Association for Behavior Analysis International

The Association for Behavior Analysis International® (ABAI) is a nonprofit membership organization with the mission to contribute to the well-being of society by developing, enhancing, and supporting the growth and vitality of the science of behavior analysis through research, education, and practice.

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37th Annual Convention; Denver, CO; 2011

Program by Continuing Education Events: Monday, May 30, 2011


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Invited Tutorial #326
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Applied Behavior Analysis in the Zoological Environment
Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–9:50 AM
Korbel Ballroom 2A (Convention Center)
Area: AAB/PRA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
PSY/BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: Kenneth Ramirez, Other
Chair: Christy A. Alligood (Disney's Animal Kingdom)
Presenting Authors: : KENNETH T. RAMIREZ (John G. Shedd Aquarium)
Abstract:

In the last several decades the use of applied behavior principles has grown in importance and sophistication in the zoo and aquarium world. The modern zoological facility often employs a curator level position to oversee behavior management and enrichment programs. Although the basic principles and theories used in zoos and aquariums are not new to the community of behavior analysts, the practical applications and techniques are just emerging and becoming more commonplace in the zoological world. Early application of training principles was primarily used in shows and educational programming. Skilled practitioners of applied behavior principles have also been instrumental in improving animal health care through training exotic animals to assist in their own medical treatment. Perhaps most notable is the increased used of operant and classical conditioning principles in improving the effectiveness of enrichment practices, expanding research capabilities, and advancing wildlife conservation programs. These examples will be used to highlight the growing role of applied behavior analysis in providing excellent animal care.

 
KENNETH T. RAMIREZ (John G. Shedd Aquarium)
Ken Ramirez is the executive vice-president of animal collections and animal training, develops and supervises animal care programs, staff training and development as well as public presentation programs for the entire animal collection at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. A 30+ year veteran of animal care and training, Ken is a biologist and animal behaviorist who has worked both as a behavioral curator and as a consultant to many zoo and aquarium programs throughout the world. He began his training career working with guide dogs for the visually impaired and has maintained a close affiliation to pet training throughout his career. He hosted two successful seasons of the pet training television series Talk to the Animals that compared pet training to the important work done with training and caring for animals in zoological facilities. He has also recently worked closely with several search and rescue dog organizations, service dog groups, as well as with bomb and narcotic dogs.
 
 
Invited Tutorial #327
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Improving Practitioners' Access to and Experience With the Research Literature
Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–9:50 AM
Four Seasons 4 (Convention Center)
Area: DDA/AUT; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
PSY/BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: James Carr, Ph.D.
Chair: Jennifer M. Asmus (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Presenting Authors: : JAMES E. CARR (Auburn University)
Abstract:

The profession of applied behavior analysis has undergone a number of exciting changes in recent years. The demand for our services, growth of the certification program, and development of new graduate programs have all combined to increase the number of new behavior analytic practitioners. In fact, there are currently approximately 8,000 individuals who hold certification in behavior analysis, an increase of several thousand from just a few years ago. Despite historical and ethical obligations to base behavior analytic practice on peer-reviewed evidence, a number of barriers sometimes make this difficult. For example, a number of clinically relevant experimental questions have not yet been answered in the literature. In addition, although the behavioral literature is replete with examples of effective treatment, there is a paucity of peer-reviewed published guidance on how to select these treatments given specific clinical circumstances. Finally, although graduate students in behavior analysis often receive training on how to critically consume the research literature, there are a number of obstacles to their access to the literature after graduation. In this presentation, I will describe several scholarly mechanisms through which behavioral scientists and senior clinicians can influence the behavior of new practitioners. Examples will be provided in the areas of developing clinical decision-making guidelines assisting practitioners in accessing the research literature.

 
JAMES E. CARR (Auburn University)
James E. Carr, Ph.D., BCBA-D is an associate professor of psychology at Auburn University and co-director of its applied behavior analysis graduate program. His current research and clinical interests include the behavioral treatment of autism and intellectual disabilities, verbal behavior, and practitioner training. Dr. Carr has published over 100 scientific articles and is currently a member of the boards of directors of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. He is currently an associate editor of the journals Behavior Analysis and Practice and The Behavior Analyst and is a past associate editor of Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. Dr. Carr received his Ph.D. in 1996 from Florida State University and previously served on the psychology faculties at University of Nevada-Reno (1996-1999) and Western Michigan University (1999-2008).
 
 
Invited Paper Session #328
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

Why Private Events Are a Mistake

Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–9:50 AM
607 (Convention Center)
Area: DEV; Domain: Theory
CE Instructor: William Baum, Ph.D.
Chair: Hayne W. Reese (West Virginia University)
WILLIAM M. BAUM (University of California, Davis)
William M. Baum received his A.B. in psychology from Harvard College in 1961. Originally a biology major, he switched into psychology after taking courses from B. F. Skinner and R. J. Herrnstein in his freshman and sophomore years. He returned to Harvard University for graduate study in 1962, where he was supervised by Herrnstein and received his Ph.D. in 1966. He spent the year 1965-66 at Cambridge University, studying ethology at the Sub-Department of Animal Behavior. From 1966 to 1975, he held appointments as post-doctoral fellow, research associate, and assistant professor at Harvard University. He spent two years at the NIH Laboratory for Brain, Evolution, and Behavior and then accepted an appointment in psychology at University of New Hampshire in 1977. He retired from there in 1999. He currently has an appointment as Associate Researcher at University of California, Davis and lives in San Francisco. His research concerns choice, molar behavior-environment relations, foraging, and behaviorism. He is the author of a book, Understanding Behaviorism: Behavior, Culture, and Evolution.
Abstract:

Private events present a dilemma for behavior analysis. On one hand, their reality seems manifest; everyone thinks, senses, and feels. On the other hand, their privacy is problematic for a science of behavior, because one cannot observe them in another creature. Even if we allow that privacy is accidental-only the result of absence of technology-the problem remains, because private events in another creature can only be inferred and therefore are as hypothetical as any mental construct. We may clarify the problem by examining three examples: waiting, hearing, and pain. From these, we see that the problem arises when one asks what a person is doing at a particular moment. Behavior analysts have sometimes tried to distinguish one momentary activity from another by appealing to private events, a move no better than folk psychology. The solution to the problem appears when we see that the phrase "momentary behavior" is an oxymoron. Behavior is temporally extended by its nature, and asking what a person is doing at a moment is a pseudo-question, akin to asking how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Extended patterns of behavior produce observable, measurable, results. Applying this insight to the examples of waiting, hearing, and pain, we see how it removes the need to talk about private events at all.

 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #329
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

Constraint-Induced Therapy: The Use of Operant Training to Produce New Treatments in Neurorehabilitation

Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–9:50 AM
401/402 (Convention Center)
Area: SCI; Domain: Experimental Analysis
CE Instructor: Edward Taub, Ph.D.
Chair: Timothy D. Hackenberg (Reed College)
EDWARD TAUB (University of Alabama at Birmingham)
Edward Taub is a University Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is a behavioral neuroscientist whose original training was in behavior analysis at Columbia University. His first mentor was Fred Keller followed by Joseph V. Brady. The initial research he carried out employed primates given surgical abolition of somatic sensation of the forelimbs (i.e., deafferentation); it demonstrated that sensory feedback and spinal reflexes are not necessary for the learning and performance of behavior. This work gave rise to the development of CI therapy for the improvement of impaired movement associated with different types of damage to the central nervous system in humans such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. A variant is also used for language in aphasic patients. The primate research and the CI therapy family of treatments are based on the use of behavior analysis methodology. Dr. Taub has received several major awards for this work and is currently Retiring Chair of Section J (Psychology) of AAAS.
Abstract:

Constraint-induced (CI) therapy is a family of neurorehabilitation treatments that involve shaping and other behavioral procedures to substantially improve motor deficits produced by brain damage. Its main application has been to stroke patients, but the basic procedure has also been used with patients with traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis, and modified protocols have been used for patients with cerebral palsy and other motor deficits due to brain damage in pediatric patients (pediatric CI therapy), language in aphasia patients (CI Aphasia therapy-CIAT), focal hand dystonia and phantom limb pain. The efficacy of CI therapy for stroke patients has been established by a multi-site randomized clinical trial (JAMA, 2006; Lancet Neurol., 2008) and numerous single-site randomized controlled trials. It may be viewed as behavior analysis' contribution to the field of neurorehabilitation.

 
 
Symposium #330
CE Offered: BACB
Identifying Effective Instructional Strategies for Teaching Discrimination Skills to Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–10:20 AM
Korbel Ballroom 4F (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Tiffany Kodak (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Discussant: Jason C. Bourret (New England Center for Children)
CE Instructor: Tiffany Kodak, Ph.D.
Abstract:

A growing body of literature supports the use of academic interventions based on the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although a number of academic interventions are described in the extant literature, there is considerable variability in the methods used to teach conditional discriminations (e.g., receptive identification) to children with ASD. In addition, the identification of efficient instructional strategies is important to increase the likelihood that children with ASD will acquire skills that are similar to their typically developing peers. The collection of presentations in this symposium will describe cutting-edge research evaluating the efficacy and/or efficiency of various prompting procedures. The presentations in this symposium will describe (a) a comparison of two errorless prompting procedures for teaching conditional discriminations, (b) an instructional strategy called instructive feedback, and describe how non-target stimuli can be programmed into learning trials to promote acquisition and the emergence of untrained targets, and (c) the inclusion of instructive feedback within a stimulus equivalence paradigm to produce the emergence of numerous untrained relations.

 

A Comparison of Constant and Progressive Time Delay in Match-to-Sample Instruction

CAMMARIE JOHNSON (New England Center for Children), Sean O'Neil (New England Center for Children), Christine Gates (New England Center for Children), Melissa Martin (New England Center for Children)
Abstract:

Effective instruction for teaching conditional discriminations to learners with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) involves errorless teaching procedures that prescribe prompts to occasion selection of the discriminative stimulus (SD) in the presence of each conditional stimulus (sample). These prompts are then systematically faded until the SD is selected given only the sample. Two common proceduresconstant (CTD) and progressive time delay (PTD)fade the prompt by increasing the time between SD and prompt presentations. There have been few direct comparisons of these two procedures. In the current study, 4 children with an ASD were taught 2 sets of conditional discriminations in an alternating treatment design; one set was taught with PTD and the other with 5-s CTD (a 3rd set was taught with 2-s CTD to 2 of the children). Acceptable levels of inter-observer agreement and procedural integrity, collected in approximately 33% of sessions, were obtained. PTD and CTD were both effective in teaching the conditional discriminations. The most efficient procedure was idiosyncratic; however, all of the children made more errors with CTD than PTD. These results suggest that PTD may be the preferred errorless teaching procedure when teaching conditional relations in match-to-sample instruction.

 

Incorporating Non-Target Stimuli in the Events Surrounding Learning Trials

JASON C. VLADESCU (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Tiffany Kodak (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Andrea Clements Stearns (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Laura Mulford (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Abstract:

Previous research has evaluated the effect of incorporating non-target stimuli into the antecedent and consequent events of learning trials (i.e., instructive feedback). Using such teaching practices has resulted in an increase in the efficiency of time delay procedures as demonstrated by broader learning and a positive impact on future learning. However, existing studies have failed to include conditions in which targets are presented in the absence of contingent reinforcement or a control condition in which non-targets are not presented. In addition, limited data are available to guide the application of instructive feedback to children with autism. The purpose of the current study was to replicate and extend previous research by examining the effects of instructive feedback on emergent skills. Preliminary results indicate that these teaching procedures lead to broader learning (i.e., mastery of trained and untrained targets) for some participants. The discussion of results will consider possible operant mechanisms and appropriate use of this teaching practice in early intervention programming.

 

Incorporating Instructive Feedback Into a Stimulus Equivalence Preparation to Obtain Untrained Relations With Children With Autism

TIFFANY KODAK (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Andrea Clements Stearns (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Elizabeth Gawley (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Nitasha Dickes (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Abstract:

Our previous investigation embedded instructive feedback into a stimulus equivalence preparation to increase the efficiency with which emergent relations were obtained. The A-B relations were trained using match-to-sample (MTS) procedures, and B-C relations were embedded in MTS trials via instructive feedback. Results indicated that targets presented during instructive feedback were acquired in half the number of sessions as the match-to-sample stimuli. In addition, all of the participants acquired 3 untrained relations per target (for a total of 24-30 untrained relations). The current investigation extended our previous study by eliminating the match-to-sample requirement and presenting only the untrained targets during the trial. That is, we simply held up pictures or words and stated the name of the stimulus on the card. The child was not required to respond, and reinforcement was not provided for responding. We conducted baseline sessions throughout the evaluation to determine the point at which the instructive feedback stimuli were acquired. The results for 3 participants showed that all stimuli presented during instructive feedback were acquired, and these participants acquired 3 untrained relations per target. We will discuss how non-target stimuli can be embedded into learning trials to increase instructional efficiency.

 
 
Symposium #331
CE Offered: BACB
Legislation, Insurance, and Licensure for Behavior Analysts: Understanding the Process and Identifying Systematic Opportunities for Growth
Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–10:20 AM
Korbel Ballroom 4E (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/CSE; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Nicholas L. Weatherly (Spalding University)
Discussant: Gerald L. Shook (Behavior Analyst Certification Board)
CE Instructor: Nicholas Weatherly, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Given the importance of systematically ensuring quality behavioral services for all individuals in need, understanding and utilizing legislation at the state and federal levels is a fundamental priority for the field. With an increasing number of states becoming involved in legislation and insurance regulations there is a unique opportunity for other regions to take advantage of the successes and pitfalls within these legislation processes. This symposium will discuss processes involved with legislation and insurance for three states, with a fundamental focus on providing process information relevant to the continued growth of quality behavior-analytic legislation. The first presentation will address the current legislation, licensure, and insurance processes within Kentucky. The second presentation will discuss Missouris autism insurance legislation and areas associated with the development and implementation of this legislation. The final presentation will provide a description of the process involved with Arizonas state licensure for behavior analysts and the details involved with behavior analysts regulating their services.

 

Legislation, Licensure, and Insurance for Behavior Analysts in Kentucky

NICHOLAS L. WEATHERLY (Spalding University), Keith Hersh (Spalding University)
Abstract:

On April 14, 2010 Kentucky enacted House Bill 159 to begin the process of integrating a regulatory system for behavioral services and outlining insurance regulations for these services. Due to efforts from clinicians, parents, advocates, and lobbyists, Kentucky joined several other states in the pursuit of behavior-analytic legislation. As the result of these efforts, the Kentucky Applied Behavior Analysis Licensing Board was created to develop and oversee regulations surrounding behavioral services and licensure. The purpose of this presentation will be to explain the history of Kentuckys behavior analysis legislation, while focusing on the overall system of integrating standards and regulations for behavioral services state-wide. As part of the licensure and legislation processes, the role of insurance for behavioral services will be discussed with an emphasis placed on how this relationship will impact families and clinicians in the community. Through the analysis of these processes, systems strengths and concerns will be discussed pertaining to the continued improvement of these processes within the state and for the benefit of other states pursuing a comparable path of action.

 

Missouri: Licensure and Insurance Coverage of Applied Behavior Analysis

TODD M. STREFF (Great Strides Behavioral Consulting, Inc.)
Abstract:

Missouri was the 21st state to pass autism insurance legislation on May 12, 2010. During the testimony of the bill the insurance companies and lobbyists proposed language for state licensure of behavior analysts and they were successful in making that happen. In their push for licensure many questions, hurdles, and concerns regarding licensure versus the established national certification program for providers ofapplied behavior analysiswere addressed and those will be discussed in the presentation. The issues following the establishment of this insurance bill and behavior analysis practice act will be shared and how they were addressed by the behavior analysts in the State of Missouri with the support of several national organizations. In conjunction with the mission of the symposium, this presentation will aim to add to the collective knowledge of the field by helping in the understanding, implementation, and continuous quality improvement of legislation, licensure, and insurance processes for behavior analysts.

 

Arizona Licensure: The Sequel

DANIEL P. DAVIDSON (Northern Arizona University), David K. Giles (Intermountain Centers for Human Development)
Abstract:

Arizona was the first state to pass a law requiring licensing of behavior analysts. This was pursued in order to recognize behavior analysts as equivalent to other mental (behavioral) health providers in terms of signing treatment plans and billing for services. While the original legislation was to license BCBAs, the final law added additional requirements. The outcome is that it is now difficult for many BCBAs to become licensed in Arizona without gaining additional supervised experience. The law also required that the regulatory board be the Board of Psychologist Examiners. The purpose of this presentation is to share the steps taken to (a) make licensure equivalent to certification, and (b) to establish a means for behavior analysts to regulate themselves. In conjunction with the mission of the symposium, this presentation will aim to add to the collective knowledge of the field by helping in the understanding, implementation, and continuous quality improvement of legislation and licensure processes for behavior analysts.

 
 
Symposium #332
CE Offered: BACB
Innovations in Language Instruction for Young Learners With Autism
Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–10:20 AM
Korbel Ballroom 4C (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/VBC; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Patrick M. Ghezzi (University of Nevada)
Discussant: Rachel S. Findel-Pyles (The Chicago School, Los Angeles)
CE Instructor: Patrick Ghezzi, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Deficits in language are some of the most critical delays associated with autism. Deficits may be observed in foundational verbal repertoires such as imitation and in more complex repertoires like listening and reading comprehension. These deficits impact many aspects of a childs life. Language delays can make it difficult to interact with parents, siblings, teachers, and peers. Children who experience deficits in comprehension have difficulty making progress in academic areas. It is because of the expansive impact of language delays that addressing these deficits is often a primary goal of behavioral approaches to treatment for children with autism. This symposium includes three papers, each presenting an innovative approach to addressing language deficits. The first paper investigates the effects of reciprocal imitation on establishing an early vocal imitation repertoire. Differences in the rate of acquisition of mands given negative or positive reinforcement are examined in the second paper. Finally, the third paper explores the role ofrelational frame theoryand relational processes in understanding listening and reading comprehension with children with autism.

 

Reciprocal Imitation Training in Young Children With Autism

JENNIFER A. BONOW (University of Nevada, Reno), Leif Erik Nielsen (University of Nevada, Reno), Patrick M. Ghezzi (University of Nevada)
Abstract:

This case study investigated the effects of reciprocal imitation training on the vocal imitation of a young child with autism. Vocal imitation is often the first step in establishing a vocal-verbal repertoire. The child in this study demonstrated a limited vocal repertoire in that he produced very few sounds independently and rarely imitated vocal models accurately, making it difficult to teach vocal language. The child's correct and independent imitations of an adult's model were measured when an adult first imitated the vocal responses of the child. A significant increase in the number of imitative vocal responses made by the child following the adult's model was consistently and repeatedly observed under these conditions, as compared to baseline when the adult did not first imitate the child. The case study presents an innovative approach to teaching vocal imitation to young children with autism. It may be especially important for children who have particular difficulty imitating vocal models.

 

The Effects of Positive and Negative Reinforcement on Manding by Young Children With Autism

CHRISTINE M. COFFMAN (University of Nevada, Reno), Patrick M. Ghezzi (University of Nevada)
Abstract:

The behavior analytic research on teaching manding focuses on mands maintained by positive reinforcement. While mand training tends to begin with positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement may provide another powerful means by which to teach and reinforce manding behavior. The current paper explores differences in the rate of acquisition of mands, as well as the effects on other problematic behaviors when mands were taught using positive and negative reinforcement. Manding was taught to children who did not demonstrate manding for the access to preferred items and for the removal of lesser preferred items. During the teaching phase, generalization probes were administered to assess manding with respect to novel items, both preferred and non-preferred. Upon mastery of mands during the teaching phase, follow-up assessments were conducted to assess maintenance of manding repertoire taught during the mand training portion of the study. The data show that teaching children to mand both in the presence of highly preferred and lesser preferred items or events leads to increased appropriate vocal behavior and decreased occurrences of problem behavior.

 

Strengthening Relational Operants Improves Reading Comprehension

KENDRA L. BROOKS RICKARD (Center for Advanced Learning), Kimberly Nix Berens (Fit Learning), Patrick M. Ghezzi (University of Nevada), Tiffany Humphreys (Florida State University), Amy Lynn Evans (University of Nevada, Reno)
Abstract:

One of the most critical delays associated with autism is in language development. Intensive early intervention programs are concerned primarily with arranging environments in an effort to circumvent these language delays. Nonetheless, it is not uncommon for children with autism to struggle with academic behaviors that involve comprehension. Language deficits can affect a childs ability to understand and behave effectively to what is heard and read. Listening and reading comprehension are language-based repertoires, and are therefore, inherently relational. Relational frame theory (RFT) provides a useful model for understanding the core behavioral processes necessary for listening and reading comprehension. The current presentation will discuss findings from recent research endeavors and clinical applications with children with autism that explore the role of relational operants and relational flexibility in comprehension with children with autism.

 
 
Symposium #333
CE Offered: BACB
Examining the Utility of Preference and Reinforcer Assessments for Identifying Social Reinforcers
Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–10:20 AM
Korbel Ballroom 4D (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Claudia L. Dozier (University of Kansas)
CE Instructor: Claudia Dozier, Ph.D.
Abstract:

The current symposium includes four papers addressing the topic of preference and reinforcer assessments of social consequences. For the first paper, the presenter will describe a preference assessment procedure for identifying social consequences that may function as reinforcers in individuals with an autism spectrum disorder. The author will then review data on the use of the preferred social consequence for increasing joint attention skills. For the second paper, the presenter will review data on a progressive series of assessments for identifying various topographies of attention that may function as reinforcers. The author will also review test-retest reliability data across assessment procedures as well as data on outcome validity. For the third paper, the author will review data on the role of adult social interaction on participants relative preference for various leisure items. The presenter will also review data on the relative reinforcing efficacy of a high preference leisure item when adult interaction is and is not concurrently presented. For the forth paper, the presenter will review data on the reinforcing efficacy of a preferred social stimulus or edible following the presence versus absence of a presession exposure period.

 

Assessment of Social Stimulus Preference and Reinforcement Effects for Individuals With Autism

Anibal Gutierrez Jr. (University of Miami), WANDY CACERES (Florida International University), Melissa N. Hale (University of Miami), Jennifer Stella Durocher (University of Miami), Michael Alessandri (San Jose State University)
Abstract:

We evaluated a procedure for identifying potential reinforcers with five individuals diagnosed with autism. We used a 1-min free-operant procedure where responses resulted in contingent presentation of a social consequence. Each participant was exposed to five different social consequences. Following the preference assessment we examined the reinforcing properties of preferred social stimuli by delivering them contingently on the occurrence of joint attention skills during a joint attention intervention. Results revealed that the preferred social stimuli produced higher rates of responding during the intervention than the baseline condition. These results suggest that the procedure can be used to assess social reinforcers for individuals with autism.

 

Evaluation of Assessment Methods for Identifying Social Reinforcers

MAUREEN KELLY (New England Center for Children), Eileen M. Roscoe (The New England Center for Children), Gregory P. Hanley (Western New England College)
Abstract:

Although experimenters have compared assessment methods for identifying preferred tangible and edible items for children with developmental disabilities, few have evaluated assessment methods for identifying preferred topographies of attention. In the current study, we conducted indirect and descriptive assessments to identify eight topographies of attention to include in subsequent preference and reinforcer assessments. Next, we evaluated two different assessment methods until adequate stability was achieved with one of the methods. During both methods, a therapist presented photos depicting the topographies of attention included in the stimulus array, and a control photo (resulting in no consequence) was included. Following the assessment comparison, we conducted a reinforcer assessment using a socially relevant target behavior to determine the relative predictive validity of high- versus low-preference forms of attention. Interobserver agreement data was collected across a third of sessions and averaged above 90% for all responses. Results showed that the paired-stimulus method reliably identified relative preference and that both high and low preference topographies identified via this assessment format functioned as effective reinforcers in a subsequent reinforcer assessment. The single-stimulus assessment method identified reinforcers but didnt reliably indicate relative reinforcement effects. Implications for assessing topographies of attention will be discussed.

 

An Evaluation of the Effects of Social Interaction on Preference and Response Allocation

BROOKE ASHLEY JONES (University of Kansas), Claudia L. Dozier (University of Kansas), Pamela L. Neidert (University of Kansas)
Abstract:

The types of items in a preference assessment array affect preference hierarchies and may cause false negative identification of stimuli that function as reinforcers (DeLeon, Iwata, & Roscoe, 1999). The purpose of the current study is to determine the effects of social interaction (e.g., adult interaction with participant/item during item access time) on (a) preference for leisure items and (b) response allocation to pre-academic tasks exhibited by typically developing, preschool-age children. In Study 1, three paired-stimulus preference assessments are conducted: (a) a solitary assessment (i.e., participant engages with items alone), (b) a social assessment (i.e., the participant engages with the items and accesses continuous social interaction), and (c) a combined assessment (i.e., both solitary and social options are available). Results suggest that the provision of social interaction causes shifts in preference hierarchies across assessments. In Study 2, concurrent-operant reinforcer assessments are conducted in which access to either a highly preferred (HP) item, the same HP item with continuous social interaction, or social interaction in isolation are provided contingent upon responding to a pre-academic task. Preliminary results suggest that participants allocate more responding to the HP item with continuous social interaction and social interaction in isolation than the HP item.

 

A Comparison of the Effects of Immediate Reinforcement Histories on Subsequent Response Allocation

AMY HARPER (University of Kansas), Claudia L. Dozier (University of Kansas), Brooke Ashley Jones (University of Kansas), Danielle L. Gureghian (University of Kansas), Pamela L. Neidert (University of Kansas)
Abstract:

Previous research has shown that (a) presession access (continuous access) to a reinforcing stimulus can result in subsequent decreases in responding for that stimulus, whereas (b) no presession access to a reinforcing stimulus can result in subsequent increases in responding for that stimulus. The purpose of the current study was to replicate this finding and extend it by comparing the levels of subsequent responding after exposure to several different presession reinforcement contingencies including (a) no access, (b) continuous access, (c) contingent reinforcement, and (d) noncontingent reinforcement. Typically developing preschool-age children were provided different presession exposure to a preferred stimulus (either attention or food), then the level of responding on a pre-academic task to access that stimulus was determined. Results of the current study suggested that (a) all children initially preferred food over attention as a reinforcing stimulus and (b) no presession schedule of food access affected subsequent responding for food (i.e., the participants continued to respond to access food).

 
 
Symposium #334
CE Offered: BACB
Applications of the York Measure of Quality of Intensive Behaviour Intervention
Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–10:20 AM
Korbel Ballroom 4A (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/EDC; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Marguerite L. Hoerger (Bangor University)
CE Instructor: Marguerite Hoerger, Ph.D.
Abstract:

The York Measure of Quality of Intensive Behaviour Intervention (YMQI) is a validated measure of the quality of intensive behaviour interventions (IBI). IBI is an empirically validated treatment for children with autism, and as more families and educators request IBI programs, measures are needed to assess the quality of programs and to train therapists. In this symposium, we will discuss further validation of the YMQI and applications for service delivery, such as using the YMQI to train therapists and improve the quality of teaching.

 

The Development of the York Measure of Quality of Intensive Behavioural Intervention

ADRIENNE M. PERRY (York University), Helen Penn Flanagan (York University), Alice Prichard (York University)
Abstract:

Intensive behavioural intervention (IBI)is the treatment of choice for young children with autism but treatment fidelity is seldom measured. The York Measure of Quality of Intensive Behavioural Intervention (YMQI) was designed to provide a reliable and valid measure of IBI fidelity or quality, based on coding videos. This presentation will describe the development of the YMQI. Content of the YMQI was based on a review of the literature, existing staff training evaluation tools, and a survey of professionals and parents regarding important aspects of quality (Perry, Prichard, & Penn, 2006). The pilot version of the YMQI included both an interval coding approach and a ratings approach. The ratings approach was more reliable and valid and substantially more time efficient (Penn, Prichard, & Perry, 2007). The penultimate version of the YMQI had 33 items. Its internal consistency was good (a=.86) and inter-rater reliability was moderate to good for most items. Validity was assessed using Expert Judgement and was acceptable for most items as well. The Total score was highly reliable and valid. After a few additional refinements, the current version has 31 items related to IBI quality such as reinforcement, prompting, and pacing.

 

Using The York Measure of Quality Intensive Behaviour Intervention as a Tool to Provide Training and Feedback to Therapists Who Work on IBI Programs

SHUMAILA JAFFREY (Bangor University), Marguerite L. Hoerger (Bangor University)
Abstract:

In the current study, we used The York Measure of Quality Intensive Behaviour Intervention (YMQI) as a tool to train and provide feedback to therapists working on intensive behaviour internvention(IBI) programs. Therapists were given training on the YMQI and were recorded during a one-on-one teaching session. The researchers provided the therapists and their consultants with written, specific feedback on their YMQI score, which included scores for each of the 31 criteria assessed by the YMQI, reasons why they were awarded a particular score, and what steps they could take to improve each score. We utilised a multiple treatment across participants design to schedule feedback sessions, and assessed the quality of therapy again several weeks later. The therapists were unknown to the coders and the coders were blind to whether or not the therapists had been given feedback. A total of four sessions were recorded and coded for each therapist. Pilot data revealed that the therapists scores on the YMQI improved after feedback. The YMQI is a useful tool to provide specific feedback to therapists and improve the quality of IBI programs.

 

Using the York Measure of Intensive Behaviour Intervention to Improve the Quality of an Intensive BehaviourTherapy Program Results in a Decrease in Challenging Behaviour

MARGUERITE L. HOERGER (Bangor University)
Abstract:

Intensive behaviour therapy (IBI) is an empirically validated intervention for young children with autism. Numerous research studies have shown that outcome measures can be mediated by factors such as the age the child started the program, the child's IQ prior to the intervention, and the intensity of the program. Very few studies have investigated if the quality of IBI impacts the rate of learning and adaptive behaviours. In the following study, we compared therapist's scores on the York Measure of Intensive Behaviour Intervention (YMQI) with the rate of challenging behaviours observed during the session and the rate at which the child mastered novel tasks. We hypothesised that as a therapist became more skilled as measured by the YMQI, the child would show a decrease in challenging behaviours. Using a multiple baseline design, we provided feedback to the therapists based on their results on the YMQI and provided training based on the feedback. We took regular measures of therapist quality and the instances of challenging behaviour before and after the feedback and training. We will present the results of this study.

 

Current Research on the York Measure of Quality of Intensive Behavioural Intervention

KSUSHA BLACKLOCK (York University), Adrienne M. Perry (York University), Shauna Whiteford (York University)
Abstract:

This presentation will focus on current and ongoing research on the York Measure of Quality of Intensive Behavioural Intervention (YMQI) currently being conducted at York University. We will discuss three projects: 1) We will report on a study on training naive coders (psychology undergraduates) using an interactive DVD. The training DVD includes five videos for practice coding. Six coders coded the videos based only on reading the manual and using the DVD. Not all achieved high rates of inter-rater reliability and, thus, an in-person training session was provided. This resulted in improved reliability for most coders for most videos. 2) Second, we will briefly describe how the YMQI is being used in a prospective controlled study of the effectiveness of intensive behavioural intervention (IBI) (Dunn Geier, Freeman, & Perry, 2010) in the Ontario IBI program (40 children, with monthly videos during 12 months of IBI). 3) Finally, results of an inter-rater agreement study currently underway (Whiteford, Blacklock, & Perry, 2010), based on videos from the prospective study, will be reported (based on approximately 25% of these videos).

 
 
Symposium #335
CE Offered: BACB
Variables Influencing the Effectiveness of Communication Training in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities
Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–10:20 AM
Korbel Ballroom 4B (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Kimberly Sloman (Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
Discussant: Michael E. Kelley (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
CE Instructor: Robert LaRue, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Improving communicative ability represents a critical intervention component for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities. The current symposium reviews several important aspects of effective communication training for this at-risk population. The first presentation is an evaluation of the effects of motivating operations of on a discriminative stimulus using a voice output communication aid (VOCA) to access tangible items. The second presentation is an evaluation of a clinical model for evaluating individual differences in the acquisition of and preference for different communication topographies (picture exchange, sign language and vocal approximation). The third presentation is an evaluation of the use of multiple schedules of reinforcement andfunctional communication training for the treatment of severe challenging behavior.

 

Influence of Motivating Operations and Discriminative Stimuli onVoice Output Communication AidUse

CHATURI EDRISINHA (St. Cloud State University), Mark F. O'Reilly (Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk)
Abstract:

We examined a series of motivating operations (MOs) to examine the direct effects that an establishing operation (EO) and abolishing operation (AO) may have on a discriminative stimulus. Two participants with developmental disabilities participated. Use of a voice output communication aid (VOCA) to access tangible items was selected as the target behavior. In Phase 1, a preference assessment was conducted. In Phase II, two VOCA devices (BIGMack® switch) that differed only in color were used to train discrimination. Discrimination was trained under two conditions: (a) SD and (b) S?. In Phase III, pre-session MOs (i.e. EO and AO conditions) were manipulated to verify the influence of the MO on the target behavior. Target behavior was reinforced on a fixed ratio 1 (FR-1) schedule. In Phase IV, in addition to manipulating pre-session MOs the target behavior was evaluated under extinction in both SD and S? conditions. Results indicated that in the context of extinction when pre-session EO and AO conditions were manipulated responding not only differentiated but was higher in both SD and S? conditions in the pre-session EO condition when compared to the pre-session AO condition.

