Interview-informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis Research Articles

The Latency-Based Interview-Informed, Synthesized Contingency Analysis (IISCA): A Clinical Validation and Replication of 34 Applications in the USA and Brazil

The Latency-Based Interview-Informed, Synthesized Contingency Analysis (IISCA): A Clinical Validation and Replication of 34 Applications in the USA and Brazil

IISCA를 활용한 기능적 의사소통 훈련이 자폐성장애 아동의 공격행동과 의사소통 행동에 미치는 효과*

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of functional communication training (FCT) using Interview-informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis (IISCA) on the aggressive behavior and functional communication behavior of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The functions of aggressive behavior in two children with ASD were analyzed using IISCA, and functional communication training was implemented using a multiple baseline design across subjects. The study was conducted over a total of 26 sessions, divided into four phases: functional analysis, baseline measurement, intervention, and maintenance. To enhance the effectiveness of the intervention, prompting was provided using a most-to-least strategy. The results of the analysis indicated that, compared to the baseline, both children exhibited a significant reduction in aggressive behavior and a significant increase in functional communication behavior during both the intervention and maintenance phases. The findings of this study suggest that functional communication training using IISCA is effective in reducing and maintaining reductions in aggressive behavior, as well as in increasing and maintaining functional communication behavior. This study is significant in that it demonstrates the effectiveness of behavioral interventions using IISCA, thereby highlighting the potential for introducing a new method of functional analysis.

Implementing skill‐based treatment within a classroom setting for an adolescent with autism

AbstractResearch exists to support the efficacy of the Interview‐Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis (IISCA) and skill‐based treatment (SBT) to address problem behavior within a clinical setting. However, limited research is available to support their use in a classroom setting and especially as a tool to avoid the display of problem behavior altogether. In the current study, the IISCA, informed by an open‐ended interview, was conducted with a single participant in the classroom after a prolonged absence from school due to COVID‐19. Results of the IISCA were used to determine the multiple contingencies that were likely to evoke problem behavior upon re‐introduction of academic task demands. A skill‐based treatment was then developed based on these contingencies, which involved teaching the participant functional communication, delay tolerance, and following academic instruction in relevant contexts. After 25 treatment sessions, the participant had acquired and maintained all of these skills, including the ability to functionally communicate, tolerate removal of preferred items, and follow educational instructions within the typical classroom routine. This study shows the applicability of the IISCA and SBT when implemented within the classroom setting and when used to reintroduce educational instruction to an individual with autism after a prolonged break from school.

Distance-Based Collaborations for Assessing and Treating Challenging Behavior.

An interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA; Hanley et al. in J Appl Behav Anal 47:16-36, 2014) and related skill-based treatment process can result in socially valid outcomes for clients exhibiting severe challenging behavior when implemented by professionals and then transferred to parents (e.g., Santiago et al. in J Autism Dev Disord 46:797-811, 2016). However, many families do not have access to professionals trained to implement functional analyses or function-based treatments (Deochand & Fuqua Behav Anal Pract 9:243-252, 2016). Experimenters in the present study coached three parents of children with autism exhibiting severe challenging behavior through implementing an IISCA and resulting skill-based treatment process through distance-based collaborative consulting. All parents achieved differentiated functional analyses, taught their children to emit functional replacement skills, and reduced challenging behavior relative to baseline.

Predicting and Managing Risk during Functional Analysis of Problem Behavior

Maintaining participant safety during the assessment of problem behavior is of upmost importance. The performance-based, interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA) is a functional analysis that incorporates an open-ended interview with caregivers. We introduced additional questions to the interview to identify participants who are prone to escalation. We found that the percentage of dangerous problem behavior and the probability of a burst were correlated with reports of quick escalation. The results suggest that questions regarding escalation speed may be helpful for predicting any safety concerns. Researchers should consider procedural modifications when safety concerns are anticipated to ensure individuals feel physically secure.

Prioritizing choice and assent in the assessment and treatment of food selectivity

Food selectivity affects up to 72% and 45% of individuals with and without disabilities, respectively, and there is a need for interventions that rely on positive, unrestrictive strategies. We evaluated an assessment and treatment package for food selectivity for young children with developmental disabilities that prioritized caregiver collaboration, client autonomy, and did not rely on restrictive procedures (e.g. escape extinction). The process involved: (a) collaborating with caregivers on the selection of foods and design of the children’s functional analyses; (b) indirectly and directly measuring food preferences prior to treatment; (c) evaluating the sensitivity of mealtime problem behavior to environmental variables through an interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA); and (c) incorporating the assessment results into a progressive treatment process consisting of choice-making opportunities and differential reinforcement of successive approximations to consumption. Children also had the ability to opt in and out of treatment sessions. The treatment was effective in increasing consumption of nonpreferred foods and successfully extended to caregivers. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Functional analysis: what have we learned in 85 years?

