Behavior analysts are trained to integrate practice and research methods to assess problems, design interventions, and evaluate outcomes. This orientation reflects the scientist–practitioner model and supports evidence-based practice. We describe an extension of this model, research in practice, in which practitioners systematically evaluate and disseminate applied work conducted in service settings. Research in practice offers benefits to the field, including ecological validity and demonstrations of effectiveness. Yet survey data suggest that relatively few practitioners disseminate their work, despite strong interest in doing so. Barriers include limited knowledge, mentorship, and access to a research community, factors that can be improved with organizational support. We describe a multicomponent organizational model designed to address these barriers. Core components include executive commitment, a research steering committee, structured mentorship, group-based support, ethical safeguards, coordinated dissemination pathways, and data-based monitoring. For each component, we provide a task analysis to guide adoption and implementation across organizations with varying resources and research infrastructure. Three years of program evaluation data suggest the model is feasible and sustainable, with growing practitioner engagement and dissemination. We also review ethical considerations and situate the model within an implementation science framework that highlights leadership, infrastructure, and facilitation as drivers of sustained change. The model and accompanying implementation guidance provide organizations with a framework for supporting ethical research in practice and advancing practitioner contributions to applied behavior analysis.
Common in many neurodivergent populations, Higher-order Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors (HoRRBs) are a heterogeneous pattern of behavior that consists of complex ritualistic behaviors, insistence on sameness, resistance to change, and circumscribed interests. While efficacious applied behavior analysis (ABA) and adapted cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions have been used to address HoRRBs in neurodivergent school-age children, research focusing exclusively on early childhood is still growing. In this review, we examine ABA, CBT, and ABA-CBT hybrid interventions for reducing HoRRBs in neurodivergent children two to six years of age. Using the PRISMA protocol for scoping reviews, we systematically searched major databases using a combination of search terms, yielding 392 findings. We identified participant and study characteristics, study quality, interventions used to reduce HoRRBs, and procedural characteristics historically associated with improved intervention outcomes and ethical best practices, including functional behavior assessments, assent, generalization, and maintenance. Finally, we provide suggestions for clinicians planning to implement these interventions to reduce HoRRBs in young neurodivergent children and highlight the need for additional research with this population.
Applied behavior analysis services are expanding rapidly while facing increased scrutiny from autistic people, families, and advocates, underscoring the need for ethical, family-centered, and ecologically valid intervention research in real-world service systems. The PALMS Project is an ongoing federally funded hybrid effectiveness–implementation clinical trial comparing the Early Start Denver Model, a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention, to applied behavior analysis as usual in community-based agencies across the United States. This paper examines early lessons from the first years of the trial to describe participant characteristics, explore barriers and facilitators to research participation, and highlight potential strategies for strengthening research infrastructure and research–community collaboration in service organizations using an implementation science framework. To date, 18 agencies and 113 providers across 13 states have consented. Recruitment and retention challenges prompted eligibility expansion and targeted outreach, as well as ongoing implementation planning with agencies to reduce burden and support engagement. Organizational context was examined using the Implementation Climate Scale, which assesses the extent to which organizations expect, support, and reward evidence-based practice use. Scores indicated strong perceived focus on evidence-based practice but comparatively low perceived rewards, and agency leadership reported higher overall implementation climate than frontline providers. Overall, findings emphasize that successful community-based autism intervention research depends on building durable, reciprocal partnerships and practical participation supports that align with service realities and community priorities.