 

Assessment of Communication Modality Preference in Learners With Autism

ROBERT LARUE (Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey), Kimberly Sloman (Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey), Mary Jane Weiss (The McCarton School), Lara M. Delmolino Gatley (Douglass Devlopmental Disabilities Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey), Amy Paige Hansford (Rutgers University), Michele L. Newman Lefebvre (Douglass Devlopmental Disabilities Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey), Suzannah J. Ferraioli (Rutgers University), Meredith Bamond (Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
Abstract:

Individuals with autism have significant impairments in their ability to communicate with others. Estimates indicate that about 50 percent of children with autism are nonvocal (Frankel, Leary & Kilman, 1987). To address these deficits, several alternative communication strategies have been developed. Different topographies of trained communication responses have included vocal speech (Carr & Durand, 1985), communication cards/picture exchange (Bondy & Frost, 1994; Horner & Day, 1991), and sign language (Mirenda, 2003). While these topographies of communication have all been shown to be effective in specific clinical instances, the selection of communication topography has generally been based on arbitrary guidelines, such as the individual's developmental level, motor skills, and the recommendations of a speech-language pathologist. To this point, relatively little research has evaluated procedures to determine which modality represents a "best fit" with individual learning styles. The purpose of the current investigation is to design an assessment model that evaluates the rate of acquisition and student preference to determine the most appropriate communication modality for use with instruction. Preliminary results indicate that the rates of acquisition across the different communication modalities varied across participants. In addition, participants displayed clear preferences for one modality over another when they were concurrently available.

 

Further Evaluations of the Use of Multiple Schedules of Reinforcement During Functional Communication Training

TERRY S. FALCOMATA (University of Texas at Austin), Henry S. Roane (State University of New York, Upstate Medical University), Kasey Stephenson (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Anna Ing (Western Michigan University)
Abstract:

The use of multiple schedules of reinforcement during functional communication training (FCT) has gained increased attention in the literature pertaining to the treatment of severe challenging behavior. In this presentation we will present the results of several evaluations that combine the use of multiple schedules of reinforcement and FCT. First, we present data replicating previous studies using multiple schedules to thin differential reinforcement delivery following FCT. Next we will present data from an evaluation in which we combined FCT and a multiple schedule of reinforcement to treat severe challenging behaviors maintained by termination of interruptions of ongoing activities exhibited by a young girl with Asperger's syndrome. Results of each study suggested that the combining multiple schedules of reinforcement and FCT were effective at decreasing severe challenging behavior. Interobserver agreement was obtained during at least 20% of sessions for each evaluation and averaged above 90%.

 
 
Symposium #339
CE Offered: BACB
Using Video Prompting Via an iPod Touch to Teach Individuals With Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities
Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–10:20 AM
Korbel Ballroom 3C (Convention Center)
Area: DDA/AUT; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Helen I. Cannella-Malone (The Ohio State University)
CE Instructor: Helen Cannella-Malone, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Video prompting has been demonstrated to be an effective method for teaching new skills to individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. Although there is adequate research to support its use, questions remain about the nuances of specific intervention components. This symposium will present four applied studies that employed video prompting to teach individuals with developmental disabilities. The studies compared error correction methodologies, compared video prompting to picture prompting, and compared methods for fading the video prompts. The video prompts were presented on an iPod Touch, and were successfully used to teach a variety of daily living skills to 11 individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. The results from these studies provide new insights into how best to implement and fade video prompting procedures. The practical utility of using an iPod Touch as a video prompting system will be discussed along with implications for practice and recommendations for future research.

 

A Comparison of the Effects of Video Prompting With and Without Error Correction on Skill Acquisition for Individuals With Severe Intellectual Disabilities

HELEN I. CANNELLA-MALONE (The Ohio State University), Joe Wheaton (The Ohio State University), Pei-Fang Wu (The Ohio State University), Christopher A. Tullis (The Ohio State University), Ju Hee Park (The Ohio State University)
Abstract:

Video prompting has been used to successfully teach new skills to individuals with various developmental disabilities. This study compared the effects of video prompting without error correction to video prompting with error correction on the acquisition of two daily living skills across three individuals with severe intellectual disabilities and an extremely limited daily living skills repertoire. A combination multiple probe across participants and alternating treatments design was used to demonstrate that for two of the participants, the inclusion of error correction from the outset of intervention increased the efficiency of skill acquisition for at least one task. For the third participant, some skill acquisition was observed with video prompting both with and without error correction, but more stable responding was achieved with in vivo instruction.

 

Using Video Prompting to Teach Daily Living Skills: A Comparison of Two Procedures for Fading the Video Prompts

PEI-FANG WU (The Ohio State University), Helen I. Cannella-Malone (The Ohio State University), Joe Wheaton (The Ohio State University), Christopher A. Tullis (The Ohio State University), Ju Hee Park (The Ohio State University)
Abstract:

Video prompting had been used to effectively teach a variety of daily living skills for students with developmental disabilities. This study extended previous research and compared the effects of two fading procedures-fading within intervention and fading after acquisition, for two adolescents with developmental disabilities. A combination multiple baseline across participants and reversal design was used in this study. Two fading procedures were applied separately to two equivalent daily living tasks-table washing and window washing. Separate video clips were merged into multiple larger clips after the acquisition for the window washing task. Video clips were chunked backward when the student mastered each step of the table washing task. Percentage of correct responses and sessions needed for acquisition for each task were measured and compared. Results indicated that video prompting led to acquisition of both skills and that both fading procedures were effective. However, the fading within intervention procedure resulted in more efficient acquisition and better maintenance and generalization effects of the target skill taught. Implication for practice and future research will be discussed.

 

The Effectiveness of Using an iPod Touch to Teach Cleaning Skills: Fading From Video to Picture/Audio Prompts

JUSTIN OLSON (Northern Illinois University), Toni R. Van Laarhoven (Northern Illinois University), Anna Brady (Northern Illinois University), Heather Johnson (Northern Illinois University), Jeffrey Michael Chan (Northern Illinois University)
Abstract:

A multiple probe across participants design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of using an iPod Touch to teach bathroom cleaning skills to three students with autism and/or developmental disabilities. Initial instructional trials involved the presentation of video prompts on an iPod and these were faded to picture/auditory prompts once students engaged in high levels of independent correct responding with the video prompts. All three participants continued with high levels of independent responding once the video prompts were faded to picture/auditory prompts and all three continued to improve their performance. However, results are somewhat tempered by the fact that baselines were ascending for two of the three participants. All students indicated preference for the picture/auditory prompts and all stated that they liked using the iPod Touch as an instructional tool. The practical utility of using an iPod as a prompting system will be discussed.

 

A Comparison of Picture and Video Prompts to Teach Daily Living Skills to Individuals With Autism

TONI R. VAN LAARHOVEN (Northern Illinois University), Erika Kraus (Northern Illinois University), Keri Karpman (North DuPage Special Education Cooperative), Rosemary Nizzi (North DuPage Special Education Cooperative)
Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of video prompting and picture prompting for teaching daily living skills to two young men with autism. Participants were taught two different skills that were identified as instructional priorities in their educational programs. Each task was taught with either video prompts presented on a laptop or picture prompts presented in a booklet and the effects of the instructional conditions were evaluated and compared using an adapted alternating treatments design. Results indicated that video prompting was slightly more effective in terms of independent correct responding and number of prompts to use instructional materials. In addition, when efficiency scores were calculated by considering the ratio of each participant's growth (from pre-test to post-test) to the measured "cost" of minutes required to create instructional materials, video prompting was considerably more efficient than picture prompting. Instructional implications and future research will be discussed.

 
 
Symposium #343
CE Offered: BACB
Emerging Findings in a Behavioral Analysis of Gambling
Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–10:20 AM
405 (Convention Center)
Area: EAB; Domain: Experimental Analysis
Chair: Jeffrey N. Weatherly (University of North Dakota)
CE Instructor: Mark Dixon, Ph.D.
Abstract:

This symposium will feature four presentations on the experimental analysis of gambling behavior. Different perspectives of gambling related behavior will be discussed.

 

Video Poker: Does Autohold Increase Risk or Rate?

JEFFREY N. WEATHERLY (University of North Dakota), Kevin Montes (University of North Dakota), Chase Rost (University of North Dakota)
Abstract:

Previous research has suggested that enabling the autohold function (i.e., displaying to the player the ideal cards to keep before discarding) on video poker leads gamblers to ultimately risk more money than if the function was disabled. The goal of the present study was to determine whether this result was the outcome of the players betting more credits or simply being able to play the game at a faster rate. Forty-eight participants played video poker in two different sessions. In one, the autohold function was disabled and in the other it was enabled. Half of the participants played 50 hands in each session. The other half played for 15 min in each session. The effect of the autohold function differed between the two types of sessions, suggesting that the increase in the amount of money or credits bet was an effect of rate of play, not necessarily an increase in the amount of risk taken.

 

Investigating the Effects of a Defusion Exercise on Relational Responding

ALYSSA N. WILSON (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Mark R. Dixon (Southern Illinois University), Seth W. Whiting (Southern Illinois University), Jeffrey R. Miller (Southern Illinois University Carbondale)
Abstract:

A multiple baseline across participants with a predetermined phase change criterion was used to assess differences in percent correct and latency during a match-to-sample procedure. Participants were randomly selected to one of 3 series prior to the start of the computer activity. During the match-to-sample procedure, three three-member arbitrary equivalence classes were established (A1-B1-C1; A2-B2-C2; A3-B3-C3). Arbitrary stimuli included nonsense pictures, consonant-vowel-consonant "words", and gambling related symbols. The number of trials during the testing phase was based upon a predetermined phase change criterion across series (first, second, and third) at 81, 108, and 135 total trials respectively. Following the testing phase, participants were exposed to defusion exercises for 10 min. Here, participants were asked to physicalize the A1 stimuli (VEC), by giving it personal characteristics (i.e. shape, color, size, type of material, and location in the room). Additionally, participants were asked to repeat the same A1 stimuli in both weird sounds and rhythms. After the defusion exercise, participants completed the final set of testing phases in the match-to-sample procedure. Total number of testing trials following the defusion exercise was 135, 108, and 81 for the first, second, and third series respectively. Results to date demonstrate an overall increase in response time in 2 of the three participants during directly trained and derived relations of A1.

 

Evaluating and Treating the Near-Miss Magnitude Effect in Underage Pathological Gamblers

MARK R. DIXON (Southern Illinois University), Reza Habib (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Alyssa N. Wilson (Southern Illinois University Carbondale)
Abstract:

Previous research by this research team (Habib & Dixon, 2010) has shown that brain activity, as measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI), differs between pathological and non-pathological gamblers when they are exposed to wins, losses, and near-miss outcomes. Using a computerized slot-machine task, 20 under-age pathological gamblers were exposed to near-misses that resembled small and large jackpot wins. The computer activity took place in afMRI scan. Results indicate brain activity in under-age pathological gamblers, when exposed to near-misses that resemble large jackpot wins, produced greater activity in the dopamine reward system than near-misses that resemble small jackpot wins. Furthermore, given that our previous research has indicated that acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is effective in reducing and altering pathological gambling behavior, experiment two included a randomized control pretest-posttest design used to examine differences in brain activity following an 8-week therapy (ACT) or no-therapy (control) condition. As in experiment one, brain activity in relation to winning, near-miss, and losing outcomes were assessed. Results from these studies provide: a) documentation of a magnitude effect of near-miss outcomes at the neurobiological level and b) objective evidence of neurobiological changes and treatment efficacy following exposure to ACT.

 

Molar Variables Controlling Gambling Behavior and the Resulting Aversive Personal and Detrimental National Consequences

STEPHEN RAY FLORA (Youngstown State University)
Abstract:

In the United States behavioral researchers investigations on gambling behavior have usually focused on behaviorally molecular variables that may maintain gambling behaviors, e.g., "near miss" phenomenon, variable ratio like schedule effects, etcertera. In contrast, while not ignoring moment by moment variables that may maintain gambling, such as classical conditioning effects, Australian and Canadian researchers investigating gambling have often focused on more molar variables that may control gambling including social reinforcement (positive and negative), escape, shaping of gambling behavior, social learning, and reinforcement of the entire gambling episode rather than reinforcement of any individual gamble, or "play." As a result of these processes and the erroneous belief that legalized gambling improves local economies and government revenue, gambling has grown and an accelerating rate in the United States. In reality the net economic impact of gambling is negative. Research in the United States and elsewhere shows that legalizing gambling results in numerous costs to individuals, families, financial institutions, and local communities that outweigh any revenue benefits to local governments. This talk will focus on the more molar variables that shape and trap gambling behavior and the resulting negative impacts to individuals, families, communities and governments.

 
 
Symposium #346
CE Offered: BACB
New Directions in Early Literacy: Prevention and Intervention
Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–10:20 AM
Korbel Ballroom 1A (Convention Center)
Area: EDC; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Cynthia M. Anderson (University of Oregon)
Discussant: Scott P. Ardoin (University of Georgia)
CE Instructor: Cynthia Anderson, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Behavior analytic methods have long been used to teach reading skills. In recent years we have observed significant progress in addressing reading skill deficits early--often when children are acquiring "pre-reading" skills. In addition, much work is focused on innovative methods for teaching children early reading skills. In this symposium we present several ground breaking studies focused on innovative methods in early reading. Our first 2 papers focus on extensions of an evidence-based reading program, Headsprout Early Reading, to children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. These papers highlight the utility of such programs with children with autism but also document the need for trained behavior analysts capable of making evidence-based modifications to the intervention. Our third paper focuses on typically developing children and documents efficacy of a parent training program for helping parents learn to assist their children who are struggling readers in reading assignments. This paper highlights how the technology of behavior analysis might be used to facilitate generalization and maintenance of reading skills acquired in a clinical setting.

 

The Effectiveness of the Headsprout Early Reading Program for Children With Autism

ANGELA M. PERSICKE (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Abstract:

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of the Headsprout Early Reading program for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Headsprout is a computer-assisted reading program that incorporates phonics and phonemic awareness as well as vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral reading skills, and reading comprehension strategies, which are necessary skills for the development of early literacy skills. A multiple-baseline across participants design was used to evaluate the progress of four children who were enrolled in the program for 18 weeks. Children were assessed pre-, mid-, and post-intervention using the DIBELS first-grade benchmark assessment. In addition, participants were assessed weekly using the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) and Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) Progress Monitoring assessments. All four children made measurable improvements from baseline scores. The study indicated that Headsprout Early Reading may be an effective tool to promote reading acquisition for children diagnosed with autism.

 

An Evaluation of the Headsprout Early Reading Program With Individuals With Autism

REGINA A. CARROLL (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Tiffany Kodak (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Laura L. Grow (St. Cloud State University), Wayne W. Fisher (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Abstract:

Few reading interventions have been empirically validated with individuals with autism. It may be the case that the effectiveness of early intervention services in improving educational outcomes for children with autism has produced a relatively recent need to identify effective reading interventions for this population. Headsprout Early Reading (HER) is a computer-based reading program that utilizes a phonics-based approach to teaching early reading skills. Several aspects of this program increase its potential utility with individuals with autism. For example, the program uses within-stimulus prompting procedures that have been shown to be effective in teaching discrimination skills to individuals with autism. Thus, we sought to evaluate the effectiveness of HER with five children with autism. Our preliminary results suggest that participants' response to intervention is variable. Two participants required few prompts to stay on task during the program and a limited amount of outside training to ensure mastery of the sounds and words taught in HER. However, the other 3 participants required numerous prompts to maintain participation in the program and extensive training outside of the program to show mastery of the targeted sounds and words. We will describe important areas of future research on reading intervention for this population.

 

Applying Behavioral Parent Training to Early Reading: Enhancing Effects of a Clinic-Based Early Literacy Program

SHELLEY KAY MULLEN (University of Oregon), Cynthia M. Anderson (University of Oregon)
Abstract:

Learning to read is critical for success, yet many children struggle with this skill (National Reading Panel, 2000). Clinic-based reading programs have documented efficacy however effects may be enhanced if parents are skilled in helping children with reading at home. Several programs have trained parents to help their children read but most research has involved either complex skills that may lead to less use over time and/or nebulous programs such as just read to your child. This presentation will discuss the results of a study in which parents participated in an academic parent training designed to improve student reading outcomes. Participants include three parents each with a child entering second grade during the 2010-2011 academic school year. The parent training provided during this study will be described and the data collected on parent and child behavior will be reviewed and discussed. Results of this study and future directions will be discussed. Session attendees will learn how they can help parents work more effectively and efficiently with their child on reading activities.

 
 
Symposium #347
CE Offered: BACB
Addressing Problem Behavior in School Settings Using Function-Based Interventions
Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–10:20 AM
Korbel Ballroom 1B (Convention Center)
Area: EDC; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Blake Hansen (University of Kansas)
CE Instructor: Marc Weeden, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Function-based interventions are regarded as a best practice in school settings. While these interventions are widespread in special education settings, there are fewer research examples on functional behavior assessment and functional analysis in general education settings with typically developing children. This symposium will describe function-based approaches currently being implemented in general education settings using general education teachers. The first presentation will describe a class-wide function-based intervention program implemented across 14 urban elementary classrooms. The second presentation will describe two function-based interventions that improve behaviors of children who are non-responsive to the classwide intervention. The third presentation will describe the effects of a training program in functional behavior assessment for 45 pre-service general education teachers. The final presentation will describe a study that linked self-management interventions to functional behavior assessment results with three children being served in general education. The four presentations provide evidence for the use of functional behavior assessment and intervention in general education settings for typically developing children.

 

The Effects of the Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Team Program (CW-FIT) on Challenging Student Behavior

HOWARD P. WILLS (Juniper Gardens Children's Project), Debra M. Kamps (Juniper Gardens Children's Project)
Abstract:

The current study examined the effects of the class-wide function-based intervention team (CW-FIT) program. The program was established to broadly target common functions maintaining problem behaviors in elementary classrooms (teacher attention, peer attention, escape). Within CW-FIT, students not responding to the primary intervention receive targeted strategies including help cards or self-management. Functional assessment and analysis is then utilized for students not responding to targeted strategies. A randomized experimental-control group design was used to examine the effects of the intervention in 72 classrooms across 14 urban elementary schools and including 152 students with challenging behavior (compared to 67 classrooms and 109 students with challenging behavior). The effects of functional assessments and analyses were documented with single-subject methodology such as multi-element designs. Measures included multiple probes of student engagement and problem behavior, as well as teacher praise and reprimands. Results indicate an increase in student engagement and teacher praise with subsequent decreases in problem behaviors for students in intervention classrooms as compared to those in control classrooms and as compared to baseline rates. Results will be presented for the students with the most challenging behavior.

 

The Effects of Secondary Function-Based Interventions in Elementary School Classrooms

MARC A. WEEDEN (Juniper Gardens Children's Project)
Abstract:

The present study examined the effects of secondary function-based interventions within the class-wide function-based intervention team (CW-FIT) program. CW-FIT was established to broadly target common functions of problem behaviors in elementary classrooms (teacher attention, peer attention, escape). Within CW-FIT, students not responding to the primary intervention receive secondary strategies including help cards or self-management. Functional assessment and analysis is then utilized for students not responding to targeted strategies. Data for seven students have been collected and data collection for additional students is ongoing. The effects of functional assessments and analyses were documented with single-subject methodology such as multi-element designs. Measures included multiple probes of student engagement and problem behavior, as well as teacher praise and reprimands. Results indicate an increase in student engagement and teacher praise with subsequent decreases in problem behaviors in intervention classrooms as compared to baseline rates. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

 

The Effects of Behavior Management Training on Pre-Service Teacher Responses to Student Behavior

DARLENE H. ANDERSON (Brigham Young University)
Abstract:

In recent years, general education teachers' application of positive behavior management strategies in diverse classrooms has become critically important. The current study was conducted to determine the effects of functional behavior assessment (FBA) instruction on general education teachers' classroom management approach. Forty-five preservice elementary education teachers responded twice, once when they signed up to participate in the instructional sessions, and again, following the study. The question, "Explain how you would manage problem behavior in your classroom?" was presented in written form, on an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper. Immediately prior to answering the question, preservice teachers were asked (a) to assume they were responsible for a classroom of students, and (b) to limit their responses to three or four sentences. The data analysis was based on the following questions: (a) Did participants indicate they would analyze the relationship between the problem behavior and class rules or other environmental factors? (b) Did participants include specific or general intervention strategies? (c) Were the suggested strategies positive and proactive? Results of the pre-post assessment suggested that participants were more likely to recommend strategies that were proactive and positive following instruction in FBA.

 
The Effects of Function-based Self Management Interventions in Urban Schools
BLAKE HANSEN (University of Kansas)
Abstract: Children with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) struggle to achieve social and academic outcomes that in turn lead to an adverse impact on families, schools, and communities. Self-management interventions are widely disseminated in schools for children with E/BD. Self-management has been demonstrated in many studies to be effective at reducing problem behavior and increasing positive social and academic behaviors. Functional behavior assessment (FBA) is one method of selecting interventions, and has been used to design effective self-management interventions. The purpose of this study was to link self-management procedures to hypothesized behavior function in three children with E/BD. This study combined goal setting, self-monitoring, skill instruction, and consequences based on FBA results. Using a reversal design, this study compared the effects of self-monitoring alone to self-monitoring plus consequences. Then the self-monitoring plus consequences intervention was compared to consequences alone. Results indicated greater increases in on-task behavior and greater decreases in disruptive behavior when self-monitoring was combined with consequences.
 
 
Symposium #349
CE Offered: BACB
Recent Advances in Staff Training
Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–10:20 AM
710/712 (Convention Center)
Area: OBM/DDA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Amanda Karsten (Western New England College)
Discussant: Nicole E. Gravina (Roosevelt University)
CE Instructor: Amanda Karsten, Ph.D.
Abstract:

The proposed symposium includes three papers on behavioral staff training for preference assessment or functional analysis skills, respectively. While these studies vary in their emphasis and design, a common objective among them is to identify efficient tactics for establishing behavioral assessment repertoires in human service settings. Our discussant, Dr. Nicole Gravina, will offer supplemental analyses of findings from each study and suggest directions for future research.

 

Training Staff to Conduct Brief Preference Assessments

AMY L. KENZER (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Michele R. Bishop (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Abstract:

Identification of effective reinforcers is critical to the treatment of children with autism. Research has demonstrated that highly preferred stimuli are more likely to function as effective reinforcers. Preference is dynamic and must be assessed often; therefore practitioners need a quick and easy way to assess it. The purpose of the present study was to train direct care staff to (a) identify when to conduct preference assessments, and (b) conduct brief paired stimulus preference assessments during behavioral therapy sessions. A multiple probe design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of didactic and in-vivo training for 11 participants. Results indicated that didactic instruction was sufficient to produce immediate improvement for seven participants. However, two of these participants required in-vivo training at the 4 week follow-up. For the remaining four participants didactic instruction was ineffective and in-vivo training was necessary to produce accurate performance which was maintained at the four week follow-up. These results suggest that in-vivo training was necessary for the majority of participants to produce lasting effects.

 

Evaluation of a Self-Instruction Package for Conducting Stimulus Preference Assessments

RICHARD B. GRAFF (New England Center for Children), Amanda Karsten (Western New England College)
Abstract:

Research suggests that inexperienced educators and clinicians may not implement stimulus preference assessment (SPA) accurately given written instructions alone. However, training that includes written instructions supplemented by feedback from a professional with expertise in conducting SPAs has proven effective. Unfortunately, expert-facilitated, direct training may not be available to some clinicians and teachers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a self-instruction package on accurate implementation of SPAs. An antecedent-only instructional package was evaluated with two methods of SPA. Results demonstrated that access to enhanced written instructions (i.e., technical jargon was minimized; instructions included pictures, diagrams, and step-by-step examples) allowed inexperienced staff to accurately implement SPA procedures. Results are discussed in terms of applying low cost, highly portable self-instruction methods to teach non-behavior analysts to use behavior-analytic technologies.

 

Component Analysis of Behavioral Skills Training for Teaching Staff to Conduct a Functional Analysis

JOHN CLAUDE WARD-HORNER (The Graduate Center, Queens College, The City University of New York), Peter Sturmey (Queens College, City University of New York)
Abstract:

The purpose of this experiment was to conduct a component analysis of behavioral skills training (BST) in the context of training staff to perform a functional analysis. An alternating-treatments design was used to evaluate the components of BST. Prior to baseline, staff reviewed written instructions of the functional analysis conditions. Following baseline, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback training occurred independently during the first training phase and in combination during subsequent phases. Rehearsal was ineffective at improving staffs performance whereas feedback was effective for training all functional analysis responses. Modeling was less effective than feedback, such that improvements only occurred for some functional analysis responses. These data suggest that feedback, and to a lesser extent modeling, are the effective and perhaps necessary components of BST; however, additional component analyses of BST are needed to evaluate whether similar results would be obtained when teaching different skills (e.g., discrete-trial teaching, stimulus preference assessments). Furthermore, future research should evaluate the sufficiency of the effective components.

 
 
Symposium #350
CE Offered: BACB
It's Not Multiplicative, It's Exponential: Why Expanding Services Requires Assessment
Monday, May 30, 2011
9:00 AM–10:20 AM
704/706 (Convention Center)
Area: OBM/AUT; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Robert F. Putnam (The May Institute)
Discussant: Robert F. Putnam (The May Institute)
CE Instructor: Robert Putnam, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Most treatment programs and specialized schools plan to increase census over time. The challenges associated with increasing census are often considered multiplicative. For example, if a school triples the number of students attending, the expectation is that the problems faced by the system will be three times as great. This is rarely, if ever, the case. Instead, the challenges faced by the system are exponential; that is, they are nine times as great. This symposium considers the needs assessment that should be periodically conducted as a treatment program grows. One set of strategies for completing a needs assessment is to conduct individualized interviews and a group SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) assessment. As behavior analysts, we also recognize the need to make decisions based on sound data. Finally, as painful as the process may be, the importance of conducting a thorough review of records can not be underscored enough. This symposium examines each of the strategies as they have been applied in one of May Institutes largest schools.

 

The Role of Interviews and Sstrengths, Weaknesses, Opportinities, and Threats Analysis in Determining the State of the Educational Program

JAMES M. SPERRY (The May Institute), Pam Raymond (May Institute)
Abstract:

Before introducing systemic change into a treatment center, it is essential to complete a thorough needs assessment. A needs assessment identifies barriers to implementing changes because it provides the opportunity for staff input from the outset. Strategies for identifying strengths that will support systemic change or will serve as barriers to improving service delivery have been identified in the literature. Both staff interviews and a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) serves as instrumental components to a comprehensive assessment of school services at one of May Institute's largest schools. Interviews were conducted with staff at the clinical director, educational case manager, and senior teacher levels. These interviews covered topics ranging from instructional practices and behavior strategies to staff and family supports. By individualizing and holding these interviews with staff at multiple levels, differing perspectives about relative strengths and limitations were identified. In addition, the SWOT analysis was conducted with clinical directors as a group. This provided the opportunity for a dynamic discussion of the schools needs. The methods used for both individualized interviews and group SWOT analysis will be reviewed as an example of determining organizational needs as services are expanded.

 

Data, Data, Data: Using Observational Data to Inform Programmatic Changes in Treatment Programs

ADAM FEINBERG (The May Institute), Shanon Tomassone (May Institute)
Abstract:

In order to make programmatic recommendations, observational data provide a direct assessment of actual rates of specific teacher or student performance. Observational data may need to be collected on pivotal skills such as the teachers' percentage of time engaged in instruction versus preparatory activities, frequency of reinforcement delivery, ratio of prompting versus instruction, and monitoring engagement versus prompting engagement. In addition, student data regarding engagement versus off-task behavior, rates of reinforcement versus instruction, as well as rates of in active time without instructional tasks are critical. By gathering these data, it is possible to establish short- and long-term targets for classrooms throughout a school. In addition, this information is paramount in providing feedback to staff relative to actual rates of their behavior for which they can use to make changes and eventually modify their performance according to desired targets. This presentation describes the data collection system used at one of May Institute's largest schools and the process for using these data to produce systemic change.

 

Mining Record Reviews to Identify Strategies for Improving Programs

MARISA PETRUCCELLI (May Institute), Shannon Kay (May Institute)
Abstract:

Documentation of a student's experience within a school has become increasingly important in recent years. Although reviewing these records can be a tedious process, it can also contribute significantly to a thorough needs assessment. In this presentation the authors will review a records assessment that was conducted on student files in a large day treatment program that had grown dramatically over a 5-year period. Multiple components of the record were reviewed for completeness and reflection of best practices. This process contributed to overall recommendations for improving services throughout the school. Components of the records that were reviewed include the assessment data that were used to identify educational goals and objectives as well as the individualized education plans (IEPs). In addition, records associated with reductions in problem behaviors and increases in functional skill development must be reviewed. For this reason, behavior support plans and short-term objective programming were examined. Finally, visual inspection of skill acquisition and behavior reduction data was required. Accuracy of the documentation was also corroborated through observation. Recommendations to increase treatment fidelity and subsequent record review are discussed.

 
 
Invited Tutorial #356
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Delay Discounting by Humans and Other Animals: Does the Species Matter?
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
401/402 (Convention Center)
Area: EAB; Domain: Experimental Analysis
PSY/BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: Leonard Green, Ph.D.
Chair: Matthew C. Bell (Santa Clara University)
Presenting Authors: : LEONARD GREEN (Washington University)
Abstract:

When rats, pigeons, and people choose between immediate and delayed rewards, the subjective value of the delayed reward decreases as time to its receipt increases. This discounting of the delayed reward is well described in all three species by a hyperboloid function. Interestingly, we have observed a magnitude effect (larger delayed rewards are discounted less steeply than smaller delayed rewards) with humans but not with rats or pigeons. In addition, in humans, if an additional waiting period is added prior to both rewards, thus creating a delay common to both alternatives, rate of discounting decreases as the common delay increases. We examined the effect of adding a common delay on discounting in pigeons. When the signals for the time to the sooner and later alternatives were different, the pigeons (in contrast to humans) showed increases in discounting rate with increases in the common delay. When the signal for the common delay was the same for both alternatives, however, rate of discounting decreased as the common delay increased, a result consistent with that obtained with humans. Taken together, our findings demonstrate profound similarities between delay discounting in humans and pigeons, arguing for the importance of conducting both human and nonhuman research.

 
LEONARD GREEN (Washington University)
Leonard Green received his BA from the City College of New York and his PhD from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.  After completing post-doctoral research, Green ventured west of the Mississippi (although he thought he was still east of the river) where he is Professor of Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis and Director of Undergraduate Studies.  Green’s research concerns choice and decision-making in rats, pigeons, and people, with a particular interest in self-control and impulsivity.  He is one of the developers of behavioral economics, and is co-author of the book Economic Choice Theory: An Experimental Analysis of Animal Behavior and editor of Advances in Behavioral Economics, the third volume of which is subtitled Substance Use and Abuse.  He has been Editor of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Associate Editor of the Pavlovian Journal of Biological Science, and Consulting Editor for Behavior and Philosophy.  He serves on the Executive Board of the Society for the Quantitative Analysis of Behavior (SQAB), is a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and the Association for Psychological Science, and is President of the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. 
 
 
Invited Paper Session #357
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

Training Staff: Evidence-Based Strategies for Supervisors, Consultants, and Clinicians

Monday, May 30, 2011
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Four Seasons 4 (Convention Center)
Area: PRA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
CE Instructor: Dennis Reid, Ph.D.
Chair: Ronnie Detrich (Wing Institute)
DENNIS H. REID (Carolina Behavior Analysis and Support Center)
Dennis Reid (Ph.D., Florida State University, 1975) has over 35 years experience as a manager and clinician, and has consulted with human service agencies in the majority of states of the United States as well as Canada and New Zealand. He has published over 130 refereed journal articles focusing on applied behavior analysis and staff training and supervision, and authored or co-authored seven books. In 2007 he was awarded Fellowship status in the Association for Behavior Analysis International and in 2006 received the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Annual Research Award. Denny is the founder and current director of the Carolina Behavior Analysis and Support Center in Morganton, North Carolina.
Abstract:

This presentation will describe evidence-based strategies for training important work skills to human service staff. Initially, a description of a behavior analytic model for staff training will be summarized. Next, ways of effectively applying the model will be provided with a focus on practical considerations faced by supervisors, consultants, and clinicians. Means of making staff training procedures acceptable and well received by staff will also be presented. Common mistakes made in staff training endeavors will likewise be summarized, along with recommendations regarding how to avoid obstacles that impede training effectiveness and acceptability. As a result of attending this presentation, attendees will be able to: (a) describe five steps constituting performance- and competency-based staff training, (b) identify three strategies for making staff training programs highly acceptable to staff trainees, and (c) identify three common obstacles to effective training of staff and strategies for overcoming the obstacles.