Even though the term "functional analysis" (FA) is prevalent in the current behavioral literature, the concept and process have roots in the early days of basic research in behavior analysis. Furthermore, the methodology developed in the field of FA has been one of the most significant advances in research on challenging behaviors over the past four decades. The current article reviews the history of the term "functional analysis" and research related to experimental FA. The aim is to summarize what the field of behavior analysis has learned about this powerful methodology. FA is considered a gold standard of functional assessment. However, several arguments about limitations relating to methodological issues in FA and its ecological validity have been put forward. Some of these shortcomings include constraints on the time available for assessment, the risk posed by severe problem behavior, and the inability to exert tight control over environmental conditions. The literature on the subject clearly shows that refinements have been aimed not only at improving some of the methodological characteristics of FA but also at adapting the strategy for real-world application. Practical functional assessment (known as interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis [IISCA]) is a contemporary approach to assessing and treating problem behavior. Recent research on IISCA offers empirical support for the practical functional assessment and skill-based treatment model, confirming that it can obtain sustainable and socially meaningful reductions in problem behavior. Nevertheless, more research is needed to address procedural variations in, and the utility and social validity of, IISCA.

Validating a Computerized Program for Supporting Visual Analysis During Functional Analysis: The Problem Behavior Multilevel Interpreter (PB.MI).

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-021-00656-7.

Evaluating the utility of interview-informed synthesized contingency analyses in informing the treatment of problem behavior among children with autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACT Although functional analysis is a widely researched tool for determining behavioral function, traditional formats are associated with limitations that often preclude their incorporation into practice. The interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA) was developed to address such limitations. This study investigated the effectiveness and efficiency of the IISCA in determining the function of problem behavior for three non-vocal children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities in a school setting. The effectiveness of the skill-based treatment process associated with the IISCA was also evaluated, as were the acceptability of these treatment procedures and the fidelity with which they were implemented. The IISCAs yielded differentiated outcomes immediately for two participants and following a secondary analysis for the third participant. Assessment results informed the design of treatments involving functional communication training and delay- and denial-tolerance training evaluated using a changing-criterion design. Implications and limitations are discussed and recommendations for future research are offered.

Evaluating the Potential for Correspondence Between Brief Functional Analysis and Interview-Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis Procedures

School Psychologists regularly conduct Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA), though, most FBA are completed using indirect procedures, which are inadequate for creating function-based interventions relative to experimental measures, such as functional analysis (FA). However, traditional FA may be considered arduous in the school setting. Alternative procedures like brief functional analysis (BFA) and interview informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA), may be as effective and more efficient than FA. Limited research exploring the correspondence of these procedures exists. The current study used an alternating treatment design across eight school aged children to compare control and test conditions for each measure. A within subjects approach was also used to compare the results of BFA and IISCA. Correspondence across the two measures was 54.17%. With average correspondence yielding just over half, the results indicate the two FA methods did not reliably identify the same function. Implications for practice are discussed.

A Predictive Multimodal Framework to Alert Caregivers of Problem Behaviors for Children with ASD (PreMAC).

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) impacts 1 in 54 children in the US. Two-thirds of children with ASD display problem behavior. If a caregiver can predict that a child is likely to engage in problem behavior, they may be able to take action to minimize that risk. Although experts in Applied Behavior Analysis can offer caregivers recognition and remediation strategies, there are limitations to the extent to which human prediction of problem behavior is possible without the assistance of technology. In this paper, we propose a machine learning-based predictive framework, PreMAC, that uses multimodal signals from precursors of problem behaviors to alert caregivers of impending problem behavior for children with ASD. A multimodal data capture platform, M2P3, was designed to collect multimodal training data for PreMAC. The development of PreMAC integrated a rapid functional analysis, the interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA), for collection of training data. A feasibility study with seven 4 to 15-year-old children with ASD was conducted to investigate the tolerability and feasibility of the M2P3 platform and the accuracy of PreMAC. Results indicate that the M2P3 platform was well tolerated by the children and PreMAC could predict precursors of problem behaviors with high prediction accuracies.

Practical Functional Assessment: A Case Study Replication and Extension with a Child Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Recent literature has described the analysis and treatment of problem behavior that involves an open-ended interview to inform the conditions under which problem behavior is likely to occur, conducting a synthesized contingency analysis, and implementing treatment that includes functional communication training, delay and denial tolerance training, and increasing the amount of demands presented after a denial (e.g., Hanley et al. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 47(1), 16–36, 2014). This process has been described as an Interview-Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis (IISCA) or practical functional assessment. Much of the literature evaluating the practical functional assessment has originated from authors within the same research group. The purpose of the present study was to replicate and extend previous research on the practical functional assessment with a different group of researchers and in a different setting (i.e., an early intensive behavioral intervention clinic). This study sought to extend previous literature by including additional measures of social validity on the open-ended interview, contingency analysis, treatment, and pre-post measures on parental stress. The results were similar to previous research with an overall reduction in problem behavior and increases in functional communicative responses and compliance with demands.

