Association for Behavior Analysis International

Developing ABA programs in countries with limited experience in serving children with autism or ABA services is very challenging. The first paper will outline the contextual issues of attempting to develop ABA services in Brunei. This will be from a parents' perspective of the evolution from a parent support group to a treatment centre highlighting the major challenges in trying to develop a sustainable local ABA expertise in the community. This includes local staff obtaining BACB certification. The second paper will present the developmental components of the program including demographic and diagnostic data on children receiving services as well as staff and general data regarding the centre. While the centre focuses on early intervention, it has also evolved to provide services as children age. The third paper will present treatment data on children who have received services since inception and initial outcome data for Learning Ladders. As a whole, the symposium will highlight the evolution from a fragmented system through the development of a more sustainable and consistent service model, which now allows for the expansion of home and school based ABA services.

Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) has long been recognised in the United States, Canada, England, Norway, and many other countries as the therapy of choice for autism. In Brunei Darussalam it is still relatively unknown. ABA programmes for children with autism prior to the establishment of the Learning Ladders Centre in 2009 were limited to families who could carry out research in English and hire their own external consultants at their own expense. The parent-managed ABA programmes failed to gain a foothold in the community because of poor service delivery, largely due to lack of regular supervision of the programmes and adequate training of therapists. This led to the development of the Learning Ladders Centre (NGO) by a group of parents who were keen to bring about a consistent, sustainable, localized ABA service for children with autism that includes local staff obtaining BACB certification. To achieve this the centre has had to adopt a different, more appropriate service delivery model. In this paper, the service delivery model and its limitations will be discussed, highlighting some of the major issues and challenges faced by the centre since its inception 5 years ago.

From its inception in 2009 through November 2014, the Learning Ladders Centre provided services to 32 children with autism, ranging in age from 2.5 to 11 years. Most of the children have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or have at least one other diagnosis. In the early stages, constraints on the availability of staff placed a limitation on the hours of service available to the children. As the centre gradually began to receive greater recognition from the community, it was able to recruit additional staff to boost the number of service hours. Since the ABA programme began, the senior staff members have received ongoing consulting and training from our external Board Certified Behavior Analyst, averaging 5 hours a week via video-conferencing. Backed by more experienced staff, the centre has been able to expand the range of ABA services transitioning from centre/home-based to school-based intervention. In this paper the overall development trend of the ABA programme over the 5 year period will be presented. This will include the developmental components of the programme, including the demographic and diagnostic data on the children receiving services, as well as staff and general relevant data regarding the centre.

Growth and development over the first 5 years for Learning Ladders has created about the need to develop a more significant understanding of individual treatment plans as well as continued expansion for new treatment options. A retrospective design was used to study the clinical development of the treatment program for the first 5 years. We chose 6 months as the minimum time in the program for a child to be included in this study. A total of 32 children have been in the treatment program for a minimum of 6 months. Files for all eligible children were reviewed using two standardized review forms. The first form was designed to capture essential demographic information and the second form was to capture summary information regarding the treatment plans for each child. Eight files were selected for conducting a reliability check on the data collected regarding the children’s treatment plans. The overall reliability was 90.74% with a range of 69.44%–98.88%. The purpose of this paper is to present the treatment data across children as well as across selected Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills- Revised curriculum items. This will also include treatment data from a variety of curriculum sources.

The purpose of this symposium is to discuss how to enhance quality of life of persons with chronic pain through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Japan. ACT has "strong research support" for chronic pain, which the Society of Clinical Psychology (APA's Division 12) has listed in 2012. Moreover the Division 12 says "As of late 2011, there are at least 11 clinical trials, including several that are randomized and controlled, demonstrating that ACT improves some outcomes in heterogeneous chronic pain samples, particularly functioning and mood, although pain severity may be less affected. ACT is superior to wait-list or no treatment, and thus far demonstrates outcomes for chronic pain that are comparable to cognitive behavioral therapy." In Japan, however, ACT for chronic pain has no research support. Recently Japanese Behavior Analysts have begun to investigate the effectiveness of ACT for Japanese people with chronic pain in clinical settings. In this symposium, two experimental case studies in Japan will be presented and discussed with Niklas Trneke, who is the Swedish expert of Clinical Behavior Analyst and ACT.

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a clinical behavior analysis technique (Kohlenberg, Tsai, & Dougher, 1993) which uses both exposure technique and behavioral activation as behavior analytic technology. Exposure technique is applied to encourage clients to activate their actions which lets them realize direct contingencies (Hayes, Strosahl, & Willson, 2012). ACT practitioners use behavioral activation techniques to ascend their behaviors maintained by positive reinforcement. This case report will demonstrate the process of ACT for a depressive Japanese client with an unidentified complaint. Patient has suffered from her depressive mood and unidentified complaint containing pain which drifts from place to place on her body. The therapist in this report encouraged her to expose both her pain and stimulus of her daily life. The therapist also prompted her to practice actions maintained by positive reinforcement. As a results of ACT intervention, the cumulative record of her daily behavior were raised through intake to follow up session.

This case study describes an intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for a middle-age female with chronic pain. This patient was a 51-year-old female who was absent from work because of chronic pain. The functional analysis suggested that avoidance of pain and pain-related private events such as depression and anxiety lead to a decrease in her quality of life over the long-term. The treatment mainly focused on clarifying her values in life and promoting the activities in valued direction. Mindfulness exercises were also used in an attempt to allow the patient to get distance from her pain-related private events. The treatment was delivered in 18 sessions. The effects of the intervention were assessed by using depression, anxiety, the variety of activities in valued life direction and the levels of pain. Following the intervention, depression and anxiety did not improve. However, the variety of valued activities such as attending the lessons of her hobbies increased compared to the baseline phase. The levels of pain also decreased. The results suggest that the intervention was effective in activating behaviors in valued direction. We will discuss the impact of the treatment on her quality of life.

The current study assesses the treatment acceptability of and preference for various interventions to reduce challenging behavior with Japanese parents who have a child with a developmental disability. We assessed differential reinforcement of alternative behavior, verbal reprimand, time-out, and ignoring in various scenarios involving challenging behavior. Moreover, we assessed the extent to which the child’s gender and parents exposure to applied behavior analysis influenced treatment acceptability and preference. In total, 34 first-generation Japanese mothers who immigrated to the United States completed the survey. There were no differences regarding the treatment acceptability of the various interventions. However, participants preferred DRA more often than the other interventions. When looking at the percentage of boys and girls within selected treatments, ignore was the highest percentage for boys and lowest percentage for girls, and DRA was the lowest percentage for boys and the highest percentage for girls. Moreover, treatment acceptability ratings were very low for ignoring with girls. Finally, parents’ exposure to ABA did seem to have some influence on treatment selection. The current study highlights the potential differences between acceptability and preference, and also calls for further exploration and consideration of gender and exposure to ABA in future research and practice.

In Hong Kong, more and more students with special needs have been included in mainstream school settings over the past decade. Three case studies are presented on the use of behavioural strategies to support students with special needs, including autism and ADHD, in two mainstream schools in Hong Kong. These students were in kindergarten and early primary. They all received either part-time or full-time one-on-one support from a shadow teacher with basic ABA training, supervised by a BCBA. Through continuous collaboration with the school administrators and teachers, these students were able to increase their participation in class with faded support over time. While the results are encouraging, there remains questions on how to expand the use of behavioural strategies in mainstream classrooms to provide less intensive but effective support for students with special needs in mainstream schools in Hong Kong.

Applied issues such as stimulus control, acquisition, and response variability can be examined in the laboratory as well as in the clinic. Vandbakk and Holth used rats to compare two different procedures for establishing conditioned reinforcers, classical conditioning (pairing) and operant discrimination. Molecular analysis of stimulus control revealed overshadowing effects that blocked new learning. Such effects were tested in a second experiment and demonstrated no control by stimuli that were not discriminative to begin with. The results will be discussed in the context of applied situations. Iversen used complex operants with rats so that acquisition could be examined in detail. Several experiments demonstrate an explosion of variability early in training. This variability slows down acquisition which only develops over sessions as variability is reduced. The results will be discussed in the context of using shaping methods in the laboratory and applied clinical settings. Murai examined the role of instruction and reinforcement history on variability of choices in human participants with clinical diagnoses such as OCD and depression where response variability is reduced. Enhancement of choice options increased response variability compared to the clinical situation. The results will be discussed as directly relevant for certain clinical populations.

We have conducted several experiments in the rat lab where we have compared the effects of two different procedures for establishing conditioned reinforcers: (1) Classical conditioning (pairing), and (2) operant discrimination training. Detailed analyses of second by second recordings from both training and test conditions revealed variable stimulus control patterns that suggested overshadowing, so that prior learning (possibly under magazine training) "blocked" new learning. The occurrence of overshadowing can have practical impact in applied settings in attempts to establish discriminative stimuli and/or conditioned reinforcers. We then carried out a blocking study to investigate further whether such phenomena are likely to occur under similar training conditions. First, we trained chain pulling for water in rats in the presence of either a tone or a light. Next, we reinforced chain pulling in the presence of a combination of tone and light. Very little stimulus control was evident by the stimulus that had not been established as a discriminative stimulus early during training. Neither did it work as a conditioned reinforcer when presented contingent upon a specific response. Procedures that produce blocking and overshadowing can have practical impact in applied settings, in attempts to establish discriminative stimuli and/or conditioned reinforcers.

Customarily with standard operant conditioning equipment, lever pressing by rats is acquired with very few reinforcers either by shaping or by direct contingency. To examine acquisition in more detail, experiments were designed to slow acquisition down by making the operant more complex. In one experiment, rats had to press a lever that could move down 4 cm, and criterion for reinforcement was to hold the lever between 1 and 3 cm for a few seconds (no shaping was used). Acquisition took several sessions, and the procedure generated considerable variability in lever movement that only disappeared slowly as the behavior developed into a stereotyped form. In a second experiment, rats had to press a certain sequence on three levers (no shaping was used) to produce reinforcement. The procedure generated considerable variability. Several sessions were required before the behavior settled in a fixed sequence of just the three required responses. Replications with new sequences generated the same pattern of acquisition. The experiments demonstrate that when the operant is more complex than a "simple" lever press, an explosion of variability precedes the formation of the pattern defined by the contingency. The results have implications for shaping of complex behavior in applied settings.

In the clinical situation, decreased behavioral variability is typical for clients including OCD, eating disorder, and depression. The present study examined whether instructional histories in which participants were suggested to choose one of choices affected the following response variability of participants having few mental health problems. The overall response variability of the participants was not decreased when the participants had histories to choose one of choices suggested by experimenter. On the other hand, the variability was decreased in the other condition. The result suggested that presenting possible choices to clients in clinical situation may be adequate to maintain response variability of clients.

Humans and chimpanzees are largely similar at early developmental stages, but there are several crucial differences. Chimpanzees have been very rarely observed to engage in general imitation and active teaching. Young chimpanzees possess exceptional working memory capacities, often superior to those of human adults. In contrast, their ability to learn the meaning of symbols is relatively poor. Chimpanzees show collaboration and altruistic behavior to some extent, but not as much as humans do. Human infants are typically raised by more than one adult; not only the mother, but also the father, siblings, grandparents, and other members of the community. The human infant is characterized by the stable supine posture of the neonate that enables face-to-face communication via facial expressions, vocal exchange, manual gestures, and object manipulation because both hands are free. The stable supine posture helps to make us human. The development of social cognition in humans may be integrally linked to this mother-infant relationship and the species-specific way of rearing the children. Based on the parallel effort of fieldwork and laboratory study of chimpanzees, Dr. Matsuzawa presents possible evolutionary and ontogenetic explanations for aspects of cognition and behavior that are uniquely human.

TBD

With cases in autism and other exceptionalities on the rise every year the US Department of Education promotes "innovation and continuous improvement." The current panelists will discuss their use and evaluation of the effectiveness of tele-health methods across regional, national and international participants. The panel discussion will focus on the use of tele-health via video modeling and video conferencing with and without in-vivo modeling for parent education and direct therapy. The panelists will discuss how tele-health methods can vary in presentation with family and caregiver education, multi-disciplinary collaboration and the use of video models as high, medium and low intensity with targets selected for individuals as well as groups as participants view videos in the classroom and/or in the home. Using research and current practices with participants locally with access to in-vivo support and participants overseas without access to in-vivo support of a clinician, the panelists will discuss their methods and gains

This symposium involves three papers that consider various social issues in behavioral perspective. The first paper considers the concept of caring, and in particular, what it means to care about something. After considering common ways of determining whether or not one cares about something, the author proposes an alternative way of conceptualizing caring behavior, and argues for research and scholarship derived from this conceptualization. The second paper considers popular parenting practices, and especially compares and contrasts the value of practices that call for relatively less supervision and involvement with those that call for more supervision and involvement. The author considers the strengths and limitations of both of these approaches, and also the behavioral processes involved in each of the models and how they impact child development. Finally, the third paper considers family values, including those related to faith, morality, and other important issues, and examines the persistence of those values throughout the lifetime of individuals. The author also considers a number of circumstances might temporarily disrupt or result in the modification of such values, as well as the re-establishment of those values.

Most individuals claim to care about various things in their day-to-day lives. The extent to which someone cares about something is often determined by the extent to which they say they care about something. Verbal reports may even be passionate or loud, and these are often considered especially strong indicators of caring. Of course, someone might say they care about something and not care about it, or not care about it very much. Conceptually, then, it is difficult to determine what someone really cares about based upon verbal reports. This paper argues that this difficulty is derived from relying on verbal reports in the first place. Indeed, relying on verbal reports is a consequence of assuming that what one cares about is private or within. An alternative means of conceptualizing caring involves describing caring as extended patterns of behavior, as a psychological event. Then, caring is not private, or even behavior that can be seen by naíve observers in moments, but rather behavior that can only be seen over extended periods of time. Conceptually, this requires a closer consideration of what behavior is and is not. Ultimately, such consideration may guide future investigation and application.

The child-rearing practice of “free-range parenting” has caught the attention of mainstream media as of late. While the term is new, this method of parenting is not. In contrast to the “helicopter parent” with the “free-range” approach, independence for young children is promoted by allowing them to engage in a variety of life experiences–primarily outside of the home, without parental supervision. However, some believe this to be a form of child neglect. This brings to light an important issue on the consideration of best practices in child-rearing, in particular the degree of direct parental involvement necessary for optimal child learning. Behavior analysis has much to say regarding this issue. This paper reviews some approaches to learning, including contingency shaped behavior, rule governed behavior, and errorless learning, and the roles of these in child-rearing. Further, life experiences during unsupervised parental time and the types of behavior that may come to strength during these times (e.g., autonomy, self-confidence, trustworthiness) will be discussed.

The values that one develops during childhood seem to have a strong impact on one’s life, and indeed, often persist throughout one’s lifetime. This paper explores the development of values acquired at an early age, and examines how those values might persist into adulthood and even throughout one’s life despite temporary, contextual disturbances. This paper considers a wide range of values that seem to develop early on, including those related to faith, morality, familial, political, and social conviction. In addition to this, the circumstances impacting their disruption and/or modification are considered, as well as those circumstances that are responsible for the re-establishment of values. After considering these issues the author describes the importance of considering values that are developed early in life, and discusses difficulties with their subsequent long-term modification. It is argued that the great scope of such matters and their inevitable interrelations accounts for the continuity of values across the lifespans of individuals.

This presentation will discuss the current and future needs for comprehensive programs for adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including domains to be address and measures to be used to show progress. While adults with developmental disabilities (including ASD) have been receiving adult services for many years, these services are often non-categorical and lack intensity and specificity and focus on maintenance rather than life-long learning opportunities. Further, compared to what is known for providing services for children with ASD, relatively little is known about providing services to adults with ASD. This paper will present the results of a census done of adults receiving services for developmental disabilities in the State of Montana. These data show the startling increase in the number of people entering adult services with a diagnosis of ASD. In response to this new need, the presentation will go on to discuss the current practices validated for adults with ASD and to describe Montana's process of model development, project evaluation, and technical assistance used in creating a model pilot program for adults with ASD. Additionally initial results will be reported. These results include increases in independent self-help skills, increased access to the community, increases in recreation skills, increases in vocational skills, increases in academic skills and decreases in challenging behaviors. Additionally, challenges will be discussed. To date, the biggest barriers are staff turnover and lack of staff training. Additionally, the challenges of current adult systems will be discussed. For example, many supports are provided in congregate settings which may be challenging for people with ASD and many non-competitive employment opportunities are the result of service providers own companies that produce goods and workers must be found to help with production, thus these service providers have a disincentive to create customized or competitive work opportunities for their clients. Thus this presentation will provide information about the complex system of adult services as well as information about the development of a model program to support adults with ASD.

Employment rates of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are extremely low. With ever-rising incidence rates of ASD, finding effective ways to meet the needs of this population is imperative. Video-based interventions including video-modeling have been shown to be effective in teaching children with ASD a variety of skills. The evidence base for these approaches for adults with ASD is scant. Here, we present data from a series of studies conducted within the context of “Edible Flowers,” a not-for-profit social enterprise designed to provide adults with ASD with vocational training and employment in a business producing edible flowers for restaurants based in Melbourne. Alternating treatment designs were used to compare the effects of in vivo and video modeling to teach vocational skills to three adults with ASD. A novel assessment of task preference was implemented to help explain variances in task acquisition. Results were inconclusive, but suggest both in vivo modeling and video modeling to be effective for teaching vocational skills to adults with autism. Results are discussed with reference to past research, theoretical issues, and suggestions for future research to help provide effective training methods for this population are proposed.

A review of cultural contingencies and social enviroments.

Much of the discussion of cultural matters in the behavioral tradition is pitched at the level of groups of persons as they are engaged in societal or organizational circumstances. The aim of this contribution to the program is to consider the nature and value of a conceptualization of cultural behavior at the level of the individual person, as is characteristic of analyses in the psychological domain. The characteristics of this type of behavior, the conditions under which it is established, developed and changed will be discussed. Relations between cultural behaviors of individuals and those of groups will be explored.

Groups don’t behave, neither do cultures. People behave. Interest in the behavior of persons in groups was present in Skinner’s writings, but its systematic study is recent. As the science of conditional relations, behavior analysis now is showing progress in understanding how cultural practices are shaped, maintained, and/or changed. Cultural practices are maintained by social contingencies that prevail in a given society, group or organization. The metacontingency concept has generated a large amount of empirical research, much of it experimental. So far, metacontingencies are classified as ceremonial, technological, conservative, and transformative. Our present task is to understand how the controlling agencies, like government, religion, family, etc., establish and maintain such conditional relations.

Studying the cultural unit of interest, we will argue for a methodological distinction between theconcept ofcultural selection and the concept of the selection of cultures. While Skinner (1981) describes the third level of selection as evolution of social environments or cultures, some experimental works refer to cultural selection as a unique process responsible for the behaviors defined as cultural. The two concepts might be seen as two sides of the same phenomena, but we will argue that at least for methodological reasons the two concepts call for different research strategies that might challenge traditional behavior analytical approaches.

Participants included two male adolescents 18 years of age diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants were selected based upon age, diagnosis, the need to improve their activities of daily living skills, and parental permission. Participant’s observations were conducted in their home setting. Observations took place in the natural environment where the tasks would be performed. Baseline and maintenance phases occurred in the participant’s home environment identified as activities of daily living skills Three tasks were identified for each young adult through a collaborative process involving their parents. These tasks included skills that the young adults were not able to perform independently or needed prompts to complete. The tasks identified for participant 1 were cooking, setting the table, and folding jeans. For participant 2, the tasks identified were setting the table, cleaning the bathroom counter and sink, and cleaning the mirror. The participants were selected for the study because of the deficits in their daily living skills. All videos were created using both the Apple iPad and Apple iPod. Three videos for each participant were created based on the targeted task. These videos were created from a “first-person” perspective. Through the eyes of the participants, the videos portrayed the arms and hands of the model performing the task (Bellini & Akullian, 2007). The entire task was filmed with a verbal description of each step as it was being performed. This study followed Kellems and Morningstar’s (2012) multiple probe design across behaviors. For each participant one task was acquired before the next task was introduced. When the young adult reached the criterion level on the first targeted behavior, the intervention was then introduced to the second target behavior while the third remained in baseline with data probes’(p. 158). The dependent variable was the percentage of steps performed correctly (using a task analysis). The task analysis recorded each step that was performed correctly or incorrectly during each session (Kellems and Morningstar, 2012). Interobserver checks occurred during 100% of the baseline conditions, 50 % of the probe condition, and 24 % of the intervention condition. The overall mean was 99%. Agreement ranged from 95%-100%. IOA for prompt data during the intervention condition was 83% with a range of 50% to 100%. This study replicated similar methods by Kellems and Morningstar (2012) in which baseline data were collected from all participants. The intervention was introduced for the first task once a stable baseline was established for all tasks. Intervention for Task 2 after the participant demonstrated acquisition of the first task as determined by three consecutive stable data points at 100%. The same procedure was used for Task 3. Prior to the intervention phase participants were taught how to access the videos from their iPad (Participant 1) and iPod (Participant 2). During the intervention phase one verbal prompt was given to the participant to watch the video of the targeted task on the device, then to perform the task. An initial prompt was given to review the video from the previous step up until and including the step where the error occurred (i.e., “watch the video”). If errors continued, up to three prompts were given before moving on. Data was collected on the number of prompts given if the participant performed the step incorrectly more than one time.

Participants included two male adolescents 18 years of age diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants were selected based upon age, diagnosis, the need to improve their activities of daily living skills, and parental permission. Participant's observations were conducted in their home setting. Observations took place in the natural environment where the tasks would be performed. Baseline and maintenance phases occurred in the participant's home environment. Three tasks were identified for each young adult through a collaborative process involving their parents. These tasks included skills that the young adults were not able to perform independently or needed prompts to complete. The tasks identified for participant 1 were cooking, setting the table, and folding jeans. For participant 2 the tasks identified were setting the table, cleaning the bathroom counter and sink, and cleaning the mirror. All videos were created using both the Apple iPad and Apple iPod. Three videos for each participant were created based on the targeted task. These videos were created from a "first-person" perspective. Through the eyes of the participants, the videos portrayed the arms and hands of the model performing the task (Bellini & Akullian, 2007). The entire task was filmed with a verbal description of each step as it was being performed. This study followed Kellems and Morningstar's (2012) multiple probe design across behaviors. For each participant one task was acquired before the next task was introduced. "When the young adult reached the criterion level on the first targeted behavior, the intervention was then introduced to the second target behavior while the third remained in baseline with data probes" (p. 158). The dependent variable was the percentage of steps performed correctly (using a task analysis). The task analysis recorded each step that was performed correctly or incorrectly during each session (Kellems and Morningstar, 2012). Interobserver checks occurred during 100% of the baseline conditions, 50% of the probe condition, and 24% of the intervention condition for participant 1. The overall mean was 99%. Agreement ranged from 95%-100%. IOA for prompt data during the intervention condition was 83% with a range of 50% to 100%. This study replicated similar methods by Kellems and Morningstar (2012) in which baseline data were collected from all participants. Intervention for task 2 occurred after the participant demonstrated acquisition of the first task as determined by three consecutive stable data points at 100%. The same procedure was used for task 3. Prior to the intervention phase participants were taught how to access the videos from their iPad (participant 1) and iPod (participant 2). During the intervention phase one verbal prompt was given to the participant to watch the video of the targeted task on the device then to perform the task. An initial prompt was given to review the video from the previous step up until and including the step where the error occurred (e.g., "watch the video"). If errors continued, up to three prompts were given before moving on. Data was collected on the number of prompts given if the participant performed the step incorrectly more than one time.

Two adults exhibiting inappropriate verbal behavior via texting, emailing, and in person were selected to participate in this study. Participant observations were conducted in the home and community setting. Baseline and maintenance phases occurred in the natural environment where communication would naturally occur. Three forms of inappropriate verbal behavior were identified: frequency of text messaging or emails containing offensive or otherwise abusive content, frequency of text messages or emails probing for personal information and containing repetitive questions, and frequency of text messages or emails containing threats or false accusations when others did not comply with their repeated requests. The participants were selected for the study because of the communication deficits in their relationships with others and the negative effects their behaviors were having on others. Materials used included phone with email and text messaging capability, phone with alternate number, and computer with internet and private social media site (Shutterfly). The dependent variable was the number of text messages and emails or posts on the social media site containing content per the above criteria. Prior to the intervention phase, participants were taught how to access a private social media site. Both participants were also reminded to call or discuss matters in person when necessary and redirected to the site. During each intervention phase, one verbal prompt was given to the participant to use the social media site. If texts or emails continued, up to three prompts were given before moving on.

The present study investigated the effect of the extension of trained musical stimuli on learning how to read music notation. It also aimed to evaluate the emergence of recombinative reading, formation of equivalence classes, and transfer of stimulus control to playing a keyboard without previous training. The procedure was based on the stimulus equivalence paradigm. The stimuli used were: sounds of musical notes on the piano (A), pictures of piano keyboards (B), and notation in Bass Clef (C). Eighteen undergraduate students, with no previous music training, were divided into three experimental groups, each with different extensions of teaching units: 1) one single note, 2) two-note sequences, and 3) four-note sequences. Participants were exposed to conditional discrimination training with auditory stimuli as samples (AB/AC). After training each relation, conditional relation tests and keyboard playing tests, both with trained stimuli (single note) and with stimuli that recombined notes used in training, were conducted to verify the emergence of new relations and new repertoire (keyboard playing). Results show that there was equivalence class formation, transfer of stimulus control to keyboard playing, and emergence of recombinative reading for some participants. Participants in the single note sequenceand four-note sequence groups had the best scores on tests.

Research on the interactions between nonverbal (NVB) and verbal (VB) behavior (e.g., correspondence) has declined over the last decades. Aiming to contribute to the revival of this area, we developed a computerized adaptation of the task by Catania et al. (1982) that includes a multiple random-ratio (RR) random-interval (RI) schedule (MSR), automatic shaping of verbal reports (VRs), and the possibility to schedule aversive contingencies on the verbal or nonverbal components of the task (to our knowledge, this is something without precedents in this research area). In Study 1, we embedded a response cost contingency (RC) on the RI component, expecting that it would produce differential response rates (DRRs), and thus higher discriminative schedule control (DSC; Torgrud & Holborn, 1990). We predicted that establishing DRRs would promote VRs that more likely conformed to the expected performance on each schedule of the MSR. Automatic shaping of VR was successfully accomplished for the majority of the participants, and the data supports the notion regarding the critical role of RC, DRRs, and DSC: DRRs were typically established with the introduction of the RC, and corresponding VRs were developed only after DRRs were established. Finally, punishment of high rates in the RI component very often produced a transitory suppressive effect (DRRs faded when the RC was removed). Study 2 (ongoing) aims at extending these findings regarding the role of DRR, DSC, and aversive contingencies in VB-NVB interactions in the context of using the same manipulations reported by Catania et al. (reversal shaped or instructed guesses, instructing pressing rates, reversing MSR contingencies).

Extensive research suggests that physical exercise has significant positive impacts on health and behavior, including physical health, reductions in stress, and increases in particular aspects of behavioral functioning. Although one would generally assume the same benefits for all individuals, very little is currently known about the effects of physical exercise specifically for individuals on the autism spectrum. Furthermore, individuals with autism and other special needs have uniquehistoriesand needsin regard to motivation and participation. Here, we present two completed large-scale experimental group design studies examining the effects of an ABA-based physical exercise intervention program conducted in schools. Specifically, we examine the effects of this intervention program on self-reported stress and on behavioral measures of response inhibition and flexibility. Results indicate that the intervention program was effective for both reducing stress and increasing behavioral flexibility and response inhibition, regardless of participant diagnosis. These findings provide direct evidence for the effectiveness of a school-based ABA intervention for physical exercise.

