Association for Behavior Analysis International

When ABA services in a developing country are so limited the need for creating services that are ethical and include best practices are essential. During this panel the audience will learn the steps involved in the process of building an ABA center in the Dominican Republic through a partnership with the Global Autism Project. One of the main objectives in creating local services through an international partnership is to ensure the sustainability of services and the ability to building capacity in the professional field of ABA. Critical components such as the importance of remote supervision provided by a BCBA both in a clinical and administrative setting, therapist training, family intake process and center policies, will be shared with participants. Since autism knows no borders, anyone providing services in an under-served community with the desire to learn and build capacity can very well become a service provider with the right plan and support.

Green driving in this study is defined as hard acceleration and braking, excessive speeding, and hard turns. These measures were tracked by GPS, accelerometers, and gyroscopes. A combination of prompts and goal setting was effective in increasing green driving behavior across three participants.

Video modeling has proven to be an effective teaching procedures across a number of skills. This study compared two different methods of implementing video modeling (first person and third person view) to teach car seat installation. Results suggested that both methods were effective in teaching undergraduates to install car seats.

The aim of this panel is provide an opportunity for commentary on and discussion of the works of Dr. Sarah Blaffer Hrdy as a follow-up to her address as the 2015 Presidential Scholar. Dr. Hrdy's scholarly works pertain to intellectual domains of considerable relevance to the behavior analytic community, including anthropology, primatology and evolutionary theory. Of particular interest to our members are her views on the nature of motherhood and its role in the evolution of the human species, including the evolutionary origins of empathy and mutual understanding. The panelists will offer behavior analytic commentary on various features of Dr. Hrdy's views as presented in her address and other works, with opportunity for discussion with the author.

Psychologists, behavior analysts, practitioners, and graduate students.

The rigor of online education in the field of applied behavior analysis has often been challenged. It is common for professionals to believe that face to face interaction is necessary to provide good educational outcomes. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology offers on ground, blended and online educational options for our certificate and MS in ABA programs. These programs have been aligned to allow for direct comparison of results. Several comparative measures will be presented in an effort to determine if program delivery affects student outcomes. The used of learning management system and assessment software to measure outcomes across a variety of variables will also be discussed. Plans for the longitudinal effects of program delivery have been established.

Children with and without disabilities may encounter feeding difficulties. This difficulties can include but are not limited to food selectivity by texture, color, and manner of presentation. Feeding difficulties may also include rigidity related to the feeder and/or meal time location. This session will provide a discussion of the issues related to the provision of behavioral feeding services to children with and without disabilities. The first speaker will identify some of the barriers to behavioral feeding programs. She will then identify strategies for reducing the response effort for parents. The second speaker will discuss the importance of individualizing the assessment and intervention process. For example, various medical assessments may be needed prior to the onset of services. Additionally, parents and children have distinct preferences that should be considered when selecting intervention components. Finally, planning and ensuring generalization and maintenance of feeding skills is critical. Thus, the third speaker will identify strategies that have been used successfully to promote both maintenance and generalization. The discussant will summarize the issues and facilitate question and answers from participants.

In the process of completing a master's thesis on behavioral feeding, the author encountered several risks to the therapy process. This paper will present the study, identify the risks encountered, discuss how to prevent and address risks, and discuss strategies for future research.

This author coordinates an outpatient behavioral feeding clinic. She will identify strategies used to address maintenance and generalization of acquired feeding skills. Case studies will be used to illustrate the effectiveness of intervention as well as maintenance and generalization.

Although researchers often discuss how the brain produces behavior, it is also true that behavior and experience influence the brain. Dr. Adcock's research has shown that distinct motivational states can be elicited by expectation of reward or punishment, and influence learning and memory via distinct brain systems. These different motivational states correspond to differential activity and connectivity in brain circuits implicated not only in motivation but also in learning and memory. This selectivity in memory mechanisms, in turn, determines whether the information in memory is detailed versus general or flexible versus rigid. Dr. Adcock's recent work has shown that people can self-induce activation of in neuromodulatory systems capable of broadly influencing brain function and thus shaping learning during therapy--a finding with implications for the treatment of mental illness.

Clinicians and basic scientists.

Although in recent years an increasing number of single-case studies have focused on teaching language skills to children with autism using Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior, the majority have concentrated on establishing primary operants at the single-word level. Nevertheless, from 2 to 3 years of age, typically developing children naturally demonstrate generalized and multiply controlled verbal behavior, including autoclitics: They are, for example, able to provide full-sentence answers to novel questions about ongoing and past events, to describe their own experiences, and to respond to a diversity of novel instructions. One of the greatest challenges currently facing applied behavior analysts remains, therefore, how to teach such complex verbal behavior to children with autism. This presentation will propose that contemporary analyses of multiple control (Lowenkron, 1998; Michael, Palmer, & Sundberg, 2011) offer a conceptually coherent practical basis for the development and curricular organization of procedures to meet this challenge. A program of instruction will be presented in which language objectives are organized along a continuum of increasingly complex stimulus control, and discussion thereby provided of how best to move from establishment of basic vocabulary in primary operants to mastery of complex verbal conditional discriminations across both primary and secondary operants. Special emphasis will be placed on the role of autoclitic frames and intraverbal control in teaching generalized question answering at the tact and intraverbal level and as means of avoiding the discrimination errors that commonly result from teaching specific individual responses to specific individual questions.

Research in the area of intensive behavioral intervention continues to examine methods to improve learning outcomes for individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Especially in the area of early intervention, many questions remain unanswered about the types of children for which certain procedures may be most beneficial. An emerging area of research aims to improve or refine the efficiency of teaching procedures. Presenters in this symposium will provide data from four studies conducted through university autism centers. The first study examines the extent to which pre-arranged stimulus sets produced untrained relations (learning without explicit teaching). The second study systematically evaluates the extent to which multiple exemplar training (MEI) using videos can lead to rule derivation. The third study compares two variations of the stimulus-stimulus pairing procedure on novel vocalizations. Finally, the fourth study examines the effect of generalized imitation training on functional speech acquisition during Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Training. Dr. Caio Miguel will provide remarks as our discussant.

Individuals with autism often have difficulty attending to multiple features in a compound stimulus (e.g., pictures with multiple objects, words with multiple letters, or signs with multiple symbols). This restricted attending can be detrimental to learning. Participants were 4 children with autism who had low to intermediate accuracy scores (49-84%) on a computer-presented simultaneous matching-to-sample (SMTS) task with compound stimuli. Sample stimuli had 2 elements (e.g., pictures of a chair and tree), the correct comparison was identical to the sample, and each incorrect comparison had one feature in common with the sample (e.g., chair and sun, airplane and tree). A tabletop sorting-to-matching procedure was used to teach compound SMTS. There were 5 steps in the procedure, and an additional prompted scanning step was imposed if progress stalled. The first step required the participants to sort 3 single pictures; subsequent steps gradually changed the task requirements until it simulated the compound SMTS task. Following mastery of the sorting-to-matching procedure, the participants were retested on the computer-presented compound SMTS task; accuracy improved (93-99%) for all 4 children. This procedure illustrates one way to expand attending to multiple features of a complex stimulus.

While video modeling has been demonstrated as an effective procedure, it is often difficult and time-consuming. Research has also shown that children can learn through characters and that gaming can help facilitate executive function skills. With the intent of developing a game that could potentially teach social skills to children with ASDs, a series of studies were completed to determine naturally occurring social behaviors in neuro-typical and ASD children (n=24), assess usability of a new ABA-based video game (n=16), and assess the feasibility, potential effectiveness, and generalizability through single-subject research (n=12). Data obtained through each phase drives the development and changes are made as the data indicates is necessary through an iterative development process. Observational data helped to establish the behaviors to target. Video modeling, embedded discrete trials, prompt fading, thinning of reinforcement, and naturalistic behavioral interventions are the procedures used. Animated peer models are used in the game with real childrens voices in the social scenes to enhance generalization. Data from the iterative process, a demonstration, and initial findings will be presented from all 3 studies. Implications for increasing accessibility, motivation, and data efficiency will be discussed, as well as potential impact on cost for existing social skills programs.

Children diagnosed with pediatric feeding disorders present with a variety of difficulties such as food refusal, difficulties advancing texture, and restrictive diets. In the treatment of these disorders, a number of consequent procedures have been shown to be effective. Given the heterogeneity of the population, further advancements in targeted procedures to improve outcomes are necessary. This symposium will present data that exemplify innovative treatments that improve outcomes for these children. The first investigation evaluates a skill training protocol to increase oral-motor skills and improve the consumption in one child. In the second investigation, the authors evaluated the influence of response effort, quality of reinforcement, and the interaction of these two dimensions on advancing texture in a small child. Study 3 examined the utility of telehealth in training parents to implement interventions to treat food selectivity. Results suggested this may be a suitable method for training parents to expand their childrens diets. The final investigation evaluated the impact of positive reinforcement in the treatment of feeding disorders and began to identify for whom the inclusion of this treatment component was beneficial. These studies will be discussed in terms of variables that influence the development of empirically derived treatments for pediatric feeding disorders.

Since the inception of behavioral economics in the early 1980s, the intersection of behavioral science and microeconomic principles has yielded novel insights into health-related behaviors and their promotion. Early applications primarily explore the abuse liability of pharmacological agents in nonhumans. However, as behavioral scientists began translating behavioral economics outside the operant chamber, researchers and policymakers soon discovered that behavioral economic principles and applications could be taken to scale to inform public health policies and preventative healthcare. This symposium highlights cutting-edge applications of behavioral economic principles and procedures to health decision making. The presentations featured in this symposium range from basic decision making studies on episodic future thinking regarding cancer to applications of mindfulness to alter delay discounting of food. Despite the novel applications across each of the four presentations, a common thread unifying these studies is the reliance on discounting processes and assays to evaluate health decision making under uncertainty or in the face of intertemporal tradeoffs common attributes in most real-world health decisions. These use-inspired studies underscore the translational utility of behavioral economics for health promotion and advancing the fields understand of healthy decision making.

Discounting analyses have robustly contributed to our understanding of clinical disorders such as addiction, problematic gambling, and obesity. Importantly, individuals rates of discounting predict the progression of addiction and the success of addiction treatments. That success suggests that discounting analyses may help predict health behavior in other clinical populations. For example, individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) frequently have low levels of medication adherence. Predicting which individuals will have adherence difficulties may help direct treatment resources to those that need it the most. The current study developed a novel probability discounting paradigm which assessed the effects of differing probabilities of medication efficacy and side effects in a sample of MS patients whom typically were (n=35) or where not (n=35) adherent with their treatments. Discounting was both different across groups and was predictive of group membership, even when accounting for other MS related variables (fatigue, depression, etc.).

