Association for Behavior Analysis International

The high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence involves the presentation of high-p instructions followed by the presentation of a low-probability (low-p) instruction. Researchers have used this procedure to increase compliance across a variety of behaviours, including academic skills, social skills, medical tasks, and food acceptance. Given the broad applicability of this procedure, it is important to identify the procedural variables within the high-p instructional sequence that produce the most meaningful outcomes. The first presentation will compare 2 iterations of the high-p instructional sequence, high-p with a preferred food on a spoon and high-p with an empty spoon, to increase food consumption. The second presentation will (a) compare the effectiveness ofpraise versus edibles as the consequence for compliance with high-p instructions and (b) determine if the number of high-p instructions can be faded from 3 to fewer instructions. Both papers will be discussed within the context of clinical implications and suggestions for future research.

Graduate students

Teachers and coaches

Behavior Analysts

1. Describe the variables of the high-probability instructional sequence that influence the effectiveness.
2. Describe the application of the high-probability instructional sequence to increase food consumption
3. Describe the application of the high-probability instructional sequence within a multicomponent treatment package.

Food selectivity is defined as a child or youth refusing to eat a sufficient variety of foods based on type, texture, or other dimensions (e.g., colour, packaging). It can have a substantial negative impact on family stress, child nutrition and health, and can lead to inappropriate mealtime behaviours. The high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence is a non-intrusive procedure that involves the presentation of three high-p instructions followed by the presentation of one low-probability instruction. To date, only eight studies – with mixed findings – have examined the effectiveness of the high-p instructional sequence to increase young children's consumption of food. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness and efficiency of two iterations of the high-p instructional sequence, high-p with a preferred food on a spoon and high-p with an empty spoon, to increase food consumption in two children with autism spectrum disorder and food selectivity using a multielement design within a reversal design.

To replicate and extend previous research on the high probability request sequence, the first research question was: What are the effects of praise versus edibles as the consequence for responses to high-p requests? In a reversal design with a child with CHARGE Syndrome, there was initial but not sustained experimental control demonstrating higher responding with edibles compared to praise. The second research question was: To what extent can high-p requests be faded from 3 to fewer per low-p request? After demonstrating experimental control with 3 high-p requests, an attempt to fade to 2 high-p requests failed. In a final analysis, experimental control was demonstrated by providing varied reinforcement in the form of videos identified in presession preference assessments. In 20% of sessions, IOA was a mean of 99.1% for high-p requests (range, 93.3% to 100%) and 100% for low-p requests. Results are discussed in terms of continually assessing motivating operations.

The PEAK-DT curriculum utilizes discrete trial teaching methods to establish a wide variety of basic and verbal skills, but these methods may not be required to teach skills with more advanced learners or to target sporadic missing skills. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of a behavioral skills training procedure on extended social interactions which combined skill targets across six PEAK-DT programs.During baseline, a 14 year old boy diagnosed with autism attempted to start a conversation (1), tell a joke (2), and engage in conversations to get to know someone better (3) and talk about what he and a partner were doing (4), completing few steps in each interaction type.Administered sequentially across interaction types, a behavioral skills training intervention consisting of instructions, video modeling, feedback, and rehearsal produced steady acquisition, mastery, and maintenance of all four interaction types.The results demonstrated mastery of responses in PEAK-DT programs 1A- Eye Contact, 6B- Greetings and Farewells, 13O- Intermediate Intraverbals, 14M- Advanced Intraverbals, 14T- Verbal Report: Tacting Behavior, and 14Y- Telling a Joke, suggesting that behavioral skills training may be useful in training sporadic missing skills.

Nearly a quarter of individuals with a diagnosis of autism, remain non vocal-verbal even after 8 years of age (Lord, Risi, & Pickles, 2004; Wodka, Mathy & Kalb, 2013) and those with speech impairments and minimal verbal skills have less favorable outcomes in life (Anderson,2007). A 6-year 8 months study (2010-2016) with children with autism (n=126) was successful in inducing 7 first instances of speech in 105 (83%) of the participants, Awasthi (2017), using Mand and Intraverbal Training procedures. Drawn from this large cohort study, the first 3 studies in this symposium offer newer perspectives on the technologies that minimize the number of children remaining non-vocal, and reviews its effect on older non-vocal children. Details on the form of 734 first speech instances as words and syllables are also discussed. The fourth study, building upon previous research from behavioral sciences and Speech Language Pathology literature Presents video self-monitoring to improve procedural integrity in speech production training.

Behavior Analysts and Speech Language Pathologists

The current study spanning 6 years and 8 months, reviews the technologies developed for the emergence of speech in non-vocal children with autism and examines the effectiveness of sign mand training and intraverbal training and the role of stimulus stimulus pairing and motivating operations in inducing first instances of speech in non-vocal children on the autism spectrum. A total of 126 non-vocal children between the ages 1.4 years to 13.5 years participated in 4 experiments that used delayed non-concurrent multiple baseline design across subjects. The technologies were effective in inducing first instances of speech in 83% participants. The time to vocalization, vocals across operants, type of vocal emergence, age of vocalization and the relative successes of the technologies used are explored.