It is well documented that visual impairment (VI) can have a profound effect on many areas of development due to lack of access to visual models and reinforcement. Learners with VI alone constitute a small group; however, many school-age children with multiple disabilities may have an associated VI that goes undetected because professionals find these children difficult to test, or worse is disregarded because VI is not considered the primary disability. Compound the developmental implications of having any disability with VI, and it is not difficult to understand these learners’ struggle to develop language and communication, social and functional skills to achieve academically, and have a high quality of life. For this presentation, the author will synthesize findings from systematic reviews of the research literature on response prompting and reinforcement to increase adaptive behaviors of learners with VI, and findings from original research applying behavioral intervention strategies to teach new skills to children with VI. The presenter will discuss the implications of VI on learning from a behavioral perspective and provide direction for future research to support identification of evidence-based practices to teach new skill acquisition, generalization, and maintenance for this group of learners.

In the US and Europe, there are many researchers and practitioners in the field of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM). Their research and practical application case studies are well known in the ABA community and in the many organizations they work in. In Asia on the other hand OBM as a field is not as widely known. This panel discussion focuses on two primary topics. First, we will discuss recent research conducted in two Japanese and Korean universities and the implications of the findings. Secondly, we will share examples of how this and other research within OBM is applied in organizations within Asia, and the associated impact and challenges. The discussion will focus on ways we can further disseminate OBM in Asia, and what first steps we are already taking to do so.

There has been an increasing amount of interest for ABA services in Japan, especially given the recent increase of Autism diagnoses. In order to produce effective services in Japan, practitioners must face a number of challenges that are directly related to the current Japanese legal and cultural contexts. The challenges include the lack of legal recognition, insufficient number of Japanese practitioners, the lack of certification or licensure, to name a few. What kind of practice models have been attempted and been successful in the current Japanese contexts? What are their specific challenges? How do we accelerate the success of services and further disseminate ABA services to Japanese education and human service settings? The current panel discussion will introduce some practice models that have been currently utilized or attempted in Japan, along with their challenges, by Japanese ABA practitioners who are board certified in behavior analysis or educated in the US universities. The models include center- or home-based early intervention services for children with Autism, staff-training and consultation in human service settings, and intervention services in a hospital setting. The discussion will invite audience to further analyze how we effectively move forward to rapid dissemination of ABA services in Japan.

Most of the research questions posed within the experimental and applied analysis of behaviour are best answered by single-system research methods. However, there are important questions that are relevant to behaviour analysts where other methodologies may be appropriate but where a behaviour analytic perspective could add rigor to the analysis and interpretation of findings. For example, most of the available research on ASD in relation to health, education, quality of life, poverty, and social exclusion is based on data collected after diagnosis, limited by all the perils of retrospective, self-select studies. The present study is a secondary data analysis of the longitudinal Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) that covered pre- and post-diagnosis period. Importantly, the focus of the large scale MCS (n=18,522 families took part) was on childhood in general, rather than on autism. Pre-diagnostic health problems clearly differentiated children later diagnosed with autism from non-diagnosed peers. Post-diagnosis, the quality of life for the families of children with ASD and their educational trajectory decreased dramatically. These findings raise many issues not only related to the rights of persons with disabilities and their families, but also to the development of research questions for our science.

The population of students with special needs, including autism, is on the rise. Evidence-based services that are often deemed to be optimal or at least appropriate, tend to be expensive and needed long-term. Communities and families are frequently ill-prepared to afford these evidence-based services. If they can afford the services, stakeholders ought to be able to evaluate the effectiveness of those services. Currently, there are no universal methods for measuring the effectiveness of an instructional program for a student, or a class of students to compare schools. The field of applied behavior analysis has established a method for evaluating the costs and benefits and relative cost of services provided to students using the learn unit as a unit of measurement. When schools teach using applied behavior analysis, their effectiveness and efficiency can be determined as well as relative cost. The present study reports on four years of applied behavior analysis instruction at a non-profit school program (The Children's Institute of Hong Kong). Visual graphic displays include learn unit instruction and mastery of objectives, as well as cost in Hong Kong dollars.

The science of behavioral pharmacology began with the demonstration of differential drug effects based on the baseline schedule of reinforcement maintaining the behavior. The field has grown to encompass a variety of behavioral baselines, including procedures used to study complex repertories involved in remembering, problem solving, and, what have been traditionally called, "higher-order cognitive" functions. Translational strategies have been developed to study these repertoires in non-humans. In this symposium recent research with rats and nonhuman primates will be presented. Dr. Mark Galizio will discuss differential effects of a benzodiazepine and an NMDA antagonist based on the type of memory task: the Odor Span Task and a list-learning task. Dr. Brian Kangas will discuss differential effects of cannabinoids on repeated-acquisition, discrimination-reversal, and delayed matching-to-sample tasks.

The delayed matching-to-sample procedure is widely used to study remembering in non-human subjects, but memory research in humans more often involves lists of multiple stimulus items. Translational strategies have been developed to study list memory in non-humans, and two techniques that permit analysis of behavior controlled by stimulus lists in rats are described here: the Odor Span Task (OST) and a list learning task (LLT). The OST is essentially an incrementing non-matching-to-sample (INMTS) in which an increasing number of sample stimuli control behavior. Rats are placed in a circular arena with 18 stimulus locations. In the initial trial, one stimulus cup marked with a distinct olfactory stimulus was present and responding to it was reinforced. Each subsequent trial added a new olfactory stimulus and responding to the new stimulus was always reinforced (non-matching). The LLT is a variation of the OST in which 12 odor-stimuli are presented sequentially and followed by a test on which each trial consists of one of the previously presented list items (S-) along with a novel odor. Drug effects were assessed once stable rates of performance were obtained and selective impairments on both tasks were produced by a benzodiazepine (flunitrazepam) and an NMDA antagonist (MK-801).

The primary psychoactive ingredient of marijuana—9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—has medicinal value, but also produces deleterious psychoactive effects, promoting the search for improved cannabinoid therapeutics. The present studies compare the effects of THC, which has been characterized as a cannabinoid partial agonist, those of the cannabinoid full agonists AM4054 and WIN 55,212-2, the endocannabinoid anandamide (with and without its metabolic inhibitor) and its stable synthetic analog methanandamide. Drugs were studied on several complex behavioral endpoints in nonhuman primates using touchscreen procedures designed to assay learning (repeated acquisition), cognitive flexibility (discrimination reversal), and short-term memory (delayed matching-to-sample). THC, WIN 55,212-2, and AM4054 produced dose-related impairment of discrimination-based performance, with potencies that varied across tasks (performance < learning < flexibility < memory). However, anandamide had negligible effects and, even following inhibition of its metabolite, only produced moderate dose-related impairments on short-term memory. These effects were systematically replicated with methanandamide. Taken together, these data suggest that: 1) complex discriminative endpoints are differentially vulnerable to cannabinoid action and 2) metabolically stable forms of anandamide may offer a therapeutically advantageous alternative to other cannabinoid agonists.

Within the mental health field, cultural competence should be regarded as an ethical obligation. Unfortunately, there is no clear definition of what constitutes culturally competent services. Moreover, there appears to be an insufficient number of evidence-based resources available to service providers. The growth of behavior analysis internationally, use of telehealth (virtual services), as well as revisions to the BACB Guidelines (to promote areas of ethics, supervision, and professionalism), will require behavior analysts to have more expertise and knowledge about working with diverse populations and cultures. What remains to be determined is whether or not the current guidelines, availability of resources, and training requirements are rigorous and diverse enough to allow behavior analysts to provide truly culturally competent services. To begin to answer this question, this presentation will review the results of a needs assessment completed in 2015 by over 900 certified behavior analysts internationally. The aims of the project were to identify perceptions of cultural competence, training and experience throughout university and employment, access to resources to increase culturally competent skill areas, and complications that may arise from cultural dissimilarities across phases of treatment.

Motivation has traditionally been viewed as a spiritual or biological force existing within organisms that compels them to action. Behavior analysis has broken with this tradition by conceiving of motivation not as a thing that exists within organisms but instead as organism-environment interactions that alter the extent to which stimuli function as reinforcers and/or aversive stimuli, thereby producing changes in the behavior of the whole organism with respect to such stimuli. In contemporary behavior analysis, such interactions are accounted for via the motivating operation (MO) construct. While the MO has proven useful, a number of conceptual issues related to the construct are in need of clarification, and a systematic program of research on motivation has yet to develop within the experimental analysis of behavior. The present paper will address these conceptual issues and highlight several areas in which important basic research on MOs could be conducted. In so doing, we will present a combination of data obtained from experimentation we have conducted as well as conceptual analyses drawing from data appearing in the literature.

The Paideia Individualized Education model, which has been undergoing refinement at Queens Paideia School in New York City since 2009, is based on a team teaching approach and fully individualized education made possible by a 6:1 student-teacher ratio. Every student advances at his or her own best pace on a learning plan that reflects that student's level of progress in every subject area. The teachers function as "learning managers" who create conditions that will result in learning, rather than as presenters of information. Equal attention is devoted to academic subjects and to non-academic dimensions of student progress such as self-management, executive function, collaboration, self-direction, and social interaction competencies. In all areas, progress is measured in terms of the achievement of learning objectives defined in a way that enables both students and learning managers to know when the objective has been achieved. Emphasis is placed on the acquisition of competencies in inquiry, communication, problem solving, analysis, and the use of heuristics. The overarching goal is to prepare students for the world of their adulthood by simulating, in the school setting, some of the essential features of most work and family situations. This model's significance for education reform will be discussed.

Special education students' needs are not consistently met in special education programs. This qualitative single case study explored special education programs based on a county education program serving multiple school districts in Northern California. The qualitative approach was selected to explore and identify potential themes in special education programs affecting special education students' needs not being met consistently. There were 14 themes found in this study, which appeared to be potential barriers impacting students' needs from being met consistently. The study utilized both a theoretical and conceptual framework for the study. There were eight recommendations provided to help this educational agency begin to address these barriers within their special education programs. A leadership model was developed to help the educational agency identify a defined leadership style to use in their special education programs. Additionally, educational leaders in the United States could use these findings to begin evaluating special education programs.

Verbal Behavior Developmental Theory is a Skinnerian-based account of Verbal Behavior development. Building off Skinner's 1957, Verbal Behavior, basic an applied research devoted to the identification of emergent behavior in individuals with and without developmental delays has been conducted. Through the body of research compiled by verbal behavior developmental theorists, a behavioral account of language development has been established (Greer & Ross, 2008). Verbal behavior developmental theorists have identified critical learning cusps and capabilities that make acquiring language possible, and devised protocols to induce these in individuals who lack them (Greer & Longano, 2010; Greer & Ross, 2008; Greer & Speckman, 2009). Researchers have found ways to experimentally manipulate individual's instructional histories so that they can come into contact with the environment in new ways (cusps) and learn in ways they could not before (capabilities) (Rosales-Ruiz & Baer, 1996). The identification of verbal behavior developmental cusps and capabilities has helped refocus the field of verbal behavior on the acquisition of incidental language and complex social behavior. These findings provide new implications for how children with language delays can be effectively taught to acquire essential academic and social repertoires.

The ability to acquire novel academic repertoires by observing contingencies within the learning environment is essential for academic success. The experimenters implemented a non-concurrent multiple probe design across participants to test the effects of a peer-yoked contingency intervention on the induction of the Observational Learning Capability. There were four participants in this study,three males andone female all ages 8 or 9 at the onset of the study. The study was conducted in a third grade inclusion classroom that operated on the principles of applied behavior analysis. The dependent variable in the study was the number of accurate tacts emitted to unconsequated trials after observing a peer receiving direct tact instruction. The independent variable in the study was the implementation of a yoked contingency game board to occasion an establishing operation for observing instruction delivered to a peer. The results of the study demonstrated that the peer intervention was effective in inducing the Observational Learning Capability.

The presentation will demonstrate that the verbal operant autoclitic, when presented as an antecedent condition of a response, may have persuasive effects upon it, altering the function of the verbal stimuli that accompanies them. The empirical base is 11 experiments, conducted at the Laboratory of Verbal Operants Studies (LEOV) at University of São Paulo, in Brazil, with A-B-A or pre-post test designs. The participants were typical developed children and young university students. The procedures involved a baseline, where it was observed the frequency of a nonverbal response. In experimental phases, one or more verbal manipulations were conducted on verbal antecedent stimuli with autoclitic topography suggested by Skinner (1957), where one or more verbal responses, previously observed in the baseline, were differentially reinforced. After this, post-test measures, under similar conditions of those in baseline, were taken, verifying the reversion or not of the responses. The results in the majority of the studies indicated that the effects of the autoclitic verbal stimuli upon the non-verbal behavior related were, in general, transient, more easily observed in children than in adults, and with responses of lower cost. Under conditions where the emission of shaped autoclitic verbal stimuli did not show changes in the related nonverbal response, instructions announcing generalized reinforcers contingent upon the emission of planned response were effective. It was interpreted that the autoclitic is one more dimension of stimulus control, coherent with Schingler's analysis (1993) that, under certain conditions, the autoclitic is an altering function stimulus.

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Multiple studies have now compared intensive behavior analytic intervention for young children with autism to the most widely available alternative: eclectic treatment. Intensive, comprehensive behavior analytic treatment consistently out performs the eclectic model on standardized measures of cognitive functioning, language, and adaptive skills, (e.g., Sparkman, Cohen, Green, & Stanislaw, 2005; Howard, Stanislaw, Green, Sparkman, & Cohen, 2014). For example, Howard et. al. (2015) reported that approximately 60% of the children who received early intensive behavior analytic intervention tested in the normal range of cognitive functioning after 3 years of treatment compared to only 25% of the children who received eclectic intervention, even when the intervention was specifically designed for children with autism. Similar findings are found when reviewing the results of language testing and measures of adaptive skills. Reasons as to why the eclectic model is so widely implemented will be discussed along with possible ways to address barriers to the adoption of effective treatment.

The study of the evolution of the behaviors of individuals with ASD through time may lead to a better understanding of the evolution of the disorder, and can provide tools for understanding the etiology but also the effects of the environment (e.g., different treatments, the time of intake, the components of the treatment, etc.) on the evolution of ASD. The current research work observed behavioral changes taking place over time with respect to certain key variables (namely, age of onset of treatment, intensity of treatment, duration of treatment, type of treatment). To investigate this, we examined the evolution of children receiving behavioral treatment at least 20 hours per week, with onset of treatment before or after 5 years old. We used the French version of The Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills-Revised (ABLLS-R; Partington, 2008) to monitor the evolution of the children with ASD. Our results indicate that regardless of the skills initially present in the participants, there are two distinct kinds of learners, those with a steep learning curve—the fast learners—and those with moderate learning curves—the slow learners. These learning curves are of interest not only with regard to the immediate effectiveness of treatment but also in the long term. The identification of children as fast learners or slow learners would enable further specification of the components of the treatments provided to these children and make them even more effective (Magiati et al., 2010).

Eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables offers considerable protection against many cancers, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and other preventable illnesses; it also reduces obesity. Health benefits of engaging in regular physical activity and avoiding sedentary behaviour are likewise well documented. Yet few children eat the recommended amount of fruit and veg and exercise enough. In this symposium we present the results of our latest translational research, showing the effectiveness of a range of school-based programs that effectively change dietary and physical activity behaviors in children aged 2 to 18 years. These programs include a new healthy eating intervention for preschool children; a healthy eating program that delivers excellent results in Special Schools; and development of a new multi-component intervention to increase physical activity in primary school children. We also present a new methodology for calculating changes in the nutritional composition of children's meals; provide evidence of displacement of foods high in fat, salt and sugar by the increases in consumption of fruit and vegetables; and demonstrate that skill-based tasks can harness the children's intrinsic motivation to increase their activity levels. Discussion will consider wider impact of our findings and questions we hope to address in the future.

Healthy foods including fruit and vegetables are available to most UK children in school dining rooms, but they are often ignored, perceived as uncool, and left uneaten. Food Dudes Dining Experience, a comprehensive behavior change intervention designed to improve school food environment and maintain the gains from the intensive Phase 1 of the Food Dudes program was trialed in collaboration with Bolton Council School Caterers. Across four schools, primary school children took part in either a full Food Dudes program that included a Dining Experience intervention or a reduced program that did not significantly change school food environment. Key evaluation measures included direct observation of children's consumption at school and caterer and school records to assess changes in school meal provision and uptake. We recorded substantial improvements in children's consumption of fruit and vegetables, and a significant decrease in their consumption of foods high in fat, salt, and sugar at follow-up in the intervention schools, but poorer maintenance in control schools. We conclude that combining an intervention that provides demand for healthy foods and attractive branding of fruit and veg with an intervention that makes choosing healthy foods easy and appealing to the children can substantially change their diets.

Six nursery schools participated in a controlled evaluation of a modeling and rewards intervention designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in 3-4 year old children. During baseline, all participants (N=289) received a standardized portion of target fruit and target vegetables, a different pair each day. In Phase 1 (32 days) target foods continued to be presented in all schools. In the three intervention schools only, participants first watched a video showing four child characters eating a variety of fruit and vegetables to get "special energy" then received small customized rewards if they ate the provided target foods. Next, follow up measurement was conducted in all schools under baseline conditions. For the next three months, the intervention schools took part in once weekly "rainbow picnics" in which children received rewards for eating target fruit and vegetables. Final measurement completed the study. Consumption of target fruit and vegetables in the intervention schools increased significantly from baseline to 3-month follow up (p<.0001 for both categories), with large effect sizes. In the control schools, matched fruit and vegetable provision alone proved ineffective in changing children's consumption. This shows that children's food choices can be modified successfully before they start primary school.

Healthy eating is especially difficult to achieve with children with intellectual disabilities, who often show change-resistant behaviors such as idiosyncratic eating patterns and reluctance to try new foods. In a controlled trial in North Wales, 250 pupils in two Special Schools received the Food Dudes healthy eating program, modified for use with children with a range of disabilities, including Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Another 260 pupils in a matched control school received the same foods and measurements but no intervention. Direct observations were used to measure children's target food consumption over 4 days at baseline, after intensive Phase 1 of the intervention and at 2-month follow up. We recorded statistically significant and substantial increases in children's fruit and vegetable consumption and decreases in their consumption of sweet and fatty foods in the interventions schools immediately after Phase 1 and at follow up (p<.0001 for all categories) compared to baseline and to the control school. Dietary improvements were seen regardless of children's age, sex, diagnosis, severity of disability, or baseline consumption. These results show that we can improve nutrition, reduce health inequalities, and give children and their families much needed help to establish and sustain healthy lifestyles.

Physical activity levels in primary school children are well below the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity perday. Dynamic Dudes is a multi-component school-based intervention utilizing the core behavior change principles of the Food Dudes healthy eating program to increase moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in the classroom, physical education lessons, and at break times. Activity is occasioned by peer modelling videos and customized playground equipment that provides immediate consequences, creating environmental support for positive behavior change. In-class DVDs feature the four Food Dudes characters modelling their signature activity moves, inviting children to progress through a series of 10 levels. Our pilot work in schools in Wales confirms that skill mastery is a powerful motivator for increasing activity levels in children aged 4–11 years, and that in-class DVDs are effective in interrupting sedentary behavior whilst being acceptable to teachers. The ongoing research involves a controlled evaluation in four schools in England, using multiple measures of activity (FitBit accelerometers) taken at school and home; fitness (20m shuttle run) and anthropometry (BMI, sitting height, waist circumference) at baseline and after the introduction of intervention components. Preliminary results show increases in physical activity in the intervention schools compared to control schools and to baseline.

What to do about social promiscuity? The fact is "everyone's doing it", but the question is "are we doing it right?" As students and practitioners of applied behavior analysis, we can use social media sites to exchange ideas or swap references to readings and appropriate literature of behavioral principles and interventions. Appropriate use of social media sites for businesses includes marketing and promoting services or advertising upcoming promotions or events. Using such means to solicit testimonials from current clients, however, is not. In today's market, social media is a powerful tool that we can use to disseminate public information about behavior analysis. Of course, with great responsibility, also comes great risk. The purpose of this presentation will be to review, discuss, and suggest ways behavior analysts can become socially savvy scientists.

Transmission and maintenance of a specific cultural practice (tokens donation) between members of a microsociety depending on the type of rule that is exposed, and the verbal interactions occurring between them were analyzed. Forty graduate students participated and were randomly assigned to four groups. Each group consisted of eight generations of three participants. Each participant was part of three generations. All the groups were exposed to an experimental session consisting of five phases: manufacture of aircrafts, invitation to donate (exposure to ceremonial rule, technological rule or not rule), donation, feedback regarding the number of tokens donated by each generation, and distribution of higher value tokens in an equal number to the tokens donated by the previous generation among members of a new generation. The results are analyzed under the term "metacontigency" tool used for the study of human behavior in the social field, which consists of individual contingencies interlocking to produce a single long-term outcome. Participants tended to increase the percentage of donation as they were exposed to experimental treatment. The ceremonial rule with verbal interactions allowed favored tokens donation, compared to the experimental condition in which verbal interactions were not allowed and were not given an explicit rule.

Previous research showed that Japanese college students share less than American college students. This result seems counterintuitive given perceived differences between collectivist (Japan) and individualist (American) cultures. However, smoking and alcohol use rates were not measured. One of the most robust findings in impulsivity (sharing) research is that people who use licit and illicit substances (cigarettes and alcohol) are more impulsive (share less) than people who don't. This is important for cross-cultural research given that smoking rates for adult smokers are higher in Japan, relative to America, especially for males. The current study measured social discounting in Japanese and American university students, while also measuring cigarette smoking and alcohol use rates. Before licit substance use was entered as a covariate, Japanese students shared more (larger area under the curve) than American students for both small and large magnitude incentives. Entering licit substance use as a covariate increased this difference. However, we were did not measure illicit substances for Japanese participants because of social norm differences between Japanese and American human subjects research. We discuss logistic differences such as Institutional Review Board requirements, ethics, and experimenter responsibilities, and make recommendations for behavior analytic researchers conducting cross-cultural research.

How can behavior analysts best help the world’s 60 million teachers and 1.4 billion students? How would you answer a teacher who asks, “Show me how I can improve learning in my classroom tomorrow?” This presentation will focus on "hands-on" strategies and tactics that any educator can use right away to improve learning for one student or one hundred students, regardless of student age, skills, curriculum content, or budget. Dr. Twyman will show how teachers can incorporate tenets of behaviorally informed instruction to maximize the effectiveness of digital technology in the classroom. Dr. Heward will show how teachers in “unwired” classrooms can use low-tech tools to improve learning. Dr. Shimamune will highlight critical variables to increase the adoption use of these practices. Attendees with leave with specific strategies and tactics to improve education in any setting.

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Dr. Twyman will show how teachers can incorporate tenets of behaviorally informed instruction to maximize the effectiveness of digital technology in the classroom.

Dr. Heward will show how teachers in "unwired" classrooms can use low-tech tools to improve learning.

Dr. Shimamune will highlight critical variables to increase the adoption and use of these practices.

Behavior analysts beginning business start-ups are most often concerned with the delivery of behavior analytic services. However, other types of businesses may benefit from the application of contingency analytic practices as well. And further, recent "lean start-up" methodologies reflect much of the control analysis approach taken in behavior analytic investigations. Two recent start-ups will be featured as examples of both types of businesses that also employ lean start-up methods. ChangePartner-Healthcare uses advanced, systemic behavior analytics combined with cloud and mobile technologies to improve hospital outcomes. Scout My Style, using the Internet and data analytic techniques, helps shoppers find local retailers that actually have items that fit their unique "Style ID." This panel will discuss both endeavors and the role of a" control analysis," or "lean start-up" approach, as well as the direct application of behavior analytic principles to improve customer experience and outcomes. Panelists will discuss how a consequential contingency analysis is critical to each and answer questions from the audience about the challenges and opportunities in both types of start-ups.

If we’re to save the world with behavior analysis, we need many well-trained behavior-analytic saviors. And to do this, we need to teach ‘em. So, the senior author has been attempting this difficult task for the last 52 years, going through various iterations of a behavior systems-analysis approach in the process. Today we’ll talk about the teaching system we’ve evolved over the last 20 years using continuous quality improvement, ready-fire-aim, and organizational behavior analysis. One key component of such teaching is active student involvement in non-trivial activities. We’ll describe our efforts to ensure high-quality supervised training for a large number of university students from the BA level through the MA and PhD levels, in the hope of providing systems and procedures of use to others doing such training. And at the risk of self-aggrandizement, the graduates of our program are in high demand and considered among the best in the country. By the way, if you’re not into saving the world, but rather into understanding the world through the experimental analysis of behavior, that’s cool, and the same approach applies.

The presenters will discuss recent developments at the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). The most current data on the BACB's credentialing programs—Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst, Registered Behavior Technician—will be provided along with a summary of the BACB's international activities. In addition, a number of recent and impending developments at the BACB will be described, including: revisions of the BACB's ethics code and disciplinary system, practice guidelines for autism spectrum disorder, eligibility standards, and BCaBA supervision requirements.

Within the field of linguistics, morphology and syntax are areas concerned with the internal organization of responses commonly known as words and sentences. In his book Verbal Behavior, Skinner gave functional accounts of simple and complex verbal responding but did not attempt to systematically account for morphology and syntax, types of linguistic phenomena structural linguists of his time were describing. On the basis of previous research by the author, this paper will argue that morphological and syntactic phenomena can be described and explained in terms of Skinner's verbal operants. Autoclitics of order, mentioned by Skinner in Chapter 13 of Verbal Behavior, have an important explanatory role in analyses of this type, as they establish the regularity of syntactic and morphological patterns. Examples of autoclitic and intraverbal contingencies affecting emission of determiners in English noun phrases and auxiliaries in English verb phrases will be presented in support. The significance of the findings is two-fold. First, syntactic and morphological "structures" are interpreted as products of responses emitted under particular operant contingencies. Second, current theories of language learning, which are based on neural network models of associative learning, may be challenged by learning based on operant conditioning.

Although contemporary behavior therapy (CBT) targets a variety of psychological disorders, arguably a single functional aspect captures “third wave” interventions. Most have recruited a “mindfulness” component whereby clients observe covert tendencies while relinquishing efforts to escape, avoid, or control them. This therapeutic mindfulness is directed at the tendency for patients to over-respond to aversive covert experiences. This negative reinforcement contingency perpetuates a cascade of escape/avoidance at the earliest sign of aversive private experience; comprising “symptoms” of many disorders. This function accounts for panic, social anxiety, phobias, recurrent clinical depression, and PTSD. This function is addressed in an indigenous Japanese therapy termed Morita Therapy (MT), wherein “hypochondriacal temperament” comprises the core of treated disorders. It is defined as oversensitivity to ordinary covert aversive sensations. Patients who suffer from shinkeishitsu, a functional disorder, display symptoms which are governed by adventitious contingencies of illusory control, and momentary escape avoidance. Morita’s solution consists of extinction of negatively reinforced symptoms. By facing the context as it is (arugumama), rather than as the patient wishes it to be the symptoms are eliminated. We examine experiential avoidance and hypochondriacal temperament and propose a new measure for gauging functional treatment outcome both CBT or MT.

Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) often have limited speech communication abilities. Abundant research supports use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to enhance skills of children with ASD and ID, but less research has examined efficacy of AAC with non-speaking adults. Recent advances in high-tech devices such as the iPod Touch have improved the portability, accessibility, and functionality of AAC for all users. In this study, three adults with ASD and ID were taught basic functional communication using the iPod Touch with MyTalk Mobile software within a single-case, multiple baseline across subjects design. Results show that the iPod Touch taught with most-to-least prompting was effective in increasing participants’ independent manding, that participants were able to discriminate between symbols, and that participants manding generalized to a naturalistic setting with typically available preferred items. Implementation of AAC coincided with increases in speech for one participant.

Video games provide opportunities to build connections with others, allowing individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) the opportunity to develop their own social identity and agenda. This presentation discusses findings from young adults with ASD and highlights the potential of online gaming. A specific focus will be dedicated to defining their perceptions of friendships, awareness of emotions, and social interactions in virtual environments that are being generalized to a face-to-face setting. These games provide opportunities to interact that can control extraneous variables such as such as noise levels or number of people present. The capacity to practice behaviors and responses in a context that shares some similarities with the real world has vastly increased, thereby offering greater potential for generalization of learning (Wallace, Parsons, Westbury, White, White, & Bailey, 2010). Individuals with ASD are highly motivated by computer technologies, suggesting this could be a powerful educational tool (e.g., Chen and Bernard-Opitz, 1993; Moore and Calvert, 2000; Parsons et al. 2011). Additionally this presentation will discuss the potential of a massively multi-player online role playing games as an intervention that can be used to help individuals with ASD connect to the community and develop greater social interactions that will assist postsecondary transitions.

The theme of acquisition of operant behavior is examined in three different paradigms. Yamagishi studies acquisition of counting behavior in pigeons under fixed-consecutive-number schedules. In one component of a multiple schedule the count is fixed at 7 in the other component the count varies from 1 to 13. When the count was increased pigeons adjusted faster in the component that had a history of a variable count. The author discusses the findings in the context of "resistance to change". Hachiga studies how response induction influences response acquisition in concurrent signaled variable-ratio-extinction schedules in rats. Repeated responses on the reinforced lever gradually decreased over sessions as the signal developed control over the operant response. The author discusses the findings in relation to the induction model (Killeen et al., 1978). Per Holth and Monica Vandbakk study acquisition with delayed reinforcement in rats under delays from 8 to 30 seconds. The procedure has a control lever without contingencies. Delays longer than 10 seconds produced no differences between the active lever the other lever whereas at shorter delays, the rats pressed the active lever at a higher rate. The authors discuss the findings in relation to previous research on delayed reinforcement.

Acquisition of counting behavior under stimuli that previously accompanied reinforcement of variation were compared to repetition. Counting behavior occurred under modified fixed-consecutive-number (FCN) schedules. In the training phase, pigeons received food after pecking the left key about 7 times and then switching to right key under two-component multiple schedules of reinforcement. Fixed response patterns were shaped by percentile schedule in which pigeons get food when they counted numbers closer to 7 in one component, varying response patterns were shaped by similar procedure in which when they counted numbers less frequent in the range from 1 to 13 in another component. As a result, all 4 pigeons differentiate two response patterns with similar average of number counted. In test phase, pigeons were exposed to another percentile schedule in which bigger numbers counted would be reinforced in a multiple schedule. Results indicate that counted number increased faster under the stimuli that accompanied reinforcement history of variation than repetition. The relation of these findings to a concept of resistance to change is discussed.

Rats responded on concurrent Variable-Ratio 20 Extinction schedules for food reinforcement. The assignment of variable-ratio reinforcement to a left or right lever varied randomly following each reinforcer, and was cued by illumination of a stimulus light above that lever. All subjects developed stimulus control by the cued light and discrimination rate is good, however, not perfect. Postreinforcement preference levels decreased substantially and reliably over time when the lever that just delivered reinforcement was now in extinction. The changes in preference level to the extinction lever were well described by a modified version of Killeen, Hanson, and Osborne's (1978) induction model. It suggests responses are energized to the lever that deliver the last reinforcer by induction, and the operant responding that remains comes under the control of the stimulus light cuing the lever providing variable-ratio reinforcement.

Previous research has shown that reinforcement delayed as much as 30 seconds can reinforce responding, such as lever pressing, in rats. In other studies, a reinforcing effect of consequences delivered after delays longer than 10-15 seconds may be very small, or even absent. An alternative interpretation of some previous studies that have shown increased response rates following delayed reinforcement is that the presentation of reinforcing stimuli by themselves may increase the level of activity more generally. In order to record effects on behavior other than the one upon which the delayed reinforce was contingent, we also respond on a second, non-effective, lever in the experimental chamber. The results showed that with a 30s resetting delay of reinforcement, there were not consistently more responses on the effective lever than on the ineffective one. Next, when we decreased the resetting delay to 15, 10, and 8 seconds, no differential effect of delayed reinforcement was observed with delays longer than 10 seconds.

Train To Code is a software engine designed from an errorless, and thus adaptive, behavioral learning perspective. This software system specifically targets the training of expert-level tacting repertories for discriminating complex behavioral processes and events that can be illustrated through video. An important outcome of such training is often a generative transfer that results in a student's ability to actually perform the behaviors she has learned to tact. For example, tacting clinical intervention techniques can lead to an individual's ability to execute such techniques in situations similar to those illustrated during tact training. But adaptive expert-system software design decisions turn out to be only a small proportion of the behavioral variables involved in designing effective programming strategies for teaching based on such video source materials. And many of these variables are different from those experienced when designing text-based programmed instruction. This presentation identifies and gives examples of a variety of such variables impacting the design of effective programmed instructional materials that target reliable and expert-level tacting of either behavior analysis task listed or clinically relevant behavioral intervention processes.

Applications of the Science of Behavior Analysis to Business What lessons can be learned from cross-cultural applications of behavior analysis to the world of business? Please join Toshio Asano, Ingunn Sandaker, Jun Ishida, Darnell Lattal and Andy Lattal, moderator, in a panel discussion about how basic elements of the science are translated into pragmatic tools and applications and where issues of cultural practices shape both how and where various approaches are modified to fit expectations of particular business practices. The panelists represent the experimental analysis of behavior and organizational behavior management.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities (DD) who acquire spoken language by five to six years old tend to have better long-term outcomes, such as high rate of employment, better academic outcomes and positive social relationships (Howlin & Charman, 2011). Since young children with ASD and other DD who receive special education services spend most of their waking hours at home with their families, involving family members in interventions may provide more social-communication opportunities to their children with ASD and other DD across time and settings (Steiner, Koegel, Koegel, & Ence, 2012). In addition, it is expected that family-implemented interventions are more cost-effective than clinician-delivered interventions (Minjarez, Williams, Mercier, & Hardan, 2011). The purpose of this meta-analysis is to determine whether or not family-implemented interventions are effective in promoting social-communication skills of individuals with ASD and other DD. This meta-analysis includes comparisons of effectiveness differentiated by critical moderator variables (e.g., participant characteristics, type of social-communication interventions, targeted social-communication skills). Finally, the gaps in the literature will be discussed.

Function-based behavioral interventions have become widely used in reducing challenging behaviors and increasing positive behaviors of students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to meta-analyze the effects of function-based behavioral interventions on the behaviors of students with disabilities in Taiwan. A total of 39 single-subject research studies published in Taiwan were identified, producing effects sizes ranging from 27 to 59 for analysis. The percentage of data points exceeding the median of baseline (PEM) was calculated as the effect sizes of each study. The PEM effect sizes were compared among several variables, including types of challenging and replacement behavior, behavior function, and intervention strategy. H and U tests were applied to compare the differences in intention effects among the subgroups of each variable. The results indicated that function-based behavioral interventions exerted overall moderate to large effects on reducing challenging behaviors and increasing positive behaviors. The intervention effects were particularly substantial on stereotypical behaviors and positive behaviors replacing stereotypical behaviors. The results also showed promising intervention effects on various types of behavior function and different types of strategy. Suggestions for conducting a meta-analysis on single subject studies as well as function-based interventions will be addressed during the presentation.

Modern science developed at the turn of the 16th and 17th century, thanks to F. Bacon, G. Galilei and right afterwards, Isaac Newton. Modern science was born in the physical world: first it dealt with astronomy and physics, and after expanded to chemistry (18th century) and biology (19th century). The 20th century was supposed to be the century of psychology, the science of behavior. Actually it was, at least partially: first John B. Watson, who claimed psychology is a branch of natural sciences, and after him B. F. Skinner. Skinner's book Science and Human Behavior (1953) was a milestone for the development of behavior science. His analysis of strengths and problems, opportunities and threats of such a science is still valid. But new problems are challenging humanity and the tendency to search for new pseudo-solutions, instead of looking at the sound principles of the science of behavior, prevails. Behavioral scientists need to define their principles in a new way in new contexts: health policies, environmental strategies, and education. Most importantly they need to show how effective the principles have been in these new contexts. According to one of our sayings, words and deeds are often oceans apart, but there are encouraging signals that we are moving and behaving in the right direction.

TBD

According to the Oxford Dictionary, culture is defined as the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group. It includes beliefs, behavior, customs, traditions, and language. Although ABA has decades of research supporting its effectiveness in treating Autism and there are more ABA practitioners across the globe than ever before, there is little research on how to develop ABA programs for consumers in a way that adapts to cultures outside of Western culture. Increased prevalence of Autism and more awareness has resulted in families from all backgrounds seeking treatment. Because of this we must find more ways to provide ABA services to families in a way that is culturally sensitive. This presentation will discuss the role of culture in how consumers respond to treatment intervention. Sample intake interviews will be described. Selection of appropriate treatment objectives which are sensitive to cultural differences but still reflect research-based intervention will also be described. Screening, assessment, and treatment plan development will be discussed to provide participants with information on how to better meet the needs of cultural diversity among clients while still providing evidenced based treatment.

This presentation will define culture and describe the different aspects of culture that practitioners should consider when completing screenings, assessments, or other intake processes. Individuals from different countries may answer or respond to questions differently than those accustomed to Western culture. For example, in some cultures families do not wish to receive a formal diagnosis of a disability so as to not stigmatize the child in society. In other cases, some families do not perceive the absence of skills as a sign of developmental delay. Examples of cultural perception will be reviewed so that practitioners can consider modifying their intake processes to receive more accurate information from the clients they serve. Cultural sensitivity when providing parent education, such as in understanding autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disabilities, will also be reviewed.

It is our responsibility as practitioners to not only choose appropriate goals but to develop intervention plans that the individual's team can effectively implement. Behaviors that are considered appropriate or inappropriate by the practitioner may not always be considered the same by family members and it is important that goals be carefully selected to ensure they are in fact important to the client. In some cultures, development of speech and language is less important than learning how to respond to directions. In other cultures, it is more important to develop academic skills than develop appropriate social skills. Cultural considerations during goal selection and treatment plan development will be reviewed.

This presentation will review sections 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 of the BACB Guidelines for Responsible Conduct for Behavior Analysts related to relations with clients. When considering cultural practices, it can sometimes be difficult to determine which practices should be accepted and which practices should not be reinforced so that practitioners keep professional boundaries. In some cultural practices ignoring forms of appreciation offered by families can be perceived as insulting and fracture the practitioner client team dynamic. Ethical considerations related to meals, gifts, and other offerings will be discussed.

B. F. Skinner’s 1981 Selection by Consequences was a call for use of the science of behavior at the cultural level of selection to solve major world problems. Answering the call has been slow in coming to the forefront of our science, in part because the details of change at a cultural level were not well understood. With the emerging practices, research, and models of the last 20 years, this is no longer the case. Houmanfar, Rodrigues, and Ward’s (2010) model was implemented at Fresno State to meliorate issues related to global warming; this has resulted in the development of the Institute for Sustainability Education and Engagement. This 30-month process was rapid compared to the development of other such bodies on campus. The interdisciplinary, inter-strata approach exceeded (beyond other campuses) the California State University Chancellor’s Office’s expectations about its directive to all 23 campuses (with 437,000 full-time equivalent enrollment and 44,000 faculty and staff) to integrate sustainability practices across administration, faculty, staff, facilities, and students and has influenced recent directives.

The prevalence of childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years (National Center for Health Statistic, 2011). This is particularly problematic given that childhood obesity is associated with numerous health risks (e.g., increased risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension, breathing difficulties, insulin resistance, and psychological effects). Further, several researchers have noted that food preferences learned in childhood are likely to influence patterns of dietary intake in adulthood (e.g., Haire-Joshu, Kreutter, Hold, & Steger-May, 2004; Skinner, Carruth, Bounds, & Ziegler, 2002). Therefore, a preventive approach to obesity that focuses on factors that influence food choices made by young children is warranted. The current series of experiments evaluated (a) young childrens preference for healthier or less-healthy foods within and across five food groups, (b) the relative influence of quality, magnitude, and immediacy of food on the food choices made by young children, and (c) the extent to which reinforcer-parameter efficacy was differentially affected by dense and lean schedules of reinforcement. Across subjects, results showed that responding was differentially affected by these response and reinforcer parameters. Results are discussed in the context of implications for the design of individualized treatments to promote healthier food choices based on these assessment results.

Research on aversive control of behaviour has dramatically declined over the past decades. This trend is primarily a consequence of an over-reliance on shock-based procedures, which have been increasingly criticized on ethical and ecological validity grounds. Preliminary experiments, triggered by serendipitous observations of Betta splendens' reactions to unintended water disturbances, allowed for developing a water flows (WFs) experimental paradigm, and demonstrating its feasibility as an alternative to the use of electric shock. Based on the relevance of free-operant avoidance (FOA) phenomena, the fact that these have only been demonstrated in one fish species (goldfish) using shocks, and that the only attempt to show avoidance in bettas rendered inconclusive results (Otis & Cerf, 1963), the WFs paradigm was implemented in two experiments that addressed these issues. In Experiment 1, bettas exposed to a FOA procedure reliably escaped WFs but did not develop avoidance. Moreover, adding a warning stimulus (curtains of air bubbles [CABs]) did not produce the expected increments in avoidance. Experiment 2 maintained the same contingencies, but escape responses produced the WFs (punishment plus extinction of escape). Escape had an initial large increase, followed by a progressive decrease to approximately pre-treatment levels. Furthermore, avoidance was not developed as an alternative response.

Research on behavioral patterning produced by repeated exposure to contingent and non-contingent aversive stimulation is scarce. In Study 1, we developed a methodology that allowed us to study gerbils' behavioral patterns produced by repeated exposure to signaled and unsignalled non-contingent periodic electric pulses (e.g., automated measurements of immobility using the VideoFreeze System [VFS]), and hand scoring of several responses. Preliminary findings contradict previous reports regarding patterning of freezing and incidence of foot stomping. Steady-state data show that freezing episodes typically occurred shortly after the delivery of each pulse and not during the signal. Foot stomping was only observed sporadically during the first sessions of the experiment and did not correlate with the signal. In Study 2, we developed a passive avoidance task using the VFS. Gerbils received electric pulses on a 3-s pulse-pulse interval during the time they stayed off a platform. Steady-state data show that (a) subjects remained more than 90% of the session time on the platform; (b) on-platform immobility increased throughout the experiment, notwithstanding the platform dimensions allowed for subject's displacement; and (c) platform-descending was not entirely suppressed, though its frequency depended on pulse intensity (baseline levels with low intensity; important suppression with high-intensity). Data of other responses are being processed in order to identify other forms of patterning.

We have incorporated family collaboration into our center-based instruction or treatment programs for children with autism. The first paper used a verbal prompt procedure to teach two children with autism to name a) the emotions of others, b) the cause of emotions of others, and c) the cause of emotions of self. A multiple probe across behaviors design was used. The results indicated these three behaviors are acquired separately, suggesting naming causes of emotions of others and self are independent repertoires. Parents reported that their children were more sensitive to the emotions of others and of themselves. The second paper used picture and verbal cues to teach three tasks involving the perspective-taking skill to children with autism. The results also indicated that these tasks were acquired separately and need to be taught individually. The implications of results in daily life are discussed. The third paper used an evaluation form consisting of components of discrete trials to improve parents' skills working with their own children. Training resulted in children achieving criterion performance for more targets. However, the number of correct trials delivered was not increased. The effectiveness of parent training is discussed.

One of the major deficits for children with autism is to understand emotions of others and self. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a verbal and textual prompt procedure can increase the percentage of correct responses of (1) labeling others' emotions and (2) labeling the cause of emotions (of others) in context, and (3) labeling the cause of emotions (of the child's own), for children with autism. The goal was to teach these children to tact other's emotions and relate the event to the emotions as well as their own emotions, thereby expanding their social emotional repertoires. Two children with autism who had advanced speaker repertories participated in this study. A multiple baseline across behaviors design was used. The children's correct tact responses on emotions and the causes of emotions increased as a result of the implementation of the procedure. The children also generalized their tact responses to real life situations.

Children with autism often have difficulty taking others' perspective—a developmental capacity commonly observed in typically developing children—termed the theory-of-mind (ToM). The purpose of this study is to use behavior analytic approach to teach children with autism to take others' perspective. Three children, age 6-7 diagnosed with autism, who had advanced speaker repertoires, participated in this study. A multiple probe across behaviors design was used. Three target behaviors involved ToM included (a) naming another person's view in the pictures, (b) naming another person's view from objects, and (c) predicting how others will behave. The results indicated that childrens' number of correct answers to questions was increased after the implementation of instruction. Follow-up data showed that children generalized the skills to novel settings and people. The behavior analytic ToM and the implication of this study is discussed.

Effects of using Teacher Performance Rate and Accuracy (TPRA) in training parent to deliver discrete trial training (DTT) were tested in children with autism. Participants were four parents with children with autism aged from 4 to 5 year old. DTT were delivered at home by parents. C-PIRK curriculum was used to teach listener and early speaker behaviors such as mands and tacts. Independent variable was feedback provided by parent trainer utilizing Teacher Performance Rate Accuracy (TPRA). Across baseline and treatment phases, a behavioral skill training package which was consisted of written direction, modeling, feedback, and coaching were utilized. Dependent variables were number of criteria achieved by children. A delayed multiple baseline design was used. The results showed that the number of criteria achieved by the children increased after the TPRA was introduced as intervention in addition to the behavioral skill training package across all of the participants.

Topics in OBM

TBD

The development and communication of verbal products, such as rules, instructions, leadership statements and strategic plans can not only promote but prevent socially significant impact of organizational practices on cultural change. In their role as guides, leaders create new verbal relations between the current and future state of the organization, between the future organization and its niche in the future environment, and between current employees and the future organization. In many ways a leader’s decision making shapes the patterns of interlocking behavioral contingencies, aggregate product, and the behavior topographies of consumers. The overall process can bear positive or negative influences on the health of the organizational members plus the external environment (including the physical and social environment). This presentation will provided an overview of ways by which leadership decision making change the cultural landscape and practices.

Behavior analysis holds the promise of addressing many issues related to society's woes. We promote transfer and sustainability. However, what are we doing wrong in pursuing lasting change? The promise of OBM is rooted in the notion that contextually we hold the secret to sustainability across complex systems. As others on this panel will address, there is still much to do at the level of organizational change. OBM practitioners focus on patterns of behavior of individual performers and groups. Experts at identifying the skills needed to accelerate performance, they address large issues of corporate culture, safety leadership, and financial success, or pinpointed efficiencies and effectiveness, sales behavior, or variability to increase creativity. Systems and processes that surround behavior are redesigned to support a more participatory or orderly process of performance management. OBM practitioners teach managers to shape the performer toward the outcomes desired. They teach the performers about behavior and building new habits. On the surface, this seems more than adequate to create lasting change. However, OBM interventions too often are not lasting, fading quickly. We imply that we know how to fix the fluid future context in which behavior occurs. This presentation explores the concept of change in relation to current behavior analytic strategies designed to address it—and critical lessons learned long ago by the first practitioners of change inside organizations, long before the term OBM was created to define what we do.

Manipulating behavioral contingencies is not sufficient to lead and manage change in complex systems. Unique configurations of events, interactions between behaviors of individuals, and behavioral repertories "all non-replicable" necessitate different approaches. This presentation explores types of complex phenomena and their implications for leading and implementing change.

A current estimate shows that the population for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in China is approximately 20 million. To counter this overwhelming tide, the Chinese government and parents are eager to adopt the best tools possible to treat ASD. Hence there is an urgent need for a systematic ABA training model in China. In 2013, the China Association of Persons with Psychiatric Disability and their Relatives (CAPPDR) representing 550 agencies, took the first step to meet the need for ABA education and services. In collaboration with SEEK Education, CAPPDA developed an ABA training sequence for special education professionals. This symposium will be presented by this collaborative team on how this journey of disseminating ABA overseas got started, the development of this innovated systematic competence-based training model for professionals, and the current and future development of Applied Behavior Analysis in China.

Special Education for Exceptional Kids (SEEK) believes in behavioral science as a way to educate families affected by autism and other disabilities. For a decade, we've planted the seeds of ABA in foreign soil. Now our efforts have come to the start of fruition. SEEK's work and passion have cultivated interest in the study and practice of behavior analysis in the Chinese speaking world. Looking back over the last 12 years, we have conducted and sponsored 18 international ABA conferences and 62 training workshops. Furthermore, SEEK's work is also recognized in the field of behavior analysis and received 2013 SABA Award for international dissemination of behavior analysis. It is the mission of SEEK to disseminate ABA overseas through a systematic process and ongoing training programs to meet ABA professional standards, to provide higher quality education and effective rehabilitation services for the individuals and their families. The presenter will share how this exciting journey got started, its process, and the prospects of this overseas mission.

In 2000 and 2008, the first international ABA conferences sponsored by SEEK Education, Inc. were held to disseminate behavior analysis in the area of education and treatment for children with autism in Mainland China and Taiwan, respectively. Following these conferences, parents and professionals seek effective treatment, systematic training and education based in behavior analysis. With strong support from the Chinese government and parents, a significant movement is currently evolving all over China. The China Association of Persons with Psychiatric Disability and their Relatives (CAPPDR), which represents 550 agencies all over China, has recognized the need for ABA education and services. Parents' training, a sequence of ABA training program, and local services have been launched with SEEK Education's support for hands-on practicum and coursework. With SEEK Education's devoted Taiwan faculty members and the benefit of its shared language/culture (using the same writing, speaking, and time zone), this collaborative model cultivates a driving force for rapid development of ABA education, course work, and practice in China. This symposium will be presented by this collaborative team and will focus on its current and future development of applied behavior analysis in China.

According to a conservative estimate, the prevalence for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in China is approximately 20 million. The need for developing a systematic training model for ABA providers in China is extremely significant. In 2013, the China Association of Persons with Psychiatric Disability and their Relatives (CAPPDR), in collaboration with SEEK Education developed an ABA training sequence for special education professionals. Through this sequence of training, these special education professionals enhanced their preliminary understanding of ABA and its practice. This systematic competency-based training sequence has a total of three tiers, and typically the participants can complete all three tiers within a period of one year. Each tier lasts about three months. It includes an initial five days of intensive theoretical and practical training followed by a completion of competency supervised by the SEEK Taiwan faculty via real-time videoconferencing at least three hours per week. With basic knowledge and practical experiences, students who completed this three tier training are then equipped to obtain further education in behavior analysis. We will present this innovated systematic competence-based training model and discuss some practical issues.

With the increasing demand in providing effective ABA treatment for individuals with autism spectrum disorders in China, service providers and professionals are looking for training and certification that meet the international standard. Currently, there is only one Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) residing in China. To cultivate more service providers and professionals to provide quality, evidence-based treatment, the China Association of Persons with Psychiatric Disability and their Relatives (CAPPDR), in collaboration with SEEK Education have developed an ABA training sequence for service providers and special education professionals. In addition, in 2014, BCaBA coursework utilizing an alternative pathway was approved by BACB. This competency-based coursework includes independent fieldwork supervision to students via real-time videoconferencing by Chinese speaking BCBAs residing in other countries. In this presentation, three service providers in China who have completed the ABA competency-based training developed by CAPPDP, and who are currently pursuing further education in behavior analysis (e.g., BCaBA courses), will share their learning experience on this remote training model.

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is an evidence-based alternative/augmentative communication protocol that has been used around the world. Pyramid consultants from the USA, Australia and Japan will review how culture impacts on implementation and research regarding PECS. One presentation will focus on summarizing research from non-American sources with regard to both topics of study and outcome information. Another presentation will specifically compare studies published in Japan and America in terms of topic, subject characteristics and protocol modifications. A third presentation will focus on how cultural and language issues influence both implementation and teaching strategies associated with PECS. Finally, we will describe a recent effort in Japan to more closely involve the community, including businesses, in creating settings that support and promote use of PECS.

This presentation will summarize the large number of publications in over 15 countries involving the PECS protocol. These include case studies, single-subject research, and randomized controlled trials (RCT). Within the field of behavior analysis, RCTs on specific protocols are rare. Issues reviewed will include which skill sets have been studied, from speech acquisition to social skill targets.

There have been over a dozen publications in Japanese journals involving PECS. Many of these are rarely shared with English speaking audiences. This presentation will compare studies from both countries with regard to methodology, subject selections, skill targets and outcome measures.

The PECS protocol was developed for English speaking children with ASD. However, grammatical and other factors often lead to changes in the standard protocol and even the teaching strategies associated with a particular phase of PECS. For example, not all languages involve the structure “I want 'X'”. Culture issues may also influence how a family implements PECS. This presentation will review several of these issues from the perspective of several countries.

We will briefly describe the development of PECS user groups throughout Japan and how this has helped create a supportive culture for those using PECS. We will include a description of how many businesses have been supporting the use of PECS within their stores and other aspects of the community.

The phrase “Stimulus Properties of Drugs” refers to an approach to studying the behavioral effects of drugs in which drug effects are analyzed in terms borrowed from the experimental analysis of behavior, with drugs serving eliciting, discriminative, or reinforcing effects. The concept was first applied productively in the mid to late 1960’s and has continued to be utilized, particularly with discriminative-stimulus effects of a wide variety of drugs and reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse. Using “drug discrimination” techniques substantial advances have been made, primarily in characterizing the in vivo pharmacology of drugs. Using “drug self-administration” techniques similarly substantial advances have been made in characterizing the abuse liability of drugs and also neuronal systems underlying drug abuse. The present symposium will examine the effects of drugs from this perspective and will examine environmental factors that can influence the stimulus properties of drugs.

