Association for Behavior Analysis International

Life as a behavior analyst for Dr. Sigrid Glenn began some 30 years after B. F. Skinner’s momentous publication of The Behavior of Organisms. In 1970, the history and status of behavior analytic work could be summarized in 19 chapters in Honig’s Operant Behavior: Areas of Research and Application (1966). And a two-volume compendium of reprinted articles provided easy pre-Internet access to 98 original works on concepts, principles, methods, and applications of behavior analysis (Ulrich, Stachnik, and Mabry, 1966 and 1970). Further, as a new graduate student she could reasonably set out to read all 12 volumes of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and the one volume of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis that then existed. Most exciting to Dr. Glenn, Skinner’s newly published Contingencies of Reinforcement offered a coherent worldview that replaced a muddle of incoherent ideas. Behavior analysis was very different then. Looking back on the subsequent 45 years, Dr. Glenn will recount a few of the events that seem to capture the changes she has seen, and reflect on the relevance of those changes to the future of behavior analysis as a coherent whole. Finally, a brief survey of several future paths behavior analysis may take is followed by a recommendation for one that seems best to support disciplinary coherence.

A severe shortage of training courses exists across Europe to prepare professionals to meet the needs of parents whose children are diagnosed with autism. To address this concern and the resulting myths about applied behavior analysis that have sprung up, Leonardo, a former part of the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme, supported two projects to further development of an innovative multimedia program first developed in Northern Ireland by local charity Parents' Education as Autism Therapists (PEAT) and behavior analysts from the Ulster University. Called Simple Steps, this multimedia program uses video material in the form of parental testimonies, animations, demonstrations, and textural material to teach the principles of applied behavior analysis. The projects funded by Leonardo were each called STAMPPP and included partners from the United Kingdom, Norway, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Iceland, and Germany; another group from Portugal obtained funding independently to develop the program. For some partners, this was the first time they had access to material on behavior analysis in their own language. In this presentation, Dr. Keenan will show examples of the resources that were developed and encourage others to think about the importance of moving beyond static images when teaching about something dynamic such as behavior.

Sustainability, education, workplace safety, language development, addiction, autism ... the list goes on and on. Behavior analysis applies very broadly indeed, and is inherently interdisciplinary. How can we best get our scientific principles recognized, valued, and used in all the areas they apply? One approach is to reach out to the public directly. In The Science of Consequences, Dr. Susan M. Schneider sought to cover the full range of our science and its applications, simultaneously highlighting many connections with other fields. This inclusive approach seems valuable for the sake of both science and dissemination: We now know how fully operant principles interact with others in the large and complex nature-and-nurture system, for example. Can we do better at getting the word out about all that we have to offer? In this presentation, Dr. Schneider will explore this continuing challenge as well as celebrate our progress.

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

Psychologists, behavior analysts, practitioners, and graduate students.

Behavior analysts are committed to reliance on scientific knowledge. Increasingly behavior analysts are utilizing technology to assist in their delivery of service in the applied settings including in the K-12 educational setting. Many educational technology companies claim that their products are evidence-based, however, the term evidence-based is not clearly defined nor are their guidelines how this term can be applied in association with educational technology products. In other fields (e.g. medicine) significant work has been done to develop an evidence-based review process for products and a clear notation of the approved use of said products. These other systems may or may not be relevant to the field of behavior analysis but they do provide an opportunity for compare and contrast. This session will explore the strategies several educational technology companies, whom are all grounded in the field of applied behavior analysis, currently use to ensure their products are grounded in scientific knowledge as well as the challenges the product development process experiences in attempting to garner an evidence base for their technologies.?

This symposium will include data-based presentations that describe the use of functional communication training (FCT) as part of a treatment package. The first study used a brief-functional analysis in developing a Social Story that matched the function of the target behavior for two participants with autism. The function-based Social Story plus FCT was effective in decreasing the target behavior and increasing the target mand for both participants. The second study evaluated the effectiveness of multiple schedules to maintain treatment gains when generalized to a naturalistic setting for two participants with developmental disabilities who engaged in severe problem behavior. Discriminated mands maintained with both participants while problem behavior remained low in new settings. The third study evaluated the effects of token economies following acquisition of a break response to increase rates of compliance for two participants who engaged in problem behavior maintained by escape from demands. Following FCT, token economies were introduced. The token economy resulted in increasing rates of compliance, while maintaining low levels of problem behavior and break requests. These studies support the use of FCT as part of a treatment package for decreasing problem behavior and increasing appropriate mands.

Previous applied studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of the stimulus equivalence paradigm in teaching skills such as fractions, reading, and U.S. geography. Additionally, researchers have confirmed the utility of match-to-sample procedures and tact training in the formation of equivalence classes. The following three studies showed the formation of equivalence classes with a variety of stimuli and across two different populations. Experiment 1 evaluated the effects of tact training on the formation of equivalence classes with a 10-year old male with autism. Results showed that following tact training, the participant demonstrated the emergence of derived auditory-visual and visual-visual relations. Experiment 2 examined at the use of equivalence-based instruction to teach four, 4-member classes representing functions of behavior to 10 undergraduate and graduate college students. Results showed that all participants acquired both trained and derived relations. Finally, in experiment 3, equivalence classes were established for the fifth grade science concepts, liquid, gas, and solid through the use of match-to-sample conditional discrimination training with students with autism spectrum disorders.

The stimulus equivalence paradigm has been well documented within the applied literature over the past four decades. Many researchers have shown that following the direct training and reinforcement of specific stimulus-stimulus relations untrained relations have emerged. Match-to-sample procedures have been frequently used in training however, some research has suggested that having an established naming repertoire for a particular class of stimuli may be sufficient for the formation of equivalence relations. The current study evaluated the formation of 3 equivalence classes following tact training using geography-based stimuli (state shape, state abbreviation, state flag). The participant was a 10-year old male who held a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. The nine visually dissimilar stimuli were separated into three different classes (i.e. Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine). The participant was taught to tact each of the nine stimuli as Connecticut, Massachusetts or Maine. Results showed that following tact training, the participant demonstrated the emergence of untrained relations through auditory-visual and visual-visual match-to-sample tests.

Determining the function of behavior through the interpretation of data is a critical skill for any behavior analyst. The present study evaluated the use of equivalence-based instruction to teach four, 4-member classes representing functions of behavior to 10 undergraduate and graduate college students. Computerized equivalence-based instruction along with multiple exemplars of stimuli were used to teach the classes. A pretest-training-posttest design was used to evaluate performances on computer-based tests and written multiple-choice tests (selection-based responding), as well as oral tests (topography-based responding). All participants acquired both trained and derived relations during computer-based match-to-sample instruction. Testing scores improved from pretest to posttest on both selection-based tests (i.e., computer-based and written multiple-choice) and the topography-based tests (i.e., oral) for all participants following equivalence-based instruction. Finally, test performance maintained two weeks after equivalence-based instruction was completed. The present study demonstrated that equivalence-based instruction can be used to effectively teach the function of behavior and that a selection-based teaching protocol administered on a computer can promote the emergence of responses to a selection-based testing protocol using multiple-choice and to a topography-based oral test.

Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968) audaciously aspired to making a difference. Modestly, however, they encouraged a "self-evaluating, discovery-oriented" process. This learning stance helps to enable the dreams of Dr. Judi Komaki. She'll talk about just two. Curious how an inner city public high school managed to maintain a graduation rate of 95%, Dr. Komaki shadowed a gifted principal for three semesters. She saw how he stealthily created a safe, supportive climate, which enticed the students to attend and their dedicated teachers to remain. Just as critical, however, she learned how the chancellor created a supportive climate, empowering and establishing full-throated organizational metrics and incentives for principals. Currently, Dr. Komaki is trying to prevent sexual assault in the United States Army. Initially stymied, she finally figured out how we as behavior analysts reduced workplace accidents by reinforcing the positive (safety). If cultures could be created in which team members ferociously protect one another, assaults would drop. Team culture clearly needs to be bolstered. But just as important, given the severe under-reporting of assault, the challenge is to help busy commanders motivate junior officers by providing timely information and feedback about whether their team is on the right track. Imagine if we could ensure that only leaders successful at building positive climates were promoted.

Master's and post-masters behavior analysts and psychologists.

There are currently 19 states in the United States that have passed bills related to the licensure of behavior analysts. Establishing state licensure involves navigating a legislative system that may be unfamiliar to the practitioners and scientists who comprise our field. This process involves numerous steps, and requires behavior analysts to communicate effectively with legislators and professionals from other disciplines. Once state licensure is established, there are additional challenges as rules and procedures are established for the new credential. During this panel discussion we will learn about this process from three panelists who have been in the forefront of getting licensure bills passed. They will talk about strategies they found useful in achieving state licensure, and specific roadblocks they have come across in different states. The implications of their experiences for behavior analysts in other states considering licensure will also be discussed.