Cultural responsiveness is an ethical obligation for behavior analysts (Behavior Analyst Certification Board [BACB], 2020), yet many practitioners lack explicit training to adapt their procedures for individuals and families from diverse cultural backgrounds. Cultural responsiveness entails building knowledge, awareness, and skills across cultural dimensions (Jimenez-Gomez Beaulieu, 2022), and structured self-assessment can enhance the cultural self-awareness that precedes skillful practice. Prior research shows that behavior skills training (BST) can improve culturally responsive practices during functional assessment interviews (Gatzunis et al., 2023), but these skills have not been extended to reinforcer assessment or to identity-affirming language practices. Using a concurrent multiple-baseline design across three graduate students, this study evaluated a combined self-assessment and BST package targeting 13 culturally responsive interviewing behaviors during the Reinforcer Assessment for Individuals with Severe Disabilities (RAISD; Piazza et al., 1996) interview, delivered remotely via Microsoft Teams. Correct responding increased from a baseline mean of approximately 15–35
Participatory action research is characterized by research questions, procedures, and outcomes that are reflective of the priorities and values of stakeholders. The purpose of this project was to use a mixed-method, multi-level engagement method to develop stakeholder-generated research questions on caregiver adherence to behavior interventions designed to reduce severe challenging behavior. To achieve this, we used the Stakeholder Engagement in quEstions Development and Prioritization method. Using this method, stakeholders developed conceptual maps to show potential cause-and-effect relationships between variables hypothesized to influence caregiver adherence to behavior interventions. Stakeholders identified 102 variables thought to impact caregiver adherence, with eight variables identified by all topic groups. These variables were caregiver buy-in/perception of the intervention, caregiver mental health, caregiver physical health, insurance coverage, multiple children in the home, family and community perception of behavior analysis and the child’s behavior intervention, the family’s social support system, and the intensity of the behavior intervention. After placing these variables in a conceptual map, stakeholders used the conceptual map to develop and prioritize research questions focused on caregiver adherence. This resulted in stakeholders generating a research agenda with 43 questions focused on caregiver adherence. We evaluated the participatory development of research questions on caregiver adherence to severe behavior interventions using multiple measures, including group readiness, group dynamics, and stakeholder feedback on the research agenda.
Students of behavior analysis are taught the necessary skills to implement evidence-based practice. However, without engaging in self-reflection and soft skills during caregiver and client interactions, students and clinicians alike may miss crucial information. The purpose of the current study was to use behavioral skills training (BST) to teach two beginning skills necessary to engage in a culturally responsive practice. First, participants were taught how to tact their identities prior to engaging with clients to understand the potential power imbalances within the relationship. We also taught participants to ask caregivers open-ended questions to gather more information when developing assessments and treatments, thereby aligning more closely with caregivers’ perspectives. These skills may be among the first skills clinicians use when interacting with a client and their family, and they help prepare clinicians to work effectively with clients from backgrounds different from their own. Four graduate students in a Master of Science in behavior analysis program participated. Participants received instruction through online modules, in-person training, role-play activities on Zoom®, and feedback. Participants acquired each skill in 2 to 4 sessions. Follow-up probes indicated that three of the four participants maintained each skill. These results represent an important step in building a culturally responsive repertoire. Areas of future research and limitations are discussed.
We examined citations of articles published in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior in articles published in Behavior Analysis in Practice from that journal’s inception through 2024. A yearly average of 2.0
The current study taught six autistic children to actively and passively cooperate during routine physical examinations. A nonconcurrent multiple-baseline design across participants was used to evaluate a differential reinforcement and stimulus-fading intervention in which brief escape followed challenging behavior and demands were re-presented within the same session across 11 components of a mock physical examination. Terminal probes were conducted following mastery of individual fading steps, allowing participants to progress independently across examination components based on their performance rather than requiring simultaneous mastery of all components. All six participants achieved terminal-level active and passive cooperation across all 11 examination components. Terminal probe data identified three patterns of acquisition and informed individualized progression through fading steps. Caregivers and medical professionals also reported high ratings of intervention acceptability on social validity measures. These findings extend previous research on reinforcement- and fading-based approaches for teaching cooperation with medical examinations and suggest that systematic terminal probes may reduce unnecessary instructional steps while supporting individualized treatment progression.
The field of behavior analysis benefits from rapid research production, yet practitioners often face significant barriers to accessing scholarly literature once they transition from academic settings to clinical practice. While the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) and various researchers have introduced strategies to mitigate these barriers, there remains a critical need for efficient, organization-wide systems that facilitate the consumption of evidence-based research. The current paper describes a replication and expansion of the literature-access system proposed by Valentino et al. (2024). Over the course of one year, a multi-state applied behavior analysis (ABA) organization implemented a literature access system featuring a centralized repository, standardized communication protocols, and a literature access team. This paper’s expansion incorporates Valentino et al.’s recommendations by simplifying the existing processes, implementing follow-up assessments to measure practitioner satisfaction and clinical impact, and developing a searchable library (i.e., literature repository) for all employees. Data on system utilization and user feedback are presented while providing a model for human service agencies to fulfill their ethical obligation to provide effective, research-based treatment while working to create an environment where accessing scholarly literature is prevalent.
