Association for Behavior Analysis International

The field of behavior analysis has done an increasingly impressive job at remediation of poor employee performances using techniques such as behavioral skills training. However, less is known about factors which may a priori predict such poor performances before actual employment occurs. Additionally, there may be certain factors which also may be able to detect outstanding employees as well. The purpose of this presentation is to describe an investigation into a wide range of potential factors impacting BCBA employee performance in a large multi-state organization serving individuals with disabilities. We examined age, years since graduation, stress indices, mindfulness levels and related these to job burnout, turnover and behavioral performance reviews. We will show results of this analysis including an extremely powerful relationship between mindfulness and job burnout as well as self-reports of personal accomplishment. Additional relationships between these factors and performance reviews will also be discussed. Finally a behavioral interpretation of these seemingly cognitive sounding predictors will be presented.

Training in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can be a critical support for both parents and their children (Bearss, Johnson, Smith, Lecavalier, & Swiezy, 2015). Unfortunately, these trainings are not often well attended, and programs in Spanish have been even less frequently examined. The current study seeks to compare two methods for engaging participants in a parent training intervention program conducted in Spanish, for Spanish-speaking parents of school-aged children with ASD. This study was conducted at a clinical site where 75% of families were exclusively Spanish-speaking. Twenty families were recruited who had at least one child with ASD, aged 6-8 years old. Seventeen families ultimately participated in the training program in two separate group models (n=9 in model 1 and n=8 in model 2). In the first model, the interventionist assessed all families, and the intervention included 6 group sessions, followed by 4 individual sessions. In the second model, separate staff assessed families, and the intervention included 4 group sessions, followed by 4 individual sessions. Content was the same in both models, and focused on teaching ABA terms, strategies, and application for issues with their own children. Families completed both parent and child measures before the training began, including a diagnostic evaluation with their child. Parent engagement was significantly higher in the first model (6 group and 4 individual sessions) at 84.6% than in the second model (4 group and 4 individual sessions) at 43.8%. Cultural adaptations to the intervention were needed to increase participation in both models, including offering childcare, dinner for participants and children, and extending time for social engagement, but more relationship building opportunities were included in the first model.

With the emergence of young adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) attending college, some support recommendations for these students have been reported. However, standardized, evidence-based models of formal support programs for college students with ASD have not yet been developed or described. This exploratory study is a retrospective reflection on the methods, outcomes and insight gleaned over three years of a service-based social group for college students with ASD. More than 20 students have been served through the group over six long semesters (spring and fall). This interdisciplinary effort was created in response to student need and recognition of the lack of research and resources available for this population. Evidence-based intervention methods including Pivotal Response Training (PRT) and Person-Centered Planning (PCP) driven by student interest and participation are utilized through a non curriculum-based group in a naturalistic setting. Topics and guests are selected based on student input. Attendance is voluntary, but consistent. Students are provided with guidance and assistance in accessing both on and off-campus resources, and individual intervention efforts conducted outside the group format are described. Behavioral trends, impact of the group on campus awareness and service requirements, student retention, graduation outcomes and recommendations for replication efforts are explained.

Parents are children's first teachers. When working with toddlers, especially toddlers with autism, it is essential to ensure that interventions are both effective and acceptable to all members of the family. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that parents of children with disabilities report higher levels of stress than parents of typically developing children. Parents of children with autism report stress levels even higher than those of parents of children with other disabilities. The purpose of the data that will be presented in this symposium will demonstrate that the Project DATA model was acceptable to families and that families were pleased with the range of outcomes achieved by their children. We will also discuss the impact that this intervention had on the family life. Implications for practice, including issues of where the intervention was provided, will be discussed.