Behavior analysts take great care in observing and recording data. Line graphs form the main device used to interpret the rigorous collected data. However, the care with which the field of behavior analysis uses when publishing data varies greatly. Behavior analysis relies on nonstandard linear (or equal interval) graphs to determine the effects of almost all times series data. Due to the nonstandard nature and the limitations of linear graphs behavior analysis must continue to face inveterate limitations of non-quantification and shifting slopes due to arbitrary decision of graph creators. The science of behavior analysis would improve at least 10x with standardization, quantification, and vastly improved information for time series behavior. The present symposium provides data from a study showing the state affairs for line graphs in behavioral journals. The symposium also presents and alternative to nonstandard linear graphs in the form of a superior visual display, the Standard Celeration Chart.

This talk will first address what is currently known about the genetic underpinnings of autism, and how these overlap with susceptibilities to other neuropsychiatric conditions. The impact of genetic susceptibility to autism on children’s sensitivity and response to the environment will be discussed, with implications for approaches to behavioral support at respective stages of development. Next, the treatment of psychiatric comorbidities and their effect on adaptive functioning in autism will be reviewed. Finally, the goals for a next wave of research on the frontiers of genetics, early mind/brain development, and behavioral neuroscience will be discussed, specifically with respect to the promise of higher-impact intervention for affected children.

Keller and Schoenfeld (1950) offered a unique behavioral perspective on conceptualization and categorization, one that has proven to be dramatically out of step with mainstream cognitive theory. Keller and Schoenfeld's behavioral approach has inspired Dr. Wasserman's research into conceptualization and categorization by nonhuman animals. Using a system of arbitrary visual tokens, Dr. Wasserman and his colleagues have built ever-expanding nonverbal "vocabularies" in pigeons through a variety of different discrimination tasks. Pigeons have reliably categorized as many as 500 individual photographs from as many as 16 different human object categories, even without the benefit of seeing an item twice. Their formal model of categorization effectively embraces 25 years of empirical evidence as well as generates novel predictions for both pigeon and human categorization behavior. Comparative study should continue to elucidate the commonalities and disparities between human and nonhuman categorization behavior; it also should explicate the relationship between associative learning and categorization.

This study investigated the use of the iPod Touch and the application Letter School in the acquisition of letter writing in three preschool aged children diagnosed with a developmental disability, using a multiple baseline across letters design. Additionally, the generalization of the acquisition of letter writing from the iPod Touch and stylus pen to paper and pencil was evaluated. Finally, participant preference for instruction using the iPod Touch with a stylus pen or paper and pencil was assessed. The results indicated that all three participants acquired the ability to write letters using a pencil and paper, following instruction using the iPod Touch and application Letter School. For two of the three participants instruction incorporating the iPod Touch and application Letter School was preferred, while one participant demonstrated a slight preference for paper and pencil instruction.

Previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of lag schedules of reinforcement to increase variability in verbal responding (Lee, McComas, & Jawor, 2002). Therefore, lag schedules may be an effective intervention for increasing variability in verbal initiations, such as with conversation initiation by commenting or asking a question about relevant stimuli. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the conditions under which a lag schedule of reinforcement increased novel initiated verbalizations for a participant with developmental delay (male, age 13) who engaged in frequent perseverative language that interfered with his clinical programming. Following a functional analysis of the perseverative language, a lag schedule was used to reinforce varied appropriate verbalizations initiated to an interventionist. All perseverative verbalizations were on extinction. Results indicated an attention function for perseverative language, and preliminary evidence of increased variability with initiated verbalizations during intervention. These data are discussed with implications for intervention to increase response variability, with particular relevance to individuals who engage in repetitive, or perseverative verbal behavior.

In the field of behavior analysis a great deal of emphasis is placed on the direct management of contingencies in order to promote appropriate behavior while suppressing maladaptive behaviors. While strategies such as these have shown great efficacy in decreasing problem behavior among children and those with intellectual disabilities, these same methods have often been met with resistance when applied to verbally capable populations. Furthermore, many of the mental health difficulties encountered by these verbally capable populations are the result of acting upon verbal contingencies rather than the ones imposed by the non-verbal environment. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a behavioral approach to talk therapy, may help behavior analysts to bridge this verbal gap between actual contingencies and those imposed by our verbal behavior by helping individuals to become aware of their current environment while decreasing the saliency of negative verbal construction and increasing their ability to identify and act upon appropriate patterns of behavior. The purpose of this symposium will be to introduce the behavior analytic foundations and methods of ACT-based therapy among populations of clinical importance to behavior analysts. Specifically, these presentations will stress the importance of observable measures of behavior, overt verbal behavior, and choice allocations that demonstrate changes in psychological flexibility, discuss the influence of ACT-based exercises on impulsivity, indicate increases in adaptive behavior, and how ACT-based treatments may influence employment sustainability.

This symposium presents both theoretical analyses and data showing that behavioral developmental stage and value of reinforcers obtained can be combined to form a new theoretical model that explains behavior more powerfully than looking at reinforcing value alone. First, we illustrate how behavioral developmental stage on one hand and value of reinforcement interact. One way this happens is that the stage required for contingencies between one's own behavior and the consequences to be discriminable may exceed the stage of performance of the person. A second way is that stage has an influence on the effective value of events. This new integrative theory is then illustrated using data from a study of peddlers, in which it is shown that there is an empirical relationship between behavioral stages of development on economic tasks and the income people obtain (value). A third paper makes predictions about how investors might do in the stock market, given different behavioral stages of investing (lower stage investors net lower values). Finally, a fourth paper a study of how attachment entities change with development, with children reporting attachments mainly to people, pets, and objects, while adults report attachments to more abstract entities, such as ideals. These changes are shown to conform to the theory of behavioral developmental stages.

Old questions in moral development concern why individuals might act morally and why they might act in a caring way with others. Two seemingly alternative answers to these questions have been that these actions are based on justice judgments (Kohlberg, 1981 1984) or on relational concerns, such as caring (Gilligan, 1982). Here the notion of moral attachment is used to show how these notions fit together to address these questions. Notions of moral attachment, in fact, explicitly combine the caring aspect of relationships with the eventual development of moral judgments (Kohlberg & Kiessner, 1991). Attachment is a form of valuing the source of reinforcement. Based on work of Commons (1991), and more recently Miller and Commons (2011), it is shown that attachment develops in terms of: a) objects that attachment behaviors are directed toward (from one or two parents, to others in the family, to those outside the family, to groups, to pets, to objects, to abstractions, and so forth); b) the processes or contingencies that attachment behaviors develop within, c) attachment behaviors themselves, and d) verbal explanations of attachment relationships, among other aspects. These processes are shown to change due with behavioral stage, changes in responding to immediate versus delayed outcomes of different choices, and interactions of these two factors. The development of moral attachment and moral judgments based on the basic stages of attachment will be sketched out using this model. For example, at behavioral developmental stage 2, touching, holding, feeding are the major attachment processes. Those who are associated with consoling infants, typically the parents, become conditioned, comforting stimuli. Here, the groundwork for the infant's eventual attachment to the parents, and then their eventual behavior of approval seeking and internalization of moral values is established. Behavior at this stage is most responsive to immediate consequences with little tendency to delay. These early developments will be contrasted with those at later stages to give a more complete and detailed account of how stage and value determine moral action.

Behavior analysis functions within a non-foundational theory of truth and embraces a pragmatic view of truth and values. This means that our focus on what works is a guiding principle in practice and in the development of our field as whole. Historically our scope of influence has been most visible in the field of autism, but at times our focus conflicts with dominant views. We examine the implications of this conflict for our practices. Similarly, behaviorally oriented psychotherapists are faced with treatment decisions with a view towards what works. Behavior analysis offers strategies for determining and evaluating interventions based on context-driven pragmatic values; we illustrate with substance abuse treatment. Our final two papers concentrate on illustrations from higher education and focus first on the historical dualism in healthcare that has devalued behavioral health and privileged physical disease. This appears to be changing and moving towards an integrated bio-behavioral model that will require behavior analytic training programs to adopt an intra-professional practice model befitting our pragmatic orientation. Finally we endorse Dewey's pragmatic liberal education and his insistence on cooperative work and review a developing program in behavior analysis and public health.

