Function-based Interventions Research Articles

Formative applications of ongoing visual inspection for trial-based functional analysis: A proof of concept.

Trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) possesses many strategic advantages which make it an ideal candidate for adoption in applied settings. Notwithstanding, some aspects of the analysis remain underdeveloped, including structured guidelines for interacting with obtained data reliably in formative and summative ways. The purpose of this study was to adapt existing ongoing visual-inspection (OVI) criteria to match the idiosyncrasies of TBFA and then to assess their practical utility in applied settings. Thus, we first drafted OVI criteria appropriate for trial-based FA (i.e., TB-OVI). Then, we trained 5 caregivers to conduct TBFAs of their children's challenging behavior and to react to their data as they obtained it, using the TB-OVI criteria as their guide. Finally, we validated interpretations of TBFA outcomes based on TB-OVI criteria through effective intervention. Across 5 participants and 7 opportunities, function-based interventions successfully eliminated challenging behavior.

Functional Analysis and Successful Treatment of a Captive Rhesus Macaque’s Disruptive Behavior

ABSTRACT Functional analysis (FA) is a method developed and used by behavior analysts in human clinical settings to identify possible environmental variables that reinforce undesired behavior. FA is increasingly being applied to better understand the behavior of nonhuman animals. When training monkeys in a room with others, disruptive behavior displayed by neighboring monkeys can impede training progress. In the present study, a FA identified possible reinforcers of disruptive behavior (loud shaking of a toy) exhibited frequently (24% duration pre-treatment) by a rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) during in-room training sessions. The functional analysis identified that contingent delivery of foods was maintaining the disruptive behavior, with a mean percent duration of 57% in this condition. The implementation of a function-based treatment consisting of continuous access to a preferred food during in-room training sessions successfully decreased disruptive behavior by over 90% as measured during 15 subsequent sessions. This study advances the current literature applying functional analysis to nonhuman primates as a means of determining the reinforcers maintaining aberrant or undesirable behavior and applying effective treatments based on understanding this function.

Effects of Intensive Coaching on Educator Implementation of a Comprehensive Function-Based Intervention Package

Effects of Intensive Coaching on Educator Implementation of a Comprehensive Function-Based Intervention Package

Are functionally identified reinforcers more effective in interdependent group contingencies?

ABSTRACT Both function-based interventions and group contingency strategies have been used by behavior analysts for multiple decades to both promote desired behavior and reduce challenging behavior. The current study assessed the comparative impact on off-task behavior of students with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities of interdependent group contingencies employing either function-matched or nonfunction-matched reinforcers during academic work periods. The results demonstrated that both versions had a positive impact in reducing off-task behavior, with some indication that the function-matched reinforcer condition may have been somewhat more effective. Limitations of the study are discussed along with suggestions for future research in this area.

On the Occurrence of Dangerous Problem Behavior during Functional Analysis: An Evaluation of 30 Applications.

Functional analyses are often conducted by behavior analysts to understand the environmental variables contributing to an individual's problem behavior to better inform treatment implementation. While functional analyses are integral for designing function-based interventions, they often arrange contingencies to evoke and reinforce dangerous problem behavior. In Study 1 we reviewed 22 functional analyses with open-contingency classes including non-dangerous topographies of problem behavior and we found that participants were more likely to exhibit the non-dangerous behavior in 82% of the applications. We then conducted a single-subject comparison of closed and open-contingency classes with four additional participants in Study 2. Our results suggest that the functional analyses with the open-contingency class reduced the likelihood of observing dangerous problem behavior.

Owner-Implemented Functional Analyses and Reinforcement-Based Treatments for Mouthing in Dogs.

The most effective behavioral interventions are function based, which requires the identification of the behavioral function. A functional analysis is conducted to isolate and identify the environmental variables maintaining target behavior, and this method is effective across species. In domesticated dogs, mouthing is a common behavior and is considered problematic by many people. However, mouthing is not always simple to treat with standard interventions without identifying the function of the dog's mouthing. Without efficacious interventions, undesirable behavior in companion animals may result in reduced welfare, an increased likelihood of relinquishment, or an increased probability of euthanasia. The purpose of this study was to provide a clinical demonstration of an owner-conducted functional analysis to identify the contingencies maintaining mouthing behavior in dogs and apply the results to owner-implemented function-based interventions to reduce mouthing. Identified functions included attention and tangibles, and owner-implemented interventions were successful at reducing mouthing in all three dogs.

Outcomes of Teacher Professional Development and Learning in Addressing Challenging Behaviour in Vietnamese Students with Intellectual Disability: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT Challenging behaviour is a problematic issue for students with intellectual disability, including those in special education settings. While there is a need to address challenging behaviour in these schools, most Vietnamese classroom teachers struggle to deal with those behaviours due to their lack of effective strategies. In response, this first study was the initial part of a two-phase project that investigated the outcomes of professional development and learning for teachers and students in the Vietnamese context. The main purpose of this study was to pilot the design, research procedures, and instruments of the whole project. Participants were students with intellectual disability and challenging behaviour, and their teachers in Vietnamese special education settings. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected to determine the outcomes of the teacher professional development and learning program through changes in the perception, understanding, level of confidence, strategies of teachers in using Function-based Intervention as well as challenging and replacement behaviours of target students. Insights obtained from this study will help determine the direction of the second phase of the project.

