ABSTRACT Functional communication training has been found to be an effective treatment for individuals with developmental disabilities who exhibit challenging behavior. Despite strong empirical support, variables such as preference for the functional communication response modality may influence its effectiveness. Incorporating both child and caregiver preferences into functional communication training remains important to both the social validity and efficacy of treatment. The purpose of this study was to extend previous research by replicating a sequential extinction procedure to establish a preference hierarchy for functional communication response modalities within the context of functional communication training. Next, we compared caregiver‐reported preference hierarchies collected before and after viewing their child's preference data and to their child's preference hierarchies. The sequential extinction procedure resulted in the establishment of a preference hierarchy with minimal and transient challenging behavior for all child participants. One caregiver's reported preference shifted to align with the child's following viewing their child's preference data.
ABSTRACT Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) is designed to establish critical social, cognitive, language, and adaptive repertoires. The current study examines changes in scores and growth curves on the most commonly used curriculum assessment, the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB‐MAPP), in a routine clinical care setting for autistic children in EIBI services. It is also the first study to examine how correlations between VB‐MAPP scores and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale–Third Edition (VABS‐III) (i.e., a norm‐referenced measure) throughout treatment. The mean VB‐MAPP change score was 69.6 points in about 1.5 years of treatment, with the greatest change occurring between the first and second assessments (i.e., initially steep growth curves that lessen in slope over time). The VABS‐III communication domain, adaptive behavior composite, and socialization domain had moderate to strong correlations with VB‐MAPP scores and those correlations became stronger throughout the treatment process. Age was a predictor of initial VB‐MAPP scores (i.e., lower age, lower score), supporting the importance of early identification and access to treatment. Children who exited services prematurely made progress in treatment, but more slowly than children who remained in services until a recommended discharge.
ABSTRACT Avoidance of specific sensory stimuli is commonly reported in autistic individuals, which can significantly impact functioning. In practice, clinicians often rely on dubious therapies for treatment of avoidant responses (e.g., sensory integration therapy). Methodologically, clinicians and researchers have relied solely on direct observations to identify the assumed stimuli and associated overt concerning behavior via single‐case designs and verbal reports, as internal responding is often difficult to objectively measure. The current study examined the anxious avoidant responses to auditory stimuli and the associated concerning behavior of a 13‐year‐old male diagnosed with ASD, specifically to sounds of food consumption. An antecedent analysis was conducted alongside a treatment analysis using both direct behavioral observation and galvanic skin response to measure both overt behavioral and autonomic responding. Treatment analysis resulted in reductions in both concerning behavior (68% reduction) and autonomic nervous system activation (47% reduction) with implementation of a behaviorally based intervention package combining progressive relaxation training with competing preferred activities. The convergent validity between behavioral and physiological measures supports the integration of objective physiological measurement with traditional behavioral assessment methods.
ABSTRACT Individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including those meeting criteria for profound autism, often experience significant difficulty tolerating dental procedures. This often leads to the use of restraint, sedation, or results in incomplete exams due to severe challenging behavior. The current study evaluated a functional communication and reinforcement package designed to teach skills required to undergo a dental exam to three adults with profound autism living in a congregate care setting. The intervention utilized a changing criterion design for reinforcing completion of successive steps in the dental exam related skills task analysis. A functional communication response (FCR) to request a break was also taught to participants. At the conclusion of the study, all three participants acquired a FCR and all of the targeted dental exam‐related skills without relying on escape extinction procedures. In addition, challenging behavior was observed to occur infrequently. For one participant, skills generalized to an actual dental office, where a cleaning and exam provided by a dental hygienist were successfully completed without challenging behavior. Social validity ratings from implementers, staff, and a community‐based dental hygienist indicated that both the procedures and outcomes were acceptable and clinically meaningful. These findings suggest that a functional communication and reinforcement package may be an efficacious and compassionate approach for teaching the skills required to participate in a dental exam to adults with profound autism and severe challenging behavior.
ABSTRACT Functional communication training (FCT) is a form of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) commonly paired with extinction to treat challenging behavior. However, extinction procedures may not always be feasible or appropriate for adult clients. We replicated previous research by examining the use of concurrent schedules of DRA without extinction for challenging behavior, functional communication responses, and task completion with two adults with autism. After evaluating the efficacy of FCT, we used asymmetrical‐reinforcement conditions (e.g., reinforcer‐quality manipulations) to encourage response allocation toward cooperation with tasks rather than requesting breaks or engaging in challenging behavior. We then extended previous research by demonstrating that asymmetrical treatment effects remained durable despite thinning the schedule of reinforcement. We discuss limitations and directions for future research regarding non‐extinction‐based treatments for adults.