For single-case researchers in autism and their audiences it is critical to stay informed on current advances and issues related to research synthesis of single-case designs (SCDs). This presentation will highlight the current status of three ongoing debates: 1. Critical appraisal: Evaluating the quality of SCDs is crucial for research synthesis and documenting evidence-based practice. Seven different checklists and evaluation scales have recently emerged for this purpose. The strengths and weaknesses of each will be discussed alongside the results of a field trial comparing their performance on assessing study quality. 2. Selection of effect size metrics: Controversy exists as to which techniques are most appropriate to analyze between-phase differences in SCDs and derive meaningful effect size estimates. Two general strategies have been proposed: Regression approaches versus non-overlap metrics. Advantages and disadvantages of each will be outlined and scenarios will be described when one approach is preferable over another. 3. Mixed methods synthesis: Autism researchers are increasingly confronted with heterogeneous forms of research evidence including both quantitative and qualitative designs; these can be combined using a mixed methods approach. Staying abreast of these recent methodological advances will assist with the production of high quality syntheses of autism treatment research.

For children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) including autism spectrum disorder, intervention participation is mediated by caregivers, necessitating increased awareness by researchers about how to support parents as interventionists and the effects of parent implemented interventions on child outcomes. WWC 2010 standards for single-case research (SCR) designs recommend reporting multiple effect size estimates alongside regression estimates and visual analysis and researchers are increasingly doing so. We are unaware of any comparison of effect size estimates for parent implemented interventions. The 55 SCR studies for the current analysis were selected from a recently completed review (1997-2013) of parent implemented interventions for children, birth to twelve years of age, with IDD. Following coding of demographic variables, intervention procedures, and social validity outcomes, Tau-U, NAP, and R-IRD were applied to each case. 3 raters independently used visual analysis procedures to evaluate data. Pearsons r was calculated to determine agreement between estimates and visual analysis. Effectiveness of parent training on treatment fidelity and of parent implemented interventions on child outcomes will be discussed. Data analysis will be finished before May. This review offers information on the relative utility and efficaciousness of effect size estimates when applied to parent implemented interventions.

A number of clinics exist worldwide that employee functional analysis-based treatments for severe problem behavior. This presentation will describe the organization and outcome data from a pediatric outpatient clinic at Upstate Medical University. Unique to this clinic is the fact that all services are provided within the constraints of psychotherapy current procedural terminology (CPT) codes. One facet of this method of billing is that all psychotherapy CPT codes are time-limited (e.g., 60 min) which could impact a number of client-related factors such as response to treatment and cancellation rates. We will discuss clinical procedures that have been developed to address these issues while maintaining the technical requirements of the functional analysis process. Case examples will be provided to illustrate the utility of the model. We will also provide outcome data on the types of problems addressed, diagnostic profiles of clients, cancellation rates, and percent reduction in problem behavior (presently over 90% reduction relative to baseline levels of problem behavior). These outcomes will be discussed in terms of factors to consider for clinic development, program evaluation, and client retention.

Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) is a commonly used treatment for severe problem behavior displayed by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The purpose of the current study was to expand on the existing literature on NCR by reporting outcomes achieved with 28 applications of NCR as the primary treatment across consecutive cases with severe problem behavior using a collective case series to minimize selection bias. Participants ranged in age from 5 to 33 years and had intellectual and developmental disabilities. 14 application were for behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement, 13 for behavior maintained by social reinforcement (i.e., attention, escape, tangible), and one for behavior with unknown function (i.e., inconclusive FA). Results suggest that the effectiveness of NCR may in part be determined by behavioral function. NCR resulted in a 90% or better reduction in problem behavior for only 7 of 15 cases in which problem behavior was maintained by automatic reinforcement. In these cases, additional treatment components were added to bolster effects. In contrast, when NCR in isolation was applied to socially maintained behavior, the result was a 90% or better reduction for 12 of 13 cases. Results suggest that NCR is an effective treatment for socially maintained problem behavior.

The behavior analytic literature indicates multiple effective interventions to address pediatric feeding disorders (Milnes & Piazza, 2013; Sharp, Jaquess, Morton, & Herzinger, 2010). While the breadth of published interventions affirms that clinicians are developing effective treatments to progress children diagnosed with feeding disorders toward age-typical eating, these published studies provide information on only a small percentage of the children being treated. Furthermore, while there are a few published reviews summarizing which interventions clinicians are using to successfully treat feeding disorders (Volkert & Vaz, 2010), these reviews do not provide information about the totality of successful interventions used in their clinics. Success could be indicated by decreases in enteral feedings and disruptive mealtime behavior or increases in oral intake and integrity when transitioning to caregivers feeding (i.e., rather than a trained therapist). Thus, to contribute to our understanding of successful interventions for pediatric feeding disorders, we preliminarily evaluated outcomes for 46 children from a well-established Midwestern pediatric feeding disorders clinic, which included evaluation of the interventions we used to treat each child. These data may assist in bridging the gap between science and practice in determining which interventions are successful and used most often by clinicians to treat pediatric feeding disorders.

Functional behavior assessment is essential to the effective treatment of problem behavior and includes indirect informant assessment, descriptive assessment, and functional analysis. Functional analysis is the only experimental method of identifying the function(s) of problem behavior but may require extensive time and resource. An indirect informant assessment that accurately identifies the function of problem behavior would facilitate more immediate, effective treatment of problem behavior. To date, findings on the validity of existing tools have been mixed with most studies indicating only a small to moderate correlation between the results of experimental analyses and informant assessments. One reason why these informant assessments may not correlate well with functional analyses is because all items on the tool are typically weighted equally even if certain items might be more predictive than others. A technology-based assessment might address this problem by allowing researchers to a) examine the specific questions that correlate most strongly with functional analyses results and b) create scoring algorithms that incorporate empirically derived weightings of individual items. The mini-Functional Behavior Assessment (mini-FBA) is an online informant assessment tool composed of 16 questions designed to identify the extent to which a problem behavior is maintained by attention, access to tangibles, escape, or sensory stimulation. Presented findings will assess the validity of this tool by evaluating the degree of correspondence between the results of the mini-FBA and a subsequently conducted functional analysis. Individual item analyses will be calculated to determine optimal item weightings to produce a maximally predictive tool. Data collection is ongoing with eight completed participants and one additional participant in progress at the time of submission. Findings will be discussed in relation to implications for efficient clinical practice in assessment and treatment of problem behavior.

The current study extends previous literature by applying the functional analysis methodology to problem behaviors associated with transitions for children with developmental disabilities across both home and classroom settings. Four participants were exposed to variations of transitions including activity initiations and terminations, non-preferred activity initiations, and terminations, each with and without a location change, and finally a location change with no presented activities. Results indicated that location change was a major contribution to problem behaviors during transitioning from activity to activity for three out of four children. Given that transitions between tasks my be difficult for yound children with developmental disabilities, the ability to transition smoothly can assist learning time and create a stress-free environment in any setting. Therefore, conducting a functional analysis to identify the maintaining variables during transition times should be done in the applied setting. Further extension of the functional analyses is suggested to create intervention plans based on the findings to reduce problematic behaviors. Intervention results will also be presented and discussed.

Behavioral economics is a productive blend of behavioral principles and micro-economic theory. Behavioral economic research has revealed that the concepts, principles, and methods that economists conventionally apply to decision-making at the population level have important parallels at the individual level. Armed with this understanding, behavior analysts gain a variety of useful analytic tools with potential for enhancing instructional and therapeutic arrangements. In this tutorial, Dr. IserGuillermo DeLeon will describe some basic tenets of behavioral economics, what one needs minimally to grasp its relevance for practice. He will then review and discuss studies, some from the behavior analytic literature and some from his own work, that show how these tools have been used to enhance our understanding of functional relations and improve our outcomes in work with people with autism spectrum disorder.

BCBAs, BCaBAs

1. Participants will be able to explain basic behavioral economic concepts that include the law of demand, demand elasticity, substitutability, complementarity, and the impact of open vs. closed economies.
2. Participants will be able to discuss how these concepts map onto common behavioral interventions to address the instructional or therapeutic needs of persons with ASD.
3. Participants will understand what demand curves can offer beyond more conventional methods of gauging relative reinforcer effectiveness.

As the incidence rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continue to rise, innovative delivery models for wide-scale dissemination of effective, empirically validated treatments for ASD are urgently needed. Early Intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) has been firmly established as one of the most effective treatments for young children diagnosed with autism; however, intensive time commitments required by traditional Lovaas model EIBI (i.e., up to 40 hours per week) and a shortage of trained professionals are barriers to accessing effective treatment. An alternative EIBI delivery model that has grown in popularity involves the treatment model based specifically on Skinners analysis of verbal behavior (VB). Although there has been little outcome research evaluating VB as a treatment package directly compared to other interventions, single-subject studies have suggested that VB may be able to produce outcomes similar to the Lovaas model in fewer hours of direct treatment delivery. Further, disseminating EIBI through parent training programs has great potential to conserve resources while increasing access to empirically supported intervention. This symposium will explore critical issues in the dissemination and evaluation of the VB delivery model, including the design of competency-based training to improve treatment fidelity and the development and evaluation of a parent-implemented VB intervention.

ABA-based early interventions for autism have not traditionally been designed for parent-implementation. Parent-implemented interventions for ASD offer multiple advantages, and a number of non-behavior analytic, developmental interventions for ASD have distinguished themselves from ABA-based interventions by explicitly centering on parent-implementation. Non-behavior analytic, parent-implemented developmental interventions have also been the focus of multiple randomized clinical trials (RCTs), and despite mixed outcomes, contribute to an increasing volume of ASD intervention research in disciplines outside behavior analysis. To pilot and prepare for RCT evaluation, a 16-session adjunctive, parent-implemented treatment for young children with ASD based on Skinners analysis of verbal behavior was developed and manualized. The Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Program Placement (VB-MAPP) and Sundberg and Partingtons (1998) Teaching Language to Children with Autism or other Developmental Disabilities were adapted for parent implementation and served as the basis of the treatment manual. Preliminary pilot results indicated that a parent-implemented intervention based on Skinners analysis of verbal behavior produced gains in joint attention and verbal behavior, as well as decreased levels of problem behavior post-treatment. In this presentation, the process of developing, packaging, and piloting a parent-implemented behavior analytic intervention for preschool children with ASD will be discussed, and preliminary outcome data presented.

