Program Characteristics and Certification Examination Pass Rates: A Statistical Analysis of BACB-Published 2015-2019 Data.

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) annually publishes data on the pass rates of institutions with verified course sequences (VCS). The current study analyzed BACB-published data from the years 2015-2019 and explored relations among program mode, number of first-time candidates, and examination pass rates. In a correlation analysis of number of first-time candidates and pass rates, there was a weak negative correlation, indicating that larger numbers of first-time candidates are associated with lower pass rates. Further, statistically significant differences were found among the mean number of first-time candidates, mean pass rates, and mean number of passing first-time candidates across program modes. Campus and hybrid programs had higher mean pass rates than distance programs, whereas distance programs had higher numbers of passing first-time candidates than campus programs. External validity and implications for indicators of program quality are discussed.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Monotherapy for Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Chart Review.

Objective: Anxiety disorders are one of the most commonly co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a frequency ranging from 22% to 84%. Methods: We conducted a chart review of 29 children and adolescents with ASD who had been treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) monotherapy for an anxiety disorder for at least 2 months. Subsequent chart reviews were conducted for the first follow-up visit within 2-6 months (M = 4.2 months) and the visit closest to 9 months posttreatment (ranging from 7 to 12 months; M = 10.5 months). The presence of adverse events (AEs) was examined, and a consensus Clinical Global Impressions Improvement (CGI-I) score was determined. Results: Fifty-five percent of patients were given a CGI-I of "improved" or "very much improved" at the 9-month follow-up. Four patients discontinued treatment owing to AEs. Other reported AEs not leading to discontinuation included vivid dreaming, increased emotional lability, and irritability. Responders included a number of patients who had failed previous SSRI trials. Conclusions: This study suggests that SSRI treatment should be considered for individuals with ASD and anxiety disorders, even if prior SSRI trials have been unsuccessful.

Behavioral parent training to address sleep disturbances in young children with autism spectrum disorder: a pilot trial.

OBJECTIVES: A large percentage of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have bedtime and sleep disturbances. However, the treatment of these disturbances has been understudied. The purpose of our study was to develop a manualized behavioral parent training (BPT) program for parents of young children with ASD and sleep disturbances and to test the feasibility, fidelity, and initial efficacy of the treatment in a small randomized controlled trial (RCT). PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Parents of a sample of 40 young children diagnosed with ASD with an average age of 3.5years were enrolled in our study. Participants were randomized to either the BPT program group or a comparison group who were given nonsleep-related parent education. Each participant was individually administered a 5-session program delivered over the 8-week study. Outcome measures of feasibility, fidelity, and efficacy were collected at weeks 4 and 8 after the baseline time point. Children's sleep was assessed by parent report and objectively by actigraphy. RESULTS: Of the 20 participants in each group, data were available for 15 participants randomized to BPT and 18 participants randomized to the comparison condition. Results supported the feasibility of the manualized parent training program and the comparison program. Treatment fidelity was high for both groups. The BPT program group significantly improved more than the comparison group based on the primary sleep outcome of parent report. There were no objective changes in sleep detected by actigraphy. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is one of few RCTs of a BPT program to specifically target sleep disturbances in a well-characterized sample of young children with ASD and to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach. Initial efficacy favored the BPT program over the comparison group and suggested that this manualized parent training approach is worthy of further examination of the efficacy within a larger RCT.

Comparison of sleep questionnaires in the assessment of sleep disturbances in children with autism spectrum disorders.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare two parent completed questionnaires, the Modified Simonds & Parraga Sleep Questionnaire (MSPSQ) and the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), used to characterize sleep disturbances in young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Both questionnaires have been used in previous work in the assessment and treatment of children with ASD and sleep disturbance. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Parents/caregivers of a sample of 124 children diagnosed with ASD with an average age of six years completed both sleep questionnaires regarding children's sleep behaviors. Internal consistency of the items for both measures was evaluated as well as the correlation between the two sleep measures. A Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was also conducted to examine the predictive power of the MSPSQ. RESULTS: More than three quarters of the sample (78%) were identified as poor sleepers on the CSHQ. Cronbach's alpha for the items on the CSHQ was 0.68 and Cronbach's alpha for items on the MSPSQ was 0.67. The total scores for MSPSQ and CSHQ were significantly correlated (r=.70, p<.01). After first identifying the poor sleepers based on the CSHQ, an area under the curve was 0.89 for the MSPSQ. Using a cut off score of 56 on the MSPSQ, sensitivity was .86 and specificity was .70. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of children with ASD, sleep disturbances were common across all cognitive levels. Preliminary findings suggest that, similar to the CSHQ, the MSPSQ has adequate internal consistency. The two measures were also highly correlated. A preliminary cut off of 56 on the MSPSQ offers high sensitivity and specificity commensurate with the widely used CSHQ.