Healthcare in the United States has traditionally involved a dualistic system that devalues behavioral health problems while privileging physical disease. The rise of chronic disease (i.e., heart disease, COPD, diabetes, etc.) and the failure of the healthcare system to adequately address behavioral health problems has resulted in an increasing recognition of the importance of behavior in health, so much so that the medical field has been said to be in the midst of a paradigm shift from a dualistic biomedical model to an integrated bio-behavioral model. This paradigm shift is well aligned with behavior analysis pragmatic values, and presents behavior analysts with an unparalleled opportunity for effective action within the medical system, a community from which we have largely been excluded. A key to successfully incorporating behavior analysis into an increasingly integrated model of care involves the development of behavior analytic training programs that adopt an intra-professional practice model. This presentation will examine this paradigm shift in the context of Deweys pragmatism and present a training model for the next generation of behavior analysts that retains these pragmatic values while fostering the inclusion of behavior analysis in the intra-professional integration of the healthcare system.

Children with autism spectrum disorders are characterized by deficits in expressive language. Matrix training is a procedure that has been used to teach expressive language and evaluate re-combinative generalization of targets. In the current investigation, a multiple-baseline design across targets design was used to teach a child with autism to tact three-digit numbers. The matrix consisted of the hundreds and tens position on the first axis (120 - 190) and ones position (2 - 9) on the second axis producing 64 three-digit numbers. Pre-treatment baseline probes showed zero levels of independent responding for all numbers in the matrix. Eight three-digit numbers (produced along the diagonal of the matrix) were taught using a chaining and progressive prompt delay procedure. The chaining prompt involved presenting flashcards with each the three-digit, two-digit, and one-digit numbers; building the number from hundreds to ones (e.g., 100 presented, then 20 presented and 3 presented for 123) while simultaneously vocally modeling the correct number. Post-treatment baseline probes showed correct responding for all untrained three-digit numbers in the matrix.

Behavioral disinhibition is the reappearance of extinguished behavior when a novel stimulus is introduced into the environment (Brimer, 1970a). This phenomenon may be responsible for some types of treatment relapse when problem behavior returns after the introduction of a novel stimulus despite extinction procedures being held constant. Several basic researchers have attained experimental results supporting this type of effect with animals (e.g., Brimer, 1970a; Brimer, 1970b; Gagn?, 1941; Yamaguchi & Ladioray, 1962) but only two studies to date have attempted to experimentally study disinhibition in human participants (i.e.., Baumeister & Hawkins, 1966; Warren & Brown, 1943). The current study sought to determine if behavioral disinhibition would occur with 3 participants with Autism Spectrum Disorder who were taught a simple lever pull response. Results showed that lever pulls increased for two of three participants when we introduced novel stimuli (i.e., a light and a buzzer) to the environment after extinction. These findings suggest that disinhibition may account for some instances of response recovery after extinction and that this study?s preparation may be beneficial to the further study of disinhibition and the variables that affect its occurrence.

Behavioral interventions have proven to be an effective method for treatment of problem behavior particularly when intervention is preceded by a functional analysis (Heyvaert, Saenen, Campbell, Maes, & Onghena, 2014). Despite the effectiveness of behavioral interventions in this domain some topographies (e.g., pica and elopement) and functions (e.g., escape from noise) have received less attention and therefore more research is needed in these areas. The current symposium will present data assessment and treatment data. Assessment data will evaluate the utility of differentiating bolting from wandering when conducting functional analysis of elopement. Treatment data will focus on the use of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (e.g., throwing the pica item away or handing the item to a therapist) with schedule thinning to effectively reduce pica. In addition treatment data will be presented on antecedent manipulations (e.g., noncontingent reinforcement) used in conjunction with timeout, without the use of extinction, for the treatment of problem behavior maintained by escape from noise. Data will be discussed in terms of the clinical utility of these assessment and treatment procedures as well as implications for future research.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often present with problematic behavior in the form of pica, or ingesting nonedible items. However, research on the treatment of pica to date is limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a differential reinforcement of alternative (DRA) behavior treatment of pica for two individuals with ASD using a multiple-baseline across subjects with an embedded reversal design. The two subjects were taught an appropriate response to replace pica (e.g., throw the pica item away or hand the item to a therapist) through a least-to-most prompting sequence. A marked decrease in the rate of pica and an increase in the level of the appropriate response occurred during the treatment phases for both subjects. Furthermore, this effect maintained with increased response effort for one subject (see Figure 1) and a thinned schedule of reinforcement for the other (see Figure 2). This treatment serves as an example of an acceptable treatment that can be implemented to reduce the potentially life-threatening behavior of pica while teaching an appropriate, alternative response.

Challenging behavior continues to plague both primary and secondary schools, despite a raft of educational and governmental policies to tackle it. The need for practical, relevant, and evidence-based strategies for analyzing and treating these behaviors has never been more pressing than it is today. Behavior analysis certainly has much to offer with regard to helping schools solve problems and achieve the goals set for both students and teachers. However, our literature has tended to focus less on applications of our science to typically developing children and adolescents, so there is still much we don't know about the nuances of working with these populations. This presentation will address some of the challenges associated with applying functional analysis and intervention strategies in mainstream classrooms, as well as delineating some possible solutions derived from both research and clinical practice. Further, it will suggest some research questions that may be important if behavior analysis is to fulfill its promise to mainstream students, their parents, and their teachers.

This talk will provide a summary of results obtained from a Maternal and Child Health-funded project in which functional analyses and functional communication training (FCT) were conducted in the homes of young children with autism who engaged in problem behaviors. All procedures were conducted by parents with live coaching from applied behavior analysts. Functional analyses were conducted within multielement designs, and FCT was conducted within reversal designs and as part of a randomized clinical trial. Inter-observer agreement was conducted on 30% of sessions. The talk will begin with a brief summary of previously funded inVIVO and telehealth projects using the same procedures and will then focus on the current in-home telehealth procedures. Video clips will highlight individual cases and group summaries will be provided for the assessment and treatment results.

Practitioners and applied behavior analysts.

Recent advances in the cognitive science of learning have important implications for instructional practices at all levels of education. For example, cognitive research has identified one strategy that promotes complex learning called retrieval practice: Practicing actively reconstructing one's knowledge while studying has potent effects on long-term learning. Yet, when students monitor and regulate their own learning, they often choose to engage in inferior strategies like repetitive reading, and the ultimate consequence is poor learning. This talk provides an overview of Dr. Karpicke's research program on retrieval-based learning. In recent work, they have extended retrieval practice to meaningful learning of complex educational materials, converted existing classroom activities into retrieval-based activities, and developed new computer-based learning methods for implementing retrieval-based learning. Incorporating retrieval practice into educational activities is a powerful way to enhance learning.

The Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) supports the growth and dissemination of behavior analysis throughout the world. As a result, behavior analysts, through multiple efforts, seek to establish ABA services in regions where minimal or no services exist. Through their individual and affiliate work, the members of this panel have all participated in global dissemination of ABA and will gather to share their knowledge and experience regarding the establishment of ABA services internationally. Topics to be covered include: development of programs in higher education with local and partner universities, establishment of affiliated chapters with ABAI, partnerships with local service providers and strengthening of clinical and educational services, practicum and supervision opportunities, the role of networking (including social networking), research and professional development opportunities for local professionals, securing community and government support, and planning for sustainability.

This panel composed of experts in cultural analysis invites you to engage with them in a discussion on the timely and critical topic of promoting sustainable cultures. Three speakers will bring profound and innovative insights pertaining to both theoretical grappling with and applied undertaking of the behavioral change initiatives required to build a more sustainable society. With their macro perspectives and breadth and diversity of expertise, these panelists can identify high leverage strategies for some of the most socially relevant behaviors in the realms of education, therapy, organizational behavior, community interventions, and basic research. Specific discussion points may include the compatibility and complementarity of the speakers' respective theories regarding cultural analysis; the current status of behavior analytic conceptual frameworks of cultural analysis, their relevance in promoting sustainability, and identification of important areas of continued development; and how applied behavior analysts can promote positive cultural change in various realms of practice where the relevance to sustainability is often overlooked.

Psychologists, behavior analysts, practitioners, and graduate students.

The field of behavioral parent training began in the 1960s and has become one of the predominant empirically based clinical approaches for addressing child behavior problems and developmental delays. Three historical trends spurred the initial development of parent training: concerns about the ineffectiveness of traditional child therapy, the burgeoning growth of behavior modification, and the idea that using parents to deliver mental health services could enhance the effectiveness of therapy. Early parent training research focused on small studies examining the effects of various treatment components and training strategies based on learning principles. Subsequent trends involved the development of standardized intervention models and research on their effectiveness; examinations of generalization; and applications of parent training in areas beyond child disruptive behavior or delayed development. Despite the phenomenal growth of behavioral parent training, research has identified challenges related to parent engagement/dropout, differing responsiveness across diverse cultural and demographic groups, and the need for high quality training and supervision of practitioners. These issues constitute important current and future research directions. This presentation will provide an overview of behavioral parent training research across the decades using illustrative examples and will discuss the implications of this research for practitioners working with children and their families.