Converging evidence suggests that 5-HT2AR agonist psychedelics (classic hallucinogens) may hold a future in addiction treatment. Observational studies have reported addiction recovery associated with the ceremonial use of 5-HT2AR agonists (mescaline, dimethyltryptamine) by indigenous cultures. A meta-analysis of randomized studies from several decades ago showed that administration of 5-HT2AR agonist lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in alcoholism treatment resulted in significantly less alcohol misuse than randomized control conditions, with a large effect size (odds ratio ~2). Research with 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in nonaddicted individuals shows effects suggestive of antiaddiction efficacy, including positive behavior change as assessed by experimentally blinded community observers, increased personality openness, and high ratings of personal meaning at long-term follow ups. In a recent open-label pilot study of psilocybin as an adjunct to cognitive behavioral smoking cessation therapy in 15 treatment-refractory participants, 80% showed biologically verified smoking abstinence at 6-month follow-up. Although not definitive, these results are substantially greater than typical treatments. Another recent pilot study suggested safety and efficacy of psilocybin as an adjunct to Motivational Enhancement Therapy for alcoholism. This presentation will review this research, describe ongoing randomized trials, and discuss potential behavioral mechanisms.

Applied and basic behavior analysts interested in research on the use of hallucinogens in the treatment of addiction.

From a behavioral perspective, depression is a summary label for a set of responses emitted in a context, not an internal (neurobiological or psychological) defect within a person. As such, depressive symptoms should be treatable by changing environment-behavior interactions and the context in which they occur. Behavioral activation (BA) is a well-developed approach to treating depressive symptoms in adults with an emerging literature for adolescents. The goal of BA is to promote contact with positive reinforcement by engaging clients in focused activation strategies to counter passive avoidance/withdrawal and to increase goal-directed and values-guided behavior. The tutorial will briefly review of major components of BA, including: (1) the rationale and model of depression; (2) mood and activity monitoring; (3) conducting a values assessment; and (4) scheduling pleasurable, mastery-related, and values-based activities.

Anyone interesting in the seeing the application of behavior analysis to depression, a common mental health problem. Also attendees, particularly students, who may have broad applied interests.

The passage of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 increased the opportunities for learners with intellectual disabilities (ID) to receive postsecondary education. Benefits of the postsecondary education for leaners with ID include better employment opportunities, increased financial security, and general well-being. It is critical that educators should address the academic skill deficit of learners with ID at the postsecondary education setting. Reading and study skills are the two areas essential for success at the postsecondary level. Unfortunately, these are the two primary areas learners with ID struggle with. The symposium will include two experimental studies on effective academic interventions for young adults with ID at a postsecondary education setting. The first study will investigate the effects of a reading intervention on narrative comprehension skills of young adults with ID. The second study focuses on teaching a four-step guided note-taking strategy on information retention of young adults with ID. We will discuss the implication of the findings in the context of designing and delivering effective academic interventions for young adults with ID.

This presentation will delineate the evolution of a University sponsored fieldwork experience program adhering to the parameters outlined by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). The strengths and challenges associated with the growth of the program, as well as the fluid nature of BACB supervision guidelines will also be discussed. Mechanisms by which to adequately train and oversee supervision by adjunct faculty members will be shared. Two applied studies will be presented as an evaluation of skill acquisition for graduate ABA students within classroom and experiential learning opportunities. The first will discuss the Behavior Analyst Certification Boards (2012) identification of the translation of technical language as a competency for certified clinicians and involved a component analysis of a treatment package aimed at the assessment and training of behavior analytic consultation skills. The treatment package involved observation of targeted skills and a self-study (personalized system of instruction) task. The second study presents data supporting the use of a Foundational Knowledge Tool designed to relate concepts to applied practice. The Tool, utilized within core courses, allows tracking of topography-based responding associated with Foundational Knowledge content and its relation (linkage) to other Task List Content (i.e. Fundamental Elements of Behavior Change). Once growth in topography-based connections (intended to represent clinical use/applications of the concepts) was shown, an exam measuring student ability to relate the content to scenario-based multiple-choice questions (intended to represent a national certification exam) was administered. This study evaluated the correlation between use of the Tool and outcomes on selection-based exams.

Self-talk is a ubiquitous human phenomenon. We all have an internal monologue that we engage in. Yet, surprisingly little research has examined the role that self-talk plays as a regulatory mechanism in adults. In this talk, Dr. Kross will review findings from an interdisciplinary program of research, which suggests that the language people use to refer to the self during introspection--i.e., whether people use nonfirst person pronouns and their own name or first person pronouns--consequentially influences how they think, feel, and behave under stress. Discussion will focus on the potential practical implications of this research and important future research directions.

Functional communication training (FCT) is a differential-reinforcement procedure that involves the delivery of the reinforcer maintaining problem behavior contingent on an alternative communication response. Tiger, Hanley, and Bruzek (2008) found FCT to be the most commonly prescribed function-based treatment for problem behavior. As a result, a large portion of the literature on the assessment and treatment of problem behavior surrounds techniques to improve FCT. This symposium was designed to showcase some of the recent advancements in FCT. Kelley and colleagues investigated how noncontingent reinforcement disrupts both response acquisition and maintenance during FCT. Mitteer and colleagues evaluated a pre-assessment that predicts performance under two types of FCT schedule-thinning procedures. Ghaemmaghami and colleagues compared two approaches for programming delays to reinforcement during FCT schedule thinning. Niebauer and colleagues examined the role of stimulus control in mitigating the resurgence of problem behavior during extinction. The overall theme and implications of these studies will be discussed and summarized by Dr. Linda LeBlanc.

Response-independent reinforcer delivery (in the form of noncontingent reinforcement; NCR) is a procedure commonly used to decrease levels of problem behavior. As a primary effect of this intervention, response-independent reinforcer delivery abolishes motivation, abates responding, and weakens the functional relation between behavior and consequences. Secondary effects may be undesirable in some cases. For example, some studies (Goh, Iwata, & DeLeon; 2000; Marcus & Vollmer, 1996) showed that response-independent reinforcer delivery treated problem behavior but also might compete with acquisition of an alternative response. In the current study, we extended previous research by (a) showing that response-independent reinforcer delivery competes with both response acquisition and maintenance and (b) extending the generality of the findings by including both basic and applied arrangements.

Fisher, Greer, Querim, and DeRosa (2014) found that when functional communication training included multiple schedules of reinforcement (mult FCT), individuals who were unable to discriminate between the multiple-schedule components engaged in exceedingly high rates of the functional communication response. Response-restriction (RR) procedures were later shown to prevent this problem while maintaining low rates of problem behavior. In the current investigation, we evaluated three childrens successive- and simultaneous-discrimination abilities prior to evaluating Mult FCT or RR FCT. For one child, we conducted Mult FCT and RR FCT concurrently, albeit in separate contexts, and found the assessment accurately predicted the childs discrimination performance during each treatment. For the other children, we used the discrimination-test results to guide the selection of RR FCT to quickly teach the simultaneous discrimination and reduce problem behavior to near-zero levels. Results are discussed in terms of how selecting treatments matched to each individuals skills may be advantageous when evaluating treatments for problem behavior.

Despite being proven successful as a treatment for reducing problem behavior, functional communication training (FCT) does not address what happens to problem behavior during times in which functional communication responses go unreinforced. Previous research has shown that periods of extinction following FCT produce resurgence of problem behavior (Mace, et al., 2010; Volkert, Lerman, Call, & Trosclair-Lasserre, 2009), and such periods of extinction are likely when caregivers implement FCT. The current study evaluated whether establishing strict discriminative control over the FCR with the use of a multiple schedule mitigates the resurgence of problem behavior. With three children who engaged in problem behavior, the effects of a multiple-schedule FCT intervention was evaluated when discriminative stimuli were present or absent during a rigorous extinction challenge developed from Nevin and Shahans (2011) Equation 7 of behavioral momentum theory. Results for one child are compared to rates of problem behavior predicted by Nevin and Shahans (2011) Equation 7. Results are discussed in terms of how stimulus control can offset resurgence of problem behavior during periods of extinction.

Societal-level challenges, including wasteful and dangerous personal and cultural practices and the erosion of caring and compassion, demand solutions that promote positive and widespread changes in behavior. Applied behavioral science (ABS) offers a promising foundation from which to address important societal issues such as excessive resource consumption, unsafe personal and workplace behaviors, and a generalized increase in the coarseness of human interactions. Importantly, interventions to improve these cultural-level problems require large-scale applications. Furthermore, successful and sustainable changes in cultural practices require the establishment of self-perpetuating systems that promote the spread of prosocial behavior change by incorporating processes that encourage members of the culture to not only engage in prosocial behavior but to recognize and reinforce the prosocial behavior of others. An example of this type of programmatic approach to large-scale behavior change is the Actively-Caring-for-People (AC4P) movement, which incorporates antecedent, consequential, and self-management strategies encourage, maintain, and generalize prosocial behavior. This symposium will presents four examples of behavioral interventions designed to improve behavior in the areas of: bicycle safety, environmental sustainability, and the spread of compassionate and caring behaviors throughout entire communities. Each presentation incorporates a large-scale AC4P perspective, which has the potential to impact large numbers of people worldwide.

The Actively Caring for People Movement (AC4P) aims to apply principles derived from behavioral science to increase and maintain acts of kindness on a large scale. Although behavior change occurs at the level of the individual, widespread application and adoption across many individuals is necessary for a cultural-level impact of programmatic approaches to prosocial behavior. The current project evaluated dissemination of AC4P in a university campus and the local community. A community forum was held, at which the principles underling AC4P were presented and the AC4P program was described. Approximately 600 people attended the forum, and each received either one or two individually-numbered AC4P bracelets and was encouraged to register their bracelet number on the AC4P website and pass it on to someone engaging in kind acts. Bracelet numbers, as well as AC4P stories, were recorded and tracked on the AC4P website. Bracelet registration continues to evaluate the effects of subsequent contacts with forum attendees as well as additional organized, community-based activities at which bracelets will be distributed.

