Association for Behavior Analysis International

Two components of discrete trial teaching (DTT) that have garnered attention of researchers and practitioners alike are prompting strategies and stimulus order and placement of stimuli. This attention has resulted in recommendations for best practice and comparative research. Despite the increase in research and publication of best practice recommendations, numerous questions still require empirical research. This symposium includes two papers which examine the conditions under which DTT is most effective and efficient to teach receptive and expressive language skills. The first presentation discusses the comparison of two different prompting procedures to teach expressive labels for individuals diagnosed with ASD. The second presentation explores effects of stimulus order and placement as it relates to the acquisition of receptive labels for individuals diagnosed with ASD. Practical implications and future research will be discussed. The discussant will provide further considerations on how this research can be used in clinical settings and what is needed in future research.

Multiple prompting systems are available to the practitioner to teach expressive labels. Comparative studies provide the practitioner with information about the strengths and weaknesses of different prompting systems. This information can be invaluable when selecting a system that may work the best for each learner. This study compared the relative effectiveness and efficiency of no-no prompting to flexible prompt fading (FPF) for teaching expressive labels for children diagnosed with ASD. An adapted alternating treatment design was used to compare the two procedures and a concurrent chains schedule was used to assess the participants preference for the two procedures. The results are discussed in the context of practice and future research directions.

Some have recommended counterbalancing the array of stimuli (i.e., target and non-target stimuli) and the order of targets when using discrete trial teaching to teach receptive labels (e.g., Grow & LeBlanc, 2013). Although this method of counterbalancing has been referred to as best practice (Grow & LeBlanc, 2013, p. 58), it remains unclear if counterbalancing leads to improved learning, maintenance, and/or generalization. The present study compared the acquisition of receptive labels across three teaching conditions (i.e., counterbalance, fixed, and teachers choice). The counterbalanced condition consisted of arranging the stimuli based on best practice recommendations (Grow & LeBlanc, 2013, p. 58). The fixed condition consisted of leaving the stimuli stationary throughout each teaching session. The teachers choice condition consisted of arranging the stimuli however the teacher chose. An alternating treatment design was used to evaluate the effects of each teaching condition across five children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The results are discussed in the context of practice and future research directions.

Recent commentary at ABAI Conventions and in behaviorally-based popular media publications has highlighted the focus of applications of behavior analysis in developmental disabilities, particularly autism. While there is much to be said about the large-scale potential of our science and the value in diversification of our field, there is also much to be gained from the strong footing that we currently hold in organizations serving individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. Within these organizations we may be likely to find real-life laboratory settings in which we can begin to conduct research in other areas of social interest including but not limited to environmental sustainability, leader-employee engagement, influence of values on behavior, factors impacting unemployment rates and social justice, and the expansion and development of educational technology that utilizes our science to improve the learning of individuals with and without autism. This symposium will provide 3 data-based presentations outlining work that has been done within such a setting- a public charter school serving individuals with autism in Toledo, OH.

The importance of effective leadership practices in context of anthropogenic climate change is well established by policy negotiators and there has been an increasing trend of organizations creating leadership roles to address environmental issues (Karlsson et al., 2011). Organizational change efforts focused on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives often generate significant costs for organizations without contributing to desired results, and messages from leaders to stakeholders in organizations do not frequently align with performance related to those messages (Peloza et al., 2012). There has been limited research that systematically addresses how leader communication influences employee performance related to CSR goals (Brammer, Millington, & Rayton, 2007). Relational frame theory, a behavior analytic account of language, allows for analysis of verbal stimuli as motivating operations in context of leader antecedent communication to employee behavior. This study examined the relationship between a leaders verbal behavior and employee performance as related to individual employee values. In an analysis of employee reported values as related to human-caused climate change and effects of leader email communication on energy consumption based on those individual values, results provided compelling information about the potential utility of tailoring leader communication to employee values and provided findings that informed future research directions.

Despite the popularity of online coursework, little research exists to directly compare pedagogical strategies in the online higher education setting. In this symposium, two studies that investigated the effects of various online pedagogies are presented. In the first study, the authors examined the pair discussion component of interteaching in an online graduate rehabilitation course. The first condition included all key components of interteaching, whereas the second condition involved all components of interteaching, with the exception of pair discussion. The pair discussion condition resulted in higher student quiz scores, and social validity findings indicated the majority of students reported preference for interteaching with the inclusion of the pair discussion component than without. In the second study, a Psychology course was enhanced with elements of gamification (e.g., narrative, badges, goals, feedback). The authors compared the effects of the gamified online instruction to traditional online instruction. Results included mixed findings of effectiveness of the components of gamification compared to traditional online instruction. The implications of these two investigations to online teaching pedagogy will be discussed.

Visual analysis is a cornerstone of single-case research, which is the primary methodology used in applied behavior analysis. The three data-based papers in this symposium will explore various issues related to the visual analysis of single-case data. The first paper will examine how authors have described visual analysis procedures and how visual analysis compares selected to non-overlap indices using the literature on parent-implemented function-based interventions. The second paper will evaluate the interrater agreement among experts and between experts and the conservative dual-criterion method (CDC; Fisher, Kelley, & Lomas, 2003) on published multiple baseline designs. The third paper will describe the development of a systematic protocol for the visual analysis and a group design study to evaluate the effects of the protocol on interrater agreement in visual analysis.

Single case research (SCR) has a long history of being used to evaluate behavioral interventions and identify evidence-based practices. Visual analysis is the gold standard for the evaluation of single case data. However, visual analysis might limit the ability of researchers to quantitatively aggregate and compare the magnitude of findings across studies to evaluate evidence-based practices. Further, although multiple protocols for visual analysis exist, the procedures are not standardized, which might lead to differences in conclusions about functional relations. Several computational methods have been developed and are increasingly being applied to SCR to provide a quantitative summary of the effects. Criticisms of these methods point to their inability to account for replication or magnitude, likely disagreement with visual analysis, failure to correct or account for typical data patterns (e.g., trend) or serial dependency. The purpose of the current presentation is to summarize the literature and evaluate the visual analysis procedures used across the literature on parent implemented functional assessment (FA) based interventions. Results indicated that visual analysis terms were inconsistently used across studies. Further, visual analysis procedures were described inconsistently and with few details. The non-overlap indices were unlikely to agree with the authors independent visual analysis of the results.

Several studies have reported poor agreement among visual analysts. One way to improve reliability may be to standardize the process of visual analysis. To that end, we developed a systematic protocol that consists of a series of questions, and that calculates a score from 0 (no functional relation) to 5 (strong functional relation) based on the analysts responses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the protocol improves reliability compared with a rating scale. To date, 16 students and faculty who have taken a course on single-case research have participated (data collection is ongoing). We randomly assigned participants to the control group (n=9) or the protocol group (n=7). All participants rated 8 single-case graphs using the rating scale (pretest), and then rated the same graphs again using the rating scale or the protocol (posttest). We calculated the intraclass correlation coefficient for each group at each time point. At pretest, agreement was much higher in the control group compared to the protocol group. Both groups reliability improved at posttest, but the change for the protocol group was much larger, indicating that the protocol may improve reliability. Full results will be discussed along with implications for training and future research.