This symposium presents the findings of three studies that evaluated the effectiveness of a Video Self-Modeling (VSM) intervention designed to teach toileting skills to five children with autism. Study 1 used VSM to represent the steps in the toileting sequence, with the exception of in-toilet voiding. Here the child acquired the sequential steps, but did not learn in-toilet elimination. The latter two studies used a multiple baseline design and intervention consisted of the use of VSM (including animation to depict in-toilet urination), prompting, and reinforcement. In Study 2 both participants acquired the steps in the toileting sequence however, one participant began using the toilet appropriately prior to introducing the video. Study 3 extended upon previous findings by including animation to depict in-toilet defecation and requests to use the toilet within the VSM. Results suggest the intervention package was effective in teaching the sequence of behaviors, as well as in-toilet urination to both children. One child also learnt to defecate on the toilet, providing support for animation as an effective model. In each study acquired behaviors generalized across settings and were maintained at follow-up. Issues regarding key components of effective VSM interventions and the importance of pre-requisite skills will be discussed. Related Publications Drysdale, B., Lee, C. Y. Q., Anderson, A., & Moore, D. W. (2014). Using video modeling incorporating video modeling to teach toileting to two children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities. doi: 10.1007/s10882-014-9405-1. Lee, C. Y. Q., Anderson, A., & Moore, D. W. (2014). Using video modeling to toilet train a child with autism. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 26, 123-134. doi: 10.1007/s10882-013-9348-y. McLay, L., Carnett, A., van der Meer, L., & Lang, R. (in press). Using a video modeling-based intervention package to toilet train two children with autism. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities. doi: 10.1007/s10882-015-9426-4 L. McLay School of Health Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand B. Drysdale; C. Lee; D. Moore; A. Anderson Faculty of Education, Monash University, Melbourne Australia A. Carnett; L. van der Meer School of Education, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

Achieving independent toileting is an essential life skill, that is often delayed, or never achieved for individuals with autism. Video self-modeling (VSM) is effective in teaching various skills to people with autism, however, few studies have examined the effectiveness of VSM in teaching toileting skills. Lee et al. (2014) utilised a custom-made VSM intervention to teach toileting to a four-year-old boy with autism. Toileting was task analysed into six components: walking to the toilet, undressing, sitting on the toilet, in-toilet voiding, redressing, and flushing. A changing criterion design was used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. The participant was reliably performing each step independently post-intervention, except for in-toilet voiding. Drysdale et al. (2015) systematically replicated the former study, extending the intervention by including an animated model to depict in-toilet voiding, as sensitivity issues existed with live-model portrayal of this step. A multiple-baseline design was used to assess the effectiveness of a VSM intervention to teach two boys with autism toileting skills. Results showed that VSM effectively reduced the number of prompts required to complete the toileting sequence, including in-toilet voiding. Gains were maintained over 4 weeks and generalised to other settings. Limitations and implications of these findings are discussed.

The present study evaluated the efficacy of an intervention package that was designed to teach independent toileting skills to two children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A non-concurrent multiple baseline across participants design was used in order to investigate the effects of video modeling combined with prompting and reinforcement strategies. The current study extended early research by including animation to depict in-toilet urination and defecation, as well as requests for toilet use. Results suggest that the intervention package was effective in teaching the sequence of behaviors required for toilet use, in addition to in toilet voiding for both children. Skills that were acquired were generalized to the school setting and were maintained at three to four months post-intervention. The intervention also resulted in in-toilet defecation for one of the two participants. The results of this study will be discussed in relation to the differential contributions of video modeling and behavioral instructional strategies. The importance of pre-requisite imitation skills and the use of animation to depict in-toilet voiding will also be discussed.

The sources of novel behavior and behavioral variability are important issues in behavior analysis for theoretical as well as for practical reasons, and many studies have shown that behavioral variability can result from certain reinforcement contingencies. Some well-known experiments have suggested that variability can be directly reinforced and function as an operant class on its own, and that organisms can engage in the strategy of a quasi-random generator. However, the details of the original experiments suggest that the sequences upon which reinforcement is contingent are often too complex to be directly reinforceable, and that alternative interpretations of the conditions that produce behavioral variability are feasible. The alternative proposed here is based on experiments in which lag schedules were arranged for topographically distinct response classes rather than for different sequences of responses on two operanda. These experiments suggest that whenever a new or relatively novel response occurs and is reinforced, the immediate effect is not an increased frequency of more variable behavior, but an increased rate of the specific response that occurred immediately prior to the reinforcer. It is concluded that, at worst, the notion of “variability as an operant” on its own is misleading to the extent that it suggests that the “reinforced variability” transcends the range of specific responses that are followed by reinforcement. At best, the notion of variability as an operant on its own seems superfluous, because the variability seen in the relevant experiments seem properly accounted for in terms of well-established empirical findings. No special random or stochastic generating processes seem necessary, because the complexity of certain reinforcement contingencies in which several responses reciprocally cycle between reinforcement and extinction seem sufficient to explain the resulting quasi-random performances.

Problem gamblers seeking help frequently nominate slot machines as their primary gambling mode. Gamblers may persist in slot machine gambling in spite of losses because machines provide conditioned reinforcers in addition to monetary reinforcers. One potential source of such conditioned reinforcement is the near win. Near wins are losses that physically resemble wins (e.g. four cherries and a lemon). We used laboratory slot machine simulations to identify conditions under which near wins act as conditioned reinforcers. Participants were sensitive to rates of near wins that change across the session as assessed by the generalized matching law and near wins occasioned post-reinforement pauses. These findings are consistent with near wins as conditioned reinforcers under some conditions. Initial findings suggest that "losses disguised as wins," a form of near-win increasingly common on modern machines have similar effects.

Slot machines are the primary mode of gambling for problem gamblers in New Zealand, yet are played by fewer people than other gambling activities like the national lottery or scratch tickets. The structural characteristics of gambling activities are an important factor in determining gambling behaviour. One feature of slot machines that has received no experimental analysis is the "bonus feature" or "free spins" that are commonly central to the design of slot machines. This series of experiments investigated the free spins bonus feature using experimental designs with slot machine simulations and hypothetical money, to see whether participants prefer a machine with free spins. Participants preferred a machine with free spins, but only when the free spins incorporated additional features such as sounds, animations, and an increased win frequency. Future research will investigate whether participants prefer free-spins machines when playing with real money, and whether free spins increase gambling persistence.

Though a major topic in behavioral economics, where it is mostlytied to prospect theory, the measurement of gain-loss asymmetry in behavioral choice has received scant attention from behavior analysts. The series of experiments we report utilized a custom-designed videogame in which reinforcers and punishers were delivered under variable-interval schedules in both concurrent and concurrent-chains procedures. Participants were college students. Experiments varied the reinforcer:punisher ratios, the use of on-screen points versus actual coin delivery, personal payments versus charitable contributions, and multi-ply multiple-schedule arrangements. For each experiment, the data analysis applied the generalized matching law and a suite of variations thereon to determine the best-fitting version(s), that is, the best-fitting estimates of the relative value of the gain-loss differential. We also consider likely reasons for the paucity of research on the issue by behavior analysts and offer an argument for the comparative merits of the behavior-analytic approach.

Mid-sized human service organizations often struggle to stay financially viable while still staying true to their mission. Although we come from a culture that loves a dichotomy; the dichotomy of being profitable or committing to offering high quality services is a long standing illusion inside of the field of human services. Fear not young professionals for there are options related to creating systems that have both high quality services while sustaining minimal profits. The current symposium will share the eight year transformation process of a medium sized non-profit organization located in Reno, NV. Several programs have emerged that fulfill the organization's vision where adults with disabilities are visible and valued members of the community while allowing the organization to remain financially viable. The overreaching strategies and individual programs will be overviewed. Future directions of the organization will be discussed and participants will be encouraged to identify areas in their own organization where similar approaches may be helpful.

When young behavior analysts leave the security of their graduate programs and venture into the world of human services, they often find themselves faced with the choice of working for an organization that is built on behavior analysis or working for an organization that has a large potential for change but does not currentlyembrace behavior analysis. The current paper will give an overview of the journey of several practitioners working for a medium-sized non-profit human service organization and creating a culture for data-based decision making. The process from traditional decision making to data-based decision making will be reviewed. The merits of data-based decision making for creating lasting change inside of an already established organization will be reviewed and the barriers to success will be highlighted. The young behavior analysts' journey to creating change will be discussed as it relates to the everlasting spirit of adventure captured in the field of behavior analysis.

The change from institutionalization to community-based placements may be one of the most important changes in the American field of disability services over the past 40 years. Following the closure of the institutional living model, the primary alternative became a 24 hour group home model combined with some people living in apartments of their own with intermittent supports. Over the course of 15 years, High Sierra Industries experienced the same systemic and reoccurring issues faced by numerous organizations who attempt to deliver these service models. The primary issue for leaders and staff continues to be the juxtaposition between the desire to offer high quality services given limited financial resources. This paper focuses on how a mid-sized non-profit implemented data-based decision making processes to transform its service delivery model. The impact of the data based systems implementation will be discussed as it relates to people receiving services, direct support staff, managers, the Board of Directors and other stakeholders as they relate to the organization.

The question of creating meaningful activities for adults with developmental disabilities has been on the forefront of both behavior analysis and the general disabilities field for at least the past 40 years. In general several strategies have emerged such as socialization-based day programs, work readiness programs, sheltered workshops and general employment strategies. For people with difficult target behaviors or limited skills, socialization programs have often resembled "babysitting." During the transition from sheltered workshop to socialization-based programs, one company in the Reno, NV, area utilized precision teaching to overcome the barriers created by lack of assessment and data for people attending its service to inform learning programs. The data-based system was used in order to pinpoint systems level barriers to personal success for people receiving services in order for precision management based decisions to be made. Barriers and success stories will be shared in order to allow similar organization leaders to identify related aspects to their own organization.

For people diagnosed with disabilities who are on the edge of being ready for community-based competitive employment, the options to gain the skills to tip over the fence often are limited. One Reno, NV, company, in collaboration with two government agencies, created a program aimed at finding meaningful employment for people diagnosed with a disability. During the pilot program several approaches were implemented and evaluated. The Career Development Academy program emerged as a comprehensive approach to assist adults with disabilities in identifying skills, using skills and planning for the future. In a field with changing winds every year, strategies for planning for the future of people with disabilities that enhances their own participation will be presented. Through structured behavior analytic practice, comprehensive programs that arm participants with the skills to becoming successful contributing members to society can be achieved. Together we may push the boundaries of what was possible to the realms of a dream.

Methylphenidate has been shown to increase self-control choice (i.e., increase choice of a larger, later reinforcer). Although there are a number of potential behavioral mechanisms involved in this effect, there are two obvious candidates: 1) altered control by reinforcement delay, and/or 2) altered control by reinforcement amount. In this presentation, studies from our lab employing quantitative models to determine effects of methylphenidate on sensitivity to reinforcement delay and sensitivity to reinforcement amount will be described.

Models of behavior can be used to quantitatively assess the role of neurobiological variables in behavioral processes. A behavioral economic analysis of food consumption revealed that, of the dopamine D2-like receptor subtypes, the D2 subtype, but not the D3 and D4 subtypes, is robustly involved in the reinforcing effectiveness of food. A matching law analysis revealed that the D2 receptor subtype does not contribute to the control of response allocation by relative reinforcement rates.

This panel discussion introduces the first Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) approved course sequence for Japanese speakers seeking certification as Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) or Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBA), to be provided by the Multicultural Alliance of Behavior Analysts (MultiABA) in 2016. The panelists will discuss BACB?s work and achievement in terms of disseminating ABA internationally through universally established scientific and ethical standards, and the implications of addressing the linguistic and cultural differences across the nations. What are the challenges for Japanese behavior analytic practitioners who seek these credentials? What are the advantages to becoming the future Japanese BCBAs and BCaBAs? Why does Japan need these international credentials now? Who will benefit from international credentialing and how? These questions and more will be reviewed and discussed and all are welcome to join and celebrate this new initiative.

There have been few studies which systematically evaluate the effect of early behavioral intervention program for the Japanese children with autism spectrum disorders. We, therefore, have developed TIPs (Tokyo Intervention Programs) which is a comprehensive behavioral early intervention program. TIPs consist of (1) behavior theory for applied behavior analysis, (2) adjusting intervention setting, (3) developmental curriculum, (4) intervention technique, (5) trouble shooting method, (6) intervention for behavior problem, (7) home-based intervention program. A developmental curriculum consisted of 6 modules (total 90 items); attention (auditory, and visual attention), joint attention (responding and initiating joint attention), imitation (motor, manipulative, vocal and facial imitation), listening comprehension (everyday life instruction, spoken words and sentences) and vocal production (vocal sound, babbling, words, sentences and function (tact and mand)), mutual engagement of activities (social interaction). Also, fidelity of implementation (42 items) was established for evaluating the improvement of therapist skills. Seven children with autism spectrum disorders participated in the present studies. We evaluated developmental level, adaptive skills, linguistic skills, motor skills, and severity of autism spectrum disorders. Also, we assessed eye-tracking (Tobii) and brain function (NIRS) for examining perceptual and neural plasticity by behavioral interventions. Preliminary data suggested that we can depict the profiles of autism spectrum disorders in younger ages in broader sense and need for starting intervention according to the profile.

Evidence has demonstrated that early intervention based on applied behavior analysis (ABA) improved several functions of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We developed Tokyo Intervention Programs (TIPs), a university-based comprehensive intervention program, for children with ASD. Parent training was a part of the program, and applied weekly for six months. Seven mothers and their children with ASD aged between 4 and 5 years participated. At the first month, mothers received 1-hr didactic lectures for four consecutive weeks explaining the basic knowledge of ABA and intervention procedures. Also hands-on instruction was applied to instruct homework procedures which should be done for about 20 min every day during the week. After the second month, mothers were asked to demonstrate the homework at the beginning of each session and the interactions between the mother and child were video recorded. Consequently, a trainer gave video feedback for 1 hr and answered questions if they had any. Mother's intervention skills were assessed with a 44-item fidelity list which the authors had developed for the program. Also child compliant behaviors were measured to assess the function of mothers' intervention skills. The changes of mother's intervention skills and child's behavioral changes will be discussed.

Children with ASD have difficulties with imitation skills in comparison to children with typical development. Previous studies have shown that the development of imitation plays an important role in social communication skills in children with ASD. We conducted comprehensive behavioral intervention based on applied behavior analysis Tokyo Intervention Programs (TIPs) for children with ASD. In order to examine the effects of TIPs, we assess imitation skills. Seven children with ASD (aged 4 to 5 years) participated this study. Three of seven have no meaning words, two of seven can express one word, the others speak two words. We assess fine motor (e.g., pinch or pointing) and oral-facial movement (e.g., raspberry or say "papapa") to investigate imitation skills. The result showed that four of seven participants could not imitate pinch and pointing. We also assess self-directed imitation (e.g., touch own head) and other-directed imitation (e.g., touch other's head) for four of seven participants. The results indicate that all participants could imitate self-directed but not other-directed movement. Therefore participants exhibit significant difficulties in motor development and show disabilities of self-other mapping. According to these results, we conduct comprehensive imitation intervention using a multiple baseline design and assess post-assessment.

To examine the effects of behavioral intervention on visual attention to social stimuli in children with ASD, we measured the gaze of the children in live face-to-face interaction using Tobii x6 eye tracker. In previous eye-tracking studies, some studies reported no differences in visual attention to a face between typically developing children and children with ASD (Guillon et al., 2014). This could be because stimuli presented in a monitor do not reflect a real-life situation for children with ASD. Children with ASD from 4 to 5 years old participated in the present study. All children received university-based intervention program base on applied behavior analysis. Behavioral assessment and gaze measurements were conducted longitudinally at 3-6 month intervals in the university setting. Young children with ASD showed less visual fixation in response to a face during joint attention episodes at intake when compared to typically developing children. The results of eye-tracking measurements showed longitudinal changes in the gaze at a face at interim-treatment. Relationship between changes in gaze, intervention intensity, and gains in social and language domains were discussed.

Facial expression may function both as an antecedent and as a consequence. However, there are few studies that have investigated how facial expression functions as a consequence in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Experiment 1 measured fixations duration in response to pictures of different emotional expressions, whereas Experiment 2 measured gaze behavior to two areas of the display (left, right) which were conditioned by concurrent schedules of change of facial expression. In experiment 1, 6 boys with ASD (Mean CA: 5.0, Mean DQ: 48.2) were presented with pictures of happy, surprised, neutral, angry, and sad facial expressions. In experiment 2, 3 of the participants in experiment 1 participated. In this experiment, a neutral expression was presented on each side of the video monitor. Looking at the right (left) picture turned the neutral into a happy face, and looking at the left (right) picture produced an angry face. Results showed that 2 of the participants looked longer at the mouth than the eyes in experiment 1. In experiment 2, gaze behavior was reinforced more by angry than happy faces for one participant.

A model is proposed that specifies the conditions under which individuals on the autism spectrum become internally motivated to perform effectively on their assigned goals. The model focuses on the interaction among three classes of variables: (a) the exposure to supportive human relations for internally motivated work behavior to develop; (b) the characteristics of the learning environment, specifically a culturally enriched social group of the Montessori school; (c) an ABA program along the evaluative focus of assigned, task-specific targets driven and delivered by therapists in an intensive discrete trial manner. Students with autism are exposed to human relations within the learning environment and curriculum areas of the Montessori classroom. Both types of programs confer developmentally appropriate teachings and together have an augmentative influence. The model was tested for two children in a longitudinal study of one year, and the preliminary results support its validity. These students demonstrated superior performance on measures of competence valuation of goals determined by the VB-MAPP, the students enthusiastic and independent

Most of the widely used curricula for teaching students diagnosed with ASD have been written in English-speaking countries. These curricula are used around the world and are adapted for use in teaching students from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds. However, it became apparent that adapting these English language curricula for use with Arabic students created problems at several levels. We did not want to teach our children to learn how to live in America, we want them to learn to behaviors that help them to function with their Arabic families and peers in their Arabic towns and countries. So we designed an Arabic language and Arabic culturally based curriculum. In order to be effective, the AAJ curriculum was designed to solve or address the following problems: First, translating from English to Arabic is frequently fraught with difficulties. The two languages do not share meta-linguistic roots and therefore direct or literal translation is often difficult, if not impossible. For example, there is no fluid translation of the English language words for "goal" and "objective." For this reason three translation strategies are often employed: (1) direct translation where possible, (2) translate the general sense of the word, (3) use the English word and define it in the context. Second, elements of verbal behavior (i.e., tacts, mands, interverbals, etc.) are frequently different in the two languages and between the two cultures. This is to say that relevant tacts and mands in English may not have the same value in Arabic. Third, not only are verb structures different in Arabic than in English, but a list of common nouns in English may not have relevance or authenticity for an Arabic student. For example, houses, lawns, and the games played on them in America may seem unusual or inexplicable to an Arabic child. Fourth, phonemes, the units of linguistic sounds used in English, do not match the sounds used for language in Arabic dialects. Fifth, since we have students from many Middle Eastern countries we needed to address the diversity of vocabulary and pronunciations found in the variants of Arabic spoken across the Middle East. Finally, we wanted to design a curriculum that reflected the cultural values of diverse Arabic and Beduin and Muslim people. Our experience in designing the AAJ curriculum may resonate with educators from a wide range of countries and cultures.

Using a combination of case study and research we intend to present a "best practice" guide to helping families and professionals prepare for the transition from intensive services to a typical educational setting. In the examples included in our talk we will follow three different students as they transition from intensive one-on-one ABA therapy to a variety of destinations (school/daycare). We will show step-by-step how the Rochester Center for Autism worked hand-in-hand with a local preschool, a local private school, and a local public school to help transition students into their next educational setting. Throughout the talk we will provide a review of literature surrounding "best practice" with regard to transitions into school in typical and special education. Because this is a guide more than a research project, our results are very case-specific. We will present the research, show how we adapted the research to meet each student's needs, and then review the results for each student. Because of the well-documented importance of the transition into a typical educational setting it is crucial that families are able to access well-researched information. Rous stated, "Early transitions often set the stage for future positive or negative transition experiences." Professionals must work together to give our families the support they need.

The proposed symposium includes two presentations addressing recent advances in video-based staff and parent training approaches. The first presentation evaluated the effects of video modeling with voiceover instruction (VMVO) to train parents to implement guided compliance. The results indicated that the percentage of steps completed increased for all parents following the introduction of VMVO and that responding generalized to a novel environment and from a simulated to actual consumers. The second presentation evaluated the effects of initial VMVO training and subsequent performance feedback on staff implementation of most-to-least prompting. All staff trainees demonstrated mastery following VMVO plus feedback, and all demonstrated moderate to high levels of generalization to untrained teaching procedures (least-to-most, prompt delay) and to an actual consumer. Collectively these studies provide support for the use of videos in training parents and staff in human service settings.

Noncompliance with requests is a problem for some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Wilder, 2011). Previous research demonstrated the effectiveness of guided compliance for increasing compliance of children with ASD and caregivers have been successfully taught to implement guided compliance using behavioral skills training (Tarbox, Wallace, Penrod, & Tarbox, 2007). Video modeling has proven effective for teaching staff who work with children with disabilities a variety of skills (e.g., DiGennaro-Reed, Codding, Vladescu, Carroll, Paden, & Kodak, 2012), but has not received much attention in the parent training literature. The purpose of the current study was to (a) examine the effects of video modeling with voiceover instruction (VMVO) as a training tool to teach parents to implement guided compliance when providing demands to a noncompliant confederate and (b) program for and assess generalization of guided compliance to a novel environment and to the parent’s child with ASD. Results indicated that the percentage of guided compliance steps completed correctly by parents in the presence of a confederate increased following introduction of VMVO and that parent implementation of guided compliance generalized to a novel environment and to the parent’s child with ASD.

Most-to-least prompt fading procedures are often an important component of teaching methods based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. In the present study video modeling with voiceover instruction (VMVO) plus feedback were evaluated in training staff to implement a most-to-least prompt fading procedure. Probes for generalization were conducted with untrained direct teaching procedures (i.e., least-to-most prompt fading, constant prompt delay) and with an actual consumer. The results indicated that VMVO plus feedback was effective in training the staff to use the most-to-least procedure. Additionally, all staff trainees demonstrate moderate to high levels of generalized responding to untrained direct teaching procedures and to an actual consumer.

Recent research and multiple special issues of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior have focused on connecting basic and applied research through translational experimentation. By contrast, researchers have paid much less attention to linking applied behavior analysis to its conceptual and philosophical foundations. The current symposium will attempt to illustrate ways in which the theoretical and philosophical foundations of behavior analysis can inform the treatment of socially important problems. In addition, we will present empirical examples of how applied behavior analysis can expand its impact and reach non–behavior analytic audiences.

TBD

Results of multiple within-subject studies have shown that individuals with autism elope for three main reasons: to gain access to preferred items, to escape undesirable settings or activities, or to gain attention from others (e.g., Piazza et al., 1997; Rapp, Vollmer, & Hovanetz, 2005). In contrast to this goal-directed bolting, some children with autism wander without a clear course due to skill deficits and/or a lack of recognition of potential dangers (e.g., oncoming car, swimming pools). These children have not been successfully taught to discriminate between safe and unsafe environments or to monitor and maintain safe proximity to caregivers. Despite the clear impact elopement has on the health, safety, and well-being of these individuals and their families, no comprehensive treatment approaches to the assessment and treatment of goal-directed bolting and wandering have been empirically validated. In this presentation, I will discuss a comprehensive model aimed at (a) distinguishing elopement from wandering and (b) developing treatments for problems of elopement and wandering that are uniquely tailored to assessment outcomes. Our preliminary results suggest that this comprehensive model can lead to more effective treatments.

Theory and philosophy are often assumed to be distant from, and irrelevant to, practical affairs. Indeed, this may often seem to be the case in many traditional helping professions, where techniques used by clinicians require little if any orientation or subscription to a particular theory. However, applied behavior analysis is different from traditional approaches to improve socially important behavior. This presentation highlights some of the ways that applied behavior analysis is distinct from other helping professions and ways of conceptualizing behavior more generally. After distinguishing applied behavior analysis from other approaches, specific consideration to the theoretical and philosophical foundation of applied behavior analysis is emphasized. Common examples of applied situations where theory explicitly influences practice are provided. The implications for the training, supervision, and continuing education of applied behavior analysts are reviewed. Ultimately, it is argued that the continued development and effective practice of applied behavior analysis requires an ongoing, intimate relationship with behavioral theory and philosophy.

Treatments of pediatric feeding disorders based on applied behavior analysis (ABA) have the most empirical support in the research literature (Volkert & Piazza, 2012); however, professionals often recommend and caregivers often use treatments that lack empirical support. In the current investigation, we compared the Sequential Oral Sensory approach (SOS; Toomey, 2010) to an ABA approach for the treatment of the food selectivity of 6 children with autism. We randomly assigned 3 children to ABA and 3 children to SOS and compared the effects of treatment in a multiple baseline design across novel, healthy target foods. We used a multielement design to assess treatment generalization. Acceptance of target foods increased for children who received ABA, but not for children who received SOS. We subsequently implemented ABA with the children for whom SOS was not effective and observed a potential treatment generalization effect during ABA when SOS preceded ABA.

This presentation is designed to enhance the basic competencies of BCBAs, ABA therapists, and other allied health professionals who work with culturally and linguistically diverse populations in locations inside and outside of the United States of America. Successes and challenges of conducting ABA work in the countries of Bermuda, Dubai, the U.S. Virgin Islands territories and the Hawaiian islands will be discussed. The presentation will feature examples of experiential learning activities that can be used with ABA techniques to enhance skill acquisition in diverse learners and across learning styles. It will also emphasize behavior analytic principles within a context of social significance in relation to the populations we serve. Effective teaching procedures will be discussed in relation to creating stimuli and teaching materials for CLD populations. This presentation will also feature a discussion of ethical behaviors for behavior analysts in relation to potential ethical quandaries that may come up in our day to day work. Solutions will be explored.

We examined whether a stimulus equivalence relation emerges with olfactory stimuli after two sets of naming training, and whether the training facilitates "olfactory hallucination."Six undergraduate students with low pre-test scores were selected. Percentage of correct responses corresponding olfactory stimuli (aroma scent) to visual stimuli (aroma materials pictures) and mean intensity rating to olfactory stimuli.The experiment was conducted in an enclosed ventilated space.Each olfactory stimulus was presented to the participant using blotter cards. Three aroma fragrances were used as training stimuli. Control stimuli included three other aroma fragrances and a blotter card without a fragrance (non-scent). During the post-test, two training and control stimuli were replaced with non-scent stimuli. Participants were trained to name the stimuli scent and the aroma materials photos, until achieving 100% accuracy for two consecutive blocks. The participants' post-test scores for the trained stimuli exceeded their pre-test scores; three participants' scores were either low or unstable. Four participants responded that they could smell the scent in the post-test non-scent stimuli.

Taekwondo is a traditional martial art that is currently an official Olympic sport. In martial arts, a recombinative repertoire is indispensable, especially regarding competitive contexts. Recombinative repertoires involve the emergence of new combinations of previously learned units. The present study had the objective of investigating the effect of teaching single strikes and sequences of Taekwondo strikes on performance in simulated sparring. It is a systematic replication of a previous research on Karate-do. Participants were young adults with no previous experience in martial arts and the procedure involved training and testing (sparring simulation) Taekwondo attacks. A mixed experimental design was used, in which participants were exposed to a sequence of training and testing that composed two conditions. In the unit condition participants were taught four single strikes and, in the sequence condition, four sequences of three strikes. Results showed that the teaching procedure involving the use of shaping, observational learning and instruction techniques was sufficient to teach the programmed skills in up to 4 h of training. In sparring, the occurrence of taught and new, single and in sequence attacks was observed. New sequences were mainly combinations of taught attacks. Results were discussed based on previous studies on recombination learning and methodological refinements were proposed.