The trial-based functional analysis (FA) is a practical variation of traditional FA methodology in which brief experimental trials are embedded into an individuals regularly scheduled daily activities. Although relatively understudied, existing research suggests that trial-based FAs can be valid and accurate assessments of commonly studied topographies of problem behavior such as aggression, property destruction, and stereotypy. However, no research to date has outlined variations of trial-based FA methodology appropriate for the assessment of behavior problems that pose unique challenges to valid analysis (i.e., noncompliance). In Study 1, we propose one such variation and evaluate correspondence between trial-based and traditional (multi-element) FAs of the noncompliance of two children referred to an outpatient behavior clinic. In Study 2, we evaluated the validity of Study 1 results by incorporating trial-based FA outcomes into effective function-based interventions. Interventions included a combination of functional communication training (FCT) and mand extinction in two-component compound (i.e., multiple or chained) schedules of reinforcement. Results of both studies provide preliminary evidence indicating that the proposed modifications to trial-based FA methodology may be useful when identifying the function(s) of noncompliance.

An evidence- based science of teaching is required in order for all students in inclusive and general education classrooms to meet current standards for proficiency across major subject areas. Interacting with storybooks and text, interest in peers and learning new concepts , and a tendency towards exploring new ideas and vocabulary are all identified as foundational benchmarks in the New York State Common Core Standards. We report on three experiments targeting these areas. The first study tested the effects of the establishment of conditioned reinforcement for observing books on the rate of acquisition of novel textual responses. In the second study, the experimenters tested the effects of teaching students to chorally respond on the acquisition of observational learning capabilities. The experimenters in the third study investigated the role of peer modeling and observed contingencies on question- asking in preschoolers. The results of all three experiments showed functional relations between the implementation of the independent variables and increases in the target behaviors. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for students' success in general and inclusive educational settings.

I tested the effects of conditioning books on rate of acquisition of novel textual responses for 17 participants with and without developmental delays (2.4 to 5.4 years old). The independent variable was the establishment of books as a reinforcer. The dependent variable was the rate of acquisition of novel textual responses. A non-concurrent multiple pre- and post-intervention probe design was used. Participants acquired conditioned reinforcement for books through textual operant discrimination training, stimulus-stimulus pairings, or conditioning books through peer observation. The rate of acquisition increased from 1.6 to 7.25 times as a function of acquiring books as a conditioned reinforcer.

We sought to measure curiosity in special and general education preschool students by measuring the number of questions they asked about unknown items or pictures across four contrived conditions. We identified students who did not ask any questions about unknown items or pictures during the baseline probes, and then provided them with opportunities to observe model peers receive approval and tokens for asking questions about unknown pictures on a computer. The results showed a functional relation between the treatment procedure and increases in questions asked by the participants, and are discussed in terms of eliminating not knowing as a reinforcer.

The establishment of covert academic behavior is essential for the development of fluent reader and writer repertoires. One experiment determined the relationship between silent and oral reading fluency and comprehension among adult and elementary-aged fluent readers. A subsequent study identified a procedure to teach comprehension when reading silently. The procedure established covert speaker-as-own-listener repertoires for participants with language delays. The induction of a covert speaker-as-own-listener capability may result in more efficient reading and potential for long term academic success and the development of socially acceptable behavior

Despite the common use of errorless procedures, occasional errors will inevitably occur during instruction within Discrete Trial Training (DTT). Therefore, empirically testing and validating error correction techniques used in DTT is important for the development of best clinical practices. In the current paper, we empirically compare error correction procedures for teaching receptive identification in three learners with autism spectrum disorder. For each learner a try again procedure was utilized in the context of a three-choice discrimination task. This procedure allowed a learner to make up to two additional attempts to respond correctly, without prompts, after making an error. For each learner, this procedure was compared to a previously successful error correction procedure: either, 1.) a prompted follow-up trial or 2.) the delivery of corrective information (i.e., this is the _____) without the requirement of a follow-up response. We found that the more effective error correction strategy was idiosyncratic to each learner. Implications for individualizing error correction procedures across learners with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities will be discussed.

The majority of research in Applied Behavior Analysis has substantiated that learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) acquire skills most rapidly in a one-to-one teaching format referred to as discrete-trial teaching (DTT). While DTT is an essential instructional model for learners with autism, it may not, over time, provide students with ASD the skills necessary for life success. Moreover, as the incidence of ASD has increased (e.g., by 30% in the last two years), it is predicted that in 5 years, 122,493 students with ASD will turn 22 nationwide, requiring 48,015 caregivers at a cost of 3,623 million dollars annually. Additionally, the new nation-wide Employment First initiatives have drastically decreased and will eventually eliminate sheltered work environments that have been available for more severely impacted people with disorders. We need to consider preparation for next environments to be a primary obligation of our service provision. Working in groups, working independently, and working with minimal and reduced supervision must be explicit goals for learners with ASD. Additionally, we must develop creative and cost-effective ways to teach, support and monitor adults with ASD in community and employment settings.

Addiction is characterized by continued drug use despite its adverse consequences, and by its chronic relapsing nature. Frequently, this continued use is assumed to result from drugs being over-valued, i.e., drug use being less elastic. In other words, in those who are addicted, increases in price decrease drug use less compared to those who are not addicted. Similarly, relapse is frequently assumed to be precipitated by drug-paired stimuli that, through pavlovian conditioning, elicit increases in motivation to take drugs. While these assumptions may be true, other equally viable alternatives exist. For instance, excessive drug use may result from the unconstrained demand for drug being relatively high, i.e. greater amounts of drug being consumed when it is available at no cost, in those who are addicted. Similarly, drug-paired stimuli may precipitate relapse not because these elicit increased motivation for drug taking, but because these stimuli elicit other behaviors that make drug taking more likely or set the occasion for behaviors that result in drug taking. Surprisingly, the empirical base for deciding among these assumptions is extremely limited, especially given how these assumptions shape our investigations into and our treatment of addiction.

Basic and applied behavior analysts interested in drug addiction.

This symposium will provide empirical evidence on best practices when delivering clinical behavior analytic services to disordered gamblers. Current behavior analytic gambling literature shows an overall increase in publication trends, with minimal evidence on behavioral treatment. Behavior therapies including Cognitive-Behavior Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy have been shown to be effective forms of therapy for reducing gambling behaviors. While there is minimal research to date on behavioral therapies for disordered gambling, little is known about the success and or failures of treatment goals supporting abstinence or harm-reduction treatment models. For instance, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for reducing gambling behaviors, yet little research has been conducted on using brief or automated versions of treatment. Similarly, little treatment research has identified mediating variables that impact gambling behaviors such as inter-trial interval or self-report ratings on happiness indexes. Further, limited knowledge exists on the clinical utility of preference and reinforcer assessment on gambling behaviors. Therefore, this symposium will cover these critical clinical topics and provide emerging evidence on successful treatment assessment and outcomes when providing behavioral interventions for disordered gamblers.

Try to picture all that's known about biology and behavior: Genes, epigenetics, neurophysiology, operant and respondent principles, hormones, history ... and much more. Like other sciences, ours has always been part of a grand interdisciplinary effort, and the biobehavioral system is large and complex indeed. Developmental Systems Theory attempts to encompass everything, including the many complex, nonlinear interactions across all levels. The operant principles in which behavior analysts specialize have proved to be an important part of the empowering flexibility in the larger system. Our work on the benefits of enriched environments, the causes and treatments for autism spectrum disorders, the surprising flexibility of "instincts," and rehabilitation for victims of stroke and traumatic brain injury, to name a few examples, are all part of much larger efforts. In turn, system interactions are critical influences on our own work. Scientists always knew a better understanding of the full nature-and-nurture system would bring surprises, and this tutorial will show how the reality has exceeded expectations.

Psychologists, behavior analysts, practitioners, and graduate students.

1. To describe developmental systems theory.  At the conclusion of the event, participants will be able to explain how DST encompasses the entire biobehavioral system, including many complex, nonlinear interactions across all levels. 
2. To show how operant and respondent behavior principles play a critical role in developmental systems theory.  At the conclusion of the event, participants will be able to describe how behavior principles influence and are influenced by the other system variables.
3. To show the philosophical similarities between behavior analysis and developmental systems theory, including for example anti-reductionism.  At the conclusion of the event, participants will be able to describe these similarities.  Participants will also be able to describe the value to behavior analysts of understanding and contributing to developmental systems theory. 

Opportunities to gamble are increasing at very high rates. National and international casinos are developing faster than we have ever seen before. New laws in the U.S. are opening doors for online casinos and states have already adopted online lotteries. While the future of the gaming industry is clear, how behavior analysts will be involved is a bit murkier. A cohesive understanding of gambling, in its many forms, permits we behaviorists to be better prepared to address societal concerns regarding problem gambling as well as to permit students alternative routes to study behavior change. This Multi-SIG symposium combines talks on ethical, clinical, and experimental analysis concerns regarding the future of gambling research and treatment. An emphasis is placed on how multiple areas of interest come together to support these endeavors while striving to make an impact on the gaming industry and its resultant behavioral effects.

Gambling criteria endorsement was investigated in two large archival gambling datasets. Dataset one contained responses from 4,349 clients attending specialist problem gambling services in Victoria Australia from 1997 to 2002. Dataset two contained responses from 12,521 people from 105 countries who responded to an on-line gambling survey advertised on a popular gambling website from June to December 2007. The exact same principal component clustering of criteria was found in both datasets using; the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV Pathological Gambling Disorder criteria categorised using the National Opinion Research Centre Diagnostic Screen (NODS) for gambling problems taxonomy (dataset one), or the same number of the actual NODS criteria (dataset two). Further, both datasets reported similar hierarchical clustering of criteria (see Figure 1). These results suggest that the gambling experience categorised by the NODS taxonomy is multi-dimensional, and these experiences approximate the phenomenology of substance use disorders. Specifically, the gambling experience has three phases; initial use and development of a problem (Escape, Chasing, and Lying), problematic behaviour (Loss of Control, Preoccupation, Withdrawal, and Tolerance), and the experience of negative consequences for others (Bailout, Risked Relationships, and Illegal Acts). These results have important implications for disordered gambling assessment and treatment.