Practitioners, applied researchers, educators, and mental health professionals.

Behavior analysis has a long tradition of excellence in teaching that appears, currently, to be largely overlooked by mainstream psychology. As a new teacher, Dr. Matthew C. Bell, too, initially ignored this literature and followed the time-honored method of lecturing. Recently, however, he has been reflecting upon how and what he teaches, particularly when he teaches courses in learning. His own interest comes, not coincidentally, at a time when teaching effectiveness has seen renewed attention including the development of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), a push for more university-led online courses, flipped classrooms, a new American Psychological Association journal on the scholarship of teaching and learning, and a growing literature in cognitive psychology applying the findings from the experimental memory literature to the classroom. What exactly is the best way to teach a college course to maximize student learning? What exactly should students be learning in a course on learning? Serving as a case study, Dr. Bell will address this question and describe teaching his own upper-division learning course, including what and how he teaches, the contingencies affecting his teaching behavior, and the rationale for his approach.

Previous research has shown that response interruption and redirection (RIRD) is an effective intervention for automatically reinforced vocal stereotypy (e.g., Ahearn et al., 2007). Research on the underlying mechanisms of RIRD has indicated that the procedure functions as a punisher for vocal stereotypy. Target demands for RIRD are often arbitrarily chosen. However, if certain tasks do not function as punishers, then RIRD may not be an effective intervention. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate RIRD using tasks identified as preferred or non-preferred via task preference assessments. Four individuals who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and engaged in vocal stereotypy participated. Functional analyses showed that vocal stereotypy was maintained by automatic reinforcement for all participants. We then conducted task preference assessments for each participant to determine high (selected at least 80% of the time) and low preference tasks (selected less than 20% of the time). We then evaluated RIRD using high preference tasks and RIRD using low preference tasks. For four participants, tasks identified as preferred did not significantly reduce vocal stereotypy. However, tasks identified as non-preferred resulted in decreases in vocal stereotypy. The results indicate that task preference assessments should be conducted prior to using RIRD.

Previous research has evaluated the effectiveness of various treatments for reducing the occurrence of vocal and motor stereotypy. Recent research has indicated that data analysis may play a role in determining the actual effectiveness of different treatments for vocal stereotypy. The purpose of the present research is to assess the efficacy of both a response blocking procedure (i.e., hands-down) and Response Interruption and Re-Direction (RIRD) on the reduction of motor stereotypy for three individuals with autism. All analyses were conducted in a multielement design, and interobserver agreement data were collected across 33% of all sessions (averaging over 90% for all relevant variables). Results were examined when the duration of administration was (or was not) included in the calculation of response rate. Results also were evaluated based on (a) reduction in stereotypy relative to baseline, (b) total duration of treatment implementation, and (c) total session duration. Overall, when corrected for the duration of implementation, the hands-down procedure produced a greater reduction in stereotypy relative to the RIRD procedure. Additionally, the total hands down implementation and session times were lower for two of the three participants. Clinical implications of these results will be discussed.

For the past 10 years, demands for ABA services for persons with autism and developmental disabilities have been increased tremendously in Korea. Despite lack of trained professions and systematic support from government and communities, few processes have been made for the past few years. In this symposium, details of four ABA services currently practiced in Korean clinical settings across diverse age groups are introduced. Overall, they all produce positive results, though many practical matters should be addressed and resolved. Especially unique issues regarding providing clinical services as well as conducting research project in Korea are discussed.

Self-monitoring has been successfully implemented in clinical settings as an alternative to teacher-managed activities or contingencies. The current study examined the effectiveness of a self-monitoring in reducing problem behaviors (e.g., talking to oneself loudly, cutting in lines, and taking up too much space when sitting) in subway. The participants were a 23-year-old male with autism and a 22-year-old female with DD. Multiple baseline design across participants was used and data was collected while participants used the subway system. After the initial baseline condition, participants were given an educational session for public etiquette(A). Followed by this, a self-monitor ing system(B) was introduced to monitor their problem behaviors. Decrease in problem behaviors was observed afte an educational session, but this was shortly followed by a sharp increase. Significant reduction of problem behaviors were noted soon after the self-monitoring system was introduced, which lasted three weeks after the withdrawal of the intervention. Implications for applying self-monitoring in community settings are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the maual for treating problem behaviors among people with developmental disabilities, which was developed by the Seoul National Hospital and Yonsei Behavioral Psychology Lab. Participants were 30 special education teachers (5M & 25F) with ages from 24 to 51(M= 35.34, SD= 7.00), who has more than 1 child/adolescent with severe problem behaviors in her/his classroom. The hands-on type manual consisted of 9 chapters along with 5 treatment cases. The manual provided detailed procedures and forms. The training lasted for 2 hours per session for 10 weeks. Teachers completed Behaivor Vignetts Test, Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey(MBI-GS), Parenting Stress Index(PSI-Difficult Child)prior to and after the training. Frequency of students' problem behaviors as well as teachers' caring stress were collected daily using the Developmental Behavior Checklist-Monitoring chart(DBC-M). Dependent t-test(within subject comparison) and visual analysis was conducted to examine the effectivenss of the training. The results showed significant changes in knowledge of how to manage problem behaviors after the training. Also, the perceived level of stress were decreased mariginally. These results suggest that training increased the level of knowledge, and decreased the level of psychological distress and job burnout among teacher. Further implications and limitations of this study are discussed.

Korea ABA Institute was founded in July, 2014 to provide ABA program for young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The objective of the program is to enhance childrens basic learning skills and group environment adjustment and parenting skills for parents. The program provides an individualized 1 to 1 DTT treatment and a group lesson for children to easily adapt to group environment in the future. There is a weekly group educational program for parents so that they can understand ABA and basic parenting method and the parents can have personal approach by participating the treatment scene while their child is being treated. In order for the program to be effective, childrens treatment data are thoroughly collected and based on these data, we create cumulative graphs in time accordance on every behavior criteria to assess childs progress in real time. To assess overall effectiveness of the treatment program, children and parents are evaluated in psychological test and the baseline of performance level is measured in early stage of the treatment. The assessment is re-evaluated every 6 month or every year. Currently, there are 12 children aged from 24 months to 60 months diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder being treated, and there are 3 classes divided according to their developmental level. As of now in October 2014, based on accumulated graphs, there is an individual difference but overall, the children are acquiring behaviors in faster pace and the learning rate is gradually increasing as time progresses.

This study investigated the impact of a long-term food exposure program for typically developing toddlers to increase their consumption of vegetables. A total of 47 young children ages from 1 to 4 participated in this research and were randomly assigned to either a training program or a wait-list control group. In an experimental group, a food exposure program was conducted twice a week for 10 minutes, in which children were exposed to diverse vegetables via games and plays. All children were assessed on their vegetable consumption before and after the exposure program in the laboratory setting as well as real life setting. The results indicated that children in the trainig program consumed vegetables significantly more than the control group after the training in the laboratory setting. Also, the nutritional analysis of their daily food records showed the increased level of acsorbic acid (vitamin C) and folic acid after the training in real life settings, which are both related to vegetable consumption. These findings suggest that a direct exposure program may not only be effective in increasing vegatable consumption, but also have positive effects on overall nutrient intake. The limitations of this study as well as thedirections for future research are discussed.

College challenges students to face a period of incredible change while building healthy habits that will serve their lives long term. Brief ACT interventions may be ideal to improve the productivity and effectiveness in college students personal and academic ventures. The papers in this symposium explore applications of brief acceptance and values-based interventions on test preparation, physical exercise, coping with social exclusion, and academic performance. The first paper will discuss impacts of a one-time intervention on Graduate Record Examination (GRE) preparation behavior. The second explores students exercise performance with avoidance vs. values instructions. The third described values affirmation as a possible protective factor against negative social experiences. The final paper evaluated a values-based intervention that focused on purposeful action and highlighted the obstacles preventing students from persisting through academia. Implications for the integration of brief acceptance- and values-based interventions to improve college student well being will be discussed.

