Factors Affecting Parent Treatment Decisions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Brief Review.

Parents and caregivers of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are faced with a vast array of treatment options, which vary greatly in evidence-based merits, and it is unclear what factors affect their final selections. Understanding the factors that influence family decisions can shed light on avenues for more effectively communicating the importance of selecting empirically supported treatments. In this article, we conducted a systematic literature review on how parents select evidence-based treatments for their children with ASD. We categorized treatment types using a combination of established resources, such as the National Standards Project (NSP), to determine the validity of research evidence for different ASD treatments. We reported the various treatment types, decision-making factors, and sources of recommendations across the literature, and compared those with earlier systematic literature reviews. The results of the present review indicate that parents' decisions are influenced by the accessibility of treatment, trust of practitioners, and alignment on factors such as parental values and the child's specific needs. We conclude with suggestions for practitioners and researchers on future research and wider adoption of evidence-based treatments (EBTs).

An Investigation of BCBA Exam Pass Rates as a Quality Indicator of Applied Behavior Analysis Training Programs.

The number of colleges and universities offering behavior analytic training has grown rapidly over the last decade and it is time for our profession to evaluate the rigor of such trainings and to gain quality control. In this study we set out to investigate first-time pass rates on the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examinations across Verified Course Sequences (VCSs) using publicly available data between 2013 to 2020. We evaluated outcomes related to overall first-time pass rates; the small number of programs contributing the greatest number of BCBA exam candidates; and the difference in first-time pass rates by mode of instruction and ABAI accreditation. We discuss the use of first-time pass rate data as a quality indicator and provide some recommendations based on the outcomes evaluated.

Workplace Conflict in Applied Behavior Analysis: Prevalence, Impact, and Training.

Conflict, albeit normal in every relationship, can increase stress and tension. Workplace conflict is highly prevalent in the field of health care and has been correlated with lowered job satisfaction and burnout. However, little is known about workplace conflict for practicing Board Certified Behavior Analysts® (BCBAs®). We distributed an electronic survey through the Behavior Analysis Certification Board® (BACB®) to determine the impact and prevalence of workplace conflict for practicing BCBAs. Most of our participants reported various levels of conflict with different workplace professionals including teachers, caregivers, colleagues, and supervisees. We found that a high proportion of practitioners reported losing cases and wanting to leave their jobs because of workplace conflict. Most of our participants did not feel that they had the training they needed to have sufficient skills to resolve workplace conflict effectively. Therefore, in this article we outlined the component skills necessary to manage conflict effectively and made recommendations for training these skills.

Moderate Effects of Low-Intensity Behavioral Intervention.

We compared clinical outcomes in a treatment group of 98 individuals who received between 8 and 15 weekly hours (M = 10.6; SD = 1.7) of applied behavior analysis (ABA) intervention with a comparison group of 73 individuals who received another provision, including some ABA, (between 1.4-8 weekly hours, M = 5.7; SD = 1.6). After 2 years, the treatment group made greater gains than the comparison group on language and social skills, and other areas assessed by the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). We evaluated the outcome on adaptive skills for a smaller sample of participants using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales II (VABS), but found no significant differences between the treatment (n = 17) and comparison groups (n = 11). Although the treatment group made important and clinically meaningful gains, the gains were moderate. These findings underline the importance of intervention intensity and provide further support for a dose-response relationship between ABA intervention hours and outcomes.

Effects of Functional Discrimination Training on Initial Receptive Language in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The success of behavior-analytic procedures to teach language to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been well established in the literature. Nevertheless, some individuals may not learn any receptive or expressive language following extensive teaching efforts. We examined the effects of two reinforcement contingencies, functional and arbitrary, on increasing the level of auditory-visual conditional discriminations in children with ASD with a history of having difficulty learning discriminations. We evaluated the effects of the reinforcement contingencies by comparing the number of trials needed to establish discriminations in an adapted alternating treatment design. We found that five out of eight participants showed more rapid acquisition and demonstrated discrimination between more items in the functional reinforcement condition. The remaining three participants did not exhibit any discrimination in either condition within the allotted 500 trials/20 days. These findings suggest that using functional reinforcement procedures may be a helpful alternative for individuals who do not learn discriminations through traditional procedures.

Experimental Analysis of Behavior Readings Assigned by Accredited Master's Degree Programs in Behavior Analysis.

Although a foundation in the basic science of behavior represents a common goal of practitioners and educators of behavior analysis, the content covered in master's degree-level courses on the experimental analysis of behavior (EAB) can vary widely across university programs. The purpose of our study was to analyze the syllabi of master's degree programs accredited by the Association for Behavior Analysis International to develop a list of common readings and topics in EAB coursework that might be useful for curricular development. We identified the most frequently cited references, journals, and participant characteristics. We found commonalities among the syllabi with regard to the types of readings assigned and the topics covered. We discussed our findings in terms of current trends in EAB and quality graduate training in behavior analysis.

