Parent training is a critical component of behaviorally based intervention systems, such as applied behavior analysis (ABA). Although the benefits of parent education and training are well-documented, few studies have examined the effects on child learning or identified the effects of parent interventions on different degrees of generalization for…

Behavioral skills training (BST) is a performance- and competency-based training package composed of instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. Previous reviews have demonstrated that BST is an effective training package to teach interventionists to implement behavior analytic interventions (Kirkpatrick et al. in "Journal of Behavioral…

For the last 40 years, special education and applied behavior analysis researchers have discussed the notion of social validity, particularly those researchers who conduct single-case research. A substantial part of this discussion has involved critiquing the rigor of methods used to assess social validity. We conducted a scoping literature review…

Social validity in the field of applied behaviour analysis is the measurement of the social significance of goals, the social appropriateness of procedures, and the social importance of the effects of a treatment. There is a paucity of rigorous research on social validity measurement as it relates to feeding treatment. To our knowledge, this is…

Evolving discourse about autistic individuals swims in murky territory, with ongoing debates over how the autistic community should represent itself and how the neurotypical population should engage with them. One tendency that has emerged is the depiction of autistic individuals as kind and well-intentioned but also simpleminded and guileless.…

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;…

Students with disabilities are often given accommodations in testing situations (e.g., extended testing time). However, for many students with high-incidence disabilities, interventions can reduce the need for these accommodations or serve as a helpful supplement to accommodations. Applied behavior analysis provides a framework for understanding…

The current study used a multiple baseline across behaviors design to evaluate a rapid coaching intervention for teaching two caregivers to implement naturalistic language interventions (NLIs) with their child with autism. Coaches were preservice behavior analysts completing a personnel preparation program in applied behavior analysis who…

Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability affecting individuals across their entire lifespan. Autistic individuals have differences from nonautistic people (sometimes called allistic or neurotypical people) in social skills, communication, and atypical interests and/or repetitive behaviors. Approximately 1 in 59 children are born…

Questions about human behavior and diversity have captured the attention of scientists from a wide range of philosophical stances for centuries. While behavior analysts would argue that natural science is an enlightening perspective when applied to the understanding of the human condition, at times arguments within certain campaigns would prefer…

Supervising behavior technicians in the implementation of services derived from the science of applied behavior analysis with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common practice for behavior analysts. However, there is limited training available on supervision strategies for those applying this model of services. Lack of…

Many children with autism spectrum disorder experience feeding difficulties that can lead to increased health risks (e.g., severe nutrition deficiencies, obesity-related illnesses) if left untreated. Intensive feeding programs that use behavior-analytic interventions have reported positive outcomes for treating challenging behavior associated with…

Applied behavior analysis (ABA), a mainstay treatment used in the education of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), has grown in popularity in recent years. Paralleling the growth of ABA are increasing concerns regarding its inequitable treatment of vulnerable, and otherwise marginalized, populations of students. Although ABA has been…

Special education researchers have for decades emphasized the importance of intervention effectiveness and procedural fidelity, but relatively little attention has been directed toward understanding intervention intensity. This review focused on extracting details of intervention intensity as reported in peer-reviewed studies of scripting and…

Approximately 85% of children with autism spectrum disorder from the SPARK study receiving standard interventions such as speech-language and occupational therapies. In contrast, only 32%-13% of children with autism spectrum disorder received movement therapies such as physical and recreational therapies, respectively. Little is known about how…