The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (1.1): An initial assessment of validity and reliability.

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) is an assessment used to identify variables contributing to staff performance concerns in human-service settings. In the current study, we introduce and assess the test validity, interrater reliability, and test-retest reliability of the PDC-HS (1.1), a revised version of the assessment that included revised instructions, questions, and intervention planning references. We measured the psychometric properties of the revised assessment by analyzing answers obtained from watching video vignettes of simulated interviews between consultants and a supervisor. Twenty-one participants watched the vignettes and completed the PDC-HS (1.1) based on the answers provided during the interview. We also included an item analysis to identify questions on which participants made errors and an intervention selection task to assess whether participants selected an appropriate intervention to target the indicated domain. The results support the use of the PDC-HS (1.1) in human services settings.

Recommendations Regarding Use of the Term "Ignore" in Applied Behavior Analysis.

Ignore is a common term used in behavioral assessment, behavior intervention plans, textbooks, and research articles. In the present article, we recommend against the typical usage of the term in most applications of behavior analysis. First, we briefly outline some history of the use of the term in behavior analysis. Then, we describe six main concerns about ignore and the implications for its continued use. Finally, we address each of these concerns with proposed solutions, such as alternatives to the use of ignore.

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist - Human Services: Guidance for Assessment Administration.

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist - Human Services (PDC-HS) is an assessment designed to assess the environmental variables contributing to employee performance concerns in human-service settings. Recent research has demonstrated that interventions indicated by the PDC-HS result in improved employee performance across several human-service settings and that the assessment has acceptable reliability and validity. Although PDC-HS-indicated interventions have been effective at increasing employee performance, there is a need for additional guidance when using the assessment given the limited nature of the original administration guidelines. Thus, the purpose of the current manuscript is to introduce additional guidance for use of the PDC-HS across a variety of situations.

Improving Behavior Analysts' Public Speaking: Recommendations From Expert Interviews.

In his 2014 paper, Friman provided 15 recommendations for behavior analysts wishing to improve their public speaking skills and encouraged the field to view public speaking as a mechanism through which we can more broadly disseminate our science. Although some behavior-analytic research exists on the topic of public speaking, this body of literature is small, and many empirical questions remain. Little is known regarding which skills need to be targeted to improve public speaking and what successful public speakers in our field do to be effective and entertaining. In this study, we identified and interviewed the 10 most frequently invited public speakers at major behavior-analytic conferences. We then coded transcriptions of the interviews using qualitative analysis to generate a preparation checklist for presenters, a considerations list for behavior analysts training mentees on presentation skills, and a feedback form for those wishing to improve their public speaking skills.

On the BACB's Ethics Requirements: A Response to Rosenberg and Schwartz (2019).

Rosenberg and Schwartz (Behavior Analysis in Practice, 12, 473-482, 2019) criticize a number of aspects of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board's Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts and propose, as an alternative, a decision-making process for evaluating the ethicality of behavior under a particular set of circumstances. We respond to the authors' main criticisms and discuss the broader professional and legal context of any profession's ethics code and enforcement activity.

Maximizing the Conference Experience: Tips to Effectively Navigate Academic Conferences Early in Professional Careers.

Most behavior analysts who are certified or licensed regularly attend professional conventions to obtain required continuing education credits and remain current with advances in clinical applications and research findings. As the number of behavior analysts in the profession grows, so, too, does the number of novice conference attendees at professional events. Attending conferences can be exhilarating to those who are new to the field and the context of professional events. The purpose of this article is to provide practical guidance on the topics of how to thoughtfully select a conference, how to set goals for attending (e.g., strengthening skills, developing new skills, networking), and how to proactively plan for an upcoming conference, as well as some consideration for after the conference has ended.

Increasing accuracy of rock-climbing techniques in novice athletes using expert modeling and video feedback.

Several studies have examined the efficacy of behavior analytic coaching strategies in sports to increase performance fluency. Rock climbing is a multifaceted sport requiring mastery of several complex behavior chains in order to successfully navigate climbing surfaces. To date, most investigations have focused on the physiological aspects of rock climbing, as opposed to training specific rock-climbing movements. In this replication and extension, researchers used a multiple baseline design across skills to examine an expert video modeling plus video and verbal feedback training package on foundational rock-climbing skills of novice adult climbers. Results demonstrated that all participants showed an increase in accurate performance for all three skills that were targeted in the intervention.

Self-guided behavioral skills training: A public health approach to promoting nurturing care environments.

