Association for Behavior Analysis International

The extraordinary success of behavior analytic interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has fueled the rapid growth of behavior analysis as a profession. One reason for this success is that for many years behavior analysts were virtually alone in conducting programmatic ASD intervention research. However, that era has ended. Many investigators from other disciplines are now carrying out large-scale intervention studies and beginning to report successes of their own. The increasing number and range of studies has the potential to improve services for individuals with ASD, and it challenges behavior analysts to intensify their research efforts.

Professionals and graduate students

Here are some of the topics we may touch on, though we will have time for only a few: (1) The relation between experimental and applied research in behavior analysis. (2) Why bridging research gets it wrong. (3) Why basic research gets it wrong. (4) Preschool fatalism. (5) Pre-PhD fatalism: Why you will agree with practically none of this presentation. (6) The little boy with a new hammer who tries to fix everything by hitting it with his wonderful hammer. (7) Why the worst thing Skinner ever did was invent schedules of reinforcement. (8) An erroneous analysis of schedules of reinforcement and cigarette smoking. (9) Why delayed-discounting is irrelevant to almost anything of importance. (10) Why grandma's wisdom is wrong. (11) The myth of poor self-control. (12) The truth about poor self-control. (13) Rule-governed vs. contingency-controlled behavior. (14) Why operationalization provides only a false sense of intellectual security. (15) The shiftless paradigm. (16) Why most of the panel members disagree with most of this. (17) Why none of this represents the official position of ABAI.

Technology offers the potential to play a critical role in improving behavioral health interventions in a manner that enables rapid diffusion of science-based interventions and which may be cost-effective. Evidence-based psychosocial treatment, provided via an automated, technology-based platform (e.g., web, mobile devices), could substantially advance treatment efforts by improving quality and availability of care, leveraging the efforts of clinical staff, and projecting treatment to rural and other underserved areas. Additionally, the temporal flexibility of technology-based interventions may allow for "on-demand," ubiquitous access to therapeutic support, thereby creating unprecedented models of intervention delivery and reducing barriers to accessing care. In this presentation, Dr. Marsch will provide an overview of her line of research focused on the development and evaluation of technology-based, psychosocial prevention and treatment interventions targeting substance use and related issues (including HIV prevention and mental health issues). This work has been conducted in a variety of settings, including physician offices, substance abuse treatment programs, criminal justice settings, educational settings and via the Internet. Dr. Marsch will discuss strategies for developing and evaluating technology-based behavior change interventions in a manner that ensures the inclusion of science-based content and evidence-based informational technologies. She will also discuss potential research opportunities in this area.

Graduate students, laboratory and applied scientists

While the certification requirements for becoming a behavior analyst are not open to interpretation, how the content is provided during supervision is open to interpretation. As the widespread use of technology expands the delivery of that content to nontraditional settings, the form that the required supervision takes has been altered as well. There are multiple university sites that are administering courses from a distance. The availability of distance-delivered coursework opens the opportunities for enrollment to individuals who before would have been too remote. While this technology is beneficial for those living in remote areas, the remoteness itself adds to the need for creative approaches to supervision. Challenges range from the availability of qualified supervisors to the lack of a supervision structure or clear outcomes. This symposium will present data based information from the university perspective, the student perspective, the administrative perspective, and the supervision perspective regarding the implementation of a standardized supervision program based on the content areas presented by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Coursework and supervision was provided using primarily distance-technology, including online information and teleconferencing technology.

Alaskas limited number of Board Certified Behavior Analysts severely restricted the ability of Alaska to implement best practice services and inhibited training opportunities for students. Alaskas Center for Human Development (CHD) was tasked with capacity building in Autism interventions and gathered a group of stakeholders to determine how capacity would be built and what practices would best serve the state. The stakeholder group overwhelmingly supported increased training in approaches rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis. Alaska only had one BCBA who was soon to retire and the university system provided no options for training in this science. Program directors began looking for resources outside Alaska. In addition, 6 BCBA candidates who were completing their BCBAs individually were surveyed to determine what worked and what did not work regarding distance supervision. A university school program and supervisors were selected and asked to coordinate with the State to address concerns regarding the quality and comprehensive nature of distance supervision. These issues included coordination of the university program and the supervision to reduce the response effort of the students, manualizing the distance supervision to increase quality of the experience, and using distance technology to increase face-to face interaction between supervisors and supervisees.

Professionals working with young children, especially those experiencing Autism, who follow best practice guideline will find that practices informed by the science of Applied Behavior Analysis rise to the top. However, for professionals in Alaska these approaches, and the certification necessary to competently practice, were not available. Distance supervision and University course work were the only options that were feasible as relocating to another state was not possible. Distance supervision had two attractive qualities. First, it allowed students to maintain their current livelihood with no need to relocate, which is costly as well as difficult on families and the social networks they have developed. Second, the use of distance technology in a state that must use distance resources to provide services in frontier locations gave students an added skill to improve services. Distance education opportunities including the University coursework and distance supervision have allowed students to increase their skills and better serve families where otherwise this would have been impossible.

Although staff training is cited as a critical component to the success of ABA interventions for young children with autism, relatively little research has been conducted to evaluate models for training in-home and classroom 1:1 staff to implement ABA teaching techniques with high fidelity. Moreover, limited published resources exist to train Supervisory-level clinical staff to analyze problems related to skill acquisition and determine appropriate and efficient solutions. This symposium will present data evaluating a comprehensive Behavioral Skills Training model to facilitate the acquisition and maintenance of core ABA teaching strategies by staff providing 1:1 ABA intervention in the home setting. The efficacy of the training model to school-based instructional aides and classroom teachers also will be presented. Finally, data will be summarized on the use of a checklist to guide Supervisors of ABA programs in effective troubleshooting of skill acquisition programs. Implications of the training resources to clinical service providers will be discussed.

For children with autism and developmental delays, the model of intensive early intervention treatment and education services that are based on the principles of applied behavior analysis has become the best practice standard. While higher-level behavior analysts are trained and supervised according to the guidelines of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), a training gap often exists between these treatment providers and the instructors that work directly with young children during home-basedapplied bheavior analysis (ABA)intervention. Presuming that a qualified behavior analyst oversees the program, the efficacy of the intervention is still dependent on the home instructor's competence with respect to the execution of these techniques in the absence of continuous, on-site supervision. This presentation will review an intensive instructor training protocol to facilitate the acquisition of the following core ABA intervention skills: errorless teaching, discrete-trial teaching, and natural environment teaching strategies to promote spontaneous manding. Performance-based data were collected on the instructor's skill level before and after the intensive training, and results showed that implementation accuracy increased markedly following exposure to the training protocol.

Research has shown that behavioral skills training packages have been successful in teaching classroom staff to implement research-based applied behavior analysis (ABA) teaching techniques for students with autism spectrum disorders. In the current evaluation, a comprehensive behavioral skills training model was developed to train teachers and instructional assistants within a southern California school district to use errorless teaching, discrete trial teaching, and mand training. Data were collected on the efficacy of the training model in teaching school district staff; more specifically, data indicated that classroom staff demonstrated a high level of implementation fidelity across all three teaching techniques following introduction of the training package, as well as at a 90-day follow-up. The benefits of collaboration between the Non Public Agency (NPA) trainers and school district personnel, along with the resolution of stressors will be discussed.

While training protocols incorporating the critical components of behavioral skills training have been shown to be effective with intervention staff providing direct teaching to young children with autism, few guidelines exist that suggest a specific training regimen for mid-level behavior analysts responsible for the day-to-day development of the program of instruction for a caseload of children. One key area that supervisor-level staff must continually address is what to do when children are not acquiring specified objectives. Providing those staff with a comprehensive, but user-friendly resource or checklist for analyzing and resolving problems related to skill acquisition could be a way to train program supervisors to effectively modify teaching interactions when a child is not acquiring a skill or a teaching step. A description of the checklist and a review of pilot data indicating how such a resource could be used will be reviewed.

Overweight and obesity are problems of considerable social significance. Both overweight and obesity are primarily the result of an energy imbalance, with overweight and obese individuals consuming more calories than they expend. One of the primary behavioral factors related to this imbalance is physical activity. Increasing energy expenditure through increased physical activity can serve to remediate the energy imbalance, so long as calorie consumption does not increase. Moreover, increased physical activity can produce health benefits even in the absence of weight loss. Despite the obvious relevance of behavior analysis to these issues, relatively little behavior-analytic research has focused on physical activity in the context of overweight and obesity. This symposium will feature several studies focused on understanding and increasing physical activity levels in children and adults from a behavior analytic perspective. Two of the papers report the results of efforts to increase physical activity, one with children and one with adults. Two papers will report the results of assessments to determine conditions that promote more or less physical activity in children.

Physical activity is important for children as many children are considered overweight or obese. In the current study, a multiple baseline design across participants was used to assess the effectiveness of goal setting, reinforcement contingencies, and pedometers that provide feedback to increase step count by 5 participants. During baseline each participant wore a sealed pedometer to assess the average steps the participants took per day. In intervention 1, each participant set a reasonable goal of steps to achieve per day in order to receive a specific reinforcer chosen by the parent and participant. Intervention 2 added daily phone calls from the researcher to check participant progress. Data collection for 4 of the 5 participants showed a mean increase in steps taken per day during both interventions. All 3 participants that participated in intervention 2 further increased their mean count. Two participants participated in the follow-up phase of the study; both participants maintained their goals from intervention 2 and completed their goal step count on 100% of days.

The prevalence of overweight and obese children is an increasing concern in the United States and abroad. Studies have shown that higher activity levels correspond with lower body mass index and overall better health. Given the current percentage of children enrolled in both public and private schools, it may be the case that a significant portion of children's daily activity can be fulfilled in school. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of step counts as reliable indicators of differential activity levels displayed by children during recess. Fifteen elementary school-aged children wore Fitbit accelerometers during their regular recess times. Both structured and unstructured activities were evaluated. Step counts were recorded from Fitbits in 1-min intervals, and specific recess activities were observed and recorded. The results indicated that step count data produced by the Fitbit were successful at identifying differential patterns of activity levels. Overall, higher step counts were observed during jogging and soccer, and lower step counts were observed during tag and free play. The data also indicated a gender difference, with boys reaching higher activity levels than girls during free play. Implications for interventions utilizing step counts for feedback and goal-setting will be discussed.

Behavioral contracting has been shown to be effective in improving a variety of behaviors, including weight management and exercise (Aragona, Cassady, & Drabman, 1975; Mann, 1972; Neale, Singleton, Dupuis, & Hess, 1990). Although research has examined the efficacy of various behavioral contract components (e.g., response cost), no studies have directly compared the efficacy of the type of deposit (e.g., monetary versus personal goods). In the current study, 2 female employees of a pediatric hospital, ages 32 and 24, wore a multidirectional accelerometer, which measured energy expenditure, during the workday. Following baseline and feedback-only conditions, participants were exposed to 2 behavioral contracting conditions, a monetary deposit and a personal goods deposit. Results showed that the most effective deposit contract at increasing energy expenditure differed across 2 participants. Additionally, for both participants only 1 of the deposit types resulted in meeting the goal and earning back the deposit entirely. These results suggest that to maximize the effectiveness of behavioral contracting, the most effective contract type needs to be identified and utilized prior to entering into a contract.

Direct observation of children being physically active often is viewed as the "gold standard" measure of assessing physical activity. Although direct observation can provide information regarding contextual variables (i.e., context and composition) related to moderate and vigorous physical activity, environmental variables often are not manipulated and thus causal relationships cannot be determined. We developed an experimental analysis methodology to assess the effect of outdoor activity context and group composition on level of physical activity in preschool children. The purpose of the current study was to compare the results from descriptive analyses of physical activity to those of experimental analyses. Descriptive analyses were conducted during 30-min sessions on an outdoor playground at a local daycare. Experimental analysis sessions were conducted on an outdoor playground within a multielement experimental design, with each condition lasting 5 min. The Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children (McIver et al., 2009) was used to define the conditions and various levels of physical activity within both the descriptive and functional analyses. Initial data suggest that the degree of agreement between the descriptive analyses and experimental analyses varies by participant.

Behavior analysts are often faced with challenging situations that require them to step out of their comfort zone to work in school and community settings where they may have to deal with individuals (such as staff, teachers, and parents) who do not buy into a behavioral approach. Each of the presentations in this symposium address a setting (school, residential facility, home) where part of the challenge is to change the behavior of the individuals who provide treatment and/or instruction. This challenge is further compounded by the fact that the children involved have behavioral and emotional problems that may not traditionally be dealt with by behavior analysts (such as anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues) or may be particularly challenging (such as ADD, explosive behavior disorder, and aggression). These challenges are met with technology, multi-faceted treatments, and/or novel approaches that change the behavior of the children involved as well as the significant others who play a central role in these childrens lives.

This study outlines a behavior program designed to reduce aggressive and tantrum behavior in a 16-year-old girl with multiple diagnoses including Autism, IED and ADD. Functional assessment showed that the behaviour was maintained by escape and attention. A multi-element behavior support plan was implemented comprised of DRO, Functional Communication Training and a Token Economy system was successfully implemented. This resulted in a significant reduction in the target behavior to low levels as measured by average weekly duration. Discussion centers on the difficulties implementing behavior plans both with clients who have multiple diagnoses and in unsupportive settings, which were both features in this study. Where multiple diagnoses are present, particularly those of a more medical nature, the author has found that function-based behavior plans can be more difficult to implement, as cognitive based explanations of behavior seem to be more acceptable to parents and staff. Difficulties also arise when staff are not from a behavioral background and take a more intuitive approach to dealing with challenging behavior rather than maintaining a prescribed program.

Students in impoverished rural communities are at risk for gang membership, juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, continuing the cycle of poverty, relationship violence, academic failure and dropping out of school. Greene County has a high rate of poverty with 21.7% of residents living below poverty level in 2008 (compared with 14.6% in NC). The median household income in Greene Co. was $38,530 in 2008 (compared to $46,574 for NC). About 73% of the students in Greene County Schools receive free or reduced-price lunch, indicating the degree of economic need within the district. Doctoral students in pediatric school psychology from East Carolina University are providing school-based behavioral services in Greene County middle school and high school under the supervision of a licensed psychologist and BCBA. These services to faculty, students and their families include behavioral consultation, behavioral counseling, tutoring, and family educational events. These services have impacted grades, discipline referrals, student classroom behavior, teacher behavior, and parent behavior. The presenter will discuss ways of overcoming challenges in providing school-based behavioral services and making an impact in a rural community.

This symposium covers extensions of using a multiple schedule to increase the practicality of function-based treatments. Topics include (a) methods for leaning the duration of the extinction component and whether systematic and gradual progressions are necessary, (b) the portability of schedule-correlated stimuli and the extent to which treatment gains generalize across individuals and settings, and (c) the effects of incorporating the stimulus correlated with the extinction component on the level of communication responses when used as the continuous signal during delays to reinforcement. Together, the presentations demonstrate how multiple schedules serve as an efficient and efficacious method to sustain acquired functional communication responses and low levels of problem behavior across different contexts and how the schedule-correlated stimuli can be used to enhance the efficacy of another schedule thinning method. In addition, we are fortunate to have Dr. Wayne Fisher serve as the discussant.

Previous studies indicate that teaching a functional communicative response in a multiple schedule arrangement provides an effective method for thinning reinforcement when attempting to produce a shift in responding in individuals from problem behavior to socially appropriate responses for the same reinforcer(s) (Fisher, Kuhn & Thompson, 1998; Hanley, Iwata, & Thompson, 2001; Tiger & Hanley, 2004, 2005). Although previous research has demonstrated beneficial effects of multiple-schedules for reaching terminal schedule criteria (Hanley et al., 2001), it is unclear whether the thinning procedures established to reach the schedule values are necessary. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the: (a) effects of contingency-correlated stimuli during FCT, (b) necessity of systematic and gradual fading steps during schedule thinning under multiple schedule components and, (c) extent to which contingency-correlated stimuli facilitated generalization across therapists and environments. Participants were 4 individuals referred for severe problem behavior and whose basic skills set included ability to communicate vocally and follow multiple-step instructions. Each participant was exposed to mixed vs. multiple schedule arrangements with and without fading of lean and rich schedules of reinforcement. Results suggest schedule correlated stimuli are necessary and sufficient for FCT schedule thinning and they promote rapid generalization.

Studies have indicated that multiple schedules can produce discriminated manding while maintaining low rates of problem behavior shown to be maintained by the same reinforcer as those mands (Fisher, Kuhn, & Thompson, 1998; Hanley, Iwata, & Thompson, 2001; Tiger & Hanley, 2004, 2005). However, few studies have examined systematic methods of determining the duration of the components of the multiple schedule (i.e., periods SD and SDELTA) and subsequent schedule thinning. The purpose of the current investigation was to examine whether a multiple schedule in which the duration of the SD and SDELTA components were based upon the rate of mands during prior functional communication training (FCT) would produce discriminated manding while maintaining low rates of problem behavior. Participants were 4 individuals with developmental disabilities who engaged in severe behavior. The initial SDELTA interval was double that of the average interresponse interval for mands during FCT. This study also investigated whether discriminated manding would maintain when the schedule of reinforcement was the thinned to a terminal goal of a 10 min SDELTA. Overall, discriminated manding was observed with all 4 participants and manding maintained when the schedule of reinforcement was systematically thinned.

We used multiple schedule training to reduce high rates of manding and problem behavior emitted by individuals with developmental disabilities and autism during reinforcement schedule thinning procedures. Once mands were under discriminative control, a test for transfer of stimulus control to a signaled delay to reinforcement was implemented. During the multiple schedule training, rates of problem behavior were reduced to zero and manding was reduced to near zero during extinction intervals while maintaining steady rates of mands during reinforcement intervals. Following multiple schedule training, results showed transfer of stimulus control to signaled delays when mands during the delay interval decreased to near zero levels. Transfer of control from multiple schedules to signaled delay to reinforcement procedures may be a critical component of the treatment of excessive manding in natural environments when a variety of preferred items are available on varying schedules.

Severe rumination is a rare but serious problem for some individuals with developmental disabilities. Previous research, though limited, has shown success with various behavior analytic approaches including positive punishment and antecedent manipulations. This study measured the effects of satiation during mealtime and non-contingent food delivery on the rate of automatically maintained rumination exhibited by an eight-year-old boy with autism and moderate mental retardation. The study was conducted during school hours in a private special needs day school. Results indicated that a fixed time interval delivery of food in combination with additional servings at mealtime reduced the rate of rumination. Further treatment also included a systematic fade of these interventions. Rumination rates remained low following the completion of the fade and in subsequent probes throughout the school year.

The current study addresses results obtained from a classroom-based functional analysis of aggression at a private day school before and after medication changes. The initial functional analysis was conducted prior to medication changes. Results were undifferentiated across the four conditions tested (ignore, escape, attention, and free-play). Due to significant medication changes, a second traditional functional analysis was conducted post medication change, with clear differentiations between functions. Discussion points will focus on functional analyses in the natural setting, undifferentiated functional analyses, variations on traditional functional analysis conditions, and effects of behavioral medications on functional analysis results.

Researchers are continuing to diversify the methods used in functional analyses. Sometimes it is necessary to modify traditional functional analysis conditions to address the contexts in which behavior change is required. The purpose of this presentation is to describe the results of an experimental analysis that included functional and structural analyses. The participant was a 9-year-old male with autism who was engaging in property destruction behaviors at home and the community. The target behavior for the study was property destruction. Traditional experimental conditions were conducted; however, nontraditional conditions were required to identify the function within the participants idiosyncratic behaviors. The analyses extended functional analysis methods using procedures that matched the clients response class. The presenters will describe the results of the functional analysis and treatment analysis. Results will be discussed in terms of the need for dynamic functional analysis conditions and the intricacies of conducting functional analyses to lead to effective treatment of aberrant behavior.

The current study is a replication of Fisher, Lindauer, Alterson, and Thompson (1998) in which the function of destructive behavior was assessed and treated through a multi-part experiment, which targeted responses within a chain of behavior. In the current study, researchers examined property destruction (ripping/attempting to rip clothing or other materials) followed by stereotypy (playing with the destroyed material). Indirect assessment showed destructive behavior to be maintained automatically. Experiment 1 involved 2 conditions: the client wearing un-ripped clothing and free access to already destroyed items of clothing. Experiment 2 compared the presence of un-ripped clothing on the clients body to a matched condition in which the room was baited with stimuli similar to that of ripped clothing. In experiment 3, researchers compared the presence of un-ripped clothing on the clients body to a condition in which the destructive response was blocked and client was redirected to play with matched stimuli. Results indicate a chained response in which the consequence of destruction became an antecedent for stereotypy, which was automatically reinforced. Treatment analysis examined the process of teaching non-destructive responses to generate similar sensory consequences. Discussion points include satiation/deprivation issues when running multiple sessions daily on automatically maintained behaviors.

The science of behavior analysis has been applied to a myriad of human behaviors, including those of a sexual nature. The purpose of this presentation is to explore several research strategies for analyzing sex-related behavior, including sexual arousal responses, self-reported sexual practices, and latency-based responses on a computer task involving sexual stimuli. Presenters will discuss resulting data and their implications, as well as directions for future research. The utility and challenges of these measurement techniques will also be explored.

The penile plythesmograph is a device commonly used with sex offenders to measure penile tumescence in the presence of various stimuli. Showing arousal to deviant stimuli (e.g., videos of prepubescent children) has been shown to be a significant predictor of re-offense. An assumption in the field of sex offender assessment and rehabilitation is that increases in penile tumescence are due to the age and gender of the presented stimulus. Pictures and videos often used as stimuli are highly complex; they often vary across a number of features (e.g., hair color, skin color, clothing type) leaving open the possibility that one of the other stimulus features, besides age and gender, are controlling penile tumescence. The purpose of this study was to assess what effects these different features might have on the outcomes of plythesmograph assessments of intellectually disabled sex offenders. Each participant was exposed to three different videos of each specific age and gender category (e.g., Female 8-9 years old), using commercially available film clips designed for such purposes. The videos differed across a number of features (e.g., skin color, clothing type). Preliminary results indicate that stimulus features other than age and gender play an important role in assessment outcomes.

