Association for Behavior Analysis International

Substantial resources and attention are directed toward the field because of the success behavioral assessments and interventions have for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). As a result, the importance of continuing to refine our approaches and bringing cutting-edge technology to bear on the problems faced by behavior analysts is as great as ever. This symposium presents three such papers that address this goal. The first compares a widely used curriculum, the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) and an empirically validated instructional sequence on rates of skill acquisition. The second examines individual variables that predict the success of video-modeling based interventions including social skills, imitative skills, and technological competency or literacy. The third evaluates a paired-choice procedure for examining parent preferences for in-person versus telehealth-based training modalities aimed at producing reductions in problem behavior. Findings for these studies have immediate implications for individuals with ASD, their families, and practitioners.

The aim of this study was to determine differences in effectiveness and rate of skill acquisition between a recently developed and empirically validated instructional sequence (MVIA) and a commonly used instructional sequence in a curriculum guide (VB-MAPP). Children with ASD were randomly assigned to two treatment groups to determine difference in imitation performance. The treatment group followed the instructional sequence proposed in the MVIA. The comparison group followed the instructional sequence proposed in the VB-MAPP. The intervention consisted of discrete trial training (DTT). Participants in the MVIA treatment group had significantly more skill acquisition than children in the VB-MAPP comparison group. MVIA treatment group also acquired these skills more efficiently, spent less time on skills that never reached mastery and demonstrated higher levels of responding. In general, these results indicate the MVIA provides an appropriate sequence ordered from simple to complex for selecting targets for intervention. Improved outcomes for the children in the MVIA treatment group highlight the importance of target selection on intervention outcomes. Furthermore, poor performance in the VB-MAPP comparison group emphasizes the negative impact that choosing skills that not yet appropriate for the childs current skill level can have on intervention outcomes.

The present study sought to determine whether video modeling might function as a successful alternative treatment for teaching basic motor imitation to young children with ASD, and if so what individual variables might influence that success. We began by analyzing a treatment comparison between video modeling and live modeling in which all aspects were held consistent between the two treatments barring the medium through which the SD was presented. Eight children were taught to imitate two equivalent behaviors each, one using a video modeling technique and the other using a live modeling technique. The trials to criterion required to learn the behaviors were then compared in an effort to identify a) whether there was a difference in effectiveness between the two treatments, and b) which treatment was more effective for each individual child. Results indicated that there was a significant difference between the two treatment types, and that six of the eight participants were more successful with video modeling. Further analyses were conducted to determine whether social skills, imitation skills, and/or technological literacy were significant predictors of success with either treatment modality. Implications related to these findings will be discussed.