The World Health Organization identified the promotion of "Nurturing Care Environments" as a global health priority. Responsive caregiving, 1 of 5 domains describing nurturing care, is critical for healthy child development. Relatively little research has evaluated population-level interventions aimed to increase responsive caregiving during the first 1,000 days of an infant's life. In this pilot study, we evaluated an intervention designed for population-level dissemination that targeted responsive caregiving. The self-guided behavioral skills training aimed to teach mothers to imitate infant vocalizations. The intervention was delivered within an on-line asynchronous training. All 3 mothers increased vocal imitative behavior following training without receiving coaching or behavior-specific feedback from an implementer. The results offer a preliminary proof of concept with implications for population-level intervention design and evaluation.

Using Pictures Depicting App Icons to Conduct an MSWO Preference Assessment on a Tablet Device.

Identifying preferred content on tablet devices may be important when using such devices in programming. This study included six adults with disabilities and examined using laminated picture cards depicting application (app) icons to conduct multiple-stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessments of iPad content. Following identification of preference hierarchies, we conducted reinforcer assessments to validate preference assessment results by demonstrating that selected apps functioned as reinforcers. We identified preference hierarchies for all participants, and the highest preferred app functioned as a reinforcer for a vocational task in five out of six participants' reinforcer assessments.

Evaluation of a Performance Management Intervention to Increase Use of Trial-Based Functional Analyses by Clinicians in a Residential Setting for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities.

We evaluated the effects of a performance management package on the implementation of trial-based functional analyses (TBFAs) by 6 clinical supervisors working in a large agency providing residential and day-program services to approximately 800 adolescents and adults with intellectual disabilities across 2 states using remote methods. Implementation of TBFAs increased for 5 of the 6 participants following introduction of the treatment package.

Board Certified Behavior Analysts' Supervisory Practices of Trainees: Survey Results and Recommendations.

The field of behavior analysis relies on supervised fieldwork to shape the repertoires of individuals aspiring to sit for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB®) exam. Board Certified Behavior Analysts® (BCBAs®) who are providing supervision to those seeking certification must follow the supervision and ethics requirements as directed by the BACB. We conducted a survey of BCBAs currently providing supervision to gather information about current practices and barriers. The top areas of success and need are presented based on the responses of 284 participants who completed the entire survey, along with recommendations.

Evaluating the Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services to assess incorrect error-correction procedures by preschool paraprofessionals.

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) has been used to assess variables contributing to undesirable staff performance. In this study, three preschool teachers completed the PDC-HS to identify the factors contributing to four paraprofessionals' inaccurate implementation of error-correction procedures during discrete trial training sessions. The PDC-HS indicated insufficient training as a contributing factor. We then implemented a nonindicated intervention (posting reminders), followed by an indicated intervention (behavioral skills training). The nonindicated intervention failed to produce desired performance improvements; however, the PDC-HS indicated intervention resulted in improvements for all paraprofessionals.

Speech Rate Entrainment in Children and Adults With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Purpose: Conversational entrainment, a phenomenon whereby people modify their behaviors to match their communication partner, has been evidenced as critical to successful conversation. It is plausible that deficits in entrainment contribute to the conversational breakdowns and social difficulties exhibited by people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined speech rate entrainment in children and adult populations with and without ASD. Method: Sixty participants including typically developing children, children with ASD, typically developed adults, and adults with ASD participated in a quasi-conversational paradigm with a pseudoconfederate. The confederate's speech rate was digitally manipulated to create slow and fast speech rate conditions. Results: Typically developed adults entrained their speech rate in the quasi-conversational paradigm, using a faster rate during the fast speech rate conditions and a slower rate during the slow speech rate conditions. This entrainment pattern was not evident in adults with ASD or in children populations. Conclusion: Findings suggest that speech rate entrainment is a developmentally acquired skill and offers preliminary evidence of speech rate entrainment deficits in adults with ASD. Impairments in this area may contribute to the conversational breakdowns and social difficulties experienced by this population. Future work is needed to advance this area of inquiry.

Implementation of interventions informed by precursor functional analyses with young children: A replication.

Individuals who engage in problem behavior may also engage in precursor behavior maintained by the same functional reinforcers as the more severe target problem behavior. This study replicates and extends previous research by examining precursor assessments and interventions with three preschool-aged children. We conducted assessments to identify precursor behavior, and conducted subsequent functional analyses targeting the precursor behavior. We then implemented function-based interventions to address the precursor behavior, resulting in reductions in precursor behavior and continued low or zero rates of severe problem behavior.