A 6-year 8 months study (2010-2016) with children with autism (n=126) was successful in inducing 7 first instances of speech in 105 (83%) of the participants (Awasthi, 2017). This retrospective study examines a) the form of speech emergence (syllables, word approximations, words) in this large cohort and b) the form of emergence under different stimulus conditions. A total 735 first instances of speech were recorded (first 7 vocals of each participant). Of these, initial vocals emerged as words in 341 instances (46%) and as word approximations or syllables in 394 (54%). When speech emerged as mands, 66% were words and only 34% were word approximations or syllables. The percentages were 57% and 43% respectively for intraverbal fill ins. With part echoic-part mands, only 19% were words and 81% were word approximations or syllables. Sounds that started with /b/, /m/, /p/, /c / /k/ and /o/ accounted for 54% of the first instances of speech. These results suggest a pattern of speech emergence in children with a diagnosis of autism undergoing behavioral interventions for speech emergence. Identifying, recording and classifying the type of emergence could help with clinical decision making for further interventions and serve as a starting point for new lines of research.

Non-vocal-verbal children with Autism, aged between 1.8 years to 13.5 years participated in a large cohort study (n=126) spanning 6 years and 8 months, that was successful in inducing first instances of speech using mand and intraverbal training procedures in 105 (83%) participants, Awasthi (2017). Of these, 7 were older children with autism (8y 2m to 13y 5m). Of these 6 acquired first instances of speech while 1 left the study thirty weeks into intervention. Vocals emerged for 3 with mand training alone, 2 with delayed addition of intraverbal training and for 1 with simultaneous introduction of both. Of the 6 who were successful, the first speech instance emerged within 30 days of intervention with 4 but took more than 150 days with 2 others. The mean days to acquisition of all 7 instances of speech was 181 days (range 58 days to 359 days) taking an average of 25 days/ vocal. A recast of their data in 2 non-concurrent, delayed, MBL graph format confirms the effectiveness of these interventions in inducing first instances of speech in older non-vocal children with autism.

Contingency management (CM) promotes drug abstinence using monetary incentives contingent upon drug negative urine samples, but only about half or fewer of substance users exposed to CM respond by initiating abstinence. Thus, there is a need to understand individual differences in abstinence initiation. We are conducting a randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluating whether the medication bupropion (Wellbutrin®) enhances response to CM for cocaine abstinence among methadone patients with cocaine use disorders. Data collection for the effects of medication is ongoing, but we have conducted preliminary analyses to determine whether individuals who initiate early abstinence differ systematically from individuals who fail to initiate early abstinence. Thus far, 25% of the sample achieved six consecutive cocaine-negative urines within the first six weeks of CM (i.e., prior to randomization; early abstainers). Early abstainers were not distinguishable from other participants according to cocaine use disorder severity, demographics, or performance on neurocognitive assessments. Early abstainers showed significantly greater proportion of cocaine-negative urine samples post-randomization relative to those who did not initiate early abstinence. These data emphasize that considerable and persistent differences exist in response to CM. In addition, cocaine use disorder severity, demographics, and other baseline characteristics may be insufficient to predict early abstinence during CM.

Attendance at cardiac rehabilitation significantly reduces the risk of morbidity and mortality following a cardiac event. However, certain populations of patients, such as lower-socioeconomic status patients, are unlikely to attend or complete the recommended course of rehabilitation. In a clinical trial, 130 participants were randomized to either usual care control or to earn incentives on an escalating schedule for completing up to 36 outpatient rehabilitation sessions. Incentivized participants completed significantly more sessions of cardiac rehabilitation and were twice as likely to complete the program. In this secondary analysis of the trial, we estimated the impact of the intervention on ED, Inpatient and Outpatient expenditures, number of visits and length of stay (LOS). Group differences were evaluated 12 months after patients’ qualifying event. Expenditures were modeled using a two-part model (TPM), since we expected that the probability of incurring any expenditure was independent of the amount of expenditure; number of visits and LOS were modeled by using negative binomial regressions. Models controlled for sociodemographic factors, smoking status, and severity of illness. Preliminary results indicate that the intervention group had, compared to the control group, lower mean expenditures for ED and outpatient, but not inpatient services.

This symposium will address advanced topics in the stimulus control of behavior in the experimental and applied domains. All presentations, two experimental and two applied, investigated how a variety of stimulus conditions impacted the formation of stimulus classes under. The first presentation manipulated the physical properties of stimuli to form generalized equivalence classes (money equivalences) to induce new applied repertoires (purchasing skills) that emerged in novel settings. The second presentation compared contingent and non-contingent reinforcement during errorless instruction and determined that the influence of a “hidden contingency” accounted for errorless learning in the absence of contingent reinforcement. The third presentation evaluated different training modalities on the subsequent formation of equivalence classes. The results suggested that stimulus control topography coherence theory may require revision. Finally, the fourth presentation investigated whether or not prompts used during training entered into equivalence classes and expanded those classes. The results indicated that class-specific prompts became members of relevant classes and could be used to efficiently expand those classes. The outcomes of these studies are discussed in terms of the development of novel forms of stimulus control and improving the efficacy of instruction of complex behavior.

Graduate students conducting research in the areas of complex stimulus control and derived relational responding; Individuals designing instruction for children with and without autism and developmental disabilities,

This experiment explored how training influenced the formation of 3-node 5-member equivalence classes during the simultaneous protocol. The baseline relations were established concurrently (CONC) or serially (SER) on a trial and error basis, or serially and “errorlessly” with a constructed response matching to sample procedure (CRMTS). After training, test blocks were administered to measure class formation. Test blocks trials contained all baseline relations and probes for symmetry, transitivity, and equivalence. The error percentages while acquiring the baseline relations were highest during concurrent training, lower during serial training, and lowest during constructed response training. Yet, similar percentages of participants formed classes in each training condition. Thus, the likelihood of equivalence class formation under the simultaneous protocol was not influenced by training modality or prevalence of errors during baseline acquisition. In addition, transient stimulus control topographies that emerged during training did not subsequently resurge during testing, thus, their resurgence did not account for failed class formation. Because the error and resurgence findings were not consistent with stimulus control topography coherence theory, it might have to be revised to accommodate to the data reported in this experiment.

