Association for Behavior Analysis International

The primary focus of this session will be on the implementation of applied behavior analysis in scales of social significance. The principles and practice of applied behavior analysis have dramatic relevance for our society. The goals of American education, health care, and business are tied to understanding and improving behavior. Yet even compelling research demonstrations of the impact of applied behavior analysis have not become an accepted part of major institutions. One emerging exception is adoption of school-wide positive behavior support. As of August 2011 more than 16,000 schools in the USA were actively engaged in implementing school-wide positive behavior support. Two important messages for ABAI members are that a) school-wide positive behavior support is implementation of applied behavior analysis and b) the reasons why schools are adopting school-wide positive behavior support are central to better understanding how to make applied behavior analysis more accessible. Data will be presented from a recent review of seven states that now implement school-wide positive behavior support in more than a third of their schools. Four key features were identified from this review as central to scaling up implementation of school-wide positive behavior support. The relevance of these features for extending applied behavior analysis principles and practices across U.S.A. institutions will be explored.

Certified behavior analysts, behavioral consultants, behavioral therapists, clinicians, educational consultants, psychologists, special education teachers, and individuals working with children with autism or other developmental delays.

1. Define six variables needed to make ABA more accessible       

2. Define Positive Behavior Support as an example of ABA 

3  Define a research agenda for expanding the implementation of ABA on a scale of social importance

The lecture will provide an overview of the design, procedures, and results of what is to date the largest randomized trial conducted on any comprehensive early intervention model in the autism field. Inclusive classrooms from around the USA were randomly assigned to receive either intervention manuals alone or manuals and two years of intensive coaching to ensure high fidelity use of all LEAP practices. In all some 300 children participated in the study. At the end of 2 years large, statistically significant differences were found on all measures in favor of the full implementation group. Specifically, children who experienced full LEAP implementation showed significant reductions in autism symptoms; improved verbal language, social skills, and cognition; and sharp reductions in problem behavior. These data will be contrasted with the four other randomized trials available at the early childhood level.

Certified behavior analysts, behavioral consultants, behavioral therapists, clinicians, educational consultants, psychologists, special education teachers, and individuals working with children with autism or other developmental delays.

Severe problem behavior among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a significant public health problem. In addition to individual-level costs including restrictive environments, reduced learning opportunities, and compromised quality of life, there are substantial costs to family, educational, and health systems. The past three decades have seen tremendous advances in behavioral assessment technology and its translation into efficacious and effective behavioral interventions. Despite this, severe problem behavior in the form of self-injury persists for a significant number of individuals. One approach to increasing our scientific understanding of persistent self-injury is to adopt a "biobehavioral" approach that examines relevant environmental determinants in the context of biological systems. Based on this, our group has focused on biological markers relevant to pain and stress. The specific objectives of this presentation will be to 1) provide an overview of the clinical problem of self-injurious behavior (SIB) among individuals with I/DD and ASD, 2) review current findings from ongoing studies trying to bridge the gap between pain-relevant biomarkers and sensory features associated with chronic SIB, and 3) suggest that nociceptive and immune mediated activity may be relevant to unraveling some of the mystery surrounding chronic SIB.

Certified behavior analysts, behavioral consultants, behavioral therapists, clinicians, educational consultants, psychologists, special education teachers, and individuals working with children with autism or other developmental delays.

Many meta-analytic reviews have misrepresented the literature evaluating interventions to promote social communication skills in children with autism. This is because they failed to include the bulk of the experimental research base, namely single-case experimental designs. This presentation will expand upon approaches to identify evidence-based practices (EBPs). A Consumer Reports framework will be used to evaluate social communication intervention studies and illustrate a way to fairly and comprehensively evaluate this literature. This framework evaluates the quality of both group and single-case experiments with respect to design characteristics and internal validity, measurement features, results, and external validity. The advent of effect size estimates also may improve the incorporation of single-case experiments into the EBP literature. The presentation will show how these analytic frameworks provide useful information that can be cross-referenced with descriptive information about the articles reviewed. This approach has the potential to improve the ease and effectiveness with which behavior analysts select efficacious practices that meet the particular needs of their clients.

Certified behavior analysts, behavioral consultants, behavioral therapists, clinicians, educational consultants, psychologists, special education teachers, and individuals working with children with autism or other developmental delays.

