklists to improve cultural questions. 2. Audience members will gain basic knowledge on the importance of adults learning how to play 3. The audience will learn about the effects of an intervention on therapist-provided mand opportunities, as well as interventions that may be effective when combined. |
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| An Evaluation of a Culture Interview Checklist for Behaviorally-Oriented Clinicians |
| JOSHUA ADDINGTON (Florida Tech), Katie Nicholson (Florida Institute of Technology), Michael Passage (Florida Institute of Technology), Jacqueline Noto (Florida Institute of Technology), Nelmar Jacinto Cruz (Florida Institute of Technology) |
| Abstract: In recent years, there have been calls from within the field for behavior analysts to develop an awareness of the impact of client culture on treatment. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a checklist as a tool for increasing the frequency of questions about client culture asked by behavioral clinicians during mock intake interviews. A multiple baseline across question types (diet, communication, provider outcomes, religion and reward/discipline) was used to evaluate the effects of a vague prompt and the Culture Interview Checklist (CIC). When instructed to ask questions about culture, none of the participants increased the number of questions asked to a socially significant degree. Two out of the three participants met the mastery criteria for each portion of the CIC after it was introduced. The third participant required an additional instruction to meet the mastery criteria. A tool such as the CIC may advance the field in a myriad of ways as behavior analysis embarks upon the challenge of becoming more culturally competent. |
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Playing Isn’t Just for the Kids: The Effects of Video Modeling on Adult Play Behavior |
| MARY LOUISE LEWIS (Florida Institute of Technology), Grace Francine Boatman (Florida Institute of Technology; Nemours Children's Hospital), Katie Nicholson (Florida Institute of Technology), Sandhya Rajagopal (Florida Institute of Technology) |
| Abstract: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder may lack appropriate play skills. Even if they have independent play skills, they may need additional assistance in developing peer play skills. In order to provide quality care to these children, practitioners who work with these children should also be versed in how to play with their clients. This creates an environment in which the therapist can serve as a model peer in order to teach these play skills. The researchers for the current study used a multiple baseline design across stimulus sets. A pre-experimental assessment, naturalistic generalization probe, and a toy generalization probe were conducted prior to baseline. Baseline 1 demonstrated the participant’s performance in playing with a confederate researcher. Task clarification represented the participant’s performance in playing with a confederate researcher after a verbal prompt to play more. The researchers implemented video modeling to increase the frequency of participants’ play behaviors and vocalizations during play. Results support the use of video modeling to increase adult play behavior across three stimulus sets. Post-test probes included a naturalistic generalization probe, toy generalization probe, and 1 month maintenance probe. |
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| An Evaluation of Self-monitoring and Goal Setting for Increasing Mand Opportunities Among RBTs |
| SANDHYA RAJAGOPAL (Florida Institute of Technology), Katie Nicholson (Florida Institute of Technology), Mary Louise Lewis (Florida Institute of Technology) |
| Abstract: A mand is a verbal response that specifies its reinforcer (Skinner, 1957), and is commonly known as a request. Deficient manding repertoires often lead to problem behavior (Barbera & Rasmussen, 2007). Individuals with autism often require intensive teaching to learn new skills, and should be provided hundreds of opportunities to mand each day (Barbera & Rasmussen, 2007). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of self-monitoring and goal setting on therapist-provided mand opportunities using a multiple baseline design across participants with an embedded withdrawal design. Past findings suggest that self-monitoring affects performance and that added goal setting can enhance those effects (Calpin, Edelstein, and Redmon, 1988). Participants in the present study were 3 behavior technicians who experienced unobtrusive and obtrusive baseline phases, followed by a self-monitoring phase, a self-monitoring plus goal setting phase, and finally, other individualized interventions. Experimenters collected data on mands and missed opportunities during 5-min sessions. Results varied across participants. |
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