Engaging students at the college level is important, and implementing behavioral principles in various student settings to facilitate student engagement is underexplored. Engagement in courses by college students is linked to higher achievement in the classroom (Kuh, Cruce, Shoup, Kinzie, & Gonyea, 2008). Additionally, undergraduate psychology students who are involved in activities outside their classes report high academic related satisfaction and academic achievement (e.g. Astin, 1993; Strapp & Farr, 2010). This symposium will discuss the engagement of undergraduate students in academia both in and out of the classroom. The first presentation will discuss the relation between GPA and the time of the semester that students choose to participate in research studies, and explain the implications for experimental research. The second presentation will review methods that were used to bring behavioral analytic principles into the classroom. The final presentation will discuss the implications of using a contextual behavioral analysis of student persistence to address student engagement.

Ensuring that the behavioral sciences produce the improvements in human well-being that we all hope for requires that many more people understand and appreciate the knowledge about human behavior and society that have accumulated in the past 50 years. In The Nurture Effect, Dr. Anthony Biglan has tried to communicate to a broad audience of scientists and nonscientists how the behavioral sciences have accumulated programs, policies, and practices that can have great benefit in improving well-being. Taking an evolutionary approach, he will describe the development during the past 50 or so years of our understanding of operant learning and symbolic processes, as well as the principles involved in the recent evolution of capitalism. In the first section of the book, he describes the contextual principles that are, in his view, the foundation for the progress that has been made. In the second section, he describes family, school, peer, and clinical interventions that have solid evidence of benefit in the prevention and treatment of virtually all of the most common and costly problems of human behavior. But our progress in improving well-being will be limited if we fail to change the trajectory of modern capitalism so that its practices benefit everyone. In the third section, he describes the current problems with our system in terms of the contexts that have selected harmful business practices and economic policies. In the fourth section, he describes what can be done to ignite a movement that influences our societies to adopt the programs, policies, and practices that make all of our environments more nurturing.

The purpose of this symposium is to present different perspectives on teaching behavior analysis in introductory psychology classes. The two papers will discuss ways to approach the teaching of behavior analysis to introductory psychology students, including elucidating certain advances in behavior analysis that may not be well known and that may be pique students' interest, and ways to teach critical thinking skills (i.e., a verbal repertoire) that will lead students more naturally to an appreciation of, if not affinity for, behavior analysis.

The manipulation of motivating operations can be an effective intervention component. In this symposium we present research regarding the application of motivating operations in assessment and treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorders. The first paper evaluates the effects of systematically-identified durations of reinforcer access on task completion. Individualized durations of reinforcer access were identified based on the mean latency of satiation. Results indicate that this method can be utilized to identify a precise duration of reinforcer access to influence an evocative effect. The second paper evaluates the effects of a motivating operation-based treatment on escape-maintained problem behavior. After a trial based EO analysis confirmed that problem behavior was motivated by tasks with a low probability of correct responses, a high probably response sequence was successfully implemented to decrease problem behavior and increase skill acquisition. The third paper conducted a parametric evaluation of two variations of the implementation of the behavioral indicator of satiation method. Results identify not only a wide variation in latency to the first and subsequent displays of the behavioral indicator, but also that the selected method influences the abative effect on subsequent challenging behavior. Collectively, studies present innovative uses of the manipulation of motivating operations.

Challenging behavior often occurs when access to a preferred item is restricted. For children with developmental disabilities these challenging behaviors can impede learning opportunities and decrease possibilities for social interaction, which are already severely diminished (Lang et al., 2010). One way to proactively address challenging behaviors is through the manipulation of motivating operations. This study examined behavioral indicators of satiation using the item rejection procedure developed by O’Reilly and colleagues (2009) with differing levels of criteria. All participants were diagnosed with a developmental disability and engaged in tangibly maintained challenging behavior. Specifically, this multi-element single subject research design compared the duration of a tangible session following pre-session access to tangibles. Pre-session access was ended after a participant engaged in one instance of rejection behavior, which was compared to sessions ending after three rejection behaviors were used. Results suggest differences between using one and three rejection behaviors as indicators of satiation. Implications for clinical applications will be discussed.

All behavior analysts should be passionate about the dissemination of behavioral science as a way of creating solutions to important social issues. Traditional methods of sharing scientific information include written documents such as journal articles, but this approach is often insufficient to reach culturally diverse and international groups. We must seek more active and engaged ways of reaching our audiences. Panel members will discuss their personal activities and activism toward creating connections between research, practice, and policy. Examples will include research and practice, sharing behavioral applications in other fields, providing free trainings, creating alternate pathways to BCBA certification, expanding access to supervision and services internationally, cross cultural connections, collaborating actively with groups hostile to behavior analysis, networking with community leaders, translating behavioral information, becoming involved in global initiatives at the World Health Organization and participating in the United Nations. Ideas from the literature will be discussed and audience members will be invited to share the ways they are advancing the science of human behavior. Audience members will leave with new ideas and motivation for sharing our science with multi-cultural populations to change our world.

Throughout the Renaissance, the arts and science were both often practiced by women and men of scholarship of all sorts. The very notion of a "Renaissance Man or Woman," speaks to the idea that today we have somehow lost our way, and expect divergence not integration. It was more common than not, that scientists also were practitioners of some form of painting or artistic writing, and the converse. From Leonardo da Vinci to B.F. Skinner, the two have more often than not been interwoven. The notion that the two are separate endeavors emerged after the Renaissance when science and the humanities diverged, reaching its culmination during and after World War II when C.P. Snow presented his famous Rede Lecture, "Two Cultures." The arts are integral features that create the context within which our practices as research and applied behavior analysts are conducted. Artistic factors also are behavioral variables in our analysis of behavior. They are also uniquely effective in creating the context for socio-cultural conditional learning and discriminations. As we look about us, we are compelled to ask, "Why do artists create art?" "Why can people with severe disabilities often create stunning artistic products while being unable to speak an intelligible sentence?" "Why do so many of us feel artistic activities are uplifting and add a dimension to our lives that exceed those of our science, alone?" "How can the concepts of the arts and sciences be integrated to mutual benefit?" In today's discussion, Dr. Travis Thompson will explore the intrerplay of artistic activities and behavior analytic endeavors, where they intertwine and separate. *The title is from a comment by the first American woman astronomer, Maria Mitchell in the 19th century.

Psychologists, behavior analysts, practitioners, and graduate students.

Historically, youth with intellectual disabilities have poor postsecondary outcomes in the areas of employment, education, and independent living and lack the self-determination skills needed to become self-sufficient adults. Research indicates that the acquisition of skills related to self-determination improve the postsecondary outcomes and overall quality of life, including those with intellectual disabilities. In this study, the Self-determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI) is used to determine the effects of the acquisition and performance of academic and social behaviors of college-age adults with intellectual disabilities in a multiple baseline design across behaviors. A problem solving questioning sequence will be used to teach goal attainment and planning through: (a) identification of the problem, (b) identification of possible solutions, (c) identification of potential barriers, and (d) the evaluation and reevaluation of their results. Generalization of behaviors will be assessed using behavior checklist and the Behavior Tracker Pro app on iPads in the participants audited courses throughout the study.

Contributing factors to discrepancies among independent living for individuals with disabilities compared to those without are barriers in acquiring, maintaining, and generalizing daily living skills. Acquisition of daily living skills allows people with disabilities to meet their own needs without reliance on others. In addition, proficient daily living skills help people with disabilities increase their self-sufficiency and quality of life. Self-directed video prompting, in which individuals independently access prerecorded task instructions, is an innovative method for teaching daily living skills to individuals with disabilities, but generalization effects have been limited in the literature. . Using technology to teach daily living skills can increase participation in the community and improve independence by providing a level of task competence unattainable without these devices. In this multiple baseline across participants study, self-directed video prompting on an iPad using the My Pictures Talk application was used to help three young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a postsecondary program acquire independent living tasks. Generalization tasks that differed by one, two, and three were measured intermittently throughout the study. All three participants demonstrated generalization to the three tasks. . Our working hypothesis was that study participants would demonstrate improved daily living skill performance and be able to generalize these skills to home and community environments.

The Era of Big Work in which corporations recruited and retained qualified workers, metered productivity over a 40-hour week, and incented workers with total compensation packages is the historic norm for the U.S. economy. After the Great Recession (2007-09) and massive layoffs, predictably many professionals did not return to positions comparable to the ones they previously held because of the slow, protracted economic recovery. Many workers, instead, re-appraised their personal direction and took stock of market factors and emerging trends. They intentionally chose not to return to traditional corporate jobs and have pursued careers as freelancers, independent consultants, and contract workers. In fact, estimates suggest that about 42 million, or one-third of all U.S. workers, fall into this category and that by the end of the decade, the numbers will rise by 40% to 60 million people. These independents are often seen as entrepreneurs as if the label were all encompassing, one-size-fits-all, and their success is determined by the presence--or absence--of some elusive quality or trait. There is an opportunity to view entrepreneurism more broadly and, in doing so, support the journeys of a growing number of individuals in their personal and professional growth.

Problem solving and decision making encompass one of the most important practices in service delivery for behavior analysts. Different options exist for engaging in this process such as Standard Celeration Charts and Equal Interval Graphs. Most service providers use one type of graphing method within their service delivery but this may be because of a lack of training or exposure to other graphing options. The purpose of this panel is to expose students and practitioners to each type of graphing method so they can make informed decisions regarding which method is more appropriate for the services they provide. Panelists will answer questions about the graphing methods they use to engage in effective problem solving and decision making, how they train others to use these graphing methods, and the benefits and disadvantages of these graphing methods. One panelist will focus on the use of the Standard Celeration Chart, one will focus on the use of Equal Interval Graphs, and one will focus on the feasibility of both types of graphs from a practitioner perspective.

Many studies have shown that greater delay discounting of money is associated with drug-use disorders. The Sexual Discounting Task was developed to determine the effect of delay on decisions to use condoms in casual sex contexts. Findings show that sexual discounting is typically hyperbolic, consistent with discounting results across species and outcomes. Data show sexual discounting to be: sensitivity to sexual partner desirability and likelihood of having a sexually transmitted infection (STI); related to self-reported recent sexual risk (contrasting with money discounting); greater in drug-dependent vs. nondependent individuals; and reliable at a one-week interval. Recently examined were the acute effects of drugs associated with sexual risk on the Sexual Discounting Task, including a novel probability discounting variation assessing the effects of uncertainty of STI contraction on condom use. Results suggest that cocaine, methamphetamine, and alcohol increase both delay and probability discounting of condom use. For methamphetamine, this increase was observed only for those individuals for whom methamphetamine increased sexual arousal ratings. These drugs showed no effect in changing money discounting. Collectively, these data suggest that delay and probability discounting are processes contributing to HIV risk behavior. The results also highlight the limitations of assessing discounting with only monetary outcomes.