The broad benefits of physical exercise and athletic involvement are well documented. Most Americans accurately describe the benefits of exercise and report wanting to exercise more. Yet, implementing a regular exercise program presents a significant challenge for most people. This may be attributable to the strength and salience of immediate aversive consequences compared to long-term appetitives. Initiating exercise is physically uncomfortable and often frustrating long before any perceptible benefits.It may be that initiating and maintaining a program of exercise involves verbally-mediated contingencies. These contingencies might facilitate aversive control (e.g., avoidance of feeling fat) or appetitive control (e.g., approaching feeling more vibrant). The purpose of this analogue study was to examine the impact of varying instructions on endurance during a cycling task. Preliminary data suggests differential performance incyclingtasks under three different instruction conditions: a no instruction baseline, experiential avoidance instructions (i.e., imaginecyclingaway from something unwanted), values instructions (i.e., imaginecyclingtoward something meaningful). Implications of findings for facilitating exercise and athletic endurance will be discussed along with broad implications for behavior change under aversive and appetitive control.

Preference assessment (PA) for stimuli is important in that it allows for likely selection of reinforcers leading to contingencies that increase desired behavior. Some stimuli do not easily lend themselves to PA. Furthermore, some assessment methods raise questions on the reliability of the method and validity of results acquired. Therefore, reliability of existing methods must be tested, as well as the investigation of novel methods, to assess valid preference of different forms of stimuli. Studies in this symposium assess preference in participants with and without disabilities demonstrating the importance of PA across populations. Studies establishing preference hierarchies for social stimuli and communication topography are included. Additionally, studies addressing reliability and validity of different methodologies are included. Studies measuring preference for different forms of stimuli identified preference hierarchies and demonstrated reinforcing efficacy of stimuli assessed by researchers. Results from studies on reliability of existing methods provide interesting conclusions and future directions. These current issues as well as importance of PA will be discussed.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is often used to support individuals who present complex communication needs. Although various researchers have evaluated subject preference for AAC modalities, only one has done so within the context of assessment and treatment of problem behavior and in the presence of relevant establishing operations (EO). Because the success of interventions like functional communication training (FCT) may hinge upon factors such as client proficiency with, and preference for, a targeted communicative response, it may be important to evaluate proficiency and preference in the presence of problem behaviors controlling variables. Our subject was a 4-year-old diagnosed with autism who engaged in aggression and had experience communicating via picture exchange and voice output devices (i.e., iPad and GoTalk). However, he did not mand for functional reinforcers during baseline (i.e., relevant FA conditions). We conducted FCT and reinforced mands mediated by each modality in each of three separate treatment conditions, while tracking rates of manding and aggression. Then, we conducted a concurrent-chains preference assessment to identify the subjects preferred modality. Finally, we presented assessment results to the subjects parent and asked her to indicate her own preference. Parent and subject preference aligned and we completed therapy using the iPad.

Teachers in an early education classroom were asked to identify and rank 10 preferred stimuli for 12 toddlers. A hierarchy for these items was identified via a multiple-stimulus-without-replacement (MSWO) preference assessment. Reinforcer assessments were conducted with each child to determine the reinforcing efficacy of both the highest and lowest preferred items identified by each method. Further, the entire assessment was conducted with novice practicum teachers within the initial weeks of their practicum semester and again with these teachers four months later to determine the extent to which level of expertise may influence the degree of correspondence between indirect and direct assessment. Results to date suggest that there is relatively poor correspondence between teacher-reported rankings as compared to direct assessment rankings. Overall, items identified as both low- and high-preferred functioned as reinforcers, at least under single-operant arrangements. Results were idiosyncratic (across and with subjects) under concurrent-operant arrangements. Results of the pre-post assessment comparisons are pending. The degree of correspondence between indirect and direct preference assessments, predictive validity, assessment efficiency, and the degree to which teacher expertise influences assessment correspondence will be discussed.

A substantial body of literature now exists demonstrating the use of reinforcement to increase a wide range of socially important behaviors in numerous populations across a range of settings. Systematic preference assessments are effective and efficient methods for identifying stimuli that serve as reinforcers, and numerous studies have demonstrated the predictive validity of a variety of assessment methods. As a result, systematic preference and reinforcer assessments have become a standard feature of both research and clinical practice. However, it has also been shown that numerous factors can influence preference assessment outcomes (subject variables, presentation method, motivating operations, response options, and consequence arrangements) and reinforcement effects (reinforcement parameters and type of schedule arranged during the assessment). The purpose of this symposium is to present the results of four studies examining the influence of a number of these factors. Findings will be discussed in terms of implications for both researchers and practitioners.

This symposium presents a number of applications of a new theory that integrates notions of reinforcing value with a behavioral notion of developmental stage. The first paper replaces Maslow=s Hierarchy of Needs with a conception that shows that both notions of reinforcing value and notions of behavioral developmental stage can explain the same behaviors without appealing to hypothetical, internal constructs. The second paper presents empirical data that confirms in another context that an expert=s developmental stage of understanding predicts how biasing (a measure of value) they perceive a professional situation to be. The third paper discusses the application of the Model of Hierarchical Complexity on the field of medicine, pharmacology, nursing and public health are. The paper gives examples of how standards of care are understood at different behavioral developmental stage. It presents the solution to the problem of standards of care at a Paradigmatic stage 14. The paper proposes a Cross-Paradigmatic stage 15 view of how the problem of changing standards of care can be solved. The fourth paper suggests eight long-term attractors (rather than linear short-terms trends) that lead to flatter organizations. Organizations and the need for management and bureaucracy are discussed from an informational perspective.

How do expert witnesses perceive the possible biases of their fellow expert witnesses? Participants, who were attendees at a workshop at the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law were asked to rate for their biasing potential a number of situations that might affect the behavior of an opposing expert. A Rasch analysis produced a linear scale as to the perceived biasing potential of these different kinds of situations from the most biasing to the least biasing. Working for only one side in both civil and criminal cases had large scaled values and also were the first factor. In interesting contrast, a) an opposing expert also serving as the litigant's treater and b) an opposing expert being viewed as a hired gun (supplying an opinion only for money) were two situations viewed as not very biasing. Order of Hierarchical Complexity also accounted for items from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd factors. The result suggests that the difficulty in understanding the conceptual basis of bias underlies the perception of how biased a behavior or a situation is. The more difficult to understand the questionnaire item, the less biasing its behavior or situation is perceived by participants.

The success of behavioral interventions often requires both the persistence of desirable behavior and preventing relapse of problem behavior. Goals of translational research in behavior analysis are to identify fundamental behavioral processes at work when implementing behavioral treatments and to use the understanding of those processes to improve treatment implementation. Therefore, translational research forms a continuum, with basic and applied research informing one another better serves the goal of improving the efficacy of behavioral treatments than either alone. This symposium includes presentations spanning the range of translational research assessing factors impacting behavioral persistence and relapse. Two presentations assess basic questions involving differential reinforcement using animal models (Bai, Craig), one assesses potentially converging measures of persistence in individuals with developmental disabilities (Kelley), and another assesses persistence of academic performance (Schieltz). All four presentations have a common focus toward highlighting the relevance of translational research to understanding how reinforcement processes influence outcomes of behavioral treatments.

Animal models of resurgence suggest discontinuation of alternative sources of reinforcement can result in relapse of extinguished behaviors, potentially providing insight into clinical relapse of problem behavior. Procedurally, resurgence is typically studied across three successive phases: (1) reinforcement of a target response, (2) extinction of the target and concurrently reinforced training of an alternative response, and (3) re-emergence of the target response when extinguishing the alternative response. The present study used pigeons in 50-s discrete trials to explore the effects of gradual versus discrete stimulus changes on local patterns of resurgence. Within each trial, target (left-key) responding was reinforced and alternative (right-key) responding was not reinforced in the first half of the trial the contingencies then reversed in the second half of the trial. Consistent with baseline reinforcement contingencies, alternative responding replaced target responding across time since trial onset. Moreover, extending trials beyond training durations during extinction probes revealed a resurgence of target responding. The magnitude of resurgence was greater, and the latency was earlier, when signaling the onset of the extended extinction probes. These findings reveal a role for stimulus control in resurgence, which could be useful in understanding factors involved in relapse of problem behaviors.

Response strength may be measured in a variety of ways, including in the context of a behavioral economic analysis (e.g., measures of demand; Hursh, 1980) or as response persistence (tendency of a response to continue to occur in the face of a disrupting event such as extinction; Nevin, Mandall, & Atak, 1983). In the current study, we sought to evaluate the convergence of these measures of response strength. First, we established two stimuli that were similar in preference in the context of formal stimulus preference assessments (Fisher et al., 1992). Next, we conducted progressive-ratio assessments to establish breaking points for each stimulus (Roane, Lerman, & Vordran, 2001). Finally, we exposed responding to disruptive events (e.g., extinction, satiation, pre-feeding, or distraction) to test the extent to which responding would persist. Similar outcomes across the analyses would suggest convergence of these two measures of response strength. Results are discussed in the context of translational research.

