ABSTRACTImmediate echolalia is a communication excess often associated with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Most studies evaluating immediate echolalia have focused on antecedent manipulations to address deficits in stimulus control. However, most research on function‐based interventions for immediate echolalia has focused on antecedent analyses to hypothesize the potential maintaining variable, without including a functional analysis (FA) to formally evaluate the maintaining variable of immediate echolalia. The purpose of the current study was to extend the antecedent analyses that have been previously used to develop interventions for immediate echolalia and determine if a maintaining variable for immediate echolalia could be determined through a functional analysis. In the second phase of the study, an alternating treatments design was used to compare the effectiveness of a nonfunction based intervention to a function‐based intervention.

ABSTRACTPairing, sometimes called rapport building, is a technique used to contribute to therapeutic relationships and help establish instructional control with clients. While these skills have been explicitly trained in previous studies, engaging in these skills in natural therapeutic settings could be difficult due to environmental stressors common to these environments. In this regard, acceptance and commitment training (ACT) can be a useful supplement to traditional performance management techniques (e.g., training, feedback). The present study examined three operationalized presession pairing skills with three Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs). A concurrent multiple probe design across participants was used to evaluate the use of ACT training on these skills. Participants were first exposed to a brief ACT module. Following monitoring of performance, participants whose percentage of skills fell below inclusionary criteria were provided with supplemental behavioral skills training (BST). Results suggest that ACT alone may result in temporary performance increases, however, 2 of 3 participants required additional support with BST to reach acceptable levels. In short, ACT may be an effective methodology to improve employee performance, but it likely should be a complement to effective training and performance management processes.

ABSTRACTWhen social interactions do not function as efficacious reinforcers, it may impede learning in environments that rely on differential social consequences. Although researchers have evaluated methods of improving the function of social interaction, these methods are not always effective, perhaps because they are inconsistent with principles of Pavlovian conditioning. In the current study, we evaluated whether a basic‐research‐informed approach could increase the reinforcing efficacy of social interactions for two children with developmental disabilities. Specifically, we evaluated the effects of conditioning procedures that ensured large C/t ratios by using progressive ratio schedules to quantify changes in the reinforcing efficacy of play with and without social interaction. The C/t ratio represents the temporal contiguity between stimuli, where C is the average time between unconditioned stimulus (US) deliveries, and t is the average time between the neutral stimulus and US deliveries. Improvements in absolute and relative reinforcer efficacy of social interaction were obtained for both participants, suggesting that methods which ensure large C/t could result in more efficacious conditioning interventions. We discuss the need for further translational and applied research as well as potential clinical implications.

ABSTRACTEffective staff training and supervision are vital in human care services, influencing staff performance and the quality of care. This study explores the effectiveness of an 8 h training program for Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) in providing performance feedback, specifically in the context of a Paired Stimulus (PS) preference assessment. The training consisted of 5 h of instruction, exercises, and discussions, followed by 3 h of Behavioral Skills Training (BST), emphasizing performance feedback as a pivotal component. Using a concurrent multiple probe design across four supervisors, the results demonstrated substantial improvement in supervisors' ability to provide performance feedback, which in turn enhanced supervisees PS preference assessment skills. Furthermore, two of the four supervisees demonstrated mastery of feedback‐giving skills after receiving performance feedback and observing their supervisors being given feedback. The remaining two supervisees required direct instruction in feedback delivery in order to meet the mastery criteria. The study contributes to the limited literature on training supervisors to provide effective feedback and the importance of incorporating specific feedback‐giving skills in supervision training programs.

ABSTRACTIn a synthesized contingency analysis (SCA), contingencies hypothesized to maintain problem behavior are combined into a single test condition; if the behavior occurs at a higher rate in that condition relative to the control, it is assumed to be maintained by a synthesized contingency. This study evaluated whether a single maintaining function could be determined using a SCA. Putative reinforcers were divided into three synthesized test contingencies in which target behavior was measured and compared to a single control condition. Next, abductive reasoning was applied to ascertain if a single maintaining function could be determined as a proof‐of‐concept demonstration. This procedure identified a single function for one of three participants, consistent with the results of a single contingency analysis (i.e., standard functional analysis). The utility of including more than one synthesized condition, when competing hypotheses about synthesized, multiply maintained, or singly maintained behavior, is discussed from these results.

ABSTRACTAccidental poisoning of children in the United States is a problem, especially for vulnerable children with developmental disabilities. Research has shown that active learning approaches such as behavioral skills training are more effective for teaching poison safety skills to children with disabilities. Some research also suggests that video modeling and video self‐modeling (VSM) may be effective for teaching safety skills to children with disabilities. As only one study has evaluated VSM for teaching gun safety skills, more research is needed to evaluate this intervention. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using VSM to teach poison safety skills to children with disabilities. The results showed that VSM was effective for one participant and VSM with in situ training was effective for the other two.

ABSTRACTActive engagement broadly refers to the use of incidental teaching strategies and reinforcement‐based procedures to promote appropriate behavior, language, and skill acquisition in naturalistic instructional settings. Teaching instructional personnel (e.g., teachers, paraprofessionals) to consistently engage in these practices can be resource‐intensive and difficult to scale. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a brief, group‐based behavioral skills training model, combined with in situ feedback, to increase the use of incidental teaching and contingent reinforcement among trainees working with preschool‐aged children with developmental disabilities in an inclusive classroom setting. Seven adults participated in the training, which included instruction, modeling, role‐play, and feedback. Participants who did not meet performance criteria received in situ feedback during classroom activities. Results showed that most participants required in situ feedback to reach mastery, but once achieved, performance improvements were maintained for up to 20 weeks. These findings support the use of scalable training models that incorporate in situ feedback to promote active engagement strategies among emerging behavior analysts in applied educational settings.

ABSTRACTApplied behavior analysis (ABA) relies on functional behavior assessments (FBAs) like functional analysis (FA) to address challenging behaviors effectively. FA, the most rigorous FBA method, accurately identifies underlying functional variables, guiding targeted interventions. Despite FA's proven efficacy, its integration into ABA practice is limited. This inconsistency may stem from inadequate training on FA methodologies' strengths and limitations. This study surveyed recognized FA experts to identify their recommendations for selecting FA methods. Fifteen experts participated, sharing insights on backgrounds, training needs, and decision‐making criteria across 11 FA variations. Experts emphasized considering multiple FA methodologies and offered detailed considerations for practitioners selecting FA types as part of the FA process. Their insights have the potential to inform practitioner decision‐making based on expert input.

ABSTRACTTeaching listener selection responses to students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) through auditory‐visual conditional discrimination (AVCD) tasks is both essential and challenging in early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) programs. We evaluated the efficacy of two instructional approaches—conditional discrimination‐based instruction (CDB) and joint control‐based instruction (JCB)—using an adaptive alternative treatment design with six Chinese‐speaking students with ASD. Results consistently showed that JCB was more effective than CDB. Our findings support the role of joint control as a form of verbal mediation in AVCD tasks and highlight the multiply controlled nature of intraverbal behavior. The findings provide valuable insights for educators aiming to enhance language intervention strategies.

ABSTRACTPsychotropic medications are commonly prescribed to address challenging behavior of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This paper provides a topical review of the literature examining support staff's perception of both their knowledge of psychotropic medication effects and the role they play (or lack thereof) when it comes to decision‐making and patient advocacy regarding psychotropic medication use. Also reviewed was the literature regarding the training support staff receive on psychotropic medication effectiveness and their side effects. Although training on psychotropic medication has enhanced support staff knowledge and awareness of medication effects, it is unclear if the training has impacted the overall use of psychotropic medication within this population. Existing gaps in the literature and recommendations for future research are discussed.