We describe two experiments evaluating the impact of different reinforcer rates for alternative behavior (DRA) on the suppression and post-intervention relapse of target behavior, and on the persistence of alternative behavior. Both experiments arranged baseline, intervention with extinction of target behavior concurrently with DRA delivered according to signaled VI schedules, and post-intervention tests of resurgence or reinstatement, in two- or three-component multiple schedules. The first experiment, with children exhibiting problem behaviors, arranged an intermediate baseline reinforcer rate and rich or lean signaled DRA in two components with different therapists. During treatment, both rich and lean DRA rapidly reduced problem behavior to low levels, but post-treatment relapse was generally greater in the DRA-rich than the DRA-lean component. The second experiment, with pigeons, repeated the signaled DRA conditions after baseline training. Target behavior decreased to low/intermediate levels in both DRA-rich and DRA-lean components. Post-treatment relapse was directly related to DRA reinforcer rate as in the preceding study with children. In both experiments, the persistence of alternative behavior was either the same or greater in the component with the leaner signaled DRA schedule. Thus, the findings of clinical application with children and the reverse translation to pigeons converge to suggest that infrequent signaled DRA may be optimal for effective clinical treatment, and raise questions for basic research about the role of the signals in diminishing the effects of alternative reinforcement on target behavior.

Although the number of behavior analysts is increasing in other countries, many families with a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not have access to high-quality service providers. However, increases in accessibility to and advances in technology provide a promising solution. This symposium includes three projects that evaluated the effects of training delivered by U.S.-based behavior analysts via telehealth on the accuracy and outcomes of adults implementing evidence-based treatments. Participants included parents and therapists of children with an ASD residing in various European countries. Adults were coached using components of behavioral skills training, including e-learning modules, in-vivo coaching, or a combination of these procedures. Direct-observation measures were used to determine the adults accuracy with implementing the target treatment and decreases in child problem behavior. Across the projects, successful outcomes were obtained. These studies provide evidence supporting the efficacy of behavioral skills training delivered via telehealth, regardless of adults native language and geographical location. These applications also serve as models for increasing access to certified behavior analysts in underserved areas of the world.

Even though evidence based Applied Behavior Analysis services are widespread in the United States of America, service delivery is still a challenge for some countries like Georgia-Sakartvelo in Eastern Europe. There is little appreciation that ABA can significantly contribute to childrens development, and there are very few trained specialists who can provide this service. One solution to the challenge of providing services to remote and underserved areas is to incorporate the communications technology of telehealth. This study is a demonstration that an intercontinental telehealth coaching improved the mastery of therapists intervention skills and increased targeted verbalizations by children with autism. Three therapists delivering and three children with autism receiving early-intervention services in Tbilisi participated. A bilingual consultant provided coaching to therapists in Georgia-Sakartvelo from Virginia, USA while observing home therapy sessions via communications technology. The multiple-baseline, across-participants design was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention. Therapists demonstrated improvements in two classes of behaviors: correct command sequences and positive consequences. The children demonstrated improvements in echoics and mands. Interobserver agreements for these results were 89%-99%. The study demonstrated that telehealth can be a good model for delivering early-intervention services to children with autism in underserved regions of the world.

Although standard functional analysis (FA) conditions are often sufficient for identifying behavioral function, procedures may need to be modified for individuals who have rapid and idiosyncratic requests for various reinforcers. Previous research has indicated that certain individuals with these characteristics may have an adult compliance with mands function (Bowman et al., 1997). Despite the clinical utility for identifying when assessment for this function may be warranted, there is a paucity of research in this area and few guidelines for clinicians. Seven participants with autism and histories of severe problem behavior were included in this study. FA results revealed that all participants problem behavior was maintained by adult compliance with mands; however, unique data patterns were observed in other test conditions. The effectiveness of treatments was evaluated using reversal designs. Treatment primarily emphasized stimulus control for mands through the use of multiple schedules that alternated between periods of differential reinforcement and extinction, but were embedded within multilayered treatment packages. Results will offer guidelines for the assessment and treatment of behavior maintained by adult compliance with mands, and how procedures may differ from when they are applied to other functions.

The brief experimental analysis (BEA) model has demonstrated efficiency in quickly comparing multiple interventions to determine effects on academic skills prior to extended evaluation (Wilber & Cushman, 2006). However, additional research is needed to determine whether the BEA is efficacious for empirically identifying interventions to treat severe problem behavior, and whether results accurately predict interventions associated with the largest and most sustained treatment gains over time. This study included 3 participants diagnosed with autism who were admitted to an inpatient unit for the treatment of severe problem behavior. A BEA was conducted to determine potential interventions for escape-maintained problem behavior. Four interventions were briefly compared: non-contingent reinforcement (NCR) with food, NCR with toys, differential reinforcement of other and alternative behaviors (DRO/DRA) with food, and DRO/DRA with toys. Conditions from the BEA associated with the lowest rates of problem behavior were further evaluated during demand fading. Results from a reversal design indicated that treatment interventions identified within the BEA were successful at maintaining low rates of problem behavior over time; however distinct patterns emerged during demand fading for some participants. Discussion will focus on how to further apply the model to use data to select treatment components prior to extended evaluations.

Experimental functional analysis (EFA) is considered the gold standard of assessment when evaluating the function of a challenging behavior. There are numerous peer-reviewed articles demonstrating the use of what many clinicians consider a traditional EFA and variations such as trial-based functional analysis (TBFA), latency to first response, or EFA of precursor behavior. This symposium will highlight procedural integrity as it relates to implementation of EFAs. During the first discussion, Ridgway and colleagues discuss the frequency with which authors report procedural integrity during EFAs. Additionally, data will be presented regarding the frequency with which authors report recording of inter-observer agreement on procedural integrity data collection. Rue and colleagues will follow with a review of training board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) to implement an EFA. Specifically, the authors will present procedural fidelity data when novice BCBAs implement a traditional EFA and generalize to a TBFA. LoVullo and colleagues will present data demonstrating the impact of varying procedural integrity during a traditional EFA. The symposium will allow for a discussion of the importance of monitoring and reporting procedural integrity during EFAs and implications for practice.

The degree of procedural integrity of a functional analysis may impact the results obtained. As intervention procedures are designed based on the results of a functional analysis, the effectiveness of an intervention may be dependent on the degree to which the functional analysis was implemented with integrity. We reviewed studies on the functional analysis of problem behavior from 1961 to 2012 previously included in Beavers, Iwata, and Lerman (2013) and Hanley, Iwata, and McCord (2003) to identify the number of studies that include procedural integrity data and interobserver agreement data for procedural integrity data. Of the 110 studies reviewed thus far, 23 studies (21%) included procedural integrity data, 2 studies (2%) stated that procedural integrity data were collected, but were not reported in the article, and 2 studies (2%) reported that trainer behavior was monitored to ensure integrity, but no data were reported. Of the 23 studies that reported integrity data, eight (35%) included interobserver agreement data for integrity data. Eighteen (16%) of the 110 studies reported that the functional analysis was conducted by a trained individual, but only 8 of those studies included data on procedural integrity. Implications for practice and future research regarding procedural integrity will be discussed.

Results of a recent survey of over 600 behavior analysts indicated only 77% received formal training in the use of experimental functional analysis (EFA). Further, 63% of board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) indicated they never or almost never used an EFA in practice. The objective of the current study was to determine if BCBAs could generalize the ability to implement a trial-based experimental functional analysis (TBFA) following training focused on traditional EFA methodology. Three BCBAs with no experience implementing EFAs acted as participants in the study. The independent variable included formal training in EFA methodology. The dependent variable was level of procedural integrity during implementation of a traditional EFA and a TBFA measured in a multiple baseline design. Participants implemented the traditional EFAs during a mock assessment. Participants implemented the TBFAs in an applied setting with clients diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Initial results indicate that participants can implement traditional EFA methodology with relatively high levels of integrity. Results suggest two participants demonstrated challenges maintaining levels of integrity above 80% during the demand and control conditions. Participants will likely require additional feedback to maintain procedural integrity above 80% accuracy during TBFAs. Implications for training and practice are discussed.