 
 
Invited Paper Session #358
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

Garfield Park Preparatory Academy: Strategies to Implement Applied Behavior Analysis in an Urban Public School

Monday, May 30, 2011
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Korbel Ballroom 2A (Convention Center)
Area: TBA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
CE Instructor: Denise Ross, Ph.D.
Chair: Jessica Singer-Dudek (Teachers College, Columbia University)
DENISE E. ROSS (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology)
Denise Ross is the Principal of Garfield Park Preparatory Academy, a public elementary school affiliated with The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She is also an Associate Professor in the ABA Department at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and a former Associate Professor at Columbia University and Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Ross has authored and co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications on the application of behavior analysis to teaching, including a book titled Verbal Behavior Analysis: Inducing and Expanding New Verbal Capabilities in Children with Language Delays. Dr. Ross is a graduate of Spelman College and Columbia University.
Abstract:

Garfield Park Preparatory Academy (GPPA) is a new elementary school that developed as part of the Department of Applied Behavior Analysis at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Currently in its second year, GPPA is located in East Garfield Park, a Chicago community with low rate of employment and graduation. The school's mission is to provide strong academic foundations for students in East Garfield Park, and to provide a quality training site for students at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. In this presentation, Denise Ross will describe the process of starting a public school designed to apply principles of behavior analysis to schooling. Dr. Ross will also discuss the school's community engagement strategies, barriers and successes to its implementation, academic outcomes in the first year, and the school's future goals.

 
 
Invited Paper Session #359
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

The Case for Private Behavioral Events

Monday, May 30, 2011
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
607 (Convention Center)
Area: TPC; Domain: Theory
CE Instructor: Jay Moore, Ph.D.
Chair: Sam Leigland (Gonzaga University)
JAY MOORE (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee)
Dr. Moore received his master's degree from Western Michigan University in 1969, where his adviser was Dr. David Lyon. He received his PhD from the University of California--San Diego in 1975, where his adviser was Dr. Edmund Fantino. Dr. Moore is currently on the faculty of the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee, where he has been since 1977. His principal professional interests are in the experimental analysis of behavior, and the theoretical-philosophical-conceptual analysis of behavior. His recent book is Conceptual Foundations of Radical Behaviorism. He has been a member of ABA since 1977. He served as editor of The Behavior Analyst, as board coordinator for ABAI's Accreditation and Professional Standards Board, and on the ABAI Executive Council, including a term as President of ABAI.
Abstract:

Private behavioral events are an important topic in the theoretical, philosophical, and conceptual orientation of radical behaviorism. This presentation makes the case for private behavioral events by addressing such questions as the following: (a) Of what are we speaking when we speak of private behavioral events? (b) What are two types of private behavioral events? (c) What is the nature and causal status of private behavioral events? (d) Are private behavioral events necessarily related functionally to public behavior? (e) How does the present view of private behavioral events compare with explanations in traditional psychology that appeal to internal, unobservable phenomena? In sum, the presentation argues that we can most effectively understand behavior, and bar the door to mentalism, when our interpretations of behavior recognize that events currently inaccessible to others, but nonetheless from the behavioral dimension, can influence behavior.

 
 
Symposium #360
CE Offered: BACB
Understanding Function in Zoos and Labs: What Can We Learn From Penguin Pool Use, Repetitive Rats, and Hippo Habitat Changes?
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:00 AM–11:20 AM
Korbel Ballroom 1F (Convention Center)
Area: AAB/EAB; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Eduardo J. Fernandez (University of Washington)
Discussant: Kenneth T. Ramirez (John G. Shedd Aquarium)
CE Instructor: Eduardo Fernandez, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Over the past several decades, captive facilities such as zoos and labs have become increasingly concerned with the welfare of their captive species. The use of "naturalistic" enclosures, introduction of objects that can be consumed and/or manipulated, changes in the type and ways food is presented, and the use of operant conditioning and other training procedures are just a few examples of the attempts aimed at increasing the well-being of captive animals. This focus on using environmental and behavioral procedures to increase welfare has generally taken a "shotgun" approach, with little energy devoted to quantifying enrichment effects, let alone understanding the function of the behaviors intervened on to begin with. The following three talks will examine several projects aimed at understanding certain problematic behaviors that can occur in captivity, and better understanding why they occur. Emphasis is placed on understanding the function of the behaviors examined within all three talks, as such a functional understanding is an important cornerstone to improving the captive welfare of animals in any type of facility.

 

The Effects of Live Fish Feeding on the Swimming Activity of Captive Penguins

EDUARDO J. FERNANDEZ (University of Washington), James Ha (University of Washington)
Abstract:

The Humboldt penguin exhibit at the Woodland Park Zoo currently houses 20+ individuals. Once a week (Fridays, 11 am) during the spring/summer, live trout are dumped into the exhibit for the penguins. We examined the result of this live feeding on the overall swimming activity of the group as a whole. Of primary interest is how the live feeds effect (a) overall swim time, and (b) variability in enclosure use. I hypothesized that the live feedings would increase overall swim time prior to and after the delivery of the live trout, as well as similar increases at the same time on days surrounding that feed. I also predicted that the penguins would be more likely to use the entire exhibit around these live feed times, since the penguins are likely to chase fish throughout the exhibit. Both of these effects would empirically demonstrate the enriching effects of giving penguins live fish feeds.

 

Quanitification of Unconditioned Locomotor Behaviour: Towards an Endophenotype for Sensitivity to Stress and Psychostimulants

MATTHEW PARKER (The Royal Veterinary College), Sebastian McBride (Royal Agricultural College), Derek A. Hamilton (University of New Mexico)
Abstract:

Stimulant drugs reliably elicit repetitive, invariant response sequences (stereotypies), and these patterns are often used to characterize the resopnse to psychostimulants. However, stereotypies also occur spontaneously as a result of environmental restriction, e.g., in laboratory caged or zoo-housed animals. On account of this, spontaneous stereotypy in captive animals is often considered indicative of a pathological response to chronic stress. Neurophysiologically, animals displaying spontaneous stereotypies show striking similarities to drug-exposed animals. Further parallels exist in terms of the behavioural phenotype, with stereotypic animals displaying strengthened S-R learning and reduced behavioural flexibility in reversal learning. Despite the similarities that exist between psychostimulant- and stress-induced behavioural phenotypes, the methods used to score phenotypic behavioural patterns (e.g., stereotypies) vary considerably, are often subjective in nature and do not have the flexibility to measure the early stages of development. Fractal analysis is a generic mathematical methodology that describes the complexity of an object or process by looking at the effects of changing the scale of measurement. Fractal dimension (Frac-D) is a useful measure of path tortuosity during unconditioned motor activity, i.e., the degree to which a path deviates from a straight trajectory. Our aim in the present study was to examine locomotor effects of psychostimulants and stress using fractal analysis. Rats were given either 7-days exposure to apomorphine (twice daily) or stress (restraint) or a combination. For behavioural testing, rats were placed individually in an open field apparatus and activity was monitored on an automated behavioural tracker, and generated a series of x,y coordinates. Results demonstrated that by examining pre-drug fractal dimension, it was possible to predict, with a good degree of confidence, the extent to which apomorphine-exposed rats developed predictable and stereotyped locomotor patterns following sensitization (Pearson's r = 0.85). Results are discussed in terms of characterizing an objective, quantitative endophenotype for locomotor effects of psychostimulants and stress.

 

Temperature and Water Change Effects on the Use of an Outdoor Pool by Captive Hippos

EDUARDO J. FERNANDEZ (University of Washington), James Ha (University of Washington)
Abstract:

In the wild, hippopotamuses spend most of their day activity in water. We examined how much time our hippos spend in their pool based on (a) temperature of the water, and (b) when the pool water was last dumped and re-filled (approximately 3 times a week). Several ThermoWorks™ USB digital temperature data loggers collected water and air temperature readings once every hour for several months. We correlated these temperature readings with several behaviors all the hippos could engage in, where the hippos were on exhibit, and how many days it had been since a dump (0, 1, or 2 days). This information will be discussed with respect to (a) what aspects of temperature and water quality most affect hippo pool use and general activity, and (b) what can be done in the future to improve the current hippo exhibit.

 
 
Symposium #361
CE Offered: BACB
Current Research in Pediatric Feeding Disorders
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:30 AM–11:50 AM
Korbel Ballroom 4F (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Michele D. Wallace (California State University, Los Angeles)
Discussant: Becky Penrod (California State University, Sacramento)
CE Instructor: Michele Wallace, Ph.D.
Abstract:

This symposium will include three presentations on current state of the art research pertaining to pediatric feeding disorders. The first paper looks at spoon distant fading as a treatment option for children with food selectivity. The second paper looks at utilizing the high-probability request sequence to increase consumption of non-preferred foods. The third paper looks at training caregivers to implement feeding interventions. Finally, a well respected expert in the area of pediatric feeding disorders will comment on the three papers and the state of research in this area.

 

Spoon Distant Fading as an Intervention for Food Refusal

BROOKE HOLLAND (California State University, Los Angeles), Michele D. Wallace (California State University, Los Angeles)
Abstract:

We evaluated the effects of three different treatment packages (i.e., spoon distance fading plus reinforcement, spoon distance fading plus reinforcement plus escape extinction, and escape extinction plus reinforcement) to identify the effectiveness of a fading procedure in absence of extinction to increase food consumption during meals. One of the three treatments was effective for increasing food consumption and decreasing inappropriate mealtime behaviors for two of the three participants. However, all treatment phases were ineffective for increasing food consumption for one participant (Ivan). Due to the idiosyncratic results of the treatments evaluated, the efficacy of spoon distance fading on feeding disorders requires further analysis.

 

Using the High-Probability Instructional Sequence to Increase the Variety of Foods Consumed by a Child With Autism

AIMEE E. MEIER (The Chicago School, Los Angeles), Mitch Fryling (The Chicago School, Los Angeles), Michele D. Wallace (California State University, Los Angeles)
Abstract:

This study evaluated the high-probability instructional sequence to increase the variety of foods consumed by a young child with autism. The high-p sequence was evaluated with a combined reversal and multiple-baseline across foods design. Unique to this study was the use of a highly preferred food as the high-p task, and the systematic fading of the high-p sequence after the high-p sequence was demonstrated to be an effective intervention. Conceptual and practical implications will also be reviewed.

 

Training Caregivers to Implement Successful Treatment Protocols for Feeding Disorders

MEGAN D. ACLAN (The Chicago School, Los Angeles), Rachel S. Findel-Pyles (The Chicago School, Los Angeles)
Abstract:

Children with feeding disorders may be at risk for many health issues if these disorders are left untreated (Patel, Piazza, Martinez, Volkert, & Santana, 2002). Numerous researchers have successfully treated feeding disorders; however, there is limited research on the maintenance and generalization of those treatments when implemented by the primary caregivers. In the current investigation caregivers were trained to implement their child's successful protocol using written instructions and post-session feedback. Additionally we sought to evaluate whether providing feedback on the caregiver's implementation of the protocol directly impacted the child's behavior. Results suggest that parents learned to appropriately implement their child's feeding protocol and follow-up data indicate maintenance of positive caregiver and child gains for up to3 weeks post caregiver training.

 
 
Symposium #362
CE Offered: BACB
Just a Spoonful of Sugar Is Not Enough: Getting Kids With Autism to Take Medicine & Eat Their Vegetables
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:30 AM–11:50 AM
Korbel Ballroom 4E (Convention Center)
Area: AUT; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Elizabeth Martineau (Nashoba Learning Group)
Discussant: Elizabeth Martineau (Nashoba Learning Group)
CE Instructor: Elizabeth Martineau, M.Ed.
Abstract:

Getting young children to swallow pills, drink liquid medicine, or eat enough vegetables are daunting tasks even for caregivers of typically developing children, let alone caregivers of children with autism. Teaching these skills to children with autism presents several unique challenges. The response topographies necessary (closing mouth, chewing, swallowing) cannot be reliably or safely prompted, and many children with autism have a limited repertoire of tastes and textures they readily accept. Some children with autism also display aggressive or self-injurious behaviors when presented with novel tastes, or engage in other problematic behaviors such as self-induced vomiting. We successfully taught multiple children with autism to accept medicine or novel foods after carefully assessing their medicine- or food-refusal behaviors, assessing their response to different presentation methods, and developing interventions that specifically target the problematic variable identified. Examples include isolating salient features of the medicine such as tasteversus smell, assessing caregiver behaviors such as "hiding" the pill in food versus openly showing it to the child, or establishing medicine-taking with a specific stimulus that can be transferred across settings. Multiple case studies will be presented, including assessment techniques and baseline, treatment, and outcome data demonstrating maintenance and generalization of medicine/food acceptance.

 

Isolating Salient Features of Medicine

JESSICA SLATON (Nashoba Learning Group), Elizabeth Martineau (Nashoba Learning Group), Fiona Santiago (Nashoba Learning Group)
Abstract:

Michael, a 7 year-old boy with autism, had a multi-year history of medicine refusal, including screaming, flailing, and biting when presented with medicine. He frequently tested positive for strep, requiring that he take antibiotics often. Medicine administration required both parents: one to block Michael's flailing, and the other to administer the medicine. On one occasion, Michael injured his mother by biting her as she delivered his medicine. We presented each stimulus separately (and isolated salient features of some stimuli) to determine which variable in the medicine-taking process was correlated with Michael's tantrum behavior. Variables we assessed included the presence of a plastic medicine syringe (distance from Michael's mouth), an empty versus full syringe, colored versus clear liquid, tastelessversus flavored liquid, and the presence or absence of a heavy scent. We were able to isolate scent as the variable that triggered tantrum behavior in Michael, with flavor as a second variable. We successfully taught Michael to take medicine by isolating each of these variables and gradually increasing the amount of each variable present in a water-based solution. Michael now takes medicine at home with his parents, without tantrum behavior.

 

Child-Initiated Responses for Medicine and Food Acceptance

KATE JOHNS (Nashoba Learning Group), Elizabeth Martineau (Nashoba Learning Group), Amy Thoren (Nashoba Learning Group), Lesley Sculley (Nashoba Learning Group)
Abstract:

We assessed two children with autism, Sara and Mark, who displayed medicine-refusal (Sara) and food-refusal (Mark) that involved yelling, crying, screaming, and in Mark's case aggression, self-injury, and self-induced vomiting. Sara had a history of aversive experiences with medicine that involved being "tricked" into taking it by having it hidden in her food, resulting in an unpleasant flavor to the food and avoidance of any stimuli associated with medicine. For Mark, most physical prompting by an adult was non-preferred regardless of the task. For both students, we isolated student-initiated responses versus caregiver-initiated responses as a critical variable that produced successful acceptance of medicine or food. Students were taught to either take medicine (Sara) or eat new foods (Mark) using a modified escape extinction procedure and positive reinforcement, but with the additional variable of all responses being student-initiated. Both Mark and Sara were allowed to select when they placed the food/medicine near their mouths, in their mouths, et cetera.In Sara's case, she completed practice trials with water instead of medicine, and was told each time exactly which liquid she was being given. Both students now independently take medicine/food without engaging in tantrum behavior.

 

Programming a Common Stimulus and Response Topography for Medicine Acceptance

MAUREEN LACERTE (Nashoba Learning Group), Elizabeth Martineau (Nashoba Learning Group), Shannon Hurley (Nashoba Learning Group)
Abstract:

Gregory, a 10-year-old boy with autism, had a multi-year history of medicine refusal in both liquid and pill form. Gregory displayed problematic behaviors related to the presentation of medicine including refusal (closed mouth), spitting out, and aggression. In Gregory's case, different response topographies were initially taught such as pills placed in yogurt (visible) and delivered via a spoon versus accepting liquids from a dropper or syringe. These were taught using a combination of shaping, chaining, and differential reinforcement. However, Gregory was only able to maintain one topography at a time, which posed a serious problem because he was required to take daily medications in both formats. We were able to successfully establish both forms of medicine-taking by using a common stimulus to present either form of medicine, thereby allowing both responses to occur with a single topography and eliminating the need to master and maintain multiple chains of behavior.

 
 
Symposium #363
CE Offered: BACB
Change the Way You Look at Escape Extinction: Motivating Learner Participation Without Escape Blocking, Forced Physical Prompts or Nagging
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:30 AM–11:50 AM
Korbel Ballroom 4D (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/VBC; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Robert Schramm (Knospe-ABA)
Discussant: Robert Schramm (Knospe-ABA)
CE Instructor: Robert Schramm, M.A.
Abstract:

The ability to consistently motivate learner participation in the intensive and natural environment teaching settings is one of the largest indicators of a learner's future success. The best teaching methods in the world are meaningless with a learner who will not participate, cooperate, or give full effort. Pairing oneself and the teaching environment with reinforcement is a crucial step in earning learner assent and cooperation. The more reinforcing the teaching environment is the more likely a learner will participate in that setting consistently. Escape extinction procedures, paired with the development of a reinforcement history for participation, are the main staples in earning cooperation with challenging learners. However, when asked what escape extinction looks like, most behavior analysts and teachers describe some combination of escape blocking, nagging or forced physical prompting procedures. Although escape extinction is well documented in the science, the consistent use of these procedures works in direct opposition to the concept of pairing oneself and the teaching setting with reinforcement. What this symposium will offer is a way to address escape that can replace or reduce the need for escape blocking, nagging, or forced physical prompts. This approach will be described in detail. Video examples and preliminary data will be shared.

 

Case Study One: Affecting Compliance With Initial Demands While Reducing Tantrum Behavior

ALLISON KANE (Kane ABA Consulting)
Abstract:

The ability to consistently motivate learner participation in the intensive and natural environment teaching settings is one of the largest indicators of a learner's future success. The best teaching methods in the world are meaningless with a learner who will not participate, cooperate, or give full effort. Pairing oneself and the teaching environment with reinforcement is a crucial step in earning learner assent and cooperation. The more reinforcing the teaching environment is the more likely a learner will participate in that setting consistently. Escape extinction procedures, paired with the development of a reinforcement history for participation, are the main staples in earning cooperation with challenging learners. However, when asked what escape extinction looks like, most behavior analysts and teachers describe some combination of escape blocking, nagging or forced physical prompting procedures. Although escape extinction is well documented in the science, the consistent use of these procedures works in direct opposition to the concept of pairing oneself and the teaching setting with reinforcement. What this symposium will offer is a way to address escape that can replace or reduce the need for escape blocking, nagging, or forced physical prompts. This approach will be described in detail. Video examples and preliminary data will be shared.

 

Case Study Two: Reducing Tantrum Behavior and Increasing Compliance via theSeven Steps to Instructional Control

BENNO BOEKH (Knospe-ABA), Silva Kleinfeld Vartoomian (Knospe ABA)
Abstract:

The ability to consistently motivate learner participation in the intensive and natural environment teaching settings is one of the largest indicators of a learner's future success. The best teaching methods in the world are meaningless with a learner who will not participate, cooperate, or give full effort. Pairing oneself and the teaching environment with reinforcement is a crucial step in earning learner assent and cooperation. The more reinforcing the teaching environment is the more likely a learner will participate in that setting consistently. Escape extinction procedures, paired with the development of a reinforcement history for participation, are the main staples in earning cooperation with challenging learners. However, when asked what escape extinction looks like, most behavior analysts and teachers describe some combination of escape blocking, nagging or forced physical prompting procedures. Although escape extinction is well documented in the science, the consistent use of these procedures works in direct opposition to the concept of pairing oneself and the teaching setting with reinforcement. What this symposium will offer is a way to address escape that can replace or reduce the need for escape blocking, nagging, or forced physical prompts. This approach will be described in detail. Video examples and preliminary data will be shared.

 

Case Study Three: Withholding Reinforcement to Reduce Escape Behavior

MEGAN DELEON (Navigation Behavioral Consulting)
Abstract:

The ability to consistently motivate learner participation in the intensive and natural environment teaching settings is one of the largest indicators of a learner's future success. The best teaching methods in the world are meaningless with a learner who will not participate, cooperate, or give full effort. Pairing oneself and the teaching environment with reinforcement is a crucial step in earning learner assent and cooperation. The more reinforcing the teaching environment is the more likely a learner will participate in that setting consistently. Escape extinction procedures, paired with the development of a reinforcement history for participation, are the main staples in earning cooperation with challenging learners. However, when asked what escape extinction looks like, most behavior analysts and teachers describe some combination of escape blocking, nagging or forced physical prompting procedures. Although escape extinction is well documented in the science, the consistent use of these procedures works in direct opposition to the concept of pairing oneself and the teaching setting with reinforcement. What this symposium will offer is a way to address escape that can replace or reduce the need for escape blocking, nagging, or forced physical prompts. This approach will be described in detail. Video examples and preliminary data will be shared.

 
 
Symposium #364
CE Offered: BACB
Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Analyzing Environmental Antecedents and Interventions Supporting Functional Skills
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:30 AM–11:50 AM
Korbel Ballroom 4A (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/EDC; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Ilene S. Schwartz (University of Washington)
Discussant: Ann N. Garfinkle (University of Montana)
CE Instructor: Diane Sainato, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Three papers will be presented. We will highlight the results of data based efforts to provide an analysis of environments and interventions for preschool and kindergarten students with autism. Pamparo, Herriott and Schwartz will offer a paper using dialogic reading interventions to increase verbal behavior in preschool children. McLaughlin and Davis will describe their project examining the use of physical activity to reduce stereotypic behavior for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Sainato, Jung, Morrison, and Axe will detail their observational analysis from a study inclusive kindergarten environments for children with autism and typical peers. Finally, Garfinkle will provide discussion of these papers. Implications for service delivery and future directions for research will be discussed.

 

CANCELLED: Using Dialogic Reading Interventions to Increase Verbal Behavior in Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

VERONICA PAMPARO (University of Washington), Shane K. Herriott (University of Washington), Ilene Schwartz (University of Washington)
Abstract:

Children with disabilities have fewer opportunities to engage in quality literacy experiences that support the development of critical early literacy skills. The use of dialogic reading strategies has been found to improve early literacy skills in children with language delays and those from at-risk populations. However, there is a dearth of studies that examine the potential utility of such reading strategies for students with disabilities. The present study employed a multiple baseline design across two preschoolers withautism spectrum disorderto examine the effect of dialogic reading on early literacy outcomes for three preschool students with autism. Results show that children verbally participated more during book readings when the adult read to them using dialogic reading prompts compared to standard book readings. Furthermore, dialogic book reading increased the duration students spent reading books without sacrificing student engagement. These results suggest that the use of dialogic reading strategies may be an effective strategy to improve the quality of literacy experiences for students with autism.

 

Critical Features of Classroom Environments for Kindergarten Age Students With Autism

DIANE M. SAINATO (The Ohio State University), Sunhwa Jung (Otterbein University), Rebecca S. Morrison (The Ohio State University), Judah B. Axe (Simmons College)
Abstract:

Project TASK was to developed and evaluated a comprehensive program for kindergarten children with autism. A total of 42 children with autism from the model program and 21 students with autism recruited from four local school districts participated. Direct observations of child and teacher behavior (i.e. engagement, social interaction, prompt level, etc.) were implemented once a month for a minimum of 6100 minutes per year for each student. Inter-observer agreement measures for the direct observations yielded mean levels of at least 90%. Results will be presented for critical instructional features such as grouping, teacher direction, instructional interactions and child engagement. Initial results indicate behavioral interventions, and use of naturally occurring learning opportunities to practice individualized education planobjectives were effective in promoting achievement of kindergarten children withautism spectrum disorderin inclusive settings. The project will be discussed in terms of the establishment of more effective educational programs for children with autism spectrum disorders with reduction in the cost of services.

 

Decreasing Stereotypy in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Increased Physical Activity and Function

ANNIE MCLAUGHLIN (Virginia Institute of Autism), Carol Ann Davis (University of Washington)
Abstract:

Stereotypies can be detrimental to the individual and eventually become a more serious challenging behavior; therefore, it is advantageous to treat stereotypy early in the history of the behavior. This study used a repeated reversal design to determine the effects of increasing physical activity during recess on stereotypy in three preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Functional analyses were conducted for stereotypic behaviors to determine the function for each participant. The intervention consisted of using short, play-based physical activities during recess. Results indicate increasing physical activity can be used as an intervention to reduce automatically maintained stereotypy in preschoolers with ASD. The intervention had a lesser effect on a preschooler whose stereotypy was maintained by attention. Results show topographies of the stereotypy were differentially affected for each individual. Not all motor stereotypies were affected equally within the same individual, and for one child, vocal stereotypies appeared to become less variable. Social validity measures indicate teachers would be willing to use this intervention in the future. Implications for using physical activity as an intervention for preschoolers with stereotypy are discussed.

 
 
Symposium #365
CE Offered: BACB
Assessment and Treatment of Feeding Problems in Children With Autism
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:30 AM–11:50 AM
Korbel Ballroom 4B (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Pamela L. Neidert (University of Kansas)
CE Instructor: Pamela Neidert, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Childhood feeding problems have the potential to disrupt the acquisition of age-appropriate feeding habits (Silverman, 2010), and children with developmental disabilities are at increased risk for developing feeding-related difficulties. The estimated prevalence of feeding problems in children with autism has been reported to be as high as 90% (Kodak & Piazza, 2008). The studies in this symposium highlight behavioral approaches to assessment and treatment of various feeding problems such as food refusal, selective eating, and disruptive mealtime behavior. The first study describes a procedure to increase chewing of nonpreferred foods by pairing with a preferred food. The second study compared the effects of two common interventions (noncontingent reinforcement and differential reinforcement) to decrease food selectivity. The third study describes assessment and treatment procedures to increase consumption of nonpreferred foods and teach self-feeding skills. Finally, the fourth study presents the results of data for 13 clients following an intensive feeding clinic admission to assess maintenance.

 

Increasing the Rate of Chewing Non-Preferred Foods Through Pairing

KATHARINE GUTSHALL (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Taira Lanagan (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Abstract:

The absence of chewing food is a common deficit seen in children with congenital and developmental disabilities (Williams, 2008). Some research suggests that this behavioral lack is due to inappropriate and/or lack of exposure to textures during infancy (Beckett, 2002). This can lead to children either eating foods of lower texture than age-appropriate or swallowing higher textured foods whole. When the latter occurs, this poses a great health risk for the child. Few studies to date address the problem of how to teach specifically the behavior of chewing. Butterfield and Parson (1973) used modeling and shaping to teach chewing while other oral-motor interventions are proposed by speech-language pathologists. Differential reinforcement was also used (Shore, et al, 1999). The current investigation looks at teaching chewing to a child with autism who did not chew any food other than cheese crackers. Through simultaneous presentation, the rate of chewing increased for non-preferred foods using a multi-element design. Over time, the pairing was able to be faded such that the non-preferred food was eaten alone with appropriate chewing.

 

A Comparison of Differential Reinforcement of Acceptance Plus Escape Extinction versus Noncontigent Reinforceemnt Plus Escape Extinction to Treat Food Selectivity

JANELLE ALISON (Florida Institute of Technology), David A. Wilder (Florida Institute of Technology), Ivy M. Chong Crane (Scott Center at Florida Institute of Technology), Ashley Lugo (University of Nebraska Medical Center), Jessica Pike (Florida Institute of Technology), Rachel Lewis (Florida Institute of Technology), Nikki Rudy (Florida Institute of Technology)
Abstract:

After functional analyses suggested that food selectivity/refusal by two young children with autism was maintained by escape from demands to eat, a treatment evaluation was conducted. During the treatment evaluation, a multielement design was used to compare differential reinforcement of bite acceptance (DRA) with arbitrary but preferred items to noncontingent access to these same items. Escape extinction was in place during both treatments. The results showed that both treatments increased bite acceptance and decreased problem behavior, and that noncontingent access to preferred items reduced problem behavior to a slightly greater extent than DRA. Results are discussed in terms of the identification of practical and efficient methods of increasing bite acceptance in children with autism who exhibit food selectivity and/or refusal.

 

Treatment of Feeding Problems in Young Children With Developmental Disabilities

MEGAN HAFEN (University of Kansas), Pamela L. Neidert (University of Kansas), Claudia L. Dozier (University of Kansas), Joseph Dracobly (University of Kansas), Danielle L. Gureghian (University of Kansas), Kimberley L. M. Zonneveld (University of Kansas)
Abstract:

Childhood feeding problems (e.g., food refusal, food selectivity, disruptive mealtime behavior, failure to master developmentally appropriate self-feeding skills, etc.) have the potential to disrupt the acquisition of age-appropriate feeding habits (Silverman, 2010), and children with developmental disabilities are at increased risk for developing feeding-related difficulties (Schwarz, Corredor, Fisher-Medina, Cohen, & Rabinowitz, 2001). The present study describes the assessment and treatment of various feeding problems in 3 children with developmental disabilities. For one child, an assessment was conducted to identify the relative preference level for several foods. Subsequently, differential reinforcement and escape extinction (nonremoval of the spoon) increased acceptance of nonpreferred foods. For the second child, an assessment was conducted to determine how taste, texture, and vehicles (e.g., utensils) influenced feeding behavior. Subsequently, differential reinforcement, texture fading, and escape extinction was successful in increasing acceptance of higher texture foods. For the third child, backward chaining was used to establish independent self-feeding skills. A treatment package consisting of prompting, reinforcement, and response blocking was used to increase self-feeding and decrease finger feeding under typical classroom arrangements. Results suggest that the aforementioned procedures were effective at treating feeding problems in three, young children with developmental disabilities.

 

Assessing the Long-Term Benefits of Behavioral Intervention for Pediatric Feeding Disorders

TAIRA LANAGAN (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Katharine Gutshall (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Amanda Treadway (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Abstract:

Research on single-case interventions has shown success in treating pediatric feeding disorders (Chung and Kahng, 2007; Ledford and Gast, 2006; Martins, et al, 2008). However, limited research has been published on program-wide evaluations of outpatient feeding facilities. The long-term effect of feeding interventions is even rarer. Given the desire of limited funding sources to know probable outcomes, group data should be presented to justify behavioral intervention as a preferable method. The current assessment collects data of 13 clients who complete an intensive feeding program. Differences in bite acceptance, inappropriate behavior, and variety of foods are examined pre and post intervention. Data is also re-evaluated after returning home and full re-emergence into daily activities. Lastly, the data are able to be evaluated by in-clinic versus in-home services.

 
 
Symposium #366
CE Offered: BACB
Outcomes of Fluent Responding in Learners With Autism: Evaluating Maintenance and Generality Following Rate-Building
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:30 AM–11:50 AM
Korbel Ballroom 4C (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Ivy J. Feldman (The McCarton School)
Discussant: Michael Fabrizio (FEAT of Washington)
CE Instructor: Thomas Zane, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Teaching skills to fluency has been purported to have many important outcomes, including improved retention, endurance (i.e., ability to engage in for long durations), application (i.e., generalization), and stability (resistance to distraction). These are intriguing claims in relation to learners with autism, as autism is associated with poor maintenance, difficulty with transferring skills, low stamina for tasks, and distractibility. In this symposium, several outcomes of rate-building to fluency will be evaluated. One paper will present data on the effect on building tacting skills to fluency on spontaneous tacting in free play situations. A second paper will examine the differential rate of skill acquisition and demonstration of generalization for items taught to mastery and items taught to fluency. The third paper will present data comparing the maintenance of skills in a lean probe schedule, a daily practice condition, and a rate-building phase of instruction. These three papers empirically examine the assumptions associated with achieving fluent responding. Data presented support the use of rate-building procedures, but are also discussed in the context of other effectiveapplied behavior analysisinstructional strategies.

 

Impact of Teaching Skills to Fluency on Response Availability in Learners With Autism

THOMAS L. ZANE (Institute for Behavioral Studies, Endicott College), Mary Jane Weiss (The McCarton School), Nicole Pearson (The McCarton School)
Abstract:

It has been suggested that fluent skills are associated with greater response availability which results in improved spontaneous skill demonstration. Fluent responding includes accuracy and speed. Both speed and accuracy are important for responses to be effective, meaningful, and comprehensible for interaction partners. Responses that are trained to fluent levels are expected to be more readily retrievable and demonstrable for the learner. Theoretically, increased response availability would be associated with higher levels of spontaneity. This paper empirically tests this assumption. Skills that have been acquired will be practiced daily in timed sprints. In addition, these stimuli will be probed weekly for spontaneous tacting in free play situations. The free play situations will be 10 minutes in duration, and will include the items trained and additional distractor items, enabling a comparison with other stimuli. An additional comparison will be done between children with autism and typically developing peers, yielding data on normative levels of spontaneous tacting in free play situations. The evaluation of assumptions is an important extension of our commitment to effectiveness and efficiency inapplied behavior analysisinstruction.

 

Assessing Rate of Acquisition and Generalization for Skills Taught Via Discrete Trial Instruction and Rate-Building in Learners With Autism

NICOLE PEARSON (The McCarton School), Mary Jane Weiss (The McCarton School), Kristen Foley (The McCarton School), Sara Pahl (The McCarton School), Chigusa Haldeman (The McCarton School), Thomas L. Zane (Institute for Behavioral Studies, Endicott College), Peter Gerhardt (The McCarton School)
Abstract:

Teaching skills to fluency has been described as more efficient and as associated with better generalization than teaching skills to mastery levels (i.e. accuracy). In this investigation, learners were taught several items of a program via discrete trial instruction and several items of a program via rate-building. Participants will be adolescent learners with autism, and the targeted skill will be receptive identification of community-relevant sight words. Data will be reported on the differential rates of acquisition between these two sets of items. Generalization will be assessed in two weekly probes for stimulus and setting/situation generality. Stimulus generalization will be probed on a weekly basis, in the training environment. Three different exemplars of trained stimuli will be used in weekly probes, including 2D and #d representations. In addition, setting/situation generalization probes will be conducted weekly in non-training/novel environments. The results will be discussed in the context of effective instruction. In addition, data will be analyzed with regard to commonly held assumptions about rate-building.