Current behavior analytic experimental research suggests that gambling is maintained by a combination of reinforcement schedules and verbal behavior. While behavior analytic research has focused on the broad implications of these variables, little is known about the idiosyncrasies of factors such as when high win rates occur during a gambling event, response effort, and persistence of play during repeated forced-choices. Similarly, recent structural changes in slot machine reels, particularly losses disguised as wins, are under researched and therefore not understood behavior analytically. Furthermore, little is known about losses disguised as wins when compared to other structural differences, including appetitive or aversive sounds. Therefore, this symposium will provide empirical support for how response-based interventions, structural alterations, and various win rates may impact gambling behavior, across a range of gambling behaviors including selection, persistence, magnitude, and self-report during gambling tasks. Implications of these findings and directions for future research will be discussed.

Psychologists, behavior analysts, practitioners, and graduate students.

Morningside Academy explicitly teaches fundamental learning skills to ensure that each student has these vital components in his repertoire to bring the student closer to instruction. Shaping of these skills was explored along a continuum of gross motor, fine motor, and interpersonal skills. In this study, teachers shaped dimensions along the movement cycle of the behavior that already exists in the students repertoires. Sheila Habarad will present a method in which TAG Teaching was used with her reading class of five, 8 year-old students, paired with fluency building sessions in groups of 2-3 students. Generalization of targeted learning skills was measured across the reading class. Marianne Delgado and Geoffrey Martin will present a method in which TAG Teaching was used to increase frequency and duration of attending behavior within a group discussion circle, with one teacher being the discussion leader and the other being the TAG coach of a target student. Acquisition, frequency and duration of fundamental skills are depicted on the Standard Celeration Chart.

Training sniffer dogs for specialty work, especially in the field, requires an unusual set of skills and knowledge: Fluid dynamics, analytical chemistry, psychophysics, microclimatology, and micrometeorology. Dogs are complex animals, and even the lab work (during training, or for diagnostic work) can have its challenges with long sessions of repetitive behaviors (e.g., responses in go/no-go tasks) with few stimuli and a sterilized and aseptic environment. Basic questions arise: Should we try to manipulate the dog, the stimuli, or the whole environment? When are interferences too much--or too little? And how can we train our dogs to succeed and keep performance steady over time? Dr. Simon Gadbois will address four main issues: (1) The role of motivation; (2) olfactomotor activation; (3) affordance training; and (4) understanding the where, what, and how much sub-systems of olfactory processing. He will, for example, discuss how modern training and assessment techniques treat olfactory detection and discrimination as a memory task when in fact, it is a fundamental sensory-perceptual task. Testing procedures that are mnemonically challenging should instead focus on perceptually challenging tasks. Dr. Gadbois will discuss how smell is a percept that needs to be processed in context. Much of this talk is derived from, and expands on, Gadbois& Reeve (2014).

Behavior analysts interested in learning how behavioral techniques are integrated with and understanding sensory processing to teach dogs how to sniff out invasive species and species at risk in conservation work.

With the advent of technology, the service provision landschape has been changing. In particular, services are being provided via distance technology capabilities. This fairly recent service model is known as telehealth medicine. Recent research has suggested behavioral services via telehealth service delivery can be effective (e.g., Wacker et al., 2013). However, this new service delivery model proposes new ethical challenges. Maintaining client confidentiality during service provision, video and data storage, client consent for treatment procedures, and clarifying and involving third parties during service provision are a few of the ethical challenges encountered with this type of service delivery model. The purpose of this symposium is to present three different telehealth service delivery models and to discuss the ethical challenges encountered through each model. Presentors will discuss how the ethical challenges were identified and resolved (or are being resolved) with interested parties.

From a behavioral perspective, psychoactive drugs are powerful positive and negative reinforcers and drug addiction reflects an acquired syndrome in which drug reinforcement becomes prepotent in an individual’s life. The discipline of behavioral economics integrates concepts and methods from psychology and economics to understand human behavior, including importing microeconomic methods for studying choices among reinforcers. This lecture will review recent work developing the purchase task methodology, which uses microeconomic demand curve analysis to characterize the relative reinforcing efficacy of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. In addition to improving the assessment of individual variation in the value of a drug as a reinforcer, this approach has significantly contributed to the measurement of acute motivation in laboratory studies, to the understanding of the neural basis of drug consumption decision making, and to understanding treatment mechanisms. As such, the purchase task approach provides a translational platform for advancing both basic and clinical science.

Various pre-assessments have been developed to increase the efficacy of consequences delivered during intervention. For example, stimulus preference assessments, demand assessments, and stimulus avoidance assessments have been found useful in predicting the effects of consequences for promoting effective behavior change. The current symposium includes three papers describing procedures for empirically deriving and systematically evaluating various consequences, including positive reinforcers, negative reinforcers, and punishers. In the first paper, preference assessment outcomes from independent and combined arrays of three stimulus categories, including edible items, leisure items, and forms of attention, will be reviewed. The author will also share reinforcer assessment data depicting the relative reinforcing efficacy of items from each stimulus category. The author of the second paper will describe a study including a demand assessment and a subsequent negative reinforcer assessment. The potential utility of a progressive-ratio schedule for determining the relative efficacy of negative reinforcers will be discussed. In the third paper, the author will present data from a retrospective review of over 30 stimulus avoidance assessments. The potential utility of 5-min versus 10-min session durations and the effects of using a latency measure will be discussed.

Reinforcement-based strategies alone are not always sufficient to produce clinically significant reductions in problem behavior. In such situations, the addition of a response-reduction procedure to reinforcement-based strategies may be required (Fisher, Piazza, Bowman, Hagopian, & Langdon, 1994). A stimulus avoidance assessment, which consists of the time-based application of potential reductive procedures, has been shown to be an effective means of determining the appropriate procedure to reduce problem behavior (Fisher, Piazza, Bowman, Kurtz, Sherer, & Lachman, 1994). However, very little research on this assessment has been conducted since its original publication. This current paper consisted of a retrospective chart review of over 30 stimulus avoidance assessments. Assessments were evaluated as 5 minute and 10 minute sessions to determine if the same procedure would have been selected using a shorter session duration. In addition stability of series and latency of the first avoidant movement/negative vocalization were evaluated using 5 minute and 10 minute session duration to determine the minimum number of series needed and if latency would be a viable alternative measure of adverseness. The results will be discussed in terms of the impact of each of these components on efficiency the assessment.

Several studies have used progressive ratio (PR) schedules to evaluate the efficacy of positive reinforcers (e.g., Roane, Lerman, & Vorndran, 2001). Yet there are no direct assessment procedures for quantifying the value of negative reinforcers. The current study used breakpoints when responding on PR schedules for various tasks to quantify the value of negative reinforcement in the form of escape from those tasks. Following a demand assessment that ranked demands by latency to first instance of problem behavior, high- and low-aversive demands were selected for inclusion in a PR assessment. During the PR assessment, participants earned access to a highly-preferred edible or leisure item on increasing schedules of reinforcement. Higher breakpoints were observed for the low-aversive task and lower breakpoints were observed for the high-aversive task. These preliminary results suggest that this method of quantifying reinforcer value may be well suited for the purpose of determining the value of escape/avoidance of various negative reinforcers. Implications of these results will be discussed, including the possibility that the PR assessment could assist in developing effective treatments for problem behavior maintained by escape/avoidance.

Functional Analysis (FA) technology has been widely used to identify the functional variables of severe behavior, particularly in individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Recent research has allowed for further examination of the length, order, and content of conditions used, but much of the procedure has remained relatively untouched and has been utilized exclusively with special populations. In this symposium we examine methodological changes to FAs that address these issues. The first paper will discuss the use of abolishing operations in functional analyses and latency to first response as the primary dependent measure. The second paper discusses the narrow use of FAs in the treatment of severe behavioral excesses. Recent research has demonstrated the use of FAs with behavioral deficits such as exercise. This symposium will discuss the use of FAs to identify the variables maintaining the exercise behavior of children and the effects of peer involvement. Broader implications will be discussed.

