The social validity of behavior intervention is rooted in consumer perception. This information is typically garnered through questionnaires and interviews conducted with relevant consumers such as teachers or caregivers. Often, the participants (i.e., the individuals with disabilities receiving the intervention) play less of a role in the…

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience challenges maintaining fluid, reciprocal conversations, resulting in prolonged, awkward pauses. Such pauses disrupt the pacing of an interaction and create: (1) less favorable social impressions; and (2) perceptions of limited social competence. To help these individuