Association for Behavior Analysis International

The purpose of the annual meeting of members is for ABAI leadership to provide an update on the ongoing activities of and major developments in the association.

If you would like to test your presentation on the same setup you will have in your presentation room, stop by the speaker ready room. The room is first-come-first-served. Please be respectful of your fellow attendees.

The nursing room is next to the “Lobby A “offices and near the 100’s Meeting Rooms.

The room must be accessed with a keycard. To access the room, please find a Convention Center Staff Member or an ABAI team member, and they will be able to let you inside. The room comes equipped with a mini fridge inside.

Many experts consider Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to be the gold-standard treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Treatment intensity (sometimes referred to as dosage) typically comprises both the number of hours of direct ABA treatment per week and the total duration of treatment. Recommendations regarding the specific intensity of treatment should be based on the?medical necessity?of the treatment for each individual patient (BACB 2019), and it is the professional behavior analyst that determines the treatment intensity or dosage that is medically necessary. However, there is currently no standard method for making medical necessity determinations for ABA services and there is no data available on how behavior analysts individualize dosage for children who present with varied skills, needs, ages, and family contexts (Pellecchia et al., 2019). Indeed, researchers can only speculate as to the reasoning that each clinician uses in making treatment intensity recommendations, given that there is a high degree of variability reported in the number of treatment hours patients receive in clinical practice—an important limitation in large-scale outcomes research (Linstead et al., 2017). Medical necessity determinations are part of the careful construction and individualization of behavior analytic treatment and are an essential element of ABA practice that is not well understood. In this symposium, we will discuss considerations for determining medical necessity and calibrating recommendations based on the best available information, and the potential for greater standardization.

Behavior analysts within their first 5 years of practice, practitioners, supervisors, and senior leaders.

Most published outcome research on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatment seems to suggest that high intensity yields the best outcomes for patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yet little is known about what impacts the medical necessity determinations made by behavior analysts to inform treatment intensity recommendations. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of behavior analysts with experience developing and overseeing behavior analytic programming for individuals with ASD (N = 559). We asked participants to report how 36 patient, familial, and logistical factors impact their recommendations using a 7-point Likert Scale (Significantly Decrease, Moderately Decrease, Somewhat Decrease, No Impact, Somewhat Increase, Moderately Increase, Significantly Increase). Results indicated variation in the factors that impact recommendations as well as the direction of impact. A majority agreed on the direction of impact among 9 of 10 factors related to patient diagnosis and skills (e.g., Level 3 DSM-5 Classification), 4 of 10 factors related to patient medical history (e.g., presence of seizure disorder), 3 of 5 additional patient-specific factors (e.g., age at treatment onset), and 3 of 11 familial and logistical factors (e.g., limited family availability). Implications will be discussed specifically as they relate to clinical practice when working with managed care organizations.

Academics, practitioners, animal trainers, dog owners, zookeepers, animal researchers

The development of the functional analysis represents a landmark event in the history of our field with the method developed by Iwata and colleagues being the most widely used, researched, and cited form of functional analysis to date. While there is an abundant literature concerning the utility of the functional analysis, many procedural modifications are documented in the literature to address barriers, concerns, and criticisms. In this symposium authors provide examples of modifications to the multi-element functional analysis to address patient-specific concerns related to safety risk and feasibility of implementation. DeBrine and colleagues evaluated the degree to which the number of collected observation in trial-based precursor analysis impacted accuracy of precursor response identification and validity of functional analysis results. Morris et al., explored opening the contingency class to include appropriate behavior, such as mands, within the functional analysis. The author will discuss relevant impact on validity and safety of this modification during implementation. Last, Ramos et al. assessed the implementation of functional analysis with caregiver implementers. Specifically, they conducted behavioral skills training and an in-depth error analysis to evaluate feasibility and practicality for the use of caregivers as implementors in the use synthesized functional analysis in assessment.

Practitioners interested in or participating in treating severer destructive behavior.

Successful collaborative efforts in treatment among behavior analysts, parents, and others serving as behavior change agents helps to ensure ethical and effective treatment delivery. This symposium evaluates procedures to use when transferring technology to non-professional caregivers and parents. Study one used a telehealth-based, behavioral parent-training program known as the Online and Applied System for Intervention Skills (OASIS) to teach parents of children diagnosed with autism to correctly implement behavioral procedures: reinforcement, prompting, extinction, etc. Following training, most parents scored 80% or above on skill and knowledge-based tests. Study two utilized a behavior skills training (instructions, modeling, rehearsal with feedback) to improve treatment fidelity to a feeding procedure for parents whose child diagnosed with autism presented with severe food selectivity. Results indicate parents’ feeding treatment fidelity met 80% or above criteria and generalized to the home environment. Study three examined parents' attitudes toward scientific or behavior-analytic language relating to aspects of practice. Thirteen parents of children with autism rated items with scientific terms relating to functional analyses, translational research, and experimentation as most uncomfortable. Replacing behavior-analytic terms with layman synonyms reduced discomfort. Together these studies provide insight into conditions that contribute to treatment adherence among parents and other behavior change agents.

Advanced - this symposium is appropriate for current BCBA's that are interested in empirically driven methods to disseminate research.

Effective communication with a client or a client’s family or guardians about services is a key factor in creating treatment success. However, behavior-analytic terminology or jargon may be viewed as unpleasant, confusing, or intimidating to non-experts which may be a barrier to effective communication. The purpose of this study was to examine parents' attitudes toward scientific language related to behavior analysis. To examine this, we surveyed 13 parents of children with autism enrolled in applied behavior analysis services and asked them to rate their level of comfort in response to seven sets of matched statements about practice or behavior analysis procedures that contain scientific terminology (e.g., experimental functional analysis), semi-scientific terminology (e.g., functional analysis), and layman terminology (e.g., assessment about your child’s behavior). Results showed consistently lower comfort ratings for statements with science terminology or behavioral jargon, and that comfort ratings were higher when these terms were replaced with layman synonyms. Results suggest that clinician-caregiver communication needs to be more adaptive for parents who may not comprehend behavior analysis terminology to ensure the execution of effective services.

This symposium includes two talks that provide considerations and guidance for administering the performance diagnostic checklist – human services (PDC-HS; Carr et al., 2013), interpreting the data, and selecting indicated interventions. The PDC-HS is a performance analysis tool designed to assess the environmental variables impacting employee performance problems in human service settings. Numerous researchers have used the results of the PDC-HS to successfully address a variety of performance problems, including problems related to implementing behavior analytic procedures, and adhering to safety measures, as well as workplace cleaning expectations (e.g., Bowe & Sellers, 2018; Ditzian et al., 2015; Wilder et al., 2018; Hess et al., 2019). Although the assessment is valid, limitations related to the objectivity and clarity of its administration, data interpretation, and intervention selection guidelines have been raised (Wilder et al., 2019; 2020). In response, Jimenez will discuss considerations and recommendations for administering the PDC-HS assessment, and Vance will share refinements developed for data interpretation and intervention selection that researchers and practitioners may consider adopting.

Intermediate

As the field of applied behavior analysis has grown exponentially in the last decade there have been greater accusations of past and present abuse and trauma caused by the interventions, strategies, and practitioners of ABA. How best can we address these concerns with a sense of curiosity rather than a defensive posture? Are these just the acts of some inexperienced newbies or evil eugenic founders of science? In this presentation, you will learn some of the histories of abuse and maltreatment of underrepresented groups (specifically BIPOC and disabled individuals). You will gain an understanding of how these learning histories of groups with a shared cultural identity or multiple shared identities lead to mistrust, non-compliance, and lack of consent to evidence-based strategies. Additionally, you will learn how cultural humility, awareness, and culturally relevant practices can improve the acceptance, consent, assent, and ultimately social significance of instructional objectives and outcomes for clients.

BCBA, BCaBA, Teachers, Psychologists, School Administrators or Consultants

Advancing research and clinical practice in applied behavior analysis requires critical evaluation and integration of the scientific literature. Synthesizing research across published and unpublished studies enables behavior analysts to make evidence-based decisions in clinical practice, evaluate potential sources of bias in the literature, and identify critical gaps in our understanding of behavioral science. Two common research synthesis approaches include systematic reviews and quantitative meta-analyses. These types of studies are distinct from other literature reviews due to their adherence to strict guidelines for conducting comprehensive literature searches, article screening, data extraction, data analysis, and reporting of results. This presentation will discuss the strengths and limitations of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in behavior analysis, with an emphasis on methodological recommendations and practical tools. Specific topics will include choosing a research question and defining the scope of the review, pre-registration, and adhering to international guidelines for conducting literature searches, study selection, data extraction, evaluating study quality and publication bias. An overview of common quantitative analyses used in meta-analyses and effective ways to present results will also be discussed. Finally, the presenter will share his experiences with software and database management tools for increasing efficiency and transparency at each phase of the review. Examples from published systematic-reviews and meta-analyses from the presenter’s research on behavioral economics of substance use and psychiatric disorders team will be discussed to illustrate the promise and pitfalls of these studies. The overall goal of this presentation is to provide attendees with methodological techniques for conducting reviews which can be translated to their respective specialty areas in applied behavior analysis.

Behavior analysts and basic researchers with at basic, intermediate, and advanced experience levels. No prior experience with systematic reviews or quantitative analyses is required, but familiarity will be helpful for some of the advanced topics.

This symposium will cover the need for advocacy and policy change related to adults with autism spectrum disorders. The talks will focus on specific interventions that target high risk aggressive behavior and the manner in which these issues can be addressed through the use of a comprehensive treatment package that is steeped in applied behavior analysis. The indications for organizations and the population of adults will be evaluated within its broader context. The symposium will also discuss the application of a specific curriculum for use with the adult population with ASD and other intellectual disabilities. The Assessment of Adult Core Competencies Curriculum for Clients with Severe Aggression (ACCEA), as well as The Skills Based Treatment model (SBT) will be detailed as they are employed in active treatment settings to enhance autonomy for those that serve adult populations.

Participants will be able to identify proactive approaches to problem behavior. Participants will be able to select effective Organizational Behavior Management techniques. Participants will be familiar with the Skills Based Training (SBT) approach.

This presentation will cover the need for advocacy and organizational change related to adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and problem behavior. The talk will focus on specific interventions that target high risk aggressive behavior and the manner in which these issues can be addressed through the use of a comprehensive treatment package that targets some of the crucial outcome areas that are important for adults with autism or other Intellectual Disabilities. Specific clinical applications of the Assessment of Adult Core Competencies Curriculum (ACCEA) will be detailed along with the socially valid outcomes that were observed for each case. The indications for organizations and the population of adults with ASD will be evaluated within a broader context. The application of the ACCEA curriculum will also be detailed as it applies to specific outcome areas that are crucial for community inclusion for adults with ASD that display problem behavior.

Building autonomy or safely addressing behavioral challenges in congregate care requires continuity between clinical interventions and the day-to-day behaviors of direct support professionals. The Universal Protocol can fill this gap, teaching interactions that are safe, dignifying, and relationship-based. This talk will describe the Universal Protocol and the role it plays as both a cultural foundation for an organization and the first step to an integrated skill-based teaching model for adults with (and without) behavioral challenges. Additionally, the talk will highlight the introduction of Universal Protocol to Upstate Cerebral Palsy over the past few years and its impact on various outcome measures such as restraint reduction and staff satisfaction.

This talk will discuss the conceptualization of synthesized reinforcement contexts for adults with limited sense of agency and expressing choice who also display significant aggressive behavior. Further, this talk will underscore the importance of teaching an omnibus mand through Skills-based Treatment (SBT) to those with limited communication repertoires in order to promote autonomy and self-advocacy in congregate care and educational settings.

Escape extinction is widely used in intensive multidisciplinary feeding programs to treat various topographies of food refusal, presumed to be reinforced by escape or avoidance of the mealtime context (Saini et al., 2019; Sharp et al., 2010). In this symposium, presenters will discuss a range of additives to escape extinction for treating problematic behavior exhibited by children diagnosed with pediatric feeding disorder. Presenters will begin with an overview of the existing literature on the effects of treatment with and without escape extinction on inappropriate mealtime behavior and present on a clinical dataset in which response covariation was an observed side effect. Presenters will transition to discussing how noncontingent reinforcement may mitigate negative side effects associated with escape extinction and the use of a modified bolus placement to assist with reducing expels and packing.

Researchers and clinicians interested in learning more about considerations for the use of escape extinction in the treatment of pediatric feeding disorders or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder.

Inappropriate mealtime behavior (IMB) is a type of feeding challenge within the broader class of food refusal behavior. Although there have been some single-case studies examining the extent to which behavioural interventions can aide in reducing IMB, the relative efficacy and generality of these studies is unclear. The purpose of this systematic review was to critically analyze the efficacy of interventions for the treatment of IMB through a meta-analysis of single-subject experimental designs. We identified 38 studies involving 307 cases in which IMB was treated with a behavioral intervention. Results indicated that combined escape extinction and non-escape extinction interventions had greater effect sizes than escape extinction alone or non-escape extinction alone. Escape extinction alone had greater effects sizes compared to non-escape extinction alone. However, escape extinction alone resulted in a higher percentage of negative side effects compared to non-escape extinction alone and combined interventions. We discuss the implications of these findings and provide recommendations for future research.

Escape extinction is a well-established treatment for increasing acceptance and decreasing inappropriate mealtime behavior of children with feeding disorders. Sevin et al. (2002) found that when extinction was in place, both desired (acceptance) and undesired (expel, packing) behavior increased during the initial three sessions. In the current study, we assessed response covariation of both desired and undesired behavior during extinction-based treatment of inappropriate mealtime behavior. We analyzed the data of 60 children with food refusal, liquid refusal, or both, resulting in 90 data sets. We observed an extinction burst in 7% of data sets. During these initial sessions, we also observed an increase in or emergence of other undesired behavior (expel, packing; 81%, 47%, respectively), as well as an increase in desired behavior (acceptance, consumption; 44%, 70%, respectively). We analyzed the efficiency and stability of treatment effects and will discuss these findings to provide an all-encompassing review of child behavior during extinction.

Adding noncontingent reinforcement to escape extinction might result in lower levels of inappropriate mealtime behavior, negative vocalizations, or both for children with feeding disorders. Unfortunately, making firm conclusions about the role of noncontingent reinforcement is difficult because of the minimal number of systematic evaluations and the procedural variations across studies. We also do not know whether the removal of noncontingent reinforcement results in undesirable side effects and how children with feeding disorders respond to treatment components that may be necessary, like schedule thinning. Therefore, we first conducted a concise review of the feeding literature and found that only five studies directly evaluated noncontingent reinforcement with and without escape extinction. However, 8 out of 10 randomly selected studies from 2017-2022 incorporated some type of noncontingent reinforcement arrangement (e.g., attention, tangibles). Finally, we compared escape extinction alone and escape extinction with noncontingent reinforcement on the acceptance, inappropriate mealtime behavior, and negative vocalizations across two sets of foods with a 3-year-old male enrolled in a day-treatment feeding program. So far, results indicate that both treatments produced clinically meaningful outcomes, but we observed fewer bouts of negative vocalizations during escape extinction plus noncontingent reinforcement. Additional findings and implications will be discussed.

Placement of bites on the tongue has been evaluated as an initial treatment for pediatric feeding disorder (Ibañez, 2021; Wilkins et al., 2014), specifically for decreasing packing and expulsion. When evaluating modified bolus placement, previous studies have typically compared flipped and upright baby or maroon spoons and Nuk presentation. However, Bloomfield et al. (2021) included a comparison between a Nuk and flipped E-Z spoon for both initial bolus placement and redistribution of packed food for one of their participants with severe oral-motor skills deficits, which introduced a potential new tool to the field. The purpose of the current study is to extend Ibañez et al. (2021) and Bloomfield et al. (2021) by evaluating the effectiveness of the E-Z spoon as a tool for modified bolus placement in the initial treatment of children with pediatric feeding disorder.

Behavioral techniques implemented by direct-care staff and caregivers are an essential component of effective intervention. Thus, it remains important that the quality of implementation by such individuals be evaluated. The studies in this symposium will discuss the outcomes of trainings to teach professionals and caregivers to implement behavioral techniques. Three of the four studies also examined the practicality of virtually delivered training. In the first study, Kanaman and colleagues assessed the efficacy of an intervention package informed by the Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) to increase staff implementation of healthy behavior practices in a residential home for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Next, Tsami and colleagues evaluated the outcomes of a caregiver-implemented intervention package aimed to increase cooperation to routine dental procedures by adults with IDD. In the third study, Walker and colleagues examined the feasibility of caregiver-led behavior intervention to increase Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine use by adults with Down syndrome and sleep apnea. Finally, Fuller and colleagues evaluated the efficacy of training child welfare case managers to develop individualized behavior intervention programs addressing youth runaway behaviors derived from the results of the Functional Assessment Interview for Runaways (FAIR).

Some adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are uncooperative during routine dental exams, leading to problems with oral health. This presentation describes an interdisciplinary model consisting of behavior analysts and dentists aiming to evaluate and promote compliance to dental exams. The behavior analyst coached caregivers via telehealth to conduct mock exams with the participants in their homes and coached dentists to conduct exams with participants at a large hospital clinic. Caregivers of participants who exhibited noncompliance during the dentist-delivered exams then received behavioral services. The behavior analyst coached the caregivers via telehealth to implement increasingly complex interventions to increase the participants’ cooperation during mock dental exams. Nine of the fifteen participants were compliant in the absence of any interventions. Noncontingent reinforcement was effective for two participants. The remaining participants required graduated exposure. Additionally, compliance at home with the caregiver during the mock exam predicted compliance at the clinic during an exam with the dentist for all 15 participants.

A common sleep disorder among individuals with Down syndrome is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The most common treatment of OSA is Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) therapy. However, adherence to PAP therapy prescriptions is low. The high prevalence of OSA and low adherence with PAP therapy emphasized the need for an intervention to increase PAP machine use in individuals with DS. The following study evaluated a caregiver-implemented behavioral intervention aiming to increase PAP machine use in adults with DS using a multiple baseline across participants design. Participants in this study included four adults diagnosed with DS and OSA. The researchers utilized behavioral skills training via videoconferencing software to train the caregivers to implement the intervention. The intervention included the use of graduated exposure to the PAP therapy (i.e., slow progression of steps leading up to 4 hours of PAP machine use), differential negative reinforcement (i.e., longer breaks following compliance, shorter breaks following noncompliance with the graduated exposure step), contingent positive reinforcement (i.e., rewards following compliance with the graduated exposure step) and noncontingent reinforcement (i.e., access to a leisure item during intervention sessions). This caregiver-implemented behavioral intervention was effective at increasing PAP machine use for all participants. The results of this study serve as preliminary results for the effectiveness of this behavioral intervention when implemented by caregivers.

Establishing conditioned reinforcers is often a critical step in service delivery for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). Therefore, identifying effective procedures for establishing conditioned reinforcers is critical. In this review, we systematically searched the literature for published and unpublished single-case design studies that evaluated stimulus-stimulus (S-S) pairing, response-stimulus (R-S) pairing, and/or operant discrimination training (ODT) for establishing conditioned reinforcers for individuals with ASD and/or IDDs. We searched two electronic databases for studies that included pre- and post-pairing measurements of responding that resulted in access to the stimulus targeted for conditioning. Thirty-one studies, including twelve theses and dissertations, met inclusion criteria. Eight studies evaluated S-S pairing, 20 evaluated R-S pairing, and nine evaluated ODT. Combined, S-S pairing, R-S pairing and ODT were effective at establishing conditioned reinforcers only about half the time. However, analyses of the effectiveness of each procedure indicate that R-S pairing is the most effective of the three procedures.

We recently surveyed certified clinicians about their commonly used practices when training and implementing token economies with individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Overwhelmingly, clinicians reported selecting stimuli to be used as tokens based on the learner’s existing interests (e.g., characters, animals, etc.). Additionally, clinicians reported that learners are allowed to manipulate tokens during both token production and exchange. Tokens based on a learner’s interest (i.e., interest-based tokens) have been demonstrated to produce greater increases in the levels of on-task behavior compared to novel tokens (Carnett et al., 2014) Interest-based tokens have also been shown to increase correct responding, relative to pre-existing tokens, within the context of skill acquisition (Charlop-Christy & Haymes, 1998). However, several limitations in both Carnett et al. (2014) and Charlop-Christy and Haymes (1998) limit the conclusions that can be drawn to inform clinical practice. The present study evaluated that how novel and interest-based tokens affect skill acquisition with three children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Results suggest that the type of stimuli used as a token does not have a significant effect on skill acquisition but can produce longer handling times which can result in fewer learning opportunities across time. Suggestions for clinical practice and future research will be discussed.

We examined the effects of token production delays on the rate of skill acquisition during discrete trial instruction (DTI) for three children with an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD). We used a multielement design to compare the rate of skill acquisition in a DTI with accumulated reinforcers context across three conditions: a) immediate reinforcement; B) 5-s token-production delay; and c) 10-s s token-production delay. All participants acquired the skills more quickly in the immediate reinforcement condition. Delays of both 5 s and 10 s decreased the efficiency and efficacy of skill acquisition for all participants.

Basic research has shown that nonhuman animals generally display a preference for variable ratio (VR) rather than fixed ratio (FR) schedules of reinforcement, particularly when low individual ratios are included (Field et al., 1996). Minimal applied research has investigated preference for these schedules among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) despite a clinical phenotype that suggests a general preference for sameness (which may theoretically extend to a preference for fixed schedules). In a preliminary investigation of second-order schedule effects within a token economy, Argueta et al., (2019) found a similar preference for VR rather than FR schedules for their participant with ASD. This study extends Argueta et al. by evaluating preference for FR and VR exchange schedules across an escalating range of exchange ratios within a token economy. We used a concurrent chains assessment to evaluate preference for FR or VR exchange-production schedules of reinforcement at equal ratios of 5 and 10. Preliminary results did not indicate a strong preference for either schedule at a ratio of 5, however an increase to a ratio of 10 resulted in an emergence of preference.

This symposium will feature four presentations on the use of technology in behavior analytic research and practice. The first two presentations will focus on the use of virtual reality, specifically as it relates to learning and teacher acceptability and interventions for delay discounting. The final two presentations will focus on video game play, specifically as it relates to assessments of audience effects and reactions and stimulus control of response variability. A discussion of these presentations will follow.

The current symposium is an intermediate level discussion of the use of technology in applied behavior analysis. Participants should have familiarity with behavior analysis, common research designs in behavior-analytic research and practice, have a passing familiarity with gamification in research, and be interested in how technology can be added to evaluations of behavioral processes.

Episodic future thinking (EFT) has been shown to be an effective way to reduce delay discounting, which is correlated to a number of maladaptive behaviors related to impulsive choice. EFT uses a narrative interview method that maps well onto factors related to immersion in virtual reality. Virtual reality has been used in psychological and neurocognitive interventions due to those immersive properties, however has yet to be used as a method of EFT delivery. Therefore, we ask if virtual reality will be an effective method of delivery of EFT, and if this reduction will have a relationship with individual levels of immersion in virtual reality reported. Using a pre-post measure of discounting, preliminary research suggests that individuals who experience EFT in a virtual reality setting see a reduction in delay discounting, however more research must be done to further understand the relationship between changes in discounting and reported levels of immersion.

Creativity can be a useful skill in today’s classrooms and workplaces. Behavioral variability, something different from the norm, may be an aspect of creativity. Much behavior analytic research on behavioral variability involves response sequences, a response form that could limit applicability of findings to the everyday environment. To address this, we replicated Page and Neuringer (1985, Experiment 6) by investigating stimulus control of variability in a video game. Participants played a 2D online video game made in Bloxels. Patterns of alternating colors served as the discriminative stimuli for the vary and repeat components. Three parameters of variability were measured (e.g., left jumps, right jumps, and double jumps). The results of the study indicate that participants were able to learn the discrimination of when to repeat and vary their responses depending on which colored platform they encountered. We will discuss practical implications of rapid stimulus control of non-sequence variability.

Hypothetical purchase tasks capture ecologically informed preferences for a given reinforcer across a range of prices. They are convenient tools for deriving estimates of reinforcer demand. This symposium involves innovative applications of the hypothetical purchasing task methodology, specifically attending to alternative or competing reinforcers. Four studies assess (1) demand for alcohol when other options are available and characterizing these options as substitutes, complements, or independent; (2) demand for sleep considering nappers and non-nappers, across contextual manipulations and including chores that compete with sleep; (3) demand for alcohol under consideration of relevant, next-day priorities; and (4) alcohol and non-alcohol consumption patterns of student athletes and non-athletes. Understanding relative reinforcer value will aid the development of novel therapeutic targets to alleviate public health concerns.

In collaboration with educators in the Eastern Cape townships of South Africa since 2004, PEER International (Partnerships for Educational Excellence and Research) has shared the Morningside Model of Generative Instruction. Professional development and coaching sessions were held in Gqebehra (formerly Port Elizabeth) utilizing a train-the-trainer model. Shifting from a focus on literacy to numeracy, video conferencing was employed during the pandemic with educators at Charles Duna Primary School and educators in the U.S. The effort blended the South African curricula from Maths Rainbow, Singapore Math and Spring Math, and analyzed objectives from a component - composite approach. The initial 2022 inquiry from the faculty of Charles Duna was to find a maths related resource similar to Headsprout, the reading program provided to PEER schools who had computers and internet access. Math Playground was made available, however, it is not a programmed sequence and more explicit instruction was needed. Diagnostic assessments, administered in isiXhosa, had to be translated to inform the video conferencing sessions. Unlike the United States, standardized testing and curriculum-based assessments are not readily available. The pilot program presented here will be implemented in the 2023 school year in maths instruction from Grade R (Reception) through Grade 7.

Behavior analysis is often primarily associated with behavior interventions for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. However, behavior analysis is a field with great potential to positively impact many other fields and populations. This symposium will focus on the implementation of behavior analysis in a variety of settings. In the first presentation, Dr. Nicole Pfaller-Sadovsky will present on the use of behavior-analytic principles to intervene in undesired behavior exhibited by companion dogs and explore aspects of those interventions that promote feasible implementation and effectiveness. In the second talk, Dr. Andresa De Souza will discuss the incorporation of programmed instruction in higher education settings. The third presentation will feature Dr. Abigail Kennedy, who will review the integration of behavior analysis into pediatric primary integrated care services. Finally, Dr. Maegan Pisman will overview user-experience (UX) research and its similarities and differences with ABA. Dr. Darlene Crone-Todd will serve as the discussant.

This presentation is best suited for practitioners and researchers interested in learning how behavior analysis might be applied to a variety of fields and settings. Participants should possess a basic understanding of the generalization of behavior analytic principles.

High quality staff training and performance management are critically important for both employee and consumer outcomes. For example, training and ongoing development leads to increased levels of performance, employee retention, and overall job satisfaction. Employee performance is directly related to positive client outcomes. This symposium will highlight research from four labs with projects related to staff training and performance management. The first presentation will provide an overview of organizational behavior management (OBM) interventions implemented outside of the laboratory setting and highlight barriers to implementing interventions for staff with the precision needed for empirical research. The second presentation will discuss the use of antecedent-based intervention enhanced by technology to train behavior technicians in a pairing protocol. The third presentation will describe the use of a consequence-based intervention using technology and self-monitoring to increase and maintain high levels of treatment integrity during discrete trial instruction for covert and overt observations. The fourth presentation will review the results of a study that evaluated self-paced versus machine-paced instruction to teach a novel skill in a simulated employment setting. Each presenter will discuss the limitations of their work and propose ideas for future research in this area.

Audience members should have a basic understanding of behavioral principles and how they are applied to organizations. Audience members should also have a general knowledge base in staff training procedures.