Three presentations analyzing the application of TAGteach in the public school setting will be discussed. TAGteach is a technology based on the use of "markers" or auditory stimuli paired with the delivery of reinforcement to teach new behaviors. "TAG" stands for Teaching with Acoustical Guidance and is demonstrated in Dr. Julie Vargas' new book, Behavior Analysis for Effective Teaching. Practitioners of TAGteach argue for its effectiveness in many endeavors across a wide range of populations. One setting TAGteach has demonstrated its effectiveness is in the educational setting. It starts from a point of success for the learner and the teacher, creates positive communication, eliminates nagging, and delivers instant reinforcement; all of which are important skills when working with children with various disabilities and skill deficits. The3 presentations will address the application of TAGteach in the public school setting and examine the fidelity of the implementation of TAGteach for a group of educators who participated in a TAGteach Primary Certification Course.

TAGteach employs the use of teaching with acoustical guidance to shape and reinforce target behaviors. TAGteach has several advantages in that it starts from a point of success for the learner and the teacher, creates positive communication, eliminates nagging, and delivers instant reinforcement. The TAGteach methodology has been used in several fields including management and business, sports, medical, animal training, and education. One of the unique features of the TAGteach training is that individuals with varied backgrounds and education can understand and apply the TAGteach methodology to their specific field immediately after attending the training. Arkansas has been fortunate to have multiple TAGteach trainings focused on applying the principles of TAGteach to the public school setting. Participants attending the trainings range from paraprofessionals to therapists to administrators. This presentation will explore how participants transfer the skills learned in TAGteach to their educational setting. Specific examples, including video examples, demonstrating the use of TAGteach within various school settings will be shared.

This study examined the training of3 behaviors (increasing transitioning speed, increasing accuracy and frequency in midline crossovers and wall taps, and response latency to teacher instruction) in a single subject who has total blindness. TAGteach or Teaching with Acoustical Guidance incorporates the use of a tagger (audible marker) while pairing it with positive reinforcement and shaping in order to quickly teach a vast repertoire of skills to individuals in a variety of populations. An auditory marker, or TAG was employed as a secondary reinforcer for shaping the desired behaviors. The intervention followed the tenets of applied behavior analysis and learning theory. The study was directed by personnel with TAGteach certification. A single case design with A-B-A withdrawal was utilized to implement the intervention, as well as increase the ease of collecting data. The interventions took place in a natural environmental setting where each child's behaviors were ecologically balanced. Thus far, the data indicates that the behaviors could be maintained at a level well above baseline. Data is still being collected and will be completed by presentation time. The implications of these results are discussed.

As with all applied behavior analysis (ABA) interventions, a level of fidelity when using TAGteach is needed to ensure positive outcomes. In the current student, 10 participants attended a TAGteach certification course and earned certification as a primary level TAGteacher. All of the participants work in a public school setting, have varying levels of education (high school diploma to PhD level), and had varying knowledge of the principles of ABA. During the TAGteach certification course, participants learn the TAGteach methodology and participate in several practical experiences to ensure a thorough understanding. Each participant's TAGteach lesson presented at the end of the training was scored by both trainers (Inter-observer Agreement (IOA) was 96%) using 6 of the skills presented during the training as being the key components of a TAGteach lesson. Participants will be observed again 4 to 6 weeks following the training and Functional Interview (FI) data will be collected and compared to the initial data to determine if skills learned in a TAGteach certification course are maintained.

One of the main reasons many new teachers leave the profession within 5 years is their lack of preparation to deal effectively with learning challenges. This symposium focuses on ways applied behavior analysis (ABA) training for teachers informs solutions for the many learning challenges faced by general and special education teachers in public schools. Applied behavior analysis has established numerous tactics for meeting most of these learning challenges. While there are notable examples of teacher preservice and in-service training programs that integrate ABA training most teachers enter the field without the benefit of such training. The 3 presentations in this symposium bring together the work of 3 different research and training efforts to address this gap. The first focuses on teacher interview data regarding the challenges of teaching in general education classrooms that include students with special needs. It concludes with ways these data can inform the development of ABA tools for general education teachers. The second presentation focuses on how the collection of screening data can be used to assure that appropriate levels of behavioral supports are provided for students. The third presentation focuses on improving outcomes for students and preservice teachers through partnerships with public schools.

One of the greatest difficulties faced by general education teachers is an assortment of behavioral problems. Teachers do not have any formal training that will permit them to (a) understand basic behavioral principles, (b) analyze the function of behavior, and (c) apply an appropriate behavioral strategy. The Competent Learner Model is based on applied behavior analysis and includes a course of study that coaches teachers to mastery of the knowledge and skills to effectively manage classroom behavior. The course was designed for special education classrooms so differences in the repertoires of students served in general education classrooms may require modifications of the course of study to make it effective there. In order to base such modifications on what challenges general education teachers face, we interviewed general education teachers to hear their descriptions of stress levels while dealing with students' misbehavior, satisfaction with students' participation, and perceptions of students' most frequent behavioral problems. The semistandardized interviews were conducted with 16 teachers. The data collected were analyzed via thematic content analysis, comparative analysis, logical analysis, and descriptive statistics. The study led to specific suggestions for modification of the Competent Learner Model Course of Study.

In this presentation we address the general education teacher's role in using systematic screening data to connect students with Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports within the context of 3-tiered models of prevention. Specifically, we will present findings from a series of studies conducted demonstrating how data from behavior screening tools (e.g., Student Risk Screening Scale; Drummond, 1994) have been used in conjunction with other data collected as part of regular school practices to detect students for whom primary prevention efforts are insufficient. We provide 2 illustrations of how single case methodology has been used to evaluate Tier 2 (low-intensity strategy interventions to improve academic performance) and Tier 3 (functional assessment-based interventions) interventions for these nonresponsive students. During this presentation, we will emphasize the importance of (a) employing scientifically rigorous designs adhering to core quality indicators of single case methodology (Horner et al., 2005), and (b) attending to feasibility issues when designing Tier 2 and 3 supports, given the multiple demands place on general education teachers (Lane, Kalberg, & Menzies, 2009).

This paper describes an innovative collaboration with a high need school district that provides opportunities for teacher candidates, university faculty, and public school teachers to collaborate to provide assessment-based instruction and support to K-8 at risk pupils. As part of a federally funded preservice training improvement program, special education faculty redesigned the field component of the teacher preparation program to enhance candidate use and analysis of evidence-based practices and provide needed resources to a local school district. Candidates learn how to identify and locate high quality research-based practices and then work with another candidate and a mentor teacher and other faculty in their field placements: (1) identifying specific instructional or behavioral needs within the school, (2) critically selecting research-based interventions to address the need, and (3) collaborating with others to integrate the selected interventions in current systems respectfully. Pupil outcome data collected in these activities highlight the positive impact of programming on pupil performance. Leveraging resources has resulted in shared professional development activities, research opportunities for students, and collaborative grant writing efforts.

Behavioral safety techniques have gained recognition for drastically increasing safe practices and preventing injuries in organizations. This symposium will include three data-based presentations that describe effective injury prevention strategies in different settings, including transportation, chemical manufacturing, and retail. Each presentation describes strategies that are different than traditional abehavior-basedsafety approach, providing attendees with new ideas to consider for research and practice.

The Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (OR-FACE) program is currently investigating potential intervention strategies for preventing reducing occupational fatalities arising from transportation-related events. Based on Oregon and U.S. fatalities statistics during the past7 years, workers over the age of 65 are at significantly higher risk of being killed in transportation-related events when compared to their younger counterparts. Within Oregon, the prevalence ratio of fatalities to workforce size for workers 65 and older in the transportation industry sector is roughly 3 times higher than that of workers in younger age groups. To investigate potential causes of this heightened risk, we have set out to test 4 hypotheses about the causes of elevated fatality risk among older workers using prior published research and Oregon Workers Compensation data. These hypotheses are: (1) Hazard Exposure: increased exposure of older adults to hazardous work environments due to elevated employment in certain high-risk occupations, (2) Organization of Work: differences in job design and work organization for older workers employed by small and larger organizations, (3) Physical Fragility: due to changes in physical resilience with age, older workers are less likely to survive severe traumatic injuries than younger counterparts, and (4) Changes in Physical and Cognitive Capacity: increased risk of fatal transportation-related events due to normative changes with age in cognition, psychomotor, vision, and hearing abilities.

In a study by Barker, Bailey, and Lee (2004) the authors used verbal prompts to increase the use of child safety-belts in shopping carts in two different settings. The current study was a replication and extension of this previous work. Using an ABAB reversal design, customers were verbally prompted upon entering the store to use child safety belts. In addition, the current study included data on the proportion of customers still using safety belts upon exit from the store, social validity data examining the acceptability of the procedures, and a 2-month follow-up. Results indicate that the procedure was effective at increasing child safety-belt use and that most patrons continued to use the belts until they exited the store. The social validity of the procedures was high, yet the 2-month follow-up indicated that, without vigilance by the establishment, customers ceased using the safety belts when no longer prompted to do so.

This paper will present BBS results in two manufacturing and petrochemical companies based on the level of Leadership participation. Data will also compare outcomes within one of the companies when management participation varied over time. Based on the increasing evidence around the importance of Leadership support in BBS, this paper also explores Leader roles in the prevention of low probability high impact incidents which occur most often in the area of process safety. BBS has primarily focused on individual safety and yet major disasters such as the Deep Water Horizon spill, various mining and petrochemical explosions such as the TX City Refinery are clearly not outside of the domain of a behavior approach. As shown by Komaki (1998) utilizing critical pinpointed leadership behaviors and coaching skillful monitoring, Leaders play a critical role in all aspects of individual safety performance. Similarly, identifying key Leadership practices can also play a crucial role in the prevention of process disaster as well. Based on this and the work of Hopkins (2000, 2007), a strategy for how behavioral safety practitioners can integrate these approaches will be presented.

Interteaching, an emerging evidence-based behavior analytic teaching method, has been shown to positively impact student learning and satisfaction. This symposium will first provide a broad overview of interteaching and its key components. Next, a brief review of past and present interteaching research will be provided. In particular, in an effort to determine which components of interteaching contribute to its efficacy; 2 different component analyses of interteaching will be discussed. The first component analysis focused on the effectiveness of the lecture component of interteaching on student exam performance. The second component analysis focused on an evaluation of the effectiveness of pair discussion on student quiz performance. A third interteaching study focused on the effects of interteaching on student performance with application-based activities, as well as its utility in longer class periods and with other teaching technologies. The symposium will culminate with recommendations for those interested in future interteaching-related research.

The purpose of this investigation was to address 3 contemporary questions related to interteaching (Boyce & Hineline, 2002). First, while behavior analysts have developed numerous technologies that promote learning in higher education, investigations of the effects of these instructional methods on student performance rarely look at outcomes on application based assessments or clinical activities outside the college classroom. Second, the implementation of interteaching has been limited to shorter, more frequent class meetings in the literature. Finally, it is not clear, when implementing interteaching in a longer class period, with what other teaching technologies interteaching can be effectively and feasibly paired. Here, data will be presented on the effects of interteaching, used in conjunction with evaluation and application exercises, on students� performance on short-essay based application quizzes and clinical assessment skills conducted in a public school classroom for a 3-hour undergraduate course on Assessment in Special Education.

Teaching as applied behavior analysis is comprised of acquiring the vocabulary of the science and contingency shaped behaviors and developing verbally mediated repertoires. In CABAS model and CABAS component schools this is typically achieved through highly intensive educational training program and supervision. Identifying the most effective components of both training and supervision is necessary to ensure optimal outcomes for staff and students. Components such as the Teacher Performance Rate/Accuracy (TPRA), Cork-CABAS Decision Tree Protocol, and The Strategic Analysis of the Learn Unit have a long standing history of being functionally related. with those outcomes. Primarly data on these components have been collected in CABAS model settingsthat incorporate a full bodied university training degree program. In settings where a full university model is not easily accessible there has been much less research on the effectiveness of these components. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the staff training procedures used in full CABAS model programs will yield similar results in programs without a fully developed university degree program. Each of the papers reported herein will describe the components addressed and the associated outcomes. The results are reported as a function of the relationship between improving teaching performance and student outcomes.

Few studies have investigated the utility of the interlocking three-term contingency, the learn unit, combined with a detailed error analysis regarding the training of instructors to visually inspect data sets and effectively carry out rule-governed decisions based on these analyses. Though it stands to reason that the larger community of behavior analysts would conduct these analyses during training and provide corresponding consequences and remediation as such, this is often not the case. In fact, many behavior analysts, educators, and psychologists alike continue to use didactic training formats as their primary, and in some cases, only means for training new staff and addressing skills deficits with more experienced staff. Furthermore, this is a common model for training related to visual data analysis and teaching staff members to make decisions following their real-time inspection of collected data. The purpose of this study was to test and potentially further previous discoveries by applying an error analysis with learn unit treatment package across three participants who worked as teaching assistants at a school for children with autism. This delayed multiple baseline across subjects design was employed in respect to staff training on a rule-governed, data-based decision-making protocol, which demonstrated persuasive viability of this treatment.

Implementation of CABAS-based programs for children with and without disability in Italy raised many questions in the whole country about the need for special education environments. All Italian education is public and all students with disability and/or learning problems are integrated in regular education classrooms. With two pilot researches, we attempted to isolate some variables responsible for change in students and teachers behavior when components of CABAS were implemented in public school environments. Also, CABAS could participate in improving regular education environments as a training camp for teachers. Nine teachers performances were measured following 200 hours of training in a Public School classroom, in a learning centre using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and in a CABAS classroom. The teaching performance was measured based on 5 repertoires identified as the features of the best expertise in education (Greer, 2002; Heward, 2003). Data suggested that training teachers in a comprehensive ABA environment tremendously improved teachers performance and that CABAS was the most efficient training system compared with regular education and ABA-based general training . We will discuss the significance of these data in terms of advancement of behavior analysis and scientific pedagogy.

The purpose of this study was to try to teach special education teachers to implement novel educational methodologies in post-communist system of education with full student segregation and therefore change their students educational outcomes. After intense in-situ teacher training, we tested the effects of a peer-yoked contingency game on the acquisition of observational learning, Naming, and spontaneous speech in their students ages 6 to 8 year old with diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder and other developmental delays in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We tried to replicate USA study that induced all the above capabilities in 6 preschoolers in inclusive setting. Six special education students, 3 males and 3 female, served as the participants for this study in B&H. None of the students were able to learn through group instruction due to missing verbal capabilities, but due to the nature of their classrooms and the schools curriculum the use of known protocols while working 1:1 to induce the missing capabilities, was not practical. Through a delayed, multiple baseline design, we sought to demonstrate the effects of a combination of protocols on the acquisition of 3 missing verbal capabilities: observational learning, Naming, and spontaneous speech. The results demonstrate the peer-yoked game board with an MEI component was effective at increasing Observational Learning, Naming and spontaneous speech capabilities in all 6 participants. These results showed that USA teacher successes can be replicated in the Bosnian school through intense evidence-based teacher training

The Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis to Schooling (CABAS) model identifies critical repertoires for teachers in several key areas: contingency-shaped behavior, rule-governed/verbally mediated behavior, and verbal behavior about the science. Approaching teacher repertoires from a behavior analytic perspective, we recast our teachers as strategic scientists and taught them to think of themselves in that way. The CABAS Decision Tree Protocol (Keohane & Greer, 2005) has been used with success in both classroom settings with teachers and in treatment centers with instructional therapists. It includes strategies for identifying instructional problems in the context of the learn unit and suggests a plan for solving challenges in the learning environment, following a series of steps to arrive at a solution. This paper will review the use of several components of the CABAS Decision Tree Protocol; discuss the strategies used for its implementation, and the improved outcomes for children who come into contact with these trained individuals.

Behavior analysis has made significant contributions in various specific domains but has yet to achieve widespread societal impact. This symposium will explore ways in which behavioral principles might be applied to issues of community governance and societal importance with an emphasis on underlying philosophical issues and conceptual matters. The symposium will open with a paper that re-imagines Skinner's Walden Two through a contemporary lens and explores the role values play in a science of human behavior. Moving to a more molecular focus, the second paper will provide a behavioral analysis of interpersonal discourse and debate with an emphasis placed on encouraging effective discussions by facilitating accurate perspective taking. The third paper will focus on challenges inherent in values based living and will propose a model for values-based communities that foster prosocial behaviors. Strategies for increasing the reach of behavior analysis into public policy domains will be discussed with special attention given to promising efforts currently underway. In addition, implications for future research and advocacy will be explored.

Discussion and discourse in which participants fail to understand the other participants perspective seems to be prevalent in many professional, personal, and political contexts. The current paper provides an analysis of potential behaviors and contextual variables that make up ineffective and effective discussions. The paper suggests various functional definitions of effective discussions and ineffective discussions. The authors suggest that during ineffective discussions people often think something is wrong with other discussion participants (i.e., the others are stubborn, dumb, evil, power-hungry, illogical or simply crazy). While such thoughts are likely reinforced in the moment, it leaves discussion participants with little to do to facilitate further conversation or reach an agreement. The authors also suggest that effective discussions may involve accurate perspective taking. Potential methods of facilitating such perspective taking will be examined (e.g., instructions to elucidate historical and current contextual variables that might contribute to current behavior).

The benefits of a life free from aversive control have long been noted in behavior analysis. In contemporary contextual behavioral approaches, this is discussed in terms of building repertoires that are primarily under the control of verbally-established values. Engagement in values-oriented behavior has been associated with lower physiological stress response (Creswell et al., 2006), improved academic achievement (Cohen et al., 2006), and greater feelings of love, connectectedness, empathy, and giving which mediate increased openness to threatening information (Crocker et al., 2008). Persisting in values-oriented behavior is associated with a number of psychological benefits. Valued living, or maintaining values-oriented behavior outside of the lab, however, presents a significant challenge. This conceptual paper will provide a theoretical analysis of the inherent challenge in pursuing valued living, the role of the socioverbal context in promoting behavior under aversive control, and the socioverbal context that would support valued living. The values-based community will be proposed as a model for supporting valued living in family, work, cultural and spiritual communities. Kahlil Gibran wrote, "Work is love made visible." Perhaps, with intention, communities can be built in which even the most perfunctory actions can truly be love made visible.

Verbal behavior often operates under multiple sources of stimulus control (Michael, Palmer, & Sundberg, 2011). Multiple sources of control may involve unnecessary or unwanted variables that may limit a behavioral repertoire. In some cases, however, this control is a necessary and efficient way to establish new responses. The current symposium explores investigations on both ends of this arena by evaluating methods to both increase and decrease sources of stimulus control over responding. Two investigations explore unwanted sources of stimulus control by transferring control to appropriate variables, one of which evaluates the role of stimulus blocking when control is transferred from a single versus multiple sources of control. The third investigation then utilized intraverbal responses to evoke and establish novel operant response chains. Finally, the fourth explores evaluate whether the response strength (as measured by response fluency) effects the results of transfer of stimulus control in the emergence of intraverbal behavior.

Transfer of stimulus control is a procedure used frequently in language acquisition rooted inSkinners (1957) analysis of verbal behavior. There are inconsistencies in the applied literature regarding the role of transfer of stimulus control via stimulus fading or transfer of stimulus control using time delay. Basic research points us to the use of time delay for several reasons, one of which is stimulus blocking. Stimulus blocking may interfere with the acquisition of new verbal operants when transfer from existing verbal repertoires are used. One method to avoid stimulus blocking may be to teach verbal operants under multiple sources of control and subsequently eliminate unnecessary sources of control for each verbal operant. The current study sets up each training paradigm: transfer of control via time delay from existing to nonexisiting verbal operants (e.g., echoic to tact transfer) and multiple control (simultaneously training all operants and subsequently fading additional sources of control (e.g., echoic, mand and tact to mand). Results will be discussed in terms of variables responsible for the efficiency of each procedure across participants.

Researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of time delay procedures to teach mands, but have had difficulty demonstrating that the responses are emitted in the absence of control by other variables. The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a rolling time delay procedure (Sweeney-Kerwin et al., 2007) to teach two children with autism to mand for items that were not present. Following an assessment to determine the stimuli controlling mand responses, an intraverbal prompt and the item were presented to the participant. The stimuli were then removed and a 2 min time delay began in which spontaneous mands could occur. Within and across session fading was used to increase the amount of time that lapsed between presentations of the discriminative stimuli. The time between the beginning of the session and the presentation of the first discriminative stimulus was also systematically increased within and across session to demonstrate that the stimulus was not exerting control over responding. The frequency of mands emitted in the absence of discriminative stimuli increased for both participants and the data suggest that the mands were under control of the establishing operation. Generalization data also demonstrated that responses generalized to novel environments and therapists

Two methods of teaching self-instructions to 4 third grade students were compared to determine the effects on speed of acquisition. Four gross motor tasks composed of 5 steps were taught using self-instructions that prompted correct completion of each step of the task. Self-instructions were taught either as typical verbal prompts or as song lyrics. Results indicated that acquisition of tasks was idiosyncratic, with 5 task pairs acquired more quickly using song lyric self-instructions, 2 task pairs with undifferentiated acquisition speed, and 1 task acquired more quickly using typical self-instructions. Generalization and social validity were assessed by teaching each participant an individualized novel skill using their choice of method. Two participants chose song lyric self-instructions and 2 chose typical self-instructions.

Precision Teaching (PT) is a teaching and measurement system that often incorporates fluency-based instruction or generating fluent responding, defined by reaching a level of accurate responding that can occur within a specific timeframe. Precision teachers view skill deficits from a component-composite framework in which component skills (e.g., basic addition facts) that are not fluent may contribute to composite skill (e.g., basic multiplication facts) deficits. Researchers have recently begun exploring the role of PT on skill acquisition using a component-composite analysis. This preparation allows researchers to demonstrate steady state responding on the component skill while intervening on the composite skill. There are several advantages to using this preparation. First, it allows researchers to identify useful component-composite relations to enhance skill instruction. Second, it allows for more controlled research to explore the outcomes claimed by precision teachers. A series of studies will be presented that explores PT as an independent variable on component-composite relations for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Bill Hopkins, a true ABA Pioneer, impacted our science and our lives over his distinguished 50+ year career. His impact is truly impossible to fully quantify, but the people whose careers and lives he touched speak to his profound contributions with deep respect and admiration.

Bill graduated Emory University in 1957 with a degree in psychology, and in 1961 earned a PhD in clinical psychology from Indiana University. He and his beloved wife, Bot, married in 1957 and started a family in 1961. They moved many places as Bill accepted teaching appointments at the University of Washington, Florida State University, Western Michigan University, Southern Illinois, and The University of Kansas. In 1988, Bill became the head of the psychology department at Auburn University, where he retired in 2001 as emeritus professor of psychology. Upon retirement from teaching, Bill’s passion for our science and its researchers and practitioners did not wane. His contributions continued through the Behavioral Safety Now network, his consultation with many organizations, and his gentle mentoring of students, faculty, and consultants.