Children with autism have deficits in language, communication, social interaction, and perspective taking skills. Storytelling integrates this cluster of skills as it requires an understanding of narrative structure, the use of complex sentences, and it naturally occurs in social contexts. For example, narratives have been used to teach children with autism to tell personal experience narratives (Favot et al., 2018), increase the complexity of the sentences used to tell stories (Petersen et al., 2016), and to take another’s perspective (Gillam et al., 2015). We will present a summary of the currently available data-based research that used storytelling activities to teach various skills to children with autism, many of which are published in non-behavior analytic journals. The results of the systematic review will be discussed while giving special attention to the specific teaching procedures used to promote storytelling, the dependable variables (e.g., social skills, academic skills, perspective taking, and communication skills), and the methodological rigor used to investigate the effect of the intervention. Implications will be discussed as they pertain to academic and social programming for children with autism and directions for future behavior analytic research.

Applied behavior analysis is concerned with improving or solving socially relevant problems (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968; Fisher, Groff, & Roane, 2011). A socially relevant problem for service organizations and training institutions is ensuring employees and trainees acquire minimum competency to meet job expectations and to be eligible for employment. The purpose of this symposium is to provide examples of behavior analytic training applications in applied and university settings. The first paper provides an example of how behavior analytic training strategies were incorporated into a state mandated medication administration training. The number of organizational medication errors, number of opportunities to pass a written exam, and number of opportunities to pass a competency exam were examined to determine training outcomes. The second paper provides an example of an organizational training to improve outcomes of a functional behavior assessment. The third paper provides an example of university supported training for special educators to conduct trial-based functional analyses and develop function-based supports. The fourth paper provides an example of training for university students learning to conduct functional analyses.

Practitioners, educators, and administrators who design and implement employee and university training programs specific to behavior analysis.

Melmark is a multi-state human service provider with premier private special education schools, professional development, training, and research centers. Training at Melmark is designed to increase the professional skills of employees, which in turn increases life outcomes for the individuals we support. Melmark trains based upon the principles of competency based instruction, performance-based instruction (Brethower & Smalley, 1998) and behavioral skills training (BST; Reid, Rollyson & Parsons, 2012). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of added material (i.e., 8-hours of video-based instruction), increased opportunities to respond during the training (i.e., fluency-timings, guided notes), and behavior skills training. Additionally, employees observing competency of the medication administration process were retrained using principles of fluency-based methods, active student responding, and behavior skills training. The outcomes of the trainings are discussed in light of medication errors, testing, as well as initial and maintenance observations. Impact on the organization will also be discussed.

This study explored methods for training behavior analysis students to conduct functional analyses. Students (n=5) in a behavior analysis graduate program were first taught to conduct one condition of a trial-based latency functional analysis using three 30-minute sessions including instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. Performance following training was significantly better than baseline measures, however the criterion for competency was not met for all participants. Students (n=3) that did not demonstrate competency with the behavioral skills training alone were then provided 3 additional 10 minute training sessions using TAGTeach methodology. This additional training was sufficient for all students to attain competency. The same treatment integrity checklist used during training was then used to check for generalization in the students’ applied settings. All students (n=5) performed at mastery criterion under applied settings. Results indicate that behavioral skills training combined with TAGTeach training may be an effective way of training graduate students to conduct complex behavior analytic analyses.

Many individuals diagnosed with autism demonstrate deficits in verbal, academic, and imitation skills. Various programs have been developed to improve these skills; however, it is important to ensure that these programs are effective, socially valid, and produce generalizable repertoires. Study 1 reviewed the literature on teaching imitation in 20 studies with a total of 166 participants with autism. The authors found that contingent imitation may improve skills adjacent to imitation including language, play, and joint attention. Study 2 addressed the adaptive skill of using a debit card with adolescents. After using multiple exemplars, the participants generalized the skill to the community over a four week period. Study 3 evaluated a recently developed error correction program for discrete trial instruction that involved losing opportunities to earn more-preferred items following a mistake. Not only was the program found to efficiently improve mastery of targeted tasks, it was also preferred by participants and caregivers. Instructor error during discrete trial instruction, such as delays to reinforcer delivery, can also impact skill acquisition of the student. In Study 4, the authors systematically manipulated different delays to reinforcement across multiple reinforcer classes to evaluate the effects of programmed treatment integrity failure. These studies provide evidence for multiple programs that can be used to build skills for those diagnosed with autism.

BCBAs, BCBA-Ds, BCaBAs, licensed psychologists, and other behavior analytic providers who need to learn different techniques for skill-building with clients diagnosed with autism.