Research has shown poor treatment integrity can lead to slower progress toward mastering skills in the early intervention setting (Carroll et al, 2013). Pantermuehl and Lechago (2015) found that during covert observations, treatment integrity ranged from 18.6 to 76% whereas during overt observations, integrity increased to as high as 100%. While researchers have noted concern with reactivity, this continues to be an obstacle. It is important to investigate differences in treatment integrity with and without the supervisor present and identify ways to increase and maintain high integrity. Finding a socially acceptable, effective, and efficient method to increase and maintain high levels of staff treatment integrity when no supervisor is present is critical in the clinic setting. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of video self-monitoring on increasing and maintaining high treatment integrity for staff implementing DTI during covert and overt observations. Participants include three staff who work one-on-one with children with ASD and implement programs with less than 90% integrity during either covert or overt observations. Preliminary results suggest video self-monitoring is effective at increasing staff treatment integrity.

Instructional applications such as Programmed Instruction and Computer-Based Instruction (CBI) have long touted the benefits of self-pacing (e.g., teaching machines, personalized system of instruction), but direct comparisons of different pacing types are lacking. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a self-paced instruction versus machine-paced instruction using a computerized format. A total of 70 participants were recruited and randomly assigned to either machine-paced learning or self-paced learning group. A mock training program was developed for this experiment. The participants were trained as a new technician at the hypothetical automotive company. The dependent variables for this research were correctly completed percentages of pre-test and comprehension test scores. A randomized between group design was applied and one-factor Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used for the statistical analysis. To adjust the treatment effect estimate (i.e., prior knowledge on the automotive maintenance and repair), pre-test scores were used as a covariate. The adjusted difference between machine-paced condition and self-paced condition for correctly completed comprehension test scores was statistically significant. In other words, there was a significant effect of pacing types on comprehension test after controlling pre-test scores.

Comprehensive Applied Behavior Analysis relies on the use of a tiered-service delivery model which includes a team of highly trained clinicians necessary for the treatment of a single patient. To ensure adequate staffing and minimize service disruptions, organizations must attract, train, and retain staff. Turnover rates for Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) have been reported by some providers to be as high as 75% (Molko, 2018). Turnover at the RBT level impacts patient’s access to stability, BCBA’s training time, and financial cost related to onboarding new staff. One factor impacting retention is burnout, or exhaustion accompanied by decreased motivation. To establish value for maintained employment, a level system was developed that clearly depicts the benefits available at various points within the RBT’s career. These levels enhance visibility of seniority, offer ongoing and targeted training, reinforce the key performance indicators of the position, and provide peer mentorship. This presentation will describe how the level system was implemented systematically across the organization with emphasis on the establishment of a peer mentorship model.

This symposium includes three papers addressing various intervention strategies for increasing appropriate on-task behavior. The first presenter will describe a study comparing two variations of a high-probability instruction sequence for increasing compliance in a child with autism. After identifying an effective intervention, the social acceptability of the procedures was assessed with clinicians. The second presenter will review a study that involved evaluating the utility of self-monitoring for increasing vocational task engagement in young adults with ASD. A systematic training of self-monitoring, a component analysis of self-monitoring alone and in combination with reinforcement will be reviewed, and a social acceptability analysis that incorporated a concurrent-chains procedure will be described. The third presenter will describe a study that evaluated the utility of a self-monitoring web-based application and reinforcement for increasing on-task behavior in elementary school students with or at risk for an emotional behavioral disorder (EBD).

The audience should have a basic understanding of the principles of applied behavior analysis, research methods, and experimental design.

The use of technology-based self-monitoring interventions is becoming more popular, increasing the likelihood that self-monitoring interventions will have greater contextual fit within classrooms. Self-monitoring has resulted in increases in desired school behaviors, such as increases in on-task behavior, academic performance and task completion, for students diagnosed with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to extend the findings from Clemons et al. (2016) and examine student and teacher use of a web-based self-monitoring application, I-Connect, and reinforcement to increase on-task behavior for upper-level elementary school students with or at risk for an emotional behavioral disorder (EBD) using extended self-monitoring intervals. Significant increases in on-task behavior as a result of the I-Connect plus reinforcement intervention in the classroom were demonstrated for all three participants.

Specialized services in behavior analysis are often delivered in clinics and in home settings by technicians who are supervised by behavior analysts. Currently, in most cases, these services are delivered in a silo; without planned coordination and collaboration with other professionals who operate outside of behavior analysis but within the realm of specialized service delivery. The intent of this panel is to bring together professionals representing different disciplines (behavior analyst, speech and language pathologist, and neuropsychologist), in order to discuss the importance of collaboration across disciplines in an effort to ensure more complete care for clients in need of these specialized services. To that end, the panelists will share their experience as individuals who have worked in settings where collaboration of care is a common practice, by highlighting obstacles, opportunities and successes in their respective settings, and by entertaining pertinent questions from the audience. This open dialogue will aim at peaking the audience’s interest in potential ways to expand our practices in order to respond to the diverse social demands of the clients we serve.

Intermediate

Criticisms of the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) are gaining more attention from members within this field. It is important that we acknowledge areas of weakness within our field and make changes to address those weaknesses. After providing the audience with strategies to better listen to potentially uncomfortable feedback, this panel will discuss examples of criticisms of ABA and offer strategies to address those concerns. Panelists will accept questions from attendees regarding how to listen and make change based on criticisms heard. Participants will walk away with ideas on how to begin to address any areas of concern within their practice.

Participants should be familiar with functional analysis methodology and the development of function-based behavior intervention plans.

The immersive virtual reality (IVR) technologies have been utilized for enriching learning experiences to children with disabilities in a way that traditional teaching methods cannot. Despite this, research on using the IVR to improve safety skills in children with disabilities has been scarce. This study aimed to develop an IVR-based intervention designed to teach children with disabilities what to do when they encounter a verbal bullying situation. The first phase focused on developing and validating the intervention content that will be used to develop the IVR simulation training. Storyboards were developed to visually represent what the simulation will look like. Two expert groups, a bullying expert group and applied behavior analysis (ABA) expert group, evaluated storyboards that included dialogue and behavior analytic procedures to be incorporated into IVR. The feedback provided by the expert groups was used to refine the content of the IVR-based bullying safety skills intervention.

Climate change has been identified as a “super wicked problem” and is one of the most pressing issues facing humanity today. The Sustainability Work Group of the Behaviorists for Social Responsibility Special Interest Group (BFSR SIG) is focused on applying the matrix analysis to sectors linked to behavior analysis, primarily sectors comprised of behavior analysts (e.g., ABAI affiliate chapters, SIGs, practitioners). Over the past year the work group has focused on identifying practices that ABAI affiliate chapters can take support to their membership in engaging in pro-environmental behaviors and taking climate action, and making their regional conferences more green. This presentation will discuss those practices. Additionally, the work group has developed a survey to support conference organizers in evaluating their current practices in relation to sustainability. The survey is currently being piloted with some affiliate chapters. In this presentation the survey will be shared along with a description of the development of the survey and discussion of future directions.

In the Czech Republic, as with many countries in Central and Eastern Europe, practices rooted in the science of applied behavior analysis (ABA) have had to fight to gain ground since the area's relatively recent rise from communist oppression. While there are services (e.g., early care centers, specialized schools, etc..), they customarily provide low intensity care or non-evidenced treatments. Generally speaking, governments have historically spent their limited public resources on unvalidated services. Unfortunately, the voice of science has been underused in selecting education or social services. As a result, the region has struggled amid the landscape of an ABA service desert, being plagued by misinformation, hosting overworked and under supported behaviors analysts, missing necessary funding, and facing the backlash of threatened professionals from other disciplines. Regardless, driven advocates of ABA have successfully propelled dissemination and built quality practical applications over the last decade. This presentation shares the burgeoning ABA projects of the region looking at: (1) the local Technology Agency of the Czech Republic's (TACR) two year ABA telehealth project, (2) the European Union Erasmus+ supported collaborative projects in ABA as EuroBA, the A Class, and Positive Parenting, and (3) a glimpse of the Czech Republic's process of legally recognizing the profession of behavior analyst. Discussing this modern trajectory of the science, including potential roadmaps for the advancement of ABA in similar locales, the development of culturally competent and sustainable practices, and applied research outcomes, aims to inspire not only those supporting ABA development beyond North America and Western Europe, but also those looking to reflect on best ethical practices in telehealth, caregiver training, teacher training, and practitioner standards.

Behavior analytic professionals currently working in, or planning to work in, areas where there is a dearth of ABA services. Behavioral professionals looking to reflect on best ethical practices in telehealth, caregiver training, teacher training, and practitioner standards.

We replicated the protective equipment procedure used by Mazaleski et al. (1994) to reduce self-injurious hand mouthing in a 7-year-old participant diagnosed with autism and cerebral palsy. The hand-mouthing occurred at a very high frequency throughout the session. The functional analysis results suggested that her hand mouthing was maintained by automatic reinforcement rather than social reinforcement. We implemented non-contingent arm-bands as part of sensory extinction protocol. The result of the non-contingent arm-bands showed immediate decrease in hand mouthing to zero. However, the hand-mouthing increased to high levels in the return to baseline phase. Thus, the response interruption and redirection with object manipulation was introduced. The results showed no decrease in hand-mouthing. The frequency of hand-mouthing also remained high in the return to baseline phase. Consequently, contingent placement of protective equipment was combined with RIRD of precursor responses and object manipulation. The result showed gradual decrease in the frequency of hand-mouthing to near zero level. This intervention was effective in reducing the hand-mouthing to near zero level as well as the frequency remained near zero level when returned to the baseline condition.

The Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis to Schooling (CABAS®) Accelerated Independent Learner (AIL) classrooms arrange instruction and teach (pedagogy) based on students’ verbal development. The students' verbal development also plays a crucial role in ensuring students have the prerequisite repertoires to learn in inclusion and general education settings. This is especially important to education at this point in history as we recover from the fallout of the Covid-19 Pandemic. The CABAS® AIL model has produced scientifically based protocols used to establish missing verbal developmental cusps and conditioned reinforcers when data demonstrate that these cusps are missing from a students' repertoire. Some of these cusps include Bi-directional Naming and Observational Learning. This paper aims to explain recent advances within verbal development that have come out of the research conducted in our AIL classrooms. These findings have aided in identifying important prerequisites for students to be successful into general education or inclusion settings and the role of conditioned reinforcement for student academic learning.

Psychologists interested in the basis of statements about genetic vs. environmental causes of behavior.

The legitimacy of science is based on an unbiased, disinterested research and peer review system. Scientists are expected to pursue their research and publish their findings without regard to personal gain. Journal reviewers and editors are expected to perform their duties without bias due to personal gain and relationships. Conflicts of Interest (COI) arise in situations in which a person is in a position to derive personal benefit from actions or decisions made in their official capacity. COI is a critical ethical issue in scientific publications. This PDS introduces and defines COI, the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines regarding COI, provides some general guidelines for identifying and avoiding COI in scientific publication, and delves further into the complexities of COI for reviewers and COI for practitioners who seek to publish their work. Calling ABAI members, and especially student members, to a thoughtful conversation about COI in scientific publications, especially ABAI publications is a central theme of this PDS. Ample time for questions and answers is provided.

Students, and professionals

Skinner’s theoretical analysis of Verbal Behavior is used as a foundation for establishing and expanding language and communication skills. The verbal behavior approach has been empirically evaluated by many verbal behavior researchers, but there is still a need for more research to establish the basic building blocks of conversation skills, categorization skills, and other conditional discriminations. An important procedure that is commonly used when teaching such complex skills is error correction and its variations that can lead to more effective and efficient skill acquisition. Thus, the purpose of this symposium is to discuss recent advances in verbal behavior research on the aforementioned topics. The talks will provide recommendations for clinical practice and recommendations for future research.

Intermediate

Hood et al. 2022 observed high levels of topic initiations of shared interest. That is, repeated initiations on the same topic once conversation has moved away from the exhausted topic. This was likely due to an FR-1 schedule of high-quality attention for the shared interest topic. In the present study, we evaluated a lag infinity schedule to promote increase variability. That is conversation partners provided conversational attention, high-quality, and low-quality attention, to increase variability for conversation topics initiated by the participant. We used behavior skills training (Hood et al., 2017) and self-questioning (Mann & Karsten, 2020) to promote foundational conversation skills. Three of our participants, Jack, Tony, and Jason, were young adults with autism spectrum disorder. For Jack, we saw an increase in the number of different topics initiated. We observed low to moderate levels of following the conversation partner- initiated conversation for Tony and Jason. Jack engaged in moderate to high levels of responding for following the conversation partner-initiated conversation. For shifting the conversation, all participants engaged in low and variable levels of responding. Following intervention, we observed an increase in following conversation partner-initiated topics for Tony and Jason, and a robust increase in shifting the conversation for Jack and Tony. All participants increase topic initiations of the shared topics and of conversation partner’s preferred topics following teaching. We observed the skills transfer to conversations with peers not associated with intervention.

Previous research has confirmed the effectiveness of equivalence-based instruction (EBI), however, most studies have been conducted with adult participants teaching arbitrary stimulus classes. More research is needed to confirm the external validity of EBI with younger participants, teaching clinically significant skills in applied settings. The current study bridges those gaps. Specifically, our aims were 1) to use EBI procedures to teach preschool children with autism to form stimulus classes consisting of age-appropriate categories, and 2) to evaluate the effectiveness of transfer of function within these classes, and 3) to implement these procedures using easily accessible table-top procedures. Creating derived relations between stimuli and demonstrating transfer of function are important outcomes considering that the instruction most children with autism require can be time consuming and costly. Therefore, our procedures are easily transportable to clinical settings given their practicality and accessibility.