A humble man, an ambassador for our field, and a relentless pursuer of scientific principles and application, Bill’s contributions to generations of scientists and practitioners will be honored in this invited address.

Bill's quiet, wise, good-humored style will be described, along with his level-headed contribution during a time of upheaval at Western Michigan University.

Bill spent 18 years at The University of Kansas where he made significant contributions to the science through his publications and teaching. His colleagues reminisce about Bill’s years in Kansas and the lasting impact of his work.

Bill Hopkins arrived at Auburn University in the Fall of 1988 to take over the position of Department Head from Peter Harzem. Bill’s eight years as Department Head were remarkable on many fronts. He recruited junior and mid-career faculty members who were solid scientists, many with funded research programs, and who shared Bill’s enthusiasm for graduate education and a meaningful undergraduate major in Psychology. He advocated a democratic approach to departmental governance that contributed to a shared sense that all faculty contributed to the department’s well-being. Bill also continued his strong presence as a leader in the area of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), which included being a strong mentor for his students, many of whom are now OBM leaders. His gentle approach served as a model for many of us who worked with Bill and provided a calm spirit even during contentious discussions. He retired from Auburn, but certainly not from behavior analysis, in 2001.

Bill’s dedication to advancing the science continued through numerous OBM practitioners even after his retirement from academia. We were lucky in CLG to have Bill’s input and influence as we learned how to help companies embed behavior analysis into their businesses by developing internal consultants. The methodology and tools Bill helped create have stood the test of time and have been replicated across many client situations with great impact. He was also instrumental in helping develop our internal training and materials to ensure that as we translated the language of behavior analysis for business we stayed true to the underlying principles of our science. Those impacted by Bill’s enduring passion and wisdom recall his influence, both in person and via video messages.

• Organizational systems and behavior analysis
• Facilitating executive alignment and deployment effectiveness
• Leading enterprise-wide coaching and performance improvement solutionsEducation and Background

I review the latest research on the evolutionary relationships of dogs at the level of species and breeds. I briefly review the concept of, and evidence for, behavioral genetics in dogs before developing two basic principles of behavior: 1) species- (or breed-) typical behavior developed under evolutionary pressures and 2) the interaction of genes and environment, bringing in the role of experience and learning, to develop a modern ethological view of dog behavior. I then illustrate these principles with examples from comparative research on wolf and dog behavior and on breed-specific patterns in innate and learned behavior in dogs. Finally, I demonstrate the implications of evolutionary history, genetics and the environment for interpreting the social dynamics of domestic dogs. My goal is to illustrate a modern view of animal behavior which is intensely integrative, drawing together many disciplines including genetics, physiology, endocrinology, neurobiology, learning theory, and ethology under the organizing laws of evolution.

Interest in behavioral activation (BA) in the treatment of depression has gained worldwide acceptance and re-invigorated interest in a behavioral rather than a cognitive conceptualization of depression. According to the basic premise of the behavioral model, depression results from low rates of response-contingent positive reinforcement or increased rates of punishment. For vulnerable individuals such reinforcement contingencies may be correlated with low mood and other “symptoms” of depression. Individuals then respond to the symptoms in understandable ways to avoid bad feelings or responsibilities, but get stuck in a cycle of inertia that is negatively reinforced. As a treatment for depression, behavioral activation (BA) is based on this model, and the goal of BA is to reverse the “downward spiral” and help individuals to engage in activities that may serve an antidepressant function. The principles of BA can apply to problems other than depression, however, and may be used to modify avoidance behaviors in general. This presentation will review the potential use of BA as a transdiagnostic method for helping clients to engage in activities that will increase the likelihood that approach behaviors, rather than avoidance, will be reinforced leading to more productivity and satisfaction.

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The field of behavior analysis has shown tremendous potential to produce significant system change. Unfortunately, the application of science and technology in social systems isn't just about the quality of the evidence-base but also the capacity to navigate the implementation of the science through complex systems change efforts. This presentation will provide an overview of what we have learned in the past dozen years regarding the implementation of a positive behavior support approach in Florida. The Florida PBS Project has had a mission to increase the capacity of school districts to implement PBS within a multi-tiered continuum of student support. The presentation will discuss the systems change practices that have led to implementation in over 1200 schools and the outcome data about the impact of that implementation. Lessons learned from state, district and inter-project collaborations will be shared with the participants as well as existing barriers to implementation of a multi-tiered system of support with fidelity.

The terms molar and molecular analysis have been used for several decades in experimental psychology and have changed definition and usage during this time. For example, Skinners operant conditioning was founded on a molecular behavior analysis in the 1930s. Yet, some contemporary models interpret operant behavior only at the molar level. The presentation will trace the history of the terms molar and molecular and articulate a need for inclusion of analyses at the level of individual response bouts, reinforcers, and stimuli in the 1-30 s range and define an analysis at this level as a molecular analysis. Illustrations will show how experimental manipulations can affect behavior at that level. Additional illustrations will demonstrate how behavior transitions during automated shaping relate to local reinforcing events. Besides, the presentation will outline novel ways on examining local dynamics of bouts of behavior that last a few seconds. The presentation will introduce the concept and method of conditional data analysis, which emphasizes collecting and analyzing data conditional on local events antecedent to response emission. The overall emphasis of the tutorial will be empirical rather than theoretical. Molecular analyses have critical interpretative implications for well-established findings in existing literature.

Graduate students and professionals

In the current symposium, 4 individuals will present research on basic learning processes for the assessment and treatment of problem behavior or for increasing appropriate task engagement. The first presenter, Gracie Beavers, will review functional analysis data of target and precursor behavior for 3 trained relations, a response class, a behavior chain, and a precurrent-current relation. The second presenter, Jill Harper, will review a study evaluating the effects of different types of group contingencies on appropriate behavior and problem behavior. The third presenter, Kevin Schlichenmeyer, will present data on the assessment and treatment of automatically-reinforced stereotypy and on an inhibitory stimulus control procedure for promoting treatment generalization across novel settings. The fourth presenter, Erin Leif, will review a study on a component analysis of self-monitoring for increasing appropriate task engagement and decrasing problem behavior.

Severe problem behavior poses a challenge to assessment due to the potential risks during the course of a functional analysis (FA). One proposed solution is the precursor FA (Smith & Churchill, 2002), in which assessment contingencies are placed on responses that precede and are assumed to be members of the same response class as the target behavior. However, a response class is only 1 example of a relation in which 1 response reliably precedes another: Response-response relations also include the chain or precurrent-current relation, which may be obscured in an FA of precursor behavior. The purpose of this study was to show how programmed contingencies in a precursor FA may obscure known response-response relations. First, response classes, behavior chains, and precurrent-current relations were established using arbitrary responses. Contingencies analogous to those used in an FA of target and precursor behavior subsequently were implemented with each relation. Results for 4 subjects show similarities and differences in response patterns under the 3 trained relations.

Group contingencies are distinct from individual contingencies in that performance of one individual influences the delivery of reinforcement to another. Thus, group contingencies may occasion other, nonprogrammed social contingencies of a cooperative or competitive nature. It is often unclear how behavior was changed because this unique feature of group contingencies has rarely been examined. The purpose of this study was to examine the types of social interaction, as well as performance, generated by competitive and cooperatve group contingencies relative to those observed under an independent contingency. In addition, we examined both behavior acquisition (sorting task) and behavior reduction (out-of-seat behavior) because it seemed likely that reinforcement and punishment might occasion different types of interactions. Three groups, each comprised of 3 individuals diagnosed with intellectual disabilities, participated. All subjects exhibited a minimum vocal repertoire of 2-word utterances. Results will be discussed in terms of performance, general patterns of interaction, and the specific types of interactions observed across contingencies.

Individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit stereotypy, a behavior that has been correlated with academic and social impairments. Although there are a number of empirically validated treatment options for stereotypy, there is a paucity of research aimed at programming generalization and maintenance of treatment effects. In this study, we conducted a functional analysis and treatment assessment for stereotypy exhibited by 4 children diagnosed with an ASD. We evaluated a 10-s hands down procedure or a response interruption and redirection procedure, using a reversal design to demonstrate experimental control. In an effort to promote generalization of treatment effects across novel settings, we presented a stimulus during intervention sessions. Using a concurrent multiple baseline across settings design, we evaluated the effects of the previously paired stimulus in the absence of intervention to determine whether inhibitory stimulus control had been established. Although stereotypy was successfully reduced during treatment, we did not observe generalized suppression during nonintervention test sessions, suggesting that the stimulus paired with intervention sessions did not establish inhibitory control. We will review the implications of these findings and offer suggestions for further research on treatment generalization and maintenance for automatically reinforced stereotypy.

Increasing independence is an important goal for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). Self-monitoring has been proposed as one strategy for increasing independence in individuals with ID because it involves transferring control of some aspect of treatment from the service provider to the direct consumer. However, self-monitoring is typically included as one component of treatment packages. Thus, it is unclear which component or combination of components is critical for the success of the intervention. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of a self-monitoring intervention on appropriate task engagement and automatically-reinforced problem behavior of 3 individuals with ID. First, we taught participants to accurately self-monitor their behavior prior to treatment using both video and in-vivo training. Second, we assessed the effects of self-monitoring intervention components by sequentially adding them across successive phases until clinically acceptable increases in the appropriate behavior were observed. We withdrew and reintroduced the effective treatment phase, using a reversal design to demonstrate experimental control. Results indicated that self-monitoring was only effective when combined with differential reinforcement for (a) accurate self-monitoring, or (b) appropriate task engagement and accurate self-monitoring. Increases in appropriate task engagement were accompanied by collateral decreases in automatically reinforced problem behavior.

As behavior analysts we have developed a highly refined field of basic Behavioral Pharmacology research evaluating the effects of drugs on behavior. We have not been as successful in developing the field of Applied Behavioral Pharmacology that evaluates the effects of drugs on behavior using those same behavioral principles. Research has focused on 1) contingency management with individuals exposed to drugs of abuse or 2) clinical effects of psychotropic drugs on problem behavior that co-occur with psychiatric conditions, primarily with individuals with disabilities. It is unclear how we might move forward to obtain funding for clinical trial research given the methods of individualized treatment and single subject designs we currently employ. After discussing current challenges to doing Behavioral Pharmacology research, the panel and audience will explore the benefits of formalizing the field of Applied Behavioral Pharmacology and the implications this may have for research, grant funding, and eventually clinical practice.

As the field of Behavior Analysis continues to grow, there has been an increase in the number of graduate training programs. The academic requirements to sit for certification are outlined by the BACB, as well as the accreditation standards by ABAI. Despite an outlined curriculum for academic coursework, there remains little to no standards for the content of what counts towards the experiential requirements for certification. Due to the large variety of careers behavior analysts pursue after training, it is difficult to identify what areas of training are mandatory for all behavior analysts. Further should those who seek to become practitioners have separate experiential requirements than researchers? Section 1.02 of the conduct guidelines address the behavior analysts ethical obligation to only provide services within the boundaries of their competence, based on their education, training, and supervised experience. The panel proposes that there are important skill sets that should be required of all behavior analysts in training, as well as methods to measure competence, regardless of individual career goals. The panel will propose a few methods of assessing competence including video recording, practicum portfolios, and the use of task analysis, with a goal of encouraging all supervisors to utilize similar methods.

Obsessional, ritualistic, stereotyped, and repetitive behaviours are a core feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and researchers have conceptualized these behaviours in individuals with ASD on a continuum ranging from lower-level, motoric, repetitive behaviours to higher-order, obsessive-compulsive like, repetitive behaviours, which may include circumscribed interests, inflexible routines, and insistence on sameness (Hollander, Wang, Braun, & Marsh, 2009). This symposium will describe research findings from three intervention studies, which involve higher-order repetitive behaviour in children with ASD. The first study investigated the use of a group function-based cognitive behavioural treatment (GFb-CBT) package to reduce obsessive-compulsive behaviour (OCB) in7 children with high functioning autism (HFA). The second is an in-depth case study of an additional participant (young girl with HFA) who received the GFb-CBT package described in Study 1, with a focus on parental OCD tendencies and other variables that impact assessment/treatment. The third study will present an investigation using circumscribed interests, with prompting and reinforcement, to teach responding to joint attention directives in 3 children with ASD.

Individuals with ASD frequently experience obsessions and compulsions that meet the DSM-IV-TR criteria (APA, 2000) for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Given the acknowledged difficulty in differentiating between OCD and Autism-related OC phenomena, the present study will use the term Obsessive Compulsive Behaviour (OCB). This study examined Group Function-based CBT (GFb-CBT) to reduce OCB in children with High Functioning Autism (HFA). A multiple baseline design across parent reports of OCB was used to examine effects of this package for seven children (7-11 years of age). For three participants, probe data was also collected. The GFb-CBT protocol I Believe in Me, not OCD! (Vause et al., 2010) consisted of an indirect functional assessment, awareness training, cognitive-behavioral skills training, and graded exposure plus response prevention. Across seven participants, a total of 37 behaviors were treated; visual inspection indicated that 26 behaviors improved with treatment and11 stayed the same. Complementing time series data, standardized assessments showed decreases in symptom severity, and increases in quality of life. Correspondence between parent report and probe data was 82.6% (range = 62% 94%). Treatment integrity was collected for four of seven participants on 67% of sessions; TI was 100%.

Research has found that approximately 37 percent of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) meet diagnostic criteria for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (Leyfer et al., 2006). The present case involved an 11-year-old female with High Functioning Autism who displayed Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior (OCB), and had a family history of obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Targeted behaviors included: seeking reassurance related to contamination and harm to self/others, excessive toothbrushing, and a strong need to complete activities. Eight behaviors were targeted in a 9-week manualized Group Function-based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (Fb-CBT) (Vause et al., 2010), with individual support provided to the parents in between sessions. The treatment consists of an indirect functional assessment, awareness training, cognitive-behavioral skills training, and graded exposure plus response prevention. A multiple-baseline design across parent report data (OCBs) was used to evaluate the effects of treatment for this child. Visual inspection indicated that six of the eight behaviors immediately improved when the treatment package was administered. All sessions were taped, and treatment integrity data is currently being collected. In addition to demonstrating the success of this treatment in reducing OCB, this presentation will focus on parental OCB tendencies, and how they present various challenges but also aid in the treatment of pediatric OCB.

Children with autism often exhibit restricted interests in specific topics which many believe preclude social engagement with others or become more intense if included in intervention. However, studies have demonstrated that integrating topics of restricted interests into intervention materials has benefits on social-communicative interactions between children with autism and their siblings, peers, and caregivers. Studies by the applicant, which integrated topics of restricted interests into joint attention intervention materials, have demonstrated improvements, such as increased joint attention and decreased restricted interest intensity. Joint attention occurs when two people engage in verbalizations, gestures and/or eye contact between each other and a common object. It is a characteristic deficit specific to autism and its presence has been directly related to the success of other intervention measures, including language growth. As such, it is important to empirically demonstrate efficient intervention procedures, which using restricted interests may represent. The proposed paper will discuss results from two studies targeting joint attention, limitations and prospective future research directions.

Response Interruption and Redirection (RIRD) has been shown to be an effective intervention for the treatment of stereotypy (Ahearn et al., 2007). This symposium includes three data-based presentations further evaluating various aspects of this treatment. In the first presentation, Mariana Torres-Viso will present a study evaluating if RIRD task selection affects the effectiveness of the procedure. In the second presentation, Tamara Perry will present a study evaluating the effects of RIRD during discrete trial instruction on expressive and receptive language skills in children with autism. In the last presentation, Kimberly Sloman will present a study evaluating the compatibility of RIRD with ongoing academic demands as well as the effects of stimulus control procedures to improve the generalization of treatment effects. Finally, Dr. William Ahearn will present a discussion of the three studies.

Previous research has shown that response interruption and redirection (RIRD) is an effective intervention for automatically reinforced vocal stereotypy (e.g., Ahearn et al. 2007). Two forms of RIRD are motor RIRD (e.g., asking the student to imitate when the teacher models certain movements) and vocal RIRD (e.g., asking the student to engage in vocal tasks such as echoing the teacher). Research has shown that these forms result in similar reductions in stereotypic behavior (e.g., Ahrens et al. 2011, Cassella et al., 2011). Research on the underlying mechanisms of RIRD has indicated that the procedure functions as a punisher to stereotypy (rather than extinction). Target demands for the RIRD are often arbitrarily chosen. However, if certain demands do not function as punishers, then RIRD may not be effective. The purpose of the current study was to assess the effectiveness of various tasks (e.g., mastered motor and vocal tasks, tasks identified as non-preferred via choice assessments) on the efficacy of RIRD. Preliminary results indicate that for some individuals, differential effectiveness was observed across tasks.

Vocal stereotypy maintained by automatic reinforcement is a difficult behavior to treat in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). One intervention that has shown to be effective is response interruption and redirection (RIRD; Ahearn et al., 2007). However, little is known about the efficacy of RIRD during discrete trial instruction (DTI) and the effects of vocal stereotypy on learning. Given the inherent teaching component within RIRD, in which previously acquired vocal tasks are practiced, the repetition of these tasks may increase the likelihood that children will maintain these and similar responses over time. Moreover, it is possible that children will be able to learn more effectively once vocal stereotypy responses are reduced. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the treatment of vocal stereotypy via RIRD during DTI on expressive and receptive language skills, as measured by the Preschool Language Scale-4, in children with ASD between three to five years of age. Language skills and stereotypy levels were compared to children who received DTI without RIRD. In addition, data are included on the natural maturation of language skills in preschoolers with ASD who received alternative therapies (e.g., occupational therapy, music therapy) without early intensive behavioral intervention.

Previous research has shown that response interruption and redirection (RIRD) is an effective intervention for automatically reinforced vocal stereotypy (e.g., Ahearn et al. 2007). In general, RIRD procedures involve presenting demands to the student contingent upon vocal or motor stereotypy. Some disadvantages to this approach have been noted including: a) the amount of time spent in the RIRD procedure and b) failure of treatment effects to generalize to different staff members. Additionally, compatibility with ongoing academic demands has not been assessed. The purpose of the current investigation is to evaluate RIRD during academic demands compared to no treatment academic sessions to assess levels of stereotypy, rate of demands, time in RIRD, compliance with demands across RIRD and no treatment sessions. Additionally the purposes of the current study are to evaluate the effects of stimulus control procedures on the generalization responding to the RIRD procedure during various academic tasks. Preliminary research indicates that although stereotypy was lower in RIRD sessions, nearly 33.0% of the work session was spent implementing RIRD. However, the addition of stimulus control procedures reduced the total time in RIRD and improved generalization of treatment effects.

Research presented in this symposium focuses on behavioral and technological innovations in the promotion of physical activity. Miller and colleagues will present a package intervention (including goal setting, self-monitoring, and feedback) to increase daily step totals in healthy adults. Gibson and colleagues will present a contingency management intervention to increase physical activity in healthy adults. Both of these studies utilized the Fitbit device to collect step count and activity level data. Benitez-Santiago and Miltenberger will present a study that utilized video feedback to enhance martial arts performance in healthy adults. Dittrick and Cameron will present a package intervention (including self-monitoring, goal setting, correspondence training, social support systems, stimulus control, shaping, and relapse prevention) to increase variables related to exercise in normal-weight, overweight, and obese adults.

Most American adults would not be classified as physically active according to CDC guidelines (2010). Contingency management interventions have been used to target physical activity with mixed effects. Some adults respond to contingency based interventions (responders), while others are insensitive (non-responders). In a contingency management study in our lab, healthy adults wore a Fitbit pedometer and earned prize draws when reaching a daily step criterion based upon a percentile schedule of reinforcement. Ten out of the fifteen participants increased average daily walking by at least 1000 steps, and were categorized as responders to the intervention. We compare structural features of activity between responders and non-responders. Low baseline activity predicted greatest change increases in steps per day. Additionally, a log-survivor analysis of inter-step intervals revealed that subjects could meet criterion by increasing the average length of bouts, frequency of bouts, or rate of stepping within a bout. This analysis informs how specific features of baseline activity levels can be used to tailor interventions to increase physical activity.

Moderate daily physical activity provides many important health benefits, including a reduced risk of developing certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, and arthritis, and exercise improves hypertension, high cholesterol, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, 70% of American adults live a sedentary lifestyle. The current study evaluated a behavior analytic treatment to increase exercise in people who were normal-weight, overweight, and obese. This study was innovative and utilized a variety of empirically validated methods to establish and maintain exercise behavior, which may replace more sedentary behavior. These methods included: self-monitoring, goal setting, correspondence training, social support systems, stimulus control, shaping, and relapse prevention. The program introduced a variety of independent variables simultaneously, assessed multiple dependent variables related to exercise, and directly measured indicators of improved health. Results indicated that there was a statistically significant increase between pre-intervention and post-intervention levels of exercise duration, frequency, and intensity, and there was a statistically significant decrease in interresponse time between workouts following implementation of the program. Participants also increased the variety of exercise, experienced improvements in health, and demonstrated increased strength and endurance. The current study adds to the literature regarding effective treatments for sedentary living.

This study used video feedback to enhance the martial arts performance of capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art that utilizes acrobatic movements (revesado, au de costa, and macaco). A multiple baseline across behaviors was used for 5 participants. Baseline conditions consisted of standard coaching that continued throughout all phases of the study. The intervention consisted of video feedback, in which the participants were filmed attempting a movement and immediately viewed the video afterwards, while receiving positive and corrective feedback from the instructor, using the pause, slow motion, and replay controls. The target behaviors were scored on a 15-item checklist, resulting in a percentage correct. A second video feedback condition similar to the first was also introduced to some participants, in which participants were able to practice the movements with live feedback before being filmed again. Results show an increase in the performance of the skills for each target behavior during the video feedback conditions.

Between 10-15% of individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities engage in self-injurious behavior ([SIB]; Kahng, Hausman, & Jann, 2011). Functional analyses are generally effective in identifying variables that maintain SIB (Iwata et al., 1994), which ultimately results in more effective interventions. Although functional analyses are highly effective at identifying the function of problem behavior, recent discussions have questioned its safety (Weeden, Mahoney, & Poling, 2010). It is unknown if functional analyses place individuals at risk of injury given that it is necessary to expose the individual to situations that may evoke SIB. Currently, there are no known estimates of the incidence of injury to individuals during the assessment process. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the frequency, type, and severity of injuries that occurred during the functional analysis of SIB. Preliminary data from six participants suggest that no injuries occurred during the functional analysis; however, 10 injuries were reported on the living unit during the same time period. These preliminary data suggest that, with adequate safety precautions in place, functional analyses may not place individuals at a greater risk of injury than exists in a typical living environment.

