Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have challenges with communication, changes in routine, and processing social information and communication that can affect their ability to learn and respond successfully to safety threats. When given behavioral skills training (BST), children with and without ASD have demonstrated gains in safety…

This dissertation was designed to determine which behavior analytic intervention was more effective in the treatment and reduction of mouthing non-nutritive substances in children diagnosed with autism. This study included four participants in an A-B-A reversal design with a component analysis across four intervention phases. The study…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that impacts areas of social communication and social interaction. The prevalence of ASD has increased in the last ten years. Symptoms and behaviors include restrictive and repetitive movements, highly restricted and fixated interests, insistence on sameness, and hypo or hyper-reactivity.…

Many children on the autism spectrum struggle significantly in their early language development, entering kindergarten with little or no functional speech (Kasari et al., 2014; Rose et al., 2016). Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs) are a promising approach for supporting early language and communication development for…

This single-case experimental design study examined the effects of virtual training and coaching on behavior technician implementation of a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention focused on imitation, Reciprocal Imitation Teaching (RIT), with young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Four behavior technicians were trained and…

This study assessed the effectiveness of using Behavioral Skills Training (BST) for parent training to implement functional behavior training and video modeling via a telehealth platform designed to increase manding abilities and to decrease problem behaviors with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). With eight participants, this study…

There are five developmental areas: gross motor, fine motor, communication, adaptive behavior, and social-emotional. If social-emotional skills are delayed, all other developmental areas are negatively impacted. Preschool-aged students are incapable of kindergarten readiness if they have a delay in social-emotional development as it impacts their…

Over recent years, the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) has trended toward increased focus on improving the ethics and social validity of behavior analytic interventions. As part of this shift, ABA researchers and practitioners have begun to call long-held practices into question and seek alternative options. Despite their evidence base,…

Anxiety disorders are one of the most commonly re-occurring co-occurring diagnoses of children with autism, affecting approximately as many as 84% of children with ASD (Chalfant, et al., 2006) as opposed to 13% of children without autism (van Steensel et al., 2011). A growing body of research indicates that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an…

The prevalence of challenging behavior, such as aggression, self-injurious behavior, tantrums, and noncompliance with everyday expectations among young children with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD), is higher than the prevalence of challenging behavior for children without disabilities. Without appropriate intervention, challenging…

For children with developmental or language delays, mand interventions have been identified as an integral part of educational programming (e.g., Greer & Ross, 2008; Shafer, 1994; Sundberg & Michael, 2001). Mands, which are the most elementary forms of verbal behavior, allow individuals to begin to contact social contractual contingencies;…

The purpose of this secondary data analysis study was to investigate the possible association between the use of behavior management strategies by interventionists in kindergarten small-group interventions and the self-regulation of the participating children through the use of multilevel modeling. The sample consisted of 395 children from 144…

Society today has vastly integrated technology into every industry, and this is no different for psychotherapy and education. Increasing research supports utilizing technology to deliver Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles. Specifically, current literature supports the use of CBT for students experiencing anger regulation difficulties…

Social communication deficits present in some neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), create challenges in social, academic, and adaptive functioning throughout the lifespan. Since the number of people diagnosed with ASD with comorbid ADHD is rising, it is…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by challenges in socialization and communication, and restricted, repetitive behaviors or interests across development (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Youth with ASD have an increased risk for developing anxiety disorders (Mattila et al., 2010). Anxiety…