The behavior of staff and the environmental conditions in which staff work impact the quality of services being delivered and, subsequently, client outcomes. Recent research has documented that pre-intervention assessment (e.g., Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services; PDC-HS) can lead to improved outcomes regarding staff performance. This symposium includes recent studies that incorporate pre-intervention assessment activities to foster professional skills and service quality. Hodges et al. evaluate the psychometric properties of the PDC-HS and document its reliability and validity for assessing staff performance problems. Mueller et al. describe the Caseload Management Support System, a functional assessment and intervention guide, to help practitioners better manage their client caseloads. Grauerholz-Fisher et al. promote quality of care in an autism clinic by developing and implementing interventions based on several pre-intervention assessment activities. Finally, Merritt and DiGennaro Reed implement an intervention based on PDC-HS results to address staff tardiness in an autism school. The collective findings support the use of pre-intervention assessment to inform organization- and staff-level interventions.

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist Human Services (PDC-HS) is a 20-item questionnaire about possible antecedent and consequent variables that might be correlated with the occurrence of employee performance issues in human service settings. Items are organized into 4 domains based on contingencies that may maintain performance issues. We assessed the interrater reliability of the PDC-HS through independent administration to groups of raters with varying levels of behavior analytic competency (i.e., RBT, BCaBA, and BCBA) using video vignettes of potential employee performance issues in an autism therapy setting. Additionally, we assessed the test-retest reliability following a period of at least 2 weeks, along with the content and social validity of the video vignettes. Overall, the results suggest that the PDC-HS is a valid and reliable tool for personnel with varying levels of behavior analytic competency to assess performance problems. High content and social validity measures were obtained as well. Potential uses of the PDC-HS in various organizational settings are discussed, as well as limitations.

A nationwide survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com found that 20% of workers reported they arrive late to work at least once per week. Employee tardiness imposes financial costs on an employer and may have adverse effects on staff morale and the services the organization provides. To date only four published studies have addressed employee tardiness, and only one of these used a pre-intervention assessment to inform the intervention. The purpose of this study is to develop a performance management intervention to address staff tardiness based on the results of the Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS; Carr, Wilder, Majdalany, Mathisen, & Strain, 2013). Specifically, the study aims to reduce tardiness of teaching assistants employed at a school that provides educational services to children with autism. During baseline, the number of minutes that staff were late ranged from 0 to 222 (M = 17.53). Next, we will administer the PDC-HS to supervisors and participants (November 2016) and introduce a function-based intervention using a multiple baseline design across participants (December 2016). Results are anticipated to show that the PDC-HS is able to identify an effective intervention that maintains over time.

Interteaching is a relatively new behavioral teaching method with a growing body of empirical evidence to support its efficacy. Interteaching promotes student preparation by requiring students to complete study questions which guide them through a unit of course materials prior to class. During class meetings, students are divided into small groups, and the majority of class time is dedicated to encouraging active student engagement via peer discussion of the study questions. Instructors facilitate discussions by moving among the groups and providing guidance and clarification on topics. Lectures are brief and focused on clarifying material reported as difficult by students following the discussion. The use of interteaching methods in higher education settings has resulted in higher exam scores, increased student participation in class, and more positive course evaluations. Students also report enjoying interteaching more than traditional lectures. This review will provide a summary of interteaching, a brief review of research in the area, and possible directions for future empirical inquiry.

Compared to lecture format, interteaching (Boyce & Hineline, 2002) typically results in higher-class attendance and student engagement (Saville, Zinn, Neef, Norman, & Ferreri, 2006). Interteaching encourages critical thinking, promotes better knowledge retention of course content, and stimulates higher student satisfaction and grades (Goto & Schneider, 2009; 2010). Still, this teaching format is novel and often uncomfortable for many university students and faculty when first implemented. This presentation will focus on a successful transition from traditional lecture format to interteaching in two classes: one section each of undergraduate and graduate level child psychopathology courses. Findings reveal a significant positive correlation between student grades on preparation guides and student ratings of the quality of their interteaching groups (r = .86, p < .001). Likewise, preparation guide grades are positively correlated with professor ratings of student activity within the groups (r = .49, p < .001). Results suggest students believe interteaching to be helpful to understanding lectures (74% say highly so), and they find clarifying lectures more beneficial when they are given the same day as the interteaching session on the topic. Additional data on pragmatic issues, along with study limitations and implications will be discussed.

Recent trends interrelating the global economy and socially significant practices pertaining to health, education, violence, immigration, and sustainability, highlight the role of behavioral variables as among the key factors influencing socio-cultural change. While behavior analysts have long held an interest in understanding and intervening on these complex socio-cultural phenomena, our ability to do so has progressed slowly, as we have attempted to analyze and assess the phenomena of interest. This symposium will provide a set of scholarly discussions and empirical demonstrations that are designed to aid our design of new models of stewardship and open opportunities for innovation while adjusting to growing social upheaval, and environmental crises.

Socially significant issues continue to gain attention on both the national and global stages, with recent trends associated with immigration, xenophobia, women’s rights, women’s pay, women’s general treatment, and sexual orientation/gay rights, among many others, capturing the spotlight, especially in political elections, both domestically and abroad. Other social issues have already been a part of the national conversation for decades, including obesity, poverty, and racism and discrimination, although the latter has reemerged as a critical example of social injustice. An important piece in the progression of our ability to address these issues is the assessment of implicit bias, which is now a common buzz word that can be heard daily on news radio (e.g., NPR) and in recent presidential debates. In addition to assessing and identifying implicit attitudes and bias, understanding some of the factors that contribute to the development of these implicit attitudes is also an important step toward ultimately developing interventions on the social issues of interest. This presentation offers empirical data on the assessment of various implicit attitudes among a large sample of medical students, and discusses ways by which these data may serve to inform eventual assessments and interventions pertaining to other socio-cultural issues.

In previous presentations, I have spoken about the actions of five individuals and the contextual variables that resulted in the creation of the Mexican Muralist movement—the largest movement of its type since the Renaissance. This revolutionary movement left an historic and public record of Mexico’s social and political circumstances in the first half of the twentieth century. In this presentation, I explain why the movement emerged in 1921 and declined by the mid-1950s. By drawing upon the behavior scientific perspective and associated units of analysis, I describe the murals and illustrate the contextual variables in the movement’s evolution. Many cultural phenomena present similar characteristics and this analysis might aid in understanding them.

Climate change is seen as an accelerating problem challenging the earths population with human behavior being a driver of change. Prevention of climate change fades as an objective not likely to be achieved before impacts soon affect millions of people. Attention turns to adaptation to new eco-systems as leaders seek policies that help populations respond to climate changes. Climate change is defined as a super wicked problem as (1) time is running out (2) those who cause the problem seek to solve it (3) there is no central global authority to manage solutions and (4) humans discount future consequences. This paper considers the behavioral dimensions of policies that might offer a step-wise, iterative approach to preparing communities for accelerating climate changes and enabling humans to adapt to what lies ahead. Policies that interlock behavior and constrain consumption of energy-demading resources are likely to transition populations from unsustainable lifestyles to more adaptive behavior. It is recommended that these policies originate within leading communities (early adopters), generate data allowing determination of benefit, are codified to permit replication, attract investors, and expand to mid and late stage adopters. This aligns with methodologies used in behavior analysis and offers a route towards globalization of effective behavior change technologies that constrain our path to an unsustainable future.

The technology of Behavior Analysis has yielded significant societal benefits through structured, systematic services in controlled settings. However, there is an increasing need for services in homes, schools, and community settings. Access to well-trained, experienced interventionists in these settings is less likely than in clinical settings. This symposium examines novel approaches to the training, coaching, and professional development of a variety of interventionists available in these settings. As the quality of services offered by these agents in more naturalistic settings increases, target behaviors are more likely to be generalized and maintained thereby increasing the quality of life and long-term outcomes for our clients.