The present study investigated the effects of the formation of equivalence classes and of the kind of stimuli composition on the behavior of following trained instructions (dictated pseudo-sentences or abstract symbols) and new instructions composed of the recombination of elements of training stimuli. Twelve undergraduate students were divided in three groups (n=4), each group assigned to one of three conditions, that differed in the kind of composition of training stimuli, according to a 6x6 matrix (six actions and six non-familiar objects): (1) diagonal: training stimuli with and without overlapping between elements (action and objects); (2) stepwise: overlapping between both elements of training stimuli; (3) edgewise: overlapping between one action and all objects, and one object with all actions. All participants were exposed to pre-test, three cycles of training and testing, and post-test. Four stimuli were trained in the first two cycles, three were trained in the third, and there were tests with two recombined stimuli in all cycles. In each cycle participants were exposed to conditional discriminations between pseudo-sentences and videos of action in relation to objects (AB), and between pseudo-sentences and abstract symbols (AC), equivalence tests (BC and CB), instruction-following tests with pseudo-sentences (AD) and abstract symbols (CD), imitation tests (BD), recombined instructions following (AD-r e CD-r), and recombinative-generalization tests (AB-r and AC-r). Equivalence class formation was observed in all conditions, and scores above 80% were observed in post-tests with training and recombined stimuli, except for two participants (diagonal and edgewise). Most participants were able to follow instructions composed of trained pseudo-sentences and abstract symbols, though participants from diagonal and edgewise conditions showed lower scores in cycle 1. Participants from diagonal condition were able to follow recombined instructions in cycle 2, when overlapping between elements of stimuli was introduced. One participant from edgewise condition showed similar results, while another participant showed low scores in all cycles. Stepwise condition participants showed recombinative repertoire from cycle 1. These findings show the effect of the amount of trained stimuli and of overlapping training stimuli from the beginning of training on recombined instruction following repertoire.

Many studies that have investigated performance under given reinforcement schedules have measured response rate or inter-response time (IRT), which reflect the time dimensions of response. While these are useful indices to analyze the effects of reinforcement schedules on responses, only a few studies have investigated spatial dimensions under reinforcement schedules. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of fixed-interval (FI) schedules on spatial dimensions. The measures of spatial dimensions were location of pecking response and the inter-response distance (IRD), which was the straight line between the locations of successive two responses. A circular response area of 22 cm in diameter was used so that the pecking responses were effective over a wide range. Pigeons were exposed to continuous reinforcement (CRF) and FI schedules. Results indicated that the response location spread during the transition from a CRF to an FI schedule. Additionally, the distribution of IRDs for the FI schedule was unimodal. These results indicate the possibility that FI schedules systematically control the spatial dimensions of response.

Human and nonhuman animals show position biases in choosing an item among others. This has been recognized for a long time in many fields of behavior sciences. For example, in a two-choice setting, this bias is reflected as the parameter "b" in the generalized matching law. We surveyed a position bias in choosing cards on the street of two big cities in Japan. An experimenter presented 10 cards in reverse to each of 453 passersby and asked them to pick either one (Group Solo, n = 222) or three (Group Trio, n = 231) from the cards. For Group Solo, the second and then third choices were also requested after the first choice. Inspection of the distribution of the selected cards among the 10 positions revealed the following tendencies: (1) The peak of first-choice distribution was the 6th card from the left in Group Solo, while it was the 4th card in Group Trio; (2) The distribution of second-choice was flatter for Group Solo than Group Trio; (3) The distribution of third-choice had three peaks (the 2nd, 6th, and 9th positions) in Group Solo, while it had only two peaks (the 2nd and 9th positions) in Group Trio.

Learning a conditional discrimination using matching-to-sample tasks has proved to be influenced by descriptions of performance. It has been supposed that this type of verbal performance enables a participant to answer correctly to transfer tests. Several changes can be introduced to transfer tests to increase their complexity. Verbal descriptions that involve more general rules of correct performance can be responsible for high percentages of correct answers on a transfer test of high complexity. In order to evaluate the effects of descriptions on performance during transfer tests of different degree of complexity, 16 college students were exposed to an instrumental training using a second-order matching-to-sample task. Only participants who learned the conditional discrimination were exposed to four transfer tests. Half of the participants were asked to answer using a verbal description; the rest used a non-verbal instrumental response. Transfer tests were sequenced in two opposite orders: from simple to complex and from complex to simple. Data showed an interaction effect between descriptions and the sequence of transfer tests. This suggests that performance on generalization contexts depends not only of abstract verbal responses but also of the type of learning that is elicited trough the changes on contexts.

Time-dependent increases in cue-induced sucrose-seeking after forced abstinence have been described in rats with a history of sucrose self-administration, suggesting sucrose craving "incubates." Usually, in the study of sucrose craving, responding for the secondary reinforcer (cue previously associated with sucrose) was examined but responding for the primary reinforcer (sucrose) was not. The present study examined whether time-dependent increases occur in responding for sucrose pellets. Fourteen male rats lever-pressed for 45 mg sucrose pellets for 10 days. On either day 1 or 30 of forced abstinence of sucrose, rats responded for 30 min for sucrose pellets (consumption test). Rats responded more during the consumption test session following 30 vs. 1 day of forced abstinence ("incubation of sugar consumption"). Within-session decreases in responding during the consumption test session were also analyzed. Rats in the day 30 group responded more than rats in the day 1 group at the beginning of the test session. However, within-session decreases in responding were similar between the two groups. These results indicate that "incubation of sugar consumption" does not enhance the persistence of sugar consumption.

Four rats responded to concurrent variable-ratio extinction schedule. Their schedule positions were randomly switched after 2s blackout following reinforcement delivery. Half of the subjects’ exposed ratio sizes were manipulated increasingly at 8 s, 16 s, 48 s. The other half of subjects were decreased at 32 s, 16 s, 4 s. On the whole, responses perseverate to just reinforced level during a brief period, even if a light cue signaled next reinforcer would be delivered at different located lever. There are two explanations: (1) strength account that, stimulus control of light being inept, reinforcer strengthened responses on which it is contingent; (2) induction account that the correlation between the phylogenetically important event (PIE) like food delivery and the lever press that produced it makes pressing that lever a PIE-related activity. The occurrence of PIE induces PIE-related activities (Baum, 2012). In this presentation, we explain that both account make a different prediction in relation between reinforcer density and response frequency, and show which account is supported by data.

We investigated the effect of non-alcoholic beer on performance of the go/no-go task when the participants were told that the drink did not contain alcohol. The participants were undergraduate students who drank beer at least once per month. Therefore, the taste, smell and sight of beer are expected to be associated with alcohol. The participants in the non-alcoholic beer group drank non-alcoholic beer. The participants in the water group drank water. The participants in the non-alcoholic beer group were told that the drink was alcohol-free. Then, they performed the go/no-go task. In experiment 1, the number of false alarms was smaller in the non-alcoholic beer group than in the water group. This result suggested that alcohol CS induced a conditioned compensatory response. However, in experiment 2, the number of false alarms was larger in the non-alcoholic beer group than in the water group. This result suggested that alcohol CS induced a normal conditioned response. In both experiments, the number of false alarms correlated with the age and subjective intoxication in the non-alcoholic beer group. These results suggest that alcohol CS impairs inhibitory responses in some people.

Ten children (ages 6-11) were trained with arbitrary A-C relation of unfamiliar figures with three different methods: (1) direct training with matching to sample (MTS), (2) verbal instruction with a graphical illustration and nicknames, (3) emerged A-C relation as a transitivity relation by the equivalence relations which was trained with MTS. After they acquired the original stimulus relation (A-C) completely, they were trained with a new stimulus relation (A-C') with MTS. The sensitivity for the new contingency was measured by the number of trials needed to reach the criterion and the number of errors they made before reaching the criterion. Mochizuki (2007) showed university students easily learned the new relation when they had learned the first relation using direct MTS training and equivalence relation but they needed many more trials to learn the new relation when they had been taught the first relation by verbal instruction.The experiment with children showed some different results: (1) Some children showed good performance in verbal instruction. They acquired the new relation with smaller number of trials than who learned the first relation by direct MTS training. (2) Some children could not acquire transitivity relation in the first training.

Our previous study showed that chicks' key-peck responses reinforced by an imprinted stimulus persisted as long as the responses were under a two-component chain schedule involving an imprinted stimulus and food. The present study investigated the effect of the two-component chain schedule on chicks' operant responses under a simple schedule. The subjects were three chicks. After imprinting to a moving cylinder, the chicks' key-peck responses were shaped using the stimulus as a reinforcer. Then they received operant sessions based on ABAB design. In baseline sessions, the key-peck responses were reinforced by the imprinted stimulus under CRF. In intervention sessions, a two-component chain schedule was conducted. In the first component, key pecking produced the imprinted stimulus. In the second component, panel pressing produced food. During the second intervention, probe sessions were conducted under CRF in order to examine whether the key-peck responses reinforced by the imprinted stimulus persist without food. The results indicated that chicks' rates of key-peck responses under the two-component chain were higher than those under CRF. Further, the rates of key-peck responses in the probe sessions were higher than those in the baseline sessions. In conclusion, the two-component chain schedule maintains chicks' key-peck responses reinforced by imprinted stimulus.

Many researchers show that humans and some nonhuman animals can acquire complex conceptual behaviors. Discrimination of artificial grammars is an example of such complex behavior. Artificial grammar is a system of rules that generate certain kinds of stimulus sequence ("grammatical sequences'') by finite state automaton. Chomsky and Miller (1958) suggested the strong relation between the artificial grammar and natural language of humans. It is also studied in the context of "song'' learning in songbirds and has been used as an typical task of "implicit learning'' (learning without awareness) in humans. Herbranson & Shimp (2003, 2008) showed that pigeons could discriminate stimulus sequences that were generated two different artificial grammars, but there still remains the question whether a whole structure of the grammar or some small fragments of sequences got stimulus control on pigeons' behavior. We adopted new generating rules to discern the factor which control the discriminative operant, and are running some comparative experiments with human and pigeons. In this poster presentation, we will report some results of human experiment. University students were showed two sets of color sequence (type-A and type-B, each type contains 43 sequences), and asked to guess A or B. In acquisition phase the correct answers were feedbacked. All participants reached more than 98% of correct classification within a session and they showed 100% of discrimination in a test phase in which they classified novel sets of sequences without feedback.

Generalized imitation is one of the higher order operant class. No or few studies demonstrated generalized imitation in animals. This experiment tried to show generalized imitation in ringneck pigeons. Four and two ringneck pigeons (Streptopelia risoria) were used as follower- and model-pigeons respectively. An experiment chamber contains two compartments separated by a transparent partition; on the front wall in each compartment were two response keys. In each discrete trial, model-pigeons showed pre-trained matching to sample by pecking either of two response keys. Key-peck responses of follower-pigeons were followed by food presentation if its key position was the same as the model's responded key (imitation training). After follower-pigeons showed more than 80% of imitation accuracy for two consecutive sessions, a probe test session was conducted in which model-pigeons showed pre-trained pecking to the red-colored LED and follower-pigeons' behavior was video-recorded (generalized imitation test). At present, two out of four follower-pigeons almost completed the imitation training. In the poster, we will also present the results of next conditions in which imitation responses were trained in color and shape dimensions.

Behavioral variability is controlled by the contingencies of reinforcement and discriminative stimulus. Previous studies have shown the relation between the environment and variable responses (Page & Neuringer, 1998). Organisms behave adaptively to constant variations in their environment through continuous response patterns (Wildemann & Holland, 1972). A continuous repertoire is formed by small differences in responses occurring with regard to stimuli. This study analyzes this continuous repertoire of variability. In this study, the variability of the inter-response distance (IRD) was reinforced on the response key (22.5 cm in diameter). To assess the level of variability, the IRD was divided into 11 bins. Reinforcement depended on a satisfying threshold for each IRD bin. For example, when the relative frequency had a low probability, the variability had a high value. The distance schedule (D) utilized a threshold procedure of controlled distance variability. Pigeons were trained under Mult vary D repeated D schedule. Lines with an angle of 0 degrees and 90 degrees served as discriminative stimuli. In the test, three test stimuli (with angles of 22.5, 45, and 67.5 degrees) were added to two training stimuli. This study analyzed the degree of variability in the IRD and other dimensions from different directions.

In the self-control procedure, introducing a longer delay following the reinforcement of the sooner and smaller amount (impulsive) alternative does not consistently decrease impulsive choice. We extended this delay insensitivity to ratio size after such reinforcement. In experiment 1, four pigeons were exposed to a similar self-control procedure in which the two alternatives were associated with green or red and left or right keys in a three-key operant box. Pecking one of the colors led to the pre-reinforcement (PR) cost requirement, which ended with reinforcement. After then completing the post-reinforcement (PO) cost requirement, the next choice trial started. The SRL alternative consisted of an FR 5 PR cost and an FR 15 PO cost; the LRS alternative consisted of an FR15 PR cost and an FR 5 PO cost. Twenty blocks comprised one session, and each block contained two forced choices and two free choices. All subjects chose the SRL almost exclusively. In experiment 2, three of four pigeons were exposed to the same procedure as in experiment 1 except the PO cost of the SRL was adjusted to the number of chosen alternatives in the free-choice trials. If a subject preferred the SRL to the LRS, PO cost was increased and if the LRS, vice versa. The pigeons preferred the SRL increasing the PO cost was to about 80, 60, and 30 to achieve choice equilibrium.

Delay discounting may be defined as the decrease in the subjective value of an outcome as the time until its occurrence increases (Rachlin, 2006). Because the rewards of academic performance in the university are often delayed, it is predicted that academic performance tends to decrease as a student places less weight on future outcomes. In fact, the previous study showed that college GPA was correlated negatively with discount rates (Kirby, Winston & Santiesteban, 2005). However the study didn't reveal the relationship between delay discounting and their actual study behavior. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the relationship between delay discounting and study behavior. The participants were university students (N=90). We measured the degree of delay discounting with questionnaires. We made participants record the quantity of Chinese characters that they practiced every day for a week, until they actually sat for an examination. In addition, before starting the study, half of the participants were asked to write how many Chinese characters they planned to study for a week (experimental group), while the other half started studying without writing such goal (control group). The result showed that there was no positive correlation between the quantity of study and the degree of delay discounting. Also there was no difference between experimental group and control group. On the other hand, the participants who were absent from the test showed the larger degree of delay discounting than those who presented the test (z=2.07, p<.05). This result suggested that there might be a correlation between attendance/absence behavior and delay discounting.

Establishment of conditioned reinforcers such as praise has sometimes failed in experiments with participants with autism. Despite lack of empirical support, the most recommended method for the conditioning of social stimuli is classical condition (paring). In several experiments, we have compared the effectiveness for establishing conditioned reinforcers in rats: classical conditioning and operant discrimination training. Analysis of the data indicates that earlier discrimination training might have impact on further establishment of discriminative stimuli as conditioned reinforcers. The occurrence of blocking can have impact on the effort to establish conditioned reinforcers. Three preschool children with autism participated in the experiment. First, the children were trained to touch the screen on a net board in the presence of a visual or auditory stimulus. When stimulus control was established, we reinforced touching the screen in presence of compound stimuli. After training we conducted two different tests: 1) whether compound stimuli involved in the discrimination training were blocked, and 2) whether the stimuli functioned as conditioned reinforcers. We discuss how previous discrimination training and blocking can have practical impact in applied settings with children with autism, in attempts to establish discriminative stimuli as conditioned reinforcers, and in complex discrimination tasks with complex stimuli.

The self-control phenomenon has been studied using different procedures, such as delay of gratification and delay discounting, among others. The results obtained by comparing these procedures using rats as experimental subjects suggest that they are functionally equivalent in that they engender similar preference for one of the alternatives. Nevertheless this possibility hasn't been analyzed in human children. The objective of this study was to assess whether the same parameters in both procedures generate similar levels of preference in one of the alternatives. Participants were 10 four-year-old children who were assigned randomly to two groups of five members each. Each group was exposed to one of the self-control procedures. Preference for delayed alternative was similarly observed in both groups, which suggests that these two procedures appear to be equivalent in the amount of self-control they promote. The findings are discussed in terms of the observed similarities between the above procedures.

All operant behaviors have both criterial and noncriterial dimensions, the former being those that must occur in order for the operant to be completed, and the latter consisting of the rest of the physical performance of the operant. Noncriterial aspects of operant behavior are not often measured; however, when they are recorded they can provide valuable data on how participants typically approach the performance of behaviors of the type studied. Furthermore, analysis of quantifiable noncriterial operant dimensions is a powerful way to measure operant variability/stereotypy. In two experiments participants performed operants consisting of a string of keypresses on the computer keyboard: the space bar (marking the start), at least 12 letters from those available, and finally the enter key (marking the end). The required number of keypresses had to occur for each operant to be counted, but which letters were chosen was noncriterial and left up to the participant. In experiment 1, operants were reinforced with money on a VR schedule for 9 sessions, followed by an extinction session. In experiment 2, operants were reinforced with positive feedback stimuli for 9 sessions, followed by a session in which each correct operant not identical to the previous two earned 80 cents. Participants' preferences for individual letters, and patterns of letter keypresses, were in line with previous research on bias in experiments using a keystroke operant; in addition, the variability of the letter patterns emitted varied systematically and predictably both over time and in response to particular stimuli.

Escobar and Perez-Herrera (2015) described the design of an inexpensive electronic interface to control operant-conditioning chambers using USB ports in one computer. An Arduino microcontroller board is connected to the operant chamber and reinforcement schedules are generated using Visual Basic programing. The authors reported that the interface met the requirements of operant research and noted that with minor modifications it can be used to record multiple responses simultaneously. In this poster we describe a modification to the design of the interface that allows using inexpensive photocells consisting of pairs of infrared LEDs and phototransistors to record seven nose poking responses in rats in seven adjacent locations. To record two response dimensions simultaneously, response duration was also recorded. Every response was reinforced using a multiple schedule with reinforcement and extinction components. It was found that variability of response location increased during the extinction component. This finding is congruent with classic studies on response variability. The variability of response duration, however, decreased during extinction. These findings suggest that the Arduino-Visual Basic interface can be used for recording accurately complex response dimensions.

The purpose of this study was to apply a Parental Guidance Behavioral Program in the University Hospital at the University of São Paulo, with an education and therapeutic approach. The behavioral program addressed child and parental behavior towards learning on the "Program de Qualidade de Interacao Familiar" (PCOF; Quality Program for Family Interaction), developed by the researchers at the Federal University of Prana. Parents of children and pre-adolescents (those from 2-11 years old), who were already in behavioral therapy or on a waiting list were invited to participate.An experimental groupand a control group were formedwith couples who agreed to undergo the Behavioral Program Application.

Behavioral architecture is a new interdisciplinary research area where houses are seen as a product of interaction of requirements of residents and environmental factors such as social institutions (e.g., social system of rank in the Edo era). A typical example of the houses produced by these interactions is the traditional urban house of Kyoto (or machiya). The Kyoto machiya has a long history that begins in the Heian period (from 794 to late 12th c). The Kyoto machiya, residence of the city-dweller, was sophisticated and preserved their unique style such as grid, plaster wall, and tile roof. In entering the Edo period (early 17th c.), the style of machiya was established as it now stands. The Kyoto machiya typically is long and narrow, having a narrow frontage facing the street but extending far to the back, for which reason it has been called “eel’s bed.” The style of machiya that combined shop and residence developed with requirements for merchants as well as handicraftsman. With the earth floor leading to the back, the shop space connects to the residential sections such as the kitchen and the sitting room, and links to the backyard garden. I will present a practical example of renovation of the Kyoto machiya (built early in the Sowa era) and the lifestyle of residents of the present day in terms of behavioral architecture.

This session is to present information regarding the process of practicing family-centered positive behavior support for students majoring in early childhood education in Taiwan. Participants in this study are 21 college students (pre-service teachers), 7 children with disabilities, and their families. The process included two phases. The emphasis of first phase is to provide foundational knowledge. The second phase is to implement center-based practical trainings. The students received 36 hours of lectures related to behavioral techniques as well as positive behavior support approach. All students received practical training to strengthen their professional confidence. The Goal Attainment Scaling and self-made checklists have been utilized to ensure the outcomes for each stage of trainings. By the end of this session, participants will gain information about: (a) identifying the importance of providing systematic training and support for potential professionals in the field of early intervention; and (b) understanding the needs of developing family-centered intervention program based on evidence-based practices.

This study examines the effect of interdependent group-oriented contingency intervention on function of disruptive behaviors’ in students with developmental disabilities. Interdependent group-oriented contingency interventions have demonstrated sufficient empirical support to be considered an evidence-based strategy for a variety of applications. Although the procedure for subject selection has been discussed, there is little existing research that describes the function of behavioral problems (Maggin, Johnson, Chafouleas, Ruberto, & Berggren, 2012). The target class had 33 students, two of whom had developmental disabilities, in the fourth grade of an elementary school. Target behaviors, or dependent variables, were on-task behaviors (e.g., standing in queue at the beginning of class) and disruptive behaviors (e.g., interrupting the teacher; outside the classroom only). A functional behavioral assessment was conducted regarding these students’ disruptive behaviors before interdependent group-oriented contingency intervention. The primary functional characteristic of the observed disruptive behaviors was attention. As a result of the interdependent group-oriented contingency intervention in the targeted class, on-task behaviors increased and disruptive behaviors decreased for all students, including for those with disabilities. The results of this study are discussed in terms of the relationship between group-oriented contingency intervention and the function of disruptive behaviors in students with developmental disabilities.

The purpose of this study, based on behavior analysis, was to focus particularly on the victim of bullying behavior, and to explore whether the actions of the victim can be understood in terms of behavior analysis of their physical position. While specific cases have reported the function of bullying behavior by the perpetrator, this study proposes a concrete support method for the behavior of the victim in the development of bullying problems. In this study, we captured the bullying victim's behavior using keywords from case reports as targets in the behavior analysis. As a result, we were able to capture the bullying victim's physical behavior.Bullying victims avoid the social scenes that they perceive as situations where they have been bullied. In addition, it was recognized that whether or not bullying resulted, avoidance behavior falls into a persistent vicious cycle. Future challenges include conducting a behavioral consultation and environmental adjustments to the bullying victim's behavior, and a psychological support program for acquiring alternative actions against the perpetrators that is based onthe examination of bullying behavior and is of good construction and validity.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of Preparation to Adulthood Family Training Program (PAFTP) for adults with special needs on family quality of life. This was investigated by using one group pre-test/post-test design. "Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale" was given to the participants for testing before and after training. Independent variable of the study is PAFTP and dependent variable of the study is family quality of life. Nine mothers who have an adult son with developmental disability, participated in this study. PAFTP is a family training program which developed by author of this study. PAFTP is an establishment-based program which forms four session and is supported by audio, visual, and written materials. The program involves four topics: 1) adaptation to adulthood, (2) legal rights, (3) overcoming stress, and (4) vocational training and employment. In addition, as part of the program, a handbook/guidebook was prepared for parents by the author. Findings showed that there is no significant difference between pre-test and post-test because family life quality concept is complex and may be accessibility to all environmental factors and personal characteristic. Results of study will be presented.

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of mirror instruction on the participants' perspective-taking while imitating unilateral actions. The study included three kindergarten-aged students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder from a self-contained classroom in a special education school. The dependent variable was the number of correct responses to unilateral actions each participant emitted during the pre- and post-intervention probe sessions when they were face-to-face with the instructor. The independent variable was the implementation of mirror instruction in which the participants were required to imitate unilateral actions with perspective-taking. A delayed multiple probe across participants design was employed to test the effects of mirror instruction on the participants' ability to use perspective-taking while imitating actions. Results indicated that the mirror instruction increased correct perspective taking when the participant imitated unilateral movements.

This study examines the effects of rapid toilet training on three preschool students diagnosed with developmental disabilities. The participants attended a self-contained classroom of a publicly funded private preschool. A time-lagged multiple-baseline design was employed across the participants to identify the functional relationships between dependent and independent variables. The dependent variables were numbers of independent elimination in the toilet, accidents, and independent mands (i.e., self-initiation) emitted per day. The independent variable was the rapid toilet training procedure modified from Azrin and Foxx (1971). During the intervention, the participants went to the bathroom in predetermined intervals and had opportunities to emit mands. They received edible and social reinforcement for successful elimination in the toilet. The result shows that the rapid toilet training procedure significantly reduced the number of accidents and increased independent voiding in the bathroom and mands for toilet use.

The purpose of this study was to investigate what desired behaviors were targeted and how antecedent strategies or consequence strategies were selected in studies addressing individuals with developmental disabilities who engaged problem behaviors in natural settings. We searched single-case practical research based on individual positive behavior support published between 1990 and 2013. Each article that met the criteria for inclusion in the study was scored. We analyzed which type of disabilities participants had, where the interventions were implemented, which behaviors, antecedents, reinforcers of problem behaviors were occurred, which desired behaviors were targeted, which antecedent strategies or consequence strategies were selected in these studies. Results indicated that most targeted desired behaviors were two forms: (1) desired behaviors that the individual should be exhibiting in the problem situation, (2) desired behaviors that individual had acquired in another situation. Though consequence strategies were conducted multiply, all reinforcers were positive. Conducted antecedent strategies were modifying antecedents in the problem situation for former desired behaviors, and prompting for latters. For future research, we should discuss which contingencies of desired behaviors we should select to intervene, and interventions in several situations for the individual with severe problem behaviors occurred.

The ability to perform activities of daily living by oneself leads to a sense of independence. Therefore, it is important to support children attending special education schools to perform activities of daily living independently. In this study, the author supported a child with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disability to perform morning activities of daily living by himself, and examined how this support influenced the number of irrelevant behaviors demonstrated by the child and the instructions provided by the teacher. The effect of this support on the proportion of activities that the child preformed independently was also examined. Reviewing the order of the activities and reducing the number of times the child moved in the classroom decreased the number of instructions provided by the teacher and increased the proportion of activities independently performed by the child. Additionally, installing screens at changing rooms that prevented the child from looking at the teacher and moving decreased the number of irrelevant behaviors demonstrated by the child and instructions provided by the teacher. Thus, this study indicates that it is necessary to modify environmental settings in order to reduce children's irrelevant behaviors. Particularly, it can decrease escape-maintained problem behaviors.

The present study examined the effect of number family instruction on improving fluency of addition and subtraction facts through the "cover-copy-compare" and a timed trial procedure. A second-grade student with autism spectrum disorder in Japanese public elementary school participated in this study. Training sessions were conducted in home by her mother. The author supervised the mother's training by e-mail. The author used a multiple-baseline design across two sets of materials. Throughout the study, the mother of the participant measured the number of correct and incorrect digits in 1-minute assessments of addition and subtraction facts and in 1-minute assessments of missing numbers. Intervention consisted of teaching the concept of a number family, "cover-copy-compare" for number families, and using reward contingency for beating one's previous score in 1 minute timed trials of missing numbers. The mother reported the corrected data to the author by e-mail. The results showed that thestudent improved fluency of addition and subtraction facts.

In junior high schools, it is often difficult for students to gain access to special needs education; this is partly because the student-teacher ratio is greater than in elementary schools. The present study aimed to examine utility of behavioral consultation with the teachers of a ninth-grade junior high school student (male) who demonstrated maladjusted behavior in the regular classroom setting. For example, he would leave his seat in the middle of class, chat instead of study, and make a move on his classmates. The teacher consultation focused on development of an intervention plan using functional assessment. The intervention plan was discussed with all teachers who were involved with the student with respect to both the classroom and larger school context. The results showed that some off-task behaviors were substantially reduced (almost disappearing in some cases) with environmental coordination and with functional prompts. The present study demonstrated a meaningful way to do functional assessment and to test hypotheses about student behavior. We were also able to develop a useful intervention plan with limited information and in limited circumstances. Overall, we might demonstrate the guideline of behavioral consultation in the junior high school setting.