Functional Assessment of Challenging Behavior

The purpose of this review is to evaluate recent research on functional assessment procedures to identify recent advances and best practices. Indirect assessments are the most limited form of functional assessment, but their value increases when conducted by behavior analysts rather than caregivers. Direct assessments produce more valid outcomes than indirect assessments, but do not demonstrate a functional relationship between the environmental contingencies and the behavior. Functional analysis procedures are the most rigorous and valid approaches. Recent research has evaluated functional analysis variations, such as the interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis, that are more efficient and flexible for use in a variety of settings. The implementation of a functional assessment continues to be best practice for developing effective functional interventions for challenging behavior. Indirect assessments have value for informing direct assessments and functional analyses. Using indirect assessment findings to develop functional analysis procedures can increase their efficiency while maintaining the validity of the functional assessment process.

Evaluation of a trial‐based interview‐informed synthesized contingency analysis

We evaluated the viability of an interview-informed synthesized-contingency analysis (IISCA) conducted in a trial-based format with 3 children with autism spectrum disorders who engaged in problem behavior. We compared results to those from typical trial-based and traditional functional analyses and found high degrees of correspondence. The trial-based IISCA format took the least amount of time to conduct and was associated with the lowest frequencies of problem behavior. Results are discussed in terms of merits of each of the 3 types of functional analysis arrangements and directions for future research.

Interview-Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis (IISCA): Novel Interpretations and Future Directions.

The functional analysis (FA) methodology was developed to provide an empirical basis for understanding the reinforcers contributing to the maintenance of problem behavior. Previous research has demonstrated that multiple formats have been established to address some areas, such as practicality, efficiency, and safety. We reviewed the research on a new replication and extension of the standard FA format, the interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA) and its subsequent treatment. We discuss the efficiency and effectiveness of the IISCA across various populations, settings, topographies of problem behaviors, and maintaining functions across 17 studies. Common treatment trends, novel developments, and other critical intervention components are also reviewed. We provide suggestions for future directions and guidelines for practitioners when considering the use of the IISCA.

An evaluation of the single‐session interview‐informed synthesized contingency analysis

Functional analysis can often be a lengthy process requiring time and resources not readily available to practitioners working with children who exhibit severe problem behavior. The interview‐informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA) was recently developed as an alternative functional analysis format that improved analytic efficiency by requiring only 25 min to conduct. Furthermore, a within‐session analysis of the first test session of the entire IISCA could reduce the process to as little as a single 5‐min session. We extended this previous research by conducting what was termed the single‐session IISCA with three boys who exhibited severe problem behavior. A function‐based treatment package, including reinforcement thinning, informed by the results of the single‐session IISCA nearly eliminated problem behavior for all three participants. We suggest that the single‐session IISCA could be a viable alternative to other functional analysis formats when time is limited.

Achieving socially significant reductions in problem behavior following the interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis: A summary of 25 outpatient applications.

Jessel, Hanley, and Ghaemmaghami (2016) reported the results of 30 interview-informed, synthesized contingency analyses (IISCAs) and found the IISCAs to be an effective tool for identifying the functions of problem behavior across a variety of topographies, participants, and settings. Jessel et al. did not, however, include data on the effectiveness of the corresponding treatments. In the current study, we collected and summarized 25 additional applications, from analysis to treatment, in which the IISCA was applied in an outpatient clinic. The IISCA identified various social functions of problem behavior, which informed personalized treatments of functional communication training with contingency-based reinforcement thinning. A 90% or greater reduction in problem behavior was obtained for every participant by the end of the treatment evaluation. The assessment and treatment process was socially validated by caregivers who rated the procedures highly acceptable and helpful, and the improvement in their child's behavior highly satisfactory.

Interview-informed synthesized contingency analyses: Thirty replications and reanalysis.

The speed with which a functional analysis (FA) provides a convincing demonstration of the variables that influence problem behavior may be termed efficiency. Multiple FA formats have been developed to improve analytic efficiency while the core components of the Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, and Richman (1982/1994) procedures are maintained. We attempted to illustrate an alternative efficient process for conducting FAs of problem behavior that relied on modifying those core components. In Study 1, we describe 30 applications of the interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (Hanley, Jin, Vanselow, & Hanratty, 2014), which required an average of 25 min of analysis. The first sessions of these analyses were reanalyzed in Study 2 to determine if contingencies that controlled problem behavior could be identified in only 3 to 5 min. This was the case in 80% of analyses.

Comparisons of synthesized and individual reinforcement contingencies during functional analysis.

Researchers typically modify individual functional analysis (FA) conditions after results are inconclusive (Hanley, Iwata, & McCord, 2003). Hanley, Jin, Vanselow, and Hanratty (2014) introduced a marked departure from this practice, using an interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA). In the test condition, they delivered multiple contingencies simultaneously (e.g., attention and escape) after each occurrence of problem behavior; in the control condition, they delivered those same reinforcers noncontingently and continuously. In the current investigation, we compared the results of the IISCA with a more traditional FA in which we evaluated each putative reinforcer individually. Four of 5 participants displayed destructive behavior that was sensitive to the individual contingencies evaluated in the traditional FA. By contrast, none of the participants showed a response pattern consistent with the assumption of the IISCA. We discuss the implications of these findings on the development of accurate and efficient functional analyses.