Functional assessment (FA) increasingly is recognized as best practice for students with behavioral challenges in schools. Although empirical studies using FA continue to be conducted primarily in clinical settings, studies documenting the use of FA in schools are increasing. This is important as school-based researchers and practitioners look to the literature to guide their practice. In this paper we present results of a review of the school-based FA literature. We reviewed only studies in which (1) the FA was conducted in a school, (2) data documenting results of the FA for individual students was available, and (3) the publication was peer-reviewed. Published studies between 1994 and 2010 were included. A total of 185 studies were identified, of those, 95 met inclusion criteria. Results will be presented documenting key features including population, target response, type of FA, hypothesized environment-behavior relations, whether an intervention was conducted, intervention components and link to operant function, whether the intervention was deemed effective and if functional control was established, and if generalization and/or maintenance were documented. We also documented whether fidelity was assessed. Results will be discussed in terms of current practice in school-based FA and implications for the field.

Experienced behavior analysts remotely coached parents to conduct functional analyses (FA) of problem behavior exhibited by their children using telehealth. We will be presenting data on 20 parent completed FAs. Participants were children who were 6-years-old or younger, had diagnosed autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and displayed problem behavior. Participating families went to a local Child Health Specialty Clinic (CHSC) room with teleconferencing equipment to be connected remotely to a teleconsultation center at a tertiary level hospital. a behavior consultant at the Center for Disabilities and Development at University of Iowa - Hospitals and Clinics (CDD) guided the parents on how to conduct a functional analysis. Participants lived an average of 15 miles from the local CHSC and an average of 222 miles from the CDD. All sessions were conducted by parents during weekly, one hour visits, with an average of 3.8 FA sessions per visit and an average of 4.8 visits per FA. Functional analyses were completed within a multielement design. A social function for problem behavior was identified for 18 of the 20 participants. Interrater agreement was assessed across approximately 30% of sessions and averaged over 90%. Results will be discussed in terms of challenges, safety, and next steps.

Applied behavior-analytic interventions have been rarely implemented concurrently with neurophysiological dependent variables in genetic syndromes. This approach may help to identify learning-dependent plasticity mechanisms mobilized by treatment procedures, or to isolate patterns of neurophysiological activity that are specific to operant processes. From a conceptual standpoint, behavior analysis may be a more suitable interphase between socially significant behavior and neuroscientific research (as opposed to cognitive psychology) owed to its parsimony, focus on observable responses and use of experimental methods. Behavioral methods may also be useful to establish disease-specific behavioral characteristics of genetic syndromes. Finally, cross-disciplinary applied research may impact favorably the biological plausibility and facial validity of behavior-analytic interventions to broader scientific audiences. During this symposium authors will present a series of empirical studies illustrating the potential of applied behavior analysis to inform gene-brain-behavior relations. Virues-Ortega et al. will describe a study on the neurophysiological correlates of behavioral acquisition in autism. Hammond et al. will present a study examining the environmental factors and neurophysiological correlates of problem behavior in Prader-Willi syndrome. Finally, Caruso-Anderson et al. will discuss a study on the distinctive behavioral characteristics of individuals with autism and Fragile X syndrome in terms of their preference toward social stimuli. Dr. Schaal, one of the few behavior analysts that have develop a research career in the field of neuroscience, will serve as discussant.

Recent studies have examined the neurocircuitry recruitment of reinforced behavior during maintenance using fMRI with children with autism. However, there is a dearth of fMRI studies in autism addressing brain plasticity in relation to behavioral acquisition. This approach may help to identify early courses of the intervention and learning-dependent plasticity mechanisms underlying the effects of treatment. In the present study we focused on the acquisition of generalized motor imitation (GMM) through applied operant procedures. Several factors make generalized imitation an interesting repertoire from a neurophysiological perspective: (1) imitation has been associated with the mirror neuron system, a key component of differential neurophysiological functioning in autism; (2) there are effective fMRI control tasks for imitation available in the literature; and (3) fMRI studies have identified altered brain activation in untrained individuals with autism when confronted with imitative tasks. Participants underwent a multiple exemplar procedure in order to perform GMM at a mastery level. fMRI scans were conducted before an after the GMM procedure was implemented. Control tasks during the scanning procedure allowed to tear out brain activity associated with the motor, perceptual, and simple imitation components of the target task.

Approximately 60% to 80% of individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) engage in self-injurious behavior typically in the form of skin picking a prevalence rate that is considerably higher than that reported in the general developmental disability population. Our understanding of the factors that give rise to and maintain skin picking in this population, however, is extremely limited. In this study, we used functional analysis and brain imaging methodology (fMRI: subtraction method) to identify the potential environmental and biological variables maintaining skin picking in 10 individuals diagnosed with PWS. Results showed that (a) PWS participants exhibited increased rates of skin picking under non social conditions of the functional analysis; (b) physiological activity (pulse and respiration) recorded in the scanner was correlated with skin-picking episodes; and (c) participants with PWS showed atypical brain activation in the pain-reward network during skin-picking episodes. Taken together, this study provides one of the first interdisciplinary accounts combining techniques common to applied behavior analysis and neuroscience of the conditions under which skin picking occurs in PWS, as well as delineating the specific mechanisms involved in this highly prevalent phenotypic disorder.

Behavior-analytic methods are rarely use to identify disease-specific behavioral characteristics of genetic syndromes. In this study we examine the preference toward social stimuli of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and Fragile X syndrome (FXS). Despite the presence of social withdrawal behavior and debilitating deficits in social interaction skills, no studies have examined preferences for social interaction in these populations. The purpose of this study was to determine relative preference for social interaction by the amount of time children with ASD and FXS and their typically developing peers allocated to social and non-social stimuli when both were available simultaneously. A brief preference assessment was conducted to identify preferred toys. The experimental room was divided into three areas. In one area, preferred toys were available for solitary play. In a second area, the same toys were available and an experimenter provided social interaction. The third area was a control condition and contained neither social stimuli nor toys. At the beginning of each trial, participants sampled the contingency in effect in each area and were told they could change areas freely. Results will be discussed in terms of amount of time allocated to social versus non-social conditions.

Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) is widely regarded as the gold standard of treatment for children with ASD (autism spectrum disorders). While EIBI may rightly be regarded an effective treatment for individuals who have ASD, it may also be regarded as effective for children who have diverse conditions, such as intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome, and seizures during premature infancy. This data-based symposium will review how effective EIBI techniques were for each of these particular conditions. Possible reasons for differences in outcome and the general effectiveness of intervention are discussed. The first paper, by Sigmund Eldevik (Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences), will review the literature on the effectiveness of EIBI for children with intellectual disability compared to children with ASD. Second, Emily Jones, (Queens College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, USA) will present several experiments in which behavior analytic interventions were successfully used to enhance communication skills in young children with Down syndrome. Third, John C. Neill (Long Island University, USA) will present an animal model of seizures during premature infancy and explain how EIBI increases striatal dopamine receptor density. Ronald Weisman (Queens University, Canada) will serve as the discussant.

We have reviewed the literature on Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) and compared outcome on intelligence and adaptive behavior for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and children with intellectual disabilities (ID). Average gains in IQ and ABC scores and effect size measures are compared and also contrasted with outcome for children with ASD and ID not receiving EIBI.Possible reasons for differences in outcome and the general effectiveness of intervention are discussed.

The application of behavior analytic interventions to address characteristic weaknesses of infants and toddlers with Down syndrome shows promise in meeting the needs of this young population and maximizing outcomes. Demonstrations of interventions to address several communication skills provides support for exploring other areas such as early escape/avoidance behavior and weaknesses in exploratory motor skills and short-term memory.

Premature infants are at high risk of seizures which can produce intellectual impairment (Glass, 2009, Table 1). In an animal (rat) model of premature infancy, seizures during postnatal days 6–11 impaired auditory stimulus control, decreased exploratory behaviors, and, increased the number of reinforcers to criterion for lever pressing. Late in adulthood, non-seizure animals that received intensive behavioral intervention had more dopamine D2 receptors in the striatum than normal animals that had no early training. Seizure animals had less D2 receptors than nonseizure control animals. Seizure animals that had early intervention had more D2 receptors than seizure animals that had no early training. Early seizures caused deficits in dopamine D2 receptor density; this deficit was somewhat ameliorated by early intensive behavioral intervention. Elderly seizure animals that had early intervention performed better than elderly nontreated seizure animals on an auditory stimulus control task. These results will be related to mother-infant interactions during breast feeding, when even a small series of brief seizures are potentially capable of causing lasting behavioral and brain impairments. Experimentally-validated early intensive behavioral intervention techniques for premature human infants will be explained.

Precision teaching (PT) is an instructional application of behavior analysis. PT utilizes the standard celeration chart to closely monitor and analyze changes in behavior. The use of this dynamic measurement tool, coupled with the principles of behavior, has led to an enhanced understanding of many complex behaviors and their necessary components. Furthermore, PT offers a highly effective and efficient means of teaching these complex behaviors. This panel includes 4 notable behavior analysts who have worked extensively in the area of precision teaching. The panelists will discuss their personal accounts of becoming experts in the area. They will discuss the progress that has been made and limitations that have been encountered in PT. Finally, panelists will answer audience questions and provide recommendations to those interested in working or conducting research in precision teaching.

To ensure that a treatment program will result in socially significant changes in behavior, the specific variables that influence the efficacy of the behavior change procedure must be identified and subsequently included in the treatment program. In this symposium the presenters will discuss how the level of treatment integrity, methodological differences in punishment procedures, level of task difficulty, and number of options presented in a choice situation can affect the efficacy of and/or preference for behavior change procedures. The effect of differential reinforcement implemented with varying levels of treatment integrity on compliance levels of young children was assessed in the first study. In the second study, the effect of response interruption and redirection (RIRD) and response blocking on stereotypic responding in three children diagnosed with autism was compared. In addition, child preference for the two treatments was assessed. In the third investigation, the influence of task difficulty on child preference for fluent and disfluent work schedules was assessed with young children. To extend the literature on preference for situations in which choice is available, child preference for quantitatively differing options from which to choose was assessed with young children in the final study.

Both response interruption and redirection (RIRD) and response blocking have been demonstrated to effectively reduce stereotypy maintained by automatic reinforcement. When presented with multiple treatment alternatives, it may be beneficial for clinicians to identify the client's preference for treatment. This may be difficult for clients who cannot accurately describe their preference. In these circumstances, concurrent chain procedures may be used to evaluate participant preference. The current study evaluated the effects of RIRD and response blocking on the stereotypic responding of three elementary-age children diagnosed with autism. During the treatment evaluation, RIRD and response blocking were evaluated using an alternating treatment and reversal design. Following treatment evaluation, a concurrent chain preference assessment was conducted to evaluate participant preference for RIRD or response blocking. Both RIRD and response blocking resulted in comparably low levels of motor stereotypy and all three participants preferred RIRD. The implications of these findings for treating behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement will be discussed.

A concurrent-chains arrangement was used to identify child preference for the temporal distribution of work and reward delivery within fluent and disfluent work schedule arrangements with four typically developing preschool children. The effects of task difficulty on preference for the work schedule arrangement was assessed by alternating two task assessments (i.e., easy and difficult) in a reversal design. Although the effects of task difficulty were unclear, differentiated choice responding was evident between work schedule arrangements. Two participants showed exclusive preference for the fluent work schedule arrangement; one participant showed a preference for the disfluent work schedule arrangement; and one participants preference was unclear.

Studies on choice have shown that both human and nonhumans prefer situations in which they can choose over those in which they cannot. However, the extent to which the number of available options influences preference for choice has not been thoroughly addressed in the behavioral literature. The current study assessed preschool childrens preference for differing numbers of options. A concurrent-chains arrangement was used to assess preference for three bin options: 0 toys (A), 6 toys (B), and 30 toys (C; five identical sets of Bin B toys). Initial-link selections resulted in 2-min access to the contents of the bin in the terminal link. Participants were first exposed to forced-choice trials with each of the three bins. Next, participants were allowed to select a bin during free-choice trials. Data were collected on initial-link selection, as well as latency to select toys, frequency of switching toys, and duration with first selected toy. Current results indicate preference for fewer options. Implications are discussed in terms of a behavioral economics model for the social psychology concepts of choice overload and buyers remorse, as well as a framework for whychosen architecture can serve as an antecedent intervention for problem behavior.

To date, no research has outlined a procedure that capitalizes on the strengths of both traditional (Iwata et al., 1982/1994) and trial-based (Bloom et al., 2011) functional analyses (FA) at an organization-wide level. In Study 1 we replicated Iwata et al. (2000) by training 14 group-home employees to conduct a traditional FA in less than two hours. All subjects had no prior experience conducting FAs. Ten subjects were clinical supervisors with masters degrees in various fields and varying levels of formal exposure to applied behavior analysis (ABA) and four subjects were undergraduate assistants with no formal exposure to ABA. In Study 2 we used a pyramidal training procedure to train clinical supervisors (from Study 1) to conduct and train their house managers to conduct trial-based FAs. Clinical supervisors received less than an hour and a half of direct training on trial-based FAs. The results suggest that, in a relatively short period of time, key personnel in organizations that serve individuals with developmental disabilities can not only be trained to conduct FAs but can also be taught to train others to conduct FAs with a high degree of procedural fidelity.

Perspective-taking abilities are an important component of everyday functioning. The majority of research in this area has approached these skills from a cognitive or developmental perspective. However, recent research grounded in Relational Frame Theory has focused on more behavioral measures of these skills, and whether or not these abilities can be trained. This symposium explores perspective-taking abilities as demonstrated by performance on behavioral measures of deictic relations. The first paper evaluates2 different experimental preparations used to assess deictic relations, as well as the relationship between performance on these tasks and language ability. The next paper explores the relationship between behavioral measures of deictic relations and emotion recognition abilities, as well as their relationship to commonly used self-report measures of emotional competence. The third paper examines the effect of deictic relational training on Theory of Mind performance in individuals with intellectual disabilities. Implications for the behavioral assessment and training of perspective taking skills will then be discussed.

The vast majority of research to date on emotion recognition and perspective taking abilities has utilized self-report measures, which offer only a limited account of these behavioral repertoires. Only recently has research begun to focus on developing behavioral measures of these skills. Individuals who have developed the ability to tact or label the emotional experience of themselves and/or others tend to perform better in social situations, which is an important component of psychological and physical wellbeing, social relationships and employability (Nelis et al., 2011). As a result, this study seeks to explore the relationship between computerized behavioral measures of emotion recognition and perspective taking, as well as their relationship to established self-report measures of related abilities (i.e. emotional intelligence, emotional empathy and alexithymia). Particular attention will be paid to conceptualizing these abilities as dynamic skills that can improve with practice. In addition, results and implications for training emotion recognition and perspective taking repertoires will be discussed.

People with intellectual disabilities frequently demonstrate difficulties in social skills, which may be related to perspective taking skills. Perspective taking skills have been studied using Theory of Mind, a developmental process during which individuals gradually begin to have a theory about mind. More recently, perspective taking has been studied from a Relational Frame Theory (RFT) perspective. From this perspective, perspective taking skills can be trained via a series of questions. The purpose of this study was to conduct RFT perspective taking training with 4 people with intellectual disabilities. Additionally, we examined Theory of Mind and perspective taking progress following each phase of training. We found incremental increases in Theory of Mind and perspective taking scores following each phase of training. We conclude that future research could focus on the relationship between training perspective taking skills and social skill improvements in people with intellectual disabilities.

OBMers are diligent students of an organization's overt practices' looking ever-so-closely at input, throughput, and output while mapping processes. We identify contingencies of reinforcement and punishment, as well as sometimes obvious and occasionally near-invisible feedback that drives behavior in organizations. Our publications present the power of behavior-based technology in carefully defined applications. Applications of behavioral technology to improve products and services are valuable. Yet we often operate with a narrow, even myopic, view of performance that lacks the breadth and depth of analysis to yield a full assessment of an organization's performance. Often omitted is the power of its history. An organization's values may showcase today's promises, apparent reality, while masking darker, deadly, current and historical backstage practices. The continuing devastation from covert practices in the financial industry provides abundant evidence of the failure of limited vision. Underground mining disasters present tragic and all-too-familiar cases of apparent regulatory compliance masking pathological practices. This presentation will highlight histories and cumulative power of flawed, sometimes deadly, histories and practices in two chemical and pharmaceutical companies. Suggestions will be presented for, 1) improving organizational assessments, including corrective lens for OBM myopia, and 2) development of more complete models of organizations and performance.

This tutorial is suitable for introductory level and above.

I will present an overview of work by my research group exploring the development and evaluation of sensor-driven mobile health technologies for measuring and motivating health-related behavior. We are creating prototype technologies that use context-aware sensing to empower people with information by presenting it in timely, tailored ways via home and mobile computing devices. I will outline our general approach showing examples of technologies developed in pilot projects, with a special focus on an effort to develop a new open-source tool for measuring physical activity type, duration, intensity, and location on common mobile phones for population scale health studies. This activity measurement system, and others we are working on using common mobile phones, provide new ways to create what are known as persuasive technologies using positive reinforcement and tailored, just-in-time messaging.

This presentation will focus on how a data-driven, research-based behavior analytic model of education is affecting the educational practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a post war country in transition with the post-communist model of education. For over 30 years the Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis to Schooling or CABAS model schools have been serving students, parents and educators throughout the world and the research that comes out of those schools is continually advancing the science of Applied Behavior Analysis and Education. CABAS schools today serve students with and without disabilities and continue to promote high standards of educational practices and an overall scientific approach to teaching in the USA, England, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Spain. It is a comprehensive system of teaching as a science, that produces hundreds of experiments each year, disseminates the findings and applies the same across all classrooms it serves across the world. The CABAS model provided a modern, effective, evidence-based, and research-driven opportunity to help children in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and provided the evidence based pedagogy as a systematic solution to the education crisis in BiH. A Pilot Project with 2 classrooms and 20 children with developmental delays was started in 2010 and the first data suggest the Bosnian classrooms can successfully replicate the American outcomes. Twenty children, 10 educators, and 20 parents have directly benefited from teaching as science, and many more educators and students have benefited indirectly through lectures, consultations and observations of work with the target students. In 2011, 64 children were included in 7 classrooms, with a constant stream of new students arriving from the whole country. I will discuss the significance of applying the science of behavior to education in terms of how these data can affect the Bosnian education system and the successfulness of the evidence based pedagogy as a systematic solution to the education crisis in BiH. Also, I will share with you all the trials and tribulations of trying to start an education revolution one learn unit at the time!

Language training curricula for individuals with developmental disabilities often include programs that teach expressive or intraverbal categorization in which the learner is taught to answer questions such as "What toys do you have at home?" or "Tell me the names of some animals." Although such repertoires are undoubtedly important, some instructional approaches instill these repertoires as rote intraverbal chains. However, it is apparent that many sophisticated learners answer such categorical questions not through rote learning but by first engaging in other (often covert) problem solving responses. In this presentation, I will share the results of two investigations in which preschool-aged children were successfully taught verbal and visual imagining strategies to answer questions about category membership. The implications of these studies for teaching language to individuals with developmental disabilities will be discussed and some recommendations toward that end will be provided.

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The selection of an approach to help children with autism acquire communication is remarkably challenging. This talk will review many of the issues that relate to evidence-based practices which aim to improve broad language skills, including the acquisition of an array of verbal operants as well as skills associated with the listener (traditionally viewed as receptive skills). While the hallmark of applied behavior analysis involve many hundreds of single-subject designs looking at particular skills, many practitioners attempt to use packages- that is, an organization of target skills and teaching strategies, including those involving generalization. What is the evidence that particular packages work- either in terms of outcome measures or in comparison to other packages? Many other questions arise, including: Which skills should be targeted first? Is modality a critical issue? Is there evidence of successful transitioning from one modality to another and what guidelines should be used? Are there any non-behaviorally based strategies that are evidence-based? Rather than trying to provide a definitive answer to the Which strategy is universally the best? guidelines for the most appropriate questions to ask will be offered.

Professor Erica Chenoweth discusses her book with Maria Stephan, Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict. In this groundbreaking book, the authors find that between 1900 and 2006, campaigns of nonviolent resistance were more than twice as effective as their violent counterparts. Attracting impressive support from citizens that helps separate regimes from their main sources of power, these campaigns have produced remarkable results. In this talk, Chenoweth details the factors enabling such campaigns to succeed; and, at times, causing them to fail. She discusses how higher levels of participation contribute to enhanced resilience, a greater probability of tactical innovation, increased opportunity for civic disruption (and therefore less incentive for the regime to maintain the status quo), and shifts in loyalty among opponents' erstwhile supporters, including members of the military establishment. Successful nonviolent resistance movements tend to usher in more durable and internally peaceful democracies, which are less likely to regress into civil war. Chenoweth originally and systematically compares violent and nonviolent outcomes in different historical periods and geographical contexts, debunking the myth that violence occurs because of structural and environmental factors and is necessary to achieve certain political goals. Instead, she argues that violent insurgency is rarely justifiable on strategic grounds. Chenoweth will conclude her presentation by discussing the implications of this research for ongoing conflicts around the world.

Now almost three years in the making, the Behavioral Enrichment Animal Research (BEAR) Group has focused on examining the behavioral welfare of captive exotic animals, primarily located at Woodland Park Zoo. Since that time, our group has worked on thirteen different projects working with animals including elephants, hippos, Humboldt penguins, grizzly bears, sun bears, sloth bears, Sumatran tigers, jaguars, African wild dogs, golden lion tamarins, ostriches, tree kangaroos. All of these projects have attempted to assess some aspect of animal welfare, and then looked for ways to enhance/enrich the animals studied. In the following symposium, we will discuss three separate projects: (1) the effects of jaguar activity on the behaviors and verbal responses of visitors, (2) the seasonal and daily activity of captive grizzly bears, and (3) the effects of animal visibility and activity on visitor crowd size. For all three projects, we will discuss the ramifications of the presented results, as well as the future directions for the projects. Particular emphasis will be placed on how our BEAR Group, via working with Woodland Park Zoo, can continue to both assess and enhance the animals involved in the various projects we are working with.