Reinforcement thinning involves the gradual introduction of periods of time in which the reinforcers are unavailable. The return of the reinforcers following a delay can either be time-based (e.g., multiple or mixed schedule) or contingency-based (i.e., chained-schedule). Ghaemmaghami, Hanley, and Jessel (2016) compared the utility of time-based and contingency-based progressive delays with four individuals who exhibited problem behavior. Larger reductions in problem behavior during reinforcement thinning were consistently obtained in the contingency-based conditions. We extended this research with two children with autism who exhibited problem behavior by comparing two forms of contingency-based reinforcement thinning procedures: one in which the reinforcer is presented following a programmed number of alternative responses (i.e., differential reinforcement of alternative behavior [DRA]) and one in which the reinforcer is presented following a programmed duration without the target response (i.e., differential reinforcement of other behavior [DRO]). We found greater reductions in problem behavior during the DRA-based reinforcement thinning condition suggesting that returning the reinforcers following a delay contingent on a response is likely to improve the efficacy of a reinforcement thinning procedure.

Comorbid psychiatric disorders in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are highly prevalent. The comorbidity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in individuals with autism is an especially recognized issue. Interventions implemented for individuals with OCD only do not necessarily prove effective for individuals with ASD who also have an OCD diagnosis or symptoms. Acknowledged as the first line of treatment for OCD, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) evinces promising outcomes for individuals with both ASD and OCD as long as the treatment protocol is enhanced by necessary modifications. This poster presentation provides the results of a critical literature review of the use of CBT as a treatment approach for OCD in individuals with ASD to determine the strength of evidence that supports the use of CBT to address OCD in individuals with ASD, identify the modifications that were used to increase treatment success, and discuss implications for future research and practice. The poster presentation will include a table of all studies that were analyzed and their relevant features and an analysis of the modifications used across studies to enhance intervention effectiveness.

Poor social communication skills are one of the many barriers that hinder the ability of students with ASD to learn and interact with peers in school settings. Therefore, this systematic literature review evaluates peer-reviewed single-subject research targeting social communication skills for students with ASD in school settings. Sixty-nine (n = 69) studies located in ERIC, PschINFO, and MEDLINE were published from 1995 to 2014 and met the inclusion criteria. The following variables were examined in each study: the number and the characteristics of participants, diagnosis, settings, dependent variables, independent variables, type of single-subject design, documentation of generalization and maintenance, the person delivering the intervention, rigor of the study, and non-overlap indice (Tau-U score). The mean Tau-U across all the studies was 0.76 (range from 0.00 to 1.00). Findings from this review suggest the availability of a wide range of specific interventions (and intervention packages) to improve different social communication skills for students with ASD in school settings. Suggestions for practical implications will be provided and directions for future research are proposed.

Mand compliance is a modified condition within functional analyses that is rarely evaluated in the literature (Bowman, Fisher, Thompson, & Piazza, 1997; Eluri, Andrade, Trevino, & Mahmoud, 2016; O'Connor, Sorensen-Burnworth, Rush, & Eidman, 2003). Treatment in the literature often includes a token system to reduce challenging behavior. The current study is evaluating two children whose challenging behaviors are maintained by mand compliance and alternative treatments were used to determine the effectiveness in reducing challenging behavior maintained by adult compliance with these mands. An extinction only procedure was used with the first participant. The other participant was treated using a DRO procedure. Both treatments worked to reduce challenging behaviors; however, there were some notable side effects to these treatments that may alter the decision to use them. First, instructions seem to be an important part of treatment for these children and prolonged periods of not having an adult comply with mands can result in increased rates of challenging behavior.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit deficits in interaction with the other person. However, there are few studies to evaluate the interaction by using sequential measures of ABC(Whalen et al., 2006). By clarifying the functional antecedents, behavior and consequence, the analysis would be useful for parent and staff training. In the present study, we developed a dependent measure and evaluate the change of interactions between a child with ASD and the mother in pre- and post assessment of a parent training program. A boy (CA4;7, DQ44)and his mother participated in this study. The intervention was conducted once a week at the university laboratory for 1 hour, including parent training. At home, the parent took videos during home-based training sessions. We newly developed a dependent measure using ObserverTM (NoldusTM) to evaluate the interaction with a unit of ABC. The results showed the decrease of mothers nonfunctional indications and increase of appropriate behavior (Figure 1). IOA was above 80%. The result suggested the feasibility of a dependent measure to evaluate the child-parent interaction. Future research should be needed to evaluate interaction using the other dependent measures, such as turn taking and spontaneous utterances. This work was supported by CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency.