A stimulus preference assessment (SPA) is a fundamental tool used by practitioners to predict stimuli that function as reinforcers. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) requires that all certified behavior analysts and behavioral technicians be trained in SPA methodology (BACB, 2017). SPA procedures are used by nearly 9 out of 10 behavior analysts in the field (Graff & Karsten, 2012). Over the last 4 decades, there has been a litany of research on SPA procedures. Despite the universality of training, application, and research, discussions on the selection of SPA procedures have been sparse. Two peer-reviewed articles have focused on clinical decision making in the selection of SPA procedures. Karsten et al. (2011) introduced an in situ decision-making model, whereas Virues-Ortega et al. (2014) developed an a priori algorithm based on client and stimuli characteristics. The SPADS addresses the limitations of prior models by considering the effects of stimuli dimensions, client characteristics, relative administration times, and the outcomes agreement between two potentially efficacious, context-specfic SPA procedures.

Increased demand for applied behavior analysis (ABA) services has increased the need for additional masters-level practitioners and doctoral-level academicians and clinical directors. Based on these needs, the University of Nebraska Medical Center's (UNMC) Munroe-Meyer Institute has developed a PhD program. The academic structure at UNMC allowed us to create our PhD program in a relatively quick and efficient manner. Our PhD program has many unique features, including (a) close integration of didactic instruction with clinical and research training provided by leading experts in ABA in which students immediately apply concepts introduced in the classroom during coordinated clinical and research practica; (b) structured grant writing training in which students learn to write and submit an NIH-level grant; (c) financial support in the form of a stipend of $23,400 per year, free health benefits, and a full-tuition waiver for up to 12 credits per semester for UNMC courses (a benefits package worth approximately $50,000 per year for an out-of-state student); and (d) encouragement and financial support to present papers at local, regional, and national behavior analysis conferences.

School psychologists are tasked with ensuring treatment integrity because the level of intervention implementation affects decisions about student progress. Treatment integrity includes multiple dimensions that may impact the effectiveness of an intervention including adherence, dosage, quality, and engagement. Unfortunately, treatment integrity is not routinely monitored in consultation. A systematic framework is needed to better prepare practitioners to assess, analyze, and intervene when there are treatment integrity failures. A framework for monitoring and improving multiple dimensions of treatment integrity in natural settings is proposed to provide guidance to practitioners through two phases. The first phase focuses on improving initial treatment integrity and the second phase outlines a problem‐solving process for improving treatment integrity.

We evaluated the impact of antecedent specificity in goal statements on adherence to positive behavior-management strategies. Teaching staff were recruited from 2 different school settings where there were routine expectations to use behavior-specific praise in the classroom, but adherence was poor. In a concurrent multiple baseline design, the use of behavior-specific praise by 4 participants was found to be unaffected by goal statements that increasingly specified the behavior to be used and the conditions under which the behavior should occur. However, adherence by 3 of the 4 participants did change when goal statements included teacher-specified frequencies with which the behavior should occur. Results were systematically replicated in a second study in which, in a concurrent multiple baseline design, 3 participants showed marked increases in adherence when goal statements specified the target behavior, the conditions under which it should occur, and the frequency with which it should occur.

The effectiveness of fixed-time delivery of attention to increase the on-task behavior of 2 students in general education was examined. The teacher in this study provided attention to students on a 5-min fixed-time schedule and responded to students in her typical manner between cued intervals. An ABAB withdrawal design was used to test the effects of the intervention. The results of this study indicate that a fixed-time schedule of attention was effective in increasing students’ on-task behavior and decreasing their off-task behavior. Implications of the study for research and practice are discussed.

Almost 200,000 children under the age of three come into contact with the child welfare system every year. Young children are especially vulnerable to abuse and neglect because early experiences have a great impact on shaping the brain’s architecture. Some risks associated with maltreatment are: cognitive delays; attachment disorders; difficulty showing empathy; poor self-esteem; and social challenges. These risks can be exacerbated if a child is taken from the home and placed in foster care.

This study investigates the validity of the Parent Instruction–Giving Game with Youngsters (PIGGY), a newly developed direct-observation system. The PIGGY is a derivative of the Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System II [DPICS-II; Eyberg, S. M., Bessmer, J., Newcomb, K., Edwards, D., Robinson, E. (1994). Manual for the Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System-II. Social and Behavioral Sciences Documents (Ms. No. 2897)] and the Behavior Coding System [BCS; Forehand, R. L., McMahon, R. J. (1981). Helping the noncompliant child. New York: Guilford Press] and utilizes a format similar to the more structured Compliance Test [Roberts, M. W., Powers, S. W. (1988). The Compliance Test. Behavioral Assessment, 10, 375–398]. Using the PIGGY, parents provide standardized commands to their child (e.g., “Put the book on the table”). The parenting skills used to gain compliance (e.g., instruction giving, praise, discipline techniques) as well as child behavior (e.g., noncompliance) are coded on an observation form. In Study 1, 14 “noncompliant” and 14 “compliant” children and their mothers were selected based on parent report of child behavior. The PIGGY differentiated between the two groups on repeat commands, defiant child behavior, and overreactive parenting. Other forms of validity are also reported. In Study 2, the PIGGY was used to monitor the effectiveness of behavioral parent training with a mother and her 3-year-old daughter with oppositional-defiant disorder. Changes in both child and parent behavior were reflected in PIGGY scores. Overall, these studies suggest that the PIGGY may be valuable as both a screening tool and a measure of response to treatment.