Zoo animals serve an important function in helping educate the public about their conservation needs. Despite this important function, little is understood about how visitors respond to different zoo exhibits and the animals that reside within them. We examined how different behaviors displayed by two jaguars located at the Woodland Park Zoo were correlated with visitor behaviors and their responses about the exhibit. Jaguar behaviors were categorized as five possible classes of behavior (Active, Inactive, Grooming, Repetitive, and Other), visitor behaviors were measured in terms of crowd size and individual time spent in front of an exhibit, and visitor responses were measured using a brief survey. Overall, visitors spent significantly less time and formed smaller groups when a jaguar was out of sight (i.e., Other). Visitors showed some lowered responses in their verbal responses. However, these did not correlate with what they did. By understanding how visitors respond to exhibited animals, zoos and other captive institutions can address these behaviors and perceptions in order to create more positive experiences for their visitors.

Captive grizzly bears, similar to their wild counterparts, spend a considerable amount of their time inactive seasonally. We documented the year-long activity of two grizzly bears located at the Woodland Park Zoo. Of particular interest is when activity begins to emerge in relation to when and how the grizzly bears are fed on exhibit. Both seasonal and daily activity was examined with respect to (a) seasonal changes, and (b) several times a day feeding schedules. Of particular interested was how much the events within their daily routine (i.e. when theyre fed) affected these overall behaviors both daily and seasonally. Results will be discussed with respect to how we can modify their feeding schedules and the like to change their overall activity levels, as well as how we can use future feeding schedules to optimize overall grizzly bear activity.

Zoos have multiple functions, one of which is educating/entertaining visitors that come to the zoo. This plays an important role for other zoo functions; by educating and entertaining zoo visitors, they are more likely to gain support for their conservation efforts. In addition, visitors contribute money directly to the zoo, which helps the zoo care for their animals, as well as paying for the various conservation efforts they are involved with around the world. One particular concern is both how visible and active the animals at a zoo are. When animals are less active, and possibly more importantly, less visible, this can change what the visitors themselves do at the zoo. The following study attempted to quantify this by examining how visible/active the animals were at the Woodland Park Zoo. 64 different points/exhibits at the zoo were examined, and one simple measure of visitor behavior, crowd size, was used. We then examined for both specific exhibits and the zoo as a whole how crowd sized changed as a result of (a) how active certain animals/exhibits were, and (b) how visible they were. The results will be discussed in terms of how we can use such results to better exhibit animals, and thus improve the visitor zoo experience as a whole.

Assessment of childrens skill repertoires in early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) programs is typically conducted for the purpose of developing a unique, individualized curriculum program for each child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Assessment facilitates the identification of each childs strengths and needs, in an effort to maximize learning gains in areas of importance and relevance to a childs daily life. This symposium explores the traditional role of assessment in treatment planning (papers 1 3) as well as presenting a nontraditional and more novel use of skill assessment for the purpose of behavioral phenotyping (paper 4). Specifically, the first paper discusses the key factors related to linking assessment to curriculum design, the second paper provides a literature review of assessments and curricula used in EIBI programs, the third paper investigates the agreement between two commonly used assessments in EIBI programs (VB-MAPP and the ABLLS-R), and the final paper explores the use of skill assessment for behavioral phenotyping in children with ASD.

One of the key features of an EIBI program for children with ASD is an individualized and comprehensive curriculum (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1999; Hancock, Cautilli, Rosenwasser, & Clark, 2000; Lovaas, 2003). Designing such a curriculum is a multi-step process, beginning with assessment and interpreting the results of assessment and ending with matching lessons to the child�s individual needs identified by assessment. This process also involves consideration of many other factors including: the child�s age and level of functioning, goals of the child�s caregivers, the number of hours of intervention planned, and goals that there is funding to support, to name a few. This paper will outline the process of linking assessment to curriculum design while also considering all of these important factors.

Systematic assessment plays a critical role in treatment-planning and outcome evaluation of children with autism and a unique, comprehensive treatment curriculum is a key component of effective EIBI programs (REF). A large proportion of national education and treatment centers for persons with ASD, including those providing applied behavior analysis (ABA)-based services, show a relatively high percentage of agreement on the assessment instruments they routinely use. However, there appears to be great variability in the curricula used by different providers (Love et al., 2009). Variability in curricula may be one possible factor in outcome differences. In this paper, a variety of commonly used assessments and published curricula are reviewed and evaluated in terms of their utility for designing comprehensive early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) programs for children with ASD. The assessments and curricula found to be most useful for this purpose are reported. A general critique regarding the available pool of assessment tools and curricula is provided.

Suggested targets for intervention from two of the most widely used instruments for assessing skills in children with autism - the VB-MAPP and the ABLLS-R - were compared. Nine children with autism, at various levels of functioning were assessed at the same time with both instruments. On the basis of the scores obtained, the three next recommended targets in each skill domain were compared between the instruments. Agreement between assessments was judged on four levels and was relatively low, except on the most general levels.

Through the use of highly detailed skill assessment, behavioral phenotyping of Autism Spectrum Disorder is possible. This talk explored the potential that fine-grain data analysis offers for understanding complex relationships among treatment variables, client population needs analysis, and predicting treatment outcomes. Exploratory analyses from a dataset of over 1500 participants with ASD are presented.

Autism and comorbidity with other competing diagnoses is a prevalent clinical situation most Behaviour Analysts encounter within intervention and educational settings. The comorbidity may be clearly recognized diagnostically from a DSM-IV criteria perspective or presented merely as influencing and/or disrupting secondary characteristics to Autism. As Behaviour Analysts, it is our clinical and ethical obligation to be aware of all behavioural diagnoses and impacting characteristics that influence the selection of treatment alternatives and ultimately the treatment outcomes. It is paramount that we seek experience in recognizing, separating, and intertwining treatment options to optimally treat both the inter-relatedness and the distinctiveness of all presenting diagnoses. Four panelists will address distinct diagnoses frequently co-presenting with Autism: Giftedness, Stuttering, Anxiety and Attention Deficit Disorder. A case analysis will be presented by each panelist utilizing a uniform format across panelists. A systematic evaluative structure will be presented to illustrate methods utilized to determine the function and impact of each presenting disorder. How each disorder influences behavioural expression will be explored while emphasizing the need to ultimately implement integrated and comprehensive behavioural treatment services. Relevance and irrelevance for co-morbid considerations must both be ultimately explored.

Behavior analysts historically been committed to science and the scientific procedure for studying human behavior. The major behavioral organizations, ABAI and BACB, have set forth standards of conduct that require behavior analysts to use effective treatment procedures. The BACB's Guidelines for Responsible Conduct specifically state that behavior analysts must use scientifically supported most effective treatments. However, there are a number of BCBAs who have been found using practices that are pseudoscientific or fads. This symposium will address this growing concern by reviewing criteria for evidence to which behavior analysts should adhere, providing examples of behaviorists behaving badly this way, and offering strategies to convince these behavior analysts to once again behave according to our scientific principles, or how to deal with such transgressions.

The BACB Guidelines for Responsible Conduct require that Board Certified Behavior Analysts use only scientifically supported effective treatment procedures that have been validated as having short- and long-term benefits to clients and society. However, over the past several years, some BCBAs have been found to be using treatment procedures that do not meet this ethical code. The question then becomes, what is done to have them adhere to our commitment to science and evidenced-based practice, as well as to minimize the likelihood of behaviorists in the future failing to adhere to this important requirement? This presentation will discuss various antecedent and consequent procedures towards this end. Our field to specify the exact criteria for what constitutes quality evidence. The BACB could incorporate such criteria into its ethical standards. Continuing education credits on this exact topic could be provided as opportunities for behavior analysts to gain further training. A final possibility would be to file ethical complaints to the BACB regarding behavior analysts who violate this codified requirement.

Differential reinforcement of an alternative response and noncontingent reinforcement are commonly used interventions for problem behavior, but how they interact when used together, and how they may best be used is still being evaluated. This symposium features current research on the effects of contingent and noncontingent reinforcement on problem behavior. The first presentation examines an approach to minimize extinction bursts during alternative response identification by reinforcing all topographies of appropriate behavior and by including noncontingent reinforcement during extinction of problem behavior. The second presentation evaluates the effect of noncontingent reinforcement on persistence of human behavior (arbitrary and problem) when extinction and extinction plus differential reinforcement of an alternative response are used. The third presentation compares the fading a token production schedule to a token exchange schedule when tokens are included in a differential reinforcement procedure for problem behavior. A discussant will highlight the important features of these three presentations, which have implications for how noncontingent reinforcement and/or differential reinforcement of an alternative response may be used in problem behavior reduction interventions.

Differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) is a common intervention for problem behavior in which reinforcement is delivered for an appropriate behavior. Most research has focused on teaching a new response rather than selecting a behavior that already exists in the individuals repertoire. However, Grow, Kelley, Roane, and Shillingsburg (2008) used extinction to occasion alternative responses and reinforced the first appropriate behavior that emerged under a DRA arrangement, but extinction bursts were observed in nearly all cases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate strategies for minimizing extinction bursts by (a) providing reinforcement for all appropriate behavior that emerged during extinction and (b) thinning a schedule of noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) plus DRA. Extinction bursts were eliminated with NCR thinning plus DRA during extinction of problem behavior, and appropriate behavior emerged and maintained.

Behavior economics is a term that describes the applications of economic principles to behavior, typically in the context of problems of social significance. Applying economic principles to behavior has resulted in the development of several assessment techniques and treatments that are useful to researchers and practitioners. In the current series of studies, we show the utility of applying economic principles to problems of social significance. In the first study, Doyle et al. show that the identification and modification of a complementary relationship can reduce levels of problem behavior. Next, DeRosa et al. demonstrate the relationship between motivation operations and response rate/break points during progressive-ratio schedule manipulations. Finally, Nadler and Kelley report on the efficacy of a progressive differential reinforcement of other behavior (PDRO) schedule for identifying a terminal reinforcement schedule for individual stimuli. In combination, the studies extend the literature on the application of economic principles to problems of social significance and provide guidance to researchers and practitioners for further assessment and treatment development.

Destructive behavior, such as self-injury and aggression, are common among children with developmental disabilities. In many cases, destructive behavior has been shown to be maintained by contingent access to socially mediated stimuli such as preferred toys. In some cases, however, the presence of or engagement with preferred stimuli might occasion destructive behavior. Such a relationship might be best examined through the application of behavior economic principles. According to economic theory an individual's consumption may be influenced by the interaction between different commodities. The interaction may be complementary, substitutable or independent. Complementary reinforcers are those that are consumed in tandem, with higher rates of consumption of 1 commodity correlating with higher rates of consumption of the other. In this study we present 2 examples of a complementary relationship between levels of activity engagement and destructive behavior. For 1 subject the positive correlation was identified between video engagement and self-injurious hand mouthing. For the second individual a positive correlation was identified between engagement in reading or computer games and self-injury or disruption. By modifying the complementary response relationship, we achieved decreases in destructive behavior while maintaining levels of activity engagement.

Motivation is becoming increasingly invoked as a critical consideration for assessing and treatment problems of social significance. Thus, more attention has been devoted to motivation and its effect on behavior in the literature. In the current study, we exposed participants to either deprivation or satiation operations during a pre-assessment condition for multiple stimuli. Next, we exposed participants' academic responding to progressive-ratio (PR) schedules to assess the extent to which response rate and break points compared both within stimulus (deprivation vs. satiation) and across stimuli. Results suggested that pre-session exposure to reinforcement (satiation) disrupted responding and subsequent break points for all stimuli, and that the disruption was more marked as the progressive schedule increased. Results also suggested that different stimuli produced different response rates and different break points even though the deprivation and satiation operations were identical.

Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) schedules are often used to treat behavior that is maintained by automatic reinforcement. In such an arrangement, individuals must omit engagement in a particular response for a pre-specified period of time to gain access to reinforcement. This is little guidance from the literature for established a starting point, fading schedule, and terminal goal for the DRO schedule. In the current study, we used progressive increases in a DRO schedule to rapidly assess the break point of the DRO schedule (i.e., the interval at which the DRO schedule no longer functioned as an effective treatment). The nature of the progressive schedule increases were conceptually similar to those used in the progressive-ratio schedule literature, in which the response requirement for access to reinforcement is progressive increased over time. Results suggested that all stimuli were effective at reducing problem behavior relative to baseline at low DRO intervals, but stimuli were differentially effective as a treatment as the DRO intervals increased.

Behavioral development can be seen to be a large open chaotic system with nearly infinite sources of influence. The behavioral systems approach presented by Novak & Pelaez (2004) provides a perspective on how behavior analysis principles apply to the maelstrom of development. This symposium will describe basic principles of behavioral development and apply them to emergent behavioral patterns seen in typical and atypical development. Pelaez will provide the basic concepts underpinning the behavioral systems approach. Important behavioral development principles such as multiple determinism, equifinality, cusps, phase shifts, and levels of systems will be among the principles described. Novak's paper will show how the behavioral systems approach can be used to explain the process of language acquisition and other communication. The role of ever-changing child-caregiver reciprocity will be given a central role. Suchowierska will apply the behavioral systems approach to the development of autism. Autism will be characterized as a diverse constellation of organized behavior patterns overlapping, but deviating from developmentally typical ones. Early behavioral interactional deficits in the development of autism will be identified.

Behavior systems theory suggests the impossibility of complete prediction and control of human behavior. Nevertheless, one can apply the principles of behavior systems to examine behavior development and its complexity (Novak & Pelaez, 2004). Multiple determinism suggests that human behavior is determined by: 1) the genetic constitutional make-up of the individual; 2) the interactional history of the person with his/her environment; (3) current physiological and environmental conditions; and 4) the influence of earlier behavioral trajectories on current learning (behavioral dynamics), including behavioral momentum. As viewed from a behavioral systems approach, different levels exist contemporaneously, with increasing complexity in the system as we move up the level of analysis. These include System Level I: Basic processes of development; System Level II: Emergent characteristics; System Level III: Social interactions; and System Level IV: Societal and cultural contexts. Biological structures such as organ systems can be seen as another level of systems. While the organized patterns of behavior that we call, for example "autism" are often observed during our functional analysis at Systems Level II, it is important to recognize the role of multiple determinants and the contribution that analysis of the other systems levels can provide.

In a broad sense, the study of behavioral development is concerned with just two basic questions. The first is "What develops?" The second is "How does this development occur?" Traditional developmental psychology focuses primarily on the first question, which is fundamentally descriptive in nature. The behavioral systems approach follows the tradition of behavior analysis and is primarily concerned with the second question, and is essentially explanatory. However, both the "What?" and the "How?" of development are necessary to provide a satisfactory account. This paper will describe a behavioral systems approach to typical and atypical communication and language development. The roles of genetic-constitutional, historical, and environmental factors will be described. Special emphasis will be placed on the role of the social environment as provided by caregivers and interventionists. Behavioral cusps that are pivotal in typical and atypical language development will be identified. The important role of hidden skills and deficits will be explained and detailed. The role of the caregiver as language acquisition device will be emphasized.

For behavior analysts, it is obvious that autism should not be treated as an internal disorder that causes a child to behave in a certain way. Rather, we look at it as a label describing the child's many behaviors. Taking into consideration a behavioral systems approach—autism is perceived as organized patterns of characteristic behaviors that are shaped by multiple environmental factors in reciprocal interaction. The concept of equifinality, coalescent organization of biological and learned characteristics as well as behavioral cusps will be discussed with regards to autism. Due to a very important place of early intervention for children with autism, the presentation will focus on early mother-infant non-vocal and vocal communication that forms the basis for such core skills as joint attention, social referencing and relational responding.

Functional reading and mathematical skills may improve the quality of life and general well-being for individuals with disabilities. However, research in the area of reading and mathematics for learners with disabilities at the postsecondary level is sparse and unable to guide practice. This symposium includes 3 experimental studies that investigate the effects of academic interventions on oral reading fluency, vocabulary knowledge, and functional mathematical skills of young adults with intellectual and learning disabilities. The results of the 3 studies indicate that young adults with disabilities may benefit from interventions that incorporate components of evidence-based effective instruction (e.g., teacher modeling, frequent opportunities to practice, immediate feedback). The presentations will address the implication and future direction of academic interventions for young adults with disabilities.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of teaching vocabulary using direct instruction on word knowledge and expository reading comprehension of young adults with intellectual and severe learning disabilities. Four learners from a postsecondary education program for individuals with disabilities participated in the study. During the intervention, the instructors taught the unknown terminologies embedded in expository texts using a direct instruction teaching sequence. In the context of an alternating treatment design, we found that the direct instruction of vocabulary knowledge resulted in higher acquisition and retention of the words than the no intervention condition. However, the effects of the vocabulary instruction on comprehension of the expository texts were less clear.

This study assessed the effectiveness of a 3-step cognitive strategy (TIP) for calculating tip and total bill for young adults with intellectual disabilities. In the context of pre- and post-test nonequivalent-groups design, 10 students from a postsecondary education program for individuals with disabilities participated in the study. A teacher delivered 6 lessons to students in the experimental group using the working instructional model for teaching learning strategies. The results indicate that the experimental group outperformed the comparison group on items that assessed the ability to calculate tip and total bill. Students from the experimental group also generalized the procedural knowledge to tasks that required using percent values in different contexts. Four of the students from the experimental group maintained the use of the strategy 8 weeks after the intervention.

The combined repeated reading and question generation procedure is a reading intervention designed to target both fluency and comprehension for students with disabilities. Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of the intervention for school age children with learning disabilities. This study extended the research by utilizing the program with 3 postsecondary learners with severe learning disability and mild mental retardation. In the context of a multiple baseline across participants design, the results indicate that the program may be an effective intervention to improve fluency and comprehension for young adults with cognitive disabilities.

Preschool teachers often use circle time for large group instruction. In order to decrease problem behaviors during instruction, research has suggested the use of highly preferred teaching procedures. Layer et al. (2008) demonstrated the utility of a group preference assessment using a concurrent chains arrangement for discrete food items and found that it accurately and efficiently identified preferences of all the participants. The current study sought to replicate and extend their findings by assessing the utility of the group preference assessment for three different teaching contexts, each varying by the rate of opportunities to respond (OTR). The results showed that the group preference assessment efficiently identified the most highly preferred OTR condition for all students. These data suggest that group preference assessments could be incorporated into large group instruction in typical preschool classrooms.

Constant prompt delay and progressive prompt delay procedures are evidence-based teaching strategies; however, no objective data have been reported on the stakeholders preference for such procedures. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relative efficacy of and the relative preference for prompt delay procedures. Four preschool children experienced three teaching conditions: constant prompt delay, progressive prompt delay, and a control condition. A multi-element design was used to evaluate the relative efficacy of the prompt delay procedures at teaching pre-academic tasks while a modified concurrent-chains arrangement was used to evaluate each childs relative preference for the teaching strategies. The efficacy and preference results were idiosyncratic for all children. These results as well implication of the results are discussed.

We examined preference for and efficacy of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA), differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO), and fixed-time (FT) reinforcement schedules for escape-maintained problem behavior. Experiment 1 consisted of baseline, during which problem behavior was reinforced, and treatment, during which DRA, DRO, and FT were implemented in a mulitelement design. Both participants engaged in high rates of problem behavior during baseline, and reduced rates of problem behavior during all treatments. For 1 participant, FT resulted in faster suppression of behavior, and DRA was not as effective as FT or DRO. For 1 participant, all interventions resulted in relatively equivalent suppression of behavior. During Experiment 2, we evaluated treatment preference by allowing participants to choose the intervention prior to each session. Both participants displayed an early preference for FT. For 1 participant, this preference shifted to DRA after he was allowed to choose the order of tasks. For both participants, problem behavior was suppressed during all treatments, and remained low as schedule values were independently thinned, with few exceptions.

Although the gold standard for treatment planning, functional analyses are often cumbersome to implement in mainstream classrooms, particularly when teachers must arrange the contingencies for each session. It is possible that typically developing children might reveal the functions of their behaviours through their preferences for particular reinforcers. This study compared the results of a naturalistic functional analysis with the outcomes of a modified preference assessment for socially-mediated stimuli. For two of the three children, functional analysis results matched the results of the preference assessment. The implications of this research on identifying functions of behaviour, as well as areas for future research, will be discussed.

Teachers who also function as behavior analysts are responsible for implementing local, state, or federally mandated curricula and curricular sequences. However, as behavior analysts they are also responsible for scientifically analyzing learning and teaching problems and subsequently implementing interventionsthat may not necessarily be part of the adopted curriculum. Teachers who teach from a behavior analytic perspective should have the skill set to select strategiesthat are individualized and specifically address academic and social deficit areas, thus providing the student with a more effective and efficient way to access the school-wide curriculum. The studies reported herein represent a corpus of evidence supporting the role of a teacher as a strategic scientist of pedagogy.

We analyzed the effects of multiple exemplar instruction (MEI) across response topographies on the acquisition of geometric concepts that were taught only within a single response topography. One of the topographies, intraverbal instruction, was manipulated in order to determine whether or not this component was necessary for transformation of stimulus function to occur. The effects of multiple exemplar instruction were tested on early middle school students who were part of a remedial program for students more than 2 grade levels behind their same age peers in math. Participants were taught 5 geometric concepts (Set 1) as under 1 response topography (RT). Subsequently, 3 untaught responses were probed. Upon reaching mastery criterion for Set 1 the participants were taught 5 different geometric concepts (Set 2) utilizing MEI. In this phase they were taught using a combination of 2 or 3 response topographies (selection, production, and tact or intraverbal) counterbalanced across participants. Following mastery of Set 2 concepts, untaught responses from Set 1 were re-probed. In order to ensure that the results were not simply a function of an extraneous variable five new geometric concepts (Set 3) were taught within the same response topography as Set 1 and the untaught responses topographies to Set 3 were probed. Results are reported in terms of the role the intraverbal response topography played in the emergence of the untaught topographies.

This study aimed to increase the accuracy of sentence structure and variation of vocabulary used by 2 pupils when manding vocally for preferred items. Pupils were taught using a checklist to vary the sentence structure of mands each time a written mand was emitted: generalization of the skill was probed post-treatment. The pupils both had diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders and attended a CABAS model school on a full-time basis. They were both speaker and listener with emergent reader/writer behaviour. Throughout the baseline phase of study both pupils emitted repetitive mands with consistent incorrect sentence structure in both written and vocal format. Post study it was observed

This study investigates the effects of teacher directed peer reinforcement on the number of appropriate peer interactions emitted during free play. Participants were 6 males with a diagnosis of an autistic disorder who attended a CABAS school in the United Kingdom. Results of this study demonstrated that the treatment was effective in increasing appropriate behaviours and decreasing maladaptive or inappropriate behaviours. Implications of this study are discussed.

The study used establishing operations within a motivational classroom system called "Activity Time" to increase pupils' self-management of time by decreasing the time pupils spent carrying out a number of steps to access a chosen reinforcer. The required steps were related to academic skills such as written communication and graphing. The study used a multiple baseline design across participants with 2 treatment phases. During baseline the participants had a fixed amount of time to access a reinforcer and the time taken to complete the necessary steps was recorded. During Treatment 1 the participants had 15 minutes to complete the necessary steps and all remaining time could be spent accessing a reinforcer. In both of these phases the participants' level of achievement during an instructional session was linked to the desirability of reinforcers available. During Treatment 2 participants' time available for activity time was related to the level of achievement during an instructional session. Results showed that the mean time taken to complete the required steps and the mean variability in these times decreased for all of the participants from baseline to treatment. The mean time taken also reduced for all participants who were exposed to Treatment 2. The procedures put in place were effective at providing a motivation to self-manage the time available and can be used to further build on various academic and self-management skills.

During the 2010-211 school year, the administrative staff at a large private school serving students with autism spectrum disorder and/or developmental disabilities conducted a system wide needs assessment to address the needs of a growing program. Results of the needs assessment identified areas within the educational and behavioral domains where systems level improvements as well as increased consistency and continuity of practices were needed across the school. Three of the areas identified were: 1) the reduction of crisis intervention procedures i.e.; protective holds; 2) improvement in the treatment integrity of behavior support plans, and; 3) the amount and quality of direct instruction. The development of electronic and paper based tools were developed and data was collected on crisis intervention procedures, inter-observer agreement data for educational program, and treatment integrity measures for behavioral support plans. This symposium examines the process of creating and then implementing data collection procedures and the use of these data to improve the systems across this school.

Using data based decision making concerning the effectiveness of behavior support interventions and the use of crisis intervention procedures in a large school serving students with autism spectrum disorder and/or developmental disabilities is often made on a student by student basis. This presentation will review the development of a system to collect school-wide data that could be used to determine the effectiveness of school-wide behavior support as well as individual behavior support. The use of functional assessment information to ascertain system interventions particularly in these schools is often lacking. Often schools do not review data at the systems level to make programmatic decisions and if so only examine the frequency and duration of procedures. Staff at this center assisted in designing the system to examine the frequency, duration and type of crisis intervention procedure. In addition the system allowed the review of location, time, activity and staff involved in these procedures to help the program as a whole improve its behavior support practices. Presentation of data as well as the effective use of this to make system level changes in interventions will be presented.

Treatment integrity is the degree to which treatments are implemented as they were planned or designed. Following completion of a behavior support plan (BSP), staff must monitor the effectiveness of the plan in relation to problem behavior and make conclusions about treatment effectiveness. A number of variables have been evaluated in the treatment integrity literature to determine what components contribute to high levels of treatment integrity with behavior plans in both the home and school settings. Some of those components have included type of training, length of training, and performance feedback. There are other variables that could potentially affect treatment integrity such as staffs knowledge of behavior principles, stress, and how information is presented to staff (using brief forms, flow charts, etc.). One recommendation resulting from the needs assessments was for staff to evaluate treatment integrity with the current behavior support written format as compared to treatment integrity obtained with the behavior support plan written in a competing pathways framework. The process of developing a treatment integrity measure, developing a method of collecting treatment integrity school wide, and how a change in the format of behavior support plans occurred will be discussed.

Students with autism spectrum disorder and/or developmental disabilities often have poor rates of on-task behavior. An analysis found deficits in this area in a large school for students with autism spectrum disorder and/or developmental disabilities. A systems approach was used to improve overall student on-task behavior. This presentation will review the research in this area and the development of tools to measure this behavior as well as the staff variables found to impact on task behavior. An examination of the data collected across the school will be reviewed as well as the use of performance feedback to improve staff behaviors found to be related to increased on task behavior and improved direct instruction practices.

The growing dissemination of behavioral strategies across an array of applied areas gives rise to the immediate need for a systematic examination of public policy processes at the state and federal levels. As the field continues to grow and more individuals and agencies recognize our services, there will be an increased push for state and federal regulation. With proper planning and organization we can be prepared to address emerging legislative barriers that may hinder quality behavioral services. There are a number of states becoming involved in legislation and insurance regulations, and with the increase in behavior-analytic licensure there is a unique opportunity for other regions to take advantage of the successes and pitfalls within these legislative processes. This panel discussion will aim to draw attention to current public policy priorities, offer legislation suggestions and discussion points, and provide an overview of current regulatory issues facing states including California, Kentucky, and New York.

In an extraordinary career spanning over 6 decades, Joe Brady established a remarkable legacy. He was a man of vision. His empirical contributions ranged from investigations of the behavioral conditions that produce stress and associated physiological consequences, to pioneering work in behavioral pharmacology, to conditions affecting performance of astronauts in space. He was a man of exceptional generosity. For example, he established the Behavioral Biology unit at Johns Hopkins University and helped found the Institutes for Behavior Resources. He was a man of abiding inspiration. He trained, educated, and supported numerous students, post-docs, and colleagues; most have gone on to distinguished careers of their own. Recognizing that it would be impossible to capture adequately the breath and richness of Joe's contributions in a single session, in this symposium, close colleagues and friends will celebrate his career.

Those with interests in the history of behavior analysis, in behavioral pharmacology, and in understanding and treating drug abuse.

• Identify the immense contributions of Joe Brady to behavior analysis, behavioral pharmacology, and science in general
• Articulate some of the important contributions of Joe Brady to the field.

Joseph V. Brady established one of the first truly interdisciplinary �physiological psychology� research and research training programs (now called neuroscience), in the country after WWII. Brady divided his time between Walter Reed Army Research Institute and the Psychopharmacology Laboratory at the University of Maryland, College Park. He displayed in precept and deed, critical scientific leadership principles: (1) surround yourself with the brightest, most talented people in the field, (2) promote innovative interdisciplinary problem solving based on a solid foundation of principles of functionalism, similar to L. J. Henderson & B. F. Skinner, and (3) value scientific principles but ignore disciplines. Like embryonic stem cells, Joe Brady was a progenitor, conducting his own scientific research while encouraging independent lines of fundamental and applied research. His approach was pluripotent, promoting scientific advances that evolved into many important, sometimes unexpected independent fields, such behavioral neuroendocrinology, brain mechanisms in reinforcement, drug addition, basic and clinical behavioral pharmacology, physical rehabilitation, and analysis of complex human behavior in individual and social behavior settings. He was a highly strategic thinker, seeding new theoretically significant endeavors, working with federal agencies and scientific societies to create ongoing support for scientific training and infrastructure, and modeling outstanding interdisciplinary science.

Joseph V. Brady, an interdisciplinary research pioneer, forged a productive, creative and illustrious career by applying the principles of the experimental analysis of behavior to investigations of the functional relationships operating at the nexus of biology and behavior. In the process, Brady and colleagues demonstrated the remarkable precision, flexibility and generality of these principles as applied to such diverse topics as stress and emotion, neurobiology, psychophysics and biofeedback, drug abuse and drug treatment, language, clinical research ethics, and human learning, motivation and social behavior, culminating in the experimental analysis of behavior in space. Brady also applied these principles effectively in the training of graduate students and junior colleagues. Selected clinical studies and reports will be presented to document the manner in which Brady applied the principles of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior throughout his career. The corpus of Bradys life work serves as a rich case study of the consequences of steadfast engagement in the experimental analysis of behavior.

Joe Brady was a pioneer in the study of human habitability in space. He pioneered work to study performance of primates in space, starting with rhesus monkeys and chimpanzees and later humans in confined programmed environments. In the last decade of his life, he capitalized on advances in computer simulation to explore team performance in simulated space missions and created a test bed for examining a range of factors that can alter the performance of individuals and teams, including topics such as communication modes, autonomy, incentive conditions, and workload. As a direct outgrowth, very recent research has lead to the development of a brief test of cooperative behavior within a behavioral economics framework. This work has been demonstrated to NASA and is now deployed for operational testing in Antarctica.

Behavior analysts teach others to engage in behavior analytic ways, but we do not always do so using our own methods and evaluation tools while doing so. This symposium presents 3 studies that examine a variety of methods of using behavior analytic methods and evaluation tools in our training. The first study examines code names variables (e.g., use of jargon, everyday language) that might impact the effectiveness of training observers to code behavioral data. This study uses an errorless expert training system and fluency techniques. The second study in the symposium examines the effects of prompts on the teacher's use of active listening techniques and subsequent effects on the rates of student participation in the class. This study uses prompts, behavioral observation, and a multiple baseline design. The final study in the symposium examines the effects of a short simple discrimination training task on the production of visually-interesting slides for use in lectures. This study uses discrimination training and a multiple-baseline design.

Train-To-Code (TTC) is an errorless expert training system designed for training observers to symbolically code ongoing behavior with high degrees of inter-observer accuracy. TTC itself is simply a generalized training software engine for wedding any video-presented behavior exemplars with any symbolic coding taxonomy via the use of expert-generated continuous-coding of the video. Typically, a sequence of such videos is presented to generate what TTC's User Guide manuals (c.f., Ray 2011a, 2011b) refer to as training programs (TPs). Some observers trained via TTC have not only demonstrated rapid development of nearly errorless coding skills, but also have readily demonstrated generative transfer of that training by producing the very behaviors they were trained to discriminate and code (Ray, Ruah, Bourdon, & Sanford, 2011). Yet, trainers who design TPs with such generative transfer as an outcome goal have many complex issues to consider. Unfortunately variables that might impact the effectiveness of training-especially those that might negatively impact generative outcomes such as generalized response production-are often overlooked. This presentation details a study of pre-training fluency with different symbolic codes used for behavioral categorization as a critical variable in such TP designs.

One understanding of verbal behavior is behavior for which reinforcement is mediated by a listener who has been specifically conditioned by a verbal community to mediate reinforcement. Active listening involves paraphrasing and summarizing anothers verbal behavior for the purposes of verification. This paper examines the definition of active listening in terms of the definition of verbal behavior, and investigates the effects of active listening on student participation in a graduate level behavior analysis class. Using a multiple baseline across class sections, this study will examines the use of prompts to increase active listening behavior of the instructor, then any changes in that behavior against changes in rates of student participation.

Recently sales and other professional speakers have relied less upon default bullet-point styles in presentation software and more upon visually interesting slides that augment rather than duplicate what the speaker is saying (e.g., Presentation Zen). There is some evidence to suggest that college students prefer such visually-interesting slides over bullet-point slides in classroom settings. New presenters and teachers seem to use the bullet-point slides. Such use of bullet-points may be due to a number of factors, including these are the default in various presentation software, history of seeing others use bullet-points, and learning to develop visually-interesting slides can be time-consuming. Using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design, the present study examines the effectiveness of a short simple discrimination training task on the development of visuals. Participants were given several sets of information to present in visual form to accompany a fictitious future lecture. Following baseline slide development, participants underwent a short simple training during which participants received points for selecting the slide with fewer words and better images. The number of slides as well as the number of words and bullets per slide was examined pre- and post-training.

Many behavior scientists appear to have little knowledge of or find little value in the philosophical aspects of their science. This disregard for a philosophical basis and consistency leads to issues across the entire scientific system. These issues begin with the specific goals of behavioral science and the nature of scientific activity. This dilemma spans even further to what is considered to be the subject matter of psychology and the ways in which we study that subject matter. Further, one must also closely consider the ways in which results from research are interpreted and the terminology that is used to describe psychological phenomena. Finally, philosophical coherence determines the degree to which behavioral science can be considered to be a legitimate, independent, comprehensive, and coherent science. This presentation discusses relevant and important concepts within the scientific system of Interbehavioral Psychology, specifically as they relate to the investigation and interpretation of psychological events.

This symposium presents two experimental studies and one conceptual paper discussing a behavioral account of problem solving where the emission of a precurrent response increases the probability of a response that is scheduled for reinforcement. In both studies, mediating verbal behavior may have allowed access to already-established repertoires. The investigation by Esch and Esch used a verbal rehearsal procedure during a delay-to-respond to increase correct stimulus selection when shown an array of numerals in a problem-solving joint control task. Preliminary results show that participants correctly selected numerals when instructed to rehearse them during a delay. Sundberg et al. present the results of a study comparing performances of individuals defined as either high-verbal or low-verbal on a matching-to-sample task. Results indicated that performance deteriorated when rehearsal (i.e., covert verbal behavior) was disrupted, thus preventing the establishment of joint control over the selection response. Hall presents an analysis of abstract control in terms of its role in verbal problem solving and discusses how such control might be established via strategic teaching. The discussant, Dr. Mark Sundberg, will offer remarks regarding these papers.

Much complex behavior requires probing established verbal and nonverbal repertoires to present (access?) stimuli that will evoke a response that currently is unable to be emitted in the absence of those stimuli (Skinner, 1957). This study follows previous research findings (Esch et al., 2010) showing that, for some individuals, a self-echoic response after a correct echoic response is weakened when a delay-to-respond is imposed. Such discrepancies between echoic and self-echoic behavior may be predictive of deficits in verbal problem solving. Following echoic and self-echoic assessments, participants were asked to find the correct numeric sequence when shown 4 quadrants of various numeric sequences on a problem-solving joint control task (Lowenkron, 1998). In an ABCBC experimental design, participants were asked to find the correct sequence under 3 conditions: (a) instruction and sequence presented simultaneously, (b) sequence presentation delayed by 5 s, and (c) instructed echoic and self-echoic rehearsal provided during a 5-s delay to presentation. We discuss the results of this study as it relates to teaching selection-based problem-solving skills and a descriptive autoclitic as a form of automatic reinforcement.

There is a sizeable body of basic behavioral research that employs matchingto-sample (MTS) preparations with verbal adults as participants. The goal of much of this research involves the study of complex behavioral relations (e.g., problem solving, emerging behavior, equivalence, relational frames). The current empirical investigation examines the role of multiple control and covert verbal behavior in high-verbal participants (college students) and low-verbal participants (adults with severe to moderate developmental disabilities). The data demonstrate that additional independent variables are responsible for the comparison stimulus selection behavior for the high-verbal participants. These variables primarily involve covert verbal behavior that occurs for verbal participants between the presentation of sample stimuli and the selection of a comparison stimulus. The covert verbal behavior then provides multiple sources of stimulus control in the form of joint control over selection behavior (Lowenkron, 1992). When the covert verbal behavior is disrupted, joint multiple control becomes hard to establish and performance clearly deteriorates. The implications of these results on current experimental practice and claims regarding emerging behavior are discussed.

The study of complex human behavior including transfer versus functional independence between verbal relations, and emergent problem solving continues to intrigue behavior analysts. Such work serves to counter the arguments of linguists and others who may claim that behavior analysis cannot account for behavior, which occurs for the first time without direct training, and is very important in the area of education. Children with and without language delays can greatly benefit from strategic teaching procedures designed to establish "general patterns of responding that can in turn be used to produce effective responses in an infinite variety of situations" (Alessi, 1987). To successfully generate complex emergent relations, it appears critical to conduct a detailed analysis of the relations to be trained and tested, then strategically program for transformation of stimulus function and recombination of repertoires. Engelmann and Carnine (1982) have described such an approach. Abstract verbal responding may range in complexity from simple abstract tacting to verbal problem solving. Regardless of the complexity of the performance, when abstract control is present, an "observed sameness" in a set of examples controls a consistent pattern of responding. The present paper will analyze the abstract control that appears to be present in transfer between certain verbal operants and speaker and listener relations, and verbal problem solving, and discuss how such control might be established via strategic teaching.

Mand training is often a primary focus in early language training. Manding programs typically include those that are positively reinforced such as mands for specific items. However, mands maintained by negative reinforcement are also important skills to target for children with language delays. Additionally, as more simple mands are acquired, clinicians aim to develop programs that target more complex mands, such as mands for information, which include using the mands who? which? and how? This symposia will present data from four studies which investigate various procedures to develop mands for information and mands maintained by negative reinforcement. Shillingsburg, Bowen, and Valentino examined a procedure to develop mands for how? while focusing on establishing operation (EO) manipulation and generalization. Gaymen, Shillingsburg, Bowen, and Valentino examined strategies for evoking mands for who? and which? while focusing on EO manipulation and maintaining discrimination between the two mands. Powell, Shillingsburg, and Bowen will present data on mands for termination ensuring that mands are emitting under the proper EO conditions. Finally Coffman, Nauman, Stratz, and Ghezzi evaluated a procedure to teach mands under conditions of both positive and negative reinforcement and how it is beneficial to the development of socially appropriate behavior. Results are discussed in terms of the application of these procedures to the treatment of communication deficits in children with autism.

To date, one study has evaluated procedures to teach children with autism to mand for information using how. However, procedures such as manipulation of establishing operations (EO), prompt fading, and differential reinforcement have been shown to be effective in teaching children with autism to ask wh questions such as what, who, and where. Procedures for teaching mands for how are unique in that additional challenges that are absent in teaching other forms of mands for information (e.g., what, who,) are present. Specifically, once the information regarding how to do something is provided once, the EO may no longer present. Thus, identifying alternative teaching procedures is warranted. One male diagnosed with autism completed the current study. The study evaluated a procedure to teach mands for information using how to obtain information to complete spelling tasks and other activities. The results showed that the participant began to correctly use the mand for information under EO present conditions and did not mand when the information was not needed (EO absent conditions). The results have implications for methods of teaching the mand for information how while paying close attention to EO manipulation and subsequent generalization of the skill.

Many procedures have shown to be effective at teaching question asking behavior (manding for information) to children with autism. Studies have demonstrated that antecedent manipulations such as manipulation of the establishing operation (EO), prompts, and prompt fading are effective in teaching children with autism to ask a variety of wh questions such as what, who, and where. However, this is a skill area in which the research is limited, especially in relation to the types of questions taught. Additionally, little attention has been given to appropriately manipulate the presence and absence of relevant motivating operations and little is known about subsequent use of the information once given. In this study antecedent manipulations were used to teach three participants to mand for information by asking Which and Who in EO present and EO absent conditions. Procedures resulted in the acquisition of the mands for information using Who and Which in the EO present condition for all three participants and subsequent use of the provided information was recorded. Additionally, none of the participants emitted the mand for information during the EO absent condition following teaching sessions. A discussion of the importance of contriving relevant motivating operations and methods to examine the use of the provided information will be presented.

Mand training is often a primary focus in early language training and programs typically include those that are positively reinforced such as mands for specific items. However, mands maintained by negative reinforcement are also important skills to target for children with language delays. Mands to remove aversive demands or to refuse an unwanted item appear to be the primary types of mands maintained by negative reinforcement reported in the literature. Another type of negatively reinforced mand important to target in language instruction involves the removal of a stimulus that blocks access to a preferred activity. The current study taught five participants diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder to mand for removal of a stimulus in order to access the blocked preferred item. An evaluation was also conducted to determine if participants were engaging in appropriate use of mands by testing the mands in the presence and absence of an establishing operation (EO). All participants learned to mand for the removal of the stimulus under appropriate conditions.

The focus of behavior analytic research on teaching manding to young children with autism is positive reinforcement. Mands maintained by negative reinforcement are understudied. The present study centers on both types in terms of their respective rates to acquisition, effects on inappropriate behaviors and impact on socially desirable behaviors. Following a baseline period, three young children with autism were taught to mand for preferred items (positive reinforcement) and for the removal of non-preferred items (negative reinforcement). Stimulus generalization probes were conducted at various points throughout the teaching phase. Once mastery was achieved, a one week follow-up was conducted to assess for maintenance of the mastered mands. The data show that teaching young children with autism to mand under conditions of both positive and negative reinforcement is beneficial to the development of socially appropriate behavior.

This presentation will describe a partially validated set of instructional strategies designed to establish the conditional use of "requesting assistance" and "requesting a break" as alternatives to escape functioned problem behavior in young children with significant developmental disabilities. The presentation will discuss the necessity gaining an exact match between communicative alternative and the basis of a learner's escape. The use of competing schedules of reinforcement and several antecedent focused intervention strategies including "signaled delay of reinforcement delivery" will be described as strategies to assist in gaining the moderated use of newly established communicative alternatives. The presentation will also include a brief review of conditional use used with other areas of communicative instruction with individuals who experience severe developmental disabilities. These areas will include the conditional use of communicative modes, requesting items/objects, and requesting attention. Results of the work presented and work reviewed suggest that there is a small but growing base of experimental support of an effective instructional technology to promote the conditional use of socially acceptable social/communicative behavior. At the conclusion of the event, the participant will be able to: 1. Describe what is meant by conditional use of communicative behavior 2. Describe a package of intervention procedures to implement in teaching socially acceptable communicative alternatives to escape behavior used to gain assistance or to gain a brief break from an activity that has become aversive as a result of its length (or magnitude of work).

The importance of establishing functional communication skills has been empirically validated with numerous studies demonstrating decreases in problem behavior when functional communication is established (Carr & Durand, 1985; Charlop-Christy et al., 2002.) Fewer studies, however, have explored strategies to teach instructional staff how to implement these skills; and even fewer have investigated the effectiveness of different emerging modes of functional communication (i.e., with use of the iPad, iPod, and iPhone). Given the ready availability of this technology, it is critical that these forms of alternative augmentative communication be explored and evaluated. In this symposium, results from 2 studies investigating the effectiveness of a behavioral skills training package (BST) to implement the Picture Exchange Communication System ( PECS) will first be presented. The most important potential components of the BST will be highlighted, and applications for larger group settings will be discussed. In addition, results from two studies evaluating the relative effectiveness of a picture-based and technology-based system (i.e., Apple iPad) will be reviewed. The symposium will culminate with recommendations for those interested in future related research.

We investigated the effectiveness of a behavioral skills training (BST) package with one less component (i.e., a training video) than that used in a previous study by Rosales et al. (2009) to teach Phases 1-3A of the picture exchange communication system (PECS.) The BST package, which consisted of written and verbal instructions, modeling, role play with a confederate, and feedback, was implemented using a multiple baseline across 3 instructional staff members employed at a center serving children with autism spectrum disorders. Results indicated the effectiveness of the training package across all 3 participants. In addition, generalization and maintenance of the skills acquired was evident when probes were conducted in the classroom environment with students to whom the instructional staff were assigned to work with on a daily basis. In a second experiment, the BST package was implemented in a group setting with newly hired instructional staff to evaluate the effectiveness and potential efficiency of this training. Results will be discussed with respect to the implications for future trainings in clinical settings for individuals who work with children with limited functional communication skills.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions have been shown to improve both communication and social skills in children and youth with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities (Simpson et al., 2005). AAC applications have become available for personal devices such as cell phones, MP3 Players, and personal computer tablets. It is critical that these new forms of AAC are explored and evaluated. Therefore, the purpose of this case study was to investigate the utility of the Apple iPad as a communication device. The researchers compared the effects of the Apple iPad and a picture card communication system. Five elementary students with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities who currently used a picture card system participated in the study. The students made requests using either picture cards or a communication application on the Apple iPad. The researchers compared the number of communication behaviors within these conditions. The results were mixed; communication behaviors either increased or remained the same.