Functional Analysis (FA) has been repeatedly shown to be an effective method of identifying the variables maintaining severe behavioral excesses. Dangerous or harmful behaviors present difficult issues concerning the use of functional analysis methodology as this involves the repeated occurrence of the behavior within each of the conditions. Recent research has examined variables to increase the efficiency of FAs, thereby reducing the risks of repeated instances of the behavior. One such investigation has suggested latency to first response as a primary dependent measure in FAs and examined the possibility of ending conditions after this first response, In this study we extend the research by examining the use of abolishing operations to reduce the likelihood of the target behavior during the maintaining test conditions. Furthermore we use latency to first response as the dependent measure and examine the efficiency of this approach when it is combined with the antecedent control of an abolishing operation. Implications of this method will be discussed

In the United States, 16.9% of children and adolescents from the ages of 2 to 19 are considered to be obese and one-third of children and adolescents are considered to be overweight or obese (Ogden et at., 2012). Although physical activity alone may not solve the obesity epidemic, it has the potential to mitigate some of the health risks that individuals are facing. In this study, we examined whether the presence of a peer in the experimental conditions containing alone, attention, and adult interactive play consequences would affect levels of physical activity in three preschool aged children. The experimental conditions were examined with a multielement design with an initial baseline and follow up to the most effective treatment. The experimental conditions included attention contingent on MVPA, interactive play contingent on MVPA, and alone. Results suggest that the inclusion of peers in these conditions altered the primary maintaining variables of the childrens exercise behavior from attention to interactive play.

Being able to understand, verbalize, and distinguish felt experiences is a key component of psychological interventions. Until recently, there has been an absence of empirical research on the particular value of emotion differentiation on healthy and unhealthy outcomes. Dr. Kashdan will review research in clinical, social, and health psychology that offers insights into the transdiagnostic adaptive value of putting feelings into words. The ability to precisely describe and differentiate emotions has been recently shown to alter the association between negative emotions and emotion regulation difficulties as varied as binge drinking, aggression, neural reactivity to rejection, self-injurious behavior, and the severity of anxiety and depressive disorders. These findings shed light on how negative emotions and stressful experiences can be transformed by how people label and distinguish what they are feeling. Implications for the study of emotions and emotion regulation, and psychological treatment will be discussed.

Psychologists and behavior analysts.

Operating on an organization in order to change the culture is a delicate process, requiring only the most skilled and steady hands to accurately and safely graft new protocol. Unfortunately, behavior analysts often times struggle with establishing policies and procedures that are ethical in nature but that also avoid causing deleterious effects on the body of their companies. Structural arteries within a behavioral organization can be convoluted as each department serves as a life sustaining organ that must work in concert with regulatory bodies, ethical standards, and smart business practices to maintain the blood-flow of the organization. To help navigate the complexities of this process, a primer has been developed. A code of ethics designed to help guide practitioners and administrators as they perform surgery on their businesses. In this symposium, we will discuss what a Code of Ethics for Behavioral Organizations (COEBO) is and how it can help breathe life into your organization.

Behavior analysts are frequently involved when a student's behavior becomes so severe that in-depth analysis and understanding are needed. However, there is considerably more research to guide the analysis for behavior problems than for academic problems. This presentation will provide a framework to analyze difficulties in reading at the small-group (tier 2) and individual (tier 3) levels. Data will be presented from three studies (n ~200 to 600) to demonstrate that targeting the academic intervention based on the function of the behavior was more effective at tier 2 than using a general evidence-based intervention. Moreover, data from 15 students with the most severe reading problems will be provided to support the framework at tier 3.

Today, behavior analysts are faced with the task of making the science of behavior meaningful, efficient, and effective for non-English speakers. Translation of English textbooks, articles, and resources for treatments has become one of the biggest challenges for behavior analysts around the world. How do you adapt early intervention programs and program delivery for children diagnosed with autism when the translated material is not available? How do you pioneer the establishment of non-English BACB-approved curricula outside English-speaking countries? MulitABA SIG presents the panel discussion drawing examples from BACB's globalization initiatives, VB-MAPP translation, and case studies of bilingual intervention, in languages such as Japanese, Russian, and French. The behavior analysts are presented as translators, interpreters, and authors with sufficient cultural and linguistic competence to achieve consistent treatment outcomes and/or educate the target population. We invite the audience to share their qualitative experiences that will further enlighten how international, multicultural, and ?authentic? our field has become.

When the explicit training of a class of responses of one topography leads to the emission of one or more response classes of different topography, we speak of generalized operants. The empirical demonstration of such generalized classes is taken as evidence that the concept can be included in the conceptual toolkit of the behavior analyst without further analysis and that it can be used to explain other examples of emergent behavior. Dr. David C. Palmer will argue that this conclusion is unjustified. He will suggest that atomic repertoires can explain the relevant behavior economically, with no need to invent new explanatory terms. Furthermore, they offer a possible interpretation of the phenomenon of delayed observational learning.

Anyone with an interest in parsimonious interpretations of complex behavior.

Baker, LeBlanc, and Raetz (2008) published a behavioral conceptualization of aphasia and proposed an assessment and treatment model for use with older adults. Several studies (Gross, Fuqua, & Merritt, 2013; Oleson & Baker, 2014; Trahan, Donaldson, McNabney, & Kahng, 2014) have since begun to assess and intervene on verbal behavior deficits among older adults with aphasia as well as neurocognitive disorder. Although one approach to remediating verbal behavior deficits is through a transfer of stimulus control from one verbal operant to another, to date no research has evaluated transfer of stimulus control methods for older adult populations. This talk will present data from older adults with aphasia and/or neurocognitive disorder where treatments (developed using the assessment approach proposed by Baker et al., 2008) incorporated a transfer of stimulus control component and an evaluation of the efficacy and efficiency of different methods.

A great deal of interest from funding entities, consumers, employers, and practitioners has occurred as a result of the demand for applied behavior analysis (ABA) services over the last several years. We are currently in an era of substantial growth in numbers of certified professionals and training programs in the United States (US). Funding sources like government agencies and health insurance plans prefer to exercise some oversight of credentialed professionals and are reasonably reluctant to pay for those who are not credentialed. As changes continue to occur very quickly, it is a very important time to be generally educated in these areas. Over the past year, licensure efforts have been fast paced, Autism Speaks has been extremely active in getting insurance laws passed in the US, and the international certification program of behavior analysis by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc. (BACB) in conjunction with laws and regulations recognizing this credential has served a role in many licensure and insurance coverage efforts. The symposia presented today will cover all of these areas and then additionally provide graduate and recent graduate student perspectives on these issues.

Public policies affecting the practice of applied behavior analysis (ABA) are proliferating rapidly. They include but are not limited to: laws to license or otherwise regulate practitioners of ABA; other laws and regulations recognizing credentialed behavior analysts as qualified service providers; laws requiring certain private health plans to cover ABA services for people with autism; and policies governing coverage of ABA services by public health plans (Medicaid, TRICARE). The Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) has worked (and is currently working) with policymakers, regulators, behavior analysts, and consumers on many of those policies. An overview of current laws, regulations, and policies is provided, and their impact on current and future ABA practitioners and the field as a whole is discussed. Some emerging trends in the types of policies being adopted as well as successful and unsuccessful advocacy tactics are described. Finally, some suggestions for training behavior analysts to work in the public policy arena are offered.

Established disciplines show stability in training programs, number of licensed or certified professionals, and changes to professional standards are often minimal. Contrary to this, behavior analysis is in an era of substantial growth, evidenced by changes in several areas: new training programs around the world, new legislation for licensing behavior analysts and in autism insurance laws in the US, and changes in standards at the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Consequently, it becomes important for professionals in the field, including graduate students, to be proactive with respect to these changes. First, staying current with respect to BACB standard changes and state specific licensure and insurance billing within the US. Secondly, involvement and support of these efforts with the guidance of local leaders on the matter, if there are no local leaders, becoming a leader with the guidance and support of our national professional organizations. In this presentation we will describe suggestions for (a) educational institutions to incorporate this information into curriculum (while maintaining BACB curriculum requirements) and (b) new graduates and professionals to find information on these topics as they pursue their behavior analysis careers in different parts of the world and country.

Global threatening events, including overconsumption of material goods, toxic human societies, and modern warfare are seemingly amenable to systematic change through a behavior analytical approach. An analysis of the systems within which large-scale cultural phenomena are selected for perpetuation is an alluring area of research for behavior analysts. This symposium will detail the conceptual underpinnings of an effective science of intentional cultural change. A historical summary and interpretation of large-scale implementation of behavior analysis will be provided for consideration and resources for further pursuit of knowledge will be provided. Researchers will present descriptive analyses of metacontingencies influencing the aggregate products of rates of safe driving and child welfare outcomes in Brazil. The challenges behavior analysts face when developing valid approaches to the experimental analysis of cultural change will be outlined and recommendations for future explorations will be presented.

Psychologists, behavior analysts, practitioners, and graduate students.