Imitation training is a critical component of early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) programs for children with autism. While extensive research has informed procedures for teaching imitation under tight instructional control, there are not comparable empirically-derived procedures for teaching imitation in the natural environment. Contingent imitation (i.e., the instructor imitating the child’s behavior) is a naturalistic strategy incorporated in reciprocal imitation training (RIT). The present review evaluated the literature using contingent imitation to teach imitation in children with autism across 20 studies, published across 14 journals, with a total of 166 participants with autism. Effects reported include increases to imitation (i.e., vocal, motor, object), language, play behaviors, and joint attention. A nonoverlapping points (NAP) treatment analysis indicated this research has produced variable effect sizes. However, more research is warranted, and directions for future research on contingent imitation are discussed. This review will apply a conceptual analysis of generalized imitative repertoires to its discussion of whether contingent imitation may facilitate skill acquisition and influence motivating variables.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate deficits in performing generalized responses that occur in natural environments. Previous research has discussed the importance of teaching adaptive skills to adolescents with ASD that generalize to the natural environment to increase independence throughout adulthood. To address such deficits, Horner and colleagues (1982) recommended using general-case analysis strategies to identify the full range of stimulus variations and required responses; then creating multiple teaching exemplars that facilitate for generalization of the target skill. To date, general-case analysis and multiple exemplar training have not been used to teach individuals with ASD to use a chip debit card. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to address limitations of previous studies that did not implement generalization strategies to teach adolescents with ASD adaptive skills. A multiple-probe design was used to demonstrate skill acquisition across teaching and generalization probe exemplars for three adolescents with ASD. Pre- and posttest probes were conducted at stores in the natural environment to assess generalized responding. All participants acquired the target skill following video modeling and multiple exemplar training, generalized their responding to the natural environment and maintained their responding during a four-week posttest probe.

Being able to do the right thing in the right context is an essential skill for every species. A fundamental learning process related to behaving appropriately is the capacity to engage in conditional discriminations. As with all forms of learning, many factors can influence conditional-discrimination performance. In this symposium, we will consider several variables influencing conditional-discrimination performance in pigeons and humans across both simple and conditional discriminations. The first presentation examined discrimination of the presence versus absence of prior reinforcement on the development of variable-response sequences in pigeons. The second presentation examined the effects of static versus dynamic samples during simple and conditional discriminations with humans. The third presentation examined the effects of comparison-set size on performance during auditory-visual conditional discriminations in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The final presentation examined the use of quantitative analyses to characterize error patterns during conditional discriminations in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Practitioners, teachers, applied researchers, translational researchers, and basic researchers

When teaching auditory-visual conditional discriminations, some of the available teaching strategies (e.g., blocked-trials procedures, conditional-only method) vary by number of comparison stimuli present during training. Sidman (1987) argued that instructors should include more than two comparison stimuli during training to reduce the likelihood of false positive or false negative results. However, researchers have yet to evaluate the effects of comparison size on acquisition of auditory-visual conditional discriminations. This study compared the effectiveness and efficiency of teaching using sets of two, three, and four stimulus pairs, using an adapted alternating treatments design. Three children aged 3- and 6-years old, diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, participated in the study. Experimenters taught 12 relations in each experimental condition. For one participant, the 3-array presentation was most efficient, and for the other participant, the 2-array presentation was most efficient. The results will be discussed in terms of clinical implications and directions for future research.

Most pediatric feeding problems are maintained by negative reinforcement in the form of bite or meal termination. Nevertheless, escape extinction-based interventions have undesirable side effects (e.g., extinction-burst) which have motivated researchers to further develop and evaluate interventions that do not rely on escape extinction. The studies herein examined the evidence for the effects of the high-probability instructional sequence on feeding in children, and evaluated the effects of a full, hierarchically organized instructional sequence on generalized food consumption in a typically developing boy with food selectivity. In a final clinical case study, clinicians evaluated the effects of differential reinforcement of acceptance using high preferred foods on acceptance, gagging, and expulsion in both restricted- and free-operant arrangements for a boy with developmental delays. The evidence base for the high-probability instructional sequence suggests the intervention can improve feeding, but the authors call for further research to clarify when and for whom the intervention is effective. Delivering an instructional sequence in which the final step was consumption of a nonpreferred food, consumption of nonpreferred foods increased and the researchers observed generalization. In the clinical case study, differential reinforcement of acceptance with high preferred foods increased self-fed acceptance of nonpreferred foods and this improvement coincided with reductions in gagging and expulsion. These data will be discussed in the context of apparent trends in research on behavioral interventions for feeding problems over the last decade.

Researchers and practitioners focused on feeding interventions

The high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence is an intervention commonly used to increase compliance. It involves delivering a series of requests with a high probability of compliance prior to the delivery of a request with a low probability of compliance. Researchers have evaluated whether the high-p sequence can increase compliance with low probability (low-p) mealtime demands to consume nonpreferred foods in children with pediatric feeding disorders, for example, by delivering multiple high-p mealtime demands to consume a preferred food prior to the delivery of a low-p mealtime demand (e.g., to consume a bite of a nonpreferred food). The effects of the high-p sequence have varied across studies, and a systematic synthesis of the literature to guide practice and further research is lacking. We conducted a systematic multistep search and identified seven studies that met inclusion criteria. We then extracted data on participant and study characteristics and compared the literature to the 2014 Council for Exceptional Children (CEC): Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education. Preliminary results suggest that (a) the high-probability instructional sequence can improve compliance with low-p mealtime demands in young children with feeding disorders but more research is needed to clarify when and for whom the intervention is likely to be effective, (b) additional research should examine the effects of the high-p on feeding in older children or adults with disabilities as more intrusive procedure such as escape extinction-based procedures become inappropriate, and (c) the evidence does not meet the CEC’s standards for an evidence-based practice.

Differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) with high-preferred food can improve feeding problems in children with autism and food selectivity. However, clinical case studies of the effects of DRA in the absence of escape extinction-based procedures such as the nonremoval of the spoon are limited, especially for free-operant feeding arrangements. The current clinical case study evaluated the effects of a Fixed-Ratio 1 schedule of DRA on acceptance of nonpreferred foods in a boy with developmental delays and food selectivity in clinic and home settings. We conducted the first treatment evaluation in a restricted operant arrangement targeting feeder-fed bites. We then incorporated mastered foods from the restricted operant arrangement into an evaluation of DRA for self-feeding in a free-operant arrangement. The results suggest that (a) DRA using high-preferred foods increased self-feeding of nonpreferred foods in a free-operant arrangement without escape extinction, (b) the effects generalized across foods, and (c) increased self-fed acceptance coincided with a reduction in expulsion and gagging.

The number of certified behavior analysts in mainland China is increasing at a drastic pace every year. Despite this growth, its nature of service delivery, the focus of target service recipients, and the presence of a comprehensive professional standards make behavior analysis a developing profession that is unlike others in China. In this critical phase of development, practitioners’ adherence to ethical and professional standards becomes an even more critical key for its future success. While it is important to understand the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts, one must demonstrate the interpretation of this Code through everyday practice. In a country with a vast diversity in beliefs, customs, and other cultural variables, this interpretation may not be apparent at times. The central theme for this symposium is working with practitioners in mainland, China. From a theoretical perspective, the presenters will first illustrate the ethical challenges that behavior analysts may face while providing services in a variety of settings in China. The audience will then learn about two empirical studies that demonstrate the use of data-based decision making to guide practitioners’ service delivery in the context of direct teaching and supervision in mainland, China.

Undergraduate, graduate, or practitioners in the field of behavior analysis

Over the past decade, educational and therapeutic services driven by Applied Behavior Analysis has gained more and more attention in mainland, China, particularly in the area of treatment for autism. Despite this increase in recognition and acceptance, the quality of service for students with special needs varies drastically across settings. This variation is caused by a need for more quality training courses, current misunderstanding toward students with special needs and their educators, and the availability of alternative, and often nonscientific treatment options. Behavior analysts provide services under clear and comprehensive professional and ethical guidelines. However, when cultural variations come into play, practitioners may require additional guidance with decision making during service delivery. From a conceptual analysis of behavioral perspective, this presentation will focus on the ethical challenges that behavior analysts may encounter while working in different educational and therapeutic setting in China. Potential directions and recommendations for future research and practice will also be discussed.

The emerging Western model of professional training and service delivery in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) leads to a continuous debate between universal designs and localized decisions in China, a country with over 75,000 preschools with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Sun & Allison, 2010; Zhang & Ji, 2005), who receive alarmingly uneven service quality given the high demand of treatment (Xu, Yang, Ji, Xu, & Wang, 2014). Even for those who claim the use of ABA procedures in teaching receptive labeling, one of the fundamental skills for preschoolers, the decision-making process is not typically based on data, but is rather on routines or personal preferences. In this study, two discrimination methods were compared in teaching students with autism. The first method is simple conditional discrimination (SCD), which involves a total of nine steps to gradually increase task difficulty over time. The second method is conditional only discrimination method (COD), which includes presenting the target task from the onset of the intervention (Grow, Carr, Kodak, Jostad, & Kisamore 2011). The data suggested COD resulted in more efficient acquisition while SCD fostered gradual improvement. The results provide data driven guidance for Chinese ABA practitioners in the decision making process of ASD program design.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is used to teach individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a variety of settings. While there are many benefits for clients receiving sessions in a clinic-based setting, one area that deserves attention from clinicians is generalization. The gains made by clients have a significantly greater impact when their skills are demonstrated in situations in which training did not occur. Assessing and planning for the occurrence of generalization are key components of quality programming for individuals with ASD. Clinician cannot “train and hope” that skills will generalize to other locations, parents, etc. In this symposium, research on generalization from three different perspectives will be discussed to provide more information to clinicians programming for generalization. In the first talk, a literature review on the amount and type of generalization measured in research studies on individuals with ASD will be shared, along with a discussion of the factors leading to successful generalization. Following this discussion, the effects of a parent training program on parent-child interactions and parental self-efficacy will be reviewed. Lastly, data will be presented on the generalization of treatment gains made in the clinic setting, to parents in the home.

Board Certified Behavior Analysts, Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts

For interventions to make meaningful changes in the lives of clients and their families, they should be generalized to home settings. These two presentations address challenges faced during generalization to family implementation. The first is on a pyramidal approach to training in which primary caregivers learn how to implement an intervention, and then train others in their family to use it as well. The second is on the use of static or dynamic symbols to indicate when reinforcement is and is not available within a multiple schedule. A discussant, Dr. Andrew Samaha, will provide inside and commentary on these presentations.

Behavior analysts who work with children with challenging behavior.

Functional communication training (FCT) is effective in reducing problem behavior. Some limitations to FCT include manding excessively (e.g., every 10 seconds) or at inappropriate times (e.g., when parent is making dinner). Multiple schedules using static signals have been used to decrease these limitations while maintaining low levels of problem behavior and appropriate levels of functional communication responses (FCRs). Dynamic signals in the form of Time Timers® have also been shown to maintain appropriate levels of problem behavior and FCRs. Presently, no research has examined the comparison of static and dynamic signals within the context of FCT. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to compare the effects of static and dynamic signals (i.e., Time Timer®) during multiple schedules consisting of reinforcement and extinction components following FCT. Four children with an autism spectrum disorder participated in this study. Results showed that for three out of four subjects dynamic signals resulted in faster and more consistent discriminated responding.