ABSTRACT Childhood food allergies are prevalent in the United States and are considered a public health issue. Behavioral skills training (BST) and in situ training (IST) have commonly been used to teach children to engage in a variety of safety skills. One study evaluated the efficacy of BST and IST to teach typically developing children to identify and avoid food allergens by reading food labels. Similar research to teach children to avoid eating food allergens by asking an adult if their food is safe to eat has not been conducted. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of BST, and IST if necessary, to teach safety skills to children to avoid food allergens. The target behavior was to refuse the food, leave, and ask a parent if the food was safe when presented with an unknown food item. The results showed that BST was effective in teaching two of the participants the safety response, while one participant required BST and IST to engage in the complete safety response. These results suggest that BST alone can be effective in teaching safety skills to children, although IST may be needed for some children to learn safety skills.
ABSTRACT Aggressive behavior is prevalent and clinically significant in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), yet research remains conceptually fragmented across disciplines. This review aims to synthesize current literature through a function‐oriented ecological framework. A total of 142 empirical studies published between 2014 and March 2025 were systematically reviewed. Data analysis was performed to evaluate participant characteristics, overt behaviors, assessment tools, and influencing factors. Most studies focused on school‐aged boys with ASD, with physical aggression being the most frequently examined topography. Forty‐eight assessment instruments were identified, reflecting considerable methodological heterogeneity. Notably, while the broader psychiatric literature heavily emphasized static individual characteristics and standardized measurements, the behavior‐analytic literature highlighted the critical role of experimental functional analyses. These rigorous studies directly demonstrate that aggressive behavior is usually maintained by social contingencies. Although empirical attention to aggression in ASD has increased, theoretical coherence and functional integration remain limited. Future research should shift from descriptive trait analyses toward function‐based, ecologically valid approaches that directly link assessment and intervention to observable environmental contingencies, thereby enhancing the precision and efficacy of behavioral interventions.
ABSTRACT Leisure activities enable individuals who have cerebral palsy with multiple disabilities to utilize their leisure time effectively and efficiently. By ensuring they have enjoyable experiences during this period, leisure activities play a significant role in their lives. In the literature, there are very few studies that focus on teaching leisure skills using picture activity schedules. However, no research has been found that explores teaching leisure activities using video‐supported picture activity schedules via tablets. Therefore, this study aims to teach leisure activity to individuals who have cerebral palsy with multiple disabilities using video‐supported picture activity schedules delivered through tablets. The study included three participants, aged between 9 and 10 years. The findings indicate that the video‐supported picture activity schedule is an effective intervention for acquiring target skills. Additionally, it was observed that the participants maintained and generalized the skills acquired even 1, 3, and 4 weeks after the intervention concluded. Despite the strong findings, the study has limitations such as the short follow‐up durations and a small number of participants. There is a need for research that includes longer observation periods and tests the effectiveness on a broader range of participants and skills.
ABSTRACT Youth diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are at a higher risk for experiencing difficulties following instructions, which may lead to coercive interactions with caregivers and an increase in other challenging behaviors. However, parents often face significant barriers (e.g., transportation, long distances from clinics) accessing effective services to address these issues. To overcome these barriers, the current study evaluated the effectiveness of virtually delivered behavioral skills training with three parent‐child dyads for improving parents' use of effective instruction delivery to improve their children's response to instructions. Results indicated that all parent participants demonstrated an increase in accurate use of effective instruction delivery with concomitant improvements in children's response to instructions. These results were found to maintain for up to 5 weeks. Moreover, parents endorsed virtually delivered behavioral skills training and effective instruction delivery as an acceptable training procedure and intervention to improve instruction following, respectively. Results, implications, limitations, and future direction are discussed.
ABSTRACT This study examined the effectiveness of simultaneous prompting delivered in a small‐group instructional arrangement with opportunities for choral responding on teaching preschoolers with ASD to emit intraverbal responses to safety‐related questions about dangerous materials. A concurrent multiple baseline design across behaviors, replicated across three participants, was employed. Findings indicated that all students acquired the target skills, maintained them over time, and generalized them across different settings and people. Parents reported that the skills were functional and socially significant, while teachers evaluated the procedure as ecologically valid, particularly in terms of its applicability to natural classroom settings. The study contributes to the literature by extending evidence on the effectiveness of simultaneous prompting and demonstrating its feasibility in small‐group contexts. Results highlight not only the potential of simultaneous prompting to promote skill acquisition but also its ecological relevance and social acceptability, offering practical implications for classroom‐based interventions for students with ASD.