This study is intended to verify the educational method aimed at acquisition of the safe transfer assistance technique using a sliding board. Fourteen students who aim to become occupational therapists participated. Applied behavior analysis was the framework for the educational program, and scenarios focused on the transfer from bed to wheelchair (B-W) and from wheelchair to bed (W-B). The program has four components as follows: (1) baseline, verbal instructions and modeling the technique in a video; (2) intervention 1, scoring feedback of the evaluation with verbal praise; (3) intervention 2, additional video instruction with slow play back for areas of difficulty; (4) follow-up, the same as at baseline. Measured variables included transfer assistance technique behavior based on video scoring by two independent reviewers. The participants who completely acquired the transfer assistance technique were five students in B-W, four students in W-B. The participants who were not able to achieve acquisition of the complete technique still reached 96% in both B-W and W-B. It was revealed that an acquisition rate improved by using feedback and verbal praise, a prompt in the stimulation as an education method of the transfer assistance technique.

Students with emotional disturbance (ED) present a range of academic and behavior problems.Positive interventions for students with ED frequently accompany instruction with reinforcement. Increasing the effectiveness of positive interventions may reduce the use of punitive techniques. Reinforcers identified through observation have a greater potential to produce positive treatment outcomes. Choice-stimulus preference assessment allows students to select reinforcers by choosing between presented stimuli. Few studies have compared the effectiveness of testimonials with choice-stimulus preference assessment for children with ED. Despite the assumption that verbal students without severe disabilities have the ability to vocally identify reinforcers, studies of correspondence training suggest that statements made by children may be inconsistent with their behavior. The current study compared the effectiveness of a multiple-stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment and vocal nomination of preferences in identifying reinforcers for children with ED (n =3) using evidence-based math remediation in an alternating treatments design. The study also assessed the stability of the MSWO and vocal nomination assessments over multiple administrations. Results suggest choice stimulus preference assessment identified effective reinforcers and generated more consistent findings than vocal nomination. In addition, the reinforcers identified by the MSWO assessment evoked more frequent use of instructional procedures than nominated reinforcers in one of the participants. Recommendations for research and practice will be provided.

This study illustrates recent innovations in the changing criteria design. The first, termed range-bound changing criterion, is a simple variation of the changing criteria design that uses a single criterion for each stepwise intervention phase. The range-bound uses a range criterion with an upper and lower limit for each intervention phase. In the first example the participant achieved the goal of running 10km, advancing from a baseline mean of 1.4km, completing the task, free from injury, over 12 weeks. An increasing trend in data was observed, with performance and within phase criteria changing simultaneously. The second, termed distributed criterion, combined elements of the changing criterion, multiple-baseline, and ABAB designs and was designed for contexts where individuals have to complete multiple tasks that require prioritisation and allocation of varying amounts of time and effort. From baseline the participant elected to change the proportion of time allocated to each of the component tennis skills (match play/assessment, warm-up, forehand rallies, backhand rallies, volleys and service) redistributing them in the intervention phases to meet the changing training and ability needs. Both innovations demonstrated utility as a clinical strategy. Their role in minimising injury and allowing a more responsive approach to multitasking is discussed.

The purposes of the present study were (a) to demonstrate the triggers that prompt children's inappropriate behaviors in classroom setting and (b) to examine the effect of the trigger analysis for the problem behaviors of the children with special educational needs in group-oriented regular classrooms in Japan. Trigger analysis is a set of assessment procedures that allows a teacher to identify the events that evoke or cue inappropriate behaviors (Rolider, 2003). We conducted interviews with the assistant teachers to obtain information about children's behavioral difficulties, background details, and possible linkage between the triggers and the likelihood of the behavior's occurrence. They support children with behavioral difficulties in regular classroom. Based on the information gathered through the interviews, they conducted direct behavioral observation. The results of the trigger analysis revealed that most triggering circumstances was academic demands (e.g., teacher presents a challenging task) in Japan. We will report the descriptions (categories) of inappropriate and appropriate response to classroom triggers.

The purpose of this study was to determine if attendance points would improve college students' class attendance and punctuality. Participants were 294 students who taking a health psychology class. In the baseline phase, a teacher took a roll call at random time, and no punctuality contingencies were implemented. In the intervention phase, the teacher started the class with a roll call and explained that students could receive attendance points if they showed up within 10 minutes of the beginning of the class. Two observers distributed handouts to each student directly, and began to count how many handouts were distributed 10 minutes after the class had started.The average number of late arrivals was 52.5 in the baseline phase, and 9.8 in the intervention phase. The average number of total attendance was 241.5 in the baseline phase, and 234.2 in the intervention phase. Tau-U analysis suggested that the number of late arrivals decreased significantly across the baseline and intervention phases after controlling for baseline trend (TAU = --1.30, p < .001). The number of total attendance did not differ significantly.These results indicated that the attendance points intervention was effective at improving tardiness.

Employment is the most important issue of adulthood. Vocation training is essential for adults with developmental disabilities. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of an “Assistant Cook Training Program (ACTP)” on the ability of fifteen adults (ages 19–31) with developmental disabilities to identify kitchen utensils. We used a one group pre-tes/post-test design. The “Kitchen Skills Assessment Form,” designed by the author, was given to participants before and after their training. The independent variable is the ACTP and the dependent variable is the ability to identify kitchen utensils. Twenty utensils are taught using real materials and photos of the utensils. The program will go on until approximately May 2015; findings and results will be presented in the poster.

Consultation training was provided to a graduate student trainee. The trainee had no prior experience in providing such training at that point. The consultation training program included literature reading, live modeling, performance feedback, and monitoring and feedback on recorded video. The effect of the training was assessed during role-play exercises. The student trainee was assigned to fictitious consultation cases that consultees presented. In this study, interviews between the student trainee and consultees were conducted once every two months for about a year. Using a single-case-study design, changes in behavioral consultation skills and clinical skills were evaluated. Further, consultees evaluated the performance of the student trainee after each consultation. In evaluation, the consultant evaluation questionnaire that the primary author created was used. The results of the present study demonstrated that the consultation training program is effective in improving not only behavioral consultation skills and clinical skills of trainees but the degree of satisfaction rated by teacher consultees. One limitation of this study was the sample size of only one participant. This limitation needs to be addressed by conducting the training program for more participants.

It is difficult for children to maintain their on-task behaviors when a given task requires response effort to complete problems (Skinner, 1998). However, we have demonstrated that contingent praise can counteract negative effects of response effort (Nishiyama & Tanaka-Matsumi, 2011, 2012). In the present study, we reexamined the effects of response effort and contingent praise on on-task behaviors of a 7-year-old boy who has difficulties with math computation and writing skills. The child engaged in previously determined less- and more-effort math computation tasks in a series of one-minute trials. We also examined the effect of telling the difficulty of problems (e.g., "The next problem is bit hard. Do you think you can try?") ahead of time and contingent praise for the difficult problems on on-task behaviors. We expected that informing the task difficulty would increase reinforcer value of completing the task and help maintain on-task behaviors. Results systematically replicated our previous findings. In addition, the child could maintain his on-task behaviors when told the difficulty of problems before he tried to solve a problem.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of individualized Positive Behavior Support (PBS) intervention for play behavior of a child with developmental delays in inclusive preschool. The participants of this study were three 5-year old children with developmental delays. The research questionwe sought to answer was, "Does individualized positive behavior support intervention have an effects on play behavior of children with developmental delays in inclusive preschool?" Multiple baseline design across 3 subjects was utilized as a design and functional behavior assessment (FBA) through the review of preschool records, the interview with people related a child with developmental delays and direct observation using video recording led to the assumed hypothesis of antecedent and triggering events of the target behavior in natural setting, which is a inclusive classroom. Positive behavior support using multi-element-based intervention that addresses function of target behavior and emphasize skill streaming were utilized as an intervention. The target play behavior was measured using partial-interval recording system. The results of this study showed that the positive behavior support intervention increased children's play behavior with peers in inclusive preschool classroom. The effects of intervention were maintained 3 weeks after the completion of intervention. In conclusion, this study indicated that individualized PBS intervention was effective on peer play behavior of children with developmental delays in inclusive preschool classroom setting.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of classroom-wide positive behavior support (CWPBS) intervention to reduce challenging behavior of students in Korea. The research question we sought to answer was, "Does classroom-wide positive behavior support have any effects reducing out-of-seat behavior of 6 students with developmental disabilities?" The study subjects were 6 students with developmental disabilities in special school. Multiple prove baseline design across condition, which are math, art, and daily living class in special school was utilized as a research design in this study. The intervention (universal support) was establishing classroom rule for all students, notifying daily schedule to students, environmental restructuring (seat replacement, instructional adoptation) and token reinforcement. The result of this study was that classroom-wide positive behavior support intervention for students with developmental disabilities was effective reducing out-of-seat behavior across three conditions.

The present study examined effects of an intervention package as positive behavior support on decreasing escaping tasks and increasing on-task behaviors. Both an 11- and an 8-year old boy with intellectual disabilities or hearing impairments participated in the study. The study was conducted in special education classrooms in a general elementary school. The target behaviors were escaping given tasks during math or literacy class. The examples of escaping behavior included verbal and physical aggressions, destruction, self-injurious behaviors, and out-of-seat behaviors. Alternative behavior which was trained during intervention was using written cards or vocal requests for break or for less amounts of tasks. In addition to teaching functional communication skill, the intervention package included giving a break when the participants were lack of sleep previous night, giving choices for tasks, and changes in difficulties of tasks. The results of the intervention showed that the intervention package was effective on decreasing escaping behaviors and increasing on-task behaviors.

In this research, indirect-intervention (behavioral consultation) to a special support school was performed. Target School was a special support school for intellectual disabilities located in a city suburb. Subjects were children in first to sixth grade who had various medical conditions ranging from an autism spectrum disorder to an intellectual disability. Intellectual disabilities ranged from slight to serious. Intervention was carried out in workshop form to the teacher of each grade using VTR. The workshop discussed how the students’ problem behavior corresponded to the VTR taken during class. Only expansion of the behavioral repertoire of students and teachers was performed in the workshop; that is, it did not participate in correction of the present behaviors. The result suggested the improvement to students' problem behavior,and it increased in appropriate behavior with teachers. In addition, positive changes were obtained by teaching behavior of the client.

The present research was an exploratory study which aimed at describing the behavior of undergraduate students while they wrote the abstracts of two experiments. They were asked to select the sentences of each article that they judged relevant to the abstract, to order them as they saw fit, and to write down the abstract. The quality of the abstracts improved from the first to the second task for six participants, and worsened for four participants; five participants composed good abstracts from the start, while the others had intermediate performances that did not change. Only one participant included all of the required elements, and none included them in the correct order.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS) when applied in Japanese education settings with some modifications for Japanese educational culture. The first author applied SWPBS in two junior high schools as a school principal.From 2007 to 2009, SWPBS was applied in one junior high school which had five classes and consisted of 125 students. From 2009 to 2012, it was applied in a second junior high school which had 15 classes and consisted of 525 students. Before applying SWPBS, it was modified for Japanese educational culture and teachers' beliefs in the following ways: (a) teachers used a reinforcer that was mainly their attention, (b) teachers not only reinforced defined behaviors but also organized other activities to facilitate students recognizing each other for exhibiting defined behaviors, (c) in defining expected behaviors, all teachers were involved in the process of determining the criteria for expected behaviors; students were also invited to the process, (d) for consistency of teaching and supporting defined behaviors across teachers and as a whole school, the critical parts of our school guidance were made the same, (e) the principal intentionally used the process of introducing the SWPBS as a team-building process between him and teachers. As a result of implementation of SWPBS, the number of aggressive incidents among students and for teachers, destruction of school facilities, and wandering during class decreased. Students increased appropriate participation in classroom and school activities. It is suggested that the process of introducing the SWPBS facilitates stronger relationships among teachers.

The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness and efficiency of social stories with and without video modeling for teaching self-protection skills to four students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). An adapted alternating treatments single subject research design was used to compare the procedures in the study and visual analyses of the graphic data were conducted. Four male students with ASD whose ages ranged from 10 to 12 years participated in the study. Target skills for the students were how to respond to the lures of strangers and how to respond if a stranger knocked at the door. The findings of the study showed that both procedures were equally effective on promoting acquisition of the self-protection skills for three of the four students with ASD. Data indicated that there was no difference between the two procedures regarding maintenance and generalization effects. Also, social validity of the study was investigated by asking the participants and their parents to rate their satisfaction of the intervention. The opinions of the parents and participants were positive overall. Based upon the findings, implications and recommendations of the study are discussed.

There is a growing need for trained clinicians to provide ABA-based treatment for children with autism. However, demand for Board Certified Behaviour Analysts (BCBA) greatly outstrips the current supply, which is evidenced by the case of Tianjin where the need for ABA intervention has continued to grow with the increasing prevalence of ASD in China. However there is a paucity of peer-reviewed evidence comparing the accessibility, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of different approaches to training. In the current paper, we examined the effectiveness of a group ABA training workshop for teachers and healthcare professionals in China. One-hundred-fifty educators and healthcare professionals were recruited to participate in a five-day workshop in Tianjin, China, which was conducted by three BCBAs from Canada and Hong Kong. The workshop covered the following areas: autism spectrum disorders (ASD), early intensive behaviour intervention (EIBI), applied behaviour analysis (ABA), discrete trial teaching (DTT), natural environment teaching (NET) and positive behaviour support (PBS). The participants completed tests before and after the workshop, and the results of the tests were analyzed. Social validity was measured as well. The group training was found to be an effective and acceptable method for increasing knowledge and understanding of ABA-based teaching strategies. It is suggested that large-group cross-cultural ABA training can be a cost effective way to train professionals across the globe.

The number of children requiring special care in the classroom is increasing. Therefore, the demands on teachers to provide this care is also increasing. The ABA method is very effective in helping teachers adapt their teaching method to match these children. However, many people believe that ABA is difficult to understand because of many technical terms. Also, the official curriculum for training teachers does not include ABA as a subject in Japan. The purpose of this research is to try to determine the comprehension level of students studying ABA for the first time. In this study, teaching ABA without using difficult technical terms, instead of using daily classroom examples, was investigated. Multiple-choice test were administered to students before and after hearing ABA lectures. A questionnaire made by O'Dell (1979) was used as a basis and modified for this research. Twp groups of students participated in this research. One group was studying to become elementary school teachers, while the other group was training to become kindergarten and preschool teachers. The scores of each group were compared. The students' comprehension increased after the ABA lectures. It can be seen that ABA has two aspects: one that can be easily understood by first-time learners, and the other that is more difficult for them.

The purpose of this study was to examine difficulties that Japanese special education teachers faced in the implementation of intervention-based functional assessment. Seventeen teachers who receivedtraining participated in this study. Questionnaires were designed to investigate difficulties in four categories on functional assessment-based interventions. The four categories were (a) conducting a functional assessment, (b) recording, (c) designing intervention plans, and (d) implementing intervention plans. The questionnaire had 24 items in a 5-point Likert-type scale and open-ended questions. Results showed that teachers rated "recording" category as most difficult, and "designing intervention plans" category as least difficult. Referring to each item, collecting of information except school setting, describing the antecedent events, and collaborating with other teachers in implementing intervention plans were rated as most problematic. On the other hand, items related to techniques in designing and implementing intervention plans were rated less difficult for teachers.

The MSc in Applied Behaviour Analysis offered by the School of Education at Queen's University Belfast, is a highly interactive blended learning programme providing professionals from a wide range of backgrounds with scientifically validated expertise that is applicable to mainstream and special needs education, inclusion, curriculum, learning, and pedagogy. The programme includes a Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) approved course sequence (4th Edition Tasklist) (practice element not included). The MScABA offers a convenient solution to students, who do not need to relocate to Belfast, but if they wished to take the course on campus, Belfast is a city easily reached from Europe by a variety of low-cost airlines.

Caldwell University, a private liberal arts university located in a quiet suburban New Jersey community near New York City, offers an ABAI-accredited 45-credit Masters of Arts degree program in applied behavior analysis. The core of the program consists of a BACB-approved eight-course sequence (24 credits). Students in the MA program are required to complete a behavior analytic research thesis mentored by a faculty member. The MA program prepares students to work in a variety of applied settings and for further doctoral study. New Jersey also boasts of many successful private and public agencies that work with Caldwell University to support training in behavior analysis.

Caldwell University, a private liberal arts university located in a quiet suburban New Jersey community near New York City, offers a 90-credit PhD in applied behavior analysis. The doctorate degree in Applied Behavior Analysis prepares students to work competently with individuals with developmental disabilities, special education, mental health, and academia. The core curriculum for the PhD in ABA program focus on (a) the advanced principles and procedures of basic and applied behavior analysis and practice and research, (b) the application of behavior analysis and behavioral support in complex environments (i.e., home, school, work, and other community settings), and (c), supervision and training of others in behavior analysis, (d), conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of advanced topics in behavior analysis, (e) development and completion of independent research in behavior analysis.

Obesity is considered a main factor in the top three preventable diseases in the United States. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends increased physical activity in children and adults to combat this trend. Physical activity can now be accurately measured with small, wearable accelerometers that submit data wirelessly. The novelty of the accelerometer reinforces increased physical activity, especially those with continuous visual feedback on the device; however, the duration between increased physical activity and improved health may be too prolonged to maintain increased levels of physical activity. Contingency management (CM) can supplement reinforcement for increased levels of physical activity until natural reinforcement contingencies (i.e., physical changes) are apparent. The current study examined the effects of wearing devices with no visual feedback versus visual feedback, as well as feedback with contingency management via a multiple baseline across participants in healthy adults that wanted to increase physical activity for health benefits. Baseline has commenced with one participant at this time. Conclusions can be used to design better behavioral incentive programs with the popular devices to combat the obesity epidemic, as well as determine when CM can be faded.

"Holding people accountable" is a phrase heard widely within organizational cultures in the past year, with the Harvard Business Review even headlining the phrase, "What Ever Happened to Accountability?" on one of their 2012 publications. CLG has been working with a Canadian mining organization to help make this "accountability system" work. According to the Saskatchewan Mining Association, "Without an expectation of effective consequences, accountability is not believable and has no credibility. No consequences—no accountability," and that is where behavior analysis comes in. At ABA 2014, we demonstrated that by using something called visual management, we were able to work with the client to create a system for consequence delivery that was easy, salient, used at every level of the organization, and most importantly, worked to modify behavior in the direction needed to get the results intended. Visual management involves the use of line graphs and other behavior and results tracking methods to display trends over time to help see the direction of performance for both leading and lagging indicators and provides a platform for consequence delivery based on performance. Last year we were able to replicate the results at a different site location and in addition, display sustained results through refinement of visual management boards using new organizational goals.

This study examined the relative effects of objective feedback and social comparison feedback on work performance. In addition, the interaction effects of feedback type and the performance levels of participants were examined. Participants were 150 voluntary college students in the pilot test; 30 participants of middle performance level were excluded. They attended 4 experimental sessions in total. We adopted a between-subject design and participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups: (1) high performer-objective feedback, (2) high performer-social comparison feedback, (3) low performer-objective feedback and (4) low performer-social comparison feedback. The participants performed a simulated work task on the computers. The dependent variable was the number of work task completed correctly. The results showed that the social comparison feedback was more effective than the objective feedback for the high performers, while the objective feedback was more effective than the social comparison feedback for the low performers.

The current study examined the effects of four types of feedback sequences on work performance and emotional responses. Participants were asked to work on a simulated quality control task. Forty eight undergraduate students participated in this study and they were randomly assigned into four groups: 1) positive-positive (P-P) feedback condition, 2) positive-negative (P-N) feedback condition, 3) negative-positive (N-P) feedback condition and 4) negative-negative (N-N) feedback condition. The dependent variable was the number of correct response. In addition, emotional responses of feedback recipient were measured at the end of the experiment. The results showed that the average number of correct responses under the P-P feedback condition was higher than that under the P-N feedback condition, N-P feedback condition and N-N feedback condition at the intervention phase. For the emotional responses, the score of positive emotional responses under the P-P feedback condition was much higher than the P-N feedback condition, N-P feedback condition and N-N feedback condition. On the other hand, the score of negative emotional responses under N-N feedback condition was much higher than the P-P feedback condition, P-N feedback condition and N-P feedback condition.

The current study examined the effects of a brief, group-based form of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in three adults who met the criteria for chronic low back (CLB) pain. The treatment was delivered in ten 120-minute group sessions for three months. The effects of the intervention were assessed with standard clinical outcome measures including self-reported health-related quality of life (QOL), disability, depression and anxiety, and pain catastrophizing. Physical activity was also measured by activity monitor; the frequency and variety of valued actions were also assessed. Process measures included general psychological acceptance, cognitive fusion, and mindfulness. Immediately after treatment, all participants showed improvements in health-related QOL, disability, and pain catastrophizing compared to the pre-treatment assessments; physical activity and valued action also increased in all participants. However, this improvement slightly decreased at the one-month follow-up. In addition, one participant did not show remarkable improvement on the process measures. The results suggest that ACT group interventions help people with CLB pain by improving their functional performance and reducing their negative beliefs associated with pain; however, treatments to maintain these effects need to be developed.

This study examined the effects of interventions on the consumption of hand and body soap of a man diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. A multiple baseline design was used. Based on behavioral interviews in a psychiatric outpatient clinic, intervention and data collection were carried out by the patient and his family members at home. The subject, a 30-year-old male, reported bathing took at least 30 minutes due to repetitious washing. In addition, the subject continued to wash hands dozens of times with hand soap and hand sanitizer throughout the day. He relayed in the first therapy session that the obsessive behavior prevented him from continuing his work. Exposure and response prevention focused on the behaviors of washing with body soap and hand soap. The frequency of refilling three types of soap was measured. According to the baseline, each type of soap was refilled approximately every three days. After intervention 1, body soap was refilled approximately every two weeks. After intervention 2, hand soap was refilled approximately every two weeks. The subject could completely return to work in six months. Self-exposure in his home was effective for attenuation of the obsessive behaviors.

Behavior analysis relies extensively on visual inspection of data for interpreting behavior change in interventions, most typically over phases of a design. Recently introduced methods supplement visual inspection with quantitative approaches to examining change. We studied the outcome of computerized behavioral activation therapy for depression. The investigation took place at an academic research laboratory and served low through middle income clinically depressed participants. The computerized behavioral activation program was shown in previous investigations to contain all elements of BA when delivered in face-to-face conventional delivery models. We examined the data using visual inspection, outcomes in relation to reliable change index, an analysis of change using categorical indicators (improvement, worsening, or stable), followed by an analysis using piece-wise (phase relevant) hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). Findings showed the intervention produced significant symptom reduction, and reversed the initial trends of patients who were worsening in the early phase across all of the analytic approaches. In addition computerized behavioral activation demonstrated significant improvement in quality of life, and as important, was associated with increased activation levels for those participants who improved, which supports behavioral activation theory. Some implications for future research are presented.

As demonstrated by previous research, fading that entails slowly changing the characteristics of a preferred drink is one strategy to promote consumption of previously rejected liquids (Luiselli, Ricciardi, & Gilligan, 2005). The current study is a replication of Luiselli et al. (2005). A 7-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder and food selectivity was taught to drink milk through a liquid fading procedure. He did not have intelligible speech, communicating primarily through gestures and pointing to pictures. As for preferences, he enjoyed social praise and approval. As report from parents, he had a history of restricted food preferences. He still drank powdered infant formula before going to sleep every day. Preceding each session, parents used a calibrated container to prepare one cup (160ml) of liquid according to a predetermined sequence that specified different amounts of powdered infant formula and milk. He always was presented the same cup during sessions. This preparation occurred in a kitchen and outside of his sight. The feeding protocol consisted of gradually increasing the concentration of milk in a powdered infant formula he consumed 100% of the time. Unlike the study by Luiselli et al. (2005), intervention was implemented by parents in a home setting. The study reports a consultation-mediated intervention that was implemented effectively by parents in a home setting.

There is an enormous number of chronic pain patients, and they're also a serious problem in medical economy. Although the validity of the operant behavior therapy by multidisciplinary treatment is demonstrated, the medical facility that can provide the treatment is very little because of medical resources. So we implemented the intervention of behavioral analysis for three intractable chronic pain patients and their families in ordinary outpatient settings. We recorded the number of times of the verbal painful expression or wake-up time for base line. In the intervention phase, we illustrated that patients' pain behavior is not because of organic lesion but socially reinforced by their family, with the use of contingency diagram. And we gave instructions for their family not to give reinforcement for pain behaviors, and treatment programs to replace pain behaviors with alternative active behaviors. As a result, pain behaviors were reduced drastically within only about 1-3 months, the alternative active behaviors increased and pain intensity was reduced too. There haven't been any researches conducting interventions using applied behavioral analysis for chronic pain in ordinary outpatient settings. Our research suggested that applied behavioral analysis could be a brief and effective intervention for chronic pain.

Patients with autism exhibiting aggressive behavior before or during admission to children's or psychiatric hospital, in which adequate behavioral support is not readily available, are often subject to long lengths of stays, as well as subsequently poor discharge transitions and outcomes. The present study aims at identifying the organizational needs of a University Children's Hospital and a University Psychiatric Hospital to better support behavioral complex cases through applied behavior analysis, to implement behavior analytic programming novel to each of these systems upon patient admission, and to measure the functional outcomes as well as the financial cost-benefit of providing these services across both settings. Data is presented to demonstrate a single-case design approach to individual assessment and treatment, group outcomes data, and financial data across patients in an active treatment condition versus those in a control condition. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.

The purpose of this study is to study the effect of consultation with a mother of a child with ASD, who wakes frequently during the night for milk, but who refuses to eat solid food during the day. A 3-year-old boy would drink powdered milk from a bottle and eat only a specific yogurt and chips. The mother was asked to record his sleep and eating. AB design was used. The mother was instructed to stop giving the boy milk during the night. In order to adjust sleep rhythm, milk with melatonin was maintained. The mother was informed that the frequency of waking during sleep would temporarily increase. After the intervention started, the boy woke 20 times in the night and the mother did not give him milk. After the second day, he awoke only 1-2 times. The amount of milkgiven with medication gradually decreased. On intervention day 10, he began to eat his complete lunch of rice. At the time of follow up, the boy could eat more than 70 varieties of food. In conclusion, in the case of eating behavior problems, interventions based on ecological assessment are effective.

We present an extremely severe case of OCD in a 17-year-old male complicated by a complex psychiatric presentation and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Prominent contamination fears were accompanied by elaborate and lengthy hand-washing and bathing rituals. Behavioral factors co-morbid to the ASD included rigidity in behavior and cognition, perseverative behavior and cognition, and limited social comprehension. Evaluation included extensive interview, MMPI (consistent with anxiety, depression, and lack of social skills), ADOS (indicative of ASD), and SUDS scaling of contamination items and situations. Among his more prominent symptoms: a) multiple hand-washing episodes daily with particular attention paid to the pattern of resulting bubbles, b) multiple-hour bucket bathing, c) almost complete avoidance of his primary source of contamination, his 8-year-old sister, d) preoccupation and constant attention to negative thoughts (e.g., racial slurs, images of bullying) and e) refusal to use any of four bathrooms in his house except the one connected to his room (without difficulty using public restrooms). Given his OCD and ASD, intervention consisted of behaviorally focused techniques to improve functioning such as graduated exposure to contaminants and resulting cognitions (e.g., his sister's toys, clothing, and person), with response prevention (e.g., decreased length of hand-washing).