The objectives of early language programs often include teaching children receptive identification or listener discrimination across common and preferred items (e.g., Sundberg, 2008). In a typical errorless procedure, the teacher delivers an instruction “Find the truck” and prompts the child either by pointing, gesturing, or full physical guidance to touch the targeted object. However, a few studies have found that some learners with severe language delay often struggle to acquire listener discrimination (Carp & Petursdottir, 2012; Vedora & Barry, 2016). Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of object imitation in discrimination to teach listener discrimination. Two participants who already had object imitation skill but did not acquire listener discrimination skill using the errorless teaching were selected. The instructor modeled the play-based functional action using object imitation across targeted objects, followed by the listener discrimination trial, to transfer the discriminative control from object imitation to listener responding. The data was evaluated using multiple baseline design. Results of this study showed that object imitation in discrimination was successful in establishing listener discrimination across both the participants.

According to Sidman (2010), Skinner (1938) was able to produce fast learning when teaching his rats to press a lever because he started by teaching them how the reinforcement procedure was going to work. This is usually called magazine training in the laboratory. The learner must understand when reinforcement is available, where to go or what to do to access the reinforcer, how to consume the reinforcer, and how to go back to training after finishing the reinforcer. Skinner more specifically described these behaviors as a behavior chain, as reinforcement involves a series of actions on the part of the learner. Early behavior analysts who worked in both laboratory and applied settings knew that it was crucial to begin with magazine training. However, many modern behavior analysts do not understand the important skills that a learner learns during this step. Without this foundation, learners are not fully prepared for future learning. This symposium will show how starting with reinforcement system training leads to accelerated learning in applied settings.

BCBAs, clinical directors, animal trainers

Clicker training and positive reinforcement training are growing in popularity among horse owners. However, there is a lack of systematic, step-by-step procedures for owners to follow when introducing a horse to clicker training. Some professional trainers advocate for “charging” the clicker; other trainers begin straightaway with teaching a new behavior, such as touching a target or turning the head away. The lack of precise instructions means that some horses perform unwanted, and potentially dangerous, behaviors during initial training sessions, including nipping, biting, pushing, and searching the person for food. These behaviors may be accidentally reinforced and may discourage owners from continuing with positive reinforcement training. This presentation will describe a step-by-step approach for introducing horses to positive reinforcement training. Horses learned how to consume the reinforcer, where the reinforcer would be delivered, and when the reinforcer would be delivered. Next, the horses learned three additional behaviors, including touching a target, backing up, and stay. Results showed that horses were able to learn the reinforcement system with few or no errors and that starting with reinforcement system training produced accelerated learning on other tasks.

Most therapy procedures for children with autism are based in positive reinforcement. Recommendations for the application of positive reinforcement have often been based on characteristics of the reinforcer, such as size, immediacy, level of deprivation, and the schedule used. However, there are other factors that are also important in the successful application of positive reinforcement, including aspects related to how the reinforcer is delivered. Related to this, Skinner (1938) discussed how reinforcement involves a chain of behaviors. In the context of autism therapy, reinforcement involves the interaction of two organisms, the therapist and child, and these interactions create an interlocking chain of behaviors. Yet, this chain of interactions is often not explicitly taught, resulting in unwanted behaviors and slower progress for the child. This presentation will describe a procedure and data collection system for evaluating reinforcement systems during therapy sessions. Results show that rebuilding faulty reinforcement systems leads to more teaching opportunities and accelerated learning.

Providers, community advocates, policymakers

This applied behavioral study examines and analyses the human behavior of the disability, epilepsy. Both participants used inductive research methods in which they, initially unbeknownst to the other, recorded their inner and outer epilepsy data on the standard celeration chart. This may be the first formal study of its kind, one that used individual self-counts of inner and outer behaviors to monitor epilepsy. Data collection and charting began prior to and continued after diagnoses for both people who shared, defined, and discussed data with one another. The literature review found few studies from the perspective of behavior analysis and none by patients who had observed, counted, and charted their epilepsy behaviors. Each participant here charted her data on daily and monthly standard celeration charts. Each presents her methods, charted data, and results. Self-observations and counting of inner and outer behaviors (private and public events) informed the two people and their physicians about their behaviors and medication effectiveness. These charts on epilepsy show that there are many areas related to the behaviors of this disability that a person can explore within the behavioral and medical realms. Neither has had a developmental disability, and both have graduate degrees in the field.

intermediate graduate students or above basic knowledge of neurological issues working knowledge of the standard celeration chart

The presentation will discuss the data collection method that Sheila started when her epilepsy began after experiencing a traumatic brain injury. She started gathering baseline data of her epilepsy prior to its diagnosis and the benefits that occurred once it was recognized by science. Sheila’s data, displayed on a standard celeration chart, show the impact science, behavior, and data brings to the treatment of epilepsy. Further, as she experienced the benefits of science affecting her epilepsy, she dived into history to learn more about the different types of treatment provided. Sheila’s decision making was guided as she learned from the peer-reviewed research many epileptologists published over the years. The connections Sheila made with history, science, research and her ongoing data collection led her and her medical team through problem solving and decision making to provide the most effective treatments. She continues this practice today as she collaborates with the ongoing treatment to control her epilepsy that developed as a result from the traumatic brain injury.

This study of epilepsy initially used inductive research methods in which one of the participants, Abigail, recorded her data on the standard celeration chart. When this began, it was the first study of its kind, one that used individual self-counts of inner and outer behaviors to monitor epilepsy behaviors. Data collection and charting began decades prior to her diagnosis when she dove into uncharted territory. Abigail charted these data on daily and monthly standard celeration charts with greater medical specificity after diagnosis. She will present her methods, charted data from the 70s, 80s, and four years of current, more specific, medically guided, and thought-out behavioral data. She will also present the current results. Self-observations and counting informed her and her physicians about medication effectiveness and the resultant epileptic behavioral decreases. The presentation includes self-counts, inner and outer behaviors (private and public events). These charts on epilepsy give examples that there are many areas and behaviors that a person can explore through behavior analysis, including the monitoring of one’s medical history and changes.

Several studies have evaluated the effects of video modeling (VM) and video feedback (VF) on athletic performance. Although the effects of VF have been well researched, relatively scant literature exists assessing the effectiveness of VM alone in the sports literature. In one exception, Quinn et al. (2020) compared VM to VM+VF to train competitive dancers, showing only moderate effects for VM. Further evaluations of the potential for VM to improve sports’ skills is warranted because VM has successfully improved skills in other fields of practice (e.g., staff training, medical procedures), and has practical considerations for improvement using independent practice. Additionally, the application of behavior analytic interventions have not been evaluated for improving goalkeeping skills for individual soccer players. Therefore, we replicated Quinn et al. (2020), using a multiple baseline (MBL) design. Specifically, we used a MBL across behaviors to evaluate the effects of VM andVM+VF to train three goalkeeper skills to two 9-year-old soccer players. Our results showed that, although VM had some effect on performance compared to BL, VM+VF resulted in the robust outcomes necessary for proficient performance of the goalkeeper skills. Results will be discussed within the context of our findings and limitations.

This review focuses on the last 20 years of ABA research to enhance sports performance using single-case designs. This paper highlights the applications of ABA to enhance sports performance and improving skill acquisition, reviews the variety of sports and ABA procedures used, discusses results of follow-up data, and concludes by summarizing the history of ABA in sports research and providing recommendations for future directions.

Human behavior has an impact on many public health concerns, such as the spread of infectious disease. As such behavior analysts are in a unique position to contribute to public health research and practice at all three intervention levels: primary (e.g., prevention), secondary (e.g., screening), and tertiary (e.g., treatment). Public health differs from behavior analysis in that it is focused on health at the community and population level rather than the individual level. However, we can still contribute a number of our methodologies in assessment, measurement, and intervention to this area. The panelists will share their experiences in applying behavior analysis to public health and will be available to answer questions from students, particularly as they relate to dissemination, branching out within behavior analysis, and networking with like-minded professionals.

Graduate students, Behavior Analysts

Despite staggering decreases in service availability, individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) experience service needs related to communication, social skills, and health and safety in adolescence and adulthood. Unfortunately, little research has examined how to address these skills as individuals with DD age. This symposium will summarize current research on interventions to teach friendship skills, comprehensive sexuality and relationship education, and abduction prevention skills to adolescents and adults with DD. Study one will summarize research on interventions to teach friendship skills to adolescents and adults with autism in school and community-based settings. Study two will present the results of comprehensive sexuality education on sexuality and relationship knowledge of adults with DD in an inclusive higher education program. Study three will describe research-supported practices for teaching abduction prevention skills across the lifespan, with special considerations for adolescents and adults. Each presentation will (a) describe major study findings, (b) discuss implications for future research, and (c) provide recommendations for practicing behavior analysts who support the adolescent and adult populations.

Basic

Vocational and daily living skills are related repertoires that are important for functioning in adulthood (Taylor et al., 2014). This symposium will share recent research on precision teaching based instructional approaches to improve these skills for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The first study evaluated the effects of frequency building in a simulated training environment on vocationally related component and composite skill performance for three transition-aged young adults with IDD. The second study analyzed a ‘precision health’ approach focused on improving the performance of component skills for successful medical appointments. The final study compared the effects of a video prompting and video prompting plus frequency building on the acquisition of daily living skills for three adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Each presentation will describe how incorporating precision teaching can help address important skill repertoires for daily functioning at home and in the community.

The target audience for this presentation includes practicing behavior analysts (BCaBAs, BCBAs, BCBA-Ds), graduate students in behavior analysis, and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs).

The present study used an adapted alternating treatment design to evaluate and compare the effects of video prompting (VP) and video prompting plus frequency building (VP + FB) to teach daily living skills to three adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Results demonstrated all three students made substantial improvements over their baseline performance using VP and VP + FB. Furthermore, a strong intervention effect emerged for VP and VP + FB conditions when compared to the control task. However, in terms of one intervention proving superior to the other (e.g., VP to VP + FB), the data offer a mixed interpretation with VP + FB affecting changes better for two of the three students. The FB component in the VP + FB produced strong, consistent gains for all students in terms of retention.

The first paper presenter by Hansen and Arntzen is about stimulus class formation and eye movement measures. The main aim was to test if eye-movements have predictive value on delayed emergence. Most participants showed longer fixation time and and more fixations to comparison stimuli than to incorrect comparison stimuli. In the second paper by Granerud et al., unrelated stimuli pair and stimuli pair related through equivalence was tested with the Event-related potential (erp) N400. Unrelated stimuli pair produsere a signifikant N400 response in both the group with an autism diagnosis and the group without.

Recent laboratory findings on eye-movement measures during matching-to-sample performance suggest that eye-movements have predictive value on delayed emergence. To test our hypothesis, eighteen participants, nine females and nine males, were randomly placed in one of three conditions—each condition trained and tested participants for equivalence class formation with either the many-to-one (MTO), one-to-many (OTM) or linear-series (LS) training structure. In a concurrent training format, each experimental condition trained participants to form five potential 3-member equivalence classes. We measured fixation time and number of fixations to sample and comparison stimuli during conditional discrimination training and tests for equivalence class formation. Participants who did not form equivalence classes, were asked to take the test again immediately following the first test. Nine (MTO=3; OTM=5; and LS=1) and five participants (MTO=2; OTM=1; and LS= 2) formed equivalence classes on the initial or follow-up test (i.e., delayed emergence), respectively. Interestingly, most participants recorded longer fixation times and more fixations to correct comparison stimuli (i.e., S+ stimuli) than to incorrect comparison stimuli (i.e., S- stimuli), regardless of equivalence class formation on the initial test; results for participants with this fixation pattern: Most of those participants who did not form equivalence classes on the first test, would eventually demonstrate delayed emergence on an immediate follow-up test—a finding that demonstrates eye-movements’ predictive value on delayed emergence.

Activity transitions are sometimes associated with challenging behavior, perhaps especially when transitions are from higher to lower preference activities. We compared the effects of two methods of prompting activity transitions on pausing and challenging behavior. Participants were two students at a school for children with autism. The two methods, advance notice and intervening activity, were presented in a multi-element design. higher, moderate, and lower preference activities (HP, MP, and LP) were identified using preference assessments. In the advance notice condition the participant was informed that he had 1 more minute with the HP before he was cued to engage in the LP. In the intervening activity condition, the participant was provided with an MP for 1 min before he was cued to engage with the LP. Pausing started when the participant was cued to begin the LP and ended with the first active response. For one participant, the intervening activity condition resulted in shorter transition times and fewer instances of challenging behavior. For the other participant there was no difference between the two conditions. For some individuals, scheduling a period of engagement with a moderate preference activity may result in shorter times to engagement in the next activity.

There is a long history of individuals with extensive support needs (ESN) being sterilized without their knowledge and consent. Additionally, inappropriate sexualized behavior (ISB) is fairly prevalent among individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD); estimates suggest that 18% to 28% of individuals diagnosed with IDD engage in these behaviors. Part of the reason this occurs is a lack of education about sexual development and a lack of interventions to address sexual behaviors and build skills related to self-determination or informed decision-making. This symposium will discuss multiple aspects of addressing and supporting the sexuality of individuals with ESN, including a discussion of a study aimed to increase these skills related to speaking to a doctor about menstrual management, a review of research conducted related to antecedent sex education/interventions and self-determination skills for individuals with ESN, and a review the body of research examining the effects of interventions on ISB before outlining implementation of function-based interventions for educators and practitioners working with students with disabilities who engage in ISB.

Behavior analysts, educators, and other practitioners working directly with individuals with developmental disabilities

There is a long history of individuals with extensive support needs (ESN) being sterilized without their knowledge and consent. Part of the reason this occurs is due to a lack of education about sexual development and a lack of interventions to build skills related to self-determination or informed decision-making. This study aimed to increase these skills related to speaking to a doctor about menstrual management. Three participants were first taught about their menstrual cycles and given preference assessments about reversible birth control options. Participants then created individualized graphic organizers to help guide them through the process of asking about choices and recording the information given from doctors. A single-case multiple probe design was used to examine the effectiveness of using behavioral skills training to increase the skills of asking a doctor about choices and recording the information. All three participants reached mastery level within three to four probes. Two participants stayed at mastery level for their generalization and maintenance probes. One participant did not stay at mastery level for their generalization and maintenance probe but was only 3 points away from mastery level, and 29 points above their baseline level. Suggestions for future research, application, and policy change discussed.

There were five systematic literature reviews conducted related to antecedent sex education/interventions and self-determination skills for individuals with extensive support needs (ESN): (1) comprehensive sex education (CSE), (2) status of use and knowledge of contraceptives, (3) contraceptive interventions and education, (4) self-determination (SD), and (5) SD and contraceptive use. Overall, 4,356 abstracts were reviewed and 94 articles met inclusion criteria. The literature related to contraceptive use and education shows that women with ESN do use contraceptives yet there is inconsistency in their understanding of the contraceptives and most are unaware of other choices. Choices were made by caregivers and physicians without appropriately educating the patients. While there are interventions related to CSE, almost all were not found appropriate to students with ESN and need more modifications and accommodations to truly teach students with ESN. There is not any current literature related specifically to contraceptive use and increasing this knowledge and decision-making. There is promising research for teaching SA/SD skills yet not related to CSE or related issues. There is a clear deficit in research to support individuals with ESN to understand their natural development, how to create and maintain safe relationships, and/or make informed decisions about their bodies.

Our field is in a staffing crisis due to a shortage of qualified providers and extremely high turnover rates. Organizations are spending a lot of money on recruiting, hiring, and training, while most will not recuperate those costs due to the likely short tenure of that staff. Research suggests that support from supervisors and the quality of training technicians receive are variables that contribute to their turnover (Kazemi et al., 2015). Organizational leaders should focus on creating sustainable systems to support their supervisors in providing high-quality training and supervision to technicians. This presentation will outline practical strategies to create and implement a performance management process at organizations that will ultimately enhance the organizational culture and decrease turnover and its associated costs. The panelists will briefly review the performance management process and describe how they’ve successfully developed and implemented systems at their organizations. There will be ample time for questions from the chair and audience members to ensure attendees have practical suggestions to implement in their practice.

The audience should be supervisors or aspiring supervisors in behavior analytic service organizations.

In applied behavior analysis, great strides have been made in the treatment of problem behavior. However, behavior analytic interventions are not universally effective or efficient and in many cases are not curative. The term treatment-refractory is generally used across disciplines to describe conditions that do not respond to treatment or do not respond to a prescribed hierarchy of established treatments. We explore (1) established rationales for use of the term, definitions, and criteria adopted by other disciplines; (2) the rationale and conceptualization of treatment-refractory problem behavior in applied behavior analysis; (3) a working definition with inclusion/exclusion criteria; (4) idiosyncratic variables such as historical contingencies, physical attributes, medical conditions, and biological factors that impact the effectiveness of behavioral interventions; (5) regulatory restrictions that contribute to and in some cases exacerbate treatment-refractory problem behavior; and (6) limitations associated with the standard of care in applied behavior analysis. We assert that if applied behavior analysis is to continue to mature as a practice, it must acknowledge and examine the conditions under which treatment is not effective.

Behavior analysts interested in the limitations associated with the standard of care in applied behavior analysis and regulatory restrictions that might contribute to and in some cases exacerbate problem behavior.

The term “treatment refractory” is generally used across disciplines to describe conditions that do not respond to treatment or do not respond to a prescribed hierarchy of established treatments. For example, the American Psychiatric Association has long recognized the existence of patients with treatment resistant schizophrenia. In fact, an international workgroup developed a detailed definition and criteria of treatment resistant schizophrenia. A similar approach might prove useful in moving applied behavior analysis toward a better understanding of the conditions under which problem behavior does not respond to treatment. In particular, non-socially mediated problem behaviors often present unique challenges in that often control cannot be exerted over (e.g., withhold or deliver) the automatic reinforcer and that disruption of the response–reinforcer contingency is not possible (Virues-Ortega, Clayton, Pérez-Bustamante, Gaerlan, & Fahmie (2022). We explore (1) established rationales for use of the term, definitions, and criteria adopted by other disciplines; (2) the rationale and conceptualization of treatment-refractory problem behavior in applied behavior analysis; and (3) a working definition with inclusion/exclusion criteria and supporting clinical data.

In recent years, great strides have been made in the treatment of problem behavior. However, behavior analytic interventions are not universally effective or efficient and in many cases are not curative. A number of complicating variables might impact the effectiveness and efficiency of function-based treatment for otherwise resolvable problem behaviors. We discuss (1) idiosyncratic variables such as momentary and historical contingencies, physical attributes (e.g., size, strength, hyper flexibility), and biological conditions (e.g., rare congenital disorders, brain injury, dementia) that impact the effectiveness of behavioral interventions; (2) regulatory restrictions (e.g., state guidelines on restraint and health related supports) that contribute to and in some cases exacerbate treatment-refractory problem behavior; and (3) limitations associated with the standard of care (e.g., Functional analysis & functional communication training) in applied behavior analysis. We assert that if applied behavior analysis is to continue to mature as a practice, it must acknowledge and examine the conditions under which treatment is not effective.

A brief review of the current evidence base for EIBI (Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention) will be followed by a discussion of implementation barriers: Why, in spite of strong supporting evidence, does the up-take of these procedures remains poor. We will outline and discuss key issues that contribute to controversy and division among researchers, clinicians, and within the autism community, including common misunderstandings and misconceptions about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). In order to promote the availability of evidence-based, effective, and affordable EIBI, we need to reconcile these differences, develop mutual understandings between these communities, and work together on research focused on promoting implementation, and to influence policy.

Over the past decade, there has been increasing interest in applying the methods of neuroscience to problems in decision science. In this talk, I will outline some notable advances in this new interdiscipline of “decision neuroscience”, while also emphasizing some of its theoretical and practical challenges. I will describe recent work from my laboratory that uses evidence from neuroscience to shape thinking about core problems in decision science, drawing examples from diverse phenomena that include economic gain-loss framing, altruistic decisions, and voter choice.

Researchers, practitioners, and students interested in decision making, neuroscience, and/or their intersection.

In 2015, researchers surveyed practitioners regarding the procedures they used to conduct functional behavior assessments (Oliver, et al., 2015; Roscoe, et al., 2015). The results indicated that while most respondents agreed that functional analysis is a critical component for accurately determining the function of behavior, they primarily focused on indirect and descriptive assessments. Several researchers have identified functional analysis modifications that can address many of the concerns raised related to conducting functional analyses. The purpose of the current symposium is to present data that expands upon previous research to determine the extent to which universities are teaching students on these functional analysis modifications and the degree to which practitioners are implementing these modifications in their functional behavior assessment process.

Practitioner BCBAs, Fieldwork Supervisors, University Faculty

This study was an evaluation of the instructional practices at universities related to indirect functional assessments, descriptive assessments, and functional analyses, as well as functional analysis modifications (e.g., trial-based functional analysis, precursor functional analysis, brief functional analysis). In total 369 people responded to the electronic survey with 174 providing consent to participate in the survey. Of those responders to the survey, 30 identified their primary role as university faculty and 36 identified as primarily a student in a behavior analysis program seeking certification. Results from both university instructors and students indicated that behavior analytic coursework continues to focus primarily on indirect functional assessments, descriptive assessments, and traditional functional analysis practices. Instruction is limited as it relates to the functional analysis modifications that other researchers have highlighted as ways to address limitations to traditional functional analysis. The mode of instruction on functional analysis and modifications is primarily centered on journal articles and case studies. Results will be discussed from the perspective of the types of methods for instruction and what we know in terms of effective instructional practices for the application of skills (i.e., behavioral skills training).

Although behavior analysts widely recognize the usefulness of functional analyses in identifying the function of challenging behavior, multiple measures indicate a low percentage of Board Certified Behavior Analysts conduct functional analyses and instead rely on indirect and descriptive assessments. Since these surveys were conducted, additional research and recommendations for modifying functional analysis procedures in ways to eliminate previously identified barriers have been published (e.g., precursor assessment, latency-based assessment, interview informed synthesized contingency analysis). Considering new research and increased accessibility to training via online webinars and conferences, this study investigated whether research and access to information impacts practice at the practitioner level. In total 369 people responded to the survey with 174 providing consent to participate in the survey. One hundred and eight identified their primary role as practitioner, 30 identified their primary role as university faculty, and 36 identified as a student in a behavior analysis program seeking certification. Faculty and student data were analyzed in a separate paper (Haymes et al, 2022). Results of the current study echo those of previous surveys in that the highest percentage of respondents indicated use of indirect and descriptive assessment. The underutilization of traditional functional analysis and functional analysis modifications is impacted by a lack of training on these methods. These results are discussed from the perspective of best practices for assessment and intervention of challenging behaviors in clinical applications.

Behavior analysts commonly rely on results of stimulus preference assessments (SPAs) to determine potent reinforcers for use in skill acquisition and problem behavior reduction programs for individuals with autism and related disabilities (Saini et al., 2021). Previous research has shown that outcomes of SPAs can be influenced by variables such as the inclusion of social interaction (Kanaman et al., 2022). In the current study, we replicated Kanaman et al. (2022) by comparing outcomes of Solitary (i.e., toys only), Social (i.e., toys plus social interaction), and Combined (i.e., toys alone and toys plus social interaction) SPAs with five children with autism. Results suggested that the inclusion of social interaction can influence preference for leisure items in children with autism. Specifically, some participants preferred particular items when presented with social interaction relative to the same item presented without social interaction (or vice versa). Additionally, the current study extended Kanaman et al. by determining the absolute reinforcing efficacy of low-preferred and high-preferred toys with and without social interaction using a single-operant reinforcer assessment with a progressive ratio analysis. Results suggested that SPAs reliably predicted outcomes of participants’ reinforcer assessments.

Pediatric Feeding Problems (PFP) occur in a high number of children, especially in those with developmental disabilities. If untreated, these problems can have negative effects on a child’s health such as malnutrition, severe weight loss, and delayed growth. They can also negatively impact socialization and produce high levels of caregiver stress. In this talk, we will discuss some of our research done in this area emphasizing the development of cross-cultural collaboration. In order to do this, we will discuss the different steps followed for the treatment of PFP: assessment, intervention, and caregiver training and we will present some of our work conducted in each area. We will show data on the prevalence of PFP in the Mexican population using a small sample of kids with an ASD diagnosis, then we will describe evaluations using conditional probabilities of food refusal and acceptance in typically developed children and children with an ASD diagnosis. We will describe the implementation of antecedent (high-probability instructional sequences, pairing, and fading) and consequence-based strategies (reinforcement and escape extinction). Finally, we will describe the implementation of Behavioral Skills Training to teach caregivers to implement some of these procedures. We will make special emphasis on 1) considerations to select interventions, 2) cultural differences between México and USA that could impact treatment options, 3) the relevance of collaborating with other behavior analysts to advance our knowledge and quality of treatments, 4) futures lines of research, and 5) the future of services in México. Several studies were conducted in collaboration with Jonathan K. Fernand.

Board certified behavior analysts, licensed psychologists, students

Services for adults with developmental disabilities (i.e., intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder) are limited and are primarily comprised of community-based supports through adult day services and residential providers. However, adults with developmental disabilities continue to exhibit behavioral, social, and adaptive impairments throughout their lifetime, and the quality of available services is often variable. This paper explores treatment of adults with developmental disabilities in a behavioral health setting utilizing brief, problem-solving, and solution focused outpatient behavioral health therapy based on principles of applied behavior analysis. Common diagnoses, presenting concerns, treatment planning, caregiver involvement, data-based decision making, and treatment outcomes will be discussed. Descriptive statistics from the Munroe-Meyer Adult Developmental Disability Behavioral Health Clinic regarding these themes will be reviewed. Limitations practitioners face while working with adults with developmental disabilities within an outpatient behavioral health setting will be addressed and potential solutions to limitations will be explored. This discussion will provide behavioral health providers (e.g., behavior analysts, psychologists, licensed mental health practitioners) insight into providing outpatient behavioral health services to the oftentimes extremely underserved adult developmental disability population.

Students, Faculty, Other Professionals

Practitioners, Researchers, Supervisors, and Trainers

The authors use a social modeling and reinforcement paradigm to teach social and emotional learning in the elementary classroom. Culturally diverse literature is used to introduce and guide the learning for the targeted behaviors. Direct observations and pupil responses to enactments and paper assignments document the extent of learning Social and emotional learning is proposed for the elementary-aged child within a diverse society. This instruction is consistent with the emphasis on global education and the need to prepare our students for a shrinking planet and increasingly diverse immediate and larger environments. Advanced societies demand that we recognize, respect, and celebrate the “other.” At minimum, authorities agree successful global citizens can affirm others, take others’ perspectives, experience empathy, develop meaningful cooperative relations with others, and pursue social justice: the ability to question unfair practices and advocate for self and others. Accordingly, we need to extend social and emotional learning. Diversity is defined broadly so that this model includes differences according to race, religion, gender, socioeconomics, language, ethnicity, disability, and age. Learners are helped to identify with literature models and discern aspects of the literature to employ most advantageously. This learning benefits the child, the classroom, the school, the family, and the community. Lessons focus on affirming self and others, asserting self, managing conflict situations, and maintaining these behaviors over time.

Animal behavior, like all behavior, is always in concert with the environment in which the behavior is embedded. Often, the environment contains other individuals. Even animals that are principally solitary have to interact with others on occasion in order to find a mate and successfully reproduce. As such, animal behavior research is rich with observations and subsequent questions surrounding social behavior. I first overview how social behavior is approached in behavior ecology research, and, in particular, the field of social learning. I will illustrate that behavior analytic approaches, and behaviorism, in general is not unknown to social behavior research, but is, unsurprisingly, often misused and misrepresented in these fields. I contend that behavior analysis should do more to focus on areas more often addressed in fields interested in social behavior because ontogeny us often subject of these areas. Finally, I overview a number of interesting longstanding questions in social behavior research for which behavior analysts could offer meaningful insight.