Social skills training is critical to the success of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, many schools struggle to find the personnel with the expertise to be able to deliver effective social skills instruction. In this study we identified typical school personnel to deliver a social skills intervention. Researchers trained the school personnel to deliver the intervention and measure the effect of the intervention on the social interactions of the students with ASD. The social skills intervention included picking up students from lunch and beginning a lesson. Then continuing the lesson on the playground and giving the student a goal to work on during recess. Students were observed and their behavior recorded during recess. We also measured the fidelity of implementation of the intervention and report on the level of support required for the school personnel to implement with fidelity. We found that with minor support, school personnel successfully implemented the intervention and had a positive effect on students with ASD

Prevalence of speech errors in the autism population is placed between 24 and 33% ( Rapin, Dunn, Allen, Stevens and Fein, 2009; Cleland, Gibbon, Pepp, OHare, and Rutherford, 2010; Shriberg, Paul, et al., 2001). While several Behavior Analytic studies address early vocalizations and communication in the autism population, very few such studies address the profound articulation problems faced by children in the spectrum. Speech Sound Disorders present a formidable barrier to further speech development. This Symposium presents successes in this clinically important area with 3 experimental papers on specific behavioral technologies covering Sufficient Response Exemplar Training, Phonetic hand prompting methods and Precision Teaching procedures. A conceptual paper introduces a behavioral perspective to interpretation of speech sound disorders, their classification and assessment challenges.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at a higher risk of being affected by speech disorders and often require remedial intervention. SufficientResponse-Exemplar Training of vocal imitation was used to successfully teach two typically developing children to articulate several Norwegian words with blends (Eikeseth and Nesset, 2003). The present study extends and adapts these procedures to children with Autism. Participants were a 11-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl, both with ASD and speech sound disorders. For each participant 3 sets of 10 words, with specific blends they had difficulties with in the initial position were targeted for training. Within stimulus prompts, shaping, chaining and supplementary prompts were added to the intervention. A multiple baseline across behaviors (word sets with target blends) demonstrated improvement in articulation of trained words and generalization of correct articulation to untrained words in both participants. This study provides support for the value of sufficient response exemplar training in addressing speech sound disorders in children with ASD.

Improving speech intelligibility in children with autism with limited vocal repertoires is the focus of many early intensive behavior programs. Phonetic hand cueing systems are commonly promoted in commercially available speech-language products (Carahaly, 2012; Kaufman, 2007; Strode, 1994), however; research on effectiveness is limited (Hall and Jordan, 1992, Jordan 1988, Klick, 1985, Stelton & Graves 1985). This study examines the effectiveness of phonetic hand cues as a stimulus control transfer procedure to improve articulatory precision in a six year old with autism and limited vocal behavior. Results revealed rapid acquisition of 20 hand cues, steady acquisition of 248 single word echoics when hand cues were used as an antecedent prompt, and an increase in words and phrases improved when hand cues were used as error correction during natural environment training. Results of formal assessment of speech production skills by an independent speech-language pathologist revealed a reduction in errors on the Hodson Assessment of Phonological Targets Third Edition from 194 to 57 errors over a 10 month period. Results confirm previous case study findings that phonetic hand cues may be an effective intervention in promoting speech production skills in children with autism with limited vocal repertoires.

Fluency Training emphasizes rate as a preferred response dimension (Binder,1996) with evidence that learning to perform a component skill accurately at high rates could lead to faster acquisition of composite skills (Binder 1996; Johnson and Layng,1994). KS a 17 year old girl with autism and profound speech sound disorder participated in this delayed multiple baseline across behaviors study. Single consonant- vowel sounds tu, and fu were targeted and trained using Precision Teaching procedures (Lindsley,1964) and Standard Celeration charting. Rate of correct responses accelerated from low levels in baseline to over 40 per minute with intervention. Errors decelerated to zero for tu and 8 per minute for fu. Non-timed assessments of articulation at the composite levels of words demonstrated improvement from 30% to 100% for words with tu and 0% to 47% for fu sounds. Intervention is scheduled to begin on ku sound with low baseline rates correct. Additional participants have been identified for replication. The role of cues within precision teaching sessions, setting a realistic aim, generalization to composite level or other untrained words will be discussed.

Articulation for better intelligibility in children with autism is a socially significant outcome for Behavior Analysts to target but has only a limited body of behavioral research. 24 to 33% of persons with ASD are likely to be affected by speech sound disorders (Rapin, Dunn, Allen, Stevens & Fein, 2009; Shriberg, Paul, Black and Santen, 2011). There have been clarion calls for Behavior Analysts to collaborate with Speech and Language pathologists given the unique expertise and insights each can bring to address the problem of profound articulation disorders in children with autism (Sundberg,2011; Hegde, 2010; Esch, B.E., La Londe and Esch, J. W, 2010). This paper will discuss the challenges Behavior Analysts face and offers insights from SLP literature on areas such as assessment of articulation disorders, transcription, data recording and development of task analyses to progress from sounds to words to intelligible phrase speech to sentence speech. A further examination of existing approaches to articulation problems and how they can be shaped for better client outcomes using behavioral principles and evidence based methods such as treating to optimal intensity, prompting, stimulus salience, shaping and chaining.

The Department of Behavior Analysis and Easter Seals North Texas have collaborated for almost ten years to provide high quality behavioral interventions to underserved children with autism and their families. The purpose of this symposium is to present an overview of the measurement practices of this intervention program at several different levels. The first presentation provides an overview of the treatment setting and current practices in data collection and analysis. These practices would be considered established and emerging procedures for measurement in autism treatment. The second presentation includes a methodological examination of moment-to-moment behaviors during therapeutic sessions. The third presentation involves a study of measurements to assess quality and progression during child and caregiver interactions. The final presentation includes a description of the development of a modified PLA-CHECK system for observation of groups of children and adults in the treatment centers. A senior researcher in behavior analysis, experienced in applied and translational research, discusses these data practices within the context of practice and research.

For almost ten years, Easter Seals North Texas Autism Treatment Program (ESNT-ATP) in partnership with the University of North Texas, has strived to find pathways to provide quality services to underserved families. In the State of Texas, funding options for ABA services are limited and fragmented. In 2008, ESNT-ATP was one recipient of a state grant to provide comprehensive, evidence-based services to underserved children and families; however, recent shifts in state funding for autism intervention have limited access to Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) for families living in poverty. This has lead ESNT-ATP to find new intervention pathways to effective interventions for traditionally underserved families. The determination of effectiveness lies in the efficiency, validity, and reliability of our measurement tools. An overview of each level of ESNT-ATP measurement is provided in this presentation: child progress, teacher performance, group engagement, and program outcomes. The measurement strategies are discussed in the context of providing effective and compassionate services under conditions of increasing resource restrictions.

This presentation will provide an overview of measures used to quantify the quality of adult-child interactions within the daily living activities of meal and play times. Specifically, this presentation will describe measures used within two daily living programs that focus on improving the overall social relationships and adaptive skills of children with autism. Yummy Starts is a focused program for children between the ages of two and nine that addresses positive behaviors related to food and the social milieu of mealtimes. Sunny Starts is a parent training program that focuses on enhancing the quality of family relationships for children ages three to five through play activities. In both contexts, learn units, child success in targeted goal areas, and synchronous engagement were measured. This combination of measures allows assessment of both progress and indicators of relationship happiness. Such measures may help behavior analysts better analyze the quality of life and social relationships for children with autism and their families across home and community settings.