Preschoolers' ability to delay gratification has an important role in their future outcomes. This study had two aims. First, we assessed the effect of forming implementation intention, which encourages children to identify appropriate behavior and critical cues. Second, we evaluated whether experience in the first trial facilitates persistence in waiting for the delayed reward. Children could receive a more preferred toy if they continued to wait. However, they could obtain a less preferred toy if they ceased to wait. This study consisted of two trials and two conditions. In the control condition, each child was given a standard instruction. In the implementation intention condition, each child was told to form implementation intention in addition to the instruction. Half of the children were assigned to the control condition followed by the implementation intention condition. The other half of the children were assigned to the implementation intention condition followed by the control condition. The result showed no effect of forming implementation intention, although children could wait longer in the second trial than the first trial. This suggests prior experience affects posterior performance in the delay of gratification task.

To assess children's eating patterns and changes effected by interventions we have to measure individual children's consumption directly and accurately. However, gold-standard weight measures are time consuming and impractical in busy dining environments. To develop a photography-based measure suited to the task, we first measured school lunches of 90 children (years 1, 3, and 5) in naturalistic dining environment, considering both school-provided dinners and lunches packed by parents. Children's food was weighed and also photographed before and after lunchtime over three separate days. There was good correspondence between weight estimates based on photographs and direct measurement across different food types. Next, we developed a discrimination training protocol for coders of photographic data that ensures high accuracy and inter-rater reliability in measurement of servings and plate waste. Using less sensitive portion estimates, we have previously established that increases in fruit and veg consumption result in displacement of foods high in fat, salt and sugar. Next, we plan a controlled evaluation of the Food Dudes program using our newly developed measure providing a full nutritional analysis. This will answer an outstanding question in the literature and give a precise description of the changes in children's diet engendered by the Food Dudes program.

Even though it is known that patterns of sedentary behavior track from childhood to adulthood, and that higher levels of physical activity are associated with positive health outcomes throughout life, few preschool children achieve the recommended 180 minutes of daily activity in the UK. Developing effective fun and engaging interventions is fundamental to harnessing children's intrinsic motivation to participate in physical activity that should track into their later lives. Preschool children (aged 3 & 4 years) participated in a proof-of-principle nursery-based role-modelling intervention in North Wales. Children's activities were evoked daily by modelling movies in which the four Food Dudes Junior characters led energetic activities in four interactive stories (10–12 minutes) and four in-class exercise DVDs (Levels 1–10). Children's step counts were compared to standard nursery practice. Fitbit zip accelerometers measured children's school day physical activity and anthropometric measures were taken pre- and post-intervention. Preliminary results show that the intervention was successful in increasing the children's physical activity levels, and was well received by children and staff in the participating kindergarten classes. Next, we plan to administer a controlled evaluation of the short- and long-term effects of this new intervention in England.

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effectiveness of using a parent as a therapist to increase solid intake during mealtimes for a child with food refusal. The use of a non-removal of the spoon (NR), differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA), verbal praise (VP), and a visual board (VB) in a reversal design to increase acceptance and decrease inappropriate behaviors during the mealtime was also evaluated. One 2-year-old-female admitted to the public hospital participated. Highly preferred activities were identified via an interview with the child's parents. Initially each instance of acceptance resulted in access to a preferred activity, verbal praise and removal of the token from the visual board. Following an increase in acceptance, we increased the tokens on the visual board required for exchange to a preferred activity. Finally the visual board was discontinued, and post-meal reinforcement was provided for acceptance of all solids presented during mealtime. Results demonstrated that the non-removal of the spoon, DRA, visual board and verbal praise increased levels of acceptance and decreased levels of inappropriate behaviors from baseline.

Poor vegetable intake can become a problem for an individual's health. This study examined whether reinforcement of differential responses to vegetable consumption increases the variety of vegetables consumed by university students in their daily lives. An ABA design was used. The participants were instructed to consume various vegetables and respond to a daily e-mail questionnaire. Seven university students who had concerns about their lack of vegetable intake participated in this intervention program. In the baseline phase, an e-mail questionnaire was sent to students asking for the name of the vegetable they consumed that day. In the intervention phase (VAR), in addition to the questionnaire, an e-mail message was sent whenever the current vegetable differed from the sequences submitted during the previous week. The number of different vegetables was used to measure response variability. Five students in the VAR phase showed more vegetable varieties than in the baseline phase. Reinforcement of differential responses to vegetable consumption increases the variety of vegetables consumed by students.

The purpose of this study was to predict the cognitive and behavioral functions in patients with dementia. The subjects were 39 patients with dementia (the mean age of 84.6 years). We used Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) for the evaluation of the cognitive and behavioral functions. To predict each individual's degree of changes in cognitive and behavioral functions, each assessment was carried out onfour occasions: initial assessment and at 3, 9, and 12 months after the initial assessment in each individual. MMSE and FIM scores sampled at two baseline points based on logarithmic regression modeling could estimate prediction of cognitive and behavioral functions (MMSE, third assessment, R2 = 0.44, p < 0.05, fourth assessments, R2 = 0.54, p < 0.05; FIM, third assessment, R2 = 0.81, p < 0.05; fourth assessments, R2 = 0.80, p < 0.05). Logarithmic modeling based on MMSE and FIM scores could accurately predict the recovery of cognitive and behavioral functions in patients with dementia. This logarithmic modeling with simple mathematical procedures is suitable for daily clinical practice.

In a situation in which one is faced with difficult choices, selections are based on competing positive and negative behavioral outcomes. We investigated the relation between reward and behavior probabilities during trial-and-error decision-making tasks. Each trial began with one of the five colored circles including 10% to 90% reward probability presented as a cue. Two seconds after the presentation of the cue, the reward or cost stimulus was presented to the subject. The subjects were instructed to decide whether to perform wrist flexion or not in response to the cues. In every occurrence of reward stimulus after the wrist flexion, the subjects received a Japanese 100-yen coin. However, each time that cost stimulus appeared after the wrist flexion, a coin was deducted from the total reward. Although cumulative numbers of behaviors for the more often chosen reward color developed over time (p < 0.0001), those for 70% and 90% reward probabilities were not significantly different (p = 0.87) that could be described by a logarithmic function (R2 = 0.960, p = 0.003). These results implied that reward probability could alter behavioral probability during the trial-and-error behavioral tasks.

Predicting the recovery of behavioral disorders is important for patients with mental disease. The objective of the present study was to provide data on predicting the recovery of behavioral disorders in patients with mental disease by modeling with linear regression. Seventy-four patients were enrolled from the hospital. We used the Activity Profile Scale for Patients with Psychiatric Disorders (APS) for the evaluation of the behavioral disorders. The APS scores were regressed on the linear of assessments given by f (t) = APS (t1) + ?APS (t2= t1)'1 (t3 ' t1), where tn is the number of assessments. To predict each individual's degree of changes in behavioral disorders, the assessment was carried out on 3 occasions: initial assessment, 1 week after the initial assessment (second assessment) and the time of discharge (third assessments). APS scores sampled at two baseline points (initial and second assessments) based on linear regression modeling could estimate prediction of behavioral recoveries (r = 0.480, p < 0.0001). Linear regression modeling based on APS scores could predict the recovery of behavioral disorders in patients with mental disease. This linear regression modeling with simple mathematical procedures is suitable for daily clinical practice.

The present study compared the effects of two lectures on welfare college students’ care-giving behaviors in care settings based on multiple-baseline-across-participants design. One of the lectures was on behavioral contingency, and the other was on traditional welfare practice. The behavioral-contingency lecture emphasized functional relationships between users’ behaviors and their consequences, whereas the traditional-welfare-practice lecture counted mental events for users’ behaviors. The participants were five students. They received both lectures. After then, they interned in welfare facilities. Their internships were divided into two phases; the traditional care and the behavior analysis phases. In each phase, the students were asked to care for their users based on principles of the lecture corresponding to each phase. Four students handled dietary care and a student did transfer care. The duration in which they cared for their users was measured. Although longer dietary care would rather be preferred due to their compassionate care, shorter transfer care was preferred due to the matter of emergency. In the behavior analysis phase, all students who handled dietary care offered plenty time and a student transferred his user at short time. These results showed that the behavioral-contingency lecture might be effective for the students’ care-support behaviors.

Observe, measure, and control is part of the goal of a behavior analyst in applied areas. Sport setting is one of the areas where a professional can act to change contingencies to improve the sport performance. This performance is a variable extensively studied in physical education area with measurement/control of physiological variables, as VO2 max. Nevertheless another procedures can be used to change contingencies by verbal control of coach. This study aims to present a protocol to teach principles of behavior analysis to a soccer coach. The procedure was, after assignment of informed consent term to video footage and analysis, a) baseline measurement of shots on goal with video footage, b) teaching of reinforcement/punishment, rule controlled behavior, c) identification by the coach of his own behavior as correct or incorrect in previous video footage. After, d) the emulation of correct verbal consequence to right shots on goal, rules to engage in a correct topography of shoot, then e) the verification of the responses and video footage of coach responses, f) individual session with coach to identify his behavior according to behavioral principles previously learned, repetition of e) and f). Finally, the measurement and comparison of shots on goal by players under coach verbal behavior modification. There were a significant change in shots on goal by players and significant identification by coach of his own behavior and the effects in players’ performance. The protocol appears to change soccer players’ performance and improve, in this case, coach verbal behavior. Future studies can apply the same protocol inducing only the rules for correct topography without verbal consequences for the right shots on goal.

Studies have described that human repertoire as multi-determined, sport behavior as one of that. Sport behavior can be described as a motor performance under certain conditions-here described as "rules" in the sense of radical behaviorism-traditionally determined in a modality. Relative to sports of high performance there is a continuous search for a procedure to improve performance. Athlete of high performance isn't used frequently because the performance can decrease or deteriorate before tests/competition. This sense, amateur athletes with large experience-on years of exposition-can be a good sample to measure the change in sport behavior in sense of translation/generalization to high performance condition. This work goals measure the change in pace (Km/h) in street runner by controlling auditory/musical stimuli during 10km route. Two male runners' pace was measured; subjects with 32 and 33 years old with at least six years of experience and two proves at year. The procedure used (1) recruitment in gym, (2) application of free informed term of consent and socio-demographic questionnaire, (3) analysis and selection of two subjects, (4) limitation of music preference, (5) measure of pace in 10km, (6) analysis of three points of sharp declined in pace, and (7) measure of pace in the prearranged points where music was activated. The results show increase in pace in prearranged points and in general route in both subjects. This result can indicate the behavioral concept named as establishing operations, where stimuli can change/increase the frequency, "strength," and decrease of latency of key-response running pace in this work. A second effect of the previous stimuli is the change of the reinforcement-value (of the consequence). Posterior research can use visual cues or tactile stimuli, or verbal responses of coach in change of pace.

The current study investigated the effects of a speaker immersion procedure on the number of autoclitic mands and duration of tantrum behavior of two seven-year old males diagnosed with ASD. The time-delayed multiple baseline across participants design was used to analyze the relationship between dependent variables and independent variables. The dependent variables of this study were (a) the number of autoclitic mands emitted during both non-instructional and instructional settings and (b) the duration of tantrum behavior. Once a stable responding trend during the baseline was reached, the participants entered the speaker immersion protocol where the experimenter presented frequent establishing operations (EO) so that the participants had to emit mands to engage in desired activity, or acquire a certain reinforcer. After the mastery of the speaker immersion protocol, the post-intervention baseline sessions were conducted. Results showed that both participants' autoclitic mands increased across both instructional and non-instructional settings. In addition, the duration of tantrum behavior decreased for both participants.

In the present study, native Spanish speakers were taught a small English vocabulary (Spanish-to-English intraverbals). Four different training conditions were created by combining textual and echoic prompts with written and vocal target responses. The efficiency of each training condition was examined by analysing emergent relations (i.e., tacts) and the total number of sessions required to reach mastery under each training condition. All combinations of prompt-response modalities generated increases in correct responding on tests for emergent relations but when target responses were written, mastery criterion was reached faster. Results are discussed in terms of efficiency for emergent relations and recommendations for future directions are provided.

The present study compared the effects of two-listener responses at tact training of a child with autism, which asked him to watch some scenes and report. In Session A, he was instructed to make one-word sentences to report the name of an item ("an apple"). Session B required him to make two-word sentences using a verb and an object to report what actors were doing ("ate an apple"), while Session C required him to make three-word sentences using a subject, a verb, and an object ("Smith ate an apple"). Under the condition of providing social reinforcement with mirroring, if he could report accurately, the trainer (listener) responded "Smith ate an apple? Thanks for telling me!" Under the condition of providing social reinforcement without mirroring, the trainer responded "Thanks for telling me!" Session A was terminated after three sessions under without mirroring condition because he reported all items accurately. During Session B and C, three sessions under without mirroring were conducted first and followed by three sessions under with mirroring; then, the procedure was repeated. The result showed that the child reported more accurately under the condition of providing social reinforcement with mirroring than without mirroring at any level.

The present study investigated the effects of vocal models in passive voice versus preferred consequences contingent to descriptions in active voice. Two experiments were conducted. In the first, four 4-year-old children participated. During baseline and post-test, drawings of two animals interacting were presented and its description required. In model condition, which followed, drawings were described in passive voice and descriptions were required for similar drawings—same animals, same action, but reversed roles. In these conditions, descriptions were followed by a 10-second interval. The next condition, model-consequence, was similar to the preceding, except that preferred consequences followed active voice description while passive voice was followed by a 10-second interval. Passive voice descriptions occurred during model, model-consequence, and post-test conditions. However, a sequence effect may have arisen between model and model-consequence. In the second experiment, four different 4-year-old children participated. The conditions were similar, but model condition was replaced by a consequence condition where active voice descriptions were followed by preferred consequences. Active voice descriptions were preponderant during all conditions, except during model-consequence when three participants described drawings in passive voice. Passive voice descriptions were, probably, maintained by reinforcement of achieving parity with vocal models, showing its importance in learning complex language.

The effectiveness of experimental verbal operant analyses were investigated in the current study and compared with descriptive assessments of verbal behavior to determine the extent to which the two methods would yield data supporting similar conclusions. Specifically, we compared a functional analysis technology based on that reported by Lerman et al. (2005) with outcomes measured on the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP; Sundberg, 2008). Five preschool- to primary–school-age children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder participated in this research. Using stimulus control ratios as the dependent measure, we examined the relative strength of control across four primary verbal operants—mands, echoics, tacts, and intraverbals—for each participant using descriptive and experimental data collected within a week of each other. As with previous research that compared similar analyses of problem behavior (Lerman & Iwata, 1993; Thompson & Iwata, 2007), we found discrepancies across descriptive and experimental measurements of the verbal behavior emitted by each of the five participants. Implications for evaluation and treatment are discussed.

The following study focuses on an individual who is often perceived as teasing orharassing others on his unit. The intervention applied a technique to reinforce verbal behavior, while at the same time assist the patient in receiving social attention in a more acceptable manner. This has been a problem for many years and the theme invariably involves conflict with peers. Based on a review of the literature to address this problem identified as inappropriate verbalizations during the daily routine. This addresses the research question experimentally by having the patient in a social interaction in the same type of social circumstance that has resulted in altercations in the past. During the treatment phase the patient has the opportunity to read a joke, previously selected by a therapist, and read to his fellow patients during the lining up process. An ABAB comparison of the patient in baseline and the treatment condition is presented.

Although the effectiveness of social skills training(SST) has been consistently reported, there are not many studies in which behavioral assessment was conducted to evaluate it. The purpose of the present study was to conduct behavioral assessment to examine whether SST improved students’ social performance. In the behavioral assessment via video-taped recording, not only students’ target skills trained in SST but also the degree to which students followed the staff’s instruction was observed as the reflection of generalization effect. Three first-grade students were selected as participants based on the score of parent-reported social skills rating scale. These students were either diagnosed or suspected as developmentally disabled. The result demonstrated that two students showed improvement in a “listening skill.” For all students, however, the degree of following instructions varied depending on the day and situations, and the generalization effect of SST was not clearly found. Interestingly, it was also found that all students were more likely to follow the instruction with staff’s prompt. This suggested that for students with developmental disabilities it was hard to generalize a skill to a different context, and that it is always helpful for these students to be instructed individually.

The purpose of this study is to search the effectiveness of an incidental teaching program about asking for help when taught to a child with autism. The subject of this study is a five-year-old child with autism who attends special education schools; he can speak two-word sentences. The study took place in the city center of Eskisehir during the academic year 2014-15. The study is a multiple probe design across settings design, composed of teaching sessions, general sessions, and maintenance sessions. These settings are composed of a group education class, an individual class, and kitchen. The dependent variable is asking for help behavior and the independent variable is incidental teaching. Findings of the study show that the participant learned asking for help in all settings via incidental teaching program. Also, it is seen that the participant was able to maintain the acquired skills and generalize it to other materials. Results and discussion data will be shared.

Though definitions and estimates vary, feeding disorders are common in children and can result in significant medical/health and social consequences (Kozlowski, Taylor, González, & Girolami, in press). Feeding problems may encompass inadequate volume/variety, tube dependence, poor growth, and/or developmentally inappropriate independence/texture/solid to liquid ratio/mealtime behaviour. Children may not be able to drink from a cup, utilise utensils, or chew age-appropriate foods. Causes and impacting factors are often multifaceted and accordingly, interdisciplinary assessment by a team of specialised and trained professionals is required. Research into effective assessment and treatment methodology has increased and will be reviewed and synthesised in the current presentation. Significant advances have been made in the area of antecedent assessments and descriptive and functional assessments. Intervention strategies have been shown to increase appropriate mealtime behaviour (e.g., volume, independence, texture/chewing, variety) and decrease inappropriate mealtime behaviour and tube dependence. Unique techniques to target specific topographies including nonacceptance, expulsion, and packing have been evaluated. In conclusion, substantial progress has been made involving the evaluation of assessment and treatment methodology in the field, and interventions based in applied behaviour analysis (e.g., escape extinction, physical guidance, and differential reinforcement of alternative behaviour) have been well-established.

This study examined the effects of teacher attention on the on-task behavior of a child with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD-NOS). The study was conducted in a general first-grade education classroom at a Japanese elementary school using an ABA design. We observed the participant child's on-task behavior and out-of-seat behavior by using a 1-min interval recording procedure. We also recorded the number of intervals that the teacher provided attention to the child while she was seated. After the baseline (A), the teacher was told to provide attention (praise or redirection) to the child at least every 5 minutes using a timed vibratory cue device as prompts (B). The teacher was allowed to provide attention to the child between scheduled attention deliveries when the child was seated. We told the teacher to ignore the child's off-task behavior when she was out of herseat. In the second baseline (A), these procedures were faded. During the intervention, the teacher attention to the child increased and the percentage of the child's on-task behavior also increased. Percentage of the child's out-of-seat behavior decreased during the intervention. We continue to observe whether reintroducing the intervention would increase the child's on-task behavior.

The present study examined effects of social skills trainint (SST) on children's greeting skill using ABC design. The participants were 24 elementary school students from first through sixth grade with developmental disabilities. They all scored below the expected level in social skills according to their parent ratings. The parents reported the difficulty of engagement with peers. Based on a behavioral assessment of social interactions, "greeting skill" was selected as a target skill. Pleasant greeting has two components: looking at partner's face and speaking with appropriate voice intensity. In baseline (A), prior to training, we observed whether they greeted pleasantly at the initial entry to the training room. In intervention 1 (B), children practiced the greeting skill during the SST session. In intervention 2 (C), the challenge sheet was added during SST to enhance generalization of training effect in daily life. They earned token stickers if they greeted pleasantly. They could change them into points to get favored stickers. As a result, in intervention 1 (B), the averagepercentage of children who could greet staff pleasantly increased to 44.4%, and to 70.8% in intervention 2 (C). At the five-month follow-up, the pleasant greeting was maintained. In sum, SST and the challenge sheet contributed toward the pleasant greeting.

Japanese students with developmental disabilities often show difficulties in Kanji (ideogram) writing. Our previous findings showed that stimulus pairing (SP) training and sequential stimulus pairing (SSP) training were both effective to improve reading skills. However, we still do not know whether students learned Kanji writing skills through these trainings. In this study, we examined whether five Japanese students with developmental disabilities could acquire Kanji writing skills via both SP and SSP trainings. While we presented the pairs of Kanji letter, sound, and the picture sequentially in SP training, the decomposed Kanji stimuli were also presented prior to the stimulus pairs in SSP training. During the baseline, students wrote nine Kanji letters when the corresponding Japanese Hiragana (phonogram) word was presented. During the training, three of each stimulus pairs were presented for three times and students observed the sequentially presented visual stimuli. The results showed that all students learned Kanji writing via both procedures while SSP procedure required smaller numbers of training blocks to meet the criteria than SP procedure. The result suggested that observing the partial stimulus sustaining spatial location were the keys to facilitate the acquisition of Kanji writing skills for Japanese students with developmental disabilities.

Students with intellectual disabilities should learn—while still school age—to volunteer, as it is important for adult social adaptation and integration. Volunteer activity makes students with intellectual disabilities keep more regular and valuable housing life in adulthood and proper social personal relations with co-workers after graduating. Therefore, volunteer activities are emphasized in transition education. The purpose of the study was to apply community-based volunteer activities training to three students with intellectual disabilities and to examine the effect of the program on their volunteering skills. The sub-skill studied using a multiple baseline probe design across subjects was “senile hair washing.” The study applied the teaching technique of community-based volunteer activity training in a form of integration package by being composed of multiple elements. In the program, task analysis, direct teaching, minimum promotion method, time delay method, visual clue, self-check table, token reinforcement (behavior restriction), video modeling, and role play (behavior demonstration) were included. And to the program of the study, community intervention and educational room intervention were applied through combination with each other. All the subjects acquired the level of complete independent fulfillment (100%) in volunteering skill and the acquired skill was kept after intervention was completed. In addition, the program had an effect on measuring generalization of the subjects. Those results were discussed in the side of community-based volunteer activities training for students with intellectual disabilities. It is expected that the results of the study will be utilized for data required to developing and practicing related life-based educational program in the field of special education.

In this study, three nursery school teachers attended a workshop based on applied behavior analysis (ABA) for problem behavior support. This study measured three outcomes: (1) the knowledge of applied behavior analysis given to the nursery school teacher, (2) a feeling of development of childcare provider’s efficacy, and (3) indirect influence caused to children. The two hour workshop was carried out five times. The workshop program was created based on "competing behavior pathway," "antecedent control," "token economy system," "extinction and differential reinforcement," "functional assessment," "behavioral contingencies," and "includes defining the target behavior." Before and after the workshop, tests were administered on the knowledge of ABA (KBPAC), development of childcare provider’s efficacy (development-of-childcare-provider’s-efficacy-scale), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). As a result of the workshop, improvement was seen in the score of KBPAC and development-of-childcare-provider’s-efficacy-scale. Also, from the result of SDQ, a drop was seen in plural scores about the difficulties.

This study describes an eye tracking system game to teach eye contact. Participants were three typically developing children between the ages of 18 and 23 months. The task consisted of sitting in front of a computer and looking at the monitor screen attached to an eye tracking apparatus. The discriminative stimuli presented on screen was an anthropomorphic figure (balloon with eyes and mouth). The trials could contain one, two or three balloons. The balloons appeared at the bottom of the screen and disappeared of the top. The required response was for the child to look at the balloon's eyes, and as the consequence, the balloon would burst. The procedure was composed of a baseline, three training phases with CRF reinforcement and a generalization testing. The consequence was presented immediately after the child looked at the balloon (Phase 1), after 1.5 second of eye contact (Phase 2), and after 3 seconds (Phase 3). The criteria to change from one phase to another was to look in the eyes of six consecutive balloons. Two children reached the criteria from the baseline onward, and maintained their performance in generalization testing. One child had better performance in Phase 3 and generalization testing. The software was effective keeping children looking at the figure's eyes and increased eye contact for another child. The software can be a resource for teaching children with disabilities.

Theory of mind (ToM)—commonly referred to as one's ability to attribute thoughts, beliefs, and intentions to oneself and others—is an area of significant deficit for many individuals with autism. However, there are few objective methods to determine present levels. Behavior analysts strive to operationally define behaviors associated with ToM in an effort to increase behavioral repertoires necessary to develop and sustain social relationships. The Theory of Mind Test is a measure, originally developed in Holland and studied with Dutch and Belgian children (Muris, Steerneman, Meesters, Merckelbach, Horselenberg, van den Hogen, & van Dongen, 1999), which assesses for a developmental progression of ToM skills, grouped in three categories, in children ages 4 through 12, and children with ASD were found to have deficits in this area. The test was revised and the current study includes norming the measure using English speaking children and validating the test in this country. Preliminary data reflect a developmental progression of theory of mind skills in typically developing children assessed, indicates good test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability, and the regression analysis shows that a diagnosis of autism is a stronger predictor of performance on the ToM test-R than IQ, age, or gender.

It is indicated that response-stimulus pairing was effective in conditioning praise as a reinforcer. However, it is not clarified whether the effect of this procedure is different in terms of characteristics of participants, the degree of preference, property of established reinforcers, developmental age, and so on. In the current study, response-stimulus pairing and schedule thinning of the established reinforcers were conducted with four young children with ASD and similar developmental age. First, we conducted preference assessments for social (e.g., tickling), edible (e.g., popcorn), and praise (e.g., "Good Job!") reinforcers before the trainings could begin. Then, we evaluated the effect of preference on efficacy of response-stimulus pairing using alternating treatments design that involved three conditions that were established social reinforcers, established edible reinforcers, and extinction. The results suggested that only praise increased target responses for two of four children who preferred social reinforcers during preference assessments. However, praise barely increased target responses for the other two children who preferred edible reinforcers during preference assessments.

Very young children are increasingly diagnosed with autism, yet they represent a relatively small percentage of youngsters for whom strategies and interventions with research base. Use of traditional ABA approaches, particularly discrete trial training, are often difficult with very young children. Further, because play is so important to early development, the instruction of play is of potential benefit for children with autism. The authors theorized that we could both teach youngsters “to play” and “through play” using play-based discrete trials and other ABA technologies. This case study presents results from a play-based applied behavior analysis intervention used with 2 two-year-olds with autism. Positive results were seen within 3 months for both youngsters, with greatest gains made by the child who continued for over a year. Improvements were made across several domains, including play, communication, receptive language, and verbal operants. At our poster we will share examples of programming, discuss theoretical and practical issues and solutions, and present videotaped examples of the use of play-based ABA for very young children with autism or other developmental disabilities.

Children with autism are often taught to use speech-generating devices (SGDs) to communicate. It has been suggested that the feedback from a SGD (in the form of synthetic speech output) might facilitate performance and induce natural speech. The present study compared performance under three types of feedback conditions on performance in two picture-matching tasks and on the child’s frequency of natural speech production. The participant was a 4-year-old girl with autism. Both tasks were presented on an iPad-based SGD. The first (receptive task) required the child to select a picture named by the trainer, from a field of six pictures, when given the instruction (e.g., "Find the cow."). The second (non-identical picture matching task) required the child to select the correct picture from the iPad when shown a non-identical picture by the trainer and told to “find this.” A pool of 60 pictures was used and pictures were randomly assigned to three feedback conditions: (a) speech output from the SGD only (e.g., “cow”), (b) speech feedback from the trainer only (“Cow, that’s right”), and (c) feedback from the SGD and from the trainer (“cow” [from SGD] and “Cow, that’s right” from the trainer). The participant’s performance on the second non-identical picture matching task was consistently accurate throughout the course of the study and her performance on the receptive task showed an increase over the course of the study. She responded more frequently with natural speech during the (a) SGD-only, and (c) SGD plus trainer feedback conditions compared to the (b) trainer-only feedback condition. In addition, SGD feedback appeared to be associated with better performance on the receptive task. These findings appear consistent with some literature suggesting that SGD feedback can sometimes facilitate communication and natural speech production. The data suggest that some children with ASD or severe communication impairment might benefit from synthetic speech feedback from an SGD during receptive language tasks.