Interprofessional collaboration between occupational therapy (OT) professionals and applied behavior analysis (ABA) professionals is critical for delivering comprehensive, client-centered care; however, little empirical research has examined how these professions perceive their collaborative relationships. Respondents from each profession completed separate surveys that were distributed through online professional networks. The OT survey included Likert-scale and open-ended questions addressing collaborative interactions, perceived barriers, and perceived benefits of working with Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs). The BCBA survey mirrored this format to capture corresponding perspectives regarding collaboration with OT professionals. A total of 197 licensed professionals qualified and participated in the survey, including 120 OT professionals and 77 BCBAs. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, and qualitative responses were reviewed and organized to identify shared and divergent perspectives. Results indicated that both professions value collaboration and recognize its benefit to client outcomes. OT respondents reported greater challenges, whereas BCBA respondents expressed more optimism regarding interprofessional partnerships. Open-ended responses revealed themes of communication barriers, differing ethical perspectives, and scope-of-practice concerns. Implications include the need for enhanced interprofessional education, shared ethical dialogue, and structured opportunities for coordinated service delivery.
Receptive labeling, also referred to as auditory-visual conditional discrimination (AVCD), is commonplace in everyday interactions; yet, many individuals with autism spectrum disorder experience barriers to learning AVCD during instruction. When clients fail to make progress during AVCD instruction, behavior analysts may engage in a trial-and-error process for intervention modifications that may be inefficient or unsuccessful. This paper presents a problem-solving model to identify and address learning barriers during AVCD instruction. The model outlines eight steps encompassing data collection, instructional and procedural analysis, prerequisite skill evaluation, hypothesis development, barrier assessment with matched interventions, intervention selection, and progress monitoring. This approach provides behavior analysts with practical guidance for clinical decision-making, moving toward systematic, assessment-based intervention that can improve outcomes for clients receiving AVCD instruction.
Tic disorders, such as Tourette’s syndrome, are chronic, childhood-onset neurological conditions that involve sudden, repetitive, and involuntary motor movements or vocalizations. Individuals with tics often experience premonitory urges, or aversive sensations that precede tics and are believed to be functionally related to their expression. Previous research has suggested that reinforcing tic suppression can effectively reduce tics, although the optimal contingencies that lead to such an effect have not been well-studied. The purpose of the current study was to compare a commonly used contingency, differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO), to establish tic suppression with a contingency that included an option for participant-initiated breaks (DRO-break). Using an alternating treatments design, including four children with tics, results showed that three of four participants demonstrated tic reduction in both DRO conditions compared to baseline. Furthermore, DRO did not result in higher urge ratings compared to the baseline and DRO-break conditions for any of the participants. Finally, preference for the conditions was idiosyncratic, with two participants preferring DRO and two participants preferring DRO-break. Thus, DRO contingencies with and without breaks were equally effective at reducing tics compared to baseline and did not affect urges differently.
LeBlanc et al. (2018; doi.org/10.1007/s40617-018-0206-3) provided recommendations for creating research review committees that might oversee participant protections for human service agencies. Since that time, multiple organizations have implemented some version of a research review committee and other options for protocol review have become more commonly available. The purpose of this paper is to describe implementation efforts by five organizations (e.g., timelines, which recommendations were followed and how, challenges and solutions). The lessons learned through these implementations are synthesized and resources created by the organizations are shared for those interested in conducting research in applied settings. In addition, the costs and benefits of developing an internal committee are compared to those for external review options.
Despite the evidence base supporting the functional behavior assessment (FBA) and behavior intervention plan (BIP) process, resource constraints and lack of training continue to preclude their implementation in school-based settings. Developed to address these barriers, the prevent-teach-reinforce (PTR) model employes a manualized, team-based approach, facilitated by a professional with expertise in behavior, to streamline the individualized FBA-BIP process. However, more research is needed to examine the effectiveness of the PTR model in supporting middle school students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). This study evaluated the impact of the PTR secondary model (PTR-SEC) on the classroom behaviors of three middle school students with EBD during academic activities. Results showed that the PTR-SEC effectively decreased problem behavior and increased replacement behavior for all three participants, and these improvements maintained post-intervention. Social validity assessments from students and teachers indicated that the PTR-SEC was acceptable and aligned with the students’ goals, suggesting that PTR-SEC may be a socially valid approach for supporting middle school students with EBD.