We evaluated the utility of the Performance Diagnostic Checklist- Saftey (PDC-Safety) (Martinez-Onstott, Wilder, & Sigurdsson, 2016) by comparing the effectiveness of a PDC-Safety indicated intervention with a PDC-Safety non-indicated intervention. The interventions targeted participants’ hand washing behavior at a clinic serving children with intellectual disabilities. Failure to wash hands at appropriate times could pose health risks to both behavior technicians and clients, so efforts should be made to increase the likelihood of hand washing. Based on the results of the PDC-Safety, a lack of antecedents was the variable contributing to unsafe performance. The indicated intervention, which consisted of a prompt, was effective to increases safe performance, although two of three participants required additional intervention components. The non-indicated intervention, which consisted of increased access to materials, was ineffective. Results are discussed in terms of the utility of the tool to identify effective interventions to increase safe performance in a variety of settings.

Psychological flexibility is a central mechanism of change for therapeutic techniques that emphasize the relationship between human language and psychological suffering. Psychological flexibility can be described as persistence with or changing of behavior, in accordance with values-based contingencies, while contacting all stimuli, both public and private, in the present environment (e.g. Bond, Hayes, & Barnes-Holmes, 2006). In the context of Acceptance Commitment Therapy or Training, interventions are designed to increase this flexibility among individuals, including children with behavioral needs, and methods of assessment are necessary to examine the effects of such treatments. First, we examine the relationship between self-reports of psychological flexibility and language ability for a sample of children with and without autism and discuss the implications of this data in terms of treatment. Then, we explore psychological flexibility assessment measures currently available specifically for children, and relationship of these, such as the Children’s Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire, to other common measures of child behavior. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of possible future directions in the assessment of children’s psychological flexibility.

The current investigation evaluated the relationship between complex Derived Relational Responding and psychological flexibility in individuals of various ages diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) or a related developmental disability. The Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge (PEAK) Relational Training System Transformation pre-assessment was used to measure Derived Relational Responding while psychological flexibility was measured using the Children’s Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire (CPFQ) which was reported by participants themselves and their caregivers. As data collection is still in the early stages and complete statistical analyses cannot yet be conducted, preliminary data suggests a relationship between the PEAK-T and CPFQ: Child and CPFQ: Caregiver assessments. Specifically, with a strong relationship between the PEAK-T and CPFQ: Caregiver assessment. These findings suggest that increased derived relational responding likely results in improved psychological flexibility as reported by the child and their caregiver which suggests a clinical utility in improving relational responding in individuals with ASD.

Body image involves the experience of one’s body, and body image disturbance occurs when one’s experience of body image is particularly painful and disruptive to daily living. Body image flexibility seems to be an important component for reducing body image disturbance. In recent years, there has been an increase in the interest of using self-help manuals as an alternative to interpersonal therapy for treating body image disturbance. The presented study aimed to help individuals struggling with their body image utilizing a self-help book based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Participants who reported body image disturbance during prescreen evaluations were invited to partake in an eight-week self-help program designed to increase body-image flexibility and reduce maladaptive body-image coping strategies. Changes in target behaviors were assessed via self-report data collected online at five different intervals: 1) prescreening (baseline); 2) midway through the readings (week 4); 3) upon completion of the readings (week 8); 4) 4-week follow-up (week 12); 5) 16-week follow-up (week 24). In general, participants exhibited improvements in body-image flexibility and reductions in body-image avoidance behavior over the course of treatment and beyond. Individual-level outcomes will be presented in detail and further implications discussed.

Behavior analysts are in the unique position to build bridges that cross cultures and to respect diversity in meaningful measurable ways. We can reach across professions, across disciplines, and across age groups to address patterns that harm any population. We can translate procedures from other fields, and design and sequence measurable objectives without relying on psychological constructs. This symposium will share an analysis and solutions for challenges that arise from exclusionary cultural diversity practices and the great need to provide diversity training. Behavior analysts can contribute to policy and practices that affect the LGBTQ community. We discuss the need to develop culturally competent assessment and treatment interventions for those diagnosed on the autism spectrum. We examine the current and historical make up of the leadership in our own international organization. The constructional approach is presented to help define and facilitate how behavior analysis can move us forward in addressing these issues.

College professors BCBA practitioners

The worldwide impact of autism creates a need to develop culturally competent assessment and treatment interventions that can be implemented in a variety of cultures. The literature on interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has identified behavioral interventions as being very effective in Western cultures. However, there is little research about behavioral interventions in non-Western cultures. Culture can affect a person’s beliefs about the cause or origin of ASD, which types of treatment the person seeks, and the goals/outcomes the person expects. Western ABA providers working with individuals with ASD from diverse cultures need to develop and maintain multicultural competencies to better understand the needs of the people with whom they work and to be able to modify interventions to be more effective in non-Western cultures. This paper discusses the impact of culture on the diagnosis and treatment of ASD, barriers to accessing ASD treatment services in non-Western cultures, the existing research gap regarding the cross-cultural implementation of ABA, current ABA efforts to address diversity issues in the field, and recommendations for future research.