Multidisciplinary Teaming: Enhancing Collaboration through Increased Understanding.

In an effort to provide clarity about the unique contributions of several professions within the context of multidisciplinary treatment, we reviewed the definitions, philosophical underpinnings, and national requirements pertaining to both scopes of practice (i.e., model licensing acts, legislation, and regulatory boards) and training (i.e., task lists, accreditation standards and course requirements, and exam blueprints) of 4 behavioral health professions. The professions we selected (behavior analysis, psychology, speech-language pathology, and occupational therapy) are likely to provide treatment alongside one another and often to the same clients. In a review of documents pertaining to scopes of practice and training for each profession, we found overlapping content. However, the similarities between professions diminished when we reviewed more specific guidelines such as learning objectives, educational requirements (i.e., coursework), supervised clinical experience (e.g., internships), and national examinations. This was especially true when considering each profession's underlying approach to treatment (i.e., philosophical underpinnings) and, hence, service activities. We discuss our findings in light of service overlap and make a call for greater collaboration between professions, as related to the separate content knowledge and expertise of professionals in each field and the impact on client outcomes.

Evaluation of video self-instruction for implementing paired-stimulus preference assessments.

We trained four undergraduate students who reported no prior experience implementing behavior-analytic procedures to conduct a paired-stimulus preference assessment using a video self-instruction package. The package was composed of several components from prior research (i.e., a voice-over script, written instructions, multiple video models per step, and instructions for the trainee to rehearse throughout the video presentation). We used a nonconcurrent, multiple-baseline-across-participants design and found that all participants accurately implemented the preference assessment with a simulated client after viewing the video once. We discuss the contributions of the current results and directions for future research on video self-instruction for staff (i.e., maintenance, generalization, social validity).

Prevention of the development of problem behavior: A laboratory model.

Few studies have isolated the preventive efficacy of common behavioral strategies like noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA). The purpose of the current study was to develop and evaluate a laboratory model of these two problem behavior prevention strategies. Undergraduate students participated in a computer simulation, in which clicks to a designated area of the computer screen were analogous to the emergence of problem behavior. The responding of participants in a control group, who experienced a percentile schedule used to mimic the shaping of problem behavior, was compared to that of participants in two experimental groups, each with a history of either DRA or NCR. Between-subjects group comparisons showed that both intervention strategies were equally effective in the prevention of our analog to problem behavior when compared to the control group. The strengths and limitations of a laboratory model for prevention are discussed in light of recent applied work in this area.

Preference assessment training via self-instruction: A replication and extension.

We examined the effects of a self-instructional and feedback package on participants' implementation of a paired-stimulus preference assessment. Specifically, in Experiment 1, we used a multiple baseline design across participants to replicate and extend the results of Graff and Karsten (2012) by evaluating the effectiveness of their self-instructional manual. A majority of the participants (i.e., 5 of 7 undergraduate students and 4 of 5 in-home behavior technicians) achieved mastery with the self-instructional package. The remaining participants met the mastery criterion after brief modeling and feedback sessions. In Experiment 2, we identified the most effective component of the feedback condition from Experiment 1 when a self-instructional package was not sufficient. Brief feedback sessions in which participants received a list of the targeted responses plus information regarding accuracy of emitted responses was sufficient for 5 of 6 participants to achieve mastery.

A Review of Board Standards Across Behavioral Health Professions: Where Does the BCBA Credential Stand?

The increasing demand for behavior analytic services and the number of individuals pursuing credentials to provide these services evoke questions regarding certification and how the requirements for becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) compare with those for other professions. In this paper, we compared licensure and board certification requirements across similar behavioral health professions (i.e., behavior analysis, clinical social work, educational psychology, marriage and family therapy, and clinical psychology) and found that the minimum requirements for certification of behavior analysts were commensurate. We discuss the implications of our comparisons for practitioners, consumers, and the field and offer some recommendations for future consideration.

Measuring anxiety in youth with learning disabilities: reliability and validity of the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC).

Youth with learning disabilities (LD) are at an increased risk for anxiety disorders and valid measures of anxiety are necessary for assessing this population. We investigated the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC; March in Multidimensional anxiety scale for children. Multi-Health Systems, North Tonawanda, 1998) in 41 adolescents (ages 11-17 years) with LD. Youth and parents completed the MASC and were administered the semi-structured Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule: Child and Parent Versions (ADIS: C/P; Silverman and Albano in The Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV-Child and Parent Versions. Psychological Corporation, San Antonio, 1996). Results found that child and parent reports of Social Anxiety on the MASC closely corresponded with ADIS-generated social phobia diagnoses, and parent total scores discriminated well among youth with and without any anxiety disorder. A multi-method multi-trait matrix provided evidence of the construct validity of the MASC total score for both parent and child reports. Our findings provide empirical evidence that parent and child versions of the MASC are useful for assessing anxiety in youth with LD.