Treatment relapse refers to the recurrence of previously extinguished behavior when changes to treatment occur. To date, behavior analytic research has provided an understanding of the basic behavioral processes that may predict treatment relapse; however, additional research is warranted regarding procedures for preventing relapse of targeted behavior. This symposium will present applications of translational and applied studies to the mitigation of treatment relapse. Andrew Craig and colleagues will present data on the evaluation of the influence of reinforcement of alternative behavior in the same and separate discriminative-stimulus situations on mitigating resurgence of targeted behavior in Pigeons. Valdeep Saini and colleagues will describe a human-laboratory preparation and clinical application of resurgence to demonstrate the relevance of including inactive control responses within a resurgence paradigm to differentiate between resurgence of targeted behavior and extinction-induced variability. The presentation by Henry Roane and colleagues will describe a reverse-translational evaluation of context renewal implemented first within a functional communication training intervention for individuals diagnosed with autism across home and clinic settings, and second within a human-operant arrangement. Michael Kelley and colleagues will present data on the demonstration of an ABA renewal paradigm with children diagnosed with autism followed by the implementation of a renewal mitigation procedure to reduce the recurrence of targeted behavior during the return to the A phase. Finally, Timothy Shahan will serve as the discussant to integrate the findings of these presentations into the broad theme of treatment relapse.

Basic and translational research on context renewal provides a model for studying treatment relapse following successful response to treatment in clinic settings. Two studies were conducted to evaluate context renewal under naturalistic conditions. In study one, context renewal using functional communication training was evaluated across home and clinic settings. The reemergence of destructive behavior, consistent with operant context renewal, was observed. A limitation was that during treatment at clinic, the children returned home before treatment was completed and taken into the home. To evaluate this limitation a reverse translational, human operant study was conducted. A concurrent-operant arrangement was used to simultaneously evaluate and compare ABA and ACA renewal, in which Context C consisted of Context B with brief returns to Context A. ABA renewal was observed, whereas under the ACA arrangement the target response persisted throughout the evaluation. The implications of these findings with respect to basic and translational studies of operant renewal and the treatment of severe destructive behavior will be discussed.

Renewal is a type of treatment relapse in which problem behavior reemerges after successful treatment. Renewal is characterized by the three-phase arrangement in which problem behavior is reinforced in Phase 1, extinguished in Phase 2, and extinction is continued in Phase 3. However, the contexts associated with Phases 1, 2, and 3 are manipulated to assess the extent to which stimulus condition affect responding, despite the continuation of extinction, in Phase 3. In the current study, 3 children diagnosed with Autism were exposed to ABA renewal, in which therapists exposed participants behavior to (1) reinforcement, extinction, and extinction and (2) contexts A, B, and a return to A. Results suggested that behavior reemerged in Phase 3, despite the continuation of the extinction procedure. Next, we assessed a renewal mitigation procedure to reduce the occurrence of problem behavior during reexposure to the A context.

Experimental behavioral economics is a combination of behavioral analysis and economic concepts, principles, and measures to model choice behavior at the individual level. Of particular interest is the bias for individuals to favor more immediate, but smaller rewards over larger rewards that would come later (i.e. delay discounting). This work has resulted in a wealth of research showing that discounting tasks and predictive mathematical models can quantify sensitivity to delayed outcomes. The focus for this symposium will be translational in nature and discuss related research findings for: (a) foundations and methods for understanding mathematical modeling of choice behavior, (b) considerations when comparing measures of discounting across studies, (c) simulated parent and teacher discounting of delayed treatment effects for children with problem behavior, and (c) patterns of caregiver discounting of delayed treatment effects in an outpatient setting providing manualized caregiver training and individualized, behavioral-caregiver therapy for children with challenging behavior.

Behavior analysts who work along the continuum between basic and applied research may benefit from using modern technologies specifically designed to complement their research efforts. Modern technologies include software, hardware, and the integration of the two. Depending on the technology, there may be barriers to adoption including the time, effort, and monetary resources needed to devote to utilization. However, a number of existing technologies leverage the "open-source" framework. Speakers will discuss a range of technologies (software and hardware) that they have used in their own research and how other researchers can readily access and adopt these technologies. Additionally, speakers will discuss their experiences in overcoming common barriers to utilization and provide resources for others. Examples from the basic (e.g., cost-effective technologies to experimentally evaluate behaviors in the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach), translational (e.g., integrating R statistical software for human operant data), and applied (e.g., leveraging technologies in the areas of Autism Spectrum Disorders, communication disorders, and health behaviors) research sectors will be highlighted. Finally, the speakers will provide recommendations related to how researchers can access these resources and implement them into their existing workflows.

In this symposium, we will provide results from an experimental analysis of reinforcer choice, ratio requirements, and task difficulty on response rate, an experimental analysis of antecedent-based interventions on college students' snack selections, and an empirical evaluation of a robot-simulation and eLearning FA training.

Previously published functional analyses (FAs) trainings have focused primarily on teaching implementation of the conditions. Additionally, the few researchers that have focused on teaching other component skills necessary for conducting FAs have reported long training times and small trainer/trainee ratios. Therefore, in the current study we examined the effectiveness of a simulation-based FA training using a humanoid robot and instructional e-Learning modules. A total of 8 graduate students enrolled in an Applied Behavior Analysis program were trained on implementation, data collection, graphing, interpretation of results, and problem solving skills. We used a multiple baseline design across participants to evaluate the effects of the simulation-based training on implementation of FA conditions. We conducted a pre-posttest design to assess the effects of instructional e-Learning modules on data collection, graphing, graph interpretation and problem solving skills. Overall, we found that the simulation-based training and the eLearning modules were effective in increasing all participants skills. We will discuss the results in terms of individual differences between participants and the overall cost-effectiveness of the training.

Employees in human service organizations engage in complex behaviors like problem solving, decision making, and leadership skills, on a regular basis (e.g., dealing with difficult employees, managing time and work tasks, and choosing appropriate measurement systems). Despite increased requirements for supervision for BCaBAs and RBTs, the effects are only as good as the supervisors and the systems in which they work. It is the responsibility of supervisors to train, monitor, and manage those behaviors. Although complex behaviors are common and important in human service organizations, they have received little attention in the applied behavior analytic literature. In this panel, strategies for defining, assessing, and intervening on complex employee behaviors in human service organizations will be discussed. Specific examples from research and practice will be provided to illustrate these strategies and systems and processing for supporting them will be discussed. Practical applications and areas for further development and research will also be highlighted.

While research has demonstrated the efficacy of errorless learning, there is often an overreliance on trial-and-error procedures which often result in an increased number of errors and reduction in reinforcement density. Two experiments evaluated the formation of equivalence classes following instruction of conditional discriminations via errorless instruction (delayed prompt) versus trial-and error training (differential reinforcement of correct responses). In both experiments, and across three participants with Autism Spectrum Disorders, the errorless protocol required fewer trials-to-criterion, produced fewer errors, and resulted in more stimulus classes being formed (e.g., Table 1 from Experiment One and Figure 1 from Experiment Two). Experiment Three was conducted to evaluate the formation of equivalence classes following training of the prerequisite relations trial-and-error and an errorless protocol while holding the density of reinforcement constant (e.g., the delivery of reinforcement consistent from one training to the other). The results showed the errorless protocol superior in terms of trials-to-criterion, errors committed and stimulus classes formed. The results are discussed in terms of the role of errors in instruction.