Both the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and technology-based treatments are emerging treatments for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to the National Autism Center (2011). Recently, investigations regarding the use of the Apple iPad to communicate have been conducted with mixed results. The purpose of this study was to compare students with autism spectrum disorders and developmental delays communication using picture cards and a communication application on the Apple iPad. Using the PECS protocol, the researchers compared independent responses using the Proloquo2go iPad application and PECS using Proloquo2 go symbols. An alternating treatment design was employed to compare the treatments the results were mixed with no consistent difference across participants. Preference assessments were also mixed.

There have been some notable gains in recent years, but violence at the interpersonal, economic, structural, and political levels remains a central socio-cultural challenge of the modern era. Human rights violations and conflicts at the individual, local, national, or international level cause deep damage to persons, communities and cultures. Applications of the natural science of behavior and behavioral systems analysis to attempts to challenge injustice, construct peace, and heal people and communities are in their infancy. Still, there are compelling reasons to believe that contributions from that science are possible. In this symposium, the presenters will explore the issues from selectionist and contextualist perspectives, and sketch out what is presently known about strategies for constructing peace, resisting oppression nonviolently, and healing trauma.

This talk will present an evolutionary analysis of the generic features of conflict at several levels: the conflict we, as individuals experience within ourselves, the conflicts that occur between people, and the conflicts between groups—from small groups to international conflicts. Like other organisms, humans have an evolved bias toward detecting and avoiding danger. However our symbolic abilities—while useful for solving problems—mean that humans can perceive and seek to avoid threat that is only symbolically present. Reducing conflict both within and between individuals and groups depends on our reducing the power of symbolic relations to influence behavior that contributes to conflict. I will describe interventions that contribute to this change at all levels and will discuss the implications of current knowledge for reducing what appears to be the biggest threat to human wellbeing, namely our evolved tendencies to symbolically experience threat.

Mohandas Gandhi often indicated that nonviolent resistance was "a science," but very little scientific work (almost none from a natural science perspective) has been pursued in this area. In this paper, the author will outline applications of behavioral systems science to the practice of effective nonviolent struggle. Given the enormous human costs of violent strategies of resistance, insurgency and rebellion, their poor record of sustainable success, and the emerging evidence for the potential power of nonviolent alternatives, the rigorous exploration of alternatives is a critically important direction for applied cultural analysis. Effective strategic analysis can only emerge from an understanding of the underlying dynamics of strategic options. This presentation elaborates four major clusters of strategic options, identified using a functional, natural science perspective; the basic behavioral and behavioral systems dynamics involved with each will be explored here through historical and contemporary cases. The four clusters explored in this paper are: Constructive noncooperation; Protest and persuasion; Disruptive noncooperation; and Active disruption. These clusters overlap with, but also depart in significant ways from, the widely accepted classification developed by Gene Sharp. The conceptual analyses presented here suggest directions for practical experimentation, clearly an essential although challenging next step.

This paper will present an overview of the need for a behavioral therapy that goes beyond the treatment of PTSD symptomatology. Our treatment model uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to address a diverse group of problems that can often be considered under the umbrella of experiential avoidance. Experiential avoidance is the unwillingness or inability of an individual to remain in contact with distressing private events. Often, individuals take deliberate steps to avoid these unpleasant emotions and these increased attempts to avoid them serve to increase the frequency and intensity of the distressing feelings. Experiential avoidance is a process that some survivors of sexual abuse or assault engage in to reduce their distress, but it is thought that this increases their risk of subsequent additional victimization (Rosenthal, Rasmussen-Hall, Palm, Batten, S. & Follette, 2006). Treatment that focuses on reducing avoidance and increasing behaviors consistent with valued life goals is an essential alternative to traditional exposure therapy for trauma. While exposure therapy has clearly documented positive outcomes, additional treatment for unresolved trauma related issues is often not available. Treatment goals focused on prevention of re-victimization and behavioral activation in accordance with client-identified values will be discussed.

Joint attention was first described in the cognitive-developmental literature in the seventies, and descriptions of autism-specific deficiencies in joint attention skills started to appear in the late eighties. More than 20 years passed before publication of first behavioral intervention studies in that area. Although these studies apparently demonstrated that joint attention skills could be directly trained, follow-up measures indicated that the effects were quite transient. Contrived reinforcers used during training are not likely to follow behavior in the natural environment. An operant analysis of joint attention phenomena suggests that joint attention as displayed in typically developing children is established and maintained by generalized conditioned reinforcers such as others’ changing of gaze direction, nodding, smiling, commenting, etc. The presentation will discuss natural sources of joint attention phenomena and argue for the change of focus from the direct teaching of joint attention behavior to the sources of generalized conditioned reinforcers and the importance of arranging contingencies through which such reinforcers may acquire their function. Moreover, the presentation will discuss how joint attention phenomena seem to be directly interwoven with verbal behavior.

Standing up in front of a professional audience and presenting behavior analytic research can be a daunting task. This panel is designed to provide young professionals with an opportunity to learn from highly seasoned and effective presenters. Panelists will demonstrate and discuss their presenting repertoire with an emphasis placed on specific behaviors that attendees can target to enhance their own presentations. Topics discussed will include but are not limited to the design of visual aids, the importance of attending to the audience, and methods of organizing content. In addition, attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions and interact with the panel.

Ursids (bears) and felids (cats) are popular animals found at zoos. Both also face a number of challenges. Restrictions in the ability to search for food are correlated with inactivity and/or stereotypies. As a result, zoos spend a considerable amount of time providing enrichment and designing exhibits. The following symposium covers three projects that examined the activity of 3 species of animals located at the Woodland Park Zoo. Initially all three projects examined the activity and type of enclosure substrates used by two sun and sloth bears, and two Sumatran tigers located in three separate exhibits. The next phase involved using reversal designs to test temporary enrichment devices that could be incorporated into their future permanent structures. Both projects will be discussed in terms of how we can use these results to assess and improve their exhibits. In addition, we will discuss how the bear/tiger results are being used to guide the creation of their new exhibits. Given that exhibits are typically designed based on knowledge of natural histories of a species and personal anecdote, all three studies will be discussed with this new concept of using data to help guide the design process.

One of way of measuring welfare in a captive environment is to compare the activity budget of the captive individuals to activity budgets of their wild counterparts. In this study, we sought to collect data on the behaviors and exhibit use of the four gray wolves at Woodland Park Zoofor two periods, April-May 2011, and April-May 2012. We looked to see how the activity budget of the captive pack changed after a year’s break in data collection, and whether it moved toward, or farther from, a reported wild budget. Percent of time in an area was to be used as another indicator of exhibit welfare. Instantaneous scan sampling was done every 30 seconds for one-hour periods. At each interval, the wolves’ behavior and location was recorded. The differences between the activity budgets for the wild, 2011 and 2012 were all significant. Changes in area usage between 2011 and 2012 were also significant. Inactivity had the biggest difference, with it increasing from 2011 and 2012. In light of this finding, more research should be done with enrichment to see if the pack’s activity budget can be moved closer to the wild counterpart.

The Northern Treeshrew (Tuapaia belangeri) is found abundantly in many forest ranges in South-east Asia. Consequently, as the assessment of Northern Treeshrew and 13 of the other 17 Tupaia species in captivity isn’t dire, the information regarding potential behavioral problems arising from captivity hasn’t been studied (Han, Duckwort, & Molur, 2008). Until the 1980s, treeshrews were recognized as primates (Sargis 2004, pg. 56). Evidence suggests that primates can be traced back to ancestors resembling treeshrews (Gebo 2004). The issue of primate-like animals being kept in captivity is the potential development of stereotypic activities behaviors (Blaney & Wells, 2004; Bourgeois & Brent, 2005). A stereotypy is defined by Mason et al. (2007) as a repetitive action without an obvious function. In many primate species, stereotypies induced by captivity are well documented, especially those affected by the visibility of the viewer (Blaney & Wells, 2004; Bourgeois & Brent, 2005; Choo et al., 2011). Fuchs and Schumacher found that exposing Northern Treeshrews to increased stress led to decreased melatonin secretion (1989), but the behavioral responses to altered enzyme activity were not examined. As potentially destructive stereotypies have been observed in the closely related order of primates, but no diagnostic studies have been conducted to identify stereotypies in treeshrews, I collected data on the Northern Treeshrews of the Woodland Park Zoo in order to address this informational void. By examining the activity patterns and exhibit usage of the treeshrews, I hoped to identify any problematic behaviors and activity patterns

This study tested the effects of a novel foraging tray enrichment device on a group of two zoo-housed Golden Lion Tamarins. The group received the foraging tray device in three conditions: as an empty object, as a raisin feeder and as a mealworm feeder. We examined how filling the device with food rewards changed the Golden Lion Tamarins activity levels, particularly foraging activities, as well as compared the different behavioral changes associated with the different types of food rewards. We also examined if habituation occurred when the animals grew accustomed to the novel device and if changing the food reward would reverse habituation effects. Several important results came from the data. Filling the device with food created significant behavioral changes from baseline data for the first half-hour, decreasing time spent inactive. The two food items, however, showed different trends for enriching behavioral changes. This study supports the idea found in previous studies that zoo-housed animals should be given enrichment to evoke naturalistic behaviors, but we suggest that more thought should be given to which specific food reward is placed in an enrichment device.

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The symposium includes a series of presentations on the effects of treating repetitive behaviors and perseverative interests on engagement in collateral behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. For the first presentation, Camargo et al. will present a study in which abolishing operations for stereotypy produced by using behavioral indicators of satiation reduced engagement in stereotypy and increased engagement in group activities. Next, Watkins and Rapp will show how adding a response cost component to an environmental enrichment intervention may reduce engagement in stereotypy and also increase item engagement. Then, Lanovaz et al. will discuss the results of a study that examined the effects of noncontingent music on the effectiveness of prompts to increase functional play, which showed that in most cases, music facilitated or at least did not interfere with the intervention to increase play. Finally, Davenport et al. will present data on a study that paired perseverative interests with age appropriate toys to increase manding and decrease engagement in challenging behavior. Each presenter will discuss the results in terms of identifying and implementing interventions that reduces engagement in repetitive behavior while simultaneously producing desirable changes in collateral behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorders.

Environmental enrichment (EE) has been shown effective at ameliorating stereotypy in some persons diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but ineffective with others. The purpose of this study was to extend Keeney, Fisher, Adelinis, and Wilder (2000) and Falcomata, Roane, Hovanetz, Kettering, and Keeney (2004) by assessing the immediate and subsequent effects of EE as a stand-alone tactic and when combined with response cost (RC) for 6 participants diagnosed with ASD using a 2-component multiple-schedule design. Environmental enrichment failed to decrease any participant's targeted stereotypy to any clinical extent; however, when combined with RC, the two tactics in tandem decreased the immediate engagement in targeted stereotypy for 5 of 6 participants. Additionally, item engagement (a participant's interaction with an enriching stimulus) increased for 4 of 6 participants during RC. After the withdrawal of RC, increases in stereotypy were not observed for 4 of 5 participants. Some possible conceptualizations of the behavior changes produced are discussed.

In a previous study, we showed that noncontingent music may reduce vocal stereotypy and alter engagement in functional play in children with autism spectrum disorders. However, these changes in functional play were not necessarily socially significant or in the desired direction. In these cases, adding a prompting procedure for functional play may be necessary. Thus, we examined the immediate and subsequent effects of noncontingent music on vocal stereotypy and functional play during the implementation of prompting for appropriate play. Data collection is ongoing, but our preliminary results with the first3 participants suggest that noncontingent music reduced immediate engagement in vocal stereotypy and did not hinder the effects of prompting. Furthermore, noncontingent music may increase the immediate and subsequent effectiveness of prompting on functional play and reduce the number of prompts that need to be provided. The results will be discussed in terms of using noncontingent music to facilitate the implementation of interventions with children who display vocal stereotypy.

Children with autism frequently exhibit restrictive and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. These perseverative interests may be stigmatizing and often complicate behavioral interventions. A 4-year-old boy with autism who perseverated on pictures of long narrow objects (e.g., telephone poles and tree trunks) participated in this study. During mand training, the participant would only request long and narrow objects or pictures of those objects. When age appropriate toys were used as mand targets the child engaged in challenging behavior and did not mand. This study investigated a pairing intervention designed to increase the child's preference for age appropriate toys. Anapplied behavior analysisdesign embedded within a multiple baseline design was used. Results showed an increase in manding for age appropriate toys and a decrease in challenging behavior during manding sessions involving those toys. Additionally, preference assessments conducted pre and post suggest an increase in the child's preference for age appropriate toys and parent ratings suggest the child was happier following intervention. Directions for future research involving ameliorating complications to behavioral interventions caused by perseverative interests are discussed.

A pediatric feeding disorder is defined as a child not consuming enough food to gain weight and grow. As a result, children diagnosed with feeding disorders can fail to thrive and meet physical developmental milestones and are at greater risk for cognitive developmental impairments. For all children developing, food consumption can impact learning. For children diagnosed with autism, many of whom have cognitive impairments; food consumption is paramount to maximize learning potential. The purpose of these studies is to investigate the effectiveness of a multicomponent behavioural feeding treatment plan consisting of increasing food consumption, decreasing escape behaviours and systematically shaping the types and textures of foods from puree to solids. The investigators will measure food consumption and calorie intake, escape behavior frequency (e.g. head turning, hand pushing spoon away, gagging, and vomiting) and food types and textures. Essentially, we wish to investigate how to effectively increase food consumption and whether the feeding behavior can be maintained and generalized to the participant's natural environment.

A feeding disorder can occur when a child does not consume a sufficient volume of food to gain weight and grow normally. As a result, children diagnosed with feeding disorders can fail to thrive and meet physical developmental milestones and are at greater risk for cognitive developmental impairments. For all children developing, food consumption can impact learning. For children diagnosed with autism, many of whom have cognitive impairments; food consumption is paramount to maximize learning potential. Feeding disorders are serious with many implications, and as such, it is imperative that the behavioural treatment plan is individualized. The purpose of this study was to decrease escape behaviours exhibited during food refusal of a child diagnosed with autism and a feeding disorder. The treatment plan included data collection on head turning, hand pushing spoon, gagging, and vomiting behaviours. A level spoon was placed at the top of the child's lip and remained there until the bite was accepted. The child was required to swallow a bite before the next bite was presented and was required to swallow the last bite presented before the session was terminated, as was determined by the amount established through data collected at baseline.

A pediatric feeding disorder is defined as a child not consuming enough food to gain weight and grow. The purpose of the current study is to effectively increase food and calorie consumption of a 6-year-old boy diagnosed with autism. Furthermore, the individualized treatment plan involves data collection on percentage of food acceptance, calorie intake, child's weight, and duration of meal. Four foods were presented during each feeding session and the order the foods presented varied randomly within and across the sessions. Foods were initially presented in a puree texture and enriched with a high-calorie supplement such as cream and butter. Two feeding sessions were conducted daily. Initially, all feeding sessions occurred in the treatment centre and were approximately 3-hours apart. The feeder presented a bite of food and the s(d) "take a bite." Bites were presented approximately every 30 seconds.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the feeding behaviour could be maintained and generalized to the participants natural environment. The treatment involved nutrition education, food preparation training, and simple data recording for parents, all of which are important components to maintaining feeding behaviours in order to meet child developmental milestones. Consumption data was measured after each session and behaviours were coded via videotape at a later date. Food was prepared using a blender or food processor and systematically increased in gradient from puree to solid. The puree phase was conducted in the clinical setting to fade the contrived components of the treatment plan such as: high chair, second prompter, reinforcement schedule, etc. Further phases are to be implemented such as: increased textures and volume to be introduced in the clinical setting and generalized to other environments the child will be expected to eat (i.e., home). Training consisted of providing nutritional information, modeling, verbal instructions and in the moment feedback; all of which were provided in the treatment centre and the childs home. Further generalization of this elaborate treatment plan is ongoing.

The talks presented in this symposium will celebrate the contributions of Charles R Schuster, known by everyone as Bob, to behavioral pharmacology by colleagues who directly trained with him. One of Bob's major contributions was the development of the drug self-administration paradigm demonstrating that drugs abused by humans could serve as positive reinforcers in non-human primates. Later, he extended this model of drug-taking behavior to humans. The findings that drugs were similar to other reinforcers in their ability to control behavior completely changed the conceptualization of drug abuse and the paradigm became a major component of the field of behavioral pharmacology. It also allowed the application of the tools and findings of behavioral analysis to further the understanding of the determinants of drug-taking behavior. A major variable controlling self-administration was the availability and nature of alternative reinforcers. In this symposium, each of the four talks will focus on the impact of alternative reinforcers on self-administration behavior. The final talk will demonstrate how the experimental findings in both in non-humans and humans have stimulated the development of innovative behavioral treatments for drug abuse

Those interested in behavioral pharamcology, in methods of the experimental analysis of behavior, and in the history of behavior analysis.

• Idenitfy Charles R. Schuster's immense contributions to behavior analysis, behavioral pharmacology, and science in general.
• Articulate his contributions to the study of drug abuse and to the development of methods to treat drug abuse.

Much of behavior, including self-administration of abused drugs, may be conceptualized as involving a choice among available alternatives. Laboratory research involving non-humans has substantially contributed to our understanding of the behavioral determinants of drug choice. It has been demonstrated that the relative magnitude drug and non-drug alternatives, as well relative cost, frequency and probability of reinforcement can all influence the choice to take a drug. In recent experiments, we have found that introducing a delay between the self-administration response and drug delivery can diminish the effectiveness of a drug as a reinforcer. Similarly, delaying the delivery of punisher can decrease the effectiveness of punishment of drug self-administration. For both reinforcement and punishment, the relationship between delay and effectiveness was well predicted by a hyperbolic discounting function. Thus, research with non-humans has much to contribute to our understanding of behavioral factors that can influence drug self-administration. By extension, basic research with non-humans can help suggest behavioral treatment strategies that may be useful alone or in conjunction with pharmacological treatment.

Schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP) is a form of adjunctive behavior that is generated when small proportions of food are delivered under intermittent schedules of reinforcement. The term was coined by John Falk and emphasizes both excessiveness (polydipsia) and the adjunctive relationship to the generating schedule (induced). Although most adjunctive behaviors rapidly dissipate when the induction schedule is terminated, SIP using an alcohol solution may establish a lifetime of robust, heavy alcohol self-administration. In other words, SIP can be used to establish alcohol intoxication (indicated by a blood ethanol concentration of >80 mg/dl) as a primary reinforcer. In monkeys subjected to SIP as an initial introduction to ethanol self-intoxication there are individual differences in the probability of future heavy drinking. Using a principal component analysis, the most robust predictor of future heavy drinking is the emergence of rapidly drinking (gulping) a six-drink equivalent (1.5 g/kg) under the SIP conditions. The monkeys that gulp alcohol during SIP subsequently self-administer enough alcohol to produce physical dependence. In contrast, monkey that sip their six-drink equivalent rarely drink an intoxicating dose. It is proposed that the gulping phenotype reflects the reinforcing efficacy of alcohol intoxication and probability of lifetime dependence upon alcohol.

Opportunity cost (OC) is a key concept in behavioral economics. OC refers to the total value (including explicit and implicit time and money) of alternative options that are foregone (not chosen). The study of OC involves understanding relations between choice and scarcity of options available to the individual. This is central to addictive behavior because substance abusers (particularly those who are physically dependent) habitually make choices that sacrifice access to non-drug alternatives. This talk will discuss (1) experimental data with heroin and cocaine abusers that illustrate this concept; and (2) implications for therapeutic approaches to schedule alternatives that may increase the probability of addictive behavior change.

This presentation will describe a program of research to develop an operant treatment for drug addiction that was heavily influenced by Charles R. Schuster (Bob). Bob, Kenzie Preston, and I began this research at NIDA's Addiction Research Center in Baltimore in the early 1990s. Our studies showed that voucher reinforcement in which patients received monetary vouchers contingent on providing drug-free urine samples could promote cocaine and heroin abstinence in low-income, injection drug users in methadone treatment. Although promising, half of the patients did not respond and many who did relapsed when the voucher intervention was discontinued. Influenced and encouraged by early discussions with Bob, my colleagues and I have been developing an intervention designed to promote abstinence in a large proportion of patients and maintain that abstinence over extended periods of time. The intervention harnesses the reinforcing value of paid employment to finance and maintain abstinence reinforcement. Under this intervention, individuals are hired and paid to work. To reinforce abstinence, participants are required to provide objective evidence of drug abstinence to maintain access to the workplace and maintain maximum pay. This presentation will describe this research program and discuss Bobs invaluable role in the development and future of this intervention.

While behavior analysis emphasizes the functions of behavioral and environmental events, it does not always have the ability to control these functions directly. In addition, the sheer quantity or scale of behavior can impede effective analysis and control. The purpose of this symposium is to explore some implications of these issues, and to suggest strategies that meld behavioral solutions with discoveries in conceptually related areas of psychology, Ecological Psychology in particular. The accusation that behavioral treatments cause long-term problems because they exceed ordinary behavior interactions in temporal intensity is given perspective by comparing what happens in an intervention for autism with the amount of behavior of children engaged in ordinary activities. The use of pre-existing behavioral structures to enhance the effectiveness of behavioral weight management programs is explored within the context of a family systems analysis. The manipulation of the physical structure of the environment to achieve small and large scale behavior changes, as expressed in classic works of design and books such as Big School, Small School, is shown to be a useful adjunct to direct contingency management. By looking to Ecological Psychology we discover important facts about the power of pre-existing environmental structures, and get a better perspective on not just the amount of behavior we must deal with, but the vast number of behavioral opportunities we have to effect socially important behavior change.

