A limited number of studies have investigated the effects of behavioral skills training (BST) on staff acquisition and generalization of discrete trial teaching (DTT) and student behavior. BST was used to improve three staff's use of DTT interactions with four children with autism. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to assess…

Stereotypic behavior exhibited by a third grade boy with autism was maintained by automatic reinforcement and occurrences of stereotypy were brought under stimulus control. The intervention consisted of pairing a green discriminative stimulus card (SD) with free access to stereotypy and a red card (SD absent) with vocal redirection and blocking…

We assessed the effects of reinforcement and no reinforcement for compliance to high-probability (high-p) instructions on compliance to low-probability (low-p) instructions using a reversal design. For both participants, compliance with the low-p instruction increased only when compliance with high-p instructions was followed by reinforcement.…

Hand mouthing is highly prevalent in individuals with severe to profound developmental disabilities. Frequent hand mouthing may interfere with appropriate responding, have negative health impacts, and result in restrictive interventions, such as the application of arm splints, to prevent this challenging behavior. The continuous application of arm…

A model of treatment acceptability is proposed that distributes overall treatment acceptability into three separate categories of influence. The categories are comprised of societal influences, consultant influences, and influences associated with consumers of treatments. Each of these categories are defined and their inter-relationships within…

The goal of the three-tiered response-to-intervention (RtI) model is to catch students who are at risk early and to provide an appropriate level of intervention. Although RtI has been recommended for academic and social behavior, to date there has been little discussion about the differences associated with implementing RtI across these domains.…

The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the efficacy of combining two operant learning procedures--shaping and fading--for treating selective mutism. The participant was a 12-year-old boy with mental retardation presenting a severe long-term selective mutism. The treatment was aimed at increasing the loudness of his vocalizations in an…

It is important for people involved in the art and science of behavior change to reflect on the ethical issues inherent in this work. Simply because interventions are not inhumane or disrespectful does not, by default, make them person-centered or examples of positive behavior support. It is recommended that a series of questions be thoughtfully…

For more than 40 years, policymakers have committed to supporting the education of students with disabilities, who have grown as a share of all students in the United States (Snyder, de Brey, & Dillow, 2016). Beginning with landmark legislation in 1975, the U.S. Congress mandated that students with disabilities have access to a free and…

For more than 40 years, policymakers have committed to supporting the education of students with disabilities, who have grown as a share of all students in the United States. Beginning with landmark legislation in 1975, the U.S. Congress mandated that students with disabilities have access to a free and appropriate public education and provided…

Evidence-based programs for substance use and HIV prevention (SUHIP) were adapted for high-risk juveniles detained at 24-hour secure correctional facilities. In this pilot study, comparisons were made between adolescents who received the SUHIP intervention and a control group on changes in: (1) knowledge of HIV prevention behaviors, (2) attitudes…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify school counselors' specific training needs in order to provide leadership and consultation for effective interventions for students with Asperger syndrome. The study examined school counselors' level of knowledge, skill, and training in working with students with Asperger syndrome and their…

Student achievement has been directly linked to school climate over the last decade leading researchers and school leaders to look closely at the way in which low performing schools administer discipline. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of four school leaders in the state of Florida as they experienced state and district…

Objective: Computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (cCBT) and cognitive bias modification for interpretation (CBM-I) both have demonstrated efficacy in alleviating social anxiety, but how they compare with each other has not been investigated. The present study tested the prediction that both interventions would reduce anxiety relative to a…

An efficacious treatment is diminished in value if consumers do not seek it out and adhere to it, making treatment acceptability an important predictor of the effectiveness of treatment. This study examined the acceptability of treatments for depression to 67 female high school students. All participants read a vignette describing a depressed…