 

Differential Maintenance of Skills Taught With Rate-Building and With Discrete Trial Instruction in Learners With Autism

KRISTEN FOLEY (The McCarton School), Mary Jane Weiss (The McCarton School), Meredith Bamond (Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
Abstract:

One of the commonly held assumptions about skills taught to fluent levels is that they are better maintained than skills not taught to fluency. Previous work in this area has suggested that rate-building to fluent levels has resulted in excellent levels of maintenance up to 10 months post-acquisition. However, it was not clear whether such results were a consequence of timed practice or were simply a consequence of overlearning. In other words: is going quickly a critical element of training? Would maintenance levels be measurably lower in the absence of timed practice? In this study, maintenance is compared in 3 conditions across 5 learners with autism: a lean maintenance weekly probe schedule, a daily rate-building (sprints) condition, and a daily practice condition. Data will be presented across all three conditions up to 6 months post acquisition. Results will be discussed in the context of essential/ best practice elements of instruction.

 
 
Symposium #367
CE Offered: BACB
Getting Clinical Behavior Analytic Interventions Out to the World-Wide Community: Internet-based Training Methods for Behavioral Activation, Functional Analytic Psychotherapyand Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:30 AM–11:50 AM
603 (Convention Center)
Area: CBM/PRA; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Jonathan W. Kanter (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee)
Discussant: Jonathan W. Kanter (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee)
CE Instructor: Jonathan Kanter, Ph.D.
Abstract:

The promise of behavior analysis has always been the effective dissemination of effective interventions. Yet the question of effective training, in today's global community, remains. How do we take our interventions and effectively train diverse practitioners across the globe in them? Technological advances that facilitate engaging and effective interaction via the world wide have resulted in a surge of methodologies for online training of practitioners. The potential benefits of using communication technology to train practitioners via the web are immense: Training can occur rapidly and reach practitioners who otherwise would be difficult to reach. This symposium will present new data on online trainings in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), functional analytic psychotherapy(FAP) and behavioral activation using an online therapeutic learning community. The online training methodology shared by these studies offers great promise for future rapid and effective training across the globe.

 

Activating Through the Internet: Results of Online Training of Behavioral Activation Techniques

JONATHAN W. KANTER (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee), Joseph Daniel Murphy (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee), David E. Baruch (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee), William Bowe (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee), Ajeng J. Puspitasari (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee), Kelly Koerner (PracticeGround)
Abstract:

Behavioral activation (BA), a behavior analytically informed, empirically supported intervention for depression, has potential strengths in terms of ease of training and maximum reach. A 4-hour web-based training sequence (3 classes over the course of 1 month) was employed to train a diverse group of therapists in BA techniques. Using evidence-based dissemination and implementation strategies, the course emphasized engagement, practice, feedback, and personal application of the material. Eight therapists were trained and collected weekly data over the course of training on uptake of BA techniques. Results indicated significant uptake of BA techniques over the course of training. Client outcomes, however, were not responsive to training.

 

Can We Be Intimate Through a Series of Tubes? Pilot Studies of Web-Based Functional Analytic Psychotherapy Therapist Training

GARETH I. HOLMAN (University of Washington), Jonathan W. Kanter (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee), Kelly Koerner (PracticeGround), Mavis Tsai (Independent Practice & U. of Washington), Robert J. Kohlenberg (University of Washington)
Abstract:

Functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP) is a form of outpatient psychotherapy, grounded in clinical behavior analysis, whose hypothesized mechanism of action is the interpersonal interaction of client and therapist. FAP therapist training (FAPTT) aims to shape the interpersonal repertoires needed to practice FAP through a combination of didactic and experiential work undertaken in a small group setting. Here we present pilot data from two studies of a novel version of FAPTT administered via the internet. Therapists (n = 8 in Study 1; n = 10-12 in Study 2) met virtually for 2 hours weekly over 2 months and completed individual homework between sessions. Therapists completed assessments at pre- and post-training. Primary therapist outcomes were burn-out and FAP-specific competencies. A subset of therapists also recruited clients who completed assessments of therapy relationship and interpersonal function at pre- and post-training. Preliminary results indicate that web-based FAPTT is feasible and acceptable, though client recruitment was limited. However, the only outcome to demonstrate an effect of training in these small samples was therapist-reported FAP competencies. Results are discussed in terms of a behavior analytic account of FAP competencies and training impact. Strategies for assessing impact of training on client outcomes in future studies are reviewed.

 

A Comparison of Internet-Based Consultation Versus Instructor-Led Workshop for Training Therapists in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Jennifer Villatte (University of Nevada, Reno), JOANNE STEINWACHS (Private Practice), Matthieu Villatte (University of Nevada, Reno)
Abstract:

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an empirically supported treatment based on behavioral principles and relational frame theory. ACT has been shown to be effective in treating a range of problems in living, including depression and anxiety and the management of chronic medical conditions, and has even improved the uptake of other empirically supported treatments among mental health counselors. However, few studies have examined the effectiveness of ACT dissemination and implementation strategies. Research on psychotherapy dissemination and implementation suggests that traditional instructor-led workshops may not be sufficient to achieve and sustain therapy competence and adherence, but online training and consultation groups can significantly improve training outcomes. The current study compares a traditional 2-day ACT workshop to two styles of 8-week online consultation groups, one focused on technical skills-training and the other focused on applying functional analysis and intervention to the therapeutic relationship. We will examine the impact of these three training strategies on therapist burnout, therapeutic alliance, therapist psychological flexibility, and treatment adherence at pre, post, and 3-month follow-up. This paper will present results of this pilot study and address feasibility issues in conducting online training of clinical behavior analysis.

 
 
Symposium #370
CE Offered: BACB
New Directions in Indirect Functional Assessment of Behavior Disorders
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:30 AM–11:50 AM
Korbel Ballroom 2C (Convention Center)
Area: DDA/AUT; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Richard G. Smith (University of North Texas)
CE Instructor: Richard Smith, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Functional behavioral assessment techniques are widely used to identify the environmental influences on problem behavior in schools, clinics, and residential environments. Due to several limitations associated with experimental analysis and descriptive assessment procedures, many practitioners elect to use indirect assessment procedures, such as interviews and checklists, to guide treatment selection. The papers in this symposium will present evaluations of advances in indirect assessments aimed at improving their reliability, validity, and generality across populations.

 

Analyses of Agreement Among Multiple Respondents to the Motivation Assessment Scale and Questions About Behavioral Function, and Correspondence of Outcomes With Experimental Analysis

CARLA M. SMITH (University of North Texas), Richard G. Smith (University of North Texas), Amy E. Peterson (University of North Texas), Joseph Dracobly (University of Kansas), Audrey H. Shivers (University of North Texas)
Abstract:

An analysis of interrater agreement across multiple respondents on anecdotal assessments was compared with experimental functional analysis outcomes for correspondence. Experiment 1 evaluated the agreement of multiple respondents on the function of problem behavior for 27 individuals across 42 target behaviors using the Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS) and the Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF). Results showed agreement on the primary maintaining consequence for 4 or 5 of the 5 respondents in 52% (22/42) of the individuals target behaviors with the MAS and 57% (24/42) with the QABF. Experiment 2 examined whether correspondence occurred between the anecdotal assessment results and experimental functional analysis (EFA) results for 7 individuals selected from Experiment 1. Correspondence between the QABF assessment and the EFA was found for 6 of 7 participants, and 4 of the 7 showed correspondence between the EFA and the MAS. This study showed that the QABF had higher correspondence with analog assessments than the MAS thus, supporting the previous findings of Paclawskyj et al. (2001).

 

Effectively Translating the Questions About Behavioral Function AssessmentWith an Eye Toward Reliability

CRISTINA M. VEGA (California State University, Los Angeles), Michele D. Wallace (California State University, Los Angeles)
Abstract:

Indirect functional behavior assessment instruments are used to preliminarily identify potential functions of behavior and have only been available in English. This study developed a Spanish version of the Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF) indirect assessment instrument. Forward and back-adaptation committees were used in the translation process. Subsequently, the QABF and the QABF-Spanish (QABF-S) were administered to a group of 80 bilingual participants to assess both the reliability and validity of the assessments. A factor analysis yielded four factors that were consistent with the four subscales examined in this study. Reliability coefficients were good for the attention, escape, and tangible subscales on both the QABF and QABF-S, but were poor for the nonsocial subscale on each instrument. Thus, it appears that the versions of the instrument evoke common responses from respondents for social reinforcement functions but further refinement may be needed to identify nonsocial contingencies. Contributions, limitations, and directions for future research will be discussed.

 

School-Based Functional Behavior Assessment: Evaluation of Student-Guided Functional Assessment Interviews

SHERRY MULLEN MCDERMOTT (University of Oregon), Cristy Coughlin (University of Oregon), Cynthia M. Anderson (University of Oregon)
Abstract:

The majority of evidence guiding the use of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) in schools is derived from research evaluating the utility of conducting FBAs with individuals with significant difficulties in controlled, experimental settings. Because of this, there is considerable concern regarding the applicability of the methods and tools involved in the FBA process to higher-functioning students in applied settings. A commonly used method of FBA in schools is interviews. Most often interviews are conducted with teachers and research on the reliability and utility of such interviews has produced mixed results. An alternative to teacher-conducted interviews is to interview the student regarding the putative function of his or her problem behavior. Student-guided interviews could be conducted instead of teacher interviews or as a compliment to teacher interviews and direct observations. To date only 2 studies have assessed student-guided functional assessments. In this study we evaluated the reliability of student-guided FBAs by comparing results to results of teacher-conducted FBA interviews and to structural analyses conducted in the classroom.

 

School-Based Functional Assessment: Capacity Development and Scaling

CYNTHIA M. ANDERSON (University of Oregon), Anna Marshall (University of Oregon)
Abstract:

The literature base supporting the utility of functional assessment for deriving efficacious interventions is robust yet function-based support remains elusive in schools. This may seem somewhat surprising given that functional assessment is written into federal guidelines (e.g., IDEA) yet the conceptual logic of functional assessmentand function-based support is not typically a part of the school culture. Skillful use of functional assessment and the resulting development of function-base support requires (a) conceptual understanding of environment-behavior relations, (b) adequate time to conduct assessments and develop interventions, (c) knowledge of the school/classroom context and (d) systems to measure progress. When behavior analysts consult with schools they are able to conduct the assessment, build a support plan, and develop a system to progress monitor however they often lack the "contextual fit" to match the intervention and data collection system to the skills, values, and capacity of the teacher. An alternative is to built internal capacity in function-based support. In this presentation we discuss a system for building district and within-school capacity around function-based support and review data documenting the ability of districts and schools to implement function-based support with fidelity.

 
 
Symposium #371
CE Offered: BACB
Use of Technology and Community Based Service Delivery to Expand Applied Behavior Analysis Services to Underserved Populations
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:30 AM–11:50 AM
Korbel Ballroom 3B (Convention Center)
Area: DDA/CSE; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Sean D. Casey (Iowa Department of Education)
Discussant: Patricia F. Kurtz (Kennedy Krieger Institute)
CE Instructor: Sean Casey, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Delivery of quality applied behavior analysis (ABA) services can be a challenge for low income families and/or for families outside of major urban centers. These obstacles can make the appropriate consultation with trained behavior analysts extremely difficult. We present three papers that present delivery models that have or can potentially overcome these obstacles. The first paper describes a community based program that focuses on parent training and intensive ABA therapy for low income families with children with autism and developmental disabilities. The second paper describes and demonstrates the use of a teleconsultation model to conduct functional analyses and provision of function-based treatment recommendations for families of young children with autism in rural settings. The third paper will also describe and demonstrate the usefulness of internet webcam technologies to provide descriptive assessments and treatment for problem behavior and daily living skills. These papers will be discussed by Dr. Patricia Kurtz who is currently the Director of the Neurobehavioral Outpatient Services at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and who has vast experience in the evaluation of problematic behavior exhibited by children with developmental disabilities.

 

Providing Applied Behavior Analysis Services to Low Income Families in Home and Community Settings. A Partnership Between a University and Community Service Providers

JEANNIE M. AGUILAR (Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk), Christina L. Fragale (Meadows Center for the Prevention of Educational Risk), Pamela J. White (Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at the University of Texas at Austin), Mark O'Reilly (Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk)
Abstract:

An autism pilot program was created in collaboration with the Austin Travis County Integral Care Center and The University of Texas at Austin in order to provide intensive applied behavioral analysis therapy to low income families in the Austin community. The program served to provide master's level graduate students in the area of Autism and Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Special Education with experience working with families directly in home and community settings usingapplied behavior analysistechniques. Another focus of the program was to train parents to implement the strategies used in therapy sessions to facilitate generalization of skills. Families were given 6 months of 10-15 hours of weekly intensive behavioral therapy. A description of student training, assessment of children, and program implementation is provided for the first 3 families piloted through the program.

 

Telehealth Delivery of Functional Analysis and Functional Communication Training to Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders in Rural Communities

YANIZ C. PADILLA DALMAU (University of Iowa), David P. Wacker (University of Iowa), Todd G. Kopelman (University of Iowa), Scott D. Lindgren (University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics), John F. Lee (University of Iowa), Jennifer Kuhle (University of Iowa)
Abstract:

Trained behavior consultants delivered functional analysis (FA)and functional communication training (FCT)through telehealth to young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) who displayed problem behavior. Participants were 9 young children between the ages of 18 months and 6 years who were diagnosed with ASDs. Participants lived in rural communities in Iowa and lived an average of 228 miles away from the major hospital that housed the behavior consultants. All procedures were conducted during weekly telehealth consultations in the participants' regional clinics, an average of 12 miles from their homes. Local parent coaches were trained via telehealth by behavior consultants to provide on-site support during consultations. Functional analyses were completed within a multielement design to identify the environmental variables that maintained problem behavior. FCT was implemented in the context identified by the FA within a noncurrent multiple baseline design. Interrater agreement was assessed during 30% of sessions and averaged over 90%. Two case studies will be presented. FA results suggested that both participants' problem behavior was maintained by escape from demands and access to tangible items. FCT for escape was implemented and reductions of problem behavior were over 90% across participants. Results suggested that FA and FCT can be conducted effectively and efficiently through telehealth.

 

Clinical Supervision to Children With Disabilities via Internet in Argentina

MAURO MASCOTENA COOK (FLENI)
Abstract:

Argentina is the second largest country of South America after Brazil, and the 8th largest country in the world. Its total area is approximately 2.7 million km^2. With 40 million inhabitants in the whole country, more than 12 million lives in Buenos Aires and Greater Buenos Aires. Main health services are sited in Buenos Aires, and long distances are a big obstacle for families inside the country who want to receive attention or to consult for supervision and guidance for local therapeutic intervention and management of situations at home. Trained behavior consultant conducted descriptive analysis of problem behavior and clinical supervision on daily living skills by video reviews of previously sent material by the family, and conducted interviews with parents and local therapists through webcam via internet. Participant was a 6-year-old girl with severe mental retardation, no verbal communication and problem behavior, who lives in a small town near Tucuman, 1281 Km from Buenos Aires. Improvement was observed in problem behavior (tantrums) and daily living skills (eating more independently), suggesting the web consultation to be a valid alternative to the family to receive guidance.

 
 
Symposium #373
CE Offered: BACB
The Human Developmental Process and How Our Conceptual Understanding of It Can Affect Instructional Decisions
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:30 AM–11:50 AM
610/612 (Convention Center)
Area: DEV/EDC; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Nicole Luke (Surrey Place Centre)
Discussant: Martha Pelaez (Florida International University)
CE Instructor: Nicole Luke, Ph.D.
Abstract:

This series of three papers investigates the current understanding of developmental concepts such as those of behavioral cusps, verbal developmental theory, and cusps as nodes from a nonlinear behavioral systems viewpoint. Each paper presents a different element of these conceptualizations but all three papers focus on the relevance of these concepts to educational outcomes. The authors believe that an integration of developmental theory into educational practice holds great promise for educational outcomes and the treatment of individuals with developmental disabilities. The three papers discuss the theories, review relevant findings in the field, and propose next steps in the integration of these theories into practical application. The first paper describes assessment tools that incorporate verbal behavior development theory and discusses the implications of inducing missing cusps and capabilities. The second paper investigates the effects of Verbal Developmental Protocols on verbal developmental cusps. The third paper reviews the history of the concept of behavioral cusps, considering their role in the developmental process, and proposes an alternative way to conceptualize cusps as nodes.

 

Assessing Cusps and Capabilities to Inform Curriculum Choices in Individualized Programming

NICOLE LUKE (Surrey Place Centre), Dolleen-Day Keohane (Nicholls State University)
Abstract:

This paper describes the use of assessment tools grounded in a functional assessment of language to drive curricular choices in an instructional setting. Assessing learners according to their levels of verbal behavior allows the instructor to think about the learner in a different way. This, in turn, allows the instructor to design instruction with a different focus and, perhaps, to look at the acquisition of necessary repertoires for independence in a new way. Both the Preschool Inventory of Repertoires for Kindergarten (PIRK) and the Verbal Behavior Developmental Assessment (VBDA) will be reviewed and case studies will be used to demonstrate the translation of assessment findings into programming for children with missing cusps and capabilities. Behavioral cusps and capabilities will be defined for this particular context. The implications of inducing cusps and capabilities will be outlined and we will explore the relationship between instructional methods and a child's Verbal Developmental profile.

 

Using Verbal Developmental Protocols to Provide a Foundation for the Emergence of Early Developmental Cusps

DOLLEEN-DAY KEOHANE (Nicholls State University), Mara Katra Oblak (CABAS-AIL), Grant Gautreaux (Nicholls State University)
Abstract:

We investigated the effects of three verbal developmental protocols on increases in pre-listener, listener, and early speaker observing responses and the emergence of certain verbal developmental cusps. These cusps, included, for some, the ability to be reinforced by listening to voices and looking at faces. They also included, for others, the ability to come under instructional control and observe both two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects. Early developmental cusps may be missing in children with developmental delays, regardless of their chronological age. We review findings from case studies of young children enrolled in full day preschool classrooms that were based on inclusion models of instruction. The classrooms were structured on child-directed models of learning and included children with identified disabilities as well as typically developing children for most learning activities across the school day. We discuss the outcomes of use of these Protocols and their impact on the children as well as on the instructional model.

 

Are Behavioral Cusps Really Developmental Nodes?

GARY D. NOVAK (California State University, Stanislaus)
Abstract:

"The behavioral approach has long been underrepresented in developmental psychology. Its emphasis on process, interaction, environmental influences, and the individual makes it a good fit with a dynamical systems approach. We think the synthesis of these views-the behavioral systems approach-provides a powerful and coherent view of the process of human development" (Novak & Pelaez, 2004). The concept of behavioral cusps was defined as "any behavior change that brings the organism's behavior into contact with new contingencies that have even more far-reaching consequences" (Rosales-Ruiz & Baer, 1997). In recent years the concept has been treated in many ways, including as a synonym for pivotal response class, and has taken on well-deserved interest by those interested in treating problem behaviors. This paper will look at the original concept of behavioral cusps, and consider their role in the human developmental process as well as implications for treatment interventions. The paper will examine cusps from a nonlinear behavioral systems viewpoint and raise questions about whether cusps may be seen better as nodes from which later developmental pathways emerge.

 
 
Symposium #378
CE Offered: BACB
Evaluating and Supporting the Use of Headsprout Early Reading® and Headsprout Reading Compression® With Diverse Learners
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:30 AM–11:50 AM
Korbel Ballroom 1B (Convention Center)
Area: EDC/DDA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: J. Carl Hughes (Bangor University)
CE Instructor: J. Hughes, Ph.D.
Abstract:

The symposium is a collection of studies evaluating the use of the online reading programme Headsprout Early Reading® (HER) and the online Headsprout Reading Compression® across three populations of children with varying additional learning needs. The first paper reports the use of HER within a state funded special educational school with children with moderate to severe learning disabilities and physical disabilities. Paper two investigates the use of HER with children in a mainstream school who have English as an Additional Language (EAL). Paper three investigates the benefits and the practical challenges of using HER and HRC with children with a diagnosis of autism. Paper four is an investigation into the addition of a ‘look-back’ contingency in HRC.

 

Evaluating Headsprout Early Reading With Children With Learning Disabilities

EMILY TYLER (Bangor University), Bethan Williams (Bangor University), J. Carl Hughes (Bangor University), Michael Beverley (Wales Centre for Behaviour Analysis, University of Wales)
Abstract:

This study investigated the effects of Headsprout Early Reading (HER) on reading and language skills of children with various special educational needs (SEN). Eleven children aged between 9 and 16 and attending a special needs school were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (receiving HER intervention) or waiting list control group. Two children in another SEN setting also received HER intervention to control for researcher involvement. All participants were assessed on a range of reading and language abilities, including word recognition, basic early literacy skills, expressive and receptive vocabulary and articulation. In assessments conducted after 10-weeks, statistically significant improvements in the experimental groups compared to the control group were limited to word recognition and some basic early literacy skills. These findings suggest HER can be successfully implemented with some children with SEN, and may help improve reading and language skills.

 

Using Headsprout Early Reading and Headsprout Reading Comprehension With Children With Autism

FAYE RAPLEY (Bangor University), Corinna Grindle (Bangor University), J. Carl Hughes (Bangor University), Maria Saville (Bangor University), Kath Huxley (Westwood ABA Class)
Abstract:

Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of the online reading programme Headsprout Reading Basics (HER) with typical learners; however there have been no studies to empirically determine the effectiveness of the program for children with autism. Study 1 examined the use of HER with four participants with a diagnosis of autism. The research design used a single subject pre/post test design. A number of standardised tests were taken prior to and following the Headsprout intervention in order to assess the effects on the participants reading and spelling. HER had positive impacts on participants reading accuracy and spelling however there were limited improvements in reading comprehension. Future research should address the limitations on teaching reading comprehension. Study 2 was a pilot investigation of the use of Headsprout Reading Comprehension with 3 children who had completed the HER programme and had a diagnosis of Autism. The results of that study indicate that with additional procedures from ABA, children with autism can use and benefit from HRC.

 

The Use of Headsprout Early Reading With Children in Mainstream Schools With Reading and Language Deficits

MICHAEL BEVERLEY (Wales Centre for Behaviour Analysis, University of Wales), J. Carl Hughes (Bangor University), Emily Tyler (Bangor University), Bethan Williams (Bangor University)
Abstract:

The ability to read is essential if children are to access the rest of their academic curriculum and failure to read effectively can have significant detrimental effects on their future life choices and future prospects. This study sought to increase the existing database to support the effectiveness of Headsprout Early Reading (HER) an internet based reading programme that over the course of 80 episodes teaches children to read. Children who were identified as struggling readers by their classroom teacher were pre-tested and then randomly allocated to either receive the HER intervention or teaching as usual. Results from the data show that HER is an effective early reading programme for children with reading delays.

 

An Addition to Headsprout Reading Comprehension: the "Look Back" Contingency

HIROFUMI SHIMIZU (Headsprout), Melinda Sota (Headsprout), Marta Leon (Headsprout), T. V. Joe Layng (Headsprout), April Heimlich Stretz (Headsprout), Victoria Ford (Headsprout), Jay Thompson (Headsprout)
Abstract:

Headsprout Reading Comprehension teaches learners to answer reading comprehension questions in four categories: literal comprehension, inferential comprehension, main idea (summative) comprehension, and derived meaning (vocabulary) comprehension. In the original version of the program, learners read a narrative or expository passage onscreen and are presented with reading comprehension questions sequentially. Learners select an answer to each question by clicking on a written answer presented onscreen, and receive either confirmatory feedback or a correction routine depending on the answer selected. This presentation will describe the design and effects of adding a new requirement for learners that is not present in the initial version of the program. This requirement (the "look back" contingency) has learners locate the part of the passage that contains the information necessary to answer the question. That is, learners have to click on a portion of the passage (varying from a phrase to several sentences) before they can click on a possible answer. The purpose of this new contingency is to direct learners to find the answer in the passage before they attempt to answer the question posed. This contingency is in effect during early phases of the program in order to establish the target behavior, and is faded out in later phases of the program. Two studies are reported in this presentation: one draws data from learners in Headsprouts learning laboratory, and one draws data from learners using the program in schools and homes. Within each study, there is a control condition (using data collected before the look back contingency was implemented) and a look back condition (using data collected after the look back contingency was implemented). Comparing these two conditions would yield information about any effects of adding the look back contingency. Furthermore, there are two comparisons to be made within each of these two conditions: early phases of the program and late phases of the program. Comparing the early and late phases would provide information on whether any effects of the look back contingency are maintained after the contingency is faded out from the program.

 
 
Symposium #379
CE Offered: BACB
Increasing Appropriate Preschool Classroom Behaviors
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:30 AM–11:50 AM
Korbel Ballroom 1A (Convention Center)
Area: EDC/PRA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Nicole Heal (Southern Illinois University)
CE Instructor: Nicole Heal, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Kindergarten teachers hold high behavioral expectations for children entering their classrooms at the beginning of each school year. As such, it is important to identify effective behavior change procedures to promote the development of school readiness skills (e.g., social, academic, and communication skills) to increase the likelihood that children will experience early success in school. The speakers in this symposium will present studies on the effects of individual or group-wide behavior analytic interventions on increasing appropriate classroom behaviors of preschool children. The first study compared the efficacy of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior and response cost on on-task behavior. In addition, child preference for the behavior change procedures was assessed. In the second study, the direct and indirect effects of three types of group-oriented contingencies (independent, interdependent, and dependent) for decreasing problem behavior and increasing on-task behavior was compared. The third investigation assessed the effects of a multiple schedule on attention seeking responses during circle time in three preschool classrooms. The final study compared the effects of brief and continuous signals during delays to reinforcement on tolerance to the delay (i.e., waiting) while also evaluating the differential effects of whether the delay was signaled by a caregiver or a peer.

 

A Comparison of the Effectiveness and Preference for Differential Reinforcement and Response Cost

ERICA SEVERTSON (University of Kansas), Claudia L. Dozier (University of Kansas), Steven W. Payne (University of Kansas)
Abstract:

Several researchers have shown that response cost (loss of a specific reinforcer) is an effective procedure for decreasing problem behavior; however, there is little research comparing response cost to reinforcement-based procedures (e.g., Iwata & Bailey, 1974). The purposes of the current study are to (a) directly compare response cost to differential reinforcement of an alternative behavior (DRA) for increasing on-task behavior (i.e., tracing letters and shapes) of typically developing preschool children and (b) determine child preference for these two procedures. Results of the study suggest (a) response cost and DRA are equally effective in increasing high levels of on-task behavior of typically developing preschool children (6/6), and (b) most participants prefer DRA to response cost (4/6). The results suggest that earning and losing reinforcers are equally effective procedures for increasing and maintaining appropriate on-task behavior. However, our data suggest that typically developing preschool children prefer to earn reinforcers rather than lose reinforcers that they already have.

 

An Analysis of Group-Oriented Contingencies and Potential Side Effects

STEVEN W. PAYNE (University of Kansas), Claudia L. Dozier (University of Kansas), Matthew Newquist (Partners in Excellence)
Abstract:

Individualized contingencies placed on behavior have been shown to be effective in changing the behavior of a single individual. Group-oriented contingencies, however, have been shown to be an efficient method for changing the behavior of multiple individuals simultaneously. There are several types of group-oriented contingencies, including independent (individual contingencies for each member), interdependent (contingency on the behavior of the entire group) and dependent (contingencies on the behavior of a subset of the group). Although all types of group-oriented contingencies have been shown to be effective in changing behavior, there is little research comparing them. Also, multiple studies have anecdotally reported side effects that may occur as a result of group-oriented contingencies. However, few studies have directly collected data on these potential side effects. In the current study, we compared the effects of three types of group-oriented contingencies (independent, interdependent, and dependent) for decreasing problem behavior and increasing on-task behavior for typically developing preschool-aged children. In addition, data on vocalizations relevant to problem behavior and on-task behavior were collected from videotapes of the sessions. Implications for the use of group-oriented contingencies and the potential importance of side-effects are discussed.

 

The Effects of a Multiple Schedule on Hand Raising During Circle Time in Preschool Classrooms

KRISTINA VARGO (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Nicole Heal (Southern Illinois University), Kelly E. Scott (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Elizabeth Kooistra (Southern Illinois University, Carbondale)
Abstract:

Preschool and kindergarten teachers expect children to sit appropriately and not disrupt others during group instruction. However, children often engage in high rates of attention seeking responses that may distract other students from learning opportunities. In addition, children often receive attention for both appropriate and inappropriate attention seeking behaviors and are unable to discriminate when attention is or is not available from the teacher. The purpose of the current study was to assess the efficacy of a multiple schedule indicative of the availability of attention for hand raises during circle time in a typical preschool classroom. Results showed that the rates of hand raises decreased in the extinction component of the multiple schedule for all three classrooms and increased or maintained in the reinforcement component. Rates of interruptions and problem behaviors varied across classrooms. Results suggest that a multiple schedule indicative of the availability of attention from a classroom teacher can be used in typical preschool classrooms to maintain hand raise responses at appropriate levels.

 

The Effects of Therapist-Mediated Signals and Participant-Mediated Responses on the Delay Tolerance of Typically Developing Preschool Children

MATTHEW NEWQUIST (Partners in Excellence), Claudia L. Dozier (University of Kansas), Julie A. Ackerlund Brandt (University of Kansas), Kimberley L. M. Zonneveld (University of Kansas), Pamela L. Neidert (University of Kansas)
Abstract:

Some young children have difficulty waiting for things they want (i.e., tolerating delays). The purpose of the current study was to (a) compare the effects of providing a brief versus a continuous signal during delay to reinforcement on preschool children's tolerance of delays and (b) assess whether children's delay tolerance was differentially affected by caregiver-mediated or child-mediated signals to delay. Three typically developing preschool children who demonstrated sensitivity to magnitude of reinforcement and no tolerance of 5-min delays to reinforcement participated in the current study. Results suggest that brief and continuous caregiver signals, as well as brief participant responses were not effective for enhancing delay tolerance. However, continuous participant responses enhanced delay tolerance for all three participants. That is, providing participants with preferred leisure items during delays to reinforcement increased participants' choice of large, delayed reinforcers. The data from the current study suggest that in order to increase delay tolerance (and possibly decrease the likelihood of problem behavior during delays to reinforcement) caregivers could choose a few of their child's highly preferred toys and only allow access to those toys when the child must wait for something he or she wants.

 
 
Symposium #380
CE Offered: BACB
Sustainable, Broad-Scale Organizational Change: Understanding the Critical Success Factors
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:30 AM–11:50 AM
710/712 (Convention Center)
Area: OBM; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Laura L. Methot (CLG, Inc.)
Discussant: W. Larry Williams (University of Nevada, Reno)
CE Instructor: Manuel Rodriguez, M.S.
Abstract:

Organizational Behavior Management practitioners have for decades worked in all types of organizations: large and small, for-profit and not-for-profit, government, public and private. We have worked in whole organizations and divisions or units. Out of these experiences OBM scientist-practitioners have contributed to a body of knowledge that has verified the effectiveness of several types of interventions including feedback and coaching among many others. As our field grows, the types of questions we address are becoming more complex. Two important questions professionals in our field are currently addressing concern the size or complexity of problems we can successfully address and how change in organizations can be sustained over time, long after we have left and as current and future leaders exit and enter the scene. This symposium brings together three presentations addressing sustainable, broad scale organizational change. They discuss the specifics of their interventions and identify best practices and critical success factors for sustaining broad-scale change over time.

 

Supporting Large Scale Organizational Change in a Mining and Refining Operation

Judith A. Johnson (CLG, Inc.), Laura L. Methot (CLG, Inc.), MANUEL A. RODRIGUEZ (Continuous Learning Group, Inc.), Kelly L. Therrien (CLG, Inc.)
Abstract:

Last year we presented preliminary data from three pilot studies. The goal of the intervention was to create an environment that delivers sustainable, superior results through employees who understand their business and consistently deliver on their commitments. Leader behaviour change was the primary lever-leaders were coached to use behavioural tools and concepts to impact front line employee behaviours. Through the pilots we learned some important lessons on how to identify organizational and senior leader readiness to proceed with the coaching as well as critical success factors for setting up the intervention prior to going live to coaching and setting divisions up for sustainability post coaching. The learnings have been applied to three new divisions and results show that the magnitude of leader behaviour change is predictive of field level behaviour change, and the use of behavioural data in daily and weekly performance discussions positively impacts leading and lagging business results. An additional 12 divisions are in process and showing the same pattern of impact. Discussion will include analysis of the importance of getting leaders at all levels aligned on goals and establishing data-based performance reviews early in the change process. Behaviour and results data will be displayed in a multiple baseline across divisions format.

 

Overcoming Consequence History to Achieve Sustainable Change

TRAVIS G. MCNEAL (CLG, Inc.)
Abstract:

During the current economic downturn, leaders from many industries have been challenged to find ways to reduce costs, often delivering products and services with fewer people. Leaders in petroleum refining are no different. As petroleum refining leaders have sought to make their organizations more efficient they have turned to one lever that can produce quick gains; the individual performance of their leaders and workforce. In the past, however, efforts made to improve leader and performer performance have often resulted in a return to baseline levels once the intervention is complete or when leaders change roles. This paper illustrates how one petroleum refining company utilized several principles of behavior analysis to accelerate organizational change and ensure those changes are sustained for years to come. To accomplish this, leaders were equipped with tools and coaches to help uncover current influences on performance and change aspects of the environment to make desired performance more likely. Data will be presented on changes to leader behaviors and leading and lagging indicators. These data serve as further evidence that organizations can benefit significantly from applying principles of behavior analysis. The author will also discuss methods used to decrease the likelihood of a return to baseline levels of performance.