With the ongoing demand for ABA services across the country, the need for well-trained direct staff continues to increase. Employers are tasked with providing comprehensive trainings to a large number of staff with variable skill sets. Equivalence-based instruction is well-established as an efficient technology that results in the emergence of new stimulus-stimulus relations, many without direct training. The current study makes use of equivalence-based instruction to teach direct staff to form four, three-member stimulus classes specific to the basic schedules of reinforcement. The initial conditional discrimination training necessary for the subsequent stimulus class formation was conducted via a Learning Management System. The Learning Management System was an online platform which staff could navigate through independently, receiving programmed feedback. Pilot data for two typically developing adults indicated that the reflexive relations were present at baseline, while the potential symmetrical and transitive relations were not present. It is anticipated that the training of two stimulus-stimulus relations will result in the subsequent emergence of four stimulus-stimulus relations per class. Procedures will be extended to ten direct staff members and stimuli will be presented on an online learning platform. The majority of testing and training phases will be conducted through personalized system of instruction modules in order to minimize trainer time. Statistical analyses will be conducted to determine if a statistically significant increase in accuracy from pre-test to post-test will be demonstrated.

The Experimental Analysis of Human Behavior Special Interest Group invites you to formally recognize the contributions of Dr. Philip N. Hineline. Dr. Hineline's research interests have long focused on the Experimental Analysis of Behavior with extensions into Applied Behavior Analysis. Two former colleagues will review and reflect upon Dr. Hineline's career and his many contributions toward advancing our understanding of complex human behavior. Subsequently, Dr. Hineline will deliver comments reflecting upon his career, as well as his fifty years as participant-observer. Please join us to appreciate and celebrate the contributions of Dr. Philip Hineline.

The prevalence of disordered gambling in the United States, due in part to the large scale availability of avenues for gambling, both in person and online, has led to the study of treatments for pathological gambling. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which is based on the Relational Frame Theory (RFT) account of human language, is one form of intervention that has demonstrated its utility in the treatment of problem gambling. Although outcome data for ACT suggest that it is an effective therapeutic approach, there is limited research regarding the relational frames which underlie ACT core process therapeutic exercises (i.e. defusion, self as context, etc.) which comprise the treatment. The presents studies examine the effect of conditioning verbal relations in the context of therapeutic exercises on the participants responding during gambling tasks. This collection of studies will examine the role of experiential exercises on the defusion of rule governed behavior underlying gambling, contextual variables on impulsive choice behavior of gamblers, and mindfulness activities on suboptimal decision making in a gambling context. Implications of focused research on the relational networks underlying core processes of ACT in terms of broader treatment for disordered gamblers will be discussed.

Minimal information currently exists about best practices and implementation strategies for behavioral therapy for gambling disorders, particularly in community addiction treatment centers. Furthermore, therapeutic treatment models applying clinical behavior analytic social work practice to gambling addictions suggest the importance of identifying environmental factors maintaining gambling, to promote sustained absence. The current presentation extends previous work on clinical behavior analytic social work practice into addiction treatment centers. Group sessions conducted across mindfulness and acceptance based topics, derived from previous research on substance use disorders and gambling disorders, were provided to adult males attending a substance in-patient/out-patient community center in the Midwest, United States. Traditional behavior analytic strategies were modified and adapted to fit the community center culture, where attendance or participation in meetings was not required. Further, psychometrics related to mindfulness and acceptance (i.e., MAAS) were provided to attendees before and after weekly sessions, to determine any within-session effects. Identified barriers and solutions for overcoming data collection challenges in community mental health group settings will also be discussed. Finally, with graduate programs training social workers in the use of ABA, the current presentation will discuss the clinical utility of infusing clinical social work with clinical behavior analysis.

Much has been written in the field of behavior analysis concerning collaboration with professionals in other disciplines. The general hypothesis of this literature focuses on how behavior analysts often come across as dismissive of other disciplines, using language that drips heavily with technical terms, and with an attitude of how we know best. Many suggestions have been made to behavior analysts as to how to be perceived in a more positive light and thus have better working relations with these other professionals. Some of these suggestions include monitoring our language more carefully by speaking at the level of the listener, act more open to ideas from other disciplines, and to become a conditioned reinforcer to make other professionals more receptive to our ideas. One of our biggest strengths is that of adhering to an analytic process when confronted with a behavior problem that is not easily solved. This analytic process (involving case formulation, operational definition of key terms, careful assessment, protocol development, implementation with carefully constructed data instruments, evaluation of the data, and ultimately changing the treatment protocols if not successful) is a process that most disciplines understand and implement to some extent. The purpose of this symposium is to present case studies of successful collaboration between behavior analysts and professionals from other disciplines. Specific strategies for behavior analysts to use in similar collaborative opportunities will be highlighted to aid in the accomplishment of the objectives of such cases.

Behaviorism and the philosophy of science dictates a set of attitudes and practices to which behavior analysts adhere in their work. Our approach to solving human behavior problems - operational definition of the problem to solve, careful assessment of its current state, functional assessment identifying the reason(s) for the problem, and a 3-term paradigm describing different potential approaches to solutions � has been shown to be effective when applied to a wide range of human endeavors. Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968) noted that, �A society willing to consider a technology of its own behavior apparently is likely to support that application when it deals with socially important behaviors, such as retardation, crime, mental illness, or education.� However, to have that impact in all areas of society requires collaboration with professionals in these other disciplines and areas. Collaboration is a set of behaviors for which behavior analysts have been criticized. We often come across as too technical; hesitant to take into consideration the suggestions of other disciplines; and adhering to a philosophical position (of behavior) that is not held by many others in society or other professional fields. This presentation will discuss how behavior analysts can collaborate in ways that makes us more influential with other disciplines and, at the same time, permits the adherence to our philosophy and approach towards solving human problems.

Physical activity is important to child and adolescent health and development. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that youth between 6 to 17 years participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. Healthy People 2020 objectives aim to increase the proportion of youth meeting the federal physical activity guidelines. This study examines if identifying and providing opportunities for youth to engage in preferred activities increases participation in leisure-time physical activity. Study participants were youth ages 5 to 15, who resided in a low-income housing complex and participated in an after-school program. The Assessment of Preferred Leisure Alternatives for Youth was used to identify highly preferred activities that were made available through the youth program. A reversal design using momentary time sampling was used to evaluate whether access to highly preferred activities increased the percentage of youth engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity. Preliminary data suggest an increase between baseline (M = 6.5%, range, 0% to 13%) and intervention phases (M = 66.4%, range, 25% to 85%). Results will be discussed to better examine the efficacy of using online preference assessments and interventions to increase youth physical activity in community-based settings.

Medication is often used solely or in conjunction with behavioral procedures to treat behavior problems in individuals with autism. However, the synergetic effect of multiple medicationsmay evoke otherdifficult challenges that must be addressed in addition to the original dangerous behavioral concerns. Data based decisions and consistent behavioral programming can be used in conjunction with medical oversight and review to systematically reduce medication use so that the individual over time is demonstrating appropriate behavior on the smallest level of medication necessary. This case study demonstrates a formal protocol used when reducing the number and amount of medications used with two adolescents with autism. They demonstrated such serious self-injurious and aggressive behaviors that they were dangers to themselves and others, and that resulted in both being on a cocktail of several different medications tomanagespecific problematic behaviors as well as other alleged psychiatric issues. The number and dosage of these medications were such that these two individuals were sedatedwhichinterfered with skill acquisition. Close collaboration with their medicalneurologists,along with consistent behavioral programming and comprehensive data collection, resulted in gradual reduction and elimination of medications along with continued low-to-no rates of the original target behaviors. The protocols were successful due to the collaboration, gradual pace of medication reduction, consistent implementation of the behavior intervention plans, and the systematic collection of behaviordata.