Beginning in the 1980s our work at the University of Kansas has focused on peer-mediated interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A series of related studies demonstrated that children with autism could learn academic skills in small groups with other students, and social behaviors within social and play groups with peers. Typical programs have included social skills groups, recess and lunch peer networks, and tutoring programs. We have consistently demonstrated that following participation in peer-mediated programs, children with ASD can learn to use similar communication skills and exhibit contextually appropriate initiations and responses during small groups with typical peers. Seventeen single case design studies including 48 participants have been published showing individual treatment gains. The presentation will describe peer networks, settings, and procedures for interventions. We will describe general findings of the research and discuss future directions.

Certified behavior analysts, behavioral consultants, behavioral therapists, clinicians, educational consultants, psychologists, special education teachers, and individuals working with children with autism or other developmental delays.

Many behavior analysts have regular contact with families of children or adolescents on the autism spectrum. In most families, neurotypical (NT) siblings may be valuable resources for modeling/teaching adaptive skills, and may themselves be in need of support in understanding their brother or sister with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Fortunately there is a body of research documenting the role NT siblings can play in supporting the learning of their brother or sister on the spectrum. This talk describes how the role of siblings has been studied, what we have learned about the contributions the children can make, and what we learned about supporting the needs of NT siblings. We will look at the clinical role of NT siblings in the late 1970s and early 1980s and consider several studies demonstrating the value of teaching NT siblings basic principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA). We will review how the childs knowledge of ASD evolves, and how these developmental changes influence the ABA role NT siblings can assume. Specific target behaviors include teaching play skills and joint attention skills using ABA techniques adapted to the NT childs understanding. We will also describe cognitive behavior therapy techniques enabling NT siblings to solve problems that arise in their relationship with their brother or sister, and we will report research on the benefits of sibling support groups for helping children implement ABA methods to understand the behavior of their brother or sister with an ASD.

Certified behavior analysts, behavioral consultants, behavioral therapists, clinicians, educational consultants, psychologists, special education teachers, and individuals working with children with autism or other developmental delays.

1. Understand the perspective of siblings of children with ASD.       

2. Have an overview of research on the skills siblings can acquire.      

3  Be familiar with the objectives of sibling support groups.      

This session involves an introduction to broad-spectrum behavior analysis in the form of the Pyramid Approach to Education. Discussion focuses on the importance of addressing students’ skill deficits prior to or simultaneously with addressing behavior excess or other unwanted behavior. Other key elements of the training include the description and the design of effective educational settings that emphasize the use of systematic reinforcement. The link between functional activities, communication training and the reduction of unwanted behavior is explored. In addition, issues related to teaching skills are addressed. This teaches participants to determine and define unwanted behavior targeted for intervention. Participants are assisted with understanding the functional assessment of behavior, and the selection and teaching of alternative responses to replace unwanted behavior. Participants are exposed to antecedent strategies designed to reduce unwanted behavior as well as differential reinforcement procedures and consequence based strategies. Finally, issues related to the evaluation and monitoring of behavior plans are discussed.

Behavior analysts, psychologists, educators, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, home therapists, parents, and others who support, teach and interact with individuals of any age who display unwanted or problematic behavior, regardless of the individual’s clinical label.

This presentation first will review how ethical behavior is viewed from a behavior analytic perspective, outlining unique features as well as those that overlap with other views on ethics. The review also will include the potential impact on ethical behavior of some general topics of concern to behavior analysts, such as values and value clarification, long- and short-term consequences of actions, the role of rules and contingencies in ethical behavior, behavioral control and counter-control, and the context in which actions occur. This will be followed by a review of how selected specific methods used in assessment and intervention and contemporary research findings in both the experimental analysis of behavior and in applied behavior analysis might influence ethical decisions and practices related to autism spectrum disorders.

Certified behavior analysts, behavioral consultants, behavioral therapists, clinicians, educational consultants, psychologists, special education teachers, and individuals working with children with autism or other developmental delays.

For most transition-age youth, life after high school offers an exciting array of opportunities and new pursuits. Yet, far too many young people with autism leave school without the skills, supports, relationships, and connections needed to pursue their aspirations for adulthood. Follow-up studies consistently highlight the persistence and pervasiveness of disappointing outcomes in the years following graduation. This presentation will focus on what is currently known about effective approaches for promoting (a) access to rigorous learning opportunities in secondary school, (b) connecting youth to relevant school and community experiences, and (c) fostering supportive peer and adult relationships. Despite the rapidly expanding knowledge base, there remains much the field still does not know about how best to support these young people. Recommendations for research and practice aimed at promoting successful transitions will be offered.

Certified behavior analysts, behavioral consultants, behavioral therapists, clinicians, educational consultants, psychologists, special education teachers, and individuals working with children with autism or other developmental delays.