 

Enhancing Organizational Culture Change Using Cross-Functional Senior Leader Behavioural Scorecards and Data-Based Project Reviews

LAURA L. METHOT (CLG, Inc.), Judith A. Johnson (CLG, Inc.)
Abstract:

Many organizations espouse a vision of "one team, one goal" largely defined by what they deliver to their customers and how they deliver it (e.g., safe and cost effective delivery of X units of product to market). Organisational systems are, however, frequently set up such that business units and functional divisions operate in silos wherein their success can sub-optimize the organizational whole. Organisational systems analysts (e.g., Rummler and Brache 1995, Gilbert 1996, Brethower, 2000) contributed, among other important ideas, that of reconcilability of sub-system goals to ensure the best whole system outputs to the ultimate customer. In our work in geographically dispersed and matrixed organizations, our clients have helped us identify some best practices for creating alignment across organizational sub-systems and ensuring reconciliation of sub-system goals (e.g., Johnson et al, 2008, Methot and Grieg, 2006). In our current work we have carried forward these practices to establish behavioural scorecards and a system for monthly reviews to help leaders effectively act on commitments to shared success. Additionally, we explore a system of data based stewardships within project workstreams to ensure that each unit-level intervention produces the best impact in ways that enhance whole-system outputs.

 
 
Panel #384
CE Offered: BACB
Behaving Differently: Educational Approaches That Take Behavior Analysis Into the Mainstream
Monday, May 30, 2011
10:30 AM–11:50 AM
Korbel Ballroom 1E (Convention Center)
Area: TBA/OBM; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
CE Instructor: Janet Twyman, Ph.D.
Chair: Thomas S. Critchfield (Illinois State University)
JANET S. TWYMAN (University of Massachusetts E.K. Shriver Center)
CLOYD HYTEN (ADI)
PETER C. BEMSKI (Regis University)
JEANINE PLOWMAN STRATTON (Furman University)
Abstract:

This panel is composed of 4 individuals who are by definition educators, working to disseminate knowledge about behavior analysis and measuring success in the skillful applications of that knowledge by those they are charged with teaching: children, adult students around the world, employees at all levels and across types of business, and citizens learning to sustain positive environmental practices across their communities. The panel members have had good success in creating effective approaches to these varied groups and are learning lessons along the way about what works. In particular, each has had experience in managing the context for change. That is, how the conditions beyond the learner-the school governance/educational funding system, the university academic community, the cultural and business practices of the workplace, and the uneven landscape of community interventions-how these conditions impact what occurs and what can/needs to be done. The work they are doing holds great promise for the dissemination of behavior analysis. Each approach has had and will continue to have highly significant impact worthy of our appreciation. For all of us, this panel provides a forum for discussing what we are learning about taking behavior analysis into mainstream practice. Dr. Twyman will share what she has learned about what to do and what not to do with educational technology at the front line of school curriculum in America. Her current work puts her in the forefront of exploring how best to design practices for success. Dr. Stratton is applying her skills in establishing new behaviors to sustain positive environmental practices across the university community and beyond, including the conditions that affect success. Dr. Bemski is leading a team to design a total business school curriculum in which every course has at its core the science of behavior analysis. Master's degrees in business will require fluency in behavior analysis and applied research using behavioral strategies to create measurable impact. His audience is world-wide, reaching approximately 10,000 campus and Internet-based working adults at any point in time. Dr. Hyten has bridged academic teaching of behavior analysis to doing so as anorganizational behavior managementconsultant in varied workplaces of America and beyond. He will share what he has learned about translating the science to practical tools for employees.

 
 
Invited Paper Session #388
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

Transforming High Poverty Neighborhoods: First Steps From the Behavioral Sciences

Monday, May 30, 2011
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
607 (Convention Center)
Area: CSE; Domain: Service Delivery
CE Instructor: Anthony Biglan, Ph.D.
Chair: Patricia Bach (Illinois Institute of Technology)
ANTHONY BIGLAN (Oregon Research Institute)
Anthony Biglan, Ph.D. is a Senior Scientist at Oregon Research Institute and the Co-Director of the Promise Neighborhood Research Consortium. He has been conducting research on the development and prevention of child and adolescent problem behavior for the past 30 years. His work has included studies of the risk and protective factors associated with tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use; high-risk sexual behavior; and antisocial behavior. He has conducted numerous experimental evaluations of interventions to prevent tobacco use both through school-based programs and community-wide interventions. He has also performed evaluations of interventions to prevent high-risk sexual behavior, antisocial behavior, and reading failure. He and colleagues at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences published a book summarizing the epidemiology, cost, etiology, prevention, and treatment of youth with multiple problems (Biglan et al., 2004). He is a former president of the Society for Prevention Research. He was a member of the Institute of Medicine Committee on Prevention, which recently released its report documenting numerous evidence-based preventive intervention.
Abstract:

Prevention science has arrived at the point where it is realistic to experimentally evaluate comprehensive interventions to improve child and adolescent development in high poverty neighborhoods. This presentation will review the evidence in support of this statement. Numerous family and school interventions that have been shown to prevent multiple problems and to enhance the development of prosocial behavior are available. I will then describe one such comprehensive intervention that has been developed on the basis of this evidence. It includes evidence-based programs, policies, and evidence-based kernels. I will then lay out the multiple baseline experimental design that is proposed for evaluating it. In addition, I will describe work we have been doing on the use of acceptance and commitment therapy to help organizations with issues of stress, social cohesion, and organizational flexibility.

 
 
Invited Paper Session #389
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

Applied Behavior Analysis and the Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-Based (DIR/Floortime) Model: Compatible or Incompatible?

Monday, May 30, 2011
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Korbel Ballroom 2A (Convention Center)
Domain: Experimental Analysis
CE Instructor: Robert Ross, Ph.D.
Chair: Michael F. Dorsey (Endicott College)
ROBERT K. ROSS (BEACON Services)
Dr. Ross is the Senior Vice President of Curriculum and Research at Behavioral Education Assessment and Consultation Inc. (BEACON Services). BEACON Services provides intensive behavioral educational services to children diagnosed with PDD/Autism and behavioral and learning challenges. BEACON Services works in both early intervention and school age programs. He received his Doctorate in Educational Leadership at NOVA Southeastern University and his Masters degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Northeastern University and is a nationally Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D). Dr. Ross is a primary instructor in the BCBA certification programs at Cambridge College in Cambridge Massachusetts and The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth for BEACON Services. In addition to his teaching and research responsibilities Dr. Ross works directly with individuals with Autism and Aspergers Syndrome as part of his active caseload responsibilities. Dr. Ross serves as a consultant to the Judge-Baker Manville School at Boston Children's Hospital. This school serves children with a range of emotional and behavioral challenges, and his focus is on developing behavioral and instructional interventions for children with Aspergers Syndrome. He also consults to the Perkins school for the Blind's program for children with severe behavioral and learning challenges. Prior to his tenure at BEACON Services Dr. Ross held the position of Behavior Analyst at the Evergreen Center School in Milford, MA. He has worked for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Retardation as a Psychologist and in a similar capacity for a private non-profit program for adults with disabilities. Dr. Ross also serves as the Chair of a Professional Review Committee as part of the State of Rhode Islands Division of Developmental Disabilities oversight of services to individuals with disabilities. He is also a member of the Human Rights Committee for the Evergreen Center Adult Supports program. BEACON Services is active in pursuing cutting edge research in the treatment of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Dr. Ross oversees all research activities at BEACON Services. BEACON is currently focusing research efforts in such areas as early literacy, social and play skills, and application of visually supported instructional methods. Dr. Ross has presented on these and other topics at regional, national and international conferences.
Abstract:

Behavior analysts providing early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) to children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may be asked to provide other interventions or collaborate with those providing other services. A large number of supplemental and or competing therapies exist, some of which have empirical support while many others do not. This workshop is designed to comprehensively review the philosophical underpinning, assessment methods, instructional goals and specific instructional practices involved in the implementation of EIBI and the developmental, individual difference, relationship-based (DIR/Floortime) model. This review suggests that a number of specific practices of DIR/Floortime are in direct contradiction to and may undermine the effectiveness of behavior analytically based interventions used in EIBI services. Video exemplars will be use to illustrate these differences. The ethical issues associated with combining these two approaches will also be discussed.

 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #390
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

Computational and Economic Approaches to Normal and Pathological Cognition

Monday, May 30, 2011
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
401/402 (Convention Center)
Area: SCI; Domain: Experimental Analysis
CE Instructor: Read Montague, Ph.D.
Chair: M. Christopher Newland (Auburn University)
READ MONTAGUE (Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute)
Read Montague is a professor in the Department of Physics at Virginia Tech and Director of the Human Neuroimaging Lab at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute.  His work focuses broadly on computational approaches to motivated learning and decision-making ranging from the neurobiological level to the behavioral level.  This work uses a range of computational techniques, neuroimaging methodologies, physiological probes, and new approaches to studying social interaction to address the way that the human nervous system values the world around it and makes choices predicated on those valuations.  In recent years, he has been involved in the MacArthur Foundation effort in Neuroscience and Law and some of his recent work has addressed issues of negligence and recklessness from a neurobehavioral perspective.  Professor Montague also holds posts at University College London and is an honourary professor in the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit in the same institution.  He is currently involved in developing a new area called computational psychiatry, which seeks to depict normal and pathological mental function in terms of functioning or malfunctioning computations.  His work has been published in a range of outlets including Science, Nature, Nature Neuroscience, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Neuron, and the Journal of Neuroscience.  He is the author of a layman’s level book on decision-making called “Why Choose This Book?” and his work has been profiled in a number of major news outlets including the New York Times, New York Times Magazine, BBC World Service, Seed Magazine,  and numerous others.  His most current work focuses on the difficult problem of willful choice, the ways it might be measured, and the ways in which it is perturbed by disease and injury.
Abstract:

The pervasiveness of decision-making in literally every area of human endeavor highlights the importance of understanding how choice mechanisms work and their detailed relationship to underlying neurobiological function. This talk surveys the recent and productive application of game theoretic probes (economic games) to mental disorders. Such games typically possess concrete concepts of optimal play, thus providing quantitative ways to track when subjects' choices deviate from optimal. This feature equips economic games with natural classes of control signals that should guide learning and choice in the agents that play them. These signals and their underlying physical correlates in the brain are now being used to generate objective biomarkers that may prove useful for exposing and understanding the neurogenetic basis of normal and pathological human cognition.

 
 
Panel #401
CE Offered: BACB
Life after Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention in Autism
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:20 PM
Korbel Ballroom 4F (Convention Center)
Area: AUT; Domain: Service Delivery
CE Instructor: Jane Howard, Ph.D.
Chair: Andy S. Bondy (Pyramid Educational Consultants)
TRISTRAM SMITH (University of Rochester Medical Center)
JANE S. HOWARD (California State University, Stanislaus)
ADRIENNE M. PERRY (York University)
Abstract:

Early, intensive behaviorally based interventions for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder have generated an excellent evidence base as well as great interest by consumers. In general, the model calls for 30 to 40 hours of primarily one-on-one training during the first year of intervention for children 5 years and younger. While statistics vary, nearly half the children provided this intervention by well training and supervised trainers achieve substantial improvements in a wide array of skills. For those who respond well and rapidly, there is a push toward integration into mainstream educational settings, from pre-school to elementary school. However, given that many children do not display this maximal outcome, how should we proceed? It appears that many opt to continue to provide primarily 1:1 instruction, often continuing with materials and lessons that are not functionally derived in terms of contact with school, home and community environments. This distinguished panel will discuss what evidence there is to continue the initial intervention package as well as discuss how best to arrange for lessons and strategies that promote ongoing functional skill acquisition far beyond the first years of training.

 
 
Invited Tutorial #402
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Behavior Economics, Genes and Cannabinoids: Environmental and Biochemical Contributors to Food Reward in the Context of Obesity
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:20 PM
401/402 (Convention Center)
Area: BPH/EAB; Domain: Experimental Analysis
PSY/BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: Erin Rasmussen, Ph.D.
Chair: Karen G. Anderson (West Virginia University)
Presenting Authors: : ERIN B. RASMUSSEN (Idaho State University)
Abstract:

Obesity is the result of a long-term pattern of a situation in which food is especially reinforcing and exercise is not. The cannabinoid neurotransmitter system plays a role in food reinforcement and obesity, though much of the research on this is limited to free-food intake as a dependent variable. This presentation will review findings from our laboratory in two areas. One, we will describe attempts to isolate behavioral mechanisms involved with food reinforcement in animal and human studies using behavioral economic experiments, including demand analysis, the delay discounting procedure, and choice. Two, we will discuss the role of cannabinoid drugs (e.g., rimonabant and 2-AG) on food reinforcement, food-associated stimuli, and exercise as a reinforcer. Throughout the presentation, we will include data from the obese Zucker rat, a genetic model of obesity, to illustrate genetically-influenced differences in food and exercise reinforcement, as well as behavioral sensitivities to cannabinoid drugs. A pattern from these studies emerges: the more effortful the arrangement of food is, the less genes play a role in food consumption.

 
ERIN B. RASMUSSEN (Idaho State University)
Dr. Erin B. Rasmussen is an associate professor of psychology at Idaho State University. She conducts research on the behavioral pharmacology and behavioral economics of food and exercise reinforcement using animal models of obesity, as well as humans, with special emphasis on drugs that affect the cannabinoid and opioid neurotransmitter systems. She has published her research in such journals as the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior, Behavioural Pharmacology, and Behavioural Processes. She is the current president of the Four Corners Association for Behavior Analysis. Dr. Rasmussen received her PhD in 2001 from Auburn University under the direction of Dr. Christopher Newland. She previously served on the faculty of the College of Charleston (2001-2004).
 
 
Invited Tutorial #405
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Organizational Behavior Management Consulting-Some of the Challenges of Growth
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:20 PM
607 (Convention Center)
Area: OBM; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
PSY/BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: Terry McSween, Ph.D.
Chair: Heather M. McGee (Western Michigan University)
Presenting Authors: : TERRY E. MCSWEEN (Quality Safety Edge)
Abstract:

Growth creates unique challenges for behavioral consulting firms. As Quality Safety Edge (QSE) has grown from a practice of three friends to a multi-million dollar consulting firm, it has struggled with a number of those challenges. The first challenge for all businesses is generating business. In particular, international sales created a special set of issues. A second challenge, growth meant adding consultants, which created the challenge of "industrializing the service," that is, standardizing the approach and materials so that all consultants used a consistent approach in providing services. The third challenge was a bit more subtle. As consultants have success with an implementation strategy, they tend to adapt that approach, and over time, they begin to have too much consistency and lose the flexibility to modify their plans in ways that might better serve the customer. Finally, implementing behavioral solutions internationally requires a sensitivity to cultural differences. Dr. McSween will describe QSE's experience with these challenges and what has been done to address them.

 
TERRY E. MCSWEEN (Quality Safety Edge)
Dr. Terry E. McSween is President and CEO of Quality Safety Edge, an organization that helps improve business success and profitability through leadership development and behavioral safety. He has developed an original method for creating ownership for organizational change through local-level, employee involvement in the design process. His approach results in increased participation in safety and performance improvement efforts, minimizing resistance to organizational change. Dr. McSween has received numerous awards for his work in safety improvement. He received the 2009 Life Time Achievement and 2001 Significant Contribution awards from the Organizational Behavior Network. He also was awarded the Johnson & Higgins Scrivener Award for his article “Improve your safety program with a behavioral approach” published in Hydrocarbon Processing from American Society of Safety Engineers for the outstanding technical article on safety and health published outside of the society. His book, The Values-Based Safety Process, second edition, was published in 2003 by John Wiley & Sons of New York, NY.
 
 
Panel #406
CE Offered: BACB
Public Policy Strategies and Tactics for Behavior Analysts
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:20 PM
Korbel Ballroom 3A (Convention Center)
Area: PRA; Domain: Service Delivery
CE Instructor: Gina Green, Ph.D.
Chair: Gina Green (Association of Professional Behavior Analysts)
WILLIAM H. AHEARN (New England Center for Children)
GINA GREEN (Association of Professional Behavior Analysts)
SUZANNE LETSO (Connecticut Center for Child Development)
NEIL T. MARTIN (European Association for Behaviour Analysis)
Abstract:

Many behavior analysts have only recently begun to appreciate that public policies can substantially affect behavior analytic research, training, and practice. Consequently, our field was largely ill prepared for the recent increase in laws and regulations governing the practice of applied behavior analysis. Panelists will discuss lessons they have learned from working on such laws and regulations, with an emphasis on strategies and tactics that have proven effective and ineffective. Current and pending policies affecting behavior analysts will be reviewed, and the audience will be encouraged to raise issues that concern them.

 
 
Invited Tutorial #407
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Verbal Behavior Development as We Understand It Now
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:20 PM
Four Seasons 4 (Convention Center)
Area: VBC/AUT; Domain: Theory
PSY/BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: R. Greer, Ph.D.
Chair: Anna I. Petursdottir (Texas Christian University)
Presenting Authors: : R. DOUGLAS GREER (Teachers College, Columbia University)
Abstract:

In the first decade of the 21st century we advanced understanding of how experiences lead to the emergence of verbal developmental cusps and cusps that are new learning capabilities. Protocols for preverbal developmental cusps lead to: listener cusps involving conditioned reinforcement for observing responses and generalized imitation as foundation for the joining of observing and producing. Other protocols (a) induce echoic-to-mands and tacts, join see-do with hear-echo, (b) induce tacts, transform motivational control across mands and tacts, (c) induce autoclitics frames, induce non-scripted social verbal exchanges in non-instructional settings, (d) induce verbal observational learning, induce conditioned reinforcement for tacts, (e) transform stimulus control across the listener and speaker within the skin, (f) induce incidental learning of new words for things (Naming), (g) join Naming and reading comprehension, (h) induce functional writing, and evoke verbal stimulus control in complex problem solving in children and the scientist. Current evidence suggests there is "no poverty of stimulus:" the stimulus control is located in indirect or remote contact with basic principles of behavior made possible by certain experiences, experiences that can be provided by expert behavior analysts. I shall describe how what we know has changed what can be done.

 
R. DOUGLAS GREER (Teachers College, Columbia University)
Dr. Greer has taught at Columbia University Teachers College and Graduate School of the Arts and Sciences for 41 years, sponsored 155 PhD dissertations, taught over 2,000 master students, founded the Fred S. Keller School, authored 13 books and 155 research and conceptual papers, served on the editorial board of 10 journals, and developed the CABAS� school model for special education and the Accelerated Independent Model for general education (K-5). He has received the American Psychology Association�s Fred S. Keller Award for Distinguished Contributions to Education, International Dissemination of Behavior Analysis by the Association for Behavior Analysis International, Contributions to The Fred S. Keller School, and May 5 as the R. Douglas Greer Day by the Westchester County Legislature. He is a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and a CABAS� Board Certified Senior Behavior Analyst and Senior Research Scientist. He has taught courses at the universities of Almeria, Grenada, Cadiz, Madrid, Oviedo, and Salamanca (in Spain), Oslo Norway Askerhaus College, University of Ibidan in Nigeria, and University of Wales at Bangor. Greer has served as the keynote speaker at the at the Experimental Analysis of Behavior Group in England, the National Conferences on Behavior Analysis in Ireland, Israel, Korea, Norway, and in several states in the USA. He contributed to the development of several schools based entirely on scientific procedures and comprehensive curriculum based assessment in the USA, Ireland, Sicily, England, and Spain.
 
 
Symposium #409
CE Offered: BACB
Video Modeling: How, How Much and With Whom?
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:50 PM
Korbel Ballroom 4E (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Faye I. Carter (STAR, Inc.)
CE Instructor: Faye Carter, Ph.D.
Abstract:

This symposium will begin to answer some of the more relevant questions posed in current video modeling literature. Subjects will include individuals with diagnoses of autism, between the ages of 5-14 years old, and mild to moderate cognitive delays. Four separate single-subject studies will address relevant questions with regards to video modeling. Study1 will evaluate the effects of varying dosage levels of video modeling on the acquisition of daily living skills in two children including a 6-month follow-up. Study2 will extend on Study1 by further investigating the effectiveness of dosage level of video modeling on the acquisition of daily living skills in two children by fine-tuning the dosage levels. Study3 will evaluate the effects of dosage level of video modeling on the acquisition of pretend play skills in two children. Finally Study4 will evaluate the use of siblings as video models to teach daily living skills to individuals.

 

Use of Video Modeling to Teach Daily Living Skills in Individuals With Autism

MAYU FUJIWARA (STAR, Inc.)
Abstract:

Research shows that video modeling is an effective teaching tool across multiple domains including teaching social skills, play skills, conversational skills, and daily living skills. The current literature has evaluated the effects of video modeling in comparison to in-vivo training, type of trainee depicted in the video, effects across environments, as well as functioning level of the individual. Little is known with regards to the effects of dosage level on acquisition rate of behaviors. This single subject, multiple-baseline, across subject design will evaluate the effects of varying dosage levels of video modeling on the acquisition of daily living skills in two 5-7-year-old boys with autism. The study will include a 6-month follow-up. Each subject will be presented with three daily living skills that they are expected to perform. Each daily living skill will be associated withone of three conditions, a control condition (modeling only), a video modeling condition where the video is viewed onlyone time, and a video modeling condition where the video is viewed 10 times. A 2-week follow-up and a 6-month follow up will be conducted to determine maintenance of skill. Reliability of data collection and fidelity of implementation of study protocol will be conducted.

 

Use of Video Modeling to Teach Daily Living Skills in Individuals with Autism- A Follow-up

Abstract:

Research shows that video modeling is an effective teaching tool across multiple domains including teaching social skills, play skills, conversational skills, and daily living skills. The current literature has evaluated the effects of video modeling in comparison to in-vivo training, type of trainee depicted in the video, effects across environments, as well as functioning level of the individual. Little is known with regards to the effects of dosage level on acquisition rate of behaviors. This single subject, multiple-baseline, across subject design will evaluate the effects of varying dosage levels of video modeling on the acquisition of daily living skills in two children with autism. Each subject will be presented with three daily living skills that they are expected to perform. Each daily living skill will be associated with one of three conditions, a video modeling condition where the video is viewed onlyone time, a video modeling condition where the video is viewedthree times, and a video modeling condition where the video is viewedfive times. A 2-week follow-up and a 6-month follow up will be conducted to determine maintenance of skill. Reliability of data collection and fidelity of implementation of study protocol will be conducted.

 

Use of Video Modeling to Teach Pretend Play Skills in Individuals With Autism

AMANDA JACOPETTI (STAR, Inc.)
Abstract:

Research shows that video modeling is an effective teaching tool across multiple domains including teaching social skills, play skills, conversational skills, and daily living skills. The current literature has evaluated the effects of video modeling in comparison to in-vivo training, type of trainee depicted in the video, effects across environments, as well as functioning level of the individual. Little is known with regards to the effects of dosage level on acquisition rate of behaviors. This single subject, multiple-baseline, across subject design will evaluate the effects of varying dosage levels of video modeling on the acquisition of pretend play skills in two children with autism. Each subject will be presented with three pretend play skills that they are expected to perform. Each play skill will be associated with one of three conditions, a control condition (modeling only), a video modeling condition where the video is viewed onlyone time, and a video modeling condition where the video is viewedfive times. A 2-week follow-up will be conducted to determine maintenance of skill. Reliability of data collection and fidelity of implementation of study protocol will be conducted.

 

Teaching Independent Living Skills to a Child with Autism Using Video Modeling with a Sibling as Model

STEVEN H. TROYER (San Francisco State University)
Abstract:

Previous research has demonstrated that video modeling may be effective for teaching social, communication, play, and independent living skills. Video modeling has been examined in a variety of ways, i.e., modeler; skill being taught. The purpose of the current investigation was to extend on the study conducted by Reagon et al., 2006 which focused on use of sibling as model to teach a child play skills. The present study served to evaluate the effectiveness of a video modeling program using a sibling as model in teaching self-help skills to a young child diagnosed with autism. A four-year old girl with Autism took part in the study and her 7 year-old brother served as a model. The effectiveness of this procedure was evaluated using an AB design replicated across two independent living skills. Results of this study may suggest that video modeling may be an effective intervention when using sibling as model.

 
 
Symposium #410
CE Offered: BACB
Watching Others: Teaching Eye Contact, Joint Attention, and Observational Learning to Children With Autism
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:50 PM
Korbel Ballroom 4D (Convention Center)
Area: AUT; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Judah B. Axe (Simmons College)
Discussant: Linda A. LeBlanc (Auburn University)
CE Instructor: Judah Axe, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Making eye contact is critical for learning new skills and is often delayed in children with autism. Making eye contact is necessary for responding to peoples facial expressions, initiating joint attention with others, and learning through observation. We have many behavior analytic techniques for establishing these skills with children with autism, including video modeling, tactile prompts, script fading, and positive reinforcement. The three papers in this symposium are evaluations of the use of those techniques on teaching observational skills to children with autism. The first paper evaluated the use of tactile prompts on increasing eye contact and responses to facial expressions. The second paper analyzed the effects of prompting, reinforcement, and script fading on the acquisition and generalization of initiating bids for joint attention. The third paper examined the use of teaching a monitoring response to increase observational learning of word labels with children with autism. These three papers make important advancements in our technologies used to teach social skills. Watching others and responding to faces, pointing out interesting items in the environment, and learning from other are all critical skills children with autism need to succeed in school and in the community.

 

Effects of Tactile Prompts on Eye Contact and Responses to Facial Expressions With Children With Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified

JUDAH B. AXE (Simmons College), Christine J. Evans (Simmons College)
Abstract:

Children with autism exhibit delays in making eye contact and responding to facial expressions. Previous research shows that video modeling is effective in increasing responses to facial expressions. In addition, tactile prompts have been shown to increase social initiations with children with autism. In the current investigation, 3 children with autism wore tactile prompts during 4 min conversations and 4 min play interactions with an adult. In the context of a multiple baseline across subjects design, the tactile prompt increased eye contact and responses to facial expressions with all 3 subjects. Interobserver agreement was over 90% for instances of eye contact and responses to facial expressions across subjects and conditions. Both 30 and 15 s intervals were assessed and 15 s intervals maintained instances of eye contact at higher levels. A token system of reinforcement was used with one participant to increase instances of eye contact above levels without the system. Future research should identify natural communities of reinforcement that maintain eye contact and responses to facial expressions at high levels so that the tactile prompt can be faded.

 

The Effects of Prompting, Reinforcement and Script Fading Procedures to Teach Children With Autism a Generalized Repertoire of Initiating Bids for Joint Attention

SANDRA R. GOMES (Somerset Hills Learning Institute), Sharon A. Reeve (Caldwell College), Kevin J. Brothers (Somerset Hills Learning Institute), Tina Sidener (Caldwell College), Kenneth F. Reeve (Caldwell College)
Abstract:

Many children with autism do not share and spontaneously seek enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people. These skills, typically referred to as joint attention, are often seen in children of typical development at approximately 9 months of age. Joint attention skills play a fundamental role in language and social development. Although, many studies have assessed joint attention skills, only a few researchers have investigated teaching procedures. In the current study, a concurrent multiple baseline design with a multiple probe across 4 participants with autism was used to evaluate the use of prompting, reinforcement, and script fading procedures on the acquisition of a generalized repertoire of joint attention skills. Forty-eight stimuli from four different experimenter-defined categories were used to increase generalization of joint attention skills from trained stimuli to novel stimuli. Bids for joint attention systematically increased in the presence of both training and novel stimuli and settings for all 4 participants.

 

Increasing Observational Learning of Children With Autism: Effects of Teaching a Monitoring Response

Bridget A. Taylor (Alpine Learning Group), Jaime A. DeQuinzio (Private Practice), JAIME STINE (Alpine Learning Group), Gizem Tanol (University of Minnesota)
Abstract:

Observational learning has been defined as learning that results from observing the responding of others and/or the consequences of such responding (Catania, 1998). In the present study, the observational learning sequence was defined as a peer modeling a response and encountering consequences delivered by an instructor, the participants monitoring that response, and the participants engaging in a similar response following a delay in the absence of the peer model. A training condition in which participants were taught monitoring responses and a probe condition in which monitoring was not used were alternated using a multi-element design. During the training condition, two children with autism were taught to monitor the responding of a peer while observing the peer label words. The monitoring response consisted of both a verbal response to the question, What did she say? and a matching response in which the participant was required to match the word labeled by the peer to a grid containing all target words. Acquisition of the word labels was later measured by presenting the same words used in the training condition and asking the participants to label them in the absence of the peer. Probe measures were used to evaluate generalization of the observational learning skills acquired during analog training to new stimuli (i.e., novel words labeled by peers). For the first participant, the percentage of test trials with a correct word label increased during the training condition in which the monitoring response was trained, but not in the probe condition in which the monitoring response was not taught. Once the monitoring response was taught in the probe condition, correct responding to probe word labels increased bolstering the argument that monitoring was required for observational learning to occur. We expect similar results for the second participant.

 
 
Symposium #411
CE Offered: BACB
Evaluating the Efficiency of Non-Traditional Staff Training in Autism Interventions
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:50 PM
Korbel Ballroom 4B (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/EDC; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Mary Lynch Barbera (Barbera Behavior Consulting)
Discussant: Guy S. Bruce (Florida Institute of Technology)
CE Instructor: Mary Barbera, M.Ed.
Abstract:

Staff training in the field of autism interventions is an on-going challenge. Immediate solutions are needed to provide staff training to meet the on-going needs of schools and service providers. This symposium will review three studies with different research designs (multiple baseline across participants, a pre/post test group design and a quasi-experimental MANOVA design with an experimental and control group). Two studies will measure the effectiveness of Autism Training Solutions, an on-line video-based training program and one study will report on the difference between fluency and non-fluency based procedures on retention and application.

 

Impact of Online Training Videos on the Implementation of Mand Training by Four Paraprofessionals in a Special Education Setting

EMALEY BLADH MCCULLOCH (Autism Training Solutions), Anne Lau (Autism Behavior Consulting Group, Inc.)
Abstract:

The National Autism Center spearheaded the National Standards Project in 2010, which provided a standard for effective, research validated education and behavior interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). With the number of individuals with autism increasing and the lack of trained professionals becoming more apparent, solutions are needed to provide training on a larger scale. Traditional training approaches such as classroom discussion, lecture, and role-playing formats require an expert and the trainees be together in the same location for a significant amount of time. Alternative training approaches may need to be developed so that trainees can access training on demand and supervisors can still oversee the training process. One such possibility is online training. Very little research has been done on the effectiveness of using online training to teach evidenced based interventions to staff who provide services to individuals with autism. This presentation will outline and report the results of a multiple baseline design study, which evaluated the impact of online training videos on the implementation of mand training with four paraprofessionals in a school setting.

 

Evaluation of a Video-Based E-Learning Program to Train Therapist in Foundational Knowledge of Autism and Behavior Analytic Interventions

AMY D. WIECH (Autism Behavior Consulting Group, Inc.), Emaley Bladh Mcculloch (Autism Training Solutions), Annie M. Collins-Castillo (Autism Training Solutions)
Abstract:

There has been a recent increase in applied behavior analysis (ABA) service availability since many states have passed legislation requiring insurance companies to provide ABA services for individuals with autism. Agencies are faced with new requirements and limited time and budgets for training staff. A more efficient way needs to be developed to train therapists on demand. This presentation will describe an evaluation of Autism Training Solutions, an e-learning tool that was used to train newly hired behavior therapists in the foundational knowledge of autism and behavioral analytic interventions. The study used a pre-post group design to evaluate knowledge acquisition in new employees. In addition to quantitative results, survey results regarding the participants experiences and attitudes toward e-learning will also be reported. This study will explore whether e-learning can provide effective training in foundational knowledge of autism and behavior analytic interventions.

 

Measuring the Effects of a Fluency-Based Autism Training on Emerging Educational Leaders

MARY LYNCH BARBERA (Barbera Behavior Consulting)
Abstract:

This presentation will discuss the results from a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) design study which evaluated the effects of a fluency-based procedure to train emerging educational leaders on naming the verbal and non-verbal operants, which may be needed to effectively teach children with autism. This MANOVA is an extension of a single subject design study on a staff training package presented at ABAI in 2007. Fluency building has been shown in past studies to improve long-term retention and application of skills. This quasi-experimental study compared treatments with and without fluency procedures to determine if fluency based procedures improved retention and application of naming verbal and non-verbal operants. Graduate education students in four classes at Alvernia University participated in the study with two classes making up the experimental group and two other classes serving as the control group.

 
 
Symposium #412
CE Offered: BACB
Promoting Successful Transitions to Alternate Settings
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:50 PM
Korbel Ballroom 4A (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Rita M. Gardner (Melmark New England)
Discussant: Paul A. Dores (Psychologist in Private Practice)
CE Instructor: Frank Bird, M.S.
Abstract:

This symposium will review three case studies that discuss key factors and necessary skills that are critical for a successful transition of a student back to a public school from a private placement, or from special education to adult services, as well as from a residential group home to the family home. In each case to be reviewed, identified students needed to develop a variety of requisite skills in anticipation of their new setting. Additionally, a variety of transition team skills were necessary to develop which included the development of an individual transition plan, parent training plan, staff training plan, as well as the development ofindividualized education planspecific goals that targeted clinical, educational, vocational, social and domestic objectives. One presentation will discuss the transition of a student with autism who transitioned to a public school setting after a number of years in a private, non-profit school. A second presentation will discuss the transition of a young adult in a residential school back to his family home. A third presentation will discuss the transition of young adults after many years in a private, non-profit residential school into community adult services programming.

