A blocking and distance management staff training intervention for torso- and head-directed aggression.

Although decades of behavior-analytic studies have focused on decreasing the aggressive behavior of clients, relatively little research has been conducted on preventing injuries for the staff members who implement treatment plans. In this study, three direct-care staff members working with clients presenting with aggressive behavior were taught targeted blocking and distance management techniques designed to keep the clients safe while preventing injuries to the participants. Findings indicated that all staff members acquired the target skills in simulations, after which the skills for two participants generalized to the natural work environment.

Finding a Meaningful Career Using Organizational Behavior Management.

Students, early career behavior analysts, and professionals who are retreading and interested in organizational behavior management (OBM) often seek guidance on potential career paths. In this article, we offer several factors to consider before pursuing a career related to OBM, including strategies to narrow interests, gain experience, and communicate those experiences to hiring organizations. Next, we outline potential career paths and give specific examples of job titles and duties. The job areas described are academia/research, operations, internal consulting, and external consulting. Finally, we discuss how OBM training is relevant to each area and other skills necessary to be competitive for those positions.

SΔp: The Missing Discriminative Stimulus for Non-Punishment.

As the natural science of behavior evolves, the use of precise terminology is critical to maintain its conceptual and terminological integrity. The current state of terminology in stimulus control is well developed with respect to reinforcement and incomplete with respect to punishment. In this paper, we aim to make the case that the current conceptualization for discriminative stimulus control in relation to punishment would be enhanced by modifying the definition of the discriminative stimulus for punishment (SDp) and by adding a new term to the current taxonomy that denotes when a punishment contingency is inactive.

Human Services During the COVID Pandemic: Using Behavioral Safety Programs to Protect Human Services Workers and Students.

Objectives: Behavioral safety programs have been effective in decreasing injuries across a number of industries. The COVID-19 pandemic is placing stress on the human services field-an industry already noted for its high injury rate. As most organizations resume full operation in the midst of the pandemic, procedures to mitigate the risk of virus transmission are vital. The current manuscript describes the use of a behavioral safety program and its effects on COVID-19 transmission in a school serving setting. Methods: This case study consisted of implementing an organization-wide behavioral safety program in a private school that served students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. During the course of the study, 124 to 128 direct care staff were employed by the school and served 168 students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: During the behavioral safety program, there were a variable but continuous number of safety observations. The percent of safe behavior in the classrooms began near 90% and approached 100% at the conclusion of data collection. During the study there were no documented COVID-19 infections traced to the school. Conclusions: Behavioral safety programs could be effective in promoting behavior associated with minimizing virus transmission; therefore, these programs may also have utility in preventing communicable diseases in human service settings.

On Turnover in Human Services.

Within the field of behavior analysis, turnover can impact an organization adversely due to the loss of expertise and the required replacement expenses. Turnover in behavior analysis remains poorly understood, and few investigations have studied why employees separate and how to mitigate unwanted turnover. The purpose of this discussion article is to provide an account of turnover, as well as to make recommendations to behavior-analytic service providers regarding how to perform analyses and intervene to decrease employee turnover.

Speak Up: Increasing Conversational Volume in a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Deficits in social interactions are a hallmark of autism spectrum disorder. This study examined one relatively uncommon aspect of social interactions that has not received much attention from the literature: appropriate conversational volume. Conversational speech volume was measured using a commercially available application, and a package intervention was developed that consisted of feedback from the voice measuring application, signaling from a wrist bracelet, and differential reinforcement. The intervention was evaluated in an ABAB design and speaking at conversational volume was significantly increased when the intervention was in place and in probe conditions.

Icing on the Cake: The Role of Research in Practitioner Training.

Dixon, Reed, Smith, Belisle, and Jackson (Behavior Analysis in Practice 8, 7-15, 2015) evaluated research productivity in BACB training programs. While research productivity may indeed be an important metric for future researchers, we posit that the field consists mainly of practitioners, and as such training should be focused on practice. We provide an alternative perspective on enhancing the quality of education for behavior analysts who will, by and large, go on to be practitioners.

The effects of varied versus constant high-, medium-, and low-preference stimuli on performance.

The purpose of the current study was to compare the delivery of varied versus constant high-, medium-, and low-preference stimuli on performance of 2 adults on a computer-based task in an analogue employment setting. For both participants, constant delivery of the high-preference stimulus produced the greatest increases in performance over baseline; the varied presentation produced performance comparable to constant delivery of medium-preference stimuli. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the selection and delivery of stimuli as part of employee performance-improvement programs in the field of organizational behavior management.

The effects of varying levels of treatment integrity on child compliance during treatment with a three-step prompting procedure.

The effects of three levels of treatment integrity (100%, 50%, and 0%) on child compliance were evaluated in the context of the implementation of a three-step prompting procedure. Two typically developing preschool children participated in the study. After baseline data on compliance to one of three common demands were collected, a therapist implemented the three-step prompting procedure at three different integrity levels. One integrity level was associated with each demand. The effects of the integrity levels were examined using multielement designs. The results indicate that compliance varied according to the level of treatment integrity that was in place.

Preintervention analysis and improvement of customer greeting in a restaurant.

We examined customer greeting by employees at one location of a sandwich restaurant chain. First, a preintervention analysis was conducted to determine the conditions under which greeting a customer within 3 s of his or her entry into the restaurant did and did not occur. Results suggested that an appropriate customer greeting was most likely to occur when a door chime was used to indicate that a customer had entered the store and when the store manager was present behind the service counter. Next, a performance improvement intervention, which consisted of the combination of the use of a door chime and manager presence, was evaluated. Results showed that during baseline, a mean of 6% of customers were greeted; during intervention a mean of 63% of customers were greeted. The addition of manager-delivered verbal and graphic group feedback resulted in 100% of customers being greeted across two consecutive sessions.