Association for Behavior Analysis International

Decades of research has demonstrated the effectiveness of training individuals with and without disabilities using behavior analytic principles. Immediate treatment effects are often great, and attention is then turned to sustaining the behavior change over time. One intervention that has had considerable success in addressing adherence to behavioral recommendations is contingency management (CM). Generally, CM involves earning financial incentives contingent upon emitting a target behavior and has been widely used to treat a variety of behaviors. In this symposium presenters will share their research on using CM. First, research will be shared on conducting focus groups with LGBTQ+ current or former smokers and LGBTQ+ CM or behavior analytic experts to identify what, why, when, and how to tailor the delivery of digital CM for smoking cessation. Next, research will be shared on evaluating whether behavior skills training and CM can produce sustained alignment with safe infant sleep positioning recommendations throughout the night, for a seven-day period, with women recovering from substance use disorders. Finally, research will be shared on using CM with parents of children with ASD to respond to their children’s interfering behavior in the home.

Despite significant reductions in smoking prevalence across the last 50 years, smoking rates remain high for LGBTQ+ people. Cultural tailoring of an effective treatment is an empirically supported approach to increasing treatment uptake and acceptability when disparities exist. Qualitative methods are particularly well suited for culturally tailoring behavioral interventions, such as contingency management (CM). CM is one of the most effective treatments for producing drug abstinence, and digital CM offers a promising extension shown to decrease barriers while maintaining efficacy. Therefore, in the present study, we conducted focus groups with LGBTQ+ current or former smokers and LGBTQ+ CM or behavior analytic experts to identify what, why, when, and how to tailor the delivery of digital CM for smoking cessation. Thematic analysis of de-identified focus group transcripts resulted in identifying themes such as the need for tailored support, inclusive recruitment methods, availability of community connection, and the significance of prioritizing safety. Overall, this study demonstrates the utility of qualitative methods in health disparity research and provides a critical foundation for the establishment of evidence-based culturally tailored approaches to addressing smoking-related health disparities for LGBTQ+ people. Findings will inform the design of CM interventions for LGBTQ+ people.

Sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID) are a leading cause of infant deaths. Infants of mothers with substance use disorders are at increased risk of SUIDs. Behavioral skills training is an effective intervention to teach caregivers to arrange sleeping environments in alignment with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations. Further, this intervention has produced maintenance over time in combination with contingency management. One limitation of the previous study is that observation following training was limited to a single time point per night. It is currently unknown if mothers who received the intervention maintain the safe sleeping environment arrangement through the night. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate whether behavior skills training and contingency management can produce sustained alignment with AAP recommendations throughout the night for a seven-day period with women recovering from substance use disorders. In baseline all participants demonstrated variability in arranging a safe sleep area. Following behavior skills training and a prize bowl contingency management program, variability decreased

In recent years behavior analysts have recognized the need practice with greater compassion and increased cultural responsiveness. This includes enhancing practices in graduate training programs and fieldwork supervision to ensure that students and trainees are well prepared to meet their clients’ needs, and training clinicians to use compassionate care skills in their practice. Currently there is limited research related to the explicit instruction of skills related to increasing cultural responsiveness and compassionate care. This symposium will provide an overview of existing behavior analytic research related to cultural responsiveness training in graduate training and supervisory practices. Next, three different presenters will review the use of video modeling, self-monitoring procedures, or TAGteach used to teach compassionate care skills to graduate students and clinicians. Results demonstrating the effectiveness of each procedure will be shared, along with social validity data supporting the use of video modeling and self-monitoring procedures. Recommendations to help instructors, supervisors, and clinicians advance their cultural responsiveness and compassionate care skills will be provided.

Intermediate: Attendees should have knowledge of behavioral skills training, conditioned reinforcement, and self-monitoring procedures. They should also be aware of the recent call for greater cultural responsiveness and compassionate care within behavior analysis.

Cultural competency is a necessary component of effective clinical practice, and it is essential to equip future practitioners and supervisors with the skills to meet diverse client needs. Graduate training programs and clinical supervisors should educate and teach students culturally responsive practice. In this paper, we systematically reviewed fourteen articles on graduate training and supervision in the applied behavior analytic literature and explored critical recommendations for enhancing cultural responsiveness in graduate training and supervisory practices within the field of behavior analysis. We categorized the recommendations aimed at faculty, professors, and behavior analytic departments, as well as those for supervisors and supervisory practices. These recommendations aim to create a more culturally aware training environment and better prepare trainees to be culturally responsive. By analyzing and summarizing the recommendations, this literature review provides actionable steps and resources for educators and supervisors to implement and to help promote cultural responsiveness in behavior analysis.

Compassion is an important skill for building positive therapeutic relationships with supervisees. However, research related to training compassionate supervision skills is lacking. The current study evaluated the effectiveness and efficiency of a treatment package including video-modeling with voice over instructions and feedback to teach compassionate supervision skills to six providers working at an early intervention clinic for young children with autism. In order to develop clinical scenarios for use throughout the study, we surveyed eight board certified behavior analysts to identify common challenges encountered in early intervention settings. We measured participants engagement in 13 component skills of compassionate supervision (e.g., building rapport, being responsive to the therapist’s perspective, being empathetic) during role-play with a confederate playing the role of a therapist. Overall, participants quickly acquired the component skills of compassionate supervision after being exposed to the video-model with voice over instructions and brief feedback. Additionally, the results of social validity data suggest that participants found the intervention acceptable. Finally, we discuss potential clinical implications and areas for future research.

The field of behavior analysis has recently renewed its focus on compassionate care, especially in the interactions between Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs®) and caregivers, with increasing attention on learners. Research indicates that many behavior analysts lack training in interpersonal skills related to compassion, which can affect service quality, client care, and staff supervision. A survey of caregivers conducted by Taylor et al. (2019) highlighted the need for more compassionate family interactions between BCBAs® and caregivers, with the implication that incorporating compassion into supervision practices could enhance staff morale and service quality. That is, high turnover rates among Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs®) may be linked to perceived deficiencies in supervisor support, emphasizing the need to improve supervision through compassionate approaches. This study therefore extends Taylor et al.'s (2019) work by adapting their original caregiver survey to better examine the relationship between BCBAs® (supervisors) and RBTs® (direct staff). Survey results from 254 RBTs® showed that questions relating to compassion in supervision were rated with the lowest scores and indicate a need for improvement, aligning with Taylor et al.’s findings. Recommendations for improving training and supervision in compassionate relationship skills will be provided.

The field of behavior analysis has a call to action towards increasing the extent to which clinical services are delivered in a compassionate way (Taylor, 2019) and that a repertoire of cultural responsiveness is a key part of this mission (Gatzunis et al., 2023). Clinicians must be equipped to engage in ways that centralize a compassionate, client-centered, culturally humble, and culturally responsive approach with an increasingly diverse clientele (Beaulieu & Jimenez-Gomez, 2022; Wright, 2019). Beaulieu and colleagues (2019) have highlighted the fact that while today’s behavior analysts highly value cultural responsiveness skills, most have never received formal training. There is evidence that structured interviewing that centralizes personal narrative and clinical advice can be a tool to impart knowledge (Tereshko et al., 2024). These findings are the driving force for the current investigation that assessed the extent to which Registered Behavior Technicians’ (RBTs®) conversations with experienced clinicians may be a means to initiate the development of a compassionate, culturally responsive repertoire. Analyses of RBT® interviewers’ reported knowledge showed wide variability and some consistent themes. Results will be presented along with recommendations for enhancing the extent to which compassionate care and cultural responsiveness are integrated into training, supervision, and service provision.

There has been a call to action in the field of behavior analysis to improve our interactions with caregivers and recipients of services. However, despite the resurgence of interest in compassionate care, there is a paucity of research evaluating and teaching this complex and nuanced repertoire with direct care interventionists, Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs®). The current study seeks to advance our training of compassionate care skills between the recipient of services (i.e., a child with autism) and the RBT® during intervention sessions. Based on the results of initial self-instruction plans used to teach compassionate care, the current study utilized a multiple-baseline design across participants to evaluate the effectiveness of a teaching package aimed to improve behaviors associated with compassion with RBTs®. The teaching package included two phases; 1.) a job aid that outlined the expected behaviors; and 2.) behavior skills training (BST). Implications for practice will be discussed along with how these procedures may be used to improve RBT® training and interactions with clients.

There is a growing focus and interest in including DEI values in research, practice, and dissemination in behavior analysis. As we learn to incorporate culture-specific components into our services, more is needed to develop a fluid understanding of this process. The first presentation includes a review of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) literature in ABA. The discussion will include overarching themes in previously published research and discussions for future studies. The second presentation will discuss a web-based training designed to teach consumers in Nigeria to conduct functional analyses. The discussion will include adjustments and considerations for providing telehealth services overseas. The third presentation includes the adaptation of an online training module tailored towards parents of Korean autistic children. The discussion will include the adaptation process of Autism Focused Intervention Resource and Modules (AFIRM) and the demonstration of behavior change following collaboration. The fourth presentation includes collaboration with Black families to develop individualized treatment to increase children’s cooperation with different hair care routines. The discussion will include opportunities for choice in treatment selection and idiosyncratic modifications that may be relevant to Black individuals. Implications of the presenter’s findings will be discussed.

Prerequisite skills include understanding of basic behavior principles, functional assessment, and behavior skills training. It is recommended that learners are also familiar with some recent literature related to culture in behavior analysis.

Families in Nigeria have limited access to professionals with expertise on the functional analysis and treatment of behavior disorders. Preparing professionals in Nigeria via synchronous remote training may address this barrier to services. However, issues involving restricted access to web-based devices, poor Internet connection, and time zone differences may limit the practicality of synchronous training. This study evaluated the effectiveness of remote behavioral skills training via a culturally sensitive, self-paced eLearning tool. Training included lectures on the fundamentals of behavior analysis, video modeling of functional analysis conditions, and modified roleplay that involved observing video scenarios and entering how to respond in those situations while receiving automated feedback. A total of five professionals who work with children with autism in Nigeria have completed this training. Experimenters evaluated baseline performance through role plays of functional analysis conditions. After the participants completed the web-based training, they conducted functional analyses in role plays and with an actual child in the absence of feedback. Results showed substantial increases in procedural integrity and interpretation of functional analysis data following training. These results suggested the efficacy of this self-based eLearning tool for preparing professionals in Nigeria to conduct functional analyses of challenging behavior.

In this study, we adapted Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (AFIRM; Sam et al., 2020), originally developed by the University of North Carolina Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute for Korean parents following the Cultural Adaptation Checklist framework (Lee et al., 2023). Following parents’ input during the adaptation process, we conducted a multiple probe design study to examine the effects of the online modules (Korean-AFIRM; K-AFIRM) and coaching on three Korean parents’ fidelity to the implementation of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI) strategies. Three children aged 5 to 7 years (2 males, 1 female) participated in the study. Visual analysis (Ledford et al., 2018) was conducted to examine the trend, level, variability, and immediacy of effect across three parents to evaluate whether a functional relation between the module+coaching and parent fidelity of implementation was demonstrated. During the presentation, we will present the graph, results of the visual analysis, and the standardized mean difference (SMD) measure (Hedges et al., 2012; Shadish et al., 2014) as well as implications for future research and practice.