 

Transition to Public School: A Successful Planning Model

AMANDA KENNEDY (Melmark New England), Paulette E. Burdick (Nashoba Regional School District), Helena L. Maguire (Melmark New England), John Demanche (Melmark New England)
Abstract:

This presentation will discuss the planning and preparation that took place over the course of a year to transition a young man with autism to his local public school. The presentation will review the planning stages, as well as the colloboration efforts with parent, public school staff and other BCBA staff. This presentation will also review the necessaryindividual education plangoals that were introduced during the preparation year to ensure the needed skills were learned by the student. Specific steps and procedures used during the planning stages will be described. Pre and post data collected across specific challenging behaviors as well as skill acquisition programs will be shared. Finally, the successes and limitations of this planning model will be discussed to promote more effective transitions to occur. An update as to how this student is currently performing will also be shared. This will be a joint presentation sharing information from the private school provider as well the public school BCBA.

 

Going Home: Facilitating a Successful Return

SILVA ORCHANIAN (Melmark New England), Helena L. Maguire (Melmark New England)
Abstract:

This presentation will discuss the planning and preparation that took place over the course of several years to transition a young man from a residential group home setting back to his family home. The presentation will review the planning stages, as well as the collaboration efforts with parents and public school staff. This presentation will also review the necessaryindividualized education plangoals that were critical to guiding successful skill acquisition to ensure a successful transition. Specific steps and procedures used during the planning stages will be described. Behavior plan strategies and contingencies that were developed for the family home to target and maintain appropriate skills in the home will also be reviewed. Data collected across targeted transition skills will be shared. Finally, the successes and limitations of this planning model will be discussed to promote more effective transitions to occur. How and what the student is doing today will be shared during this presentation.

 

The Transition to Adult Services: What Does a Success Model Look Like?

FRANK L. BIRD (Melmark New England), Lisa A. Studer (Melmark New England)
Abstract:

This presentation will discuss the planning and preparation that took place over the course of 2 years to transition young adults from a residential group home setting to an identified adult service provider. The presentation will review the planning stages, as well as the collaboration efforts with parents, private school provider and adult service providers. This presentation will review the factors that influence a successful transition of young adults into the adult service system. Necessary individual transition planning goals that were critical to guiding a successful transition will be discussed. Specific steps and cross training procedures with adult service staff will be described. Environmental and behavior plan modifications will be reviewed that assisted in promoting an adapted setting to meet the unique needs of each young adult. Data collected across targeted transition skills will be shared. Finally, the successes and limitations of this planning model will be discussed to promote more effective transitions to occur. The current status of each young adult relative to their performance will be shared during this presentation.

 
 
Symposium #413
CE Offered: BACB
Recent Research on Behavioral Intervention for Children With Autism
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:50 PM
Korbel Ballroom 4C (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Adel C. Najdowski (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Discussant: Sigmund Eldevik (Akershus University College)
CE Instructor: Adel Najdowski, Ph.D.
Abstract:

A substantial amount of scientific research has validated early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) as an effective treatment for autism. However, the provision of EIBI is a complex process, consisting of hundreds (or thousands?) of component procedures and policies, implemented over the course of years. Many of the details of service provision remain relatively unaddressed by research. This symposium presents three papers that address details of service provision. The first paper presents data on a regression analysis conducted on relations between age, treatment intensity, and learning rate across over 200 children with autism receiving behavioral intervention services. The second paper examines the effects of the duration of breaks in services on loss of acquired skills. The third paper describes the development and validation of a brief tool for evaluating treatment integrity of discrete trial training during direct observations. The symposium concludes with a discussion by Dr. Sigmund Eldevik.

 

Analysis of Age, Treatment Intensity, and Learning Rate in a Large Group of Children With Autism

TALYA VOGEL (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Dennis Dixon (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Jonathan J. Tarbox (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Arthur E. Wilke (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Diane Perrine (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Jennifer Ranick (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Abstract:

Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) has been shown to produce robust treatment effects for children with autism, across a large amount of research. Past research has examined the relationship between several variables within treatment programs to evaluate the moderating impact that specific factors have on treatment outcomes. Granpeesheh et al. (2009) examined relations among treatment intensity, age, and learning rate, across 4 months of treatment, and found that treatment intensity significantly impacts outcome, particularly for young children. The present study replicates and extends the findings of Granpeesheh et al. (2009) with a larger group of children (>300) and across a longer duration of time (i.e., 24 months). Regression analyses indicated that both age and treatment intensity were significant predictors and accounted for a substantial portion of the observed variance in learning rate. Given the heterogeneity of the disorder, it is important for treatment providers tailor interventions to the needs of specific children. The data from this study is discussed in relation to these factors that are important to manipulate on a system-level in order to optimize skill acquisition and maximize treatment gains.

 

The Effects of the Duration of Breaks in Services on Regression of Skills in Children With Autism

THERESA BARTHOLOMEW (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Jonathan J. Tarbox (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Sienna Greener-Wooten (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Abstract:

Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) has been proven to be effective for the treatment of autism. Parents of children with autism and behavioral service providers often assert that breaks in EIBI services, caused by gaps in funding for services, school holidays, and other many other variables, may cause children with autism to "lose" skills acquired during intervention. However, very little research has directly evaluated this possibility. In the current study, the effects of the duration of breaks in services on the degree of skill regression was analyzed. Data collection is ongoing but data collected thus far indicate that the degree of regression varies across clients but that some skills suffer from significant decreases in accuracy following breaks in services. Results are discussed in terms of the need for continued services during breaks and on potential practical solutions, such as "home work" implemented by parents and other family members.

 

Development and Validation of a Brief Instrument for Evaluating Procedural Fidelity in Discrete Trial Training

CATHERINE PETERS (Center For Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Jonathan J. Tarbox (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Dennis Dixon (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Taira Lanagan (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Evelyn R. Gould (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Abstract:

Research has established early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) as a proven treatment for autism and discrete trial training (DTT) as a critical component of it. However, substantial variability exists in the quality and fidelity of treatment implementation. Quality of the implementation of DTT is integral to the success of an EIBI program and assessing the integrity of it must therefore be an important component of the intervention. This presentation describes the development of a brief treatment integrity data collection tool, comprised of 13 components to evaluate the integrity of DTT. Both reliability and validity of the tool were evaluated. High degrees of interobserver reliability were obtained and a radio operator curve analysis was used to determine a valid criterion for calculating a passing score.

 
 
Symposium #414
CE Offered: BACB
Current Practices in Caregiver Training
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:50 PM
Korbel Ballroom 3B (Convention Center)
Area: DDA/AUT; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Henry S. Roane (State University of New York, Upstate Medical University)
CE Instructor: Henry Roane, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Training caregivers in the implementation of behavioral interventions is critical to promote generalization of treatment gains. This symposium will present four examples of current procedures to train caregivers in a variety of operant-based procedures. The first presentation describes a sequential model of training caregivers in the implementation of treatments for pediatric feeding disorders. This model progresses from written instructions to therapist feedback and parallels training procedures utilized of other forms of problem behavior. The second presentation describes an approach to merging a behavioral intervention for two siblings diagnosed with autism, both of whom exhibited aggressive behavior. The children's mother was trained in the implementation of the combined treatment. The third and fourth presentations focus on the use of technology to enhance caregiver training. The first of these describes the use of computer-based procedures to train parents in the implementation of behaviorally based skill acquisition programs for children with autism. The final presentation describes the use of tele-health procedures to train caregivers in the implementation of protocols to treat pediatric feeding disorders. These results suggest that tele-health outcomes were similar to outcomes obtained in an outpatient clinic.

 

Sequential Application of Caregiver Training Procedures to Implement Pediatric Feeding Protocols

MEGHAN M. PANGBORN (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Carrie S. W. Borrero (Kennedy Krieger Institute), John C. Borrero (University of Maryland, Baltimore County)
Abstract:

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of current caregiver training practices by implementing each step of training sequentially, to teach parents to implement mealtime protocols. A multiple baseline design was implemented across four caregivers (two dyads). Therapist-fed meals were conducted prior to training to identify an effective intervention to increase food acceptance and decrease food refusal. The training package consisted of seven components: observation, written and verbal protocol review, video review, structured observation, modeling, role-play, and immediate feedback. Levels of correct implementation of mealtime protocols, by caregivers, were evaluated throughout the training process by having caregivers conduct meal sessions following each training component to determine if additional training was necessary. Results showed that the training procedures were effective in teaching caregivers to implement mealtime protocols, and systematic introduction of the training components produced systematic changes in correct caregiver implementation. In addition, all participants completed training without requiring all seven training components.

 

Training Parents of Autistic Siblings in the Implementation of a Multi-Function Differential Reinforcement Program

NIAMH DOYLE (State University of New York, Upstate Medical University), Henry S. Roane (State University of New York, Upstate Medical University), Heather Kadey (State University of New York, Upstate Medical University)
Abstract:

Approximately 10-20% of children with autism are likely to have a sibling with that disorder. Under such circumstances, caregivers may be faced with implementing separate interventions for their children, possibly at the same time. Merging different treatments to decrease both children's problem behavior may permit for more fluid parent responses and increased procedural integrity. The current study describes the approach we employ when treating problem behavior displayed by siblings with autism. This case described the treatment of aggression displayed by a 7-year-old girl and her 6-year-old brother, both of whom had a diagnosis of pervasive developmental diorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Separate functional analyses identified a different maintaining reinforcer for each child's aggression. These behaviors were then treated separately using functional communication training and delay fading. To ensure that the caregiver would be able to manage these siblings' behaviors concurrently, a 600-s resetting differential reinforcement of other behavior schedule was implemented which was based on the separate functions of each child's behavior. The treatment was introduced across siblings sequentially in accordance with a multiple baseline design. Initially therapists conducted these sessions, before training the caregiver to implement the treatment. Results showed a decrease in aggression for both children relative to baseline.

 

Randomized Trial of an eLearning Program for Training Parents of Children With Autism in Principles and Procedures of Applied Behavior Analysis

JINA JANG (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Jonathan J. Tarbox (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Dennis Dixon (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Abstract:

Effective training of parents and other caregivers is an integral part of top-quality treatment programs in applied behavior analysis (ABA). However, training programs are often time-consuming and costly to operate. In addition, global dissemination of training is limited as it often requires direct instruction on the principles and procedures of ABA by professionals within the field. The development of electronic training programs (sometimes referred to as "eLearning") may extend the accessibility of training to rural areas and therefore provide an alternative or supplement to traditional in-person training. A recent study demonstrated the effectiveness of an eLearning program for training newly hired behavioral therapists in the principles and procedures of ABA treatment for children with autism (Granpeesheh, Tarbox, Dixon, Peters, Thompson, & Kenzer, 2010). The current study replicates the Granpeesheh study, but randomly assigns participants to either immediate training (treatment) or delayed training (control). Data collection is still ongoing but initial results are demonstrating an average 67-point increase in percent correct on post-tests. Implications for cost-effectiveness and global dissemination in parent training will be discussed.

 

Treatment of Pediatric Feeding Problems: Comparing Follow-up Outcomes in the Clinic Versus Via Tele-health

JASON R. ZELENY (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Valerie M. Volkert (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Lynn Farrell (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Jana Frese (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Cathleen C. Piazza (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Abstract:

Up to 45% of typically developing children and 80% of children with developmental disabilities (Chung & Kahng, 2006) experience feeding problems (e.g., food refusal, gastrostomy tube dependence). If left untreated, weight loss, dehydration, malnutrition, and impairments in cognitive functioning could result in the most severe cases. Behavioral interventions have been shown to be effective to treat pediatric feeding problems (Kerwin, 1999). However, there are a limited number of organizations and professionals in the country that specialize in the behavioral treatment of pediatric feeding disorders. Tele-health methods would allow a professional in one location to provide services to a patient in another location. Research has not yet evaluated the effectiveness of using tele-health methods to treat pediatric feeding disorders using behavioral techniques. We are comparing the outcomes (e.g., 5-s acceptance, mouth cleans, combined inappropriate mealtime behavior) of children discharged from an intensive day treatment program who are followed up in the clinic versus via telehealth. The children's parents implement treatment in both cases. Preliminary results suggest that clinically relevant outcomes are achieved regardless of the avenue of outpatient follow-up.

 
 
Symposium #416
CE Offered: BACB
Recent Research on Skills Training for Individuals With Autism and Developmental Disabilities
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:50 PM
Korbel Ballroom 2C (Convention Center)
Area: DDA/AUT; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Raymond G. Miltenberger (University of South Florida)
CE Instructor: Raymond Miltenberger, Ph.D.
Abstract:

This symposium includes four papers evaluating procedures for teaching important skills to individuals with developmental disabilities. The first paper by Godish and Miltenberger describes a video modeling intervention for teaching abduction prevention skills to children with autism. The second study by McFee and colleagues describes video self modeling and behavioral skills training procedures for teaching social skills to children with Asperger's Disorder and autism. The third paper by Bolechala and colleagues describes an evaluation of the Travel Assistance Device, a global positioning system enabled phone with software programmed to prompt individuals with disabilities to exit the bus at the correct bus stop. The final paper by Smith and Miltenberger is an evaluation of behavioral skills training and in situ training for teaching greeting skills to individuals with developmental disabilities.

 

Evaluation of Video Modeling for Teaching Abduction Prevention Skills to Children With Autism and Asperger's Disorder

DANIELLE S. GODISH (University of South Florida), Raymond G. Miltenberger (University of South Florida)
Abstract:

There is little research on teaching abduction prevention skills to children with autism. Video modeling has been shown to be a cost effective and easy to implement method to teach various skills to children with autism. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of the video modeling technique for teaching children with autism abduction prevention skills. The second purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of behavior skills training (BST) and/or IST if the video modeling technique failed to be successful in teaching the participants the safety skills or if the skills failed to maintain overtime. The results showed that video modeling was effective in teaching all four participants abduction prevention skills and that IST was needed to help maintain the skills for one participant.

 

Teaching Social Skills to Children With Asperger's Disorder and Autism: An Evaluation of Video Self-Modeling and Behavioral Skills Training

KRYSTAL M. MCFEE (University of South Florida), Raymond G. Miltenberger (University of South Florida), Ashley Breeden (University of South Florida), Ivan DeVeaux (University of South Florida), Jennifer Rodriguez (University of South Florida), Jaclyn Fishman (University of South Florida), Ashley Carpenter (University of South Florida)
Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of video self-modeling (VSM) and behavior skills training to teach social skills to adolescents with Asperger's and high functioning autism. The targeted social skills were social initiations and social responses. The video self-modeling alone condition was implemented first using a video feedforward approach. A behavior skills training (BST) procedure was implemented following the video self-modeling alone condition for each participant. BST consisted of instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. The frequency of each target behavior was scored from videotapes using 10-second frequency within interval recording. After the video self-modeling was introduced, a mean increase was demonstrated in the target behaviors for three of the four participants. However, following the video self-modeling plus behavior skills training procedures, the social skills increased further for each participant. Follow up measures showed that the social interactions for each participant remained higher than baseline, however slightly lower than levels during BST+VSM.

 

Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Travel Assistance Device on the Bus Riding Behavior of Individuals With Disabilities

ARICA BOLECHALA (University of South Florida), Raymond G. Miltenberger (University of South Florida), Sean Barbeau (University of South Florida), Marcy Gordon (University of South Florida)
Abstract:

Independence for individuals with disabilities can be facilitated through the use of devices that have been created and adapted for these individuals. Research regarding the use of technology to afford independence to those with disabilities is growing as new devices are being created. One such device is the Travel Assistance Device (TAD) which has undergone conceptual tests to assess if the individual components of the device work as intended. The purpose of this research study was to determine whether the prompts given by the TAD would exhibit stimulus control over the participants behavior of pulling the cord to stop the bus at the appropriate time and exiting the bus at the appropriate stop. Results show favorable outcomes for the 3 participants who were able to pull the bus cord at the appropriate stops and exit the bus only when the TAD delivered prompts.

 

Behavioral Skills Training and In-Situ Training to Teach Greeting Skills to Adults With Developmental Disabilities

SHANNAN SMITH, Raymond G. Miltenberger (University of South Florida)
Abstract:

Research has demonstrated that behavioral skills training (BST) is effective in teaching social skills to individuals with developmental disabilities, but often the skills fail to generalize. One strategy to promote generalization has been the use of in situ training. In an effort to improve upon previous research, BST plus in situ training was evaluated to teach greeting skills to adults living in a group home setting. The percentage of correct greeting responses was evaluated in a multiple baseline across participants design. Results showed that BST was only partially effective in teaching greeting skills to the participants. However, in-situ training resulted in a greater increase in correct greeting skills across all participants.

 
 
Symposium #417
CE Offered: BACB
Preference and Reinforcer Assessment in Older Adults With Dementia
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:50 PM
610/612 (Convention Center)
Area: DEV; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Jonathan C. Baker (Southern Illinois University)
Discussant: Jonathan C. Baker (Southern Illinois University)
CE Instructor: Jonathan Baker, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Research in the area of preference assessment has increased in recent years with respect to older adults with dementia residing in nursing homes, yet many questions remain. This symposium will begin to address some of these remaining questions. Data-based talks will include research on the efficacy of different preference assessment formats as well as the efficacy of group based preference assessments and activities. Although preference assessments with older adults with dementia are typically used to identify activities (i.e., there is no reinforcer assessment component) and generally involve the assumption that engagement in the item results in some form of automatic reinforcement, current knowledge on the effects of reinforcement are minimal for older adults with moderate to severe dementia. This symposium will include an initial data-based presentation on reinforcement in nursing home residing older adults with dementia. Finally, the implications of these studies and future events will be discussed.

 

Evaluation of Preference Formats and Types of Activities Offered in Nursing Homes with Older Adults with Alzheimer's Disease

AMANDA RIPLEY RYAN (Imagine! Behavioral Health Services), Maranda Trahan (Johns Hopkins University), Jenna Mattingly (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Paula K. Davis (Southern Illinois University)
Abstract:

There has been little research in the field of older adults and preference assessments. In fact, only one study previously has investigated if different preference assessment formats predict activity engagement (LeBlanc, Cherup, Feliciano, & Sidener, 2006). The purpose of this study was to replicate the previous study by comparing verbal and tangible formats of preference assessments and it extends that work by comparing productive and leisure activity preferences. Four older adults with dementia participated in the current study. Results replicated the findings of LeBlanc et al. in that preferences identified by both the verbal and tangible formats were comparable. In addition, both productive and leisure activities were preferred in all assessments. These results have implications for the types of activities offered in nursing homes (e.g., more productive activities) and the format used in conducting preference assessments.

 

Evaluating Activity Presentation Formats and the Amount of Interactions on Activity Engagement in Older Adults With Alzheimer's Disease

MARANDA TRAHAN (Johns Hopkins University), Paula K. Davis (Southern Illinois University), Jonathan C. Baker (Southern Illinois University)
Abstract:

The present study examined the use of manipulating activity presentation formats and the use of interactions to increase activity engagement in eight older adults with Alzheimers disease (AD) living in a special care unit of a nursing home. Three experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 compared two sets of activities (i.e., standard and novel) on engagement. Experiment 2 evaluated the effects of three different activity presentation formats-providing single activities, providing activity choices, and providing multiple activities-on engagement. Experiment 3 assessed the effects of various levels of interactions on engagement. Results from these three experiments extended the literature on use of choice interventions and the amount of interactions to provide to nursing home residents in order to increase activity engagement. Implications for these results will be discussed, and future research in the area is recommended.

 

Reinforcement and Extinction-Induced Behavioral Variability in Older Adults With Dementia

JENNA MATTINGLY (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Jonathan C. Baker (Southern Illinois University)
Abstract:

The present study attempted to investigate the effects of extinction on the behavior of older adults with moderate to severe dementia. A touch screen computer displaying four large colored buttons was employed. Participants were exposed to three conditions: baseline, intervention, and a reversal. The target response (pressing green after yellow) resulted in a video stimulus in the intervention condition, and then the videos were withheld during the reversal condition. Data on button-pressing and vocal-verbal statements were visually analyzed to determine the effect of the videos on responding; however none of the participants acquired the task. Therefore, a discussion of extinction responding was not possible. Interesting findings in terms of reinforcement and implications for the treatment of problem behaviors in older adults with dementia are discussed.

 
 
Symposium #419
CE Offered: BACB
Behavior Analysis of Gambling Behavior II
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:50 PM
405 (Convention Center)
Area: EAB; Domain: Experimental Analysis
Chair: Nicholas Mui Ker Lik (Southern Illinois University Carbondale)
CE Instructor: Nicholas Mui Ker Lik, M.S.
Abstract:

This symposium will feature four presentations relating to behavior analysis and gambling. Topics will cover everything from rule governance to delay discounting paradigms.

 

Hypothetical Financial Status Can Alter Delay Discounting Values of Pathological Gamblers

Mark R. Dixon (Southern Illinois University), FRANK D. BUONO (Southern Illinois University), Autumn N. McKeel (Southern Illinois University Carbondale)
Abstract:

Two experiments were completed within this topic. Initially online graduate students completed three different temporal discounting paradigms via an online survey website. The first procedure required the participant to a preference for a value now versus that of a value in the future. In the second procedure, individuals were asked to discount again, although they were given the following directions: "I want you to discount as if you had your ideal job and that job paid you 2 times more than you currently make." The third discounting procedure was similar to that of the second, with the difference being instead of making 2 times of what you are earning, you are making half of what you currently make. In the second experiment pathological gamblers with a South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) score greater than 5 were exposed the same procedure as above. This study systematically replicated a previous study which found significant differences within the discounting rates.

 

Probabilistic Discounting Rates Before and After Exposure to a Simulated Die Roll Gambling Task

Jill DeFreitas (University of Nevada, Reno), Ashley West (University of Nevada, Reno), Erin E. Watkins (University of Nevada, Reno), BENJAMIN N. WITTS (University of Nevada, Reno), Patrick M. Ghezzi (University of Nevada), Jeffrey N. Weatherly (University of North Dakota), Daniel D. Houlihan (Minnesota State University, Mankato)
Abstract:

One method of evaluating risk-taking is through a probabilistic discounting task, in which an individual chooses between a smaller guaranteed reward and a chance at a larger reward (i.e. would you rather have $100 or take a 50% chance at getting $500 instead?). The consequences of risk-taking behavior should have an influence on future risk-taking behavior; therefore if the consequences of these behaviors are manipulated, we should see changes in risk-taking behavior. Participants are 50-100 students at the University of Nevada, Reno, who do not have a history of gambling problems, assessed with the South Oakes Gambling Screen. To start, participants are asked to complete an 84-question probabilistic discounting task, next they are asked to play a simulated die roll gambling game for 10 minutes in a lose, win, break-even, or control condition, and finally they complete the probabilistic discounting task again. In order to keep motivation to gamble high, participants are told that the individual who wins the most will have a chance at winning $50. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects that gambling outcome has on probabilistic discounting.

 

Examining Transformation of Function in Gambling

NICHOLAS MUI KER LIK (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Mark R. Dixon (Southern Illinois University)
Abstract:

Much research has been done on the transfer of function and contextual control of slot machine games using previously neutral stimuli that were trained to participate in relations of "greater-than" and "less-than." However, much of that research has focused on the contextual control of slot machine play, while relatively little research has been done to demonstrate that such contextual control might exist in other games. The current study was thus aimed at examining a contextual control procedure with the game of roulette. Participants were allowed to play on a roulette game during a pretest session, and a measure of their preference for either the red or black color was determined. Participants were then exposed to a match-to-sample procedure that trained a relationship of "greater-than" and "less-than" to arbitrary stimuli. The arbitrary stimuli were then used in a conditional discrimination training procedure that established the relationship of "greater-than" with the color that was the opposite of the participants' preferred color during the pretest as a form of contextual cue training. Following the training, participants were allowed to play on the roulette game again, with their responses being recorded to determine if response allocation had shifted to favor the color that had been trained as "greater-than." In the event that no preference was shown during the pretest, a color was randomly chosen to be trained to participate in the "greater-than" relation.

 

Manipulating Rate of Slot Machine Play Through Stimulus Control

MOLLIE J. HORNER-KING (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Mark R. Dixon (Southern Illinois University), Alyssa N. Wilson (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Jeffrey R. Miller (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Samantha Reed (Southern Illinois University Carbondale)
Abstract:

The current investigation examined responding on simulated slot machine trials which all participants experienced a multiple schedule of reinforcement. A two-by-two mixed design was utilized. Participants were given rules regarding their rate of responding depending upon their assigned group. Results show gambling behavior may be brought under the control of rules describing how participants should respond. Extensions using instructional procedures to treat pathological gambling are discussed.

 
 
Symposium #421
CE Offered: BACB
Research on TeachTown: Basics in Preschool and Kindergarten Classrooms: Skill Acquisition, Generalization, Motivation, and Fidelity of Implementation
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:50 PM
Korbel Ballroom 1A (Convention Center)
Area: EDC/DDA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Christina Whalen (TeachTown)
Discussant: Daniel Adam Openden (Southwest Autism Research)
CE Instructor: Christina Whalen, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Research on computer-assisted instruction (CAI) suggests that typically developing and special needs students may benefit from this teaching strategy in terms of skill acquisition, attention to task, motivation, and generalization. In addition, there are benefits for teachers including reduced paperwork, increased accuracy and consistency, and more time with students in off-computer activities. TeachTown: Basics (an applied behavior analysis (ABA)-based CAI program) has demonstrated efficacy with children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) with parent and teacher implementation. Recently, several studies have shown continued success for ASD students but have also demonstrated promising outcomes for other special needs students, at-risk students, and typically developing peers. This symposium will review studies and show data (as well as video clips) measuring computer-delivered ABA compared to traditional teacher delivery, acquisition of skills learned using the computer with various preschool and kindergarten students, generalization of skills to standardized developmental measures, motivation and associated behaviors on and off the computer, and fidelity of implementation of teachers and school staff. The importance of ABA-based technology solutions in todays classroom environments will be discussed along with future directions for TeachTown ABA-based technology interventions and research.

 

Effectiveness of TeachTown: Basics Computer-Assisted Intervention in Preschool and Kindergarten Classrooms

YASAMAN DIANAT (TeachTown), Christina Whalen (TeachTown)
Abstract:

Due to increasing numbers of special needs students, decreasing budgets and resources, and advancements in technology, delivery of applied behavior analysis (ABA) services via computers and other technologies is becoming increasingly important, particularly in school settings. TeachTown: Basics is a computer-assisted intervention that includes computer learning using ABA teaching strategies as well as naturalistic activities off the computer. Receptive language, cognitive, academic, and social skills are targeted on the computer and the off-computer activities supplement skills learned on the computer and also target play, imitation, expressive language, motor skills, and social interaction. The program is developmentally geared toward 2-7-year-old children. A brief overview of the program will be shown including video clips. The program is currently being used in over 200 school districts and research to date has shown encouraging results for children with autism in parent- and teacher-implemented studies. Results from these earlier studies will be reviewed. Recent research has shown similar positive results with other populations including preschool special education classrooms with multiple disabilities (89 students participated) and "at-risk" kindergarten students in low socio economic status (SES) areas (over 100 students participated). Data and video clips, as well as social validity findings from these studies will be shown.

 

Motivation of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Teacher Fidelity of Implementation Using TeachTown: Basics Computer-Assisted Intervention

CHRISTINA WHALEN (TeachTown)
Abstract:

Maximizing student motivation leads to better skill acquisition and generalization, as well as improved language, socialization, and reduced behavior problems. A number of studies have demonstrated that computers may enhance motivation and lead to more robust outcomes for children. This is particularly true for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who have been shown to often perform better on the computer than using traditional teaching techniques. This improvement in performance is likely to due to motivation, although there may also be some attention issues. Improved motivation with TeachTown: Basics has been demonstrated in several studies and this data will be shown, along with video clips showing students in on- and off-computer teaching scenarios. Although motivation may be an essential piece of successful interventions, fidelity of implementation is even more important. If students are not consistently using a particular intervention, positive outcomes are unlikely. One of the advantages of computer-assisted interventions such as TeachTown: Basics is the ability to measure implementation quickly and accurately. Data from usability of the TeachTown: Basics program will be shown including correlational data from three studies demonstrating that more time on the program leads to improvements on standardized developmental outcome measures.

 

ComputerVersus Teacher-Delivered Applied Behavior Analysis With Preschool Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders

RACHEL MCINTOSH (SARRC), Daniel Adam Openden (Southwest Autism Research), Christina Whalen (TeachTown)
Abstract:

Discrete trial instruction has shown to be one of the most effective interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The difficulty with this method of instruction is that it requires 1:1 contact and many hours of instruction. In many cases, particularly in school settings, 1:1 with every child for several hours per day is not feasible. In addition, it can often be difficult to motivate a child duringone-on-one instruction and accuracy of data collection cannot be guaranteed. One option for supplementing discrete trial programs is to use computer-delivered applied behavior analysis (ABA) for at least some of the training. TeachTown: Basics has been shown to have some efficacy for building early developmental skills and may be a good program to use in early ABA programs. In this study, computer versus teacher-delivered ABA were compared withseven preschool students with ASD to assess accuracy, acquisition rates, generalization, and student motivation. In addition, ASD students and typical peers were assessed on standardized measures of language, cognitive, academic, and social skills to measure effectiveness of the Southwest autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC) ABA program with TeachTown: Basics integrated into the daily classroom schedule. Incorporation of technology into ABA will be discussed in terms of the need, the cost, the potential effectiveness, and the impact on school staff and parents.

 
 
Panel #424
CE Offered: BACB
Suggestions and Strategies for the use and Investigation of Interteaching
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:50 PM
Korbel Ballroom 1D (Convention Center)
Area: TBA/EDC; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
CE Instructor: Philip Hineline, Ph.D.
Chair: Genevieve M. DeBernardis (University of Nevada, Reno)
THOMAS E. BOYCE (Center for Behavioral Safety, LLC)
PHILIP N. HINELINE (Temple University)
MARK A. MATTAINI (Jane Addams College of Social Work)
NANCY A. NEEF (The Ohio State University)
Abstract:

For quite some time, behavior analytically oriented instructors have made efforts to move away from conventional lecture formats by incorporating behavioral teaching techniques into their classroom environments. One such approach to instruction, called interteaching, is characterized by a mutually probing, mutually informing conversation between two people (Boyce & Hineline, 2002). It has found success in improving students' comprehension of course material and their overall satisfaction with instruction. This panel will begin the discussion by briefly describing the nature and origins of the interteaching approach. An overview of interteaching research studies will also be provided, including those which have investigated the effectiveness of this approach in contrast to the traditional lecture format. The discussion will be centered on ways in which instructors can transition to the interteaching style, as well as conduct evaluative research on this approach. In addition, applications of interteaching, obstacles to interteaching, and conditions under which interteaching is most and least effective will be discussed.

 
 
Symposium #425
CE Offered: BACB
Technology of Teaching: Ushering in a New Era of Behavior Analytic Teaching
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:50 PM
Korbel Ballroom 1E (Convention Center)
Area: TBA/TPC; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Patrick E. McGreevy (Patrick McGreevy, Ph.D., P.A.)
Discussant: Patrick E. McGreevy (Patrick McGreevy, Ph.D., P.A.)
CE Instructor: Melissa Nosik, M.S.
Abstract:

One of the difficulties in the provision of behavioral treatment is the training of staff who implement our plans and protocols. Most behavioral treatment is delivered largely by people who have low salaries, low rates of job retention, and low levels of formal education. Much effort, time, and money is invested when these people are hired, and significant amounts are lost if they leave quickly, or require extensive training. These problems pale in comparison to the havoc inconsistent plan implementation can wreak on the lives of our most vulnerable consumers. In this symposium, the presenters will discuss methods by which staff members can more effectively and efficiently be trained. To begin, Melissa Nosik will discuss a training protocol she developed using a fully automated interactive video behavior skills training that yields promising results on treatment integrity. Both Roger Ray and Mark Malady will be discussing a software program Train-To-Code. This program has yielded very exciting results in which responses were added to the repertory of participants without direct training. Roger will discuss how and why this might happen while Mark will discuss the implications of this type of training and the future of staff training available because of the technologies being showcased in this symposium.

 

Evaluation of Video Based Training Technologies for Teaching Discrete Trial Instruction

MELISSA NOSIK (University of Nevada, Reno), Natalia Garrido (University of Nevada, Reno), W. Larry Williams (University of Nevada, Reno)
Abstract:

Staff training is a critical element in assuring the effectiveness of behavior change agents in human services. Expense and time often limit the amount of training provided to staff members. Video based methods of training allow for flexible and repeated viewing. In this study, an entirely video based training package was developed from methods that have been most effective in producing best outcomes according to the training literature. The package consisted of competency based instructions with modeling and video feedback. A multiple baseline design across participants counter balanced for skills was used and staff treatment integrity was measured as a percent correct of critical elements. All four participants achieved 100% treatment integrity on at least one of the skills trained. Two of the participants did not reach 100% on one of the skills. Probes conducted 4-8 weeks after completion of training showed that all three of the participants evaluated maintained high levels of treatment integrity. A followup study compared a behavior skills training approach to video based training; these methods were evaluated for efficacy based on the levels of treatment integrity achieved by staff after having received them.

