Moderate feeding problems affect many children with autism spectrum disorder and often co-occur with disruptive mealtime behaviors. Although parent-mediated interventions have shown promise to support feeding problems, research has primarily occurred within randomized controlled trials when delivered by highly trained clinicians in specialty…

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have extensive support needs (ESN) may require support to develop appropriate social behavior. School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is an evidence-based framework to support the social and behavioral needs of all students. As an evidence-based practice commonly used as…

Inclusion of students with special education needs (SEN) and especially autism spectrum disorder (ASD) into general education curricula is a challenging practice. In recent years, the practice of inclusion has been expanding within the international school community. Outside of the United States, the process of inclusion is developing rapidly due…

Upon learning that their child has a neurodevelopmental disorder, families enter a different process and can experience problems related to their child's behavior management. This study was designed in response to a request from mothers with children diagnosed with various neurodevelopmental disorders. The study used a multi-level case study, one…

Despite the clear efficacy and appeal of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for families of young children, they are often difficult for families to access due to the limited availability of trained service providers. In recent years, telehealth has emerged as an effective tool for overcoming issues related to access, especially…

To date, most studies seeking to explore the impact of COVID-19 school closures on student outcomes have focused on cognitive/academic losses. This study explores changes in adaptive behaviors experienced by children and youth with autism spectrum disorders or other developmental disabilities when in-person, one-to-one behavior training was…

People with autism are approximately twice as likely to die from drowning than members of the general population. Drowning can take place in quite small bodies of water. Therefore, acquiring good water safety skills is of the utmost importance. A systematic review of research into effective behavioural interventions for water safety and swim…

Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention (EIBI) is effective for preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parental measures are rarely included in EIBI effectiveness studies, yet parental distress and lower self-efficacy are associated with poorer child outcomes. Parents of preschoolers with ASD (N = 485) were surveyed at baseline (T1),…

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government declared a state of emergency and many applied behavior analysis clinics temporarily closed. The current study described a pilot of an existing manualized caregiver behavior skills training, the Online and Applied System of Intervention Skills (OASIS), to promote telehealth…

This paper describes effects on wellbeing as well as logistical difficulties of implementing regular Quiet Time (QT) via Transcendental Meditation (TM) among mainstream secondary school pupils with special educational needs, age 12--16 measured via a pilot Randomised Control Trial (RCT). Participants were recruited from three mainstreams and one…

The present study examined whether parental involvement within the framework of the parent-teacher relationship as established through Conjoint Behavior Consultation (CBC) enhances the academic achievement of students diagnosed with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HFASD). Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, this study began with the…

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…

The purpose of this dissertation was two-fold: 1) to examine the teaching practices of paraprofessionals or teachers who have had ABA training and those who have not, and 2) to examine the differences in teaching practices between professionally trained RBTs and paraprofessionals or teachers who have had no ABA training. A case study was performed…

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is considered an applied science under the umbrella of behavior analysis and was accepted into the mainstream science in the mid-1900s. An increase in the prevalence of autism gave rise to the need for evidence-based social skills curricula. Previous research indicated many children respond well to video modeling…

Discrete trial training is a popular teaching method for individuals with autism, but is not easily implemented with fidelity due to its complexity. This is the first meta-analysis of single-case experimental design studies to quantify the impact of behavioral skills training on individuals' ability to implement discrete trials with fidelity.…