Behavior analysts have an ethical responsibility to consider the culture of the individuals we serve. This practice may include increasing awareness, seeking knowledge, and practicing the skills to provide culturally responsive care. One underexplored area is hair grooming for Black children with autism. Though there is existing research on increasing cooperation with hair grooming among children, little has been done to address hair-grooming differences that are more unique to Black individuals. Given these differences, it is important for clinicians to take a culturally responsive approach when helping families with this need. This may include involving caregivers and other relevant stakeholders in the assessment and intervention process. The current study utilizes a participatory research approach toward developing a treatment package to increase cooperation and decrease indices of distress with hair grooming procedures. Our approach included collaborating with caregivers to identify treatment goals, develop task analyses, and select ecologically important treatments. In this presentation, we will also discuss critical decision-making points, social validity of behavior-change programs, and the importance of developing culturally relevant protocols.

Although many behavior analyst training programs teach a range of technical skills needed to create effective interventions, soft skills are often both difficult to teach and acquire. Soft skills are a class of behaviors that improve interactions in a professional environment and are crucial in promoting buy-in from supervisees and service recipients. Poor soft skills can negatively affect treatment integrity and outcomes. This is especially apparent when the behavior analyst and service recipient or supervisee are from different cultural backgrounds in which values may differ. How to Win Friends and Influence People (Carnegie, 1936; republished 2022), provides a variety of strategies aimed at improving soft skills. The book is written for a general audience, and the descriptions are imprecise and rely on “feel” rather than technical precision. This talk will translate the strategies outlined in the book into specific behavior analytic principles. Translated strategies will focus on how to communicate effectively, build rapport, provide reinforcement to service recipients and supervisees in a manner that is genuine and effective, and on how to redirect poor implementation without damaging relationships. This talk is beneficial for anyone looking to improve their communication skills or who is interested in becoming a more effective supervisor.

This presentation, "Charting Success: The Black (African American) Journey Through Doctoral Programs with a Behavior Analytic Perspective," offers an in-depth exploration of these challenges through the lens of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). By examining the interplay between race, academic rigor, and the doctoral experience, this session highlights the impact of culturally competent mentorship, adaptive behaviors, and resilience-building strategies on student success. Attendees will gain insight into the unique pressures Black (African American) students encounter in academia, including the effects of implicit bias and underrepresentation. The presentation will emphasize how ABA can provide a structured, data-driven approach to understanding and addressing these challenges. Additionally, it offers strategies for fostering inclusive environments that support the success of underrepresented groups in academia. This session is designed to resonate with an international audience, encouraging a global perspective on how behavior analytic principles can contribute to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in educational systems worldwide. Whether you are a scholar, practitioner, or educator, this presentation will offer valuable insights for enhancing diversity within doctoral programs.

The target audience of the current presentation would be students / educators who are interested in understanding and addressing the unique challenges of Black (African American) students within higher education.

Multi-element behaviour support (MEBS) represents a constructional approach to positive behaviour support that is grounded in a nonlinear behaviour analytic framework (e.g., LaVigna et al., 2022). The MEBS approach to behaviour support is comprehensive in nature. MEBS nonlinear contingency analysis is essential to providing conceptually systematic, analytical, and technological services that champion the participants across all environments. Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) and behaviour support have been challenged in recent years with questions regarding compassionate care and participant-affirming practice. MEBS answers these questions and upholds participant rights. A key distinction within MEBS strategies is the difference between situational and future effects. Situational effects should be prioritised to maintain safety and meet participants’ needs when reacting to behaviours of concern. Yet many behaviour intervention plans and reactive strategies fail to see the situational immediacy of a strategy. Instead, plans may focus on the future effects or how a strategy could impact the future likelihood of a behaviour. This symposium presents a series of papers illustrating the impact of MEBS and situational effects on ABA and behaviour support across international community settings. Papers describe dependent and independent variables within MEBS plans and the meaningful implications of MEBS for the participants within their communities.

Audience members should have an understanding of applied behaviour analysis that includes differences between proactive and reactive strategies, aversive and nonaversive strategies, restrictive practices, and functional reinforcement contingencies.

The multi-element behaviour support (MEBS; LaVigna & Willis, 2005) framework includes proactive and reactive procedures within its behaviour support plan to achieve quality-of-life outcomes for its participants. MEBS highlights using non-aversive and least-restrictive procedures within its programming to reduce the frequency and severity of behaviours. In addition, previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid and safe situational management programming, such as empathic listening and function-based strategic capitulation, in reducing the episodic severity (a measure of magnitude or intensity) of behaviours of concern and minimising the need for restrictive interventions (e.g., Dowdy & Tincani, 2020; LaVigna et al., 2022). Consistent with the findings, the current study applied the MEBS framework to a culturally and linguistically diverse young participant with autism and intellectual disability. The intervention package improved the participant’s engagement across activities, increased treatment satisfaction, reduced behaviours of concern, and eliminated the restrictive practice. The impact of the intervention package using situational effects and implications within rights-focused behaviour support services will be discussed.

Delivery of the functional reinforcer is used consistently within functional analyses to immediately stop any occurrence and escalation of behaviours of concern. The situational effects of this contingent functional reinforcement have a long-standing foundation in functional assessment literature (e.g., Iwata et al., 1982/1994; Sigafoos et al., 1995; Hanley et al., 2003; Warner et al., 2020). However, a gap exists between widespread use of functional reinforcement as an assessment procedure to use as an intervention procedure. Only a few behaviour analytic researchers have evaluated the use of functional reinforcement to decrease the frequency of behaviours of concern (e.g., Dowdy & Tincani, 2020; Slocum & Vollmer, 2015). Use of functional reinforcement, contingent on occurrence of behaviours of concern, may immediately stop behavioural escalation and improve safety in the moment. The current paper presents a replication-extension of Slocum and Vollmer (2015). The paper evaluates situational effects of functional reinforcement as a reactive strategy to decrease frequency and episodic severity of task refusal. Results from three young participants reveal differentiated responding across intervention conditions with functional reinforcement (i.e., escape) contingent on refusal or in combination with positive reinforcement for cooperation. Implications of the use of functional reinforcement on situational effects will be discussed.

Reading and writing behaviors are permeated by listening and speaking behaviors, and Equivalence-Based Instruction (EBI), has supported reading comprehension and improved speech accuracy in children with hard-of-hearing (HH) and cochlear implants. This work aimed to verify the effects of an EBI on oral word reading and picture naming in three hard-of-hearing children using bilateral hearing aids devices. In addition to behavioral reading and writing relationships, they were evaluated using standardized tests, and reading and vocabulary scores were demonstrated below expectations for their school year and chronological age. Participants received three ALEPP teaching units, EBI reading and writing software according to multiple baseline design. As a result, it was observed that naming pictures was much better (around 50% correct) than reading words (below 20% accurate) in the baseline. After teaching the respective units, everyone learned the relationships between taught stimuli, improved their naming of pictures and their reading of words emerged, achieving around 100% correct answers. Beyond being like those obtained by listeners, the results can support a proposal to complement regular education in the literacy process for children with hard of hearing and aid devices.

We compared synchronous and asynchronous schedules on the acquisition and extinction of operant behavior reinforced by visual stimulation. Sixteen rats were exposed to a darkened operant chamber without illumination during a baseline period. Rats were randomly assigned to learn under one of two conditions. During Synchronous Reinforcement, the chamber light was illuminated whenever the response lever was held down. During Asynchronous Reinforcement, the light was illuminated after the lever press (the duration was matched to the duration of the press). The final condition was a return to the baseline condition to study extinction. After extinction, all rats repeated the study with the other contingency arranged on a different response lever. Lever pressing was acquired in both arrangements, and there was a slight tendency for increased pressing during asynchronous reinforcement. Press durations were noticeably increased during synchronous reinforcement compared with asynchronous reinforcement (see Figure), and this was the most dramatic effect observed. Responding declined during extinction, but was not affected by the conditions of acquisition. The findings suggest that the temporal alignment of reinforcement may shape different properties of behavior, e.g. holding the lever versus releasing it, laying the foundation for future study on further comparison between the two schedules.

There is growing interest in testing interventions that reduce delay discounting (DD). Delay exposure (DE) training has shown promising results in rodents. It consists of rats pressing a lever to produce a cue stimulus for a 17.5 s interval, at the end of which a reinforcer is delivered (Renda et al., 2021). The present study aimed to address two limitations in DE research: extensive number of training sessions required (60 or more) and exclusive use of group designs. Using a within-subjects design, a respondent variation of DE and its standard control condition (Immediate Exposure-IE) were evaluated in DD of rats tested in adolescence and adulthood. All DE and IE standard aspects remained the same except that the presentations of delay cues and reinforcers were response independent due to equipment limitations that prevented using a third operandum. Eighteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were daily exposed to a delay-discounting task (DDT, Liley et al., 2019) until steady responding was obtained at late adolescence (starting postnatal day – PND98, Ghasemi et al., 2021) and early adulthood (week 25 = PND175). Eight of the 18 rats continued DD assessment plus different experimental manipulations added to the DDT across six conditions. The remaining 10 rats were kept as a waitlist control group (no DD assessment/treatment until PND 300). The first manipulation added to the DDT controlled for the additional access to pellets entailed in subsequent DE/IE conditions. This 60Pellets+DDT condition consisted of 1-hr pre-DDT response-independent access to the same amount of reinforcement delivered during DE/IE manipulations (i.e., 60 pellets). The third and fifth conditions consisted of DDT+DE and DDT+IE (counterbalanced across half of the animals) with 60Pellets+DDT reversals interspersed between them (fourth and sixth conditions). Based on subjects’ performance during the first six conditions, a second control manipulation was introduced. This Wait+DDT seventh condition entailed rats waiting in the operant chamber during the 60-min before the daily DDT session without operanda, delay cue, or pellets. All 18 rats, including waitlist, were exposed to a DDT retest starting on PND 300 (i.e., middle adulthood). Waitlist rats were then exposed to 60Pellets+DDT and DE conditions starting on PND 315. We found that exposure to 60Pellets+DDT condition during early adulthood unexpectedly produced important reductions in DD of five out of eight animals, with an average of 16 sessions needed to produce steady low DD. These rats maintained low DD levels throughout the remaining six conditions of the experiment, regardless the manipulation, including DE/IE. The DD of the three remaining animals also dramatically decreased during subsequent conditions and, when reached, remained low until the end of the experiment. DD of waitlist rats did not change between early- and middle-adulthood tests separated by ~20 weeks, and only slightly decreased under 60Pellets+DDT and DE conditions. These preliminary and promising findings suggest early- but not late-adulthood response-independent access to reinforcement reduces impulsive choice long-term with a relatively brief intervention. The contribution of respondent DE/IE, repeated DD assessment, and maturation on this effect is unclear. Further efforts aimed at reproducing these effects and identify the processes involved are warranted.