 

Train-To-Code Training Works, but How and Why?

ROGER D. RAY ((AI)2, Inc.), Rachel B. Ruah (Rollins College), Lauren E. Bourdon (Rollins College), Edwin R. Sanford (Rollins College)
Abstract:

Train-To-Code (TTC) is a computer-based errorless expert system for training direct observational coding skills. But TTC has also been demonstrated to be a highly effective system for training behavioral production skills, even though those behaviors were never directly performed by the observers during their training (c.f., Frizzell & Ray, 2011). Such production is generative behavior derived from watching others perform exemplar behaviors and subsequently selecting textual tacts for each (i.e., from "actively coding directly observed behaviors"). Oral prompts to produce such behaviors are also effective, even though no oral equivalents to the text-selected codes have been heard during training. The question remains as to whether it is the active coding that generates these repertories, or perhaps whether more passive training that presents the same video exemplars but substitutes the presentation of either textual or audio tacts as "instructional" stimuli might result in equivalent performances.

 

Train To Code: Exploring New Directions for Training Behavioral Procedures

MARK MALADY (University of Nevada, Reno), Nomara Santos (Florida Institute of Technology), Joshua K. Pritchard (Florida Institute of Technology)
Abstract:

Proper training of front-line staff to deliver behavioral treatment requires intensive resources. In addition to the already difficult task of effective training of staff members, behavior analysts often have the added challenge of doing so in a short amount of time with a small budget. Consequently, the development of technology to increase the effectiveness (both in terms of time and money) of training is of upmost importance. In order to increase the efficient use of these resources, we assert that practitioners are remiss if they ignore the current availability of computer technology. This paper examines one such technology that was developed on behavioral principles, Train To Code (TTC) which was found to more effectively teach individuals an errorless prompting sequence when compared to those who participated in a workshop model. We discuss the implications of using this technology and discuss future directions and applications for this approach to training of behavioral techniques. Our field has continually developed newer and more effective techniques to change behavior; however - our adaption of electronic technology has fallen far behind the use of new behavioral technologies. It is time for a convergence of the two to maximize our teaching abilities.

 
 
Symposium #427
CE Offered: BACB
Inner Behavior: How Do We Get There? What Data Do We Have?
Monday, May 30, 2011
1:30 PM–2:50 PM
Korbel Ballroom 2B (Convention Center)
Area: VBC/CBM; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Abigail B. Calkin (Calkin Consulting Center)
Discussant: Douglas E. Kostewicz (University of Pittsburgh)
CE Instructor: Abigail Calkin, Ph.D.
Abstract:

For over 60 years, the progress in behavior analysis regarding inner behavior has focused primarily on the theories surrounding private events. While there are some data, mostly through the standard celeration chart, it is time for radical behaviorism to move from theory to the specifics of how to collect and view the data of inner behaviors. As we work towards the finer points of the analysis of inner behavior, we inch closer. A multimedia presentation analyzes the basis of radical behaviorism and leads to the differentiation of public from private events. A presentation and analysis of one persons detailed data-based view of her outer and inner behaviors shows us the relationship between these behaviors. Finally, there is an examination of the frequency, celeration, and variability using graphic and statistical analyses from ten studies. What makes it possible for an individual to tap what is in his or her inner world, to monitor that behavior, and change it? With the current progress in the gathering and analyses of these data, we have procedures we can use. We must take steps now towards a laboratory manual for practical use.

 

Reflections on Private Events: A Multimedia Presentation

MICHAEL KEENAN (University of Ulster)
Abstract:

In a mature science one would expect to find laboratory manuals that guide teachers and students in the analysis of, and control of, natural phenomena. Within radical behaviorism there is no such manual for dealing with conceptual issues that arise in the analysis of private events. The closest we get are statements relating back to Skinner's original writings on how our social community teaches us labels for private events. Given the persistent misrepresentation of behavior analysis and the confusion between methodological and radical behaviorism this state of affairs needs urgent attention. We need teaching gambits that allow students to see how the analysis of private events conducted by a scientist observing another person is useful to that same scientist who turns his/her attention to events that only s/he can see when his/her eyes are closed (or open). Can we bring students to the point where we deal with questions like this: "Whose private events are the events that participate in the ebb and flow of discussion in the corridors of science, those of a scientist looking at me, or mine?"

 

The 'Depressed Stance': Inner Behaviour's Observable Face

EMMA F. DOUGLAS-COBANE (Treehouse Trust)
Abstract:

"This is my depressed stance. When you're depressed, it makes a lot of difference how you stand. The worst thing you can do is straighten up and hold your head high because then you'll start to feel better." In spite of the humour of Charles Schulz's comment, research into inner behavior shows Charlie Brown's comment to be true. Much progress has been made in recent years in developing self-management techniques to measure and change inner behaviours. Evidence illustrates the effectiveness of adopting precision teaching techniques, such as daily 1-minute counting periods of positive affirmations, to reverse negative thoughts and feelings. However, few have examined and illustrated how such changes can impact observable behaviours. The standard celeration charts to be reviewed demonstrate the efficacy of daily 1-minute counting periods of positive affirmations in the form of SAFMEDS upon the reversal of depressive inner behaviours initiated by bereavement whilst assessing its effect upon a depressed observable behaviour. This is the first instance wherein an external measure, namely the Beck Depression Inventory, was also used. The implications and need for future research and application will be discussed.

 

Research Into Inner Behavior

ABIGAIL B. CALKIN (Calkin Consulting Center)
Abstract:

Philosophical discussions about inner behavior have existed at least since the time of Plato. Skinner's statement that there is no difference in the structure or nature of public and private behavior is a theoretical position that enabled Lindsley to discover and verify the research-based link between outer and inner behaviors. It's time to move on with more research, data, and further conclusions. However, the data-based study of inner behavior remains a topic more frequently challenged than researched. Thorny issues include whether there are instances of inner behavior that are not operant but, on first occurrence, are respondent with no verbal behavior associated with them. Ten formal studies published between 1973 and 2009 have given us a research base of 829 individual projects. We have learned much from these data, including the frequency and frequency ranges, the celeration (growth), and the bound (ranges of variability) of inner behaviors. The studies in this field offer many shared conclusions, detailed in the presentation, on which to base therapy techniques and to provide directions for future research.

 
 
Panel #428
CE Offered: BACB
Behavior Analysts Legal (and Thus Ethical) Responsibilities Under Federal Special Education Law
Monday, May 30, 2011
2:00 PM–3:20 PM
Korbel Ballroom 1B (Convention Center)
Area: EDC/PRA; Domain: Service Delivery
CE Instructor: Melissa Olive, Ph.D.
Chair: Melissa L. Olive (Walden University)
CLAIRE CHARLES (Developmental Disabilities Resource Center)
PAMELA M. MARTIEN (Developmental Disabilities Resource Center)
MELISSA L. OLIVE (Walden University)
REBECCA RYAN (Law Offices of Rebecca Ryan)
Abstract:

This three-part panel presentation covers the behavior analysts responsibilities to practice in special education settings or to be reimbursed by special education budgets. Paper1 will present the behavior analysts responsibilities for completing a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA). Paper 2 will present the behavior analysts responsibilities for developing and overseeing behavior intervention plans (BIP) including the use of positive behavior supports (PBS). The third presentation will focus on the proposed federal requirements for restraint and time out as well as to briefly overview requirements in a few select states. The discussant will moderate a panel discussion, summarize key points, and respond to questions from the audience.

 
 
Panel #429
CE Offered: BACB
Observation and Data Collection With the iPhone, iPad, iTouch, and Other Smartphones: Elementary to Sophisticated
Monday, May 30, 2011
2:30 PM–3:20 PM
Korbel Ballroom 4F (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/EAB; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
CE Instructor: Raymond Romanczyk, Ph.D.
Chair: Raymond G. Romanczyk (State University of New York at Binghamton)
JENNIFER M. GILLIS MATTSON (Auburn University)
EMILY HUBER CALLAHAN (Institute for Child Development, Binghamton University)
RAYMOND G. ROMANCZYK (State University of New York at Binghamton)
Abstract:

The hallmark of behavior analysis is the use of systematic, frequent, and objective data collection that informs decision making. In most human services settings (as well as many applied research settings) systematic observation of behavior and environmental events pose significant time/resource hurdles. There are also the technical aspects of structuring and analyzing the resulting data with the concomitant problems of staff training and observer vigilance in applied settings. The panel will discuss essential issues in the practical and systematic conduct of behavior observation and behavior analysis. Emphasis will be placed upon use of commonly available hand held technology: iPhone, iPad, and iTouch, as well as other smartphones. Presentation will emphasize strengths and weaknesses of various options, and brief demonstrations will illustrate the points raised. A step by step example will be presented to allow attendees to immediately begin using a free, simple form of behavior observation. Examples and brief demonstration of several sophisticated commercial apps will be offered. Discussion of cost-benefit issues will focus on case examples of impact upon staff in alleviating behavior observation collection and analysis burdens. Disclosure: the presenters are authors of behavior observation software.

 
 
Invited Tutorial #430
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Autism as a Social Learning Disorder: From Research and Practice to Interpretation
Monday, May 30, 2011
2:30 PM–3:20 PM
Four Seasons 4 (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/TPC; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
PSY/BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: William Ahearn, Ph.D.
Chair: Jeffrey H. Tiger (Louisiana State University)
Presenting Authors: : WILLIAM H. AHEARN (New England Center for Children)
Abstract:

Research into the behavioral characteristics of autism has revealed evidence that this disorder represents a unique form of social learning deficit. Children with autism typically have communicative and social deficits and investigations have detailed how early these deficits appear. At 6 months of age, distinct differences are apparent in the nature of stimuli that are salient to children who will subsequently be diagnosed with autism. This tutorial will review research into early markers of social impairment in individuals with autism. Some of the topics discussed will include attention, joint attention, and social interaction. A review of teaching procedures for establishing these critical social responses will follow. During this review some of the challenges that clinicians face in not only producing and maintaining these skills but in fostering generalization of them will be discussed. Then a conceptual analysis of these social deficits will be presented to coalesce research findings, both structural and functional in nature, into an interpretation of autism as a social learning disorder. The purpose of this interpretation will be to highlight the most pressing matters faced by clinicians in designing effective instruction in social behavior while offering some possible solutions to these challenges.

 
WILLIAM H. AHEARN (New England Center for Children)
Bill Ahearn, Ph.D., BCBA-D, joined The New England Center for Children in August 1996, and currently serves at NECC as the Director of Research. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in Northeastern University�s Master's program in Applied Behavior Analysis and Adjunct Faculty in Western New England College's doctoral program. Bill was named the 2009 American Psychological Association - Division 25 awardee for Enduring Contributions to Applied Behavioral Research. Bill is the ACE coordinator for providing BCBA continuing education at NECC and for the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy. He also serves on the Autism Advisory Committees for the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts and the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. Bill�s research interests include social skills in children with autism, verbal behavior, assessment and treatment of stereotypy, severe problem behavior, and pediatric feeding difficulties. He is also interested in resistance to change, behavioral economics, and conditioned reinforcement. His work has been published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Behavioral Interventions, Behavior Modification, The Lancet, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and has written book chapters on teaching children with autism and pediatric feeding problems in children with autism. Bill is currently on the Editorial Boards for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, and Behavioral Interventions and has served as a guest reviewer for several other journals. He has also been Principal Investigator on an NIH-funded grant with Dr. William Dube, is funded through by the Organization for Autism Research along with Dr. Becky MacDonald, and is a past-President of the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy.
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #431
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

The Globalization of the American "Mind"

Monday, May 30, 2011
2:30 PM–3:20 PM
607 (Convention Center)
Area: CBM; Domain: Theory
CE Instructor: Ethan Watters, Other
Chair: Jonathan W. Kanter (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee)
ETHAN WATTERS (Author and Journalist, San Francisco, California)
Ethan Watters is an author and journalist who has spent the last two decades writing about psychiatry and social psychology. Most recently, he is the author of Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche. The book suggests that America is homogenizing not just the categorization and treatment of the mentally ill but the subjective experience of being mentally ill as well. He began his career writing about daycare abuse scares, satanic cult conspiracies, and other urban hysterias of the early 1990s. He was the first national magazine writer to expose therapists who lead their patients to uncover "recovered memories" of early childhood abuse. That work culminated in a co-authorship of Making Monsters: False Memories, Psychotherapy and Sexual Hyseria, a groundbreaking indictment of the recovered memory movement. Watters is a frequent contributor to The New York Times Magazine, Discover, Men's Journal, Details, Wired, and This American Life. His writing on the new research surrounding epigenetics was been featured in the 2003's Best American Science and Nature Writing series. Watters is co-founder of the San Francisco Writers' Grotto, a workspace for journalists, novelists, poets and filmmakers. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and children.
Abstract:

Mental illnesses are not spread evenly around the globe and across history. In a talk based on his recent book, Watters will review work by cross-cultural psychiatrists that has shown that mental illnesses appear in different cultures and periods in history in endlessly complex and unique forms. Because the troubled "mind" has been perceived in terms of diverse religious, scientific, and social beliefs of discrete cultures, "madness" in one place and time often looks remarkably different from "madness" in another. But with increasing globalization, things are changing quickly. The remarkable diversity once seen among different cultures' conceptions of madness is disappearing. Mental illnesses identified and popularized in the United States are spreading across cultural boundaries with the speed of contagious diseases. Indigenous forms of mental illness and healing are being replaced by disease categories and treatments made in the USA. To lay bare these international trends, Watters will explore four case studies: the rise of anorexia in Hong Kong in the 1990s; the spread of post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma therapy to Sri Lanka after the Boxing Day tsunami; the changing notions of schizophrenia in Zanabar; and the selling of depression to Japan after that market was open to serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

 
 
Invited Paper Session #432
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

Increasing the Probability of Students Engaging in Assigned Work: The Additive Interspersal Procedure and the Discrete Task Completion Hypothesis

Monday, May 30, 2011
2:30 PM–3:20 PM
Korbel Ballroom 2A (Convention Center)
Area: EDC; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
CE Instructor: Christopher Skinner, Ph.D.
Chair: Jennifer L. Austin (University of Glamorgan)
CHRISTOPHER SKINNER (University of Tennessee)
Christopher Skinner graduate from Lehigh University with a Ph.D. in school psychology in 1989. He became associate professor in 1993 and Full Professor in 1995 and served as coordinator of School Psychology programs since 1993 (including Mississippi State). His programs have been reviewed and accredited by APA, NASP, State Departments of Education, and NCATE. Skinner has a passion for behavioral theory and practice. Since graduation he has have made over 200 peer-reviewed presentations and published over 150 peer-refereed journal articles. Many of these papers have described IN VIVO applied remediation studies (i.e., experiments, often using single-subject designs) where Skinner and his students applied behavioral theory, research methods, problem solving strategies, and interventions. However Skinner has also advanced the field with innovative conceptual and theoretical work including randomly selecting contingency components, precisely measuring learning rates, tootling, the additive interspersal procedures, and the discrete task completion hypothesis.
Abstract:

Within classroom settings, students can choose to engage in desired behavior or a host of competing alternative behaviors. Enhancing relative rates of reinforcement can increase the probability of students choosing to engage in assigned work. In this presentation, I will review research on variables that affect choice. I also will describe and analyze research on the discrete task completion hypothesis (when given an assignment comprised of many discrete tasks, each complete task is a reinforcer) and the additive interspersal procedure, which show how educators can arrange contingencies such that students choose assignments requiring more effort (e.g., 20% more long math problems) by adding even more work (some additional shorter problem). Those who attend will acquire an understanding of how the classroom (and life) is essentially a continuous choice paradigm and how those choices affect learning. In addition, attendees will learn a counterintuitive procedure designed to enhance the probability of students choosing to do higher effort work. Finally, I hope to expand attendees' basic understanding of reinforcers and describe how learning histories, along with rate, quality, and immediacy of conditioned reinforcement, can interact with effort to influence choice classroom.

 
 
Invited Paper Session #433
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

Neurotransmitter Interactions Involved in Selection of Instrumental Responses and Effort-Related Choice Behavior

Monday, May 30, 2011
2:30 PM–3:20 PM
401/402 (Convention Center)
Area: SCI; Domain: Experimental Analysis
CE Instructor: John Salamone, Ph.D.
Chair: Karen G. Anderson (West Virginia University)
JOHN SALAMONE (University of Connecticut)
I received my undergraduate degree in Psychology in 1978 (Rockurst College), and my Ph.D. in Psychobiology from Emory University in 1982 (Advisor: Darryl Neill). I received a NSF postdoctoral fellowship to work with Susan Iversen at the Experimental Psychology Laboratory at Cambridge University in England (1982-1983). After a few years of working in the pharmaceutical industry (Merck, 1984-1986), I was a research fellow at the University of Pittsburgh, where I worked with Michael Zigmond and Edward Stricker. I joined the Psychology and Neuroscience faculty at the University of Connecticut in 1988, and I am now a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, in the Psychology department. I am head of the behavioral neuroscience division, and chair of the Program in Neuroscience.
Abstract:

There are numerous problems with the traditional view that brain dopamine (DA) systems, particularly in the nucleus accumbens, directly mediate the "rewarding" or primary motivational characteristics of natural stimuli such as food. The present review is focused upon the involvement of nucleus accumbens DA in the selection of instrumental responses based upon effort-related processes. Viewed from the framework of behavioral economics, the effects of accumbens DA depletions and antagonism on food-reinforced behavior are highly dependent upon the work requirements of the instrumental task, and DA depleted rats show altered elasticity of demand for food. Moreover, interference with accumbens DA transmission exerts a powerful influence over effort-related choice behavior. Rats with accumbens DA depletions or antagonism reallocate their instrumental behavior away from food-reinforced tasks that have high response requirements, and instead these rats select a less-effortful type of food-seeking behavior. Nucleus accumbens DA and adenosine interact in the regulation of effort-related functions, and other brain structures (anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, ventral pallidum) also are involved. Studies of the brain systems regulating effort-based processes may have implications for understanding drug abuse, as well as energy-related disorders such as psychomotor slowing, fatigue or anergia in depression and other disorders.

 
 
Symposium #435
CE Offered: BACB
Evaluation of Vocational Training Approaches for Increasing Access to Employment for Young Adults With Autism
Monday, May 30, 2011
3:00 PM–4:20 PM
Korbel Ballroom 4E (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/CSE; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Keith D. Allen (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Discussant: Susan Wilczynski (National Autism Center)
CE Instructor: Keith Allen, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Among employment-age adults with disabilities, some of the lowest employment rates are for individuals on the autism spectrum. Even among individuals with Asperger’s syndrome or high functioning autism, the vast majority are unemployed. Due to the social-communicative deficits associated with the disability, traditional job training and coaching methods are often counterproductive or impractical. Unfortunately, little has been done to develop alternative job training approaches. This symposium describes the results of a series of projects designed to address this need. The project involved a collaborative partnership between a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and a local private business. In three separate data-based projects, using single subject research designs, we evaluated both the feasibility and efficacy of using video modeling, behavioral skills training, visual text cuing, and finally, an iPad-based application involving elements of all three approaches. The initial project involved teaching the participants to perform a job involving product marketing in a retail setting. The second project involved teaching participants a job involving the delivery of educational fire safety programs. The third project involved teaching participants to pack and ship merchandise in a warehouse setting. Results and future directions are discussed.

 

Use of Video Modeling to Teach Vocational Skills to Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Keith D. Allen (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), DUSTIN WALLACE (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), Diana Renes (University of Nebraska at Omaha), Scott L. Bowen (Signs and Shapes International), Raymond V. Burke (The Prevention Group)
Abstract:

We examined the benefits of video modeling to teach vocational skills to adolescents and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In a collaborative project between a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and a local private business, video modeling was used to teach the job skills necessary to perform successfully while wearing a WalkAround mascot to promote products and entertain customers in a retail setting. Seven participants diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ages 16-25, were observed wearing the costume before and after watching a video model perform the required skills in both scripted and naturalistic scenes. In two separate studies in two retail locations, direct observations of participants’ skill use showed that all of the participants learned to use multiple skills in combination or sequence after watching the video model. The participants also reported that they enjoyed the work and anecdotal reports from supervisors were positive. Implications and potential vocational applications are discussed.

 

Evaluation of Two Instruction Methods to Increase Employment Options for Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Raymond V. Burke (The Prevention Group), Melissa S. Anderson, Scott L. Bowen (Signs and Shapes International), Monica Howard (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center), KEITH D. ALLEN (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Abstract:

We evaluated the efficacy of a vocational training program including behavioral skills training, and a "performance cue system" (PCS; a proprietary iPhone application adapted for the study) to teach targeted social-vocational skills to six young adults with an autism spectrum disorder. In two separate studies, participants were employed to assist in the delivery of a fire safety education program. Participants were asked to wear an inflatable fire fighter WalkAround mascot costume and to perform 63 scripted behaviors in coordination with a fire prevention specialist who was the lead program presenter. In Study 1, 3 participants were initially exposed to established company training procedures comprised of behavioral skills training components to determine whether they met mastery of the skills. If necessary to reach criteria, participants were then exposed to a performance cue system. In Study 2,3 additional participants were provided with the performance cue system alone, and then behavioral skills training if required. A single case, multiple-baseline design across subjects was used to evaluate efficacy of each intervention. Preliminary results indicate that 5 of 6 participants reached criterion only after introduction of the cue system while the sixth reached criterion with behavioral skills training alone. Implications and potential use of the PCS in other employment settings is discussed.

 

An Enhanced Performance Training and Support System for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders

RAYMOND V. BURKE (The Prevention Group), Scott L. Bowen (Signs and Shapes International), Keith D. Allen (Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Abstract:

This investigation was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a personal digital assistant (PDA)-based assistive device on the performance of employment-age individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) working in a job involving packing and shipping for a local manufacturer. Specifically, this study assessed the feasibility of an integrated training and support system that can function as a portable assistive device to increase the likelihood that individuals with ASD can successfully perform job tasks. Participants were 3 young adults diagnosed with Asperger's, high functioning autism, or pervasive developmental disorder (NOS). Participants were asked to complete job tasks related to packing and shipping products in containers. The training and support system included video, photos, text, and audio training and prompting features on a hand-held PDA. The device was evaluated in a multiple baseline with reversal design. All aspects of the intervention took place at a manufacturing plant. The primary outcome was the percentage of shipping tasks completed per amount of time taken to complete shipping. Participants job satisfaction and the satisfaction of their legally authorized representative were also assessed in each condition.

 
 
Symposium #436
CE Offered: BACB
Behavioral Interventions to Improve Communication and Treat Challenging Behavior in Children With Disabilities
Monday, May 30, 2011
3:00 PM–4:20 PM
Korbel Ballroom 4D (Convention Center)
Area: AUT; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Terry S. Falcomata (University of Texas at Austin)
CE Instructor: Terry Falcomata, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other disabilities often exhibit communication deficits and challenging behavior. Communication deficits and behaviors of excess often impact academic and social functioning. In this symposium, four papers will be presented describing innovative approaches to the use of communication-based behavioral interventions for children with ASD and other disabilities. First, Pamela White and colleagues present data on the use of functional communication training (FCT) and multiple schedules of reinforcement in the treatment of challenging behavior exhibited by children with ASD. In the second paper, Mandy Rispoli and colleagues present data on the use of parent implemented FCT in the treatment of challenging behavior exhibited by a child with ASD related to interruptions of restrictive behaviors. In the third paper Russell Lang presents data on the use of role-play and video self-modeling to increase communicative responses in a child with selective mutism. Last, Wendy Machalicek presents data on the effectiveness of parent-implemented FCT to treat challenging behavior occasioned by interruptions of stereotypy exhibited by children with autism diagnoses.

 

An Evaluation of Functional Communication Training and Multiple Schedules of Reinforcement in the Treatment of Challenging Behavior With Multiple Functions

PAMELA J. WHITE (University of Texas at Austin), Terry S. Falcomata (University of Texas at Austin), Christina L. Fragale (Meadows Center for the Prevention of Educational Risk), Colin S. Muething (University of Georgia), Aron Weinberg (University of Texas at Austin)
Abstract:

Functional communication training (FCT) has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for challenging behavior across many studies. A growing number of studies have evaluated the utility of incorporating compound schedules of reinforcement during FCT to enhance its effectiveness (e.g., to facilitate reinforcement thinning). In this presentation we will present the results of several evaluations of FCT and multiple schedules of reinforcement in the treatment of challenging behavior maintained that serve multiple functions for children with autism diagnoses. First, we conducted functional analyses of challenging behavior and demonstrated the presence of multiple functions of challenging behavior. Next, we established a stimulus (e.g., wristband) as a discriminative stimulus in the presence of which mands for the respective functional reinforcers (i.e., escape, attention, preferred activities) would be honored. Participants were taught to mand for the SD and, in the presence of the SD, to mand for the respective functional reinforcers. Last, reinforcement thinning was incorporated by incorporating delays to access to the SD. Results suggested that the use the FCT and multiple schedules of reinforcement approach was effective at decreasing multiple maintained challenging behavior. Interobserver agreement was obtained during at least 20% of sessions for each evaluation and averaged above 90%.

 

Treatment of Behavioral Inflexibility in Children With Autism Using Functional Communication Training and Delayed Reinforcement

MANDY J. RISPOLI (Texas A&M University), Wendy A. Machalicek (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Siglia P. H. Camargo (Texas A&M University), Jennifer Ganz (Texas A&M University)
Abstract:

Restricted and repetitive behaviors are a core diagnostic characteristic of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and the interruption of these behaviors often leads to challenging behavior. This study evaluated the use of a parent implemented intervention consisting of functional communication training and tolerance for delayed reinforcement in order to decrease challenging behavior evoked by interruption of restrictive behaviors in a young boy with autism. Results revealed a decrease in challenging behavior, an increase in appropriate communication, and generalization to untrained restrictive behaviors.

 

Title: Behavioral Intervention to Treat Selective Mutism Across Multiple Social Situations and Community Settings

RUSSELL LANG (University of California, Santa Barbara)
Abstract:

This study evaluates a behavioral intervention for a 9 year-old girl with selective mutism. Intervention consisted of role play and video self-modeling. The frequency of spoken initiations, responses to questions, and communication breakdowns was measured during three social situations (i.e., ordering in a restaurant, meeting new adults, and playing with new children) and in three community settings. Results demonstrate increases in spoken initiations and responses and decreases in communication breakdowns across all situations and settings. Directions for future research are offered.

 

Parent Implemented Functional Communication Intervention to Treat Challenging Behavior of Children With Autism

WENDY A. MACHALICEK (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Abstract:

This study evaluates the effects of parent-implemented functional communication training and subsequent reinforcer fading on challenging behavior occasioned by the interruption of stereotypy exhibited by two children with autism. Preliminary results suggest that parent-implemented functional communication training may lead to reductions in challenging behavior occasioned by the interruption of stereotyped and repetitive behavior. A multiple baseline design across participants will be used to evaluate the effects of the intervention on challenging behavior and appropriate communication.

 
 
Symposium #437
CE Offered: BACB
Examining Interventions for Automatically-Maintained Problem Behavior: Response Interruption Redirection, Sensory Integration, and Response Competition
Monday, May 30, 2011
3:00 PM–4:20 PM
Korbel Ballroom 4A (Convention Center)
Area: AUT; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Paul D. Neuman (Bryn Mawr College)
Discussant: Paul D. Neuman (Bryn Mawr College)
CE Instructor: Kristen Maglieri, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Stereotypic behavior has been found to occur commonly in persons with autism. It is typically, but not always, maintained by automatic reinforcement by the sensory consequences produced by engaging in it. A number of effective interventions have been developed but stereotypy often persists as a problem when active treatment is not in place. Interventions for directly treating this class of problem behavior, response interruption/redirection (RIRD), response competition, and sensory integration, will be discussed in this symposium. The first paper will be delivered by Keira Moore. She will discuss systematic evaluations of various sensory integration approaches that are similar to response competition treatments. The next two presentations will be delivered by Kristen Maglieri. The first examines the effects of RIRD for vocal stereotypy when implemented either with or without response cost. The second presentation will discuss a comparison of sensory integration procedures with noncontingent matched stimulation presented to compete with stereotypic behavior.

 

Sensory Integration as a Treatment for Automatically Maintained Stereotypy

KEIRA M. MOORE (New England Center for Children), Catia Cividini-Motta (New England Center for Children), William H. Ahearn (New England Center for Children), Kathleen M. Clark (New England Center For Children)
Abstract:

According to sensory integration (SI) theory, autism is caused by an individual's inability to integrate and adaptively respond to sensory input (Ayres, 2005). It can be presumed that SI would be most effective for behavior maintained by sensory consequences and if it is effective then it is likely due to SI serving as an abolishing operation. Two children with autism who displayed automatically reinforced motor and vocal stereotypy participated in this study. Following functional analysis, sensory activities were chosen by a researcher trained in Sensory Integration to present to the participants for SI. This researcher also trained all of the teachers who worked with each student on the Willbarger brushing and deep pressure therapy protocol. SI was implemented by providing either the sensory diet items plus brushing and deep pressure therapy, or brushing and deep pressure therapy only, approximately 9 times per day. The effect of the sensory diet (both with and without brushing and deep pressure) on stereotypy was evaluated in an ABAB-type design. Stereotypy was measured twice daily, 2-3 times per week during baseline and treatment. Results showed that the sensory diet was not successful in decreasing target behavior for either participant. The results of this study do not support SI as an effective treatment approach.

 

The Effects of Response Interruption and Redirection With and Without Response Cost on Vocal Stereotypy

Ciara O'Neill (Trinity College Dublin), KRISTEN A. MAGLIERI (Trinity College Dublin)
Abstract:

The treatment of vocal stereotypic behavior has gained more attention in recent years. One intervention recently demonstrated to be effective is the response interruption and redirection (RIRD) procedure (Ahearn, Clark, MacDonald, & Chung, 2007; Liu-Gitz & Banda, 2010). The original procedure included response blocking and differential reinforcement for appropriate vocalizations; however, further investigations have also included an additional response cost component (Miguel, Clark, Tereshko, & Ahearn, 2009). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of RIRD with and without response cost for 4 children diagnosed with autism. Analogue functional analyses were conducted with each participant, which indicated that vocal stereotypy was maintained by automatic reinforcement. Next, two treatments were evaluated using a multiple baseline across participants and alternating treatments design. Results indicated that both treatments were effective in reducing vocal stereotypy. However, for all participants, a greater reduction in the vocal stereotypy was observed when RIRD was combined with a response cost. Practical and ethical implications as well as directions for future research will be discussed.

 

A Comparison of Sensory Integration Therapy and Noncontingent Matched Stimulation on Automatically Maintained Behavior

Ciara Tolan Finn (Stepping Stones ABA School), KRISTEN A. MAGLIERI (Trinity College Dublin)
Abstract:

Sensory integration therapy (SIT) is commonly recommended by occupational therapists as a treatment for stereotypic behavior for children with autism. SIT has been said to be effective by changing how the brain processes and organizes sensations through sensory stimulation applied to the body via the vestibular, proprioceptive and tactile systems (Ayres, 1979). Unfortunately, little scientific evidence has been provided which supports the utility of this intervention. Within the behavioural literature, access to enriched environments (Horner, 1980) and noncontingent matched stimuli (NMS: Piazza, Adelinis, Hanley, Goh & Delia, 2000) have been demonstrated to be effective at reducing such behaviours. The purpose of the current study was to compare the effects of SIT and access to NMS on rates of stereotypic behavior in 3 children with autism. Rates of the stereotypy were measured before, during and after the application of the intervention. Results showed low levels of stereotypy during the application of both NMS and SIT. However, rates of stereotypy were lower following access to NMS and higher after SIT. These results suggest that NMS may have produce stimulation that was functionally similar to the simulation produced by the stereotypy and that SIT may have produced deprivation for such stimulation.

 
 
Symposium #438
CE Offered: BACB
Research on Outcomes of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention for Children With Autism
Monday, May 30, 2011
3:00 PM–4:20 PM
Korbel Ballroom 4C (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Jonathan J. Tarbox (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Discussant: Tristram Smith (University of Rochester Medical Center)
CE Instructor: Jonathan Tarbox, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) is a well-supported treatment for autism, however, several issues regarding EIBI remain under-researched. This symposium addresses three such issues. Specifically, the symposium begins with a position paper addressing the possibility of prevention of autism via very early behavioral intervention, with pilot data from a small number of cases. The second paper will present three year outcome data from a comparison of low-intensity to high-intensity behavioral intervention services. The third paper presents outcome data on a community-based behavioral intervention preschool program in Norway. The symposium concludes with a discussion by Dr. Tristram Smith.

 

Preventing Autism: Position Paper and Pilot Clinical Data

JONATHAN J. TARBOX (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Amy L. Kenzer (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Doreen Granpeesheh (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Abstract:

In recent years, research has documented the ability to predict at a very young age that a toddler is at high-risk for developing autism, particularly when that child is a younger sibling of a child with a confirmed diagnosis of autism. From a behavioral perspective, the treatment of autism entails enhancing the rate of child development, across all deficit areas, via the implementation of behavioral teaching procedures. However, by the time a child has received a diagnosis on the spectrum, skill deficits are often considerable and complete recovery of skills is often not possible. Theoretically, if a child received intervention at a younger age, when his or her development is less behind, it should be easier to remediate the deficits that are present. In other words, the diagnosis of autism may be preventable by intervening at the very earliest possible sign that a child may later develop autism. This presentation discusses the theoretical and practical variables associated with this hypothesis, presents sample clinical data from several cases of apparent prevention of autism, and discusses what empirical steps will need to be taken to scientifically evaluate the possibility of prevention of autism via behavioral intervention.