The purpose of this presentation is to discuss how verbal behavior research on reading can positively impact children’s academic outcomes. Low reading proficiency significantly affects children, their families, and their communities. For instance, third grade children who cannot read proficiently are four times less likely to graduate from high school than those who can. When students do not graduate from high school, they are more likely to have lower wages and poorer health outcomes than high school graduates. In fact, over time, low literacy costs society billions of dollars in lost earnings, employability, and related social outcomes. For these reasons, ensuring that all children have access to effective reading instruction is critical. In this presentation, I will describe the importance of proficient literacy for historically marginalized children such as children with disabilities and economically disadvantaged children. I will then describe how research on reading in verbal behavior analysis has identified effective instructional practices that can impact children’s reading outcomes. This presentation will conclude with recommendations for addressing educational inequities by advocating for literacy as a form of social justice.

The target audience for this presentation is behavior analysts and educators interested in PK-12 education and in reading instruction. The target audience also includes behavior analysts and educators who are interested in issues of social justice.

Hanley et al. (2014) introduced a comprehensive model for assessing and treating problem behavior. The model begins with a functional analysis incorporating a single test condition evaluating an ecologically relevant contingency. The results inform the subsequent treatment teaching increasingly complex communication skills. Finally, denials are introduced and the individual is taught how to cooperate with adult instruction. The process in its entirety has been termed the practical functional assessment and skill-based treatment model. Since the seminal publication, modifications to the procedures have been introduced to reduce barriers of clinical concern. The first speaker will briefly introduce multiple adaptions to the practical functional assessment focusing on procedures designed to improve efficiency and safety. The second speaker will provide a detailed account of a procedural modification using latency as a measure of problem behavior across a collection of 20 applications. The third speaker replicates the entire comprehensive model using a novel practical functional assessment format that is dependent on achieving calm behavior to reduce unmanageable escalation. The fourth speaker adapts the model for the group setting, where one-to-one implementation is unfeasible. The collection of studies outline multiple modifications designed to help inform effective assessment and treatment of problem behavior under varied circumstances.

Practitioners interested in learning more about PFA and SBT

Theinterview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA) is a functional analysis methodology that has proven to be an efficient and reliable method for designing and implementing function based treatments. Metras and Jessel (2021) summarized the various methodological iterations of the IISCA since its introduction by Hanley and colleagues in 2014. In the discussion,Metras and Jesselsuggested an adaptation for future research that they called the performance-based IISCA.This adaptation is similar to the single-session IISCAwith three modifications: (a) time requirements removed from reinforcement intervals and instead are based on the behavior of the individual, (b)behavior is recorded as count instead of rate, and (c) indices of happinessare recorded during reinforcement intervals.We discuss the utility and feasibility of this adaptation with children who engaged in challenging behavior in a classroom setting, as well as how this adaptation may promote safety through increased functional control. The performance-based IISCA successfully identified the function of problem behavior and informed an effective treatment for our participants.

Behavior analysts frequently encounter staff such as teachers, administrators, and youth counselors who deal with youth exhibiting challenging behaviors that may be related to the trauma these youth are experiencing. Moreover, the youth who are experiencing this trauma are often youth of color who may be retraumatized by the traditional means of dealing with challenging behavior. Unfortunately, behavior analysts may lack the skills for dealing with these challenging behaviors and the related trauma and thus are unable to assist staff in their efforts. A partnership developed among the leadership of Together Helping Reduce Youth Violence for Equity (ThrYve), a program for youth at the University of Kansas, a private provider of services to youth in schools, and a university professor and doctoral student at East Carolina University. The goal of this partnership was to provide information, training, and support to staff working with youth in the ThrYve program as well as other community programs. One year later we have measures of staff attitudes and mindsets as well as behavioral observations of staff role-play and naturalistic interactions with youth.

Participants can include BCBAs, teachers, school administrators, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, counselors, therapists, and social workers. Participants should be familiar with terms including verbal behavior, discriminative stimuli, establishing and abolishing operations, and positive and negative reinforcement, and have experience and examples dealing with those terms.

In the treatment of problematic human behavior, differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) is commonly employed. To increase the feasibility of implementation in the natural environment rates of alternative reinforcement are often thinned, which may occasion resurgence of the target behavior. Previous research has shown that high-rate alternative reinforcers produce more rapid suppression of the target behavior, relative to low-rate alternative reinforcers, but also occasion more resurgence. The current experiment systematically replicated this work with mouse subjects to assess for cross-species generality. Additionally, we alternated between phases of DRA and extinction to assess for changes in resurgence across successive determinations. Outcomes aligned with past work by demonstrating that high-rate alternative reinforcers produced more rapid reductions of the target behavior and higher magnitudes of resurgence, compared to low-rate alternative reinforcers, in mice. Between-group differences in resurgence, however, diminished across resurgence tests. This results help to extend previous findings regarding the reappearance of problematic behavior.

Resurgence generally is considered the return of a previously reinforced and extinguished target response when alternative conditions worsen. Previous research with rats showed that worsening alternative conditions by punishing an alternative response with shock resulted in resurgence of target responding. We extended this line of research with four groups of humans recruited through crowdsourcing, with approximately 50 participants per group. In Phase 1, we reinforced target responding with points exchangeable for money while an alternative response was not reinforced. In Phase 2, we extinguished target responding while reinforcing the alternative response and responding reversed compared with Phase 1. In Phase 3, we parametrically manipulated magnitude of point loss (-1, -100, -320, -1000) contingent on alternative responding while maintaining alternative reinforcement. We found more rapid punishment effects and greater resurgence with greater magnitudes of response cost. These findings extend those with nonhumans to indicate resurgence generally is a function of the worsening of alternative conditions.

Resurgence is the recurrence of a previously reinforced response when conditions of reinforcement are weakened for a more recently reinforced response. With the updated definition differential reinforcement of alternative behavior, in conjunction with the discussions on the implications of extinction procedures, more research is needed on the resurgence when a behavior suppressed by changes in consequence parameters instead of extinction. In the current study, college students were taught arbitrary responses to access high quality and low quality reinforcers on a variable-interval schedule. In phase 1, response A and B contacts high quality reinforcer. In phase 2, response A is extinguished and response B contacts low quality reinforcer. Additionally, response C (i.e., replacement behavior) is introduced and will contact high quality response. In phase 3, all responses are placed on extinction. Comparison of resurgence in phase 3 for response A and response B suggests that level and order of resurgence varied across participants. Implications from our findings and procedures will be discussed.

Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an approach to health and human service delivery initially conceptualized to address the unique needs of individuals exposed to trauma. In recent years, a growing number of behavior analysts have acknowledged the importance of aligning intervention procedures with principles of TIC, recognizing that the client populations with whom many behavior analysts work are likely to be at increased risk of experiencing traumatic events (e.g., abuse, neglect). In this symposium, we present data from four evaluations of trauma-informed approaches to behavior analytic intervention. We first share outcomes from a systematic literature review that informed the development of a framework outlining function-based intervention procedures that are consistent and inconsistent with TIC. Presenters then describe procedures and outcomes of a variety of behavior-change programs that incorporate procedures aligned with TIC to promote skill development and increased autonomy, while also avoiding any procedures that could potentially result in re-traumatization. These programs varied widely with respect to client characteristics, intervention contexts, behavior change goals, and programmed procedures. Taken together, outcomes demonstrate the promise of trauma-informed approaches to behavior analytic service delivery.

The target audience for this session includes practicing behavior analysts who oversee behavior change programs that address challenging behavior. Audience members should be competent in selecting, designing, and implementing behavior change interventions. The session is particularly relevant for practitioners who support individuals who have experienced trauma, though this is not required.

Traumatic experiences are associated with the development of externalizing challenging behaviors — a common characteristic of students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD; Rasche et al., 2016). Ironically, the same externalizing behaviors can put students at risk for re-traumatization, and further exacerbation of these challenges (Rajaraman et al., 2022). The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (2017) recommends that schools implement function-based interventions (FBIs) consistent with trauma-informed care. While the promise of FBIs for students with EBD has been documented (McKenna et al., 2016), the extent to which they align with principles of trauma-informed care remains unknown. We conducted a systematic review of FBI studies including students with EBD to evaluate the extent to which these interventions incorporate critical elements of a trauma-informed approach. Using systematic search and screening procedures, we identified 56 articles that evaluated FBIs for elementary students with EBD. We used an iterative process to identify FBI procedures consistent and inconsistent with trauma-informed care and then explored the extent to which interventions incorporated these procedures. Results highlight areas of both alignment and misalignment between FBI procedures and trauma-informed care. Implications for research and practice with respect to incorporating trauma-informed procedures in FBIs for students with EBD will be discussed.

The Preschool Life Skills curriculum (PLS; Hanley et al., 2007) teaches critical learning and social skills to preschool-aged children, with a growing body of research demonstrating its effectiveness across typically developing and autistic children in school and home settings. Although developed for young children, older children with multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) frequently have the same early-learner skills deficits targeted by the program. The current study partially replicated Hanley et al.’s (2007) PLS training model with two typically developing male participants, who were receiving trauma-informed, behaviourally based services in South Wales. The two boys, aged 9 and 11, had both experienced multiple ACEs and were living in shared family care or foster care. Skill development was assessed using a multiple-baseline across skills design for both participants, and showed that both children learned the skills quickly and maintained them at follow up. We will discuss the applicability of the PLS curriculum for children with trauma histories, as well as the trauma-informed adaptations to ensure that safety, shared governance, and choice were built into the training process. We also will address future directions in using skill-based approaches when working with children that have experienced childhood trauma and how to promote generality to other settings.

As the demand for online education and training increases, it is important to evaluate online teaching tools. These four studies investigate the effectiveness of combining online tools with behavioral teaching strategies to deliver instruction, actively engage students and measure success. All four studies demonstrate improved educational outcomes for graduate students in behavior analysis and special education. The first study demonstrated the effects of Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) modules to increase active student responding in an asynchronous, online course. The second study offers a mechanism for measuring the generalization of cultural competencies through online, curriculum-based evaluation. The third study examined the use of Behavioral Skills Training (BST) to develop soft skills in behavior analysis trainees on an online platform. The fourth study used the Quizlet LIVE application to increase engagement and performance of special education graduate students. Together these studies demonstrate the benefits of incorporating behavioral strategies into online learning environments.

Faculty, Supervising BCBAs

A multiple baseline across skillset design was utilized to examine the use of behavioral skills training (BST) to develop soft skills in five behavior analysis trainees. BST sessions included instruction on each item in the skillset, a video model, rehearsal opportunities, and feedback. Three skillsets were taught including rapport building, interpersonal, and feedback giving skills. The teaching observations employed a confederate research assistant to ensure opportunities to demonstrate soft skills. The outcomes revealed that BST successfully increased performance from baseline to intervention and generalization for all participants. The average across participants and skillsets during baseline 17.1%, BST 91.78%, teaching observations 86.1%, and generalization 88%. There was a very strong effect reported using the Tau statistic across participants (Tau= .96; p<.0001) and across skillsets (Tau= .98; p<.0001). Social validity scores indicated that the intervention and development of soft skills were important abilities to the participants. Overall, the research study demonstrates the recommendations and guidelines present in the literature relative to soft skills and trainee can be taught.

The purpose of this was to examine the differential effects of a technology-based app versus traditional methods of reviewing content on the academic performance and in-class participation of students enrolled in a college course. In this study, Quizlet LIVE application was used as the technology-based app to increase engagement and performance of special education graduate students. The variables measured and analyzed in this study were (a) quiz scores, (b) student engagement, and (c) student preferences. Students’ scores on weekly quizzes and active and passive engagement during class were recorded. Although preliminary analysis of data show comparable quiz scores across both Quizlet LIVE and traditional review conditions, the acceptability survey indicated that students preferred the group-oriented contingency of the Quizlet LIVE review over the traditional review. Data on individual engagement will be presented.

Traditional wisdom suggests that consequential operations (e.g., positive reinforcement) should occur immediately following target behavior to promote acquisition, maintenance, or both. Further, state-of-the-art preference assessment technologies have been used to identify potential reinforcers, wherein items selected first are deemed to be the more effective potential reinforcers, than say, items selected last. However, recent research has shown that many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) prefer to wait and have accumulated access to their reinforcers, rather than experience small but immediate access to their reinforcers. Similarly, an extensive, robust, and non-behavior analytic literature on human decision making has shown that when selecting the order of a sequence of events (e.g., meet with an abrasive family member, or have dinner at your most preferred restaurant), people typically prefer an improving series of events when the choice involves a sequence of outcomes. That is, people typically choose to meet with the abrasive aunt first, and to have the highly preferred dinner, last. The preference for “saving the best for last,” or preference for an improving sequence has been termed negative time preference. In this presentation I will present abbreviated summaries of our research on distributed as compared to accumulated access and factors that contribute to and work against negative time preference. Collectively, this work has involved typically developing preschool children, children and adolescents with IDD and college students.

Scientists, Behavior Analysts, Practitioners

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate deficits or delays in acquiring skills across a wide variety of domains, including play, imitation, and social skills. These skill deficits may pose as barriers to accessing appropriate leisure activities and social interaction opportunities, and may impede further development of more advanced leisure and social skills. This symposium will discuss strategies for increasing these skills with children with ASD. The first presentation will discuss a study evaluating the use of prompt delay and instructive feedback to teach pretend play skills, including actions and vocalizations. The second presenter will present a study examining the use of script training with generic picture cues for increasing contextually appropriate language during play. Finally, the third presentation will examine the use of peer video modeling and discrete-trial instruction to teach peer imitation skills. Overall, the interventions examined in the present study were efficacious in increasing the targeted skills.

BCBAs and graduate students interested in autism and early intervention research. Pre-requisite skills include familiarity with discrete-trial instruction and the research basis for play and leisure skills.