Students of behavior analysis contact few opportunities to acquire knowledge surrounding the history of the field of large-scale behavior analysis. This gap in the students repertoire may be the result of few standards in place within the overarching teaching institutions and certification systems that target this particular skill set. As a result, students of behavior analysis are often left on their own to not only learn the history of the field of large-scale behavior analysis, but to also identify available resources. We have found that individuals who successfully contact this information come to find the value in historical knowledge of such behavioral approaches to examining large-scale behavioral phenomena. The aim of this presentation is to provide a quick review of the history and resources available to the behavioral neophytes who are interested in learning more about the history of large-scale behavior analysis.

Homeless cats living in an animal shelter have a predictable schedule of eating and interacting with conspecifics (if such a room and appropriate cats are available), as well as with staff, caretakers, and the public. At the MSPCA in Boston, the average stay for such a cat is 13 days. However, if a cat is brought to the Shelter with a wound of unknown origin, that cat must be quarantined for six months at the Shelter, per state rabies law, and may not be transferred. These cats are known, in Shelter parlance, as office cats, as they spend their quarantine period living in a staff office. One could argue that a process of enrichment, as is used in zoos for big felids, might be appropriate for an office cat. In this study, we looked at whether scent enrichment, such as is done for zoo cats, would elicit the same sort of behavior from office cats, that of sniffing and interacting with scent jars. We then compared this condition with the cats behavior when an office person and/or another cat were also present.

Where is the momentum of history taking us? What can demographic, economic, technological, environmental, and cultural trends tell us about our possible futures? What role might the science and practice of behavior analysis play in shaping that future? In this talk, Dr. Robert Gilman will address these questions from his perspective as a former astrophysicist who has spent the past 36 years exploring the possibilities for 21st century sustainable cultures. Central to this perspective is the idea that humanity is now involved in a cultural transformation as profound as the shift out of hunting and gathering and into agriculture and cities that happened roughly 5,000-10,000 years ago. The gracefulness of this transition depends on human behavior. Behavior analysts are uniquely equipped to steer global culture toward a future that is necessarily characterized by sustainability if they situate their science and practice in the context of a whole-systems understanding of our rapidly changing societal and natural environment. This talk is designed to provide that broad context, outlining important characteristics of a more sustainable future that can be promoted by all behavior analysts, regardless of whether their work explicitly focuses on issues of sustainability.

Kenya is a developing country located in Africa where Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is a concept that is just about budding. Through collaborations with the Global Autism Project and University of Massachusetts, Pooja Panesar just received her qualification from the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board (BACB) this year. She has been running a centre for students with autism and other developmental disorders since 2009 and this panel's purpose is to discuss all the challenges faced in Kenya along with the progress that has been made since 2009. As a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) providing ABA services in Kenya, many challenges arise such as grey areas in ethics, staff hiring and training challenges and even just Individual Education Plan (IEP) approvals from parents with children who are mainly cared for by ayahs. Mainstream education in Kenya is a business in competition that does not always accept students with disabilities (especially severe), but Kaizora Consultants has managed forming a collaboration with a mainstream school to encourage integration. Join us in a discussion on some of these successes and challenges in providing ABA services as a BCBA in Kenya.

For many individuals with intellectual disabilities, severe problem behavior represents the most significant barrier to community integration. The extant literature has identified many procedures to assess and treat such problem behavior, and a number of reviews have certain behavioral interventions as evidence-based practices (EBPs). In the present study, we sought to determine the extent to which EBPs are employed among a sample of residential placements. The functional behavior assessments (FBAs) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs) were sampled for 20 adults with intellectual disabilities and problem behavior (e.g. self-injury, aggression) from six residential settings across three states. All FBAs and BIPs were reviewed to determine: (a) the procedures employed during the FBA process, (b) the extent to which treatment recommendations were based on the results of the FBA, (c) the type of data collection conducted for ongoing program evaluation, and (d) the types of treatment recommendations that were made. Regarding the latter category, we then examined the extent to which the treatment recommendations included those procedures that have been identified as EBPs. Results will be discussed in terms of the links between research and practice for developing BIPs in residential placements, as well as suggestions for future research.

The initiation of the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) credential by the BACB has provided an important framework for the training of front line staff that provide behavior analytic services. The framework lists the competencies that must be mastered before one can become an RBT. The development of a competency-based curriculum (e.g., task analysis) and implementing training methods consistent with behavior analytic principles (e.g., Behavioral Skills Training) are skills that should be a skillset that most behavior analysts possess. What can vary between programs is the means by which the curriculum is delivered (e.g., in-vivo or online), how skills are taught (e.g., didactic or role-play) and the way skills should be performed (i.e., necessary components for a demonstrated skills). This presentation will review the experiences of early implementation of an RBT curriculum including a review of data from initial cohorts. Considerations of providing RBT training in predominantly non-behavioral settings or where ABA is a smaller part of a larger system (e.g., public school and University lab school), evaluation of competency and efforts to include other certified professionals within those settings will be reviewed.

Some have suggested that the definition of verbal behavior offered by B. F. Skinner (1957) fails to capture the essence of language insofar as it is too broad and not functional. In this tutorial, Dr. Matthew Normand will explain how the ambiguities of Skinner's definition are not an indictment of it, and show that suggestions to the contrary are problematic because they suffer a critical error of scientific reasoning. Specifically, he will explain that (a) no clear definition of verbal behavior is possible because there is no natural distinction between verbal and nonverbal behavior; (b) attempts at an immutable definition are essentialistic; and (c) Skinner's functional taxonomy of language is in no way affected by the particulars of any definition of verbal behavior. Moreover, Dr. Normand will explain how categorical definitions, and the vagaries that sometimes arise from them, are not unique to Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior.

BCBAs, BCaBAs

1. State the two primary arguments used to question the validity of Skinner’s definition of verbal behavior.
2. State the two ways that the term “function” is used by behavior analysts and describe how Skinner’s taxonomy of verbal operants addresses both uses.
3. Describe the shortcomings of the argument that Skinner’s definition of verbal behavior is not functional. Use the concept of essentialism in your answer.

Little research exists validating effective strategies for teaching responses to bullying. When victims respond with aggression, they are at risk of punitive sanctions. Thus, we propose a non-violent strategy consisting of a progressive chain of conditional responses. For example, when bullied, the victim asks the bully to change her behavior. If ineffective, the victim recruits help from an adult. Finally, if bullying persists, the victim leaves the situation. However, bringing this specific sequence of behavior under control of relevant establishing operations (and prior to aggression) may be challenging as previous research suggests that response- class hierarchies can be influenced by a variety of factors (e.g., history, effort, discriminative stimuli, etc.). Notwithstanding, recent translational research has shown that it is possible to establish hierarchies through serial instructional sequencing. Specifically, it is possible to program a sequence of behavior when response-class members contact extinction by teaching and reinforcing component responses in the reverse order in which they should resurge (i.e., reversion). However, this effect has not consistently been replicated when applied to the treatment of problem behavior. Thus, we implemented a modification of serial Functional Communication Training to address a childs aggression evoked by bullying. Results, limitations, and potential implications are discussed.

One barrier to children receiving empirically supported treatments is the lack of community based practitioners trained to acceptable levels of fidelity. Effective interventions often have to be administered by knowledgeable clinicians with a specific educational background and clinical experiences. Training parents, teachers, and other caregivers is one solution to overcome the barriers associated with accessing quality interventions from specialists. This symposium includes four papers on methods for training others and includes some common barriers (e.g., caregiver stress, problem behavior) and interventions characteristic to working with a specialized population (e.g., self-care, braille reading). Specifically, Subramaniam and colleagues examined the extent to which challenging behavior impacted parents adherence to a distance learning package. Connolly, Baker, Robinson, and Delfs evaluated the relationship between caregiver stress, maladaptive behavior, and acquisition of material in the context of a live behavioral parent training model. Rubow and Vollmer employed a parent mediated, behavioral skills training package to increase self-care skills. Putnam and Tiger assessed the utility of a computer program to train braille-to-print relations and the effect on visual-braille reading, a foundational skill for educators working with children with visual impairments.

Rural parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may lack access to behavior-analytic services. One cost-effective method by which therapists can address this barrier is to provide parents with remote supervision. We provided 51 rural parents of children with ASD with either written or video training materials about how to implement discrete-trial training (DTT). We instructed parents to record DTT sessions and mail the memory cards to trainers using pre-stamped and addressed envelopes. Trainers provided parents with written or video-based remote supervision following a baseline assessment of treatment integrity. Of the parents who received training materials, only 28 mailed at least one DTT session. We characterized patterns of adherence using slopes obtained through least-squares linear regression and examined the extent to which challenging behavior (e.g., loud vocals, property destruction, aggression) in the first recorded session predicted patterns of adherence. We found that first-session challenging behavior predicted a decline in treatment adherence. Therapists using distance-learning training procedures might consider taking an active coaching role in assisting parents with challenging behavior prior to training academic programs.