Eating disorders (EDs) are pathological conditions characterized by alterations in behaviors related to eating, significantly impacting physical health and psychosocial functioning. Among the functional aspects underlying the diagnoses of EDs, guilt emerges as a central symbolic context in establishing verbal responses essential to the development and maintenance of these disorders, enabling the transformation of aversive functions related to eating. Grounded in the behavioral analysis framework, this study explores how covert verbal behaviors, such as guilt, influence the establishment and maintenance of EDs. Using the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP), 34 university students were assessed on their relational responses involving healthy and fast-food items paired with phrases indicating guilt or indifference. Participants also completed the Sick Control Stone Fat Food Questionnaire (SCOFF) and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) to measure ED-related symptoms. Preliminary results revealed a statistically significant differentiation between participants with and without ED indicators, especially in guilt-related fast-food responses (Group 2: t=3.073, p<0.01). These findings highlight the sensitivity of IRAP in identifying potential ED risks, offering insights into the role of verbal relations in ED pathology.

Resurgence is the recurrence of previously established behavior (e.g., problem behavior) when conditions of reinforcement for current behavior (e.g., alternative behavior) worsen (Lattal, 2017). Understanding resurgence is important for designing durable clinical intervention. In a recent review, Podlesnik (2023) found a steep increase in the publication rate in the past decade; however, studies varied in terms of design, procedural manipulations, definitions of resurgence, and types of analyses. Typically, models of resurgence consist of three phases (training, elimination, and testing). LeCompte (2021) compared the three-phase model to a four-phase model with rats in response to mixed findings regarding the influence of exposure to extinction on resurgence. Results showed greater levels of resurgence for rats exposed to the three-phase procedure as compared to the four-phase procedure. The purpose of the current study is to replicate and extend LeCompte (2021) by comparing three- and four-phase resurgence models with young children in an analogue clinical setting. Preliminary results suggest both models can capture resurgence effects, but differences in resurgence magnitude may be more a function of the order of exposure (i.e., reductions during second exposure to extinction relative to first exposure). Results discussed in terms of clinical application of the basic resurgence assessment models.

Social Discounting is a quantitative description of how the subjective reinforcing value of an outcome decreases as social distance from the respondent increases (Jones & Rachlin, 2006). An individual may perceive relatives as socially closer than non-relatives and, therefore, be more altruistic with respect to relatives than non-relatives (Rachlin & Jones, 2008). Reciprocation history, defined by Osinski (2009) as “recipient’s loyalty”, has been shown to change the subjective value of an outcome decreases as a person’s loyalty decreases. The present study aims to evaluate how different social distance prompts, manipulating reciprocation and relatedness, impact social discounting. The present study exposed participants to three social distance prompts, each of which will prompt participants to order their social distance list by a different variable: (1) relatedness, (2) reciprocation history, and (3) closeness. After participants complete a social discounting task, rates of altruism and fit to the hyperbolic function as a function of social distance prompts will be evaluated.

Two studies assessed the effects of asymmetric or symmetric resource distribution in prosocial interactions in same-sex or different-sex dyads. The experimental situation involved solving shared virtual puzzles. Participants could take their or their partner's pieces to complete the puzzle and obtain points only for themselves, or they could give pieces to their partner to work and gain points. In Experiment 1, sixteen university students were randomly distributed into two experimental groups of four dyads, each group exposed to different sequences of asymmetric (75%-25%) and symmetric (50%-50%) resource distribution. Participants worked in different experimental cubicles, visually and verbally isolated from each other. In Experiment 2, twenty-four university students were assigned into three groups of four dyads, exposed to the same resource distribution sequence (symmetric-asymmetric-symmetric), and differentiated by the participants' sex (man or/and woman). Participants worked in the same cubicle and could establish verbal exchanges. Findings suggest that asymmetric resource distribution affects prosocial interactions, favoring taking away resources from others over giving resources to another. However, effects differ by initial exposure to symmetric or symmetric distribution and dyad composition. Results are discussed in terms of the relation between institutional contingencies and prosocial interactions.

Educators often need specialized training to manage intensive challenging behaviors, such as self-injury or aggression, in students with disabilities. However, opportunities for hands-on experience under expert supervision are limited. Virtual reality (VR) simulations offer a promising alternative for safe, risk-free training, though they typically require staff to manage the simulation and assess trainees, limiting accessibility. Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into VR training could automate both content delivery and performance assessment. This study examined the effectiveness of an automated VR training system designed to teach functional communication training (FCT), a complex intervention for challenging behavior. Using a waitlisted randomized controlled trial, 49 teacher candidates in a classroom management course were randomly assigned to either a VR intervention group (lecture, modeling, and VR) or a control group (lecture and modeling only). Participants completed pre-, post-, and maintenance tests on FCT application over three weeks. Results showed those in the VR group demonstrated significantly better implementation of FCT steps in post-test (d = 2.45) and maintenance phases (d = 1.58) compared to the control group. However, self-reported knowledge, confidence, and usefulness were similar across groups (p = .318, p = .459, p = .643, respectively). Overall, participants responded positively to the VR experience, highlighting its potential for professional development in higher education.

In this poster, the Project MABAS (Enhancing the Promotion of Mental Health Wellbeing of Children and Youth in High-Need Schools through Preparing School-Based Behavior Analysts and Social Workers) team, which includes faculty from the Applied Behavior Analysis and Social Work programs, will provide an overview of Project MABAS. It will highlight the various activities Project MABAS is completing to prepare students enrolled in the program (i.e., scholars) to effectively work in interdisciplinary teams to improve outcomes for children and youth experiencing behavioral or mental health challenges. The poster will include an overview of the conceptual framework of the Project MABAS and the project’s target competencies for the scholars, which are developed through a variety of activities including each program’s required coursework, additional graduate courses in Children’s Mental Health, additional trainings (e.g., culturally and linguistically inclusive mental health services), fieldwork-based assignments, portfolio development, participation in conferences, and coordinated fieldwork. Furthermore, the poster will include data from a sample shared case study ABA and Social Work scholars completed in collaboration during their coordinated internship in a local high-need school.

Individualized behavioral interventions are effective in decreasing challenging behavior; however, behavioral practitioners must be trained on these interventions and prepared for the challenges that come with implementing interventions across settings. Such training is often conducted in-person with a trainer role-playing as the client. In-person training barriers include unrealistic role plays and reactivity to being observed. Our team developed a virtual reality (VR) training on core behavioral intervention skills. In this study, we trained four research assistants (RAs) to conduct role plays simulating child behavior while 15 first-year M.A. students of applied behavior analysis (ABA) were asked to respond as the practitioner. After completing baseline role plays in four contexts (prompting, differential reinforcement, functional communication training, schedule thinning), participants completed VR training on these four skills, and completed the same role plays. We evaluated RA procedural fidelity during role plays, accuracy of RA self-monitoring of skill implementation, and participant error patterns pre- and post-VR training. Results indicated overall procedural fidelity and accurate self-monitoring >80%, with more RA deviations from role play scripts following participant implementation errors. Participants’ correct skill implementation increased after VR training, with more errors of commission than omission and more errors following challenging behavior than correct or non-responses.

Latino families often have difficulty accessing services due to the lack of providers trained in culturally responsive practices such as providing services in Spanish. This study evaluates the effectiveness of behavioral skills training (BST) in teaching practitioners in behavior analysis to work with an interpreter. A nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effectiveness of using BST to teach applied behavior analysis (ABA) graduate students to work with an interpreter during parent training with Spanish speaking families with limited English proficiency (LEP). To assess the effectiveness of BST, pre- and post-BST data were recorded on each of the graduate student participants’ performance. The results indicated that BST was an effective teaching procedure. Social validity surveys collected from the graduate student participants and the parents receiving the parent training suggest that the procedures used were acceptable. Parents also reported that their child’s communication improved and/or increased throughout the current study. Suggestions for future research and implications for practice are discussed.

Brief experimental analysis (BEA) is a useful framework for practitioners to correctly match interventions to individual students. Within the academic intervention space, BEAs are particularly useful to investigate skill versus performance needs – and potentially the combination of intervention components. This systematic review evaluated the use of BEAs to identify effective math interventions designed to promote fluent responding. Our systematic review identified nine studies that used BEAs to enhance the fluent responding of children in school-based settings (i.e., K-12). Results suggest BEAs can be a useful framework to identify effective interventions – yet this may not always match with student preference. In addition, results suggest the methodological approach to testing interventions varied across studies. We will engage in a discussion on how to increase the internal validity of BEAs when testing interventions within the domain of mathematics. In addition, we will discuss how to incorporate social validity within the BEA framework to provide further perspective on intervention selection.

In this study, the effects of two versions of the Good Behavior Game (GBG) on student disruptive behavior and academic engagement were assessed and compared. In the GBG-reminder version, teachers provided reminders of appropriate behavior following rule-breaking behavior and teams with reminders within criteria won the game. In the GBG-token version, teachers provided tokens for rule-following and teams earning tokens above criteria won the game. Participants were four teachers teaching 1st and 2nd grade in public schools in Iceland, and those 12 students in two 30-student classrooms indicated by teachers as showing the most problematic behavior. Following an initial baseline, the two versions of the GBG and a baseline condition were alternated across sessions in a multielement design. Both versions of the GBG had positive effects on target behavior, with academic engagement increasing by 47-49% on average and disruptive behavior decreasing by 74-84%, with more reductions observed with the GBG-reminder version. GBG-token was preferred by 50% of teachers and 75% of students. Findings indicate that both GBG versions can improve student behavior and academic engagement, allowing teachers to choose either version based on their preferences or that of their students.

Children exhibiting externalizing behavior problems (EBPs) are predisposed to enduring adverse health, social-emotional, and behavioral consequences. Services offered in an inclusive recreational summer camp environment have been demonstrated to improve social skills and competency among children, including those with and without intellectual disabilities, by fostering healthy peer connections. Over two years, we adapted and integrated a multimodal intervention program for rising second graders from low-income minority backgrounds with EBPs into an inclusive recreational summer camp, focusing on supporting behavioral, academic, social-emotional, and self-regulatory functioning. We utilized a simulated classroom model within which a range of behavioral interventions were implemented, along with a social-emotional and academic curriculum. Simultaneously, caregivers also participated in weekly parent-training group sessions. The current work examines the outcomes across a range of pre- and post-intervention measures, including the reduction of problem behaviors for children with EBPs, increases in positive pro-social classroom behaviors, parent-child relationship outcomes, and overall camp satisfaction for all participants. The combined program was successful at reducing factors related to negative developmental trajectories for children with EBPs, increasing skills related to the development of positive classroom and social behaviors, and providing an overall enjoyable experience for both caregivers and children.