Recommended Practices for Individual Supervision of Aspiring Behavior Analysts.

Practicing behavior analysts and behavior analysts in academic settings often provide supervision for young professionals who are pursuing certification as a behavior analyst. Effective supervision is critical to the quality of ongoing behavioral services, the professional development of the supervisee, the continued growth of the supervisor, and the overall development of our field and its practice. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board recently instituted several new requirements including training in supervisory practices prior to supervising those who are accruing hours toward the experience requirement for certification. However, few published resources exist to guide supervisor activities and recommended practice. The paper summarizes five overarching recommended practices for supervision. For each practice, detailed strategies and resources for structuring the supervisory experience are provided.

The Benefits of Group Supervision and a Recommended Structure for Implementation.

Effective supervision practices can facilitate the professional development of the supervisee, the continued growth of the supervisor, and the overall development of our field and its practice. In addition to individual supervision, many aspiring certificants also participate in group supervision experiences either as part of their academic practicum or as part of a supervised independent fieldwork experience. Group supervision can provide unique opportunities to establish critical professional repertoires such as peer feedback skills and public speaking skills. However, the quality of the group supervision experience is impacted by the supervisor's arrangement of the components of the experience in order to maximize the effectiveness of these learning opportunities. This paper focuses on those critical supervision characteristics and suggests ways behavior analysts can optimize the group learning experience.

Recommendations for Detecting and Addressing Barriers to Successful Supervision.

Behavior analysts who supervise staff are responsible for establishing a healthy supervisory relationship and for teaching basic behavior analytic skills (e.g., verbal repertoires, technical repertoires, clinical decision-making). In addition, supervisors should prepare their supervisees to succeed in their subsequent professional activities by developing their interpersonal skills and professionalism repertoires. Difficulties in the supervisor relationship and problematic personal and professional skills often become the focus of targeted supervision efforts after the effects of deficits (e.g., avoidance of supervision, complaints from consumers, persistent tardiness) are detected. The primary purpose of this paper is to provide guidance to the supervisor's effort to identify and address barriers to successful supervision related to a damaged supervisory relationship and persistent interpersonal and professional skills of the supervisee. A secondary purpose of this paper is to act as a general call to supervisors to continually and thoughtfully reflect on their own history, repertoires, and behavior, such that they may continue professional growth as supervisors.

Effects of Simultaneous Script Training on Use of Varied Mand Frames by Preschoolers with Autism.

Young children with autism may fail to mand using a range of frames (e.g., "I want," "May I have," "Please give me"). We examined the effects of simultaneous script training and script fading on acquisition and maintenance of varied mand frames with six preschool children with autism. For participants who did not demonstrate increased mand variability under fixed-ratio (FR) 1 conditions, we assessed the effects of post script-training extinction on response variability. Following training of up to four different mand frames, three of six participants emitted more varied mands under FR1 conditions relative to baseline. Posttraining extinction resulted in increased mand variability for two of the three remaining participants. Results are discussed in terms of considerations for both establishing and ensuring the persistence of varied verbal behavior among children with autism.

A Proposed Model for Selecting Measurement Procedures for the Assessment and Treatment of Problem Behavior.

Practicing behavior analysts frequently assess and treat problem behavior as part of their ongoing job responsibilities. Effective measurement of problem behavior is critical to success in these activities because some measures of problem behavior provide more accurate and complete information about the behavior than others. However, not every measurement procedure is appropriate for every problem behavior and therapeutic circumstance. We summarize the most commonly used measurement procedures, describe the contexts for which they are most appropriate, and propose a clinical decision-making model for selecting measurement produces given certain features of the behavior and constraints of the therapeutic environment.

Taking Full Responsibility: the Ethics of Supervision in Behavior Analytic Practice.

The supervision of professionals in the field of behavior analysis is multifaceted. The BACB® Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysis provides guidance for effective supervisory practices, as supervision impacts both the supervisee and the consumers. The purpose of this article is (1) to discuss rationales and consequences relative to supervision issues, (2) to provide directions for professional development in each of the seven identified supervisory areas within the code, and (3) to set the occasion for critical discourse relative to supervision. Case examples are used to illustrate each of the seven supervisory subcomponents of the "Behavior Analysts as Supervisors" section of the Code. A rationale is provided for each component, as well as a discussion of possible undesirable consequences resulting from not following the rule. While the code provides clear expectations of the desired behavior, this article explores more of the subtle nuances inherent in each section of the supervision code, with the goal of achieving a better understanding of the Code and enhancing supervisory skills.