Resurgence is the recurrence of target behavior (e.g., challenging behavior) during a worsening of reinforcement conditions (e.g., increases in response effort, decreases in alternative reinforcement). Previous studies have examined the prevalence and magnitude of resurgence during functional communication training implemented with discriminative…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) on reducing unsafe playground behavior of young children at school and subsequently, if necessary, the additive effects of a brief time-out. The DRO procedure was effective in eliminating unsafe behavior for one of four participants. The…

A competing stimulus assessment is used to identify stimuli that are associated with a low level of challenging behavior and a high level of engagement. These stimuli are often used as a treatment component for challenging behavior that is maintained by automatic reinforcement. One limitation of implementing competing stimulus assessments is that…

When applied to functional analysis results, structured visual inspection criteria have resulted in improvements in the levels of agreement between raters as well as earlier identification of the function of challenging behavior. However, multistep criteria can be difficult to apply in real time, which could be a barrier to widespread adoption in…

We evaluated the effects of behavioral skills training on improving participant implementation of functional communication training with multiple schedules when working with a confederate. Behavioral skills training produced mastery-level responding for all six participants who required training, providing the first empirically supported training…

Functional communication training (FCT) is an evidence-based treatment for behavior targeted for reduction that often combines extinction for target responses and arranges functionally equivalent reinforcement for alternative behavior. Long-term effectiveness of FCT can become compromised when transitioning from clinic to nonclinic contexts or…

Behavioral skills training (BST) is an evidence-based approach for training individuals to implement discrete-trial teaching procedures. Despite the effectiveness of this approach, implementing BST can be time and resource intensive, which may interfere with a clinical organization's adoption of this training format. We conducted a scoping review…

We replicated and extended Kanaman et al. (2022) by comparing outcomes of solitary (leisure items only), social (leisure items with social interaction), and combined (leisure items alone and leisure items with social interaction) stimulus preference assessments to determine the extent to which the inclusion of social interaction influenced the…

Recommendations for achieving generalized instructional outcomes often overlook the capacity for generative learning for most verbally competent humans. Four children (ages 5-8) participated in this project. In Study 1, we provided decontextualized discrete trial teaching to establish arbitrary relations between colors, pictures of characters, and…

We discuss the use of two empirically validated behavior-change methods--checklists and goal setting--and designed a checklist to assist behavior analysts in improving their behavioral services to be more culturally responsive and trauma informed. We also present pilot data evaluating the use of the checklist and goal setting on the inclusion of…

Among the developmental milestones related to language and communication in early childhood, one that has been the subject of considerable research is response to name (RTN). Delayed or absent RTN in early childhood is a diagnostic marker for autism spectrum disorder and a target behavior in many early intervention curricula. This article…

Behavioral readiness can take the form of communication and self-control skills during challenging situations that are correlated with the development of problem behavior. A skill-based approach can teach behavioral readiness using procedures that involve synthesized reinforcement, probabilistic reinforcement, and contingency-based delays;…

There are several considerations to address when conducting functional communication training for challenging behavior in a school setting, such as the need for schedule thinning and maintenance across staff and the need to establish a variety of appropriate classroom skills. There are several strategies for conducting schedule thinning following…

Inappropriate mealtime behavior (IMB) is a type of feeding challenge within the broader class of food refusal. The purpose of this study was to critically analyze the efficacy of interventions for the treatment of IMB through a meta-analysis of research using single-case experimental designs. We examined the extent to which different interventions…

Previous research has shown that low procedural fidelity can lead to decreased effectiveness and efficiency of skill acquisition during discrete-trial instruction. Previous research has also found that procedural fidelity may be substantially lower when a supervisor is not present to observe the session. Finding a socially acceptable, effective,…