ABSTRACT The primary purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which teachers could implement the Inclusive Superhero Game (ISG), an intervention derived from the unknown dependent group contingency (DGC), to increase inclusive, helping and positive or general interactions between students with and without special education needs (SEN) across two inclusive education classrooms. Specifically, the focal SEN students across both classrooms had diagnoses of dyslexia and an anxiety disorder. Additionally, this study assessed the effects of the ISG functioning as a classwide behavior management strategy. Lastly, the social validity of the intervention was assessed from the perspectives of both the teachers and the students. A reversal design was employed to compare the effects of the ISG to baseline conditions. The ISG was found to be effective in increasing each interaction type among students and somewhat functioning as a classwide behavior management strategy. Overall, the intervention was found to be socially valid. This is the first study to show that the unknown DGC is effective at increasing inclusive, helping and positive or general interactions between SEN and non‐SEN students in inclusive education classrooms.
ABSTRACT Manding for information is a critical skill implicated in social, academic, and vocational success. It may be challenging to teach individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to mand for information as information may not function as a reinforcer. In this study, experimenters evaluated the effects of three distinct establishing operations (EO) interspersed with a control condition in which the EO for information was absent (i.e., there was an abolishing operation (AO) for information), and a progressive echoic prompt delay to teach three children with ASD to mand for information in the form of “Why?”. All three participants acquired the “why” mand for information (MFI) under all three EOs. Generalization of the “why” MFI across EOs within the study was observed for one participant.
ABSTRACT Two young men with autism and a history of dangerous behavior learned to tolerate medical procedures without escape extinction. Graduated exposure consisting of fading steps along the dimensions of distance and duration was used to teach cooperation with medical procedures that required either an anesthetic mask or an otoscope. Escape from medical procedures was concurrently available following both challenging behavior and cooperation, and verbal praise and a preferred edible were delivered contingent upon cooperation with the prescribed step. Both participants achieved the target performance in less than 40 cumulative minutes of training. This study provides further evidence that in some cases, graduated exposure without escape extinction can produce socially valid outcomes that can be maintained over time.
ABSTRACT Behavioral Skills Training (BST) is an evidence‐based method for teaching behavioral procedures, but to date, no studies have evaluated its use to train practitioners in implementing Skill‐Based Treatment (SBT). Four behavior technicians received BST, consisting of the four standard procedures (i.e., instruction/rationale, rehearsal, feedback, and modeling), to learn the first three component skills of SBT. Social validity was assessed with a questionnaire evaluating the acceptability and usefulness of the training. All participants reached mastery within three training trials, maintained high accuracy 2 weeks later, and rated the procedures as highly acceptable, useful, and enjoyable. Findings suggest that BST can effectively be used to train practitioners in the beginning steps of SBT implementation, with strong procedural social validity.
ABSTRACT For justice‐involved youth (JIY) in residential facilities, a variety of daily interactions may give rise to distressing internal stimuli. In turn, these internal stimulus conditions often lead to chronic states of distress, contributing to increased challenging behavior, negative affect, or both, worsening conditions of confinement. Although a variety of evidence‐based interventions exist for JIY, the extent to which these interventions allow youth to take an active role in making treatment decisions is varied and limited. In addition, a relative paucity of research exists on the feasibility of cognitive defusion with JIY. The present study sought to determine if defusion is an effective intervention to decrease self‐reported distress levels among JIY. Participants were invited to (a) develop an individualized subjective units of distress scale, (b) implement three defusion strategies in response to a script during individual sessions, and (c) provide feedback about the intervention process. Results were used to make recommendations to participants regarding effective and preferred strategies based on their feedback. Findings suggest defusion can be effectively implemented by behavior analysts in practice with JIY. Limitations of this application model and directions for future research are discussed.