Schedule Thinning During Functional Communication Training in the Home for Young Children With Autism

Functional communication training (FCT) is a common function-based intervention for young children with or at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to teach an alternative communicative response to replace problem behavior. While FCT is effective in decreasing problem behavior, often the communicative behavior that is taught occurs at a higher rate than a caregiver can reinforce. For this study, we first examined the effectiveness of an FCT intervention to decrease problem behavior and increase appropriate communication. The intervention was based on a trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) conducted in the home. Next, we applied two approaches for thinning the schedule of reinforcement (i.e., delay to reinforcement and chained schedules) following the FCT. For all three young children (ages 3–5 years) with or at risk for ASD, at least one function of behavior was identified for each participant using TBFA and the subsequent FCT intervention led to a decrease in problem behavior and increase in functional communication. The procedure for thinning the schedule was selected based on the function of the behavior and results showed that both were successful in maintaining low levels of problem behavior following FCT. Implications for research and practice are discussed and suggestions for future research studies are presented.

Effects of Demand Complexity on Echolalia in Students With Autism.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-020-00535-7.

An intensive telehealth assessment and treatment model for an adult with developmental disabilities

Over the last decade, the provision of applied behavior analysis (ABA) services within a telehealth delivery format has had a flourishing literature base. Research has demonstrated that caregivers can successfully conduct functional analyses and functional communication training to treat challenging behavior with coaching from practitioners via telehealth. Previous limitations include research that has only been conducted with children, typically in 1hr, weekly meetings, so the utility of providing ABA therapy via telehealth across the lifespan is unknown. Additionally, the effects of a more intensive treatment format delivered via telehealth has not been evaluated. The purpose of the current study was to coach caregivers to conduct the assessment and treatment process for a young man with developmental disabilities using an intensive-outpatient model in a telehealth format. Functional analysis procedures led to the development of a function-based treatment to reduce challenging behavior and increase functional communication. Caregivers demonstrated high procedural integrity across all phases of the study and found the intervention highly acceptable and effective. Areas for future research and directions are discussed.

術後痛が持続した人工膝関節全置換術後症例に対する知覚機能に着目した介入の実践

術後痛が持続した人工膝関節全置換術後症例に対する知覚機能に着目した介入の実践

The Use of Isolated and Synthesized Latency Functional Analyses in the Assessment and Treatment of Clothing Removal Exhibited by a Child with Autism

The case of a 9-year-old male with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who presented with problem behavior in the form of high-frequency clothing removal is reported. Descriptive data indicated the behavior occurred when tasks were presented and commonly delayed task demands and resulted in staff attention. Two latency functional analyses with isolated and synthesized contingencies were completed to clarify the operant function of the behavior. Initial results of the synthesized analysis indicated clothing removal was sensitive to attention and escape. However, a subsequent functional analysis with isolated contingencies indicated that the behavior was maintained only by attention. A function-based intervention package consisting of attention extinction, response blocking, and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) effectively reduced the frequency of clothing removal to near-zero levels. Results of the intervention were partially generalized to a new therapist. The use of latency functional analyses as a means to rapidly examine isolated and synthesized contingencies maintaining problem behavior is discussed as well as the effects of the treatment package on the behavior of clothing removal.

Rationale, Development, and Description of a Brief Family-Centered Service Provision Model for Addressing Children’s Severe Behavior

ABSTRACT For families with children with autism that engage in severe behavior, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that functional assessment and management of environmental variables contributing to severe behavior occur prior to the prescription of psychopharmacologic treatment. Despite the inclusion of this recommendation in guidance articles published in pediatric journals for more than a decade, access to such services may not be feasible, in particular for families living in rural and geographically isolated communities. Given that families often view pediatricians as their first line of professional guidance for addressing challenges surrounding child development, the inaccessibility of appropriate services for managing healthcare is a concern for many pediatricians. To address this issue, a brief family-centered service provision model was developed through a collaboration between healthcare providers at a university-based hospital and Applied Behavior Analysis program faculty of the affiliated university. The hospital served many families living in rural areas of the state; therefore, the model utilized research-based practices with evidence of ecological validity for providing function-based assessment and treatment services. Within this manuscript we present a description of the model and its current implementation at a university-based hospital. For a data-based evaluation of the clinic and model, we refer readers to https://osf.io/qx8ak.

A Feasibility Randomized Clinical Trial of a Structured Function-Based Intervention for Elopement in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Elopement is a common and dangerous concern in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is evidence that behavior analytic treatments can successfully treat elopement, but the research is limited due to small samples and treatment components varying across studies. The current study evaluated the feasibility of studying a manualized intervention for elopement, based on strategies from single-subject research, in a randomized clinical trial with 24 individuals with ASD. Results demonstrated that recruitment was feasible; the manual was acceptable to parents; and therapists followed the manual with high-integrity. Initial efficacy results measured by the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, Clinical Global Impression Scale, and a Home Elopement Safety Checklist suggested improvement in the treatment group that should be studied in future research.