Pretend play involves carrying out routines, acting out roles, referencing absent or imaginary properties of objects, or substituting one object for another. Pretend play skills emerge in typically developing children by preschool age but are often absent or delayed in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the present study, we evaluated use of prompt delay, instructive feedback, and prompt delay with instructive feedback for the acquisition and maintenance of pretend play skills with children with ASD. Throughout training, we conducted free-play probes to evaluate generalization to a naturalistic setting. The results of the current study suggest that combining the prompt-delay and instructive-feedback procedures was most efficient for most participants. However, generalization to the free-play setting was limited. When clinically acceptable generalization was not observed during free-play probes, we used video modeling, contingent reinforcement, and prompts to increase responding during free-play probes.

As one of the seven dimensions of applied behavior analysis, generality is a crucial component to achieving durable, long-lasting change beyond the initial therapeutic environment. Although our field has robust literature on producing efficacious outcomes when treating challenging behavior, we argue that little focus has been placed on promoting effective outcomes. Effectiveness includes the durability of treatment effects under natural contingencies, whereas efficacy is the immediate effects in the original training contexts (Ghaemmaghami et al., 2021). Forty-five years ago, Stokes and Baer (1977) astutely informed us that generalization is not a passive process in which we simply wait for generalization to occur, but rather, is an active process that must be programmed and planned. Consequently, Stokes and Osnes (1989) later proposed a technology to program and facilitate generalized outcomes. Despite their recommendations, empirically supported methods to achieve generality within the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior are limited. The purpose of this panel is to discuss the status of and pursuit of generalization when treating severe challenging behavior. We will highlight current strengths and limitations of our field while also providing recommendations on how we might better systematically evaluate generalization strategies to contribute toward achieving more ecologically valid outcomes.

Some understanding of functions of behavior and function-based intervention Some familiarity with the generalization strategies as defined by Stokes and Baer (1977) and Stokes and Osnes (1989) Prior experience with designing, developing, and implementing interventions to reduce challenging behavior

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been used widely with many disorders and populations. Applied research is necessary to continue to assess and evaluate the efficacy of the use of ACT. The current set of studies sought to implement ACT in different settings. In one study, Board Certified Behavior Analysts were asked how they prescribe ACT based interventions with the clients they service. In another study, behavior technicians were exposed to an ACT workshop and mindful techniques to increase their psychological flexibility and present moment thoughts. In a final study, further evaluation of an online mindful and intuitive eating intervention to combat disordered eating with university students (Albers, 2018; Resch, 2019) was implemented. The goals were to increase education and decrease overall disordered eating. Current pilot data shows that disordered eating did decrease, mindful and intuitive eating increased, and general mindfulness improved across the duration of the study. The current studies show the progress that has been made in utilizing ACT as an intervention to the applied settings.

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy - some knowledge

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been used to improve employee’s psychological flexibility and give them tools to deal with workplace stress (Bond, et al., 2006). There has yet to be studies published that evaluate ACT techniques used with behavior technicians in an ABA clinic setting. The purpose of the current studies were two-fold: to increase present moment thoughts and psychological flexibility following a workshop; and to examine how effective teaching employees a brief mindfulness exercise is to increase the number of thoughts identified as “present moment thoughts”. In Experiment 1, a workshop teaching exercises related to working with children with autism was presented over a four hour time period. In Experiment 2, behavior technicians were asked to write down 10 present moment thoughts before and after being exposed to a short mindfulness exercise. Results showed an increase in psychological flexibility and an increase in present thoughts following the workshop. In addition, the experiential mindful exercise resulted in an increase in present moment thoughts. Implications show an objective evaluation of how to measure whether thoughts are related to present moment following this talk aloud procedure.

Clinical eating disorders are psychological disorders that impact a small percentage of the population. Subclinical disordered eating is a broader term for eating patterns and behaviors that do not meet clinical threshold, but that still may be life impairing (Burnette & Mazzeo, 2020). Subclinical disordered eating impacts many more individuals than clinical eating disorders do and is often present without the direct awareness of the people affected by it. Mindful and intuitive eating approaches have recently begun to emerge as combined and stand-alone treatments for disordered eating and eating disorders. Studies have been limited in terms of population, with individuals with eating disorders making up the large majority of research subjects. The current study was further evaluation of an online mindful and intuitive eating intervention to combat disordered eating with university students (Albers, 2018; Resch, 2019). The goals were to increase education and decrease overall disordered eating. Current pilot data shows that disordered eating did decrease, mindful and intuitive eating increased, and general mindfulness improved across the duration of the study. While the hypotheses were partially supported, only the results for disordered eating and intuitive eating were significant. Despite lack of power due to small sample size, participants verbally reported approval of the benefits of the intervention.

Ethics is an important construct in the field of behavior analysis for numerous reasons. However, the utilization of distinct ethical practices and the different theoretical conceptualizations of ethics have only recently began to attract more attention from our field as a whole. In this symposium, we will attempt to offer applied and theoretical applications of ethics and ethical practices. First, Andrea Michaels will describe the current state of ethics within applied behavior analysis via data gathered from a scoping literature review. Next, Will Fleming will discuss a molar, interbehavioral approach with regards to analyzing the ethics of behavior analysis as an applied science. Finally, Dr. Ilene Schwartz will describe how behavior analysts identify ethical dilemmas in practice, how they make ethical decisions, and what resources are used during the decision-making process.

This symposium is intended for a target audience at an intermediate instruction level. It is encouraged that attendees are familiar with the BACB ethics code, are current on ethics-related literature within behavior analysis, and are also familiar with the philosophical underpinnings of the field to a certain extent. It will also be beneficial for attendees to assess their own professional experiences within behavior analysis and identify potential ethical dilemmas they have previously faced prior to attending this symposium.

The Balance Program was created for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on a waitlist for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services. The program works to prevent the formation of severe problem behaviors using early intervention strategies. The Balance Program consists of 10 parent-implemented steps and coaching from a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). The steps help to promote play and functional communication, tolerating no, cooperating, and finding a balance between parent-led and child-led activities (Ruppel et al., 2021). The presentation aims to discuss the effectiveness of the Balance Program in a variety settings and time-frames of implementation. The presenters utilized the Balance Program to target skill acquisition, increase compliance and decrease the presence of problem behaviors. The outcomes of these goals were evaluated using clients at different stages of ABA treatment. These stages include future clientele from the waitlist, clients that transitioned to clinical services from the waitlist and clients already enrolled in clinical services.

The aim of this presentation is to give the participants a brief overview of the Balance Program. The presentation will discuss appropriate candidates and the far-reaching effects in home for a child waitlisted for ABA services. The author will discuss rationales behind the Balance Program and social validity of the procedures. The aim of the single case study was to increase skill acquisition in an 3-year-old male, Kevin, who has not yet received an Autism Diagnosis with the Balance Program. Prior to implementing the Balance Program, the participant was engaging in vocal, physical and object stereotypy to escape engaging in task demands. He demonstrated limited functional communication (signing “more” but did not successfully obtain other signs, grabbing an adult’s hand to bring them to desired activities, and with prompts saying “again” vocally during physical play). Data will be presented that demonstrates an increase of skill acquisition through the mastery of the Balance Program.

The balance program was implemented with a pre-school age client who was initially on the waitlist for ABA therapy. The client was able to receive in clinic ABA therapy after a few months of starting the balance program. The aim of this single case study was to increase compliance both at home and in the clinic of a 4-year-old female with autism spectrum disorder. The client was on the waitlist for 7 months before her family was offered to do balance with their child. Prior to starting balance, the client’s family had stated that she had some difficulties with transitioning from preferred to non-preferred activities, safety awareness and accepting no. Furthermore, parents had reported that the client would occasionally hit, kick and tantrum when demands were placed on her or when she was denied access to preferred items and activities. The client started receiving in clinic services after three months of participating in the balance program and was able to continue the program both at home and in clinic. The client is currently on step six of balance which is teaching the child to cooperate a little with her parent’s demands. Data will be presented that demonstrates the increase in cooperation and compliance in multiple settings.

The Balance Program is a parent-led program that was created to help prevent severe problem behavior in young children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The Balance Program also can be beneficial in pairing parent-child relationships. The aim of this presentation is to display the effects of using the Balance Program in home and in center concurrently to decrease emerging problem behaviors. The author will discuss how the Balance Program was used by parents and Registered Behavior Technicians concurrently with each other, discuss and display how it can reduce emerging problem behavior in a 4 year old client with ASD, and parent report of how it was beneficial for their home life. The aim of this single subject case study was to decrease emerging problem behaviors both in home and in clinic in a 4 year old male with ASD using the Balance Program. Before implementing the Balance Program, when demands were placed the participant would engage in vocal protests, elopement, and screaming. After implementation there was a decrease in problem behaviors when demands were placed, he would engage in a tolerance response of “Okay, that is so cool” when things did not go his way, and would complete goals and tasks in the home and at the clinic.

The field of OBM has done a tremendous job of documenting effective evidence-based procedures and techniques to improve performance at work. However, we do not always make the connection between our OBM techniques and what has been known since the early days of our science about how to reduce the likelihood of counter-control or strong negative reactions to behavior change techniques. In this presentation, Dr. Austin will describe a few areas of traditional OBM where the approach in implementation produces differential outcomes. Unfortunately, there is there are little data there are a few data to support these claims but sometimes experience must be our guide. Dr. Austin will discuss approaches to setting clear expectations, to having difficult conversations, delivering and receiving feedback, and delivering reinforcement that can help leaders build rapport and create behavior change more rapidly.

BCBA/BCBA-D

Behavior analysis, as a distinct psychological perspective, has had a relatively long career. It is argued that its longevity is owing, in part, to its revolutionary philosophical foundations. It was the road less travelled. Adherence to these foundations permitted the behavior analytic system to operate in relative isolation from competing groups, and to remain relatively stable by virtue of this circumstance. Over the past few decades though the behavior analytic system appears to have lost some of its most unique features, inviting instability and risking dissolution. Some of the factors that may have contributed to this outcome are addressed in this presentation. My aim in making this analysis is not to salvage the system of behavior analysis as it once was. This outcome is neither possible nor desirable. Rather, my aim is to consider how the field is evolving particularly as it engages with other disciplines, some of which foretell of new and important discoveries. And, regrettably, with some that were once rightly and ought still to be abandoned.

Some of the most basic tenets of behavior analysis are that the explanation of all behaviour should be in terms of interactions with the environment, that behavior is changed by its consequences in the ways specified by a modern version of the law of effect, that those behavior changes contribute a great deal to the behavioral repertoire that is observed, and that these principles apply to the behavior of many animal species including humans, whose covert and verbal behavior is also determined by the same principles. Various areas of recent empirical and theoretical development may threaten some of these tenets. Consequent questions discussed in this paper will include: Is there evidence that response strengthening doesn’t occur, and does this have implications for the ubiquity of the law of effect? Can we maintain a strong version of phylogenetic continuity of learning principles given the evidence from animal cognition studies on the one hand, and relational frame theory on the other? And do studies of observational learning in human development suggest that we have overestimated the role of the law of effect?

Those who have taken postgraduate course in behavior analysis

Come to the lounge area and meet presenters to discuss their research, ask questions, or just say "hi." Authors:

• John Austin
• Lauren Beaulieu and Corina Jimenez-Gomez
• Varsovia Hernandez Eslava
• Ricardo Pellon

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Teaching individuals with autism spectrum disorder who engage in severe problem behavior to tolerate delayed and denied access a necessary skill toward independent living. This skill deficit has resulted in an extensive reinforcement history that has resulted in engagement in severe problem behavior to obtain access to preferred items, specifically access to the iPad. Before teaching tolerance to delayed and denied access, it is important to ensure the participant has the pre-requisite skills, such as functional communication and a tolerance response. While focusing on functional communication training, latency data has been collected between the discriminative stimulus to terminate the iPad and the participant handing the iPad to staff. We will be determining if there is a correlation between decreasing latency of terminating the iPad and increasing use of functional communication, a tolerance response, and eventually delayed and denied access. This program aims to teach the prerequisite skills necessary to tolerate delayed and denied access.

Learning to feed oneself is an important repertoire that services as a pivotal functional skill for future independence. Even though much research has focused on how to accept non-preferred solids and liquids (Piazza et al., 2003), they may still fail to learn how to feed themselves. The current study directly replicates (Kandarpa et al., 2019; Smith et al., 2018) by further evaluating the intervention effects of self-feeding using prompt fading and errorless learning with a 4-year-old boy diagnosed with ASD in his preschool classroom. We used a combinatorial design containing both a multiple baseline design across behavior with an embedded reversal. Results and implications are further discussed in relation to the appropriateness of behavior analysts using prompt fading and errorless learning as an effective way to teach self-feeding skills for children with ASD.

Clinically, renewal occurs when a challenging behavior that was decreased in treatment increases following a change in the treatment context. Identifying methods to mitigate renewal is critical to ensuring that treatments are effective across settings. The present study evaluated the effects of adding a cue (i.e., a stimulus that is associated with treatment) to the environment on challenging behavior and mands. Participants were three children with autism who engaged in challenging behavior maintained by tangibles. In baseline, we measured mands for tangibles and challenging behavior when the tangible was removed in context A. Then, we implemented functional communication training in a different setting (i.e., context B). Once the participant mastered the functional communication response, we added a cue (e.g., wristband) during treatment. When mands and challenging behavior were stable, the participant returned to context A, where sessions with and without the cue alternated. The results showed that, for one participant, the cue mitigated renewal relative to when the cue was not present. For two participants, the cue did not mitigate renewal relative to when it was absent. For all participants, the presence vs. absence of the cue did not differentially impact manding. In summary, our results suggest that the cues used in the study may not have been salient enough to differentially affect renewal.

Play is an imperative part of childhood and aids in the development of language and social skills. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often have deficits in play skills, which may contribute to further delays in social development due to a decreased number of social opportunities during play. We analyzed videos of typically developing children’s play to revise data collection and inform the video model scripts. We then examined the effects of a video modeling intervention on independent play using a multiple baseline design across toy sets. Finally, we evaluated whether increases in play resulted in increased social interactions with peers during a socio-dramatic play center.