Psychiatric disorders are often treated with pharmacological approaches that primarily manage symptoms but rarely address cognitive and behavioral difficulties in an integrated manner. This study explores the effectiveness of an integrated neuropsychological intervention and applied behavior analysis (ABA) to improve cognitive skills, autonomy, and functional abilities in a 32-year-old patient with bipolar disorder and PANDAS syndrome, associated with mild-to-moderate cognitive delay. Bipolar disorder and PANDAS syndrome, which involve complex neurological and psychiatric symptoms (Porter et al., 2022), have compromised the patient’s autonomy. The intervention, conducted at home, aimed to increase autonomy in daily activities, improve cognitive abilities (short-term memory, visual memory, executive functions), and enhance quality of life. Neuropsychological assessment tools such as MoCA, RAVLT, Story Memory, Verbal Span, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure and the Clock Drawing Test. The area of self-care skills had been assessed with the ACCEA Assessment (Guercio, 2020). Shaping and error correction strategies were applied to memory and executive functions, while forward chaining and token economy enhanced autonomy. Six months later, follow-up results showed improvements in cognitive abilities and autonomy, with verbal span and executive functions within the normal range. These findings suggest that an integrated ABA and neuropsychological approach can be effective for complex psychiatric disorders.

Objective: Hearing loss is a predictor of dementia. In this study, we explored the potential of improving hearing loss caused by auditory discrimination dysfunction using paired associative stimulation (PAS) combined with auditory stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). This approach enhances auditory synaptic efficiency, as indicated by the second positive wave (P2) in electroencephalography, which is associated with auditory discrimination.

Methods: Normal adults participated. First, P2 latency was measured, followed by PAS synchronizing 4000 Hz tones (target) with TMS to the left temporal cortex. In the discrimination task, 4000 Hz and 4000 Hz ± 200 Hz tones were each randomly presented 100 times (300 total). Pressed corresponding buttons for each frequency as the behavioral measure, while P2 amplitudes were assessed as the neural measure.

Ethics: The intensity and frequency of TMS were kept within the safety range validated by prior studies and ethical approval.

Results: Although the discrimination accuracy at 4000 Hz was low (5%), the amplitudes of P2 at the target tone of 4000 Hz was greater than at other frequencies.

Conclusion: The increase in P2 amplitudes suggests PAS improves auditory discrimination by enhancing synaptic transmission efficiency, potentially aiding hearing loss prevention to reduce dementia risk.

Compared to Whites, racial and ethnic minority populations exhibit higher rates of treatment dropout. However, research examining such disparities in treatment dropout within partial hospital settings is lacking, despite the potential value of such insights for underrepresented populations. We hypothesized that race would moderate the relationship between hopefulness that treatment will work at the initial stage of treatment (treatment hopefulness) and treatment dropout. Data were collected from individuals seeking treatment at an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Partial Hospitalization Program (N = 7,764). Race moderated the relationship between treatment hopefulness and treatment dropout. Specifically, while higher levels of treatment hopefulness significantly reduced the likelihood of dropout for White and Black patients, this effect was less pronounced for Asian, Latinx, and patients who identified as “other” (B = 0.442, SE = 0.219, p = .044). These findings suggest that initial attempts to instill hope may be more beneficial for White and Black patients. A clinician’s initial time in session with Asian, Latinx, and “other” racial groups may be better spent exploring other factors that may lead to dropout.

One possible manifestation of a pediatric feeding disorder is when a child does not feed themselves by their appropriate, developmental age (e.g., typically by 24 months). Children who do not feed themselves, herein referred to as “self-feeding,” rely entirely on caregivers to feed them multiple times a day and therefore require substantial support to meet their nutritional and caloric needs. To date, evaluations targeting self-feeding involve primarily either pre-loaded spoons and cups or scooping with a spoon. The following clinical case study demonstrates an alternative to teaching a child to self-feed purees with a spoon to circumvent the amount of time it would take for the child to contact success with the demand by initially teaching the child to self-feed purees deposited from a puree pouch presented in an adaptive pouch holder. We used an ABCA design to evaluate a treatment package that included escape extinction, noncontingent reinforcement, graduated guidance, and differential negative reinforcement to increase self-feeding in a 3-year-old boy diagnosed with a pediatric feeding disorder, vision impairment, and global developmental delay. The results demonstrated an increase in independent self-feeding from an adaptive puree pouch holder following the introduction of treatment. Self-feeding maintained at a 12-month follow-up and generalized to the home setting. The case study provides a clinical example of incorporating adaptive feeding equipment into behavioral treatment programming to increase mealtime independence with purees.

Children with autism spectrum disorders are more susceptible to comorbidities than their neurotypical peers (Kennedy et al., 2024). This may include constipation, ear infections, dental issues, etc. Past research has relied on indirect measures (e.g., secondary verbal reports) to identify symptoms of pain and discomfort even though some pain and discomfort states produce direct observable symptoms. For example, gastrointestinal distress can be determined by stool typing (Lewis & Heaton, 1997). Still, it is not always ethical for another individual to be present when a child (particularly one who is toilet trained) is in the restroom. One potential way that clinicians can detect the presence of a pain or discomfort state indirectly is through observable events (i.e., public accompaniment) or behaviors (i.e., collateral response) that correspond with the private events of gastrointestinal discomfort. The current study utilized repeated measurement of known observable symptoms of pain and discomfort states (e.g., gastrointestinal distress) and behavioral indicators (e.g., stomach pressing) to identify the potential correspondence between the two.

Adults with autism are more likely to visit local emergency departments for a psychiatric disorder than those without autism (Vohra et al., 2016). This is largely due to extensive comorbidities and presentation of challenging behavior, but in many cases visits are deemed unnecessary (Vohra et al., 2016). In some cases, individuals may engage in hospital-seeking behavior which serves a behavioral function (Stevenson et al., 2019). This study builds on previous research which details the challenges faced due to a shortage of mental health clinicians trained to work with the population (Maddox et al., 2022) as well as the benefits of cross-disciplinary collaboration (Bowman et al., 2022). In addition to applied behavior analysis services, a community-based residential provider for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities began providing psychiatry and therapy services. Data collected from 2014 through 2024 was used to identify the frequency of behavioral or psychiatric-related emergency room visits across a population of 200 service recipients. Data analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in visits following implementation of psychiatry and therapy services. However, there was a sustained further reduction of visits with regular cross-disciplinary collaboration including ABA services. Data analysis confirmed a 94.87% decrease overall when compared to baseline.

Behavioral treatments for severe problem behavior (SPB) are largely predicated on identifying effective reinforcers that increase appropriate behaviors and maintain low levels of SPB. Current clinical methods for identifying reinforcers vary widely and do not permit analysis of reinforcer dimensions critical to the efficacy and durability of behavioral treatment. This may severely limit practitioners’ ability to individualize behavioral interventions and ensure long-term treatment success. One approach is leveraging a theoretically based model of operant behavior to facilitate identification of reinforcers optimized for intended clinical application. Mathematical Principles of Reinforcement (MPR) is a general quantitative framework that offers one way to characterize the behavioral mechanisms underlying response strength and behavioral persistence to identify effective and durable reinforcers (Killeen, 1994). The current study uses MPR to analyze reinforcer assessment data obtained in clinical settings, with a critical first step being the evaluation of whether MPR can effectively model reinforcer assessment outcomes generated in these applied contexts. Specifically, we examine how MPR parameters vary across different stimuli and manipulanda, providing insights into the generalizability and applicability of this framework to clinical data.

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a significant concern, particularly in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, due to its potential for severe physical and social consequences. The functional assessment of SIB can be especially complex when the behavior involves multiple response and functional classes, often requiring a series of individualized assessments to identify the maintaining variables. This project documents the clinical application of multiple modifications to the functional assessment process to identify the variables maintaining various topographies of SIB in a young girl with Down Syndrome. After conducting a standard functional analysis, we implemented several design modifications and follow-up assessments, including pairwise, reversal, trial-based, and single-behavior functional analyses. These assessments were prescriptive in developing a function-based treatment tailored to the participant’s needs. Results indicated that the participant's SIB was multiply maintained, highlighting the importance of individualized and comprehensive assessment strategies not only to understand the maintaining variables but also to inform the development of effective, function-based interventions.

Behavior analysts have been discussing ways to ensure that respect for autonomy, dignity, and compassion are present when working with adults with disabilities. A focus on dignity within human and legal rights, specifically for this population, could inform an essential need for understanding the social validity of procedures used by behavior analysts. A foundational part of behavior-analytic practice is identifying the preferences of the individuals we serve. A preference assessment is an essential tool used by behavior analysts to predict stimuli that may function as reinforcers. To understand the acceptability of these procedures by individuals whose preference is assessed, collecting social validity data of preference assessment procedures can inform practices that respect individuals’ choice and dignity. This study reviews and summarizes the literature on preference assessment and its social validity in adults with disabilities from 2013 to 2023 in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. We reviewed 11 studies, of which only one reported social validity data. We discuss implications and future direction.

Tact training can be particularly challenging for individuals with attention-related difficulties, especially in home environments where distractions are prevalent. LaLonde et al. (2020) suggested that individuals with disabilities often struggled to acquire tacts due to difficulties attending to relevant stimuli. Partington et al. (1994) highlighted that verbal prompts could interfere with establishing stimulus control by nonverbal stimuli, potentially hindering tact acquisition. Modifying the stimulus modality might address this challenge. The present study investigated whether the modality of stimuli, tactile (the actual object) vs. visual (picture cards), impacts the acquisition and generalization of tacts. The participant in this study was a 5-year-old girl diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) receiving home-based services. Trials were conducted in the home setting to compare acquisition and generalization across the two modalities, considering the unique challenges presented by the environment. The findings of this study aim to provide insights for ABA practitioners working with children with ASD who face tacting and generalization challenges. By examining the impact of stimulus modality on tact training, we hope to offer evidence-based recommendations for clinicians working in challenging environments.

A 20-year-old diagnosed with both autism and Tourette’s Syndrome engaged in persistent vocal and motor responses that interfered with learning, activities of daily living, vocational tasks, and social interaction. A common intervention for Tourette’s related responses, is differential reinforcement of incompatible responses such as engagement in deep breathing with arms crossed in front of the chest. However, DRI alone was not effective at reducing persistent vocal and motor responses for this participant and actually resulted in an increase from baseline. Additional tasks, that were not incompatible with target responses such as walking to a different location, walking on a treadmill, shooting a basketball, bouncing a basketball were identified informally through observation and teacher interview. These tasks were added to the intervention. Persistent vocal and motor responses decreased to near zero levels with this addition. Effects were further demonstrated using a brief reversal to baseline. Implications regarding the utility of informally identified competing tasks will be discussed.