Choice has a varied history as a topic of research in behavior analysis. To the extent that ?choice? refers to exercising free will, it is incompatible with a determinist philosophy of science. Nevertheless, it is consistently among the most popular topics at this conference and in behavioral journals. It has yielded some of the most significant conceptual and empirical advances in behavior analysis. From factors influencing consumer behavior to the role of impulsive behavior in substance abuse, from mathematical elaborations on the matching law that serve as the foundation for quantitative models of behavior to client preference assessments, few areas of behavior analysis have escaped the influence of choice. In this symposium, four distinguished behavior analysts with different research backgrounds and theoretical orientations present their ideas about the contributions of behavior analysis to the study of choice, and the value of choice as a research topic for behavior analysts. Speakers will discuss what we have accomplished already and offer their thoughts about where the field might go in the future.

Choice can be readily conceived within behavior analysis as analogous to a concurrent schedule of reinforcement. Thus, choice can be viewed within the scope of basic behavior analysis. In the applied behavior analytic literature and in the practice of applied behavior analysis, choice has a long history as both a procedural detail and an independent variable. Using past data related to preference assessment and current data related to an NIH-funded study on the maintenance of Functional Communication Training intervention effects, the current presentation will review the impact of choice as a procedural detail in applied behavior analysis research and practice. Specifically, the utility of choice in various types of assessment will be documented as a means of designing more effective and long lasting treatments. In addition, the current presentation will discuss the use of choice as an independent variable, or component, in the treatment of severe problem behavior. Specifically, studies related to how incorporating choice into treatment components impacts treatment outcomes will be discussed.

Choices between dissimilar items are ubiquitous but how are these decisions made? Researchers are interested in this issue to gain insights into various pathologies, including substance use attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, etc., as well as learn about basic decision-making mechanisms. In all of these disorders, patients show a heightened preference for small, immediate rewards over and larger, later rewards, also known as delay discounting. Studies in rodents examining the neural correlates of these types of choice have used a procedure in which subjects choose between small, immediate rewards and larger, later rewards where the delay to reward increases systematically across trials in a session. This talk will compare this procedure to titrating procedures that are also used in the field. I will present data showing the degree of correlation between the procedures is actually limited, discuss reasons for this mismatch and review the data on the neural bases of delay discounting derived from both types of procedure to identify regions identified by both procedures as well as regions identified by a single procedure.

This symposium explores how tacting correct and incorrect implementation of behavioral training procedures may enhance treatment integrity when carrying out those procedures. Train to Code (http://www.ai2inc.com) is an internet-enabled program that uses multiple exemplar training to teach trainees to tact behavioral events as an expert does, as they occur sequentially in a video. By definition, when trainees have achieved expert tacting performance with the targeted events, high inter-observer-agreement with the expert has been attained. Early in the evaluation of this program, we noted that when trainees learn to consistently tact steps an expert therapist takes when carrying out a behavioral training procedure, they show improved skill in carrying out the same procedure. This may be conceptualized as tacting if-then relationships in the environment (i.e., deriving self-rules) and then following those rules at a later time under similar circumstances (Fryling, Johnston, and Hayes L, 2011). We explore what behavioral principles and phenomena might be involved in such transfer, what practical considerations impact the success of this training, and provide two examples of the use of this approach to enhance skills in carrying out behavioral training procedures.

Train to Code is an internet-enabled program that uses multiple exemplars to teach trainees to tact behavioral events as an expert does, as they occur sequentially in videos. When the events to be tacted involve implementation of behavior analytic training procedures, we have found that, after trainees have achieved mastery (high inter-observer-agreement), they often carry out those procedures more correctly compared with their baseline performance (i.e., with improved treatment integrity). Since ABA interventions must be implemented with high treatment integrity to be effective, and this is a major issue in the field, we are excited that TTC may play a role in achieving this goal. In this presentation, we seek to identify behavioral principles that may account for this transfer, which we view as delayed observational learning. We also discuss behavioral phenomena that appear to be related to this finding, such as abstract control in simple and more complex (higher order) verbal relations, rule-governed behavior, self-talk in skilled performance in judged sports, and the role of tacting a model's behavior in imitating that behavior at a later time.

The purpose of the present study was to assess the feasibility of an observation and coding software system (i.e., Train-To-Code [TTC]) to teach university students implementation of Phase 3A of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). The software was used to develop a customized program that coached participants by presenting multiple exemplars of correct and incorrect implementation of each step of this phase of PECS. Participants were required to code specific behaviors in accordance with a taxonomy developed by the experimenters. The training program provided prompts and feedback in real time based on participants' level of performance and required mastery of seven levels of training, each with fewer prompts and feedback, until an expert level of unprompted coding performance was demonstrated. Four undergraduate students with no prior experience in the implementation of PECS were recruited. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effects of the training on treatment integrity performance during role-play with a confederate learner before and after training. Results showed improved performance relative to baseline following training, and maintenance of performance at 2-4 weeks follow-up. Implications of these findings for staff training in applied settings will be discussed.

ABA staff are typically taught quite differently from how those same staff members teach clients. Clients are individually evaluated for existing skills and knowledge, then Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs) are developed that take into account a wide variety of important variables that impact the educational program designed for each individual client. Staff, on the other hand, are more typically taught using techniques more commonly found in classroom instruction and is not individualized. That is, they are taught in groups, are presented slide presentations and limited narrated video examples, and may participate in some discussion and/or even role playing. Ignored are individual differences in prior training or content exposures, the pace of delivery, and most other teaching/learning variables. Train-to-Code (TTC) is a software system designed to help individualize this process through highly adaptive and interactive process pacing, prompting, and feedback or error correction procedures. But that is only a beginning in individualization. The design of the content and task demands of those who supply content for TTC presents a whole new set of instructional challenges that should also be very carefully considered and individualized for each trainee. This presentation reviews data showing how critical this requirement really is.

Providing effective ethical treatment to clients with autism and/or other developmental disabilities across the lifespan requires collaborative interdisciplinary teamwork between parents, teachers, behavior analysts, and other service providers. Specifically, practitioners who work in diverse settings may need to understand different organizational cultures, relevant laws, applicable policies, perspectives, and procedures from others who do not come from a behavior analytical framework. Behavior analysts who are knowledgeable of how various environmental stimuli contribute or negate to collaborative efforts are in a unique position to contribute to the success of the collaborative effort. This symposium will provide an overview of the various entities that can potentially impact cooperation amongst teams across various settings (e.g., school based special education settings, home-based applied behavior analysis settings, residential adult service settings) and how these influence interdisciplinary team members perspectives. The application of the ethical code and generalization of ethical behavior and skills will be discussed in relation to relevant ethical scenarios.

Positive collaboration among educators and parents is a vital component when developing a successful Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for students receiving special education services. Parents of students diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) report overall negative perceptions of educators in terms of adequate preparation and knowledge of their childs unique disability. The breakdown in this partnership can be attributed to a lack of communication initiation from teachers, insufficient teacher knowledge, and differences in attitudes and opinions regarding the needs of the individual child/student. With the rapid increase in the prevalence of ASD in todays classrooms, it is highly probable that both general and special education teachers will encounter multiple students with ASD each year; however, most teachers receive minimal preparation in evidence-based practices for students with ASD. This presentation will provide recommendations for how the partnership between teachers and parents of students with ASD can be mended through high-quality training opportunities under the principles and guidelines of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).

Existing research illustrates how qualitative research methods could be utilized in other fields, including educational research and behavioral sciences (Jacobs, 1987) and the following studies incorporate these methods to inform, evaluate, and measure outcomes of behavior analytic interventions. The first study included focus group data collected from Spanish-speaking caregivers to help develop a behavioral parent training (BPT) program for families with limited English proficiency. The results of the focus groups, as well as the results of the implementation of the BPT program are reported. The second paper examined the use of focus groups and interviews with parents, teachers, and school administrators to evaluate a school-based, comprehensive model to address the needs of students with autism. Feedback and recommendations to improve feasibility and acceptability were included. The third study reviewed the use of a qualitative measure of caregiver buy-in during admission in an outpatient program to address problem behavior. The relationship between caregiver buy-in and successful completion of the program will be discussed. The final study examined the use of structured observations, clinical interviews, and indirect assessments, along with quantitative measures to assess interventions for problem behavior. Results suggest that positive outcomes extend beyond reducing problem behavior.

Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been found to occur across a variety of ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups (CDC, 2010), further research is needed to evaluate how language and cultural barriers impact the effectiveness of interventions and modifications to standard practice (Baker-Ericzn, Stahmer, & Burns, 2007). Similarly, existing literature suggests that behavioral parent training (BPT) programs are considered a promising clinical and preventive intervention (Jang et al., 2011; Serketich & Dumas, 1996), yet very few researchers have examined the impact of BPT within specific cultural groups (Martinez & Eddy, 2005). In the current study, focus groups were developed to assess the barriers associated with accessing treatment options within the Latino community, and evaluate the perceived efficacy of BPT for caregivers with limited English proficiency (LEP) and a child with ASD. Participants were asked about previous experiences, perceived barriers to treatment, and suggestions for behavioral clinicians. Focus group transcriptions were thematically coded and used to inform modifications to staff training, service delivery, and curriculum for an existing, communitybased BPT intervention. The impact of the modifications will be monitored through assessing parent skills for 12 LEP parent-child dyads and both caregiver and therapist satisfaction and acceptability of service delivery.

Myriad behavior analytic strategies are considered evidence-based for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however implementing comprehensive intervention packages in public schools has been difficult. Implementation barriers, such as fidelity and buy-in, are especially challenging but not fully explored in the literature. To address gaps in intervention development and implementation, we developed Students with Autism Accessing General Education (SAAGE), a comprehensive, modular intervention for use by educators for students with ASD. Modules allow educators to support core and associated features of ASD and rely heavily on behavior analytic principles. SAAGE is implemented by a school team and a coach, who helps the team assess student needs, identify goals and select relevant modules. We used qualitative research methodology to obtain feedback on the model, via 9 focus groups and 3 interviews conducted with 22 teachers, 13 administrators, and 11 parents across four sites. Data were analyzed by thematic analysis; we achieved triangulation through multiple informants and independent coding. Results indicate overall positive feedback for SAAGE, as well as recommendations for fine-tuning the model. This feedback is being integrated to inform the final version of SAAGE, to support its feasibility, acceptability, and perceived helpfulness by prospective implementers and recipients of the intervention.

Past research has examined the effects of treatment integrity on the effectiveness of interventions for challenging behavior (Sterling-Turner, Watson, & Moore, 2002; Van Den Hoofdakker et al. 2007). Acceptability is a precursor to treatment integrity (Witt & Elliott, 1985), and acceptability may be thought of in terms of how bought-in a caregiver is to the treatment procedures. However, there has been only limited research on how to best measure acceptability or buy-in. In addition, the studies that have been conducted have used self-report (usually from teachers) and have generally assessed only pre- or post-treatment as opposed to analyzing buy-in throughout. This study extends the past research by examining caregiver buy-in (assessed by a 6 item, likert-scale questionnaire completed by a therapist observing the caregiver). In the present study, we analyzed data from this measure completed by the therapist at the second and third appointment of a 10-week outpatient behavioral treatment program targeting problem behavior. The caregiver buy-in measure was related to successful completion of the program, demonstrating the importance of considering caregivers buy-in to treatment procedures. Other aspects of reliability and validity (e.g., test-retest reliability) are also discussed.

The ongoing collaboration and coordination of research between the experimental and applied communities of behavior analysis is essential to the advancement of the science of behavior (Mace & Critchfield, 2010). Involvement of young researchers is vital to the maintenance and future development of translational work within the field. The panelists for this professional development panel is made up of established researchers in the field of behavior analysis whose research efforts span the basic to applied continuum. Panelists will provide examples of research they are conducting and review the current state of translational research in our field. In addition, they will identify potential barriers to establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships between basic and applied researchers. Panelists will also provide the audience with recommendations for the future directions of translational research and suggestions for how to incorporate basic research into applied settings. The audience will have the opportunity to learn about translational work and how researchers can pursue and further the field of translational research.

Applied Behavior Science can be utilized to affect a wide range of socially significant behaviors across diverse populations. Breaking into and establishing the practice in ?novel? fields or applications is often discussed among behavior analysts, but can be an overwhelming task and can leave one confused about where exactly to begin. This panel seeks to address areas, practices, and populations that can benefit from applied behavior science, and to discuss approach and entry into interdisciplinary work. The presenters will discuss their own work in diversifying the recipients and proponents of behavioral technology outside traditional funding streams and applications, including: education, neuroscience, online learning, sports/exercise, and local government organizations. An emphasis on an experimental analysis for their varied approaches and data on the success of their ventures will be presented. Following will be an open discussion with attendees on inviting other perspectives and future directions and implications for applied behavior science.

Perez-Gonzalez, Garcia-Asenjo, Williams, and Julio-Carnerero (2007) evaluated the effects of training multiple bidirectional (A?B) relations on the emergence of novel bidirectional relations with two children diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder. Results showed that although both participants demonstrated emergence of bidirectional relations, the participant who experienced immediate bidirectional training demonstrated emergence of novel bidirectional relations in fewer training trials than the participant who experienced extended unidirectional training (A==>B) prior to bidirectional training (A==>B and B==>A). The purpose of the current study was to replicate the basic procedures of Perez-Gonzalez et al. and extend their findings by evaluating the effects of an extended unidirectional training history on the emergence of bidirectional relations with four children with autism. We further extended Perez-Gonzalez et al. by (a) using simple antecedent stimuli (i.e., English ==> French translations), (b) reporting participant scores on expressive and receptive language assessments, (c) evaluating the effects of training history with two matched groups of children with autism, (d) programming for and assessing maintenance, and (e) assessing social validity. Novel bidirectional relations emerged quickly for both participants who were exposed to an immediate bidirectional training history. Emergence of novel bidirectional relations was impeded for one of the two participants who were exposed to an extended unidirectional training history. These results indicate that bidirectional relations should be trained immediately to avoid potential problems with emergence of bidirectional relations.

Strategies to promote the emergence of untrained verbal relations are of critical importance for learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study examined the effects of systematically training new relations on the emergence of intraverbal relations within the same set and across untrained sets using a multiple probe across behaviors (sets) design. Three sets consisting of three classes of stimuli were developed for each of the six participants with ASD. Training was sequentially introduced within Set 1 for listener responses by feature/function, tact feature/function, and bi-directional intraverbals. Following mastery of one relation within the set, probes were conducted to assess emergence of all untrained relations within set 1. Once mastery criteria were met through direct training or emergence for all intraverbal relations in set 1, probes were conducted to evaluate relations across all sets (1-3). The procedures were repeated with the remaining sets. Results indicated that some participants showed emergence of untrained intraverbal relations following training of the listener and tact responses, consistent with prior research. Some participants required training across multiple relations and classes before emergence of intraverbals was observed. These results highlight the importance of evaluating performance over multiple sets and the benefits of systematically programming for emergence within clinical work.

Instructive feedback (IF) is a procedure in which non-targeted information is presented to a learner during instruction for targeted skills. Previous research has demonstrated that students with autism spectrum disorder may acquire at least a portion of skills presented via IF. Although a promising instructional methodology for learners with ASD, few studies focus on learners who use an augmentative device for communication purposes. The purpose of the current investigation was to extend the IF literature related to students with ASD who use communication devices. Across all target skills, IF resulted in the acquisition of at least a portion of secondary targets without explicit teaching.