Developing and maintaining ethical competence is critical for ongoing professional development. Although the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB®) requires continuing education units (CEUs) focused on ethics, individual certificants have the flexibility to select specific topics to pursue based on their individual needs or interests. One way to obtain CEUs is by attending designated continuing education events, such as the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) annual convention. However, it remains unclear what topics are typically offered for ethics CEUs at the ABAI annual conference for certificants to further their competency. Thus, in this exploratory study, we sought to describe the topics of events that are offered at ABAI events as ethics CEUs by extracting archival data (e.g., year, title, and abstract) from ABAI’s annual convention events labeled as offering ethics CEUs between 2016 to 2024. We then used topic modeling techniques (BERTopic; Grootendorst, 2022) to analyze the text in the titles and abstracts and create structured clusters (topics) of events with similar content. We found 540 presentations within 326 events offering ethics CEUs during this time period at ABAI annual conventions. Our model extracted 25 topics that covered a breadth of professional issues. We discuss the implications of our results for the types of content in ethics CEUs that certificants may or may not be able to obtain at ABAI based on our data and note the value of using topic modeling techniques to analyze large text datasets in organizational settings.
Effective supervisory skills, such as delivering corrective feedback, are essential for providing behavior-analytic services to vulnerable populations. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a training package designed to improve the quality of supervisory feedback through self-monitoring, a structured checklist, and researcher feedback. During the study, participants provided feedback to three staff behavioral profiles during role-play scenarios that may be encountered in clinical practice. Results indicated that feedback increased the participants’ self-monitoring accuracy scores and fidelity scores during role-play sessions. Three of five participants’ feedback delivery skills also generalized to a novel staff profile. Limitations and future implications of training supervisors to deliver quality feedback are reviewed.
Historically, research and practice in applied behavior analysis (ABA) are conducted separately from one another. This separation creates a disconnect between researchers and practitioners that is known as the research-to-practice gap. The purpose of this preliminary study was to evaluate whether a six-week group supervision curriculum for 10 ABA practitioners working in a university-based autism services setting increased their ability to (a) ethically design and conduct practice-based research and (b) disseminate their findings in peer-reviewed journals and professional presentations. A mixed-methods design was used, including pre- and post-self-reported assessments of research skills, content review of research products, tracking of dissemination outcomes, and social validity measures. Results indicated that participants showed noticeable gains from pre-assessment to post-assessment self-reported ratings and documented research activity in the three months following group supervision. Qualitative thematic analysis indicated increased clarity in participants’ descriptions of research capacity, applied impact, and mentorship, while time remained a notable barrier. Social validity ratings indicated that most participants were satisfied with the group supervision experience. Findings suggest that more advanced skills, including research literacy, experimental designs, data graphing and analysis, and manuscript writing, are likely to require additional instructional support beyond weekly group supervision. Given the preliminary nature of the study, the findings are discussed along with implications for practice and future research.
Youth sports offer significant opportunities for physical, emotional, and social development; however, current trends toward hyper-competitiveness, early specialization, adult-imposed pressures, and systemic inequalities threaten these benefits. This paper examines how applied behavior analysis (ABA) can provide evidence-based solutions to reshape youth sports culture. First, systemic concerns within youth sports are identified, including the social and psychological consequences of an overemphasis on competition and adult-driven outcomes. Using a behavioral framework, recommendations are provided targeting organizational practices, coaching behaviors, parental involvement, and athlete development. Strategies such as competency-based training, behavioral coaching, reinforcement systems, and contingency management are emphasized to foster more nurturing, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate environments. By applying ABA principles at multiple systemic levels, youth sports programs can better support lifelong physical activity, emotional well-being, and social growth, ensuring that the benefits of participation extend far beyond athletic achievement.
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) continues to face a research-to-practice gap that limits uptake of evidence-based procedures in routine service settings. This article introduces a participatory action research collaborative (PARC) model that formalizes university–agency partnerships to build research infrastructure. PARC establishes shared governance through MOUs, ethical infrastructure, and co-production with practitioners and client/family advisors. We describe governance, workflow, and training procedures that effectively embed research into routine care by building capacity in research ethics, context assessment, and treatment integrity. We identify common barriers, such as time pressures, turnover, skill gaps, and ethical oversight, and outline feasible mitigation strategies, including protected time, incentives, role clarity, and standardized protocols. The PARC model proposes that ABA agencies are learning health systems that iteratively generate practice-based evidence, enhance social validity and cultural responsiveness, and sustain durable improvements in service delivery.