Critics have claimed that Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention causes Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in children with autism. The intensity of the inventionnumerous learning trials in relatively short periods of timesupposedly cause stress that becomes evident later in life. The current study aims to show that Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention is unlikely to cause Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or other anxiety disorders by examining the number of behaviors performed by a child with autism during Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention and compare it to the number of behaviors a typically developing child emits throughout a day. Children with autism have difficulty learning the way children are typically taught; behavioral therapists have to break down skills and teach them step-by-step. Using behavioral techniques to teach skills creates a learning environment filled with effective and functional reinforcement. Coding for the measure of a typical childs everyday behaviors was obtained from Barker and Wrigthts (1966) One Boys Day, which captures in narrative form every behavior a child emits in a day. The Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention data was obtained from educational and research video recordings produced by a well-respected Midwestern center for behavioral interventions. Interrater reliability was obtained on both measures of at least 90%. We predict that a typically developing child's rate of behavior will exceed or equal the rate of behaviors completed in intensive behavioral therapy. The results show that children in early intensive intervention exhibited on average lower rates of behaviors per minute compared to that of the typical childs rate of behavior. Therefore, intensive behavior therapy is not normatively intensive, and is not likely to cause problems such as stress.

Prevalence of obesity in the United States is rising at astonishing rates. Researchers and practitioners have realized little treatment success; however, interventions targeting behavior change show promise. Behavioral interventions for weight management target knowledge, skills, and performance. Self-monitoring is a key element of traditional treatment aimed at increasing awareness of caloric intake and expenditure such that a motivated client can make effective changes in diet and activity. Stimulus control has received far less attention as an element of treatment despite the rich exposure to robust controls for unhealthy eating choices and sedentary behavior that fill a typical day. Creating an environment that is supportive of weight management/loss can present multiple challenges. Individuals may not have sufficient social support or financial resources to make significant ecological changes within the home environment. Furthermore, limiting the impact of controls outside of the home largely involves changing the way that one interacts with his or her environment. In this presentation, use of stimulus control in the treatment of adolescent obesity will be discussed as a core treatment element and as a primary treatment element when self-monitoring is not feasible.

Behavior analysis is unparalleled in its ability to identify and manipulate environmental contingencies to produce useful outcomes in individuals. But as good as it is at the individual level, it might fall short in recognizing the enormous amount of behavior that any individual emits and the level of behavior control exerted on individuals by the large-scale behavioral ecology. That is, we behavior analysts tend to favor micromanaging behavior--largely because we are asked to do exactly that, at least implicitly, in most of the behavior challenges we are given to solve. Yet, when our interventions move beyond the individual, or involve individuals who can easily move beyond the reach of our contingencies, we often find ourselves wanting. Another non-mediational psychology, Ecological Psychology, deals with environmental contingencies on a macro level, and manages degrees of behavior control at the macro level comparable to what behavior analysts achieve with the behavior of individuals. Although far less specific in its mechanisms, Ecological Psychologys uncompromising objectivity and non-mentalistic approach should make it conceptually interesting to behavior analysts. Its fundamental pragmatism should be attractive to those working on applied issues. This presentation will highlight some aspects of Ecological Psychology that could be usefully incorporated into behavioral solutions--particularly the use of the physical structure of behavior settings and the topography of behavior objects to control large amounts of behavior that could not be easily managed by the direct manipulation of contingencies.

The use of behavioral economics in applied behavior analysis has long been applied to understand areas of study such as addiction, gambling, and consumption. More recently, the application of behavioral economics has been extended to the treatment of individuals with developmental disabilities. Researchers have begun to manipulate such common economic concepts as unit price and pay rate to alter the behavior of individuals with disabilities, leading to more efficient skill acquisition and reductions in maladaptive. In the current symposium,4 groups of researchers have applied the principles of behavior economics to alter motivation for appropriate behavior and/or responding in skill acquisition programs. The first study examines the manipulation of the "cost" of reinforcement and "pay" for task completion to increase student completion of nonpreferred tasks. The second study considers student preference for how instructions are provided, and how directive modality is related to work output. The third investigation applies the relation between work output and size of reinforcement to the use of differential reinforcement in the classroom. The final study evaluates the use of differential reinforcement to decrease prompt dependency in a least-to-most prompting hierarchy.

The prevalence of problem behavior among individuals with autism is heightened relative to other populations (Holden & Gitlesen, 2004; Lowe, Allen, Jones, Brophy, Moore, & James, 2007). This can be especially problematic among adults with autism as challenging behavior among this population is often more intense (Hastings & Brown, 2000), more complex (Fox, Holtz, & Moist 2009), and more established in comparison to that of school-age children (Matson, 1988). Consequently, many people often avoid working with adults with developmental disabilities who exhibit challenging behavior for fear of injury (Hastings & Brown, 2000). These fears may understandably make staff less likely to use assessment and treatment procedures that would increase the likelihood of challenging behavior, even though such environmental manipulations have the most empirical support for their use. The purpose of the current investigation is to explore the utility of manipulating economic variables within the environment to address ritualistic and escape-maintained maladaptive behavior among a group of adults with autism as an alternative to traditional, potentially more dangerous forms of treatment. Preliminary results suggest that the manipulation of a cost-pay structure can be successful in treating various topographies of maladaptive behavior. These results have broad implications for the treatment of a variety of escape-maintained, complex stereotyped, ritualistic behavior and restricted interests among learners with autism across the lifespan.

The current study, which was based in behavioral economic literature, was designed to assess whether preference for mode of directive could be predicted by patterns of neuropsychological performance. In addition to a detailed case presentation analysis, we will present aggregate data for this participant and four other children diagnosed with an expressive language learning disability. Based upon neuropsychological research, it was hypothesized that the children would prefer a visual relative to verbal mode of directive. Interobserver agreement was calculated across at least 30% of all sessions and averaged 100%. Within a concurrent operant design, participants completed a series of tasks varying in both nature and degree of difficulty; for each task, participants chose either a visual or a verbal directive. Results indicate that all five participants preferred the visual directive (visual chosen = 60% of trials) relative to the verbal. Moreover, all five children completed more work (our case study participant completed eight times the work) in order to access the visual directive. Results are discussed in light of potential educational and clinical implications for children with learning disabilities.

A common recommendation in teaching skill acquisition to children with autism is to apply differential reinforcement by reserving high-quality reinforcement for unprompted responses (Sundberg & Partington, 1998). However, student response to this use of differential reinforcement may be dependent upon their ability to discriminate between high and low levels of reinforcement and their willingness to put forth more effort to gain access to high-quality reinforcement. Two students with autism were included in the current study, which assessed whether the students demonstrated preference for a large or small amount of reinforcement in a paired choice preference assessment and whether they demonstrated greater persistence in working for the larger amount of reinforcement during a progressive ratio schedule. A skill acquisition program was then taught with and without the use of differential reinforcement for unprompted responding. Both learners evidenced preference for larger amounts of reinforcement and demonstrated greater persistence during a task when reinforced with the larger amount of reinforcement than with the smaller. However, the use of differential reinforcement for responding in skill acquisition program did not have an appreciable effect on the rate of acquisition.

This symposium will be comprised of data-based presentations that describe different types of behavioral interventions to teach 3 different types of social skills to children with developmental and learning disabilities. In the first study, the authors implemented a multiple schedule arrangement in public education classrooms to participants who approached their teachers at high rates during independent work time. A multiple schedule arrangement with spoken and written rules resulted in immediate decreases in social approaches for all participants. Effects maintained with a substitute teacher and when written rules were removed. In the second study, the authors used a multiple probe design across3 board games to evaluate the effects of video modeling on social commenting of three children with autism. Results showed the number of target comments increased when video modeling was introduced and maintained at criterion level at 2-, 4-, and 6-week follow-up probes. The third study was an evaluation of a treatment package including multiple exemplar training, video modeling, prompting, and reinforcement to teach 3 adolescents with autism to help others (Reeve, Reeve, Townsend, & Poulson, 2007). Results demonstrated that all the participants acquired a repertoire of helping behavior with the application of the treatment package.

Children with autism have marked deficits in social interaction and communication including difficulty initiating play, initiating conversation, and display a lack of social reciprocity skills. These skills are necessary to be included in activities with typically developing peers. Video modeling has been shown to be effective at increasing social commenting during play in children with autism. However, no research has increased social commenting while playing a board game. This study used a multiple probe design across 3 board games to evaluate the effects of video modeling on social commenting of 3 children with autism when playing a board game. Results show the number of scripted comments increased when video modeling was introduced and maintained at criterion level at 2, 4, and 6 week follow-up, while the rate of unscripted comments decreased when video modeling was introduced. The percentage of scripted commenting for generalization across settings was generally high while generalization to other peers and games was low. Limitations and future research ideas are discussed.

In this study, a multiple baseline design across participants was used to assess whether a treatment package including multiple exemplar training, video modeling, prompting and reinforcement could teach 3 adolescents with autism to help others (Reeve, Reeve, Townsend, & Poulson, 2007). Based upon observations of typically developing adolescents, the experimenter identified 5 categories of helping behavior (i.e., distributing materials, putting items away, operating a door for others, obtaining items out of reach and locating missing items). Each category of helping behavior was represented by multiple exemplars. The participants received training on 3 of 5 helping categories. The remaining 2 categories were assessed for generalization. The results demonstrated that all the participants acquired a repertoire of helping behavior with the application of the treatment package. These results replicated those of the original (Reeve et al., 2007) study with an older population and age-appropriate helping behaviors. Generalization data were not as consistent as the original study. Pre- and post-intervention generalization probes showed some generalization across instructors, settings, and categories of helping behavior.

The accelerated independent learner (AIL) model of instruction is based on a scientific approach to teaching. The main components of this model include individualized instruction, in which student responding ultimately drives teacher instruction, measurement of student learning, and maintaining a positive classroom environment. We report data across several classrooms, which are comprised of students with and without disabilities, as well as students that are English language learners (ELL). Within these classrooms students academically perform on grade level or significantly above or below grade level. All of the curricula objectives have been derived and behaviorally defined from the state and school districts general education curriculum, which are aligned with the national common core state standards. Behavioral tactics such as peer tutoring, choral responding, fluency, and token economies are continuously applied and tested in these classrooms. In the AIL model data are summarized on learning pictures that show the cumulative number of objectives met across each content area, as well as the number of learn units it takes each student to meet an objective. We will also report data from curriculum based measures and state standard assessments. Lastly, we will report data on the induction of critical key verbal behavior developmental cusps or capabilities, such as observational learning and naming. We find that once students acquire these developmental milestones they can successfully access the general education curriculum.

In three public school classrooms, head teachers and teachers in training employ the Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis to Schooling (CABAS), Accelerated Independent Learner (AIL) Model. These classrooms are inclusion classrooms that use learn units to teach within the domains of academic literacy, self-management, and expanded community of reinforcers. In addition to these domains, teachers implement procedures in order to induce new verbal developmental cusps and capabilities that allow students to learn faster and learn in ways they could not before. Two of these capabilities include naming and observational learning. Both classrooms have implemented procedures to induce observational learning and improve the acquisition of operants through choral responding using a peer-yoked contingency game board in a group of more than 4 students. In addition, all students participate in probe procedures to identify the presence of the naming capability with both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional stimuli. These probe procedures are paramount in identifying the presence or absence of the naming capability, and allow teachers to know how students should be taught. If this capability is not present, procedures are implemented to induce it. In addition to these procedures, many research-based tactics are implemented to change performance behavior and effect student learning on both an individual and class-wide level. Some of these tactics include peer tutoring, multiple exemplar instruction, and fluency instruction.

The second and third grade Accelerated Independent Learner (AIL) classrooms operates using the Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis to Schooling (CABAS) model. This model incorporates the principles and tactics of applied behavior analysis in an inclusion classroom setting. These classes operate on approximately a 17:1:2 student-teacher-teaching assistant ratio, with approximately one third of the classroomeither diagnosed with a learning disability, basic skills (below grade level), or English language learners. Communication between these classes from year to year allow for continuity of individualized programming for each student. Several research-based behavioral tactics for both learning and performance behaviors during math, spelling, reading, and writing instruction including learn units (direct, model demonstration), response boards, choral responding, peer tutoring, precision teaching, token economies, group contingencies, and hero contingencies will be discussed. Decisions for all behaviors are data based, and follow either the AIL decision protocol or the CABAS decision protocol. We also test for and design instruction based off the presence or absence of certain verbal cusps and capabilities such as naming and observational learning.

We tested the effects of the implementation of teaching as applied behavior analysis on fourth and fifth grade general and special education students selected from an accelerated independent learner classroom. The participants attended a Title I school in a suburb of New York City. The dependent measures were the number of correct responses to learn unit presentations and the number of learn units to criterion across curricular subject areas. We also report data on the student performance on standardized state tests. Specific studies that relate to various areas of the curriculum will be presented, such as writing, reading, math, and self-management. We will also present data on behavioral tactics that have been successfully implemented to teach students who are performing below grade level.

School-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is a decision making framework that guides selection, integration, and implementation of the best evidence-based academic and behavioral practices for improving important academic and behavior outcomes for all students. SWPBS uses the principles of applied behavior analysis in the design and implementation of interventions across a multitiered system of support. The first paper will review the implementation of school-wide positive behavior supports with treatment integrity in schools and its impact on academic success and behavior climate. Data on outcomes and the factors leading to successful implementation will be presented both in the domain of implementation integrity, but also regarding behavioral reduction outcomes school-wide. Specific behavioral reduction outcomes will include reduction in office discipline referrals, and are analyzed year over year to compare before pre and post implementation. The second paper examines the impact of school-wide positive supports in a number of alternative schools serving student with emotional/behavior disorders particularly in reducing more restrictive procedures. The third paper briefly reviews the literature on classroom behavior support practices and provides a case study on its impact in a general education classroom.

School-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is a decision making framework that guides selection, integration, and implementation of the best evidence-based academic and behavioral practices for improving important academic and behavior outcomes for all students. SWPBS uses the principles of applied behavior analysis in the design and implementation of interventions across a multitiered system of support. In this first paper, the author will review the implementation of school-wide positive behavior supports with treatment integrity in schools and its impact on academic success and behavior climate. Data on outcomes and the factors leading to successful implementation will be presented both in the domain of implementation integrity, but also regarding behavioral reduction outcomes school-wide. Specific behavioral reduction outcomes will include reduction in office discipline referrals, and are analyzed year over year to compare before pre and post implementation. Using PBIS, a behavior analyst at a macro level can examine school-wide data to provide a functional examination to system level interventions that help prevent and reduce behavioral problems for a large number of students.

Student problem behavior including disruptive, defiant and off task behavior within classrooms greatly impact on the ability of students to achieve academic success. This paper will briefly review classroom behavior support practices within the context of a SWPBS plan. It includes the use of surveying common features of effective classroom management to determine which features need to be taught, modeled, and reinforced to support the implementation as part of Universal Practices. In addition, when these features are not successful, support can often include a brief functional assessment as a method to systematically evaluate the classroom environment in order to design, implement and evaluate effective classroom-wide behavioral support practices. An example of the implementation of a classwide behavior support plan designed and implemented by regular education teacher will be presented. This example will indicate the problem solving process involving data relative to outcomes in addition to implementation of effective classroom management features. Data will be presented improvements in teacher instructional skills as well as student on task behavior and office disciplinary referrals.

Training staff to be effective and lasting behavior change agents is a cogent, but often-overlooked endeavor. Research has demonstrated the use of multiple component training programs can be effective in developing staff performance; however, most of the training programs depend upon the use of instructions, modeling, role- play, and feedback. The first paper, entitled "Staff Training on Naturalistic Teaching Strategies: A Component Analysis," specifically addressed the necessity of various training components (i.e., feedback and modeling). Recently an alternative approach to staff training has been through the use of a video scoring procedure. The second paper, entitled "Using Video Scoring to Train Staff to Implement 3-Step Guided Compliance, Differential Reinforcement and Extinction," evaluated the effects of including video scoring as a component in staff training. Most research related to staff performance addresses initial training, however, the third paper, entitled "The Impact of Collecting Performance Feedback Data on the Treatment Integrity of the Data Collector," looks at how the use of performance feedback can increase maintenance of skills with respect to implementing a specific procedure. Finally, Keith Allen will provide an insightful discussion of the three papers as well as the general area of staff training.

Generally a number of procedures are utilized to train staff on how to implement behavioral procedures, naturalistic teaching strategies (NTS) is no exception. Given the importance of presenting a high number of learning trials when working with children with autism, we conducted a component analysis to examine the effects of modeling and feedback on staffs' abilities to utilize NTS when working with these children. Specifically, we measured the presentation rate of teaching opportunities a skills trainer presented to the child within the context of play after various staff training components. Four skills trainers who needed additional training in NTS were divided into 2 groups. One group received instructions and modeling first and if they did not meet criteria, feedback was added. The other group received instructions and feedback first, and if they did not meet criteria, modeling was added. Initial results indicate that although the skills trainers improved with either instructions plus feedback or instructions plus modeling, they did not meet competency until they received all3 components (instructions plus modeling plus feedback or instructions plus feedback plus modeling). Implications and future research regarding staff training will be discussed

Staff training methodologies such as workshops, modeling, and feedback have been investigated extensively in the research literature. In recent years, video scoring as an alternative training methodology was proposed in the occupational safety arena (e.g., Alvero & Austin, 2004; Nielsen, Sigurdsson, & Austin, 2009). The preliminary data suggested that video scoring was an effective alternative training methodology. In video scoring, participants are required to observe and then score a video. Scoring is completed across number dimensions and usually includes scoring whether or not the model implemented the procedures correctly. Video scoring staff training procedures is quite different from training procedures in which modeling and feedback are used since in the ladder procedures, trainees are only required to observe the model. The added active scoring component is thought to promote better attention to the model and thereby better learning. In the current study, the effectiveness of workshops, video modeling, and video scoring plus scoring feedback were evaluated in a multiple-baseline design. Staff in a classroom serving students with special needs and behavior problems were trained to implement3 commonly used behavior management strategies, (1) 3-step guided compliance, (2) differential reinforcement of alternative behavior, and (3) extinction. Results indicated that workshops led to a moderate improvement in performance, while video modeling resulted in further improvements. These improvements were not signification enough to reach mastery criterion. The value of using video scoring plus scoring feedback to teach multicomponent behavior management strategies to paraprofessional staff will be discussed. In addition, suggestions regarding the effective use of video scoring as a staff training methodology will be provided.

Integrity is a common concern in treatment settings. Surprisingly, research has shown experienced supervisors to be as vulnerable to treatment drift as novice staff. Research on performance feedback has been repeatedly demonstrated as an effective way to respond to treatment drift and increase levels of treatment integrity; however, studies have primarily focused on a target subject without examining ancillary effects on the data collector. This study used a multiple-baseline design to evaluate the extent to which supervisor treatment integrity improved as a function of collecting performance feedback data on a staff member. Participants were supervisors in a day treatment center for young children with behavior problems and were responsible for delivering services to children in addition to managing staff. Data confirm that supervisor treatment integrity is susceptible to drift and suggests that integrity increases significantly when the supervisor is instructed to collect data on a staff member. Implications are discussed.

The use of indirect assessments in the identification of function for challenging behavior can be beneficial in informing assessment and treatment. In this symposium, the utility of various indirect assessments will be discussed. First, a comparison of the Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF) to Experimental Functional Analysis (EFA) in school settings will be presented, with particular emphasis on the utility of the QABF in clarifying inconclusive functional analyses. Next, a comparison between the QABF, the Questions About Behavioral Function—Mental Illness (QABF-MI), EFA, and concurrent operant assessments in persons with dual diagnosis will be presented. The clinical usefulness, particularly of the QABF or the QABF-MI for this specialized population will be discussed. The third presentation will be an evaluation of a novel assessment developed to measure severity of problem behavior, The Problem Behavior Severity Scale (PBSS). The clinical significance of this tool will be discussed. Finally, Robert LaRue will provide a synthesis and discussion of the utility of indirect assessments in the treatment of problem behavior and the need for continued development of tools to measure variables critical to identification of behavioral function.

Experimental functional analysis (EFA) is designed to simulate the conditions in the natural environment (Iwata et al., 1982). However, it can often pose a challenge to clinicians faced with limited resources in public school settings. Because of these challenges, descriptive methods alone and in combination with indirect assessments are routinely used in many classrooms. Indirect assessments in particular, provide an efficient way to determine the nature of the variables that maintain aberrant behaviors while circumventing the need for additional staff training or resources. One such indirect measure is the Questions About Behavior Function (QABF) (Matson & Vollmer, 2000). The purpose of this study was to examine the concordance between the QABF and EFA in 7 students with autism spectrum disorders presenting with aberrant behaviors (e.g., physical aggression, self-injury). The results of the QABF indicated escape as a primary function for all but 1 student. However, EFA showed an escape function for only half of the 7 students; the remaining students' results were either different from those obtained from the QABF, undifferentiated, or the frequency of the aberrant behaviors was too low to ascertain a clear function. The QABF appears to be an ecologically valid measure that may elucidate inconclusive EFA.

There is very little research regarding the comparison of indirect versus direct assessments with individuals with dual diagnosis. Indirect assessments such as the Questions about Behavioral Function Scale (QABF) and the Questions about Behavioral Function in Mental Illness (QABF-MI) have been used as an alternative to functional analysis (FA) as a way to determine the function of behaviors for individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental illness, respectively. Although FAs are the gold standard, individuals with a dual diagnosis are a unique population that can often display challenging behaviors (e.g., high intensity aggression), which can result in a variety of barriers to conducting an FA such as safety or difficulty with identification of variables to assess. Six individuals with dual diagnosis participated in this study. A comparison of FA's and concurrent operant assessments to QABF, QABF-MI, was completed. Results indicated a high, but not perfect correspondence between all measures used for 4 of 6 participants. Additionally, results indicated little to no measurable difference between the QABF and the QABF-MI for these individuals. Results will be discussed in terms of implications for use of indirect assessment in this unique population and additional variables to consider for future research.

The severity of problem behavior is a key factor in triage and placement decisions. Although a few standardized rating scales provide information about the severity of problem behavior, they are not ideally suited to this purpose for individuals with developmental disabilities who exhibit severe behavior. The Problem Behavior Severity Scale (PBSS) was developed to provide an objective measure of the severity of problem behavior as it relates to injury to self or others, property destruction, and the level of intervention or staff required to safely intervene. The PBSS was administered to 285 individuals by a trained clinician who completes intake evaluations for intensive and community-based behavior programs. A severity score produced by the PBSS score was used to determine the appropriate level of intervention. Results were compared to recommendations from clinicians knowledgeable about the case. The clinicians and PBSS produced the same recommendation for 87% of the individuals. Disagreements were analyzed to determine which recommendation (PBSS or clinician) was more appropriate, as determined by successful completion of one program or a referral to a different program. Recommendations from the clinicians were more appropriate for 6%, where as the severity score from the PBSS was more appropriate for 1%.