Association for Behavior Analysis International

In this symposium the authors will discuss research aimed at evaluating various procedures for decreasing disruptive behavior or improving academic performance of students in a variety of educational settings. The first presenter will discuss procedures for decreasing problem behavior associated with transitions. The second presenter will discuss the impact of active student response modalities on academic performance and disruptive behavior. The third presenter will discuss the impact of alternative seating on in-seat and on-task behavior. The fourth presenter will discuss the impact of video modeling and behavioral skills training on math quizzes. Finally, the symposium will conclude with a discussant who will summarize the research and suggest avenues for future research.

Behavior analysts working in schools or clinical settings

Children with autism spectrum disorder often engage in problem behaviors that impede their ability to attend to tasks leading to disruptions in daily academic and social life. To address and prevent problem behaviors from occurring, antecedent interventions can be implemented to increase a child’s on-task and in-seat behavior. Antecedent interventions, such as alternative seating, have previously been studied within classrooms to evaluate the rate of engagement of children within an instructional setting. However, alternative seating, such as stability ball chairs, have not been previously studied within a clinic setting with a younger, more diverse group of participants to evaluate the effect that alternative seating can have on both on-task and in-seat behavior. This study used an alternating treatments design with an initial baseline phase to evaluate the effects of the stability ball chair on the on-task and in-seat behavior of children with autism in a clinic setting. Results indicated al three participants had slightly higher on-task behavior while using the stability ball chair compared to a standard chair. With regard to in-seat behavior one participant engaged in higher levels while using the stability ball chair but the other two participants have variable data. Social validity data indicated the therapists felt the balls improved participants’ behavior and they would use them in the future.

Research has indicated video-based interventions are successful at teaching skills to individuals with varying types of disabilities. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding video-based intervention, such as video modeling, as an evidence-based practice for academic skills. As technology becomes more integrated into U.S. classrooms each year, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions. Teachers in class often use Khan Academy videos as a resource for students. The purposes of this study were to evaluate if viewing Khan Academy video models would increase math quiz performance for elementary age students with disabilities when used as a supplement to teacher instruction, to determine if Khan Academy video models would decrease the total time required to complete a math quiz, and to evaluate the effects of behavioral skills training when Khan Academy was not effective. Using a multiple baseline design, Khan Academy videos resulted in an increase in performance for two participants and were ineffective for four others. Duration to complete the quiz did not decrease with the implementation of Khan Academy videos. All 6 participants required behavioral skills training to increase their performances to mastery levels.