The Ecological Validity of Research Studies on Function-Based Interventions in Schools for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Our main purpose in this review was to determine the extent to which ecological validity was demonstrated and assessed in single-case experimental design (SCED) studies examining the effectiveness of function-based interventions (FBIs) for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within schools. We reviewed 55 SCED studies published between 1985 and 2019 to identify indicators of ecological validity and the instruments used to assess it. We also conducted an analysis to determine the extent to which implementation procedures were described. Results indicated that approximately half of the assessments and FBIs were conducted by teachers in classrooms. Approximately 50% of the assessments and FBIs were implemented within the context of isolated sessions and required multiple implementers. Ecological validity was assessed in seven of the studies reviewed. A complete description of implementation procedures was provided for approximately half of the assessments and FBIs. Limitations of the present review and future directions for research are discussed.

Applied behavior analysis measurement, assessment, and treatment of sleep and sleep-related problems.

This discussion article considers applied behavior analysis measurement, assessment, and treatment of sleep and sleep-related problems among infants, children, and youth who are typically developing and have neurodevelopmental disabilities. Measurement has concentrated on designing practitioner-implemented methods and improving fidelity of data recording through sleep-monitoring instrumentation. The emphasis of assessment is identifying antecedent and consequence variables that promote sleep and evoke and maintain sleep-related problems. Treatment research has evaluated several effective interventions for problems such as delayed sleep-onset, night and early morning waking, bedtime resistance, and unwanted co-sleeping. Early and contemporary applied behavior analysis research is reviewed relative to function-based treatment formulation, intervention integrity, social validity, and research-to-practice translation.

Functional communication training: From efficacy to effectiveness.

Functional communication training (FCT; Carr & Durand, 1985) is a common function-based treatment in which an alternative form of communication is taught to reduce problem behavior. FCT has been shown to result in substantial reductions of a variety of topographically and functionally different types of problem behavior in children and adults (efficacy). The extent to which these reductions maintain in relevant contexts and result in meaningful changes in the lives of those impacted (effectiveness) is the focus of this paper. This review evaluates the degree to which FCT has been established as an evidence-based practice in psychology (EBPP) according to the definition set out by the American Psychological Association's 2005 Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice. Our review finds overwhelming evidence in support of FCT as an efficacious treatment but highlights significant limitations in support of its effectiveness. In order to also be recognized as an EBPP, future research on FCT will need to focus more closely on issues related to home, school, and community application, feasibility, consumer satisfaction, and more general and global changes for the individual.

기능기반의 중재 패키지가 뇌병변장애 아동의 순응행동에 미치는 효과

This study conducted a function-based intervention package to a child with brain lesions, and examined the changes and maintenance of compliance. The Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible of behavior (DRI) was applied, which has been proven to be effective in prior studies. The avoidance extinction were added to the noncompliance after considering the functions of behavior. Based on the Stimulus Preference Assessment (SPA) and Competing Stimulus Assessment (CSA) results, the individualized reinforcer were provided for compliance. In terms of variables, the function-based intervention package was set as independent variables and compliance with walking instructions as subordinate variables. The experimental control was demonstrated using the reversal design to the child with 1st-degree brain lesions currently attending special schools. As a result of the study deriving from visual analysis, the function-based intervention package increased the compliance of the child with brain lesions. It maintained the intervention effect even when no intervention was provided after the experiment ended. The study also showed the limitations in applying function-based intervention package to the child with brain lesions in special school and presented discussions on future studies.

An Evaluation of a Published Intervention Selection Model for Escape-Maintained Problem Behavior

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of an intervention selection model on the outcomes of function-based interventions for escape-maintained problem behavior. The study included five children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and was conducted in a school setting. We conducted functional analyses to determine the function of problem behavior. BCBAs and special educators then independently used the intervention selection model to select an indicated intervention for each participant, with agreement as to the selected intervention in four of five cases. We then implemented identified function-based interventions resulting in reductions in problem behavior and acquisition of an appropriate replacement behavior for all participants. This study has implications for practitioners seeking to reduce problem behavior of students with ASD in school settings.

Training Special Education Teachers to Select and Implement Appropriate Procedural Variations of Functional Communication Training

Training teachers to select and implement appropriate function-based interventions may reduce their reliance on behavior specialists and other support staff to help manage their students’ problem behavior in the classroom. Most prior studies on this type of training evaluated outcomes by measuring teachers’ verbal report rather than their implementation of interventions. The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend prior research by training teachers to identify the putative function of problem behavior via assessment of descriptive data, to select the appropriate procedural variation of functional communication training (FCT), and to implement FCT accurately in role play. Five special education teachers participated. Results suggested that behavioral skills training (BST) was highly effective for all participants. These findings have important implications for disseminating behavior-analytic interventions into settings with limited resources.