A study of a 15-year-old girl with autism who engaged in self-injury and aggression, found that gradually increasing the delay to reinforcement (access or escape), mand training, and extinction were effective for decreasing self-injury. Only when the gradual delay procedure was eliminated, however, was there a reduction in aggression. (Author/CR)

Noncontingent escape (NCE) was used to reduce disruptive behavior in three children (age 4) with autism during regularly scheduled speech therapy sessions. Results showed rapid decreases in disruptive behavior and accompanying increases in compliance across children. Findings suggest that speech therapists can effectively implement NCE. (Author/CR)

This introductory article to this special issue on the use of applied behavior analysis (ABA) with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) notes the 40-year history of ABA strategy development, verification, and generalization. It briefly introduces the following articles, which are intended to illustrate the range of ABA applications and the depth of…

This article examines applied behavior analysis (ABA) based communication instruction for students with autism. It offers an historical context for ABA in speech-language pathology and reviews the literature on the use of ABA as a treatment method for communication impairment in autism, comparing contemporary ABA with the developmental…

This article reviews a book, "Teaching Kids and Adults with Autism: Building the Framework for Lifetime Learning," (Kathleen McConnell Fad and L. Rozelle Moulton) designed to provide parents and educators with information concerning some of the numerous options available in educating children and adults with autism. It finds the information…

The article reports the results of a pilot study comparing traditional behavioural approaches and natural play interventions for young children with autism over a 10 week period. Two matched groups of eight young children with autism participated. Using a crossover design, children in both groups showed positive gains in compliance, attending,…

Level of spontaneous social initiating by three adult caregivers toward a youth with autism was studied during a program to increase the youth's level of social initiating. The youth's social initiations toward each adult were systematically reinforced. Frequency of spontaneous initiating toward the youth increased for each adult as the youth's…

The purpose of this article is to: (a) briefly present the rationale for positive behavior support (PBS) as an effective approach for families and their young children with challenging behaviors; (b) identify the a key elements of PBS and the role of families within the planning process; and (c) provide information on how to collaborate…

Classroom management strategies designed to improve problem behavior directly affect student achievement. Researchers have demonstrated positive behavior supports (PBS) can reduce problem behavior. However, researchers have also found evidence that PBS may not always be successful and further studies are needed to improve the use of PBS as a…

We discuss the problem of autism-specific special education programs representing themselves as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) programs when the only ABA intervention employed is Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT), and often for limited portions of the school day. Although DTT has many advantages to recommend its use, it is not well suited to teach…

As positive behavior support (PBS) interventions have received increased attention as an effective means to address problem behaviors of individuals with disabilities in family contexts, partnerships with families are crucial for the application of PBS interventions with families at home. Understanding family perspectives on problem behaviors and…

The financial implications of the increased prevalence of autism, though rarely discussed, will be extremely important to society. We compared the costs associated with 18 years of special education to the costs associated with the implementation of an average of 3 years of Discrete Trial Training as an Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention…

Young children with autism have deficits in initiating and responding to joint attention bids. This study was designed to examine a parent-implemented intervention targeting joint attention responding in children with autism. Parents were trained to increase their joint attention bids using behavior analytic techniques to facilitate appropriate…

In response to states' interest, NECTAC (National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center) queried Part C and Section 619 Coordinators regarding certification or endorsements for personnel working with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and how states provide services for children diagnosed with ASD. Responses were received…

In an era in which evidence based practices are becoming the standard of care, there is little evidence that the current array of services commonly delivered for those with autism is helpful. This study describes community-based service utilization and caregiver-rated outcomes of services on symptoms of 113 children with autism spectrum disorders…