In this study, we evaluated Behavioral Skills Training (BST) for teaching phone safety skills to adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We taught three individuals to how to discriminate between safe and unsafe text messages, and then how to respond to the messages using instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback until mastery criteria was met. After BST was completed, we conducted post-tests and in-situ generalization probes across different people, settings, and text message types to evaluate the effects of BST. All three of our participants were able to successfully discriminate both safe and unsafe messages and they demonstrated the correct safety responses post-BST. One of our participants did require a rehearsal and feedback booster session to achieve mastery. Additionally, all three participants successfully generalized the skills with new teachers in new settings and maintained the skills 2 to 5 weeks post-BST. The Interobserver agreement was 94% overall (range, 83% to 100%).

Autistic individuals may experience difficulties with social-emotional reciprocity and nonverbal communication during social interactions. Although Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)-based techniques have been shown to be effective in promoting specific, topographically defined social behaviors (e.g., greetings and farewells, turn-taking, etc.), it remains unclear to what extent these improvements lead to broader repertoire changes. The current study investigates the impact of commonly targeted ABA social skills training. Three autistic learners aged 7–9 participated in the current study. Each participant received an intervention package targeting turn-taking, greetings and farewells, and eye contact. Using a multiple-baseline design across participants, results indicated that ABA-based techniques were effective in increasing participants’ performance in contrived settings. However, differing degrees of generalization were observed in naturalistic settings as measured through direct observation and criterion-referenced indirect assessments. Implications for social skills training in ABA settings will be discussed. Authors: Kaitlin Preciado, Shaianne Kealoha, Aulani Latorre-Holt Keywords: Autism, Social Skill, Generalization

Engagement in elopement, the act of leaving a designated area without permission, is a serious safety concern, particularly for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Anderson et al. (2012) found that 49% of children with ASD over the age of four had eloped at least once in their lifetime. This behavior can result in severe injuries or even death. This study aimed to examine the impact of Functional Communication Training (FCT) on reducing elopement in a male participant with ASD. A trial-based functional analysis revealed that the elopement was automatically maintained, rather than driven by socially mediated variables. The intervention involved teaching the participant to use functional communication as a replacement for elopement, with added parent collaboration to support generalization. The results showed that FCT significantly increased independent requests and reduced elopement. This study highlights the effectiveness of FCT in addressing elopement behaviors in individuals with ASD, emphasizing the importance of both therapy and family involvement in successful behavioral outcomes.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has significant physical, social, and mental health consequences for individuals and their families (American Psychological Association, 2013). Effects of PTSD include social isolation, disruption in psychological functioning, and chronic health issues, which can be especially true for individuals who also have caregiving responsibilities (Christie et al., 2019). Caregivers of children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) also report having increased difficulties accessing interpersonal and behavioral support for themselves and their children (Schieve et al., 2007). To date, there is limited research assessing the relationship between levels of posttraumatic stress in caregivers as it relates to their children’s engagement in complex behavior (i.e., aggression, self-injury) commonly associated with ASD. To bridge this gap, we investigated the association between caregivers’ PTSD symptoms and their children’s complex behavior. We administered the PTSD Checklist for DSM-V (PCL-5) and the Aberrant Behavior Checklist subscale for Irritability (ABC-I), examining the association between self-reported caregiver PTSD symptoms and their children's ABC-I scores. Preliminary results show a positive correlation between caregiver self-reported PTSD symptoms and their children’s engagement in challenging behaviors associated with ASD, indicating a need for further research in this area.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of using match-to-sample, intraverbal prompts, and self-monitoring strategies to teach females with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) how to independently and properly manage self-care during their menstrual cycle. This research is an extended variation of Klett and Turan’s (2011) study on the generalized effects of social stories and task analysis in teaching menstrual care to young girls with autism. The current study aims to expand on these findings by incorporating additional instructional strategies, specifically match-to-sample for identifying menstrual products, intraverbal prompts for reinforcing verbal routines, and self-monitoring techniques for promoting independence in the menstrual care process. Participants will be taught how to independently select, use, and dispose of menstrual products, monitor hygiene steps, and track their behavior through self-reported checklists. The effectiveness of these strategies will be evaluated based on improvements in skill acquisition, accuracy of task completion, and overall independence during the menstrual cycle. Additionally, generalization of skills across settings and the caregiver satisfaction related to menstruation instruction will be assessed. Results are expected to contribute valuable insights into the development of more effective, individualized interventions for teaching menstrual care to females with autism spectrum disorder, thereby addressing a critical gap in the literature on autism and self-care.

Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are typically noticeable within the first 3 years of life. Instruments for early detection of ASD are critical, as these will promote better clinical outcomes. The Toddler Autism Symptom Inventory (TASI) is an instrument designed to assess behaviors consistent with autism symptoms in toddlers through parent report, showing adequate diagnostic predictive value among English-speakers. However, there is limited knowledge about its use among Spanish-speaking families. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the Spanish version of the TASI and ADOS-2 scores in a Latino sample of autistic children. This study was part of a broader project examining the predictive value of autism screeners in Latino children. 16 Spanish-speaking child-parent dyads (nmale=12), with an average child’s age of 39 months (SD=10.78) participated. Results yielded a moderate positive correlation between the calibrated severity scores of the ADOS-2 and total scores of the Spanish TASI. Additionally, there was a strong positive correlation between the social affect domain from the ADOS-2 and the Criterion A section from the Spanish TASI. Preliminary data from this study suggests that the Spanish TASI may be a useful instrument in the identification of ASD among Latino children.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects 1-3% of all children in most developed regions of the world. Due to national shortages in clinicians, patients may wait months to years for a diagnostic evaluation. For example, the median age of diagnosis in the US remains over 4 years, hindering early intervention. The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that “…(biomarker) use could improve the reliability and validity of clinical diagnosis….” and enable early intervention. However, no US Food and Drug Administration-approved biochemical test for ASD is available to achieve these goals. We developed a biomarker test (named ClearStrand-ASD) that can rule out ASD in children after birth up to 36 months with high negative predictive values (NPV), where ASD is a concern. Methods: Foundational studies were conducted using deciduous teeth and hair samples from cohorts in the US, Sweden, the UK, and Japan. Here, we have undertaken a large state-wide study to validate the performance of ClearStrand-ASD against gold-standard clinical measures of ASD. In 490 children from two cohorts in California, ASD was assessed using DSM-5 criteria (168 cases and 322 controls). Hair was collected after birth to 36 months, and a single strand was analyzed using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to generate time series data on essential and non-essential elemental profiles at 500-1000 time points. Analyses were done in a CLIA-certified laboratory. Data science methods focused on leveraging the full time series of data on all elements to train classification models with an emphasis on optimizing the negative predictive value (NPV) at a certain level of sensitivity. Results: Results are presented on models trained on 294 participants, which were then locked and tested in a blinded independent set of 196 participants. Separate models were developed for males and females. Based on an elevated prevalence of 7% (overall prevalence in the US is 2.8%), the test showed a sensitivity of 80% and an NPV above 95%. Conclusion: ClearStrand-ASD provides an objective biochemical test to aid clinicians in ruling out ASD in an efficient manner. The test may help reduce the time to confirm ASD diagnosis and initiation of earlier intervention, resulting in better outcomes for people on the autism spectrum.

Individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at a higher risk of engaging in challenging behavior (Soke et al., 2016). Researchers have evaluated the relationship between physiological arousal and the occurrence of challenging behavior (Goodwin et al., 2019). More recently, behavior analysts have extended this work to evaluate the predictive validity of physiological responses on bouts of challenging behavior during functional analyses. McCabe and Greer (2023) demonstrated that heart rate was not a reliable predictor of challenging behavior, regardless of its topography or function. We replicated and extended McCabe and Greer by measuring electrodermal activity (EDA) during functional analyses. Participants were children diagnoses with an IDD who were referred for assessment of challenging behavior. Participants wore an Empatica® research-grade wearable biosensor while completing a functional analysis (Iwata et al. 1982/1994). Our preliminary results suggest that in some cases, physiological events (i.e., elevated galvanic skin response) were predictive of challenging behavior. Moreover, accelerometer data suggest that the physiological arousal was not attributable to a movement artifact.

De-escalation strategies, or procedures that result in short-term cessation of targeted behavior, are often needed for autistic youth with dangerous behavior to maintain safety. Most de-escalation recommendations are not individualized based on the presentation of behavior. This study evaluates a multielement assessment comparing five de-escalation strategies for autistic individuals who engaged in dangerous behavior, including self-injurious behavior and aggression, in an intensive out-patient setting. At the onset of an episode of dangerous behavior, therapists responded based on one of the de-escalation conditions and measured instances of targeted behaviors as well as latency to calm criteria. Conditions alternated between various strategies that included differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO), differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA), non-contingent access (NCA), and the use of coping skills. The Attention DRO and NCA Quiet Space conditions consistently resulted in the shortest latencies to calm criteria for the first participant, Ricky. The average inter-observer agreement (IOA) of this evaluation was 93.76%. Researchers are conducting ongoing analysis to determine the most effective de-escalation strategies for additional participants. Preliminary results of our study suggest that treatment teams should individualize de-escalation strategies based on the individual’s skills and the unique presentation of the dangerous behavior.

Children noncompliance with essential healthcare routines is a widely reported problem, especially for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Study 1 was to evaluate collaboration of three who exhibit noncompliance with eye exam routines in an education program serving children with ASD in Turkey,Study 2 evaluated the effects of a shaping procedure to teach children with ASD to cooperate with haircuts. Probes in the simulated setting were conducted periodically to evaluate potential maintenance of compliance in the absence of treatment, as well as generalization of performance to novel therapists. Child compliance was also assessed during haircuts and eye examinations conducted by healthcare professionals in the actual relevant environments to determine the extent to which trained performance generalized. Results showed that mere exposure to the simulated environment increased compliance for all children. Treatment was necessary to increase compliance for six children. Successful generalization of compliance in the actual healthcare environments was observed for all children. The results extend the literature by assessing the extent to which treatment for compliance with healthcare routines that does not involve escape extinction can be effective and by assessing whether the effects of compliance training in an analogue setting will generalize to the actual healthcare setting.

Match stimuli assessments have become a more common treatment for treating automatically maintained behavior, focused on determining stimuli that compete with the reinforcement of a target behavior. However, there has been less focus on the collateral effects of this intervention on behaviors that fall within the same response class but are topographically different. The focus of this study was to identify matched stimuli to be used as a competing reinforcer. The subject was a 12-year-old male who presents with autism spectrum disorder. Spitplay fell within a response class that also included hand-biting, licking, and tapping, which all operated under the function of automatic reinforcement. Items selected were based on the sensory output they potentially produced that matched spitplay only. Sessions were conducted for the selected items along with a control (i.e., no matched stimuli), measuring frequency of spitplay and hand biting. Results displayed no direct impact on rates of spitplay, however, the intervention demonstrated success with decreasing hand biting. While this was not the target behavior stimuli were matched to, desired effects of the intervention transferred to this behavior. The study provides preliminary exploration on the effects of matched stimuli assessment on an entire response class of behaviors.