Psychologists, behavior analysts, practitioners, and graduate students.

With the proliferation of new technology, there are more ways to teach behavior analysis than ever before. Technology allows us to reach students who would not otherwise be able to learn about behavior analysis due to geographical or other barriers. Additionally, technology provides inexpensive alternatives that allow students to have meaningful learning experiences that would otherwise be costly in terms of financial and other resources. The presentations in this symposium will discuss some recent innovations in the use of technology to teach behavior analysis at the post-secondary level, to graduate and undergraduate students in a variety of disciplines and at three different college and university settings in the US and in Mexico. Specifically, we will address the use of technology in online education in behavior analysis at the post-college level, a technology-based functional behavior assessment training protocol used to teach about behavior analysis to non-behavior analysis students, and the use of a readily-available hardware and software solution for student participation in operant conditioning laboratory exercises.

The field of applied behavior analysis has contributed greatly to the wellbeing of children with autism and related disabilities. Problematic behaviors have been reduced, social skills enhanced, and language repertoires established through the use of behavior analytic technologies and teaching strategies. While these successes have helped to improve the lives of children and families, critics of behavior analysis continue to assert that the repertoires established by behavior analytic treatments are narrow, lacking in generalization, and neglectful of important cognitive skills. In particular, verbal behavior approaches designed to instruct language skills have been criticized as lacking the necessary complexity required to develop genuine understanding or fluent conversation. The present panel will address this issue in the context of current research trends, available manualized treatment models, and issues related to the acceptance of behavior analytic treatment. Special emphasis will be placed on moving the field toward contemporary behavior analytic approaches that are designed to increase communication skills beyond elementary verbal operants.

Teaching social safety skills using evidence-based practices in school and community settings has important implications to the overall safety of individuals with developmental disabilities. Social safety skills combine nonverbal communication, social reciprocity, social cognition, and self-awareness. The presenter will briefly review current literature on instructional methodologies for teaching social safety skills through the use of behavior skills training and video modeling. Instructional strategies, as well as general categories that can be used to create a solid base for teaching social safety skills in schools will also be presented. Preliminary data for several individuals with developmental disabilities will be provided consisting of baseline and in situ training of social safety skills. Baseline and in situ training was conducted in the community through collaboration with a local charter high school. The implications of the results will be addressed with particular emphasis on the utility of the teaching procedures by school staff. This study will address critical social safety skills that are necessary for any school age student to maintain their safety.

Monetary reinforcers, or financial incentives, are often effective at increasing physical activity, but are expensive. To facilitate dissemination, costs must be reduced. Deposit Contracts require participants to invest money in a treatment, which can be earned back by meeting goals. We compared the efficacy of a $50 program on walking when either $0 (N=9) or $25 (N=10) had been deposited by the participant. Nineteen healthy adults who were deficient walkers (<10,000 steps/day on average), wore a Fitbit accelerometer during all waking hours for 5-6 weeks. For a 1-2 week baseline, participants reported stepcounts but received no programmed reinforcers. During a 3-week intervention, $1.50 per day could be earned for meeting individualized stepcount criteria, with bonuses ($2.65) awarded for meeting criteria on three consecutive days. In the final week, a return to baseline condition included no reinforcers or goals. Sixteen participants (84%) increased average daily stepcounts by at least 1600 steps/day (> 1mile). Of those with a treatment effect, nine (56%) relapsed to baseline levels of walking when the reinforcer contingency was removed. A RMANOVA revealed significantly higher stepcounts during the reinforcer condition. Monetary deposit amount did not affect stepcounts or sensitivity to the reinforcers.

Psychological flexibility has been posited as a fundamental aspect of psychological well being and as a mechanism of change in clinical behavior analysis. A mid-level term, psychological flexibility is often defined in the clinical context as involving open, ongoing awareness to private events in such a way as to decrease avoidance and facilitate effective, values-based behavior. This symposium includes four papers, each linking mid-level conceptualizations of psychological flexibility with basic behavioral principles. The first paper considers a number of behavioral concepts that seem fundamental to psychological flexibility. The second paper explores how those trained in psychological flexibility tact their experience. The third paper examines psychological flexibility and inflexibility in terms of appetitive and aversive control, and introduces a measure of body image flexibility based on this conceptualization. The last study explores qualities of derived relational responding as indicative of flexibility and inflexibility investigates the IRAP as a tool for predicting inflexibility in certain domains of living.

College students are often faced with a number of transitions across important domains of life. For many students, academic demands, living conditions, financial status, primary relationships and social activities undergo repeated changes during the course of their college education. Psychology of Adjustment is a course designed to teach non-majors fundamental concepts of psychological health. As currently taught, the course includes primarily experiential interventions in which students learn the concepts of psychological adjustment by practicing psychological flexibility in and out of class. Informal student evaluations suggest that these methods not only ensure intellectual grasp of the concepts but also improve students psychological adjustment more broadly. The current qualitative study examines the content of students journal assignments in order to identify ways in which the class impacts psychological flexibility and college adjustment. Preliminary thematic analysis of 157 students journal assignments has revealed the following themes: the identification and clarification of values, observable changes in valued domains of life, the realization that everybody struggles, the awareness of psychological inflexibility and its consequences, willingness to experience painful thoughts and feelings, and gratitude for newfound presence in everyday experience. Implications for future research and course development will be discussed.

The continued health and vitality of the science and practice of behavior analysis depends on providing top-quality graduate and practical training to current and future generations of new behavior analysts. This symposium brings together four papers that describe programs for such training, as well as discussing and critiquing strengths and limitations of how behavior analysis is traditionally taught. The symposium begins with a paper on arrogance by Jonathan Tarbox. The second paper, by Grace Cascone, applies Skinners analysis of self-control to designing learner behavior that enhances the quality of graduate education in behavior analysis. The third paper, by Taylor Hill, describes a system for designing behavioral classrooms as teams to enhance graduate education. The final paper, by Cheryl Young-Pelton, describes a program for training pre-professional skills and includes preliminary program evaluation data. The symposium will conclude with a discussion by Dr. Darlene Crone-Todd.

In a classroom environment, learning is rarely an individual phenomenon. At one level, there is a student/teacher interaction in which the teacher manages the contingencies that influence the students behavior. Beyond that, there are student/student interactions that have an additional influence on learning. Students talk to each other during breaks, form study groups, become friends, and the conversations they have with each other influence their development as behavior analysts. Creating structures that encourage and facilitate these student to student interactions can bring a new level of intentionality to the learning environment. This paper will review a method for promoting intentional, supportive interactions among students that is being used across three sections of a Basic Concepts and Principles in Behavior Analysis Class. The method involves creating the class as a team playing a common game. The authors will outline the use of assessments as scoreboards, methods to promote leadership and cooperation within the student body, and coaching practices to empower struggling students.

Behavioral interventions might consist of altering antecedent events, consequences, or both antecedents and consequences. This symposium consists of three data-based presentations that will focus on the manipulation of antecedent events to increase toleration to aversive situations. The first study evaluates the effects of preference and choice of products (tooth paste and tooth brush) on the completion of an oral-hygiene routine for individuals with developmental disabilities. The second study recruits undergraduate participants to examine tolerance of a recorded infant cry when distracting activities are either restricted or available. The final study analyzes pausing during transitions between tasks associated with relatively rich and lean schedules of reinforcement for three individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as the participants preference for the availability of schedule-correlated stimuli during such transitions. These three studies attempt to reduce the aversive characteristics and, therefore increase toleration to three distinct aversive situations through the use of antecedent interventions.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institute of Health have identified a trend of poor oral hygiene in individuals with developmental disabilities and Down syndrome (Fenton, Hood, Holder, May, & Mouradian, 2003). Poor oral hygiene may result from difficulty acquiring necessary skills or interfering behavior during such tasks. Previous research has shown that choice making opportunities among task materials or reinforcers both increase performance and decrease challenging behavior. This study examined the effects of preference and choice of products on completion of, and levels of challenging behavior during an oral hygiene routine. Preference assessments were conducted to determine low- and high-preferred toothbrushes and toothpastes. Completion of the routine and levels of challenging behavior were then examined under low-preference no choice, high-preference choice, and high-preference no choice conditions within a mutlielement design. Initial data indicate similar rates of completion across the high-preference choice and high-preference no choice conditions, as compared to the low-preference no choice condition for two participants and similar levels of performance across the low-preference no choice, high-preference choice and high-preference no choice conditions for the second participant. Challenging behaviors were not observed during any conditions for either participant. Interobserver agreement was collected during 66.7% of sessions, and mean agreement was 97.9%.

After graduation, doctoral-level behavior analysts typically emerge in either an academic or a clinical career. This panel will focus on identifying pros and cons, as well as discussing competencies and experiences that can make one a successful candidate for each. The discussion will be grounded in the experiences accrued by our panelists, who are prominent behavior analysts with expertise in both academic and clinical settings.

Behavioral characteristics of individuals diagnosed with autism can include difficulty adjusting to novel situations or changes in routines, insistence on sameness, and repetitive movements (i.e., stereotypy). Research has shown that individuals often emit problem behavior when access to engaging in repetitive behavior is interrupted. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate procedures to assess and treat problem behavior when interrupting the ritualistic behavior displayed by three children with autism. All participants engaged in repetitive item manipulation as well as aggression when routines were interrupted. Following a functional analysis, we replicated and extended prior functional communication training research that employed delays to reinforcement (Rispoli et al., 2014) by assessing if all steps in a delay-fading procedure were necessary in the treatment of these particular ritualistic behaviors. Results indicated that functional communication training drastically reduced problem behavior, and delay fading may not always be necessary for every case. Further, the necessity of a signaled versus unsignaled extinction contingency for problem behavior was idiosyncratic for the current participants.