ABSTRACT Timely and accurate data collection is an essential component of successful behavior‐analytic practice. Nevertheless, concerns regarding data collection integrity (DCI) are widespread among practicing behavior analysts. This preliminary study examined the impact of conspicuous and inconspicuous measurement on data collection timeliness with one direct care staff member in a special education school setting serving students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study compared the percentage of timely data entry in an electronic data collection (EDC) system across conspicuous (i.e., obvious or apparent) and inconspicuous (i.e., not obvious or apparent) measurement conditions that were created by the supervisor being present and the disclosure of the EDC system's monitoring capabilities to the participant. The results indicated that timely data collection may be more likely to occur under conspicuous measurement conditions, even in the absence of a supervisor. These findings suggest that awareness of performance monitoring, either by a supervisor or an automated system, can enhance timeliness, potentially as a result of observer reactivity.
ABSTRACT The present study examined the effectiveness of a teacher‐implemented Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DRA) with prompting intervention on mealtime behavioral challenges among preschool children with developmental disabilities. Four preschool‐age children participated in this study, each exhibiting problematic mealtime behaviors, including crying, kicking, selective eating, and difficulty maintaining attention during classroom mealtimes. This study used a multiple baseline design across participants, lasting two months with 9–42 intervention sessions, and a 10‐min whole‐interval sampling recording procedure during mealtimes in preschool. The intervention specifically focused on establishing three appropriate mealtime behaviors: independent use of a spoon, quiet sitting, and maintaining focus on the eating task during mealtimes. Classroom teachers delivered individualized DRA protocols by providing reinforcement contingent on appropriate mealtime behaviors, while simultaneously placing inappropriate behaviors on an extinction schedule. The prompting procedures were systematically withdrawn when the children demonstrated increasingly consistent performance. The intervention resulted in significant improvements in appropriate mealtime behaviors and a reduction in problematic behaviors for all participants. Positive mealtime behaviors were sustained during subsequent snack‐time observations conducted in the post‐intervention phase. The teacher reported high satisfaction with their effectiveness but also identified practical challenges in implementing the procedures while managing broader classroom responsibilities.
ABSTRACT Autistic students with co‐occurring conditions often need additional support in mathematics. Precision Teaching (PT) has shown promise in this area, but its application has primarily focused on typically developing students, employing strategies, such as choral responding, that are less accessible to those with complex needs. Evidence is limited on PT's effectiveness for autistic students with co‐occurring conditions, particularly when implemented by frontline staff rather than PT experts. This study addressed these gaps. Five autistic students with co‐occurring conditions participated; all had Education, Health and Care Plans and attended a special education school in England, and four completed the study. Instruction focused on identifying equivalent amounts of money using worksheets and flashcards. Two concurrent multiple‐baseline across‐participant designs with two tiers were used. Instruction employed learn units and frequency‐building, delivered by CABAS teachers in sessions lasting on average 20–25 min. Participants improved, with gains maintained post‐instruction and small positive effect sizes. Participants performed well on most fluency assessments and demonstrated emerging skill application. Students with substantial differences in academic performance can benefit from PT, and frontline staff without PT expertise can implement it. However, functional relations were not fully demonstrated, feasibility remains a concern, and further research is needed.
ABSTRACT Function‐based interventions are commonly employed by behavioral practitioners to address challenging behavior sometimes displayed by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To select a function‐based intervention for implementation, practitioners first need conduct a functional behavior assessment (FBA). Given that individuals with ASD spend much of their time in school settings, it may be worthwhile to train more individuals to participate in portions of the FBA process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using a decision‐making model, a tool used to systematically guide practitioners, to train preschool staff to collect descriptive assessment data. Six staff members working at a preschool for children with ASD participated in this study. We found that for four of six staff members, the decision‐making model was effective in producing increases in accurate data collection. Two participants required one session of performance feedback, using the decision‐making model, to increase their accuracy in data collection.
ABSTRACT There are approximately 206,000 Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs). To become an RBT, individuals must complete 40 h of training and pass a competency assessment and exam, often conducted through asynchronous online platforms. This study evaluated the effects of an asynchronous online instructional package, which included computer‐based instruction, video modeling, and behavioral observations, on the measurement section of the RBT Competency Assessment. The training focused on continuous measurement, discontinuous measurement, and data and graphs competencies. Most participants met the mastery criterion on the tasks after the initial training. For tasks not passed immediately, a supplemental module with additional video modeling and behavioral observation activities resulted in competency. The results provide an initial demonstration that an online asynchronous training package can produce mastery‐level performance on measurement competencies. Further research is needed to assess the training's effectiveness on other tasks and the generality of its effects.