In this clinical case study, we used a concurrent operants reinforcer assessment to determine the function of property destruction demonstrated by a child on the autism spectrum. Caregivers reported that the child frequently engaged in paper ripping (i.e., destroying books, tax documents, and photo albums) when the mother’s attention was diverted. However, it was unclear if the mother’s diverted attention served as a discriminative stimulus signaling the availability of paper ripping and accessing automatic reinforcement (i.e., paper ripping was less likely to be blocked when the mother was not attending) or as an establishing operation for her attention. To elucidate the function, we conducted a concurrent operant reinforcer assessment in a simulated apartment using an ABAB reversal design. Alone condition procedures were implemented in one room, and attention condition procedures in another. In the reversal, we switched the contingencies in each room. We measured rate of paper ripping and time allocation to each room. Results suggest that paper ripping was maintained by automatic reinforcement and that the mother’s diverted attention functioned as a discriminative stimulus, signaling that paper ripping would be available. This study adds to the literature demonstrating the utility of concurrent operant assessments for identifying behavioral function.

Preference assessments are essential in applied behavior analysis, but not all highly preferred stimuli function as reinforcers. Identifying effective reinforcers is crucial for behavior change programs, requiring efficient and reliable means of identifying these stimuli. Previous research has compared two formats of a paired-stimulus preference assessment, a single- and double-presentation arrangement, and found that a single-presentation arrangement corresponds with the double-presentation arrangement but requires less time to conduct. Previous research, however, did not include a reinforcer assessment, so the utility of this assessment format is limited. The purpose of this study evaluated the effectiveness of the single-presentation paired-stimulus preference assessment in identifying preferred stimuli that function as reinforcers and compared it with the double-presentation format. The single-presentation format was embedded within the double-presentation assessment and followed by the concurrent operant reinforcer assessment. Results revealed strong correspondence between both formats, with high Spearman rank correlation coefficients (r? = 1.0, 0.97, 0.89) across participants. Reinforcer assessments confirmed that all highly preferred stimuli identified also functioned as reinforcers. These findings support the use of the single-presentation arrangement, but future research should investigate the social validity of this assessment in regard to clinician acceptability, usage, and implications for client programming.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often receive pharmaceutical treatment; however, a concern with prescribing oral medications is that individuals may not correctly swallow pills (Polaha et al., 2008). One method of addressing this issue involves crushing pills; however, this method is often countertherapeutic because it can reduce medication efficacy or result in inaccurate dosing (Paparella, 2010). The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a multiple-component intervention for increasing pill swallowing. Two individuals who attended a residential school for individuals with autism participated. Differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) alone was conducted first, and additional components were added if criterion performance was not achieved. Additional treatment components included stimulus fading, simultaneous presentation, and pill placement. One participant met the treatment termination criterion with the implementation of DRA alone, and the other participant required additional components, including stimulus fading and pill placement. The implications of the findings for increasing pill swallowing in individuals with ASD will be discussed.

The present study examined the utility of an evidence-based behavioral health multi-treatment package consisting of empirically-supported applied behavioral analytic (ABA) interventions for nonverbal children diagnosed with level 3 severe autism. Implemented in Greece and conducted for approximately 3.5 years (42 months) at home, at school whenever permissible, and in community-center-based settings, this longitudinal study tracked eight students as they received several ABA interventions, including generalized imitation training, echoic/vocal mand training, discrimination training, individualized photographic activity schedules, and various secondary supplemental interventions. This study showed that the multi-treatment package increased student prosocial and independent capabilities, reduced problem behaviors, and reduced overall autism symptomology ratings in this sample. This research contributes to the development of a model route of treatment in clinical and home settings for children diagnosed with severe autism. Further research should seek to replicate these findings in controlled, multicultural samples and determine the most potent interventions for improving educational success in children diagnosed with severe ASD.

One 5-year-old girl diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder with specific rigidities and ritualistic behavior occurring during mealtimes was treated utilizing the Balance Program framework (Ruppel, KW, et.al., 2021). Major delays included communication, socialization, and insistence on sameness. The client and treatment team had prior experience implementing the Balance Program to increase cooperation during clinic-based routines with a focus on ending preferred, child-led activities, transitioning to the workspace, and engaging in discrete trial teaching. At the start of treatment, the client’s skills included responding to her name, emitting a functional communication response (e.g., “my way”), emitting a tolerance response (high five), and cooperating with adult-led skill acquisition activities in the clinical setting. Generalization of skills from the classroom to other settings had not occurred and the client was unable to discriminate between conditions (“my way” versus “staff’s way”) or to generalize skills to unpracticed routines such as mealtimes. Of particular concern were rigid, repetitive, sensory-seeking behaviors that occurred at high rates and interfered with the client’s ability to consume a meal or snack with peers in a reasonable amount of time. Specifically, problem behaviors included rolling, smearing, picking, licking, and mouth-stuffing food items during mealtimes.

Generalization is a marker of successful behavior change, and Stokes and Baer (1977) provided a set of strategies that could promote generalization within teaching, such as Multiple Exemplar Training (MET). Most research has incorporated MET within teaching strategies but few studies have examined how MET influences generalization outcomes. The current research assessed MET’s effect on generalization outcomes by comparing three different stimuli sets, consisting of one, three, and five exemplars, on six generalization variables during tact training. One child diagnosed with autism, was taught to label three different sets of stimuli, each with different numbers of target examples (1, 3 or 5) and then generalization outcomes were assessed across variables such as settings, SD’s, stimuli, etc. Overall, the student learned all targets and demonstrated correct responding across all generalization probes. Results showed that the number of training examples did not differentially affect generalization outcomes, and that training time across all three sets was comparable. Although preliminary, our findings indicate that MET may not be required for generalization to be achieved for tact training for some individuals. Moreover, it may be advantageous to use less exemplars to increase teaching efficiency. However, additional replication with more participants are needed.

Behavior intervention plans are helpful in increasing safe engagement with medical procedures. Some of these plans are helpful for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who might display hyper- or hyposensitivity to environmental stimuli. Routine medical procedures may evoke challenging behaviors due to aversive reactions to sensory aspects of the medical procedure. For example, the electroencephalogram (EEG) procedure requires prolonged engagement with various tactile stimuli which may be aversive to individuals with autism spectrum disorder. In this evaluation, one patient with ASD displayed symptoms suggestive of a seizure disorder warranting referral for participation in an EEG. Alejandro’s severe challenging behaviors prohibited a safe completion of the procedure. A 30-step plan was then created in the hope that it would help him tolerate the steps that go into an EEG. The client then completed the EEG and found that he had no conditions that could start a seizure in the EEG.

Many individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder are not able to benefit from highly language-based anxiety reducing behavioral interventions. Shinrin-Yoku, translated into English from Japanese as "forest bathing," is the practice of deliberately interacting with nature for specified short periods. There are many studies in the medical literature detailing the positive results of shinrin-yoku in terms of reduction of pulse rate, increases in levels of natural killer cells and decreases in perceived anxiety (e.g., Bowler, Byung-Ali & Pullin, 2010). In the current study, the effects of shinrin-yoku on the pulse rate and self-reported anxiety levels of individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder were examined. Consistent benefits were demonstrated in terms of reduced pulse rate and self-reported reduced anxiety, with pulse rate reducing 6-8% on average. Future directions for how to possibly bring the effect indoors are explored. Shinrin-yoku may be an effective anxiety reducing procedure for individuals who do not respond to other more language-based interventions.

Functional analyses (FA) are commonly used to identify the function of challenging behavior, with both standard FA and trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) demonstrating the ability to reliably identify behavioral functions. However, there is limited research on conducting FA in home settings. To address this gap, we conducted a TBFA in the home setting using procedures similar to those described by Bloom et al. (2013). The participant was a 12-year-old boy diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), referred for the assessment and treatment of severe challenging behavior. The results of the TBFA were compared to a traditional FA conducted in an intensive outpatient (IOP) hospital setting. Results demonstrated strong correspondence between the two approaches, suggesting that TBFA can effectively identify behavioral functions even in less controlled settings, such as the client’s home, where resources may be limited. These results highlight the potential for conducting FA in naturalistic settings while maintaining validity. The implications for in-home assessments and future research are discussed, focusing on the efficiency, effectiveness, and feasibility of conducting FA in these settings.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often face challenges in establishing and maintaining meaningful friendships. They may struggle to discriminate the signs of unhealthy friendships, which can lead to involvement in manipulative or abusive relationships. This line of research seeks to help individuals make informed decisions when seeking meaningful and healthy friendships. We evaluated Behavioral Skills Training (BST) and Self-Questioning Training (SQT) to teach two adolescents with ASD to discriminate between healthy and unhealthy friendship traits and to provide a rationale for each video model. Following BST and SQT we observed an increase in identifying the correct traits and providing the correct rationales across the initial sets of exemplars for both participants. We assessed novel exemplars following the acquisition of the main teaching sets. Overall, we did not observe an increase in responding to the untaught sets, suggesting that our teaching arrangement was insufficient in promoting generalization, therefore we subsequently taught out all additional exemplars. Further refinements are needed to teach a generalized repertoire. Learning these skills may help protect individuals with ASD against the establishment of unhealthy friendships, bullying, and reduce the risk of harm for vulnerable populations.

Rural communities face unique challenges, such as limited access to resources and a shortage of community partners, which hinder the establishment of sustainable programs and services, particularly more specialized services, such as ABA (Bethune & Kiser, 2018). The growing demand for behavioral services, particularly in rural areas where resources are limited, exacerbates the difficulties in providing adequate support for this population (Traub et al., 2017). Yet, the availability of behavior analysts in rural schools remains limited. Considering this, low-intensity ABA services, which have shown promise in addressing a variety of skill deficits, are particularly relevant for rural settings (Bethune & Kiser, 2018). This study presents a model of how providers can successfully implement low-intensity ABA programming in a rural, public elementary school. Data will be presented on treatment outcomes of ABA programming designed to target functional communication, compliance with academic demands, and appropriate classroom behavior for a 6-year-old male with autism. In this model, 4 hours of one-on-one ABA services were provided per week. Results indicate that ABA programming effectively increased complexity and independence of mands, increased appropriate classroom behavior, and increased completion, accuracy, and efficiency of academic demands. Implications of offering low-intensity ABA services in a school setting will be discussed.

Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at a greater risk of seeking emergency department (ED) services during behavioral crises, such as acute aggression, suicidal or homicidal ideation, self-injury, or other types of challenging behavior (e.g., pica, dangerous behaviors). Research demonstrates children and adolescents with ASD often return to the ED due to challenging behavior, suggesting that gaps in care exist (e.g., follow-up appointments, referrals). However, the current knowledge basis is largely based on data from other countries. Given the unique landscape of healthcare in the United States, it is prudent to elucidate characteristics of children and adolescents with ASD who are seeking emergency care due to challenging behavior, as well as systems-level factors that both contribute to our understanding of challenging behavior and ASD in ED settings. In this study, we focus on frequency and characteristics of children and adolescents with ASD presenting to the ED with challenging behavior over the course of a 6-year period in the Midwest region of the United States. Clinical implications for ED staff are discussed.

Referral concerns related to assessment and intervention for urinary, bowel, sexual health, and menstrual care are commonplace for behavior analysts. However, applying principles of behavior to these referral concerns can be complex. Complicating factors may include a behavior analyst’s training within in the scope of practice for these referral concerns and considering different views related to independence, family culture, and the individual’s preferences and autonomy in approach to care. For persons with ASD and IDD, neurodiversity affirming care (e.g., assent, consent, and privacy considerations), social impact, and medical necessity may guide approaches to assessment and intervention. This panel examines evidence-based practices related to urinary, bowel, sexual health, and menstrual supports for persons with ASD and IDD. In addition, panel members address considerations related to historical, cultural, and practical applications of assessment and intervention strategies. Last, the panel will discuss future considerations related to these critical self-care skills across the life span.

Practitioner serving autistic individuals or those with intellectual disability are invited to attend. Attendees should have pre-requisite skills related to skill acquisition programming,

Complying with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts requires 1) practicing within the scope of competence, 2) conforming with legal and professional requirements and 3) understanding the risks of multiple relationships in various locations. Fraudulent insurance billing and other unethical practices occur every day in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis in clinics and schools. As contracted providers with insurance carriers, Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) must comply with all legal obligations and may be held accountable by federal and state authorities for unethical billing practices. The challenge is about bridging the gap between ethical practices and billing requirements that help ensure high quality services for valued patient outcomes. It is essential that Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) have proper training, education and a support system comprised of experienced professionals in the field. Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) need to thoroughly understand their roles and responsibilities included under their provider contracts, complying with Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes and identifying important factors relevant to the service locations where therapy is provided.

Board Certified Behavior Analysts Registered Behavior Technicians Professors Teachers Educational Professionals

Video modeling (VM) and video prompting (VP) interventions are considered an evidence-based practice for individuals with autism and can improve many behaviors, including daily living and social communication skills. Yet much of the research base involves researchers, rather than natural intervention agents such as caregivers or teachers, developing the videos and implementing the interventions, and further explorations of the feasibility of such strategies are needed. This symposium includes three single case experimental design studies and one systematic literature review which address these issues and provide additional insights on the latest advances in VM and VP interventions. Two intervention studies focus on caregiver developed and implemented VM and VP interventions to improve daily living skills of children, youth, and adults with autism and intellectual disabilities. Another intervention study focuses on a teacher facilitated joint video modeling intervention to improve symbolic play behaviors between preschoolers with and without autism. The systematic review analyzes the effectiveness of VP to teach daily living skills to individuals with autism and examines variables of VP strategies that may influence effects. Recommendations for research and clinical practice, as well as considerations for training natural intervention agents to create and implement VM and VP interventions, will be discussed.

BCBAs, RBTs, practitioners who conduct training of natural intervention agents such as caregivers or teachers or paraprofessionals, researchers examining video modeling or video prompting interventions in populations with autism or intellectual disabilities

Visually-based modeling procedures, such as video modeling (VM), have been identified as established, evidence-based interventions to teach daily living skills (DLS) to people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Video prompting (VP) is a form of VM in which a task is broken into discrete steps through multiple brief video clips rather than being shown in entirety through one long video. This literature review examines the effectiveness of VP in teaching DLS to individuals with ASD. It also synthesizes information about other interventions combined with VP and different video features that may affect VP effectiveness. For the broader goals of promoting independence and providing opportunities for people to improve their lives, we examined whether the learned skills were generalized and maintained. We also analyzed usability as applicable among the included studies. We reviewed 24 studies, of which 62 participants were students with ASD. A rigorous body of VP literature has been designed to teach participants a range of tasks, including cooking, washing, dressing, and shopping. A summary of results will be discussed, including limitations of the review, recommendations for future studies, and implications for practitioners.

Daily living skills are a critical domain of adaptive behavior necessary for age-appropriate independent functioning and transitioning independently into adulthood (Baker et al., 2021; Smith et al., 2012). Many individuals with IDD continue to live with their caregivers after high school, making caregivers the primary individual to teach independent living skills. The purpose of the current study is to examine the effects of caregiver-created and caregiver-implemented video prompting instruction with error correction on daily living skills with adolescents and adults with IDD. Two individuals, ages 16 and 22, with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, participated in the study. An online tutorial was designed for caregivers to teach components of a task and how to create video clips. Each caregiver selected three daily living skills to target. During intervention sessions, a BCBA provided ongoing caregiver coaching. The caregiver instructed their child to complete the specific daily living skill by watching the video model and delivered least-to-most prompting with vocal instructions and model prompts. Results indicate that caregiver-created and caregiver-delivered video modeling is viable for teaching daily living skills to increase independence. Limitations and areas for future research will be discussed.

Video modeling interventions have been used to improve a variety of daily living skills for children with autism. This study extends the VM field of work to include parent implemented procedures with culturally and linguistically diverse populations in Turkey. We used a changing criterion design to evaluate the effects of a parent-delivered video modeling (VM) and forward chaining procedure intervention to improve the ability of children with autism to independently brush their teeth. Three parent–child dyads participated in the study. Parents’ opinions about the social validity, feasibility, and acceptability of the intervention goals, procedures, and outcome were also examined. The results indicated that the parent implemented combination of VM with a forward chaining procedure was effective in teaching the participating children to brush their teeth without any prompting. Results also showed that parents could deliver a VM intervention with high treatment integrity. Finally, parents’ opinions about the social validity of the intervention were highly positive. Replication of this approach is warranted, and implications for future research and practice are discussed.

The ability of young children to participate in symbolic play is one of the most important developmental skills, is a predictor of social abilities later in childhood, and is strongly associated with language development. For children with autism, the development of symbolic play skills is often delayed or absent, potentially creating further barriers to inclusion in play with same age peers. Therefore, interventions targeting symbolic play skills which include typical play partners that are feasibly implemented in inclusive settings are needed. A concurrent multiple baseline design across four participant/peer dyads was implemented to assess the effects of a teacher-supported, peer-mediated video modeling intervention package on the symbolic play skills of children with autism and their typically developing peers in an inclusive early childhood classroom. In addition to visual analysis, data were statistically analyzed using the non-parametric measure Tau-U. A functional relation between the intervention and increases in symbolic play actions and symbolic play verbalizations was demonstrated. In addition, a functional relation was demonstrated between the intervention and increases in the partners engaging in reciprocal symbolic play. Results generalized to novel playsets and maintained following the withdrawal of video models. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.

Culture has been defined as “the characteristic features of everyday existence shared by people in a place or time.” Each of the presenters in this symposium will discuss a different culture from a behavioral perspective and present specific ways that the behavioral perspective can make a difference for the individuals within that culture. These cultures include foster care and adoption and the tendency of professionals to pathologize and overmedicate children, marginalized status due to systemic racism and neurodiversity, Hispanic/Latinx families who may resist early intervention and have difficulty advocating for their children, and military culture that may encourage suicide ideation in war veterans. The behavioral perspective can assist children in foster care find permanency, prevent disparities in placement and discipline for students of color and those with disabilities, aid Hispanic/Latinx families in accepting their children's autism and seeking early intervention, and prevent suicide by altering the messages from military culture.

Behavior analysts, psychologists, teachers, social workers, counselors, administrators and psychiatrists would be appropriate audience members for this symposium. This presentation should be at the intermediate level and audience members should have the ability to apply basic behavioral concepts such as positive and negative reinforcement, motivating operations, and discriminative stimuli.

Systemic racism and neurodiversity contribute to marginalized status for students of color and students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Systemic racism often results in a disproportionate number of students of color placed inappropriately in special education as well as disparities in discipline referrals. Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities are also subjected to inadequate teaching strategies, inappropriate placement, and disparities in discipline, particularly when their behavior escalates, and teachers and school administrators have difficulty understanding and managing their behavior. Rather than the “refer-test-place” model that is often seen in schools, the behavioral perspective includes assessment for competency rather than for placement, teaching strategies that overcome deficits and disabilities, consulting that empowers teachers to improve student performance and behavior, and dealing with challenging behavior through functional assessment and function-based intervention. Through the use of behavioral strategies marginalized status can be avoided, and all students can thrive and be successful in school.

Hispanic/Latinx families may resist the diagnosis of autism in their children due to misinformation from religious beliefs, language barriers, gender roles, family dynamics, and assumptions within the community about illnesses. This unwillingness to obtain diagnosis and treatment in the Hispanic community may prevent children with autism from getting early intervention and a complete education, from feeling that their disabilities are seen, and from realizing their wish for betterment to lead a fulfilling life. By understanding parents in the Hispanic culture’s attitudes and beliefs about autism and early intervention, we may be able to educate and empower parents to allow their children access to much needed diagnostic and intervention services. Compounding the problem of unwillingness to accept diagnoses and obtain early intervention are the barriers Hispanic families face in their attempts to obtain appropriate services when their children are identified in schools. Even when families have a basic understanding of the English language, grasping the meanings of the terminology used within the schools and discomfort with assertiveness make it difficult for families to advocate for their children. The behavioral perspective can provide families with the confidence and skills they need to find their voices.

This symposium focuses on cultural contingencies in the context of the dissemination of behavior analysis, highlighting the importance of sociocultural analysis. We begin with outlining how cultural dimensions, including social power structures, institutional norms, and resource allocation, impact the goals and practices of behavior analysis, often limiting its broader application. Then, we explore the role of attribution of causation in third-wave behavioral therapies, emphasizing the need for context-focused assessment when identifying targets of intervention to avoid harm to clients. The symposium further emphasizes integrating multicultural competency into clinical training, moving beyond traditional approaches to embrace the complexity of cultural contexts in functional analytic case conceptualizations. This comprehensive approach ensures that both the client's and therapist’s verbal behaviors align with broader cultural systems, ultimately improving the effectiveness of behavioral analytic practices across varied social settings. Lastly, we present the analysis of behavior at the socio-cultural level, particularly the concept of cultural milieu—shared stimulus functions such as values, beliefs, and opinions—and its role in effectively applying behavior analysis in different cultures. We compare various socio-cultural models and emphasize the significance of verbal behavior in establishing and maintaining behaviors at this level. This presentation discusses a theoretical framework from a behavior analytical perspective in which the dissemination of behavior analysis to different cultures can be analyzed. Within behavior analysis, different conceptual and theoretical frameworks of cultural behavior analysis have been proposed. This presentation starts with the comparison of these frameworks, and emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural milieu, the difference between cultural milieu and cultural organizational milieu and the important role played by verbal behavior in the understanding of cultures. Ultimately, the paper advocates for a unified framework to propel the development of a new discipline focused on cultural behavior.