 

Three Year Outcomes for Children With Autism Receiving High Versus Low Intensity Behavioral Intervention

AMY L. KENZER (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Doreen Granpeesheh (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Jonathan J. Tarbox (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Abstract:

Evaluating the effectiveness of early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) continues to be a priority particularly as it relates to parameters of effective intervention and the current focus on public policy decisions in this area. The current presentation will provide detailed information on the treatment effects of behavioral intervention for young children with autism following one to three years of therapy. Specifically, the differential effects of low (8-15 therapy hours per week), moderate (16-24 therapy hours per week, and high (25+ therapy hours per week) intensity treatment for 60 children will be presented. Additionally, data from a subset of participants whose treatment programs were funded through a state grant will be presented with particular emphasis placed on providing a detailed account of treatment variables, social validity measures, and impact on public policy at the state level. For all participants, a comprehensive battery of assessments was conducted prior to treatment and at annual intervals. Measures included tests of adaptive behavior, language, intelligence quotient, social skills, and executive function, in addition to the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule.

 

Behavioral Intervention for Children With Autism in Local Mainstream Preschools

Sigmund Eldevik (Akershus University College), Richard P. Hastings (Bangor University), J. Carl Hughes (Bangor University), Hege Tryggestad (Centre for Early Intervention), KIM HENRIK LILAND (Centre for Early Intervention)
Abstract:

In 2000 the county of Oslo, Norway started an early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) project for children with autism. As is the current policy in Norway, children receiving services from the project were enrolled in their local preschools. Children were referred from local education authorities and the services involved no extra costs for the family or the community. The project involved training and supervision of local preschool staff for the day to day running of the intervention program. Frequency of supervision and training were at the levels typically recommended for EIBI programs. Outcome, particularly on intelligence quotient, was satisfactory compared to recently suggested benchmarks for evaluating EIBI programs. Strengths and weaknesses of the model are discussed along with some suggestions for improvements.

 
 
Symposium #439
CE Offered: BACB
CARD eLearning and SKILLS: Web-Based Training, Assessment, Curriculum, and Progress-Tracking for Behavioral Intervention Programs
Monday, May 30, 2011
3:00 PM–4:20 PM
Korbel Ballroom 4B (Convention Center)
Area: AUT/PRA; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Adel C. Najdowski (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
CE Instructor: Adel Najdowski, Ph.D.
Abstract:

The CARD eLearning is a web-based tool for training behavioral therapists to deliver behavioral intervention to children with autism and SKILLS is a web-based tool that provides three basic services for individuals designing behavioral intervention programs: (a) a comprehensive assessment across eight developmental areas, including social, motor, language, adaptive, play, executive functions, cognition, and academic skills, (b) lesson plans within a curriculum linked directly from deficiencies identified in the assessment, and (c) a tracking system which graphically depicts the child's progress during behavioral intervention. The mission in the development of this program is to extend top-quality behavioral treatment to the maximum number of individuals with autism possible. Neither quality nor quantity can be compromised in this mission. The purpose of this symposium is to provide a description of the CARD eLearning and SKILLS.

 

The CARD eLearning and SKILLS: Rationale, Description, and Development

ADEL C. NAJDOWSKI (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Doreen Granpeesheh (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Abstract:

The CARD eLearning is a web-based tool for training behavioral therapists to deliver behavioral intervention to children with autism and SKILLS is a web-based tool for assessing skills, designing a curricular program, and tracking progress. The purpose of the development of these two tools is to extend access to knowledge of applied behavior analysis to all regions of the world, as well as to increase quality and accessibility in our own backyard. This paper will provide an overview of the rationale for creating the CARD eLearning and SKILLS. A description of the components of these two web-based tools will be discussed and the historical development process for creating them will be outlined.

 

The CARD eLearning: A Demonstration of a Web-Based Training for Behavioral Therapists of Children With Autism

CATHERINE PETERS (Center For Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Doreen Granpeesheh (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Kathy Thompson (Center For Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Amy L. Kenzer (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Abstract:

The dissemination of training programs in applied behavior analysis (ABA) for the treatment of autism is important in this growing field to allow for quality treatment. One option to increase exposure and accessibility to ABA training is through eLearning, wherein trainees interact with online computer training programs, rather than, or in addition to, live human trainers. This eLearning program is broken up into training modules and incorporates the use of video examples. The various components of the CARD eLearning program will be described in this presentation as well as a walk-through demonstration of the program.

 

SKILLS: Web-Based Management and Assessment of Clients

MERRICK D. WILLIAMS (SKILLS), Adel C. Najdowski (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Doreen Granpeesheh (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Carolynn Bredek (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Abstract:

SKILLS allows all care-providers to input and share child information allowing for a multidisciplinary approach between applied behavior analysis staff, school district teachers, and other professionals working with the child for as long as necessary, depending on the unique needs of each individual user of the system. Once the child is entered into the system, the next step is to begin the SKILLS comprehensive assessment which was developed by attempting to identify every skill that a child learns up to the age of 8. This presentation will provide a demonstration of how to input a client's information into the SKILLS website and how to begin the assessment.

 

SKILLS: Web-Based Curriculum Design and Monitoring of Treatment Progress

SIENNA GREENER-WOOTEN (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Adel C. Najdowski (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Doreen Granpeesheh (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.), Carolynn Bredek (Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc.)
Abstract:

The answers to the assessment questions in SKILLS are directly tied to individualized lesson plans that can be customized for each child. This presentation will provide a tour of how to use the SKILLS website specifically as it pertains to designing a curricular program for individuals with autism. The various tools that are available for prioritizing treatment goals will be demonstrated. Sample lesson plans, worksheets, and other materials will be shown. Tools available for monitoring and tracking progress will also be presented.

 
 
Symposium #453
CE Offered: BACB
Informing Behavioral Work with Philosophy and Theory: Armchair Philosophy Part II
Monday, May 30, 2011
3:00 PM–4:20 PM
601 (Convention Center)
Area: TPC/PRA; Domain: Theory
Chair: Jeffrey Oliver ()
CE Instructor: Michael Johnston, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Although theory and basic research informs behavior analytic work in applied settings in many direct ways, the precision and rigidity of the language used may limit our impact and receptivity to findings from other fields. Additionally, use of behavioral terms and principles in applied and interdisciplinary domains can be challenging. This is especially true when attempting to communicate with other professionals and others without training in the behavior analytic tradition. This symposium examines the use of concepts from within the behavioral tradition as well as from other fields. This symposium includes papers related to (a) potential implications and contributions of epigenetics, the study of inherited changes in phenotype or gene expression not due to changes in the underlying DNA sequence; (b) functional conceptualizations of behavioral excesses often called addictions, such as pathological gambling; (c) the meaning and use of motivating operations, such as establishing operations (EO's) and setting event, in the treatment of common behavioral issues; and (d) using the concept of transfer of stimulus function rather than a wider array of behavioral principles when working with people less familiar with behavioral theory.

 

Across Generations: Implications and Contributions of Epigenetics to Behavior Analysis and Vice Versa

MICHAEL R. JOHNSTON (Behavioral Solutions, Inc.)
Abstract:

For years, psychologists have sought to determine the relative contribution of genes and the environment with respect to the onset of certain types of traits, mental illness or behaviors. Epigenetics is defined as the study of inherited changes in phenotype or gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence. In other words, environmental contributions to the expression of genes and behavior within and across generations. Work in this exciting and relatively new field have tremendous implications for behavior analysis in that a possible method by which environmental variables can alter the expression of genes and behavior within and across generations is now available for objective study. Issues that will be explored in this paper include examples of this effect in terms of the behavior of offspring whose parents have been exposed to various environmental toxins or stressors. A discussion of the "delayed" and "undetectable" contingencies present for parent organisms and how behavior analysis may improve the relevance of these consequences. Implications for healthy living will be discussed not only from the perspective of the organism currently alive, but also from the perspective of subsequent generations as well as the overall genetic health of a species.

 

Towards a Functional Conceptualization of Addictive Behavior

MICHAEL BORDIERI (University of Mississippi), Kelly G. Wilson (University of Mississippi), Kate Kellum (University of Mississippi)
Abstract:

Traditionally, the mental health community has limited its consideration of addiction to the presence of a physiological dependence on psychoactive substances. However, in recent decades, a much broader notion of addiction has permeated the culture with behavioral excesses across a broad range of activities such as gambling, video gaming, shopping, and eating, all vying for classification under the addiction umbrella. This marked expansion of the popular view of addictions is problematic to the traditional medical model of addiction as it is based on topographical classifications grounded in measureable physiological markers. However, from a behavioral perspective this expansion poses no real challenge as the functional qualities of behavior have always held primacy over topographical features. Using the DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling as a starting point, this paper explores a functional model of additive behaviors with an emphasis placed on core behavioral principles that apply across a variety of additive topographies. In particular, this paper posits three common features of additive behaviors; the narrowing of the behavioral repertoire with an increase of response allocation towards a topographically ridged response class, a increase in escape maintained functions of the addictive response class, and the rise of inflexible relational stimulus control.

 

Unraveling Motivating Operations: Assessing Pragmatic usage of Establishing Operations and Setting Event Concepts in Applied Settings

CRISTIN D. JOHNSTON (Behavioral Solutions, Inc)
Abstract:

It is clear from decades of research conducted by behaviour analysts that issues important to society can be tackled and overcome with the use of respondent and operant techniques. Primarily, this work has focused on either the increase or decrease of behaviors through the manipulation of consequences for specific target behaviors. Therefore, our successes have mainly come for our ability to influence behaviors through reinforcement contingencies. Embedded within the concept of reinforcement is notion of motivation. Little theoretical work has been done to determine whether the commonly accepted concepts of the establishing operation and the setting event have pragmatic utility in the treatment of a variety of behavioral concerns in their own right. The emphasis of this paper will be on thoroughly defining both concepts, reviewing the current theoretical and experimental literature to determine the field's current understanding and usage of antecedent concepts in treatment, and finally, an analysis of the pragmatic utility of such constructs in the treatment of common behavioral issues.

 

Using Transfer of Stimulus Function to Conceptualize Behavioral Theory for Non-Behavior Analysts

KATE KELLUM (University of Mississippi), Emily Kennison Sandoz (University of Lousiana at Lafayette)
Abstract:

Behavior analysts often pride ourselves on our ability to work successfully with a handful of behavioral principles (e.g., reinforcement, punishment, stimulus control, elicitation, establishing operations). Clinicians, teachers, parents, assistants and others implementing behavioral programming without extensive training in behavior analysis may find that our array of terms and principles stand in the way of successful working. These terms may also inhibit our ability to disseminate our knowledge base. This paper highlights various difficulties that may arise from the array of terms and suggests that behavior analysts consider an alternative approach when working with others. The paper proposes that the metaphor of transfer (or transformation) of stimulus function may be more broadly applied and more easily understood than the array of principles. Simplifying our approach to a single concept may allow those implementing behavioral programming without extensive exposure to behavioral theory to work more successfully and may allow behavior analysts to speak in ways that enhance the dissemination of our science.

 
 
Symposium #454
CE Offered: BACB
Behavior Analysis and Foreign Language Instruction: Current Trends and Potential Applications
Monday, May 30, 2011
3:00 PM–4:20 PM
Korbel Ballroom 2B (Convention Center)
Area: VBC/TPC; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
Chair: Traci M. Cihon (University of North Texas)
Discussant: Christopher J. Stephens (St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley)
CE Instructor: Traci Cihon, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Behavior analysts are conveniently poised to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of foreign language acquisition through a functional analysis of verbal behavior (cf., Skinner, 1957). Foreign language acquisition and instruction are areas of increasing social significance. The first paper in this symposium presents the findings of a survey of behavior analytic and non-behavior analytic research and theory in foreign language instruction, offering suggestions for future research. The next two papers are empirical applications of See the Sound/Visual Phonics (STS/VP; a system of hand signs and printed codes that correspond to individual phonemes) and/or echoic training to assist native English speakers in their acquisition of Italian phonemes. Results and suggestions for future research will be discussed in terms of the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations for behavior analysis.

 

What Behavior Analysis Can Contribute to Foreign Language Instruction: A Literature Review and Call for Research

MEGAN JENNIFER THOMPSON (University of North Texas), Holly Kowalchuk (University of North Texas), Phuong V. Vo (University of North Texas), Traci M. Cihon (University of North Texas), Christopher J. Stephens (St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley)
Abstract:

Since the publication of Skinner's (1957) Verbal Behavior more research on language acquisition has been conducted from a functional perspective (Eshleman, 1985). Much of this research has been conducted due to an increasing number of behavior analysts working with individuals with developmental disabilities (Marcon-Dawson, Vicars, & Miguel, 2009). However, behavior analysts know very little about language acquisition for typically developing individuals (Partington & Bailey, 1993). Sundberg (1991) identified foreign language acquisition as an area in which additional research may be fruitful. The combination of a lack of research on language acquisition with typically developing individuals, the benefits of research in studying foreign language acquisition, and the increasingly diverse nature of educational settings suggest that the time for behavior analytic study in this area has come. We reviewed behavior analytic and non-behavior analytic research on foreign language acquisition. Findings are discussed in terms of what is currently known, where our research is limited, and suggestions for future research.

 

The Effects of See the Sound/Visual Phonics on Undergraduate Students' Production of Italian Phonemes

KIMBERLY KELLY (University of North Texas), Traci M. Cihon (University of North Texas), Christopher J. Stephens (St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley), Joseph Dracobly (University of Kansas), Dorothy L. Morrison (The Ohio State University)
Abstract:

See the Sound/Visual Phonics (STS/VP) is a system of hand signs and printed codes (simple line drawings of the hand signs) that correspond to individual phonemes. Experimenters examined the effects of STS/VP on undergraduate students production of Italian phonemes under textual control. Ten undergraduate students at a Midwestern community college volunteered; five students met the criterion for participation. A multiple baseline across phonemes design with replications across participants was used. Results indicated that STS/VP resulted in accurate phoneme production for all participants; however, some textual relations emerged without STS/VP instruction.

 

Comparing the Effects of See the Sound/Visual Phonics or Echoic Training on Undergraduate Students' Production of Italian Phonemes

ZACHARY H. MORFORD (University of North Texas), Kimberly Kelly (University of North Texas), Rachael E. Shrontz (University of North Texas), Traci M. Cihon (University of North Texas), Christopher J. Stephens (St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley)
Abstract:

Cihon, Kelly, Stephens, Dracoby, and Morrison (under review) explored the effects of See the Sound/Visual Phonics (STS/VP) on native English speaking undergraduate students' production of Italian phonemes. The current study extended the findings of Cihon et al. (2010) comparing STS/VP or echoic training on native English speaking undergraduate students' production of Italian phonemes. Researchers employed an alternating treatments design across two groups to compare the two independent variables. Results for both groups show little difference between the interventions. Four of the five participants in Group 1 took fewer sessions using STS/VP to reach the target criterion for at least one phoneme; three of the five participants in Group 2 took more sessions using STS/VP to reach the target criterion for at least one phoneme.

 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #456
CE Offered: PSY/BACB

Language as Prediction

Monday, May 30, 2011
3:30 PM–4:20 PM
Four Seasons 4 (Convention Center)
Area: VBC; Domain: Theory
CE Instructor: Michael Ramscar, Ph.D.
Chair: Caio F. Miguel (California State University, Sacramento)
MICHAEL J. A. RAMSCAR (University of Stanford)
Michael J.A. Ramscar, Ph.D. (ramscar@gmail.com) is a cognitive psychologist working in the areas of learning, language, and categorization. Dr. Ramscar received his Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh, prior to which he received degrees in Philosophy and in Computer Science and Electronic Engineering. Dr. Ramscar was on the faculty at Edinburgh from 1999-2002, before moving to Stanford University where he was an Assistant Professor of Psychology. Dr. Ramscar received a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation for his work on language learning in 2005. He is currently writing a book on the predictive nature of human communication.
Abstract:

In this talk, I'll explore the idea that when humans communicate, they engage in a process of joint prediction. When talking, speakers use a rich set of cultural and experiential priors to produce behavior that they expect will change the beliefs or behavior of others. Speakers use semantic cues to activate appropriate linguistic units. These words and chunks, along with other developing contextual cues, then activate subsequent linguistic units as speakers generate the utterances they believe are most likely to bring about changes in listeners' beliefs or behavior. At the same time, listeners, far from being passive decoders of tokens of meaning, are using broadly the same process to predictively build up their understanding of what is being said. Listeners use both learned semantic cues to words, and words themselves as cues to other words, in order to predict the behavior and intentions of speakers. Successful communication thus relies both on the collaboration between speaker and listener, and the degree to which shared prior knowledge enables mutual predictability. An attractive property of this approach is that it allows human communication to be couched in terms compatible with theories of learning.

 
 
Symposium #461
CE Offered: BACB
Increasing the Use of Behavior Analysis in School Settings: Successes in Systemic Change
Monday, May 30, 2011
3:30 PM–4:50 PM
Korbel Ballroom 1B (Convention Center)
Area: EDC/EAB; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Brenda J. Bassingthwaite (University of Iowa Children's Hospital)
Discussant: Craig H. Kennedy (Vanderbilt University)
CE Instructor: Sean Casey, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Presentations in this symposium will summarize the need to increase the use of behavior analysis in school settings and discuss two examples of how systemic change has been addressed. Peterson and colleagues evaluated the behavior of educators by observing their teaching and evaluating whether they met criteria on quality indicators. A significant number of educators did not meet criteria, and Peterson et al. will discuss implications for increasing the use of behavioral analysis in schools given these results. Casey and colleagues provide an example for achieving systemic change by training consultants across Iowa to implement behavioral analytic assessments so that the quality of functional behavior assessments and behavior intervention plans can improve. They will present the model with data from the first 2 years of implementation. Results show an increase in the consultants skills. Bosch and Vollmer will present a second example of systemic change. They targeted the occurrence of disruptive behavior by adolescents in a middle school. They implemented a system-wide intervention plan and were able to decrease the occurrence of disruptive behaviors. Results indicated that the intervention was effective for creating long-lasting behavior change. A discussion of the implications of the work of the three presenters will follow.

 

Difficulties Facing Schools in Implementing IDEA: The Need for Behavioral Systems Analysis and Change

STEPHANIE M. PETERSON (Western Michigan University), Heather M. McGee (Western Michigan University), Lloyd D. Peterson (Sam Houston State University), Shawn Patrick Quigley (Western Michigan University)
Abstract:

This presentation will describe a descriptive study that analyzed the quality of special education services provided by a school district in the intermountain west. In a not-for-profit system, such as a public school district, the number one objective is to satisfy the client groups (i.e., students, parents, community members, in the case of a school; McGee & Diener, in press). Therefore, quality of services received is the major measure of a school's or district's performance. The data we collected suggested that the school district did not meet professional standards along many interrelated dimensions. Remedying these issues will take significant behavior change and management at various levels within the organizational structure of the school/district. This presentation will highlight how a systems approach to organizational behavior management could be used to enhance operational performance and quality of services provided to individuals with disabilities in public schools.

 

Developing Capacity for Function-Based Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plans Through a State-Wide Training Program

SEAN D. CASEY (Iowa Department of Education), David P. Wacker (University of Iowa), Brenda J. Bassingthwaite (University of Iowa Children's Hospital), Tory J. Christensen (University of Iowa), Kelly M. Schieltz (University of Iowa), Todd G. Kopelman (University of Iowa), John F. Lee (University of Iowa), Jennifer Kuhle (University of Iowa)
Abstract:

Function-based assessment (FBA) is mandated in special education. The purpose of this project was to assess state challenging behavior specialist (CBS) consultant's specific skills whose job descriptions included the provision of FBAs for the development of appropriate Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP). Preliminary data indicated that the consultants self-reported low levels of skill and high needs of training in FBA and BIP development. A training program to teach these skills was evaluated that utilized: hands-on training with experience professionals in FBA and BIP, and a coursework sequence. Dependent variables included: (a) self-assessment ratings, (b) direct observations of the consultants implementing FBA's and developing BIP's, (c) scores on a knowledge examination, and (d) scores of sophistication of FBA and accuracy of BIP match to FBA results. Group data from the participating CBS consultants will be evaluated using pre- and post-time series data, and comparisons with consultants who did not participate in this project. The results demonstrate that training produced improvements in CBS consultant's skills of FBA implementation and BIP development. The outcomes of this project illustrate two major findings: (a) that consultants are often insufficiently trained in FBA technologies, and (b) that the training model implemented significantly improved state consultant skills.

 

Classroom-Based and School-Wide Interventions in a Middle School

AMANDA BOSCH (University of Florida), Timothy R. Vollmer (University of Florida)
Abstract:

In order to reduce classroom-based disruptive behavior and school-wide rule-breaking, we implemented several interventions in a middle school. To address disruptive classroom behavior, we implemented a version of the good behavior game (GBG) that was modified to be appropriate for middle-school aged children; the basic format of the GBG remained the same but the target behaviors and reinforcers were changed to be appropriate for adolescents. This is the first application of GBG with 6th, 7th, or 8th graders. The GBG was immediately effective in decreasing disruptive behavior in these classrooms. To address school-wide rule-violations, we restructured the school discipline system to increase the effectiveness of supposedly punishing consequences. To do this, we especially focused on the use of the in-school suspension room, which did not function as an effective punishing consequence prior to our intervention. Changes to the discipline system resulted in a decrease in the number of students sent to in-school suspension.

 
 
Invited Symposium #462
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Can Drugs Help Us Understand Cognitive and Executive Functions?
Monday, May 30, 2011
3:30 PM–4:50 PM
401/402 (Convention Center)
Area: SCI; Domain: Experimental Analysis
Chair: Paul L. Soto (Johns Hopkins University)
CE Instructor: Paul Soto, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Deficits in cognitive and executive functioning occur with aging and exposure to toxicants and are common across a number of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The neurobiological systems involved in the behavioral processes commonly referred to as memory, executive function, and impulsivity are the subject of intensive research both from a basic science standpoint and for those interested in the development of pharmacotherapeutics. Pharmacological analyses may provide clues regarding the neurobiological systems involved in these processes and are necessary for the development of pharmacotherapeutics. The following symposium will highlight studies on the effects of drugs on behavioral processes referred to as memory, executive function, and impulsivity. Chris Newland will present data on the effects of calcium channel blockers in an incremental repeated acquisition procedure. Suzanne Mitchell will present data on the effects of dopamine D2 receptor antagonists in a variety of discounting procedures. Mark Galizio will present data on putative cognitive enhances in titrating delayed-matching-to-sample (DMTS) and memory span procedures. Paul Soto will present data on alpha5-selective GABAA inverse agonists in a DMTS procedure. These studies will highlight the involvement of multiple neurotransmitter systems in cognitive and executive functions and interactions between those systems and behavioral variables.

 

Incrementing Non-Match-to-Sample: Drug Effects in an Animal Memory Span Task

MARK GALIZIO (University of North Carolina, Wilmington)
Abstract:

The olfactory span task is a non-match to sample procedure developed in rodents in which the number of stimuli controlling responding increments after each trial. Accuracy decreases as the number of stimuli to remember increases which provides some validation for the task. I will present data collected from a novel adaptation of this procedure will show the effects of several drugs including some putative memory enhancers (e.g., olanzapine, xanomeline) and others which are posited to interfere with remembering (e.g., MK801/dizocilpine, chlordiazepoxide, scopolamine). In general, the procedure is quite sensitive to drugs that interfere with accuracy, but perhaps surprisingly, ceiling effects may limit the use of the procedure with enhancers. A representive figure showing the effects of dizocilpine is attached.

Dr. Galizio received his BA from Kent State University and his PhD from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee where he worked with Dr. Alan Baron. In 1976, he joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina Wilmington where he is currently Chair and Professor of Psychology. His research interests include behavioral pharmacology, stimulus control/concept learning, aversive control, and human operant behavior. He has published two books and more than 70 articles and his research has been supported by NIDA, NSF and NICHD. He is a Fellow of four APA divisions and is a past-president of APA Division 25 (Behavior Analysis) and of the Southeastern Association for Behavior Analysis. He has served as Associate Editor of JEAB and as a member of the JEAB editorial board for over 18 years.
 

The Value of Work: Role of Dopamine in Effort Discounting

SUZANNE H. MITCHELL (Oregon Health & Science University)
Abstract:

Studies manipulating the effort required to earn a reinforcer often alter the number of responses required to earn rewards, establishing a correlation between the effort required and the time taken to earn the reinforcer. This makes it difficult to disambiguate the mechanisms involved in assessing effort-associated costs from those involved in assessing temporal costs. To examine this, the subjective value of a sucrose reward that was delayed or required a single large effortful response was measured in rats. Delay discounting increased following raclopride (a D2R antagonist; Exp1) but not SCH-23390 (a D1R antagonist; Exp2). Effort discounting was unaffected. In a follow-up study, the requirements for the delay and effort groups were derived from the performance of subjects required to complete different numbers of responses to earn the reinforcer (Response Group). Early data with raclopride administration suggest that D2 receptors only have a role in effort discounting if the effort requires multiple responses over time.

Suzanne H. Mitchell, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in the Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatry departments. She obtained her undergraduate degree at the University of Hull, England and her Ph.D. at SUNY-Stony Brook. Her thesis examined the economics of foraging behavior of rats, examining the role of the energetic costs and benefits in feeding. Her committee was chaired by Howard Rachlin, whose influence made her sensitive to the role of temporal costs as well as energetic costs in determining the value of food rewards. During a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Chicago, Dr. Mitchell worked with Harriet de Wit focusing on using behavioral economics as an explanation for use of alcohol, cigarettes, and amphetamine in humans. During that time she also began collaborating with Jerry Richards on delay discounting studies with rats. Dr. Mitchell moved her lab to OHSU in 2001 from the University of New Hampshire to devote more time to research, particularly looking into why drug users tend to be more impulsive than non-drug users using human and animal models.
 

Differential Effects on Learning by Four Calcium Channel Antagonists

JORDAN M. BAILEY (Auburn University), M. Christopher Newland (Auburn University)
Abstract:

Calcium regulation has long been implicated in learning processes and compounds that affect this regulation may have detrimental consequences to normal functioning. Most studies have used drugs that act on ligand-gated calcium channels to investigate this issue. Here we emphasize L-type calcium-channel blockers (CCBs), which act on voltage-gated channels and are used clinically for the treatment of cerebral ischemia and hypertension. Nifedipine, verapamil, and nimodipine were administered to mice performing an incremental repeated acquisition (IRA) procedure. This procedure requires the acquisition of a different response chain, repeatedly. A control procedure requires the performance of a particular chain. Ketamine, which antagonizes ligand-gated NMDA receptors on Ca++ channels, was also used. For all four drugs a range of doses was injected ip to BALB/c mice (N=8). Responding decrements and learning/performance deficits were seen with nimodipine (3 mg/kg). Verapamil did not produce any behavioral effects. Nifedipine reduced responding (3 mg/kg), but no changes in learning or performance occurred. Ketamine selectively impaired learning (3 mg/kg and higher). The drug that acts on ligand-gated Ca++ channels disrupted learning selectively but none of the drugs that block voltage-gated channels did so. Although the CCBs have similar mechanisms of action, they differ from each other in their behavioral effects and differ as a group from ketamine.

Jordan Bailey earned her B.A. in Psychology from Auburn University in 2006 and M.S. in Experimental Psychology form Auburn University in 2009. Her master’s thesis assessed the effects of low-dose d-amphetamine administration on learning and since then she has completed numerous drug challenges to behavior during acquisition-tasks. She is currently completing her doctoral work in which she is investigating the effects of neurotoxicant (MeHg) exposure on learning as well as various pharmacological agents that may attenuate the effects of neurotoxicant exposure. Chris Newland is an Alumni Professor at Auburn University. His research interests include the applications of behavior analysis and behavioral pharmacology to an understanding of the actions of neurotoxic substances, especially heavy metals. This has led to an interest in how early developmental, even fetal, neural damage can result in long-term disability and early onset of aging. His research is supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.  
 

The Selective a5GABAA Inverse Agonist RY-23 Enhances Delayed-Match-to-Sample Performance and Antagonizes Triazolam's Effects in Rhesus Monkeys

PAUL L. SOTO (Johns Hopkins University), Sundari Rallapalli (Johns Hopkins University), James E. Cook (Johns Hopkins University), Nancy A. Ator (Johns Hopkins University), Michael Weed (Johns Hopkins University)
Abstract:

It has been suggested that inverse agonists at the benzodiazepine (Bz) binding site on a5GABAA receptors (a5GABAARs) might serve as potential therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease-associated memory loss. The present study evaluated the effects of RY-23, a selective a5GABAAR inverse agonist, in rhesus monkeys responding on a delayed-matching-to-sample (DMTS) or spatial working memory (SWM) procedure. DMTS trials began with presentation of a photo image (sample) on a touchscreen. Touching the image initiated a delay followed by presentation of three images, one matching the sample. Touching the matching image produced a food pellet. Touching either of the other images produced a timeout. SWM trials began with presentation of a configuration of boxes. Each non-repeat touch produced a food pellet, whereas repeat touches produced a timeout. Accuracy decreased with increased delay (DMTS) or box number (SWM). RY-23 produced a modest increase in DMTS, but not SWM accuracy. RY-23 dose-dependently antagonized the effects of triazolam in the DMTS and SWM procedures, but did so less effectively in the SWM procedure. The results suggest a greater involvement of a5GABAARs in the memory-impairing effects of triazolam on DMTS performance and further suggest the importance of a5GABAARs as a potential therapeutic target for memory loss.

Paul L. Soto, Ph.D., is an Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University (JHU).  He obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and his Ph.D. from Emory University.  He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and then joined the faculty at JHU in 2008.  His research interests include behavioral pharmacology with specific interests in the evaluation of potential pharmacotherapeutics for drug abuse and deficits associated with neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
 
 
Special Event #464
CE Offered: BACB
ABAI Presidential Address: Dream Chasers
Monday, May 30, 2011
5:00 PM–5:50 PM
Four Seasons 1-3 (Convention Center)
Chair: Raymond G. Miltenberger (University of South Florida)
CE Instructor: Richard Malott, Ph.D.
 

ABAI Presidential Address: Dream Chasers

Abstract:

Here's one of my favorite things about our field of behavior analysis: it's filled with dream chasers-delightfully delusional behavior analysts devoting their lives to chasing the behavior analytic dream, to saving the world with behavior analysis, or at least some small chunk of the world, to helping all kids on the spectrum learn to talk, to disseminating behavior-analytic, computer-based instruction throughout public education, to ending global warming, to infusing their undergrad students with a love of behavior analysis, and also to understanding what makes us complex organisms and complex social systems tick, without forgetting our Skinner-box, our experimental roots; in other words, to finding out why the pigeon pecks the key and what that has to do with you and me. You name it, and there's a small or large group of people using behavior analysis to achieve these illusive goals, working toward the well being of humanity. I'd like to share a few of my heroes with you.

 
RICHARD W. MALOTT (Western Michigan University)
 
Dr. Richard Malott, Ph.D., BCBA-D (DickMalott@DickMalott.com) teaches behavior analysis at Western Michigan University (WMU), where he works with students interested in becoming practitioners, rather than researchers. He trains students to work with autistic children and to apply behavior systems analysis and organizational behavior management to human-services settings. He concentrates on training BA and MA students as well as Ph.D. students. Every summer, he runs the Behavioral Boot Camp, an intense 15-class-hour-per week, 7.5 week, graduate-level, behavior-analysis seminar for students from WMU and around the globe. Originally, he taught an intro behavior-analysis course to 1,000 students per semester, who produced 1,000 lever-pressing rats per year. Now, his students only condition 230 rats per year, but they also do 130 self-management projects and provide 13,500 hours of training to autistic children each year. To further those efforts, in 2008 he founded the Kalamazoo Autism Center. He also coauthored Principles of Behavior (the textbook previously known as Elementary Principles of Behavior.) Since 1980, he has been working on a textbook called I’ll Stop Procrastinating When I Get Around to It. He has presented in 14 countries and has received two Fulbright Senior Scholar Awards. In 2002, he also received ABA’s Award for Public Service in Behavior Analysis. And in 2010, he was elected president-elect of ABAI. For more information, please see http://DickMalott.com.
 
 
 
Panel #482
CE Offered: BACB
Professional Development Series: Careers in Applied Animal Behavior
Monday, May 30, 2011
7:30 PM–8:50 PM
406 (Convention Center)
Area: AAB; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis
CE Instructor: Jacquelyn MacDonald, M.S.
Chair: Jacquelyn M. MacDonald (New England Center for Children)
TERRI M. BRIGHT (Simmons College)
JENNIFER L. SOBIE (University of Illinois)
KATHRYN L. KALAFUT (Brown University)
INDYA N. WATTS (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology)
Abstract:

In collaboration with the Student Committee, the Applied Animal Behaviorspecial interst group presents a panel discussion with behavior analysts working in applied animal behavior in a variety of settings including zoo/aquarium, university, animal shelter, and private practice. Panelists will discuss their experiences in applied animal behavior with regard to training, opportunities and challenges in various settings, and the market for behavior analysts in the field of applied animal behavior.

 

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