This study examined the effects of effective command training with teachers on students' compliance rates and academic engagement. Three target students were selected who were exhibiting compliance rates substantially below peers. The students' teachers were taught how to provide effective commands. Results indicated that students' rates of compliance increased with increased use of effective commands. When verbal praise was added contingent on compliance, students' rates of compliance increased even more. In addition, academic engagement was shown to increase as student compliance increased and disruptive competing behaviors decreased. Implications for consultation and intervention in the classroom to increase student compliance and academic behaviors are discussed.

This article provides a brief overview of functional behavior assessment and contrasts and compares functional behavior assessment and traditional psychological assessment. Messick's (1995) theory of construct validity is presented and then applied to the evaluation of the validity of functional behavior assessment measures. Finally, implications and guidelines of current construct validity theory are presented for school psychologists developing and/or using FBA measures and procedures.

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsMark D. ShriverMark D. Shriver, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics and Psychology at the Munroe-Meyer Institute and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. His clinical, teaching, and research interests include parent training, pediatric school psychology, academic and behavioral assessment, and applied behavior analysis in the schools.Keith D. AllenKeith D. Allen, PhD, is an Associate Professor in Pediatrics and Psychology at the Munroe-Meyer Institute and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. His clinical, teaching, and research interests include treatment of children with autism and pervasive developmental disorders in the schools, pediatric chronic pain, stress-related disorders in children, and parent training.Judith R. MathewsJudith R. Mathews, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics and Psychology at the Munroe-Meyer Institute and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Her clinical, teaching, and research interests include assessment and treatment of children with autism and pervasive developmental disorders, pediatric injury control, and chronic and acute pediatric illness.

All 216 doctoral and specialist level school psychology training programs were mailed a seven question survey to determine how much behavioral consultation and behavior analysis course work school psychology students are offered. One hundred and twenty-eight surveys were returned, yielding a return rate of 58.26%. The results indicated that almost all programs offer didactic courses in consultation (98.79%) and behavior analysis/behavior modification (91.52%). The percentage of practicum devoted to behavioral consultation and behavior analysis/modification was considerably less (about 25% for each) than other subject areas. The results are discussed within the context of training needed to meet the needs of practitioners in the areas of behavioral consultation and behavior analysis/behavior modification.

A growing consensus has emerged acknowledging the interrelatedness of children's health and their school achievement. Recurrent headaches represent a clinically significant health problem for many children and youth. Recurrent headaches are one of the most common clinical problems encountered at school and they result in frequent school absences, diminished academic performance, and psychosocial comorbidity. This review addresses the role of the school psychologist in the management of recurrent headaches and related distress and provides basic information on etiology, prevalence, assessment, and treatment of recurrent headaches. The purpose is to increase the number of school psychologists who are well prepared and knowledgeable about children's unique health-care needs and how these needs can be adapted into the school ecology.

Autism is a low-incidence disorder that has received increasing attention as parents have organized seeking more effective education services for their children with autism. School psychologists will have contact with children with autism through their participation on multidisciplinary teams (MDT) to determine a child's eligibility for special education services. School psychologists can use their expertise in assessment to effectively address verification decisions in consultation with MDT members and parents. In addition, assessment that also addresses educational programming and evaluation decisions is considered best practice. To assist school psychologists assessing children with autism, this article presents information on some of the shared and unique characteristics of children with autism to help focus the purpose of assessment. The most appropriate methods of assessment to address the characteristics of autism are presented and some specific measures and instruments are evaluated.

This study explored the use of parent-mediated pain behavior management strategies as an adjunct to the biofeedback treatment of children with migraine headaches. Twenty-seven children, ages 7 to 18, presenting with migraine headaches were randomly assigned to either a biofeedback treatment group or a biofeedback treatment group that included pain behavior management guidelines for parents. Both groups demonstrated significant reductions in headache activity. The group receiving parent-mediated pain management guidelines, however, evidenced significantly greater reductions in headache frequency, were more Likely to experience clinically significant improvements, and were more likely to be headache-free. In addition, the group that received parent-mediated pain management guidelines reported children who demonstrated better adaptive functioning during treatment and at 3-month follow-up. The addition of parent-mediated pain behavior management guidelines are supported as an important adjunct to the clinical management of migraine headaches in children.

This study examined compliance parameters for 53 clinic-referred and nonreferred children, ages 2 to 10 years. Although there were significant differences between the referred and nonreferred samples for percentage compliance, there were no significant differences between the referred and nonreferred samples in terms of initiation or completion latencies. The average initiation latency was 5.92 s, whereas 98% of the sample initiated compliance within 14 s. Younger children did take longer to complete tasks. Results suggest that the use of short latencies in defining noncompliance may represent overly conservative criteria.

Recent research has indicated that both the magnitude and frequency of performance feedback may be important variables in the biofeedback treatment of headaches. The purpose of this research was to determine whether the qualitative and/or quantitative enhancement of performance feedback could improve the efficacy of thermal biofeedback as a treatment for childhood migraine. In a time‐lagged control design, six children with migraine headaches were exposed to thermal biofeedback training and then provided performance feedback reflecting moderate and high success, and, if needed, increased feedback frequency. In four of six subjects, clinically significant reductions in headache activity corresponded directly with the addition of feedback suggesting marked improvement in handwarming relative to peers, even when no improvement in handwarming had actually occurred. In two other subjects, clinically significant changes in headache activity were reported only after performance feedback frequency was increased. The results support the importance of attending to both qualitative and quantitative parameters of feedback as well as skill acquisition during thermal biofeedback treatment of children with migraine.