Inclusive practices for students, teachers, and families help create an inviting school culture. All families need to experience a safe and welcoming environment. Stereotypes of gender may limit life experiences, limit access to meaningful consequences, and limit available alternatives. In 2016, the first-ever national survey was administered to parse high school students by sexuality. The two new questions added to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control survey asked students about (1) their sexual orientation and (2) the gender of their partners. These data show that 1.3 million teens, about 8% of all high school students in America, report being lesbian, gay, or bisexual. This presentation will present a behavior analytic approach to define bullying and other social interactions that lead to exclusion. We will share resources that promote inclusion and teach students to create allies, and to recognize the undesirable role of the bystander. Behavior analysis provides us with the framework to design and arrange these complex social contingencies.

As a field, Applied Behavior Analysis is expected to be able to produce socially significant changes in the lives of individuals from diverse social, cultural, and economic backgrounds. While behavior analysts strive to provide the best care to their clients, only minimal support may be available to help behavior analysts develop the skills needed for effectively bridging gaps that exist when providers and clients share little in terms of cultural understanding. This challenge is particularly well illustrated when reviewing the sociocultural backgrounds of those comprising major leadership groups, such as the Behavior Analysis Certification Board and Association for Professional Behavior Analysts, as well as when accounting for the frequency of related presentations at major conferences. Without a concentrated effort to both develop field-wide leaders from diverse communities and promote appropriate diversity and sensitivity training for practitioners, consumers of ABA services may find it difficult to find behavior analysts with whom they can effectively communicate. As our field naturally results in contact with people from all walks of life, it is important for practitioners at every level to have a solid understanding of the issues surrounding diversity within the Association for Behavior Analysis International.

According to the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP, 2018), 44% percent of children under age 18 in the United States are considered economically disadvantaged. Research suggests that these children are more likely to experience academic challenges than children who are not economically disadvantaged. This presentation will describe the academic needs of economically disadvantaged learners, historical contributions of behavior analysis to improving educational outcomes, and the current needs that behavior analysis can address. Implications and recommendations for practitioners and researchers will be discussed.

This study used the observer effect as part of a teacher training package by evaluating the effects of peer observations on an observing teacher's implementation integrity of components of a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) system for four middle school teachers. The primary dependent variables were the number of praise and corrective statements made by the teachers to their students, and how closely the teacher approximated a ratio of three praise statements to every one corrective statement. Secondary dependent variables included the number of behavioral expectations set by the teacher for the students, and the number of office referrals written by the teacher. Results suggest that peer observations increased intervention integrity of target classroom management behaviors for three of four participants and that participants were highly satisfied with the procedure. Implications for teacher training in schools, and how the findings relate to the observer effect, are discussed.

Struggling older readers often have difficulty with early decoding skills (Tolman, 2005; Toste, Williams, & Capin, 2017). If they are unable to master decoding, they may have difficulty with more complex skills, such as passage reading fluency. The current study extends research on reading fluency for older students by evaluating the combined effects of a phonics procedure and a fluency-building strategy on their reading fluency. Participants were older students with below grade level reading performance who had deficits in oral reading fluency and decoding. Dependent variables were the number of correctly sorted word patterns and the number of correct words per minute read in a passage and on a word list. During the intervention, a modified word sort procedure was used to train students to sort and read words containing the target word patterns. Following the initial word sort procedure, fluency building was employed by training word reading to a fluency criterion. Connected text passages were used to assess participants’ fluency when reading passages that contained the word pattern. A multiple-probe design across responses was utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on the decoding skills and oral reading fluency of participants. Results showed that participants’ decoding and oral reading fluency increased following the intervention.

The use of applied behavior analysis (ABA) in public schools has gained traction, primarily touted as a practice for supporting students with disabilities. However, the application of ABA principles is the foundation of high-quality instruction across skill levels. For example, positive behavior support methods applies a system-wide approach to support positive interactions and decrease challenging behaviors through the application of methods such as antecedent interventions and group-based contingencies. Likewise, academic instruction that incorporates systematic, direct instruction and personal systems of learning support acquisition across students with an array of skill levels, including those that have advanced skill levels and those that are behind grade-level. Further, the data-driven nature of the science facilitates ongoing progress monitoring at individual and group levels to guide educational decision-making. This symposium will explore the influence of ABA on teaching including comprehensive models, individualization of instruction, and inclusive practices for students with and without disabilities. The role of continuous measurement of student and teacher behavior to support acquisition of math and reading skills will be explored. In addition, application of component analysis procedures to identify the necessary features of an effective classroom will be discussed. Additionally, the role of research in identifying effective evidenced-based practices to support inclusion of individuals with autism will be examined, including gaps in our knowledge.

BCBAs Teachers

Federal policy, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), mandate students with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment. Additionally, policy and social justice advocates support inclusive models of education. In an effort to support skill acquisition and ameliorate challenging behaviors, a plethora of evidence-based interventions have been identified. However, little is known about which specific interventions are most effective in inclusive environments and for which target skills. The purpose of this study was to systematically review and synthesize high-quality single-case research evaluating the effectiveness of evidence-based practices implemented in inclusive environments. Additionally, meta-analytic methodology was employed to identify study and participant characteristics that differentially impact the effect of evidenced based practices. Findings indicate that a large portion of our evidence-base regarding effective interventions in inclusive setting targets social-communication skills and the evidence for academic interventions is scarce. Additionally, the majority of the evidence is conducted in elementary schools rather than secondary. Additional participant characteristics and intervention components were explored. Implications for practice and areas for future research will be discussed.