The endowment effect describes the tendency to assign greater value to an object they possess than they do to the same object when it is not in their possession. Collective bargaining negotiations between unions and employers occur in a context in which the endowment effect is likely to occur. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of delay to changes, magnitude of workload negotiated, and hypothetical group collaboration on the endowment effect. Part of the sample (N = 22) completed the task both as sellers and buyers. The remainder of participants (N = 92) were randomly assigned to either role. Participants were asked to name the minimum salary increase they would accept to work additional hours, or the maximum salary decrease they would accept to work fewer hours. Delay for changes to go into effect, magnitude of workload negotiated, and perceived collaboration with others were manipulated. Results were consistent with the previous literature. Seller prices exceeded buyer prices. The increase in workload being negotiated and hypothetical group size collaborating magnified the WTA-WTP gap. Delay did not influence the WTA-WTP gap.

The opioid epidemic continues to worsen in the United States. It is important that we identify possible supplements to strengthen rehabilitation therapies. The present study uses classically conditioned contextual stimuli to reduce withdrawal symptoms both during and after drug abstinence. Twice daily injections of morphine (10 mg/kg s.c.) were administered to adult male Sprague-Dawley rats until behavioral tolerance was observed in operant responding on variable ratio (VR-4) schedules for water reinforcement. Withdrawal symptoms were determined based on changes in grooming behaviors, completed variable ratios, and amount of defecation relative to non-drug baseline measures. Statistical analysis were performed across the five days of withdrawal. For grooming measures with the context-stimuli group producing a significantly greater number of responses during withdrawal; indicating a drug-opposite response. There was a significant difference (p>0.1) across the 5 days of withdrawal for completed response ratios, with the context-stimulus group having a considerably greater number of responses during withdrawal; indicating a drug-opposite response. For defecation behavior, a significant difference (p=.154) was observed for defecation during the withdrawal between the three groups. No significant difference was observed in grooming behaviors across the withdrawal period. Contextual stimuli may offer a target for procedures that may enhance rehabilitation therapies.

The present study investigated the use of a newly-developed functional process-based interview for use within a school-based functional behavior assessment with a highly verbal child presenting with both autism and emotional/behavioral disorder. This assessment resulted in the creation of a “process map” showing the flow of the participant’s covert behaviors within the four-term contingency. For comparative purposes, the same interview was provided to the client’s teacher. Both participants also responded to a more standard functional assessment interview. Results indicate that there was a profound difference between the student and the teacher’s responses on both the functional assessment interview, and the process-based interview. The process map of the student showed a typically unexplored aspect of interviewee’s environment in regard to the four-term contingency of applied behavior analysis, namely motivating/establishing operations, antecedents, behaviors, and consequences. This case study stands as a pilot study for further research involving participation of the client within their own assessment, and of the assessment of covert behaviors and private events.

This study was a replication of Baker and LeBlanc's (2011) "Acceptability of Interventions for Aggressive Behavior in Long-Term Care Settings: Comparing Ratings and Hierarchical Selection." The study examined caregivers and staff members acceptability of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for behavioral disturbances in nursing homes residents in Iceland and Norway. Participants were recruited online using a convenience sampling method. Participants were asked to evaluate acceptability of three treatments: (1) Communication Treatment, (2) Light and Sensory Treatment and (3) Pharmacological Intervention. A total of 189 individuals answered the questionnaire. Caregivers in Iceland found the Communication Treatment most acceptable, whereas in Norway the caregivers scored the Light and Sensory Treatment as most acceptable. Staffmembers, rated the Communication- and Light and Sensory Treatment similarly. However, across both countries and groups the pharmacological treatment was rated the least acceptable treatment.

This study used a hypothetical purchase task to investigate how likelihood of purchasing a climate-friendly commodity (rooftop solar) varied with price and descriptions of benefits for purchases. Prior research has shown that consumption for a sustainable commodity varies as a function of price and is well described by an exponential demand function (Kaplan, Gelino, Reed, 2018). Research has also shown that beliefs in consequences of energy investment decisions are related to household choice (Kastner & Stern, 2015). Participants were recruited from Amazon MTurk and N=244 completed the study. Participants rated how likely they would be to purchase home solar panels at 17 prices ranging from $0 to $150000. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups given different statements about benefits of purchasing solar panels: no information, energy independence, cost savings, or climate change benefits. Likelihood of purchase varied as a function of price and was well fit by exponentiated demand functions. Preliminary analyses show similar results across groups in obtained demand intensity (QO) and elasticity, median price at maximum output (Pmax) at $7500 and median breakpoints at $17500-$20000. Future studies will investigate effects of messaging on consumption of commodities with lower prices (i.e., electric vehicles, plant-based burgers).

Functional communication training (FCT; Carr & Durand, 1985) is a commonly used function-based intervention which leads to a reduction in problem behavior by increasing functionally equivalent communicative responses (FCR). Individuals who have been taught functional communication (FC), however, often engage in FCR at much higher rates than feasible for families (Betz et al., 2013). Thus, schedule thinning is considered clinical best practice. Recent research has further indicated combining schedule thinning with terminal probes allows for more efficient FCT (Kranak & Falligant, 2021). Therefore, using a concurrent multiple baseline design, this study analyzed the effectiveness of a terminal probe within a response class for one individual learning FC. Results indicated after schedule thinning and a terminal probe were conducted for one FCR, the terminal probe generalized to two other FCRs in which schedule thinning had and had not been implemented. Implications for clinical practice and future research will also be discussed.

Behavioral interventions to decrease problem behavior typically utilize dense schedules of reinforcement for appropriate behavior. Following reductions in problem behavior, generalization across contexts is programmed to ensure the intervention is effective in the natural environment. However, problem behavior sometimes reemerges as a function of changes in contexts, this is called renewal. Falligant et al. (2021) found that the prevalence of renewal was lower for individuals who experienced denser schedules of reinforcement in the initial training context than those who experienced leaner schedules of reinforcement. The current study extended Falligant et al. (2021) by examining the relationship between the obtained magnitude of reinforcement (i.e., duration or frequency) during the initial training phase and magnitude of renewal during treatment evaluations for individuals admitted to an inpatient unit for severe problem behavior. We re-analyzed 37 treatment applications with context changes across 34 cases identified via a retrospective consecutively controlled case series. The clinical implications of identifying factors that are associated with renewal of problem behavior are discussed.

People with disabilities have a higher prevalence of cigarette smoking than people without disabilities. Moreover, there is a research gap in smoking cessation interventions between people with and without disabilities. This systematic review aimed to identify and evaluate research on tobacco smoking cessation interventions designed to improve outcomes for people with disabilities (e.g., cognitive, hearing, mobility, visual). Electronic searches were conducted in CINAHL Plus (EBSCO), Embase (Ovid), Medline (Ovid), and PsycINFO (Ovid) to identify peer-reviewed studies on tobacco cessation interventions for adults with disabilities in the United States. Two independent coders evaluated all retrieved records. A total of 972 studies were included in title and abstract screening. Forty-six studies were examined in the full text review, of which two studies met inclusion criteria. Both included studies used mindfulness-based procedures to reduce the self-reported number of cigarettes smoked per day in people with mild intellectual disabilities. Additional studies address other disabilities but were not rigorous enough to meet inclusion criteria. Given the breadth of smoking cessation treatments available to the general population, there is a paucity of empirically supported research for those with disabilities. Implications and recommendations for tailored interventions to address the unique needs of people with disabilities are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the emergence and persistence of independent non-target mands displayed by a 4-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder during treatment (functional communication training; FCT) and treatment disruption (extinction of mands). This study was conducted in three phases. During Phase 1, FCT was conducted within a multiple schedules design across two mand modalities (i.e., picture card; microswitch). During Phase 2, a mand preference assessment (MPA) was conducted within a concurrent schedules design to determine preference for type of mand modality. During Phase 3, extinction was conducted within a multiple schedules design to evaluate the persistence of independent target manding (card touch and microswitch touch). During FCT, independent manding was similarly high for both target mand modalities. A preference for the microswitch over the picture card and higher persistence of target manding in the microswitch condition occurred during the MPA and extinction phases, respectively. During these procedures, two non-targeted mands (vocalizations and manual signing) emerged during FCT, with higher levels associated with the picture card condition. Non-target mands were also observed at relatively high levels during extinction, but without any clear differentiation across target mand modality conditions. Clinical and research implications for these results will be discussed.

Play skills are critical to a child’s development and well-being. Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, however, are often unable to adequately engage with items; because of this, they are at a severe disadvantage for acquiring essential skills necessary for their success within educational and social situations. Previous research has focused on multiple procedures including peer modeling, video modeling, and arbitrary reinforcers for increasing toy engagement, however, results have demonstrated varied success. The competing stimulus assessment (CSA), typically used for individuals that engage in self-injurious behaviors, has shown to be a reliable procedure for increasing toy engagement. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of the CSA for increasing play skills for a two-year-old boy diagnosed with Down Syndrome that did not engage in self-injurious behaviors. Results from the CSA identified four items that the participant would reliably and appropriately engage with suggesting that the CSA may be a useful alternative for increasing toy engagement for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who do not engage in self-injurious behavior.

The importance of teaching caregivers to identify functional variables surrounding problematic behaviors in daily life is widely recognized within behavior analytic caregiver training literature (e.g., Bearss et al., 2018; Lerman et al., 2013; Shayne & Miltenburger, 2013). One way to build this skill is to coach parents in collecting data on problematic behaviors when they occur outside of treatment sessions. However, barriers to reliable data collection are common challenges to caregiver training (Sanders, 2009). Presented is a case example of a simple, electronic data collection system designed for parents, which was used to guide treatment focus and demonstrate outcomes from parent training sessions. Procedures were conducted in the Complex Behavior Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders. The participant was a 7-year-old male diagnosed with autism who engaged in severe aggression, self-injurious behaviors, and property destruction. Initial sessions involved behavioral skills training in data collection procedures. Parent training was delivered weekly, involving data review and in vivo training of function-based procedures. Parents provided weekly data on behavioral events involving target behaviors. These data were graphed, analyzed, and used to assess progress on established treatment goals. Results demonstrate an initial 87% decrease in behavioral events per week from baseline. Low effort data collection across six questions averaging 3 minutes and 43 seconds per submission, can help guide treatment to produce clinically significant results in behavior reduction.

Intervention support technologies are being produced rapidly, and there is a critical need for frameworks and procedures to systematically evaluate their compliance with applied behavior analysis (ABA). Here, we present a systematic evaluation of the ability of the core components of ABA intervention to be implemented within the constraints of a particular technology, Floreo Virtual Reality. Specifically, this framework evaluates the implementation of the three-term antecedent-behavior-consequence contingency, including therapist control over activation of antecedents, determination and evaluation of specific target behavior responses of the learner, and implementation of consequences which are behaviorally contingent and immediate. We also evaluate the ability to implement standard prompting, prompt fading, and error correction procedures. Finally, we determine whether or not and how manual and automated trial-by-trial data can be collected and analyzed. Application of this evaluation framework indicates that a number of Floreo lessons are fully compliant with the core teaching procedures of ABA, and that the most common challenges to ABA compliance of Floreo lessons relate to digital data collection and error correction procedures. Therefore, this framework appears to be useful for both confirming the ABA-compliance of technology-based lessons and determining areas of need for securing ABA-compliance of said technologies for ABA practice.

Behavior analytic providers prioritize socially significant behaviors to improve independence and quality of life for the vulnerable populations we serve. In most interventions, functional communication and tolerance of delayed reinforcement skills are incorporated as goals. In the current study, Functional Communication Training (FCT) was implemented with an adolescent diagnosed with multiple developmental disabilities to increase tolerance of delayed reinforcement. It was socially significant for the client to be taught communication skills to obtain her needs and wants appropriately. Maladaptive behaviors were also a significant concern to the caregiver due to the high frequency of occurrences. The intervention was effective in increasing delayed tolerance, increasing accurate mands (use of two or more vocal words), and decreasing maladaptive behaviors (aggression and property destruction). There were limitations regarding hormonal fluctuations as they affected her mood and motivation during intervention. However, the client was taught communication skills which have been maintained and increased her access to needs and wants in the environment.

The neurodiversity movement is gaining ground as more and more advocates are speaking out in favor for inclusion. Discussions in the field of behavior analysis are steadily increasing. Organizations such as the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) has deployed a task force to interact with such discussions regarding neurodiversity and other related topics. Since 2020, several papers are advocating for more representation and inclusion of the perspectives of individuals of marginalized backgrounds, including neurodiverse populations (Collins et al., 2020). The purpose of this presentation is then to highlight the prevalence of presentations whose authors focused on topics associated with the neurodiversity movement across ABAI affiliated conferences for the last few years. This will be completed with two hopes. First, we hope to spark conversation and highlight what has been done, and what potentially could be done to aid in the inclusion of the movement and the perspectives within our behavior analytic community and beyond. Second, we will describe the efforts and open invitation for others to contribute to this and other diversity related causes. Viewers will be exposed to an interactive conversation with opportunities to contribute.

Decision about how much time to dedicate to certain behaviors can depend on both the cost for engaging in the behavior and its associated benefits. Past research has demonstrated the feasibility of hypothetical purchase tasks in measuring the relative demand for reinforcers such as alcohol and prescription drugs. However, the application of hypothetical purchase tasks to understand behavior related to scholarships has not been previously explored. In this study, hypothetical purchase tasks were used to examine the relative reinforcing efficacy of scholarships of varying amounts anchored to either academics or athletics. Specifically, students indicated how much time they would study/train per day if they were offered 100%, 90%, 80%, 70%,...0% academic/athletic scholarships. We received 86 valid academic scholarship responses and 43 valid athletic scholarship responses. All indices of demand were higher for academic scholarships than athletic scholarships. The specific fit of demand indices with this dataset and whether purchases in terms of time dedicated toward specific activities can be usefully incorporated into standard behavioral economic models are discussed.