Innovations in preparing families and educators to implement high quality behavioral interventions are critical for enhancing the capacity of natural change agents to serve children with autism spectrum disorder. Research shows that children with autism spectrum disorder often require intensive, individualized intervention to treat core features of the disorder, such as social-communication skills and repetitive, restrictive interests or behaviors. Yet few families or service providers are skilled in implementing these research-based interventions. This session will present two papers which address this issue. The first paper presents results of a Pyramidal Training model delivered using telepractice (video conferencing, email, and file sharing) in teaching service providers to implement incidental teaching with young children with ASD. The second paper presents a model for teaching parents to implement a differential reinforcement procedure with their child with ASD. Data on maintenance and generalization of parent implementation from the training location to the home are reported. Following the paper presentations, Dr. Wendy Machalicek will offer a discussion regarding the potential impact of coaching delivered via telepractice on service providers intervention skills. She will also reflect on factors that may enhance the generalization and maintenance of parent implemented behavioral interventions.

A recent focus on the use of telepractice to disseminate behavioral interventions has demonstrated the utility of technology in preparing parents and educators as interventionists for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, to date, there has not been an evaluation of pyramidal training delivered via telepractice. The purposes of this study are: (a) to examine the use of pyramidal training to prepare interventionists to implement incidental teaching (b) to investigate the effectiveness of implementing pyramidal training via telepractice and (c) to assess the generalization of interventionists skills to untrained settings. Training procedures include an online module, self-evaluation, and feedback on participants self-evaluation delivered via videoconferencing. A multiple-probe across participants design was employed to evaluate the effects of the training package on therapists implementation fidelity, as measured by the percentage of procedural steps completed and the number of communication opportunities offered. The effect of the therapists use of incidental teaching on their students subsequent manding behaviors was also obtained. After training, the effectiveness of the training procedures will be evaluated based on the ease of acquisition of the procedures (as measured by trials to criterion) and the social validity of the training procedures. Implications for practice as well as future research will be discussed.

The Morningside Model of Generative Instruction (MMGI) is a research based protocol for teaching elementary and middle school learners. Over 140 schools and agencies in the US and Canada have successfully implemented MMGI with typically developing students who struggle in school. Recently the Haugland Learning Center has implemented MMGI with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In the first presentation, Andrew Kieta will present annual growth in student learning at Haugland, demonstrating its success with this new population. He will focus on writing performance. In the second presentation, Morningside Academy's school psychologist, Julian Gire, will present new approaches to monitoring the progress of writing performance throughout the school year, in order to make teaching interventions that will guarantee at least two years' annual growth. In the third presentation, Marianne Delgado and Nicole Erickson will present procedures for increasing application of newly taught vocabulary words in student writing. In the fourth presentation, Kathy Fox will present the effects of a teacher coaching protocol on both teacher and student performance.

Entering our 5th year of collaboration, Haugland Learning Center and Morningside Academy have transitioned from discovering whether students on the Autism spectrum could demonstrate Generativity through contingency adduction, to designing procedures to make generative learning more dynamic and efficient. This process marked the first attempted implementation of the Morningside Model of Generative Instruction with a student population in which every student is on the Autism spectrum. Past presentations indicated that generative outcomes are achievable with students with autism spectrum disorders through systematic programming, quality instruction, and population specific supports. This session will focus on how extensions in writing instruction have helped develop student repertoires more likely to be recruited into generative combinations, and will highlight what weve learned in implementing a large-scale assessment framework. Performance data will demonstrate the growth exhibited by students to underscore how we continue to develop and implement successful learning technologies with a population different from those served at Morningside Academy and in the typical public school classrooms that have previously implemented the model.

At Morningside Academy student progress is monitored through a multi-level system of assessment and evaluation. The initial, or Macro, level consists of norm and/or criterion referenced tests. The second, or Meta, level directly deals with progress monitoring through the use of Curriculum Based Measures/Curriculum Based Assessments (CBM/CBA). The third, or Micro, level are Standard Celeration Charts that document student in class progress as well as guide instruction and intervention. The focus of this presentation will be to describe procedures, specifically, for progress monitoring of written expression. A general description of Meta level of assessment will be presented as well along with evidence supporting the importance of this type of assessment. Several different methods of writing assessment will be presented along with data and commentary on the pros and cons of each method. Participants will leave with a general understanding of progress monitoring, procedures for, and current trends in, the monitoring of writing skill progress.

Two teachers at Morningside Academy explored the application of correctly defined words in novel situations. Students learned vocabulary with two methods. One method was SAFMEDS, a flash card memorization and fluency program. The second was student-generated definitions program, which included exploring word forms, context clues, connotations, and usage. During the baseline phase, each group was administered 3 sets of flash cards, with 8 words in each set. After definition mastery was shown, application of new vocabulary was tested using 12-minute quick writes of essays. After 3 rounds, the classes moved to 4 different student generated activities, with sets of 8 words. Nicole Erickson will be presenting the performance of her students, ages 9-12, with corrective decoding skills ranging from third through seventh grade. Marianne Delgado will be presenting the performance of her middle schoolers transitioning from teacher-directed literature classes to student-run project based learning groups. Data will be presented on Standard Celeration Charts. Pre and post versions of Pro-Eds Word Test 2 and 3 were used to determine the entry level skills of each group, and assess the acquisition of normative vocabulary skills. Substantial data have been collected in these studies to date.

Research has shown that quality instruction is an important factor in student learning. It is often shown to be more important than more commonly discussed factors such as race, socioeconomic status, technology in the classroom, and class size. Haugland Learning Center is a chartered, non-public school for students with autism spectrum disorders in Columbus, Ohio where teachers in the Aspire program are coached not only to perform traditional teacher duties such as progress reporting and data collection, but also to implement research based best practices in instruction, and The Haugland Model of Classroom Management. The Aspire program attempts to replicate The Morningside Model of Generative instruction and works closely with Morningside Teacher?s Academy to train staff in important pieces of the model, provide them with necessary support to implement the model, and develop coaching strategies that will help develop high performing teachers. All staff receive feedback weekly and may be coached several times per week based on performance data. With continued development and data evaluation, we show that behavior analytic performance management and coaching strategies can improve teacher performance and student outcomes.

Lindsley developed Say-All-Fast-Minute-Every-Day-Shuffled, or SAFMEDS, in the late 1970s to enhance the typical use of flashcards (Graf & Auman, 2005). The acronym was developed specifically to guide the learners behavior when using flashcards. A review of SAFMEDS research indicates it has been utilized with children, college students and older adults with and without disabilities. The literature also indicates the SAFMEDS procedures used are not well documented or have multiple variations limiting practitioners ability to know what procedure to use and when. Furthermore, future SAFMEDS research is hampered by variations in the independent variable (i.e., SAFMEDS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate a basic SAFMEDS procedure and four supplementary SAFMEDS procedures. Results of the study suggest the basic SAFMEDS procedure was not sufficient for developing fluent responding with Chinese characters or Russian words, but all of the supplementary procedures led to increases in the number of correct responses per 1-min timing. Further research evaluating differences in performance across the supplementary procedures is warranted.

Perhaps due to its adaptability in natural environments, trial-based functional analysis (FA) methodology has received some attention as a viable alternative when traditional FAs are not feasible. Despite a small but promising collection of published studies indicating that trial-based FAs can both be accurate and can inform effective function-based interventions, the generality of the assessment's utility, the training necessary to implement it with fidelity, and the optimal sequence of component experimental segments is still relatively unknown. In the first presentation the speaker describes a preliminary investigation evaluating the effect of an automated interactive training on pre-service behavior analysts' implementation of trial-based FA methodology. In the second presentation the speaker presents data on two procedural variations of trial-based FAs related to the sequencing of test and control segments and the dependent variable used. The speakers in the final two presentations describe studies outlining variations of the methodology appropriate for identifying the functions of a response topography (i.e., elopement) that presents unique challenges to a valid functional assessment.

The trial-based functional analysis (FA) is a useful alternative to the traditional FA in contexts in which it is challenging to establish environmental control for extended periods of time. Previous researchers have demonstrated that others can be trained to conduct trial-based FAs with high procedural fidelity by providing a didactic presentation, small-group instruction, and then a performance evaluation. However, one barrier to replicating this training sequence is that didactic presentations are not standardized and presentations can vary considerably across different groups of trainers or researchers. We designed an automated didactic presentation with video models embedded throughout for trainers and researchers to use when training others to conduct trial-based FAs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of this presentation on participant fidelity to trial-based FA procedures. Results demonstrate improved fidelity following the presentation. However, the presentation alone was insufficient to establish consistently high levels of fidelity across all conditions for all participants. Thus, additional training components are required when teaching others to conduct trial-based FAs.

The 2015 Guidelines for the Accreditation of Graduate Programs in Behavior Analysis put forth by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) includes the addition of coursework in the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB). These new additions (one EAB course for master's programs;two EAB courses for coctoral programs) constitute a substantial push to increase the relevance and rigor of training in basic behavior analysis in ABAI-accredited programs. However, the addition of EAB courses may prove difficult for applied training programs that must already maintain approved course sequences through the Behavior Analysis Certification Board, or accreditation from other organizations (e.g., American Psychological Association, National Association of School Psychologists). The 2015 ABAI accreditation guidelines may thereby put graduate training directors in a difficult position to choose whether ABAI accreditation is worth curricular changes or additional hiring of EAB faculty. This panel discussion will begin with brief comments from experts in the field who have a vested interest in integrating basic behavior analysis into applied training programs. Discussants will describe the importance of EAB in applied training programs, in addition to providing tips and strategies for meeting ABAI's accreditation guidelines. The floor will then be opened to discussion from attendees.

For more than a decade, the BACB has operated an Approved Course Sequence system through which a university's defined behavior-analytic coursework can be formally identified as meeting course-content requirements for BACB certification. There are currently more than 500 Approved Course Sequences (ACSs) at over 500 institutions around the world. Dr. James E. Carr will present data on the growth of ACSs over time, as well as the core coursework and instructor requirements to become an ACS. Chief among these requirements is course content (currently 45 hours) in basic behavior-analytic concepts and principles, which all applicants for BACB certification must successfully complete. Questions on BACB certification examinations are all based on the BACB Fourth Edition Task List, which is a content validated list of job competencies of behavior-analytic practitioners. A portion of the task list document (Foundational Knowledge) is devoted to basic concepts and principles. Dr. Carr will describe the roles these basic underpinnings play in BACB coursework requirements and examinations and how they might be expanded or further highlighted in the BACB Fifth Edition Task List.