Dissemination of evidence-based practices to individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities requires effective, acceptable and efficient training of many care givers. One solution to this problem is to develop and evaluate pyramidal caregiver training whereby one level I staff acquires staff training skills and then trains multiple level II staff thereby changing the behavior of students and clients with autism and intellectual disabilities. This symposium will present three empirical papers. In the first we will report the effects of training teachers to teach classroom assistants in multiple applied behavior analytic skills in a special school. In the second we will present the effects of pyramidal training on staff acquisition of five applied behavior analytic skills over a 10-month period. The third paper will report the results of a randomized controlled trial in which staff working with adults with autism and intellectual disabilities were trained in applied behavior analytic skills. This symposium will show that pyramidal training is an effective, efficient and acceptable form of disseminating applied behavior analytic skills in applied settings.

3. Research employing single choice paradigms suggest infants show a preference for prosocial others and those who are similar to themselves. This study (two experiments, N = 44 infants, aged 8 to 15 months) replicated and extended previous work by including (a) within-subject repeated measures and (b) an experimental manipulation of a plausible demand characteristic. In both experiments, (a) infants chose between two foods, (b) watched a puppet show in which one puppet expressed a liking for one of the foods and a disliking for the other food followed by a second puppet who expressed the opposite preferences, and (c) chose between the two puppets. Results for the first-choice trial indicated a majority of infants did not choose the puppet who liked the same food as the infant (i.e., the similar puppet). Within-subject repeated trials also indicated a majority of infants did not choose the similar puppet but a majority did choose a puppet presented on the same side. Findings suggest infants may not display very early preferences, for similar others and supports recommendations made by others, including publishing null findings, standardizing data collection and reporting methods, and examining individual differences by employing within-subject designs with repeated measures.

Tummy time is an activity intended to strengthen infant motor development by placing them in a prone position. However, many infants may find this time aversive, often evoking noncompliant behavior and tantrums. Previous studies have used preferred tangible items during tummy time to reduce challenging behavior and improve head elevation. We extended this previous research by comparing the effects of a more-preferred stimulus (i.e., toy penguin) in comparison to a less-preferred stimulus (i.e., mother attention alone) selected from a preference assessment with two typically developing infants. During the preference assessment, items were placed to the side of the infants’ sight while they were seated in a comfortable position and the percentage of eye contact with each item was used to establish a hierarchy of preference. During the treatment comparison, the infant was placed in the prone position and the items were situated just above the infants’ view to ensure that seeing the item required holding the head up. Although both treatments improved head elevation and reduced tantrums, the caregiver selected the treatment using the more-preferred stimulus during a concurrent-chains preference assessment.

Annually, approximately 3,500 infants die suddenly and unexpectedly in the United States, and many of these deaths are due to unsafe sleep positioning or environments (Centers for Disease Control, 2018). To promote safe sleeping and infant development, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that caregivers put infants on their backs for sleep and on their stomachs to play, known as “tummy time.” In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of an educational video on 120 current and expectant parents’ knowledge of the AAP’s positioning recommendations. The video was associated with a significant improvement in participants’ knowledge from pre- to post-test. We also identified that participants’ reasons for positioning their babies unsafely for sleep and for limiting tummy time was largely associated with infant intolerance. In this presentation, I will: (a) discuss the implications of our results and the role of behavior analysis in addressing infant safe-sleep and tummy-time behavior and (b) describe a new intervention to teach parents of high-risk, hospitalized premature infants about safe sleep and tummy time.

The field of Applied Behavior Analysis has produced a wealth of information on interventions to produce socially significant behavior change. As a result, many individuals seek the services of Behavior Analysts, most notably, services for children with autism and other developmental disabilities. Although there is a high demand for Behavior Analysts to consult with clients and create successful interventions for behavior change, once the Behavior Analyst’s consultation ends, the interventions are not often continued. Sustainability of behavioral interventions is a key factor in the maintenance of behavior changes within a setting. Sustainability of system change also requires building the capacity for on-going services. This panel will feature individuals working on various aspects of building capacity and creating sustainable programs. Panelists will speak on their success with creating sustainable programs for individuals and teachers that lasted after consultation ended. Panelists will also discuss strategies used to produce sustainable behavior change at the group, organization, and system level.

Intermediate/BCBAs; Behavior Analysts interested in creating lasting change.

Behavioral pharmacology is often described as the merging of the fields of behavior analysis and pharmacology. As a result, our principles and methodologies were brought to bear on understanding both the pharmacological and the behavioral functions of drugs. The utilization of a steady-state research strategy in individual subjects helped to reconcile some views that drug effects were intrinsically variable. Conceptualizing drugs as reinforcing and discriminative stimuli helped not only to develop reliable laboratory animal models, but also, to conceptualize treatment of behavioral disorders both in terms of psycho- and pharmacotherapy. In this presentation, I will present a general overview of the tenets of behavioral pharmacology and discuss a brief history of the use of some of the animal models that have been shown to have high predictive validity including current models of impulsive behavior.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss some of the core practices and guidelines for the Committee on Publication Ethics, or COPE, with an eye toward common issues or dilemmas encountered by the editors of the ABAI journals. The panel will share insights from their experiences as authors, reviewers, and editors, and will also advise newer authors on those common policies and practices that are necessary to ensure that behavior analysts pursue publication with integrity.

ABAI members interested in publishing.