Intermediate Audience should have basic knowledge about behavior analysis at socio-cultural level; it is preferred that the audience has clinical experience working with people from different cultural background.

There are many aspects of culture that impact the implementation of behavior-analytic interventions. While culture is often viewed in terms of ethnic community or geography-based social systems, other elements of cultural systems—like policies, guidelines, training competencies, resources, and social expectations— also play a crucial role in shaping the dissemination and practice of behavior analysis. These often overlooked factors impact intervention focus, implementation, and the field's overall direction, especially through the translation of practices and professional training. This presentation begins by providing a broad overview of these layers of culture, both within and outside practice settings, to raise awareness of their influence on interventions and their implementation. We will explore specific examples that illustrate how these cultural forces shape behavior analysis beyond traditional settings, as well as how policies and guidelines impact the application of other behavioral therapies. Ultimately, this presentation encourages behavior analysts to consider how both external and internal contexts shape their practice, urging them to stay informed and reflective about these influences in order to improve the effectiveness and ethics of their work.

Attributions of causation are fundamental to addressing intervention targets in behavioral health. Inadequate identification of intervention targets – as a consequence of insufficient assessment – often leads to the selection of interventions that fail to provide optimal service and may even risk harm to the client. This presentation discusses the role of functional assessment in the implementation and dissemination of third-wave behavioral therapies, emphasizing both the intervention process and its outcomes. Third-wave behavior therapies have components that attribute ineffective behavior patterns to verbal behavior. Given prevalent cultural contingencies, therapists may then attend to verbal behavior as privileged explanatory attribution and neglect other aspects of the client's context that may impact functioning. The importance of a comprehensive contextual assessment to inform treatment decisions will be reviewed, including its impact on the causal attributions made. School related anxiety will be used as an example to illustrate how the same topography can have multiple functions dependent upon context.

Incorporating multicultural competency into clinical training has long been recognized as a critical component of professional development. However, traditional approaches of teaching multiculturalism as a stand-alone course often lead to an oversimplified understanding of cultural issues, making it challenging for students and early-career clinicians to apply this knowledge effectively in real-world scenarios (Sue et al., 2019). While APA Multicultural Guidelines (APA, 2017) and recommendations for behavioral analysts (Fong et al., 2016) provide a robust foundation for working with multicultural clients, implementing these guidelines in clinical practice and clinical decision making can be challenging. This presentation focuses on how practitioners can integrate functional analytic case conceptualizations to address cultural complexity and diversity. This will be followed by a case illustration to demonstrate how practitioners can navigate these complexities by incorporating a case conceptualization that respects and honors client’s own values within a larger social context and how social advocacy and problem solving can be applied to address systemic barriers when necessary.

In today’s competitive business environment, maintaining a motivated workforce and ensuring high employee retention are critical for organizational success. This presentation focuses on five key Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) principles, grounded in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), that enhance employee motivation and retention. These principles include pinpointing, goal setting, self-monitoring and reporting, reciprocal feedback, and pay-for-performance. By leveraging these strategies within an ABA framework, organizations can optimize workforce performance and engagement. In addition to these OBM techniques, the presentation highlights the importance of integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles and practicing cultural humility. These elements are essential in creating a workplace that values diversity and fosters a sense of belonging for all employees. By weaving DEI into organizational practices, leaders can promote a more inclusive, equitable, and innovative environment. Designed for behavior analysts, managers, and organizational leaders, this session offers evidence-based approaches to improve employee loyalty, productivity, and create a culture of inclusivity that drives long-term organizational success.

The necessary prerequisite skills are having a mastery of the basic principles of behavior as outlined by the BACB Task List. In addition, participants should have leadership experience and an understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion concepts and principles.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their caregivers face a multitude of barriers when attempting to access healthcare including sensory sensitivities and the limited knowledge and training in autism of treating clinicians (Walsh et al., 2020). This present symposium details four papers addressing improving access to healthcare for autistic individuals. The first paper presents a review of behavioral interventions used during routine dental checkups for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Practical implications and suggestions for future research will be discussed. The second paper presents a literature review and process for developing a menstrual hygiene management (MHM) program for individuals with ASD that exhibit challenging behavior. The third paper explores the utility of video training, practice, and feedback to teach healthcare professionals to implement various behavior analytic procedures such as non-contingent reinforcement, frequent breaks and within-session graduated exposure, in the context of physical examinations. Results demonstrate the efficacy and efficiency of this training method to train healthcare providers. Finally, the fourth paper used systematic desensitization to reduce fear responses during phlebotomy appointments in two adults with autism and a history of severe challenging behavior. The results of the study suggest an effective model of desensitization to reduce fear responses and aid adults with ASD in successfully completing blood draws. All together these papers display a variety of behavior analytic methods and procedures that can be used to increase access to healthcare for people with ASD.

general understanding of graduated exposure, staff training, complexities of medical treatment of individuals with autism

Access to education and resources for safe menstruation is a human right. Researchers estimate globally over 700 million women and girls with disabilities experience monthly menstruation (UN Secretary General, 2017). Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is a critical issue connected to gender equality, gender equity, education, empowerment, and human dignity (UNICEF, 2019). The lack of knowledge and awareness about menstruation contributes to harmful practices and health-related outcomes, including cervical cancer, pelvic infections, school drop-out, low academic performance, increased abuse risk, sterilization or long-term dependence on medication for menstrual suppression, and poor quality of life. This talk will address a critical gap in applied behavior analysis (ABA) services that negatively impacts individuals with ASD and ID/DD during menstruation. We present: a concise literature review of caregiver perspectives and trends in issues related to menstruation; the process for development of a pilot MHM program for individuals who many engage in challenging behavior as informed by multidisciplinary collaboration; and assessment and intervention results from pilot participants. The primary aim of this talk is to address how practitioners of behavior analysis can address menstrual hygiene management and menstrua-behavioral issues using person-centered, evidence-based methods grounded in autonomy and independence-affirming care.

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) sometimes emit challenging behaviors during physical examinations that interfere with their health care. To help, we created a 24-min video training to teach healthcare providers to use or offer (a) non-contingent reinforcement, (b) tell-show-do, (c) frequent breaks, (d) within-session graduated exposure, and (e) tangible reinforcers to patients with IDD during physical examinations. Afterward, participants practiced implementing the behavioral interventions using a novel method in which they rotated through the roles of physical examiner, patient, and evaluator. The physical examiner practiced the behavioral interventions with a patient who followed a randomized script to emit challenging behaviors. Simultaneously, up to two evaluators scored the physical examiner’s intervention use and gave performance feedback. In a pre-test, post-test design, before viewing the video, 22 participants produced a mean score of 47% during practice. After the video, their mean score increased to 93%, and 65 additional participants produced a mean score of 92% in a post-test-only design. The results also indicate that the participant-led practice method can be completed more quickly and with fewer resources than a facilitator-led practice method, which makes the novel method more suitable for medical educators to use with their students and residents.

Trypanophobia, a fear of medical procedures involving needles, can co-occur in individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Complications with medical procedures involving needles, such as blood draws, are further exasperated for individuals with severe problem behavior such as self-injury and aggression. Systematic desensitization is a behavioral technique that gradually exposes an individual to anxiety provoking stimuli while learning relaxation techniques and shows promise as an effective tool to treat needle phobia in adults diagnosed with ASD (Wolff & Symons 2012). The purpose of the current study was to expand on this literature by evaluating the effectiveness of medical desensitization to phlebotomy procedures with two adults with ASD and history of severe aggression and self-injury. Results of the present evaluation demonstrate the effectiveness of medical desensitization in the reduction of fear responses. Low levels of fear responses generalized with a phlebotomist in an in-vivo blood draw for one participant, and both participants successfully completed the in-vivo blood draw without engaging in problem behavior.

This competition is designed to encourage, promote, and reward behavior analytic scholarship on topics and issues in DEI, both in the field of behavior analysis and more broadly. Students (graduate or undergraduate) and post-graduate professionals who have completed empirical or conceptual papers relevant to DEI that are informed, at least in part, by a behavior-analytic perspective were invited to submit.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Zeinab is a PhD student in behavior analysis at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Munroe-Meyer Institute under the advisement of Dr. Catalina Rey. Her research focuses on skill acquisition, cultural responsiveness, and translational research on relapse. She aims to contribute to the development of effective interventions to improve learning outcomes and enhance culturally responsive practices in behavior analysis to better serve individuals from diverse backgrounds.

A Ph.D. student that is interested in experimental psychology and behavior analysis of cognition. During my undergraduate degree, I studied phenomena related to transitivity, function transfer, and generalization of stimuli. During my master's degree, the Subliminal Conditioning and the mediation of appetitive motivation. Currently, I am investigating the experimental analysis of racial prejudice.

A growing body of evidence indicates frequency building can serve as an effective and efficient means of improving fluency when combined with other evidence-based intervention. The present investigation combined the Concrete-Representational-Abstract tested the effects of a fluency building intervention on math facts performance with four elementary school students participating in multi-tiered systems of support. The researchers employed a multiple probe design across three sets of fact families. Intervention components consisted of modeling the fact family followed by three, one-minute practice trials with immediate feedback delivered between each timing. The students received up to a ten-day window of intervention on one set of fact families before moving to the next set. Results suggest a significant increase in digits correct per minute and a decrease in digits incorrect per minute. Study outcomes also suggest that fluency instruction focusing on the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction operations can plausibly serve as a viable alternative to instruction with isolated and unrelated math facts. Discussion points on stimulus equivalence as well as implications for practitioners and recommendations for future research will be shared.

Social validity is core to the effective provision of behaviour analytic services (Wolf, 1987); however, research in this area remains limited. In a review of Precision Teaching (PT) for the improvement of academic skills, McTiernan et al. (2021) found that only 36% (n = 10) of reviewed papers reported social validity outcomes, with only two of these studies involving teacher-implemented PT. Qualitative methods offer one approach to explore social validity in PT (Griffin & Murtagh, 2015; Owen et al., 2021). This study employs qualitative methods to explore teachers’ and students’ experiences of frequency-building with PT to achieve fluency with math facts. Five teachers and 96 students from mainstream disadvantaged schools in Ireland participated in the study. Five individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers and 16 focus groups with students. The interview guides were developed based on the core components of social validity (a) the social significance of goals, (b) the social appropriateness of procedures and (c) the social importance of the effects (Wolf, 1987) and the theoretical framework of acceptability questionnaire (Sekhon et al., 2017). Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Implications of the findings for research and practice will be discussed.