Dr. Christopher A. Podlesnik is a basic researcher with interests in understanding how fundamental learning and behavioral processes influence the effectiveness of behavioral treatments. Although interested in translational research for some time, he is currently receiving his first real clinical training in Applied Behavior Analysis in severe-behavior and early-intervention clinics. This experience taught him the value of understanding fundamental learning and behavioral processes, theoretical frameworks, and conceptual systems of behavior for guiding treatment decisions. Assessments, analyses, and treatments in Applied Behavior Analysis are powerful tools for addressing behavioral deficits and excesses. However, these methods are applied in so many different circumstances, the particulars of these methods must always change. Understanding fundamental processes provides behavioral clinicians with yet another, more general, tool for better aligning features of clinical tools with a given case and to anticipate avenues to exploit for improving those tools. His ongoing struggle is with how to convey the importance and usefulness of investing the extensive time it takes to understand complex literatures and theoretical frameworks to the point it can be applied by busy students primarily interested in practical issues of behavior change.

University of Houston-Clear Lake's current master's program in behavior analysis is the result of evolving changes and improvements to the curriculum since 2004. Many of these improvements were possible because of changes in the requirements for accreditation and certification. In this presentation, Dr. Dorothea C. Lerman will describe strategies used to meet changes in these requirements and to integrate more basic behavior analysis into the UH-CL curriculum. Suggestions will be given for faculty and program directors who are training practitioners and have a limited number of faculty lines.

Is there a home for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB) in applied-training programs? There has to be because EAB is the foundation of the behavior-analytic home. What has made behavior analysis such a strong discipline is that our practice is never really separated from our science and philosophy. Without training in and knowledge of the basic principles of behavior, an applied behavior analyst is at a severe disadvantage as a practitioner. Dr. Christine E. Hughes will discuss the program at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington as an example of a successful and strong program in both basic and applied behavior analysis, while having to meet separate state requirements for practicing psychology.

Discrete trial teaching is a systematic and effective method of teaching children with autism various skills. Discrete trial teaching consists of three components: (a) an instruction (discriminative stimulus), (b) a response by the learner, and (c) a consequence following the childs response. Although discrete trial teaching is a commonly implemented procedure to teach individuals diagnosed with autism there still remains several questions which should be addressed through empirical investigation. For example it is not known how individuals respond when corrective feedback is provided, the level of observational learning that occurs during group instruction, and the utility of informative feedback. The presentations in this symposium will help address these issues. The first presentation will provide an analysis on the type of corrective feedback that is provided and how students responded to the corrective feedback. The second presentation will provided data on the effects of discrete trial teaching implemented in a group instructional format where informative feedback was provided. Both clinical recommendations and areas for future research will be discussed.

Ethical and professional guidelines for behavior analysis are stringent; applied behavior analysis (ABA) often involves the delivery of services by multiple individuals, some of whom may not be certified and have varying experience levels. Because of this, ethical concerns that arise often involve supervisees or supervisors. Just as done with the behaviors of individuals receiving ABA services, behavior analysts must take a behavioral approach to analyzing and solving ethical concerns. Behavioral contingencies surrounding behaviors related to ethical challenges must first be identified before ethical concerns can be absolved using the best possible method. Responding to unethical behaviors without first analyzing their function or without first taking a behavioral approach in its solution may be an ineffective means at evoking more desirable, ethical behaviors by practitioners. As such, this symposium will analyze variables surrounding unethical behaviors and subsequently propose behaviorally sound solutions to common ethical scenarios encountered by clinicians in the field.

A behavioral approach should be used when analyzing ethical scenarios involving the behaviors of supervisees or supervisors, just as done with client behaviors. A behavior analyst should not focus on viewing other practitioners as "ethical" or "unethical". Instead, just as done with clients, behavior analysts should focus on particular behaviors emitted by other practitioners. With that, the scope of what characterizes behaviors as "ethical" within the realm of behavior analysis services must be explored. This presentation will also assess common ethical scenarios that arise in supervisory relationships while providing behavioral services, and how to take a behavioral approach to analyzing such ethical scenarios. Relevant topics include: identifying function, determining potential antecedents and consequences, considering response effort. Taking these behavioral approaches could help practitioners with determining more effective ways to overcome ethical challenges. This presentation will precede a presentation about potential solutions for addressing ethical scenarios based on the behavioral approach suggested in this presentation.

The Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis to Schooling, Accelerated Independent Learner Model applies tactics and protocols rooted in science and principles of behavior to learning for students in general education school settings. Students with diverse backgrounds and needs are served within this model, including students with special needs, students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and students without disabilities. Tactics based in principles of behavior analysis are applied to students self-management and social repertoires, in addition to learning math, problem solving, reading and writing. Teachers continuously analyze data on students academic responding in order to maximize students learning and teacher efficacy. Students are also taught critical organization and self-management skills for independent learning, including data collection and graphing. Problems in learning are remediated by implementing behavioral tactics and key verbal developmental protocols based in Verbal Behavior Developmental Theory. This symposium will show data from Accelerated Independent Learner classrooms across subjects and grade levels (K-5). The aim of this model is to scientifically and systematically provide students from any background with critical instructional histories to become independent lovers of learning.

Currently, the United States is performing significantly below the international average in mathematics. This disparity in performance has been attributed to the inability of students in the United States to successfully complete tasks that require higher-level mathematical problem solving. In order to allow student?s to make greater gains in this area, the Accelerated Independent Learner Model of Instruction (AIL?) focuses on teaching students the foundational mathematical skills needed for higher-level problem solving to mastery and fluency, as well as incorporating functional writing into instruction. All responses are rotated between written and vocal responses using tactics such as choral responding, response boards and independent practice. Each student?s responses to instruction are recorded, graphed, and individually analyzed using learning pictures, in order to maximize academic gains through the implementation of tactics to increase learning outcomes. The goal of the AIL? model is to create independent learners driven by the need to know and a love of learning through the use of tactics based on the principles of behavior. This paper aims to explain the tactics implemented to increase learning outcomes , display math data across AIL? grade levels, and highlight the importance of teaching mathematical skills to mastery.

Behavior analysis is a powerful tool that could ameliorate many of society's problems. One of the first problems that was seriously addressed with a behavior analytic approach was the treatment of autism. Although a behavioral approach yielded promising results from the start, it took many years before the behavioral approach was accepted as the treatment of choice for autism. Although promising data also have been obtained from applications of behavioral technology to many other social problems, these applications have not yet been widely accepted or disseminated. Skinner envisioned behavior analysis as a technology that would address a wide variety of societal challenges. Initially behavior analysts were highly enthusiastic about society adopting our approach in areas such as education, but many people already working in these fields were resistant to a behavioral approach. This paper will examine a number of areas where behavior analysis could make a difference, and explore ways to overcome obstacles and accelerate the acceptance of our approach.

Behavior Analysts have long been interested in the application of basic principles and procedures in the educational setting as evident in teaching technologies such as the Teaching Machine and Personalized System of Instruction. Behavior analysts have successfully employed many strategies to increase student participation within the classroom such as Active Student Responding and Interteaching. Many have even been successful at arranging contingencies to promote completion of course activities outside of the classroom (i.e., homework) and to decrease student procrastination. However, the contingencies arranged by the instructor are often not sufficient to compete with the contingencies associated with other outside of class activities that are available to students. In fact, many students are coming to university increasingly unprepared in core academic areas and/or are lacking the skills necessary to arrange their own contingencies to ensure academic success. This symposium includes three papers in which the authors sought to arrange contingencies to increase the probability of student success by either promoting homework completion outside of scheduled course times or to decrease student procrastination for undergraduate and graduate students, respectively. The results will be discussed in terms of the correlation between the interventions and measures of academic success (e.g., quiz scores) and the implications for instructional design for university instructors.

Students who complete homework generally do better on measures of academic performance such as quizzes, exams, and overall course grades (Harris & Sherman, 1974; Ryan & Hemmes, 2005). We examined the effects of contingent access to second quiz attempts on the percentage of undergraduate students completing homework to mastery. The study was conducted in an Introduction to Behavior Analysis course that, historically, had only 70% of students on average completing homework. An adapted multiple baseline design across sections was used for four sections of the course. Students could access a second quiz attempt contingent by meeting the following criteria: the student received a 16 out of 20 on the first quiz attempt or by meeting the mastery criterion of the homework (45 out of 50). We also examined the relation between homework accuracy and scores on first quiz attempts. Two sections did not show a difference in homework completion with and without the second quiz attempt contingency. One section showed more sensitivity toward the contingency once it was withdrawn, and one section never had the removal of the contingency and had the highest percentages of students completing their homework. When analyzing the relation of homework accuracy to the corresponding first quiz attempts, homework accuracy appeared to be related to higher scores on first quiz attempts across all sections. Quiz scores were typically a letter grade higher for students who completed homework compared to students who did not complete homework to mastery. Although there are limitations to the current study, the results suggest the second quiz contingency may impact homework completion.

We live in a society where technology is readily available to help bridge gaps. We can do banking online, reserve tickets online, visit with friends and family online, watch live games online, and also get educated online! It is wonderful to know that many who could not afford education due to financial or time restraints are now able to avail the same (and sometimes better) education online. The field of Applied Behavior Analysis is also seeing an emergence in online education. Programs are now offered that allow students to take core classes and proceed towards BACB certification. Programs utilize a variety of multimedia modes of instruction to not only best simulate an in-person class but also ensure that the students are well rounded in their learning. The goal of this panel discussion is to bring instructors from two different programs (online and hybrid) and discuss how each is setup in providing this learning. Moreover, our experiences as instructors and the successes and challenges faced as part of this teaching will also be discussed. Broad ethical and philosophical issues with regards to the role of online teaching in training future behavior analysts will also be discussed.

Under the leadership of its Executive Council, ABAI has been crossing geographical borders for the past four decades, disseminating behavior analysis around the world through grants and awards, support of chapters on five continents, and conferences that welcome participation from behavior analysts across the globe. The consistent and unique epistemology of behavior analysis means that geographical borders need not be impediments to the advancement of our field. Paradoxically, however, the domains within behavior analysis (basic research, applied research, service delivery, and theory and philosophy) have created borders that have not been easy to cross or navigate, although many authors have pointed out that such navigation is critical. The ABAI Program Committee has been suggesting to presenters who primarily do basic research to discuss the applied implications of their work, and vice versa. Nevertheless, many behavior analysts still see our field as fragmented. What are the contingencies that make interaction among the different domains of behavior analysis so difficult? What are the contingencies that control the wrong assumption that some domains are more important than others? These contingencies will be analyzed, and recent data and data from the literature will be presented.

Psychologists, behavior analysts, practitioners, and graduate students.