Recent recommendations on functional analysis assessment of problem behaviors have pointed to conditional designs particular to idiosyncratic conditions in the initial tests (Hagopian, Rooker, Jessel & Deleon, 2013; Hanley, 2012). The present study sought to integrate idiosyncratic functional analysis designs with the emerging research line showing the efficacy of conducting functional analysis assessments remotely via video conferencing (Wacker et al., 2013) supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. The participant is a three-year-old male diagnosed with autismspectrum disorder who exhibits aggressive behaviors toward his mother. He is currently receiving intensive behavioral service at a center-based facility in China. Four test conditions—conventional attention, divided attention, modified attention, and termination of ongoing conversation—were compared to the control condition that suggest the problem behavior was maintained by contingent disruption to conversation. Methods pertaining to remote supervision to complete the assessment as well as treatment design based upon assessment findings will be discussed.

This study examined the effects of tutoring ABA techniques related to basic learning skills such as eye contact and following directions tothree mothers with children between 3 and 9 years old diagnosed with ASD. The tutoring program started after the parents attended a 12-week lecture on ABA behavioral techniques. Examples of targeted basic learning skills included (1) putting on and taking off stickers from the mother's face or to look at the object that the mother holds up to increase eye contact, (2) handing over the designated object to the mother to increase attention, and (3) keeping hands on the lap and waiting until the mother's instruction is completed to increase ability to follow directions. Generalization to daily life was encouraged to be practiced at home by the mother such as: teaching of token economy; use of daily schedule chart; teaching of academic skills such as vocabulary, number concept, reading/writing; and increasing communication and social skills, playing in a group, going to a music concert, etc. In this tutoring system, each of the three mothers worked with her child from the baseline to the end of ABA treatment while the tutor observed the mother-child interactions from the observation room equipped with a one-way mirror and coached the mother what to do on the spot simultaneously. Each session ran 10 to 20 minutes, with4 to 5 sessions a day, 3 days a week per child. This tutoring system lasted for 3 months and each child received a total of 50 hours of ABA therapy. All of the three children showed a remarkable progress in all of the three target domains but also in daily living activities such as self-help skills and communication skills. Play activities, social skills, and some basic academic skills. An ABA parent tutoring system can be an ideal option for children with ASD because the well-trained ABA parent can provide a 24-hour ABA intervention service.

Participants included two male adolescents 18 years of age diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants were selected based upon age, diagnosis, the need to improve their activities of daily living skills, and parental permission. Participant’s observations were conducted in their home setting. Observations took place in the natural environment where the tasks would be performed. Baseline and maintenance phases occurred in the participant’s home environment. Three tasks were identified for each young adult through a collaborative process involving their parents. These tasks included skills that the young adults were not able to perform independently or needed prompts to complete. The tasks identified for participant 1 were cooking, setting the table, and folding jeans. For participant 2 the tasks identified were setting the table, cleaning the bathroom counter and sink, and cleaning the mirror. The participants were selected for the study because of the deficits in their daily living skills. All videos were created using both the Apple iPad and Apple iPod. Three videos for each participant were created based on the targeted task. These videos were created from a “first-person” perspective. Through the eyes of the participants, the videos portrayed the arms and hands of the model performing the task (Bellini & Akullian, 2007). The entire task was filmed with a verbal description of each step as it was being performed. This study followed Kellems and Morningstar’s (2012) multiple probe design across behaviors. For each participant one task was acquired before the next task was introduced. “When the young adult reached the criterion level on the first targeted behavior, the intervention was then introduced to the second target behavior while the third remained in baseline with data probes” (p. 158). The dependent variable was the percentage of steps performed correctly (using a task analysis). The task analysis recorded each step that was performed correctly or incorrectly during each session (Kellems and Morningstar, 2012).Interobserver checks occurred during 100% of the baseline conditions, 50% of the probe condition, and 24% of the intervention condition. The overall mean was 99%. Agreement ranged from 95%–100%. IOA for prompt data during the intervention condition was 83% with a range of 50%–100%. This study replicated similar methods by Kellems and Morningstar (2012) in which baseline data were collected from all participants. The intervention was introduced for the first task once a stable baseline was established for all tasks. Intervention for task 2 after the participant demonstrated acquisition of the first task as determined by three consecutive stable data points at 100%. The same procedure was used for task 3. Prior to the intervention phase participants were taught how to access the videos from their iPad (participant 1) and iPod (participant 2). During the intervention phase one verbal prompt was given to the participant to watch the video of the targeted task on the device then to perform the task. An initial prompt was given to review the video from the previous step up until and including the step where the error occurred (e.g., “watch the video”). If errors continued, up to three prompts were given before moving on. Data was collected on the number of prompts given if the participant performed the step incorrectly more than one time.

This study examined the effects of providing opportunities to choose task material in order to improve social behaviors among a child with autism and severe intellectual disability. As a number of studies revealed positive effects of choice making on the children's behavioral performance, this study also found positive effects. In other words, our research indicated that the subject showed social behaviors more frequently in the choice condition. In addition, the latency of approaching behaviors was significantly shortened. Randomized tests were conducted to compare the choice condition to the no-choice condition, and found that the same results. Specifically, more remarkable positive effects were found under the condition using less preferred activities. Reviewing our research, it was suggested that the choice condition improved subject's social behaviors while prompting access to more preferable activities. In addition, we also found the possibility that act of choice making itself positively influenced subject's social behaviors. In this study, we attempted to establish theoretical explanation using the transitive conditioned motivation operation (CMO-T).

This research employed a phenomenological study that examined the social interactions of four young adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during online game play in a virtual environment. Participants attended a large urban university and were enrolled asfreshmen or sophomores in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) field of study. Given the evolution of technology and opportunities to socialize in virtual communities, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how young adults with ASD assimilate into new social opportunities that provide a supports for extraneous variables such as face-to-face situations. As research begins to emerge on virtual environments, little research currently addresses the socialization and development of interpersonal relationships specific to young adults with ASD and the generalization of those skills. The phenomenological research method was used to explain the social activities as they occurred for this specific group of individuals. Structured and unstructured interviews, observations, document analysis, and a questionnaire were conducted. Analysis was conducted using emergent coding. Common themes identified included, emotional recognition, friendship development, and perceptions of self and social interactions. This presentation will discuss current findings, implications, and future directions for research focused on the use of virtual environments and postsecondary outcomes for young adults with ASD.

The aim of this research was to teach children with autism to understand "if" sentences. The participants were four children with autism (three boys and one girl). The conditional discrimination training was introduced them in order to establish the discrimination between "if" sentences are there and or not "if" sentence. The arrow card was used as the conditional discriminative stimuli. After completing training, the emergence of derived relations was tested. Three of four children showed the emergence of derived relations (mutual entailment and combinatorial entailment). Additional training was implemented to the rest child. After completing additional training, the emergence of combinatorial entailment was observed. Two children showed the generalization to the novel stimuli. These results showed the training was useful to teach children with autism to understand "if" sentences. These results also were discussed on relational frame theory. The topics of the understanding "if" sentences and perspective-taking will be discussed.

It is estimated that 30% of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) fail to develop vocal output capabilities. Therefore, they are candidates for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). AAC systems are classified as either unaided or aided. Picture exchange (PE), the picture exchange communication system (PECS), and speech generating devices (SGD) or voice output communication aids (VOCA) are aided systems of AAC. Recently, several handheld electronic devices have been used for communication purposes as an AAC. We conducted a systematic review to identify research studies that utilized high-tech devices to teach functional communication skills to preschool children with ASD. We conducted a systematic review to determine the impact of using handled electronic devices on the communication skills of children with ASD. A total of 11 studies were reviewed to determine the effectiveness of the intervention on communication skills. Results will be discussed and implications for practice and future research will be provided during the session.

The current study tested effectiveness of the conditioning procedure using a time-lagged multiple baseline across behaviors with multiple probe design. The participant in this study was a four-year-old male with autism. The participant didn’t show any form of appropriate play behaviors (e.g., playing puzzles) and emitted vocal and physical stereotypic behaviors when play materials (e.g., blocks) were presented around him. Independent variable was a conditioning procedure in which the participant’s appropriate play behavior was paired with praises and edibles in an average of 5 seconds for 5 minutes. Blocks, puzzles, and books were used during the conditioning procedure. Dependent variables were appropriate play behaviors with blocks, puzzles, and books, and vocal and physical stereotypy measured during 5-minute probe sessions. During intervention phase, the conditioning procedure was implemented and probes for play behaviors and stereotypy were conducted after every 5 conditioning sessions. The results showed a functional relationship between conditioning and an increase in appropriate play in the presence of blocks, puzzles, and books, and a decrease in stereotypy during probe sessions.

In this study, we conducted training to acquire cooking skills for a 13-year-old boy with ASD, and examined the effects of a training program and generalization to a home setting. The participant practiced cooking skills using a manual book with task analysis and written procedure of cooking. We gave the participant prompt feedback depending on the responses. As a result, the participant has been able to cook miso soup, a sandwich, hamburger steak, omu-rice (omelette containing fried rice), shoga-yaki (ginger-flavored slices of fried pork) etc., by himself. The cooking behavior has not occured in the home setting by merely conducting skill training at the university. Next, we intervened with family members for generalization of acquired cooking skills. As a result, cooking behavior in the home setting increased. This investigation, related to social validity, has revealed that the mother of the participant, appreciated the effects of the program and the domestic help related to cooking by the participant. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are presented.

Recently, human right committee policies that prohibit or restrict environmental or exclusionary time-out procedures have been adopted by various schools and agencies in western countries under the atmosphere of questioning the use of time-out rooms. This study evaluated the effects of two less restrictive intervention procedures of activity time-out and non-exclusionary time-out with functional language training. These two procedures were applied to one autistic child who exhibits destructive behaviors such as throwing, hitting, and tearing out toys or other educational items. To compare effects of these two procedures, multiple treatment design of ABC was utilized. After baseline phase, two intervention procedures were carried out sequentially. During phase A, whenever the child exhibited the target behavior, he was instructed to sit on the designated cool down chair inside the group area for 1 min as an ATO procedure. This ATO means that the child is not excluded from the environmental area of the group, but only from the activities. During phase B, the child started being provided with arm badge for a decent activity behavior as DRA procedure against destructive behaviors, but the child was prompted to take off the arm badge earned on a reinforcement condition whenever he exhibited the target behavior. The result turned out to be that the non-exclusionary procedures are more effective to reduce the frequencies of the target behaviors than ATO procedures. It can be discussed that non-exclusionary time-out procedure of "arm badge" seems to be a viable type of traditional environmental and exclusionary time-out.

An important educational objective for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is to be able to talk about topics that are of interest to listeners. In natural conversations, questions posed by the listener can function as discriminative stimuli for indicating the listener's interests. If a child with ASD repeatedly answers the specific question posed by the listener, he/she could begin talking about the topic in which the listener is interested without the question. Two children with ASD participated in this study. The participants were required to walk toward and watch a video picture, walk back to one of the two listeners, and report all that they had seen. In the first training condition, the listeners asked the specific conversational question to the participants; thereafter, questions posed by the listener gradually faded out in the second training condition. In addition, we examined the generalization regarding the different video picture of the same topic. As a result, one participant could report the same topic that the listener had asked, whereas the other could report correctly after additional training. Both participants showed a response to the new stimuli. The results demonstrated the possibility of transfer of stimulus control to reporting behaviors following the question and answer training.

The Social Story describes a social attitude, how to interact with others, and skill to children and adults with autism spectrum disorders. The Social Story is written in a specifically defined style and format. According to its supporters, The Social Story has facilitated the development of social attitude. This review analyzed research quality of single-subject researches using The Social Story in Japan, and showed present questions in Japan. The studies included in this review were searched by Google Scholar and CiNii; the keyword was "social story" in Japanese. Quality indicators for single-subject research developed by Horner et al. (2005) were used as to evaluate the methodological quality of each study reviewed. Nineteen studies were included in the review. The results from analyzing research quality showed that the onlysix studies satisfied more than half of indexes of standards of quality indicators for single-subject research. Most studies don't fulfill some of indexes; for example, "Interobserver agreement data reported" and "Design controlled threats to internal validity." Finally, future research must entail experimental and extensive comprehension of the general effect of The Social Story to ensure more effective support. Furthermore, the outstanding questions regarding reliability and validity are provided.

Technology has developed dramatically, especially using robots in the education of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In other words, recent developments facilitate the improvement of social skills of children with ASD by the use of special robots in teaching. According to the findings of the current literature; (a) children with ASD have some difficulties in comprehending the physical world and are limited to comprehend the “social world,” (b) they respond to the feedback when feeling manipulated by the technology instead of the people in charge, and (c) they are more interested in practices which are engaged with components (e.g., electronic and robotic). Briefly, the preferences of the children with ASD coincide in terms of social skills and use of robotics rather than the people. When the literature is reviewed, a number of studies are seen about the efficacy of robots in the education of children with ASD. The research findings shows that the use of social support robots is a particularly effective tool in teaching social interaction skills. In order to achieve the scientific studies on the use of robots in development of social skills to the children with ASD, a survey was made from online databases, especially from the National Council of Higher Education Thesis Center webpage, EBSCO-HOST, ERIC, Academic Search Complete and Google Scholar, Science Direct, Saga Up. As a result of the scan, various efficacy studies conducted in 2003-2015 and international literature studies has been reached. The information from these studies will be provided for how to use robots in teaching various skills to children with ASD, which teaching skills are more focused, varieties of the robots, teaching methods, the findings of effectiveness studies, limitations, and recommendations.

This study analyzed the effects of the training program for staff that were in charge of individuals with behavioral disorders. Thirty-nine participants, working at residential facilities or medical facilities, were in charge of individuals with behavioral disorders. The staff training program consisted ofsix sessions based on functional analysis using "Strategy Sheet" (Inoue, 2007). Each participant was required to intervene according to the individualized intervention plan for their client. Moreover, participants were required to submit a recording sheet and strategy sheet at every training session. Submitting those sheets continued until follow-up. KBPAC-SF (Knowledge of Behavioral Principle as Applied to Children short form; Shiga,1983) and GHQ 30 (General Health Questionnaire) were used as measurement for modification of participants. ABC-J (Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Japanese version; Ono 2006) and CSBD (Criteria of Severe Behavior Disorder: Japan Ministry of Health and Labor, 1993) were utilized to measure the improvement of behavioral problems their clients. In addition, the behavioral records related to targeted behaviors on each individual with behavioral disorders were measured. After the training program, there were significant differences between KBPAC-SF and ABC-J. And many individual target behaviors improved on the recording sheet. The results indicated that the participants got more basic knowledge about applied behavioral analysis and that their clients had less behavioral problems.

This study examined the effectiveness of script-fading procedure when children with autism talked. Four boys participated in this study. They spoke their opinions, but continued saying their opinions repeatedly regardless of other's opinions. So, we taught them to reply in regard of other's opinions using a script. The script was written, for example, "saying 'I agree' when friends say some kind of opinions." We identified "scripted behaviors," "unscripted behaviors," and "novel behaviors." Scripted behaviors were identified verbal productions that matched the script. Unscripted behaviors were identified verbal productions that differed from the script by conjunctions, articles, prepositions, pronouns, or changes in verb tense. Novel behaviors were identified verbal productions that differed almost or all from the script. When the script was introduced, opinions regard of others opinions increased, and unscripted behavior and novel behavior also increased. After the script was faded, reply behaviors were maintained, and novel behavior were gradually increased. These finding suggest that script-fading procedures can increase reply behaviors regard of other's opinions and novel behaviors in social interactions.

The effects of using positive practice procedures designated as a protocol for non-compliance on acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of compliant behaviors and skills were examined within a multiple baseline design across subjects and settings. After collection of baseline data, three non-verbal young children with autism spectrum disorder were provided with positive practice protocol whenever they exhibited non-compliance. To determine maintenance effects, post-check data collections were carried out over a 2- to 3-week interval. Generalization of performance across settings of both individual sessions and group intensive sessions was assessed. Results indicated that positive practice protocol can be successfully used to promote both acquisition and generalization of compliance performance in terms that the frequencies of compliance behaviors drastically increased in reverse proportion to the reduction of the frequencies of non-compliance behaviors and the duration of positive practice procedures.

We present a case study with a four-year-old boy, diagnosed with mild ASD, with socialization difficulties. The focus of behavioral intervention (10 hours a week) was on social play programs that could establish generalized interaction with other children. The initial evaluation indicated a verbal repertoire at level II of Verbal Behavior MAPP, no correct responses on social games in baseline (except “Domino with Characters”) and excellent reading and writing repertoires (level III of Verbal Behavior MAPP). Four typical Brazilian social games were applied, two at a time: “Guess Who?,” “Domino with Characters,” “Classic Domino,” and “Memory Game.” Along 40 structured sessions, with two therapists on different days, the appropriate behaviors during the games and the rules were shaped. The procedure increased the frequency of hits, indicating understanding of the game and its rules. As shaping the criteria of playing with therapists developed, the child generalized to play the learned games with parents and friends. The games probably became natural reinforcers, allowing him to initiate interactions with peers at school and at larger social networks.

This study describes the completion of a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) comprised of indirect survey, descriptive assessment, and experimental analysis of problem behavior exhibited by an eight-year old male diagnosed with ASD in China. He is currently receiving intensive behavioral service at a center-based facility in China. The assessment was conducted locally by trainees at the center-based facility and the entire process was overseen by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst located in the United States. The agreement among the component assessments will be discussed as well the functionally based treatment design. The procedural aspects correspond to recent developments in video conferencing as the medium to conduct functional analyses remotely, and suggest further methodological refinements given the limited time for assessment completion.

The current study examined the predictive accuracy of the Multiple-Stimulus without Replacement (MSWO) Preference Assessment through a reinforcer assessment on the rate of block building with a 6-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This project was also to fulfill supervision hours of the Behavior Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA). Supervision was done remotely via real time video conferencing outside of the United States by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). The first phase consisted of the MSWO preference assessment. The second phase began with discrete trial teachingof block building until participant can perform the task independently. Then an alternating treatment design was used in the reinforcer assessment to evaluate the reinforcing effects of the most and least preferred stimulus from the previous MSWO preference assessment. The rate of the block building was measured. Results showed an increase in participant's rate of block building with both stimulus from the MSWO preference assessment. However, the reinforcement effect of the most preferred stimulus was more robust than the least preferred stimulus.

The current study evaluated the effects of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) and contingent exercise to reduce hand-mouthing behavior of a 14-year-old boy with autism. This project was also to fulfill the BCaBA supervision hours. Supervision was provided via video conferencing outside of the United States. Functional analysis was adapted to the 60-min time limit. Latency functional analysis was first conducted and the results showed that hand-mouthing behavior was maintained by automatic reinforcement. An alternating treatment design was used to compare the effects of two different forms of contingent exercise. One was in the form of running on the treadmill, and the other was in the form of sit-ups on a mat. During intervention, DRO was applied when hand-mouthing behavior did not occur within a five-second interval and contingent exercise was applied as a consequence. Results demonstrated that DRO with contingent exercise in the form of sit ups on a mat was more effective. Results also suggested that FA and FCT can be conducted remotely via real time video conferencing outside of the United States by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

The goal of the present paper was to evaluate the effects of conducting functional analysis (FA) followed by functional communication training (FCT) to reduce the problem behavior of repetitive speech of a 6-year-old girl with autism. This project was also to fulfill the Behavior Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) supervision hours. Supervision was provided via video conferencing from outside of the United States. Functional analysis was adapted to the 60-min time limit for the purpose of identifying potential treatments. During intervention, the child was taught to request for preferred items, and subsequently, to tolerate delays to and denial of those items. Results showed a decrease in repetitive speech and an increase in appropriate requests and appropriate response to the delay and denial of the requested items. Results also suggested that FA and FCT can be conducted remotely via real time video conferencing outside of the United States by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).

Relatively few studies directly address how parent support in autism treatment should be conducted. The present study examined the impact of having the mother of an elementary school student with ASD talk about situations in which the boy engaged in behavior problems. She engaged in rebuke that was disruptive to him and made self-negative statements. She was asked to talk about situations in which he engaged in behavior problems on the basis of her records. The therapist avoided suggesting how to address the problem behavior and instead reinforced her appropriate statements. Results show that she talked about behavioral factors in which he engaged in behavior problems and coping strategies, and made more positive statements about him. In addition, the child’s behavior problems decreased. Findings have implications for the parent's decision-making regarding how and what to work on during daily intervention.

Many applied studies have shown that giving access to manipulable toys which provided the presumed source of stimulation produced by self-injurious behavior (SIB), was effective to decrease the dangerous form of self-stimulation (Shore, Iwata, DeLeon, Kahng, & Smith, 1997). The goal of thepresent study was to evaluate the interaction between SIB exhibited by a 6-year-old male with autism and the manipulation of objects that provided competing stimulation. Latency functional analysis was adapted to the 60-min time limit for the purpose of identifying potential treatments. Following the latency functional analysis, a competing stimulus assessment was conducted and an intervention was developed. Its effectiveness in decreasing SIB was evaluated using an ABAB design. During intervention, the participant was given continuous access to the competing object. After SIB decreased to near zero level, differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) was introduced. All the assessment and treatment procedures were supervised remotely via real time video conferencing outside of the United States by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

The current study evaluated the effects of differential reinforcement of intraverbal responses by three children with autism. The children’s ages ranged from 4 years 9 months to 6 years. A multiple baseline across subjects was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching procedure. Each session took place after participants engaged in a 5–10 minute group activity. Each child’s mom participated in the study and served as the primary listener for providing social reinforcement contingent on each intraverbal response. In this context, mom’s statement saying, “You are done with group activity,” served as the only verbal stimulus and the children were prompted by other teachers to talk about and share what they did during the group activity. During baseline, the verbal statement was given and no reinforcement was provided. During the intervention, differential reinforcement of intraverbal responses and prompting system were introduced to train intraverbal responses. The results showed an increase in the number of appropriate intraverbal responses. In addition, a cumulative number of novel intraverbal responses was observed among the three participants.

Children with autism exhibit a wide range of challenging behaviors that impact various aspects of their lives. Assessment tools such as functional analysis have assisted practitioners in providing effective function-based treatments for children with autism. Over time, functional analysis methodology has evolved to provide a more comprehensive and refined assessment leading to a more effective treatment package. The current study examined toleration of denied access with a 6-year-old boy with autism. Prior to the study, a pair-wise functional analysis was conducted. This assessment established that the problem behavior (dropping to the floor) was maintained by access to preferred locations. Following the analysis a procedure for toleration of denied access to preferred locations was introduced based on Hanley, Jin, Vanselow, and Hanratty (2014). The current procedure used a modified method of the original Hanley et al. procedureintroducing denial to preferred locations. The results showed that tolerance training along with repeated exposure to denied access to highly preferred locations was successful in reducing the child’s problem behavior.

Early behavioral intervention (EBI) is one of the most common, popular, and requested treatment approaches for young children with ASD. In Japan, EBI services in community settings are generally insufficient in terms of their quantity and quality to meet the identified needs of young children with ASD and their families, due to lack of EBI therapists. Recently, private agencies providing EBI for young children with ASD have increased. However, details of their services (e.g., therapist, program, cost, and the number of consumers) are not clarified. We have conducted a questionnaire survey at private agencies providing EBI about their services and challenges. This questionnaire survey was conducted from December 2014 to February 2015. Questionnaires were sent to 33 agencies identified as a result of a web-based survey and discussion of ABA experts. The responses for this survey were obtained from 9 agencies (27.2%). The results of the survey were as follows: (1) Agencies have provided comprehensive support programs including one on one therapy, parent training, and school consultation; (2) Agencies have utilized various techniques including DTT (nine agencies), PRT (five), and PECS (eight);(3) Most agencies have spent two 1.5–2 hours per week for therapy.

Autism has several behavioral characteristics: repetitive stereotyped behaviors; insistence on sticking to routines; unusual sensory interests; and intellectual impairment or learning difficulties. “Errorless teaching methods,’’ which are based on applied behavior analysis, are one of the systematic teaching applications used for education of children with autism. Errorless teaching is offering the equipment related to target behavior or stimulus. The possibility of the student giving a correct response is increased with promptings which are offered during teaching sessions carried out with errorless teaching methods. Students receive more reinforcers for correct responses, therefore the level of incorrect responses is low during teaching session, which results in development of a positive interaction between student and teacher. In this research,a single subject research design, multiple probe design is used. The generalization effect of the research will assessing in the form of a pre-test and post-test, discussing the organization about interpersonal skills generalization in different melody. The maintenance of learning will be checking by means of the observation sessions applied one, two, and four weeks after the practice is completed. The research was conducted with one child with autism. In research process, full probe, daily probe, teaching, observing, and generalizing sessions are organized. All of the sessions are done by one-to-one teaching method. The data of reliability among the observers and of application reliability are collecting. This research aims to teach three skills to the child with autism: discriminating and naming notes; playing the notes on the piano; and playing a little melody. Our research is ongoing.

Considering that early intensive behavioral interventions for children with autistic disorders requires the training of a large number of tutors and parents, it is important to investigate efficient training packages to teach staff and parents to implement behavioral programs. This study examined the effects of a parent training program on the acquisition and generalization of components of an intensive behavioral treatment with their child with autistic disorder. Over the course of the program, parents applied behavioral procedures (namely tact training, mand training). Parent training was conducted using instructions, demonstrations, role play and video feedback. Parents' implementation of the training programs, generalization of parent teaching skills from trained to untrained programs and children's correct and incorrect responding were measured. The results suggest that the training program is an effective tool for teaching parents of children with autistic disorders to teach verbal skills to their child. Moreover, participants' performance generalized to teaching other skills domains.

Deficits in maintenance and generalization are often observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Self-management is considered a pivotal skill that can generalize behaviors, support independent skills, and produce behavioral improvements across various settings for individuals with ASD (Koegel et al., 1999). A self-management procedure can be defined as a systematic procedure for modifying ones own behavior, to increase target behaviors in students with either autistic disorder or high-functioning autism/Aspergers syndrome (Southall & Gast, 2011). Self-management procedures usually comprise three primary components: self-monitoring, self-recording, and self-reinforcement/punishment. The present work set out to investigate intervention effectiveness of a self-management procedure combining self-recording, self-reinforcement and additional components (namely, contracts and token economy) on a child and an adolescent with high functioning autism and an adolescent with low functioning autism. Results highlight the different additional components of the self-management procedures required according to level of functioning within the autism spectrum and show that the self-management procedures are effective in teaching social, communication and independent skills, and decreasing repetitive patterns of behaviors for children and adolescents with ASD.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a parent-implemented self-management intervention incorporating video-modelling for discrimination training, on improving social skills in a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The participant was a nine-year-old girl with ASD. A multiple baseline across behaviour design (no interruption, asking for opinions, and appropriately greeting unfamiliar adults) was used to assess the effects of the intervention. Results showed (a) the intervention was associated with improvements in all target behaviours in the training setting with a strong overall treatment effect; (b) the behavioural gains were generalized to non-training settings and maintained in both fading and follow up phases; and (c) social validity measured by the Behavior Intervention Rating Scale-Adapted version (pre- and post-intervention) was high. The intervention was effective in improving social skills with this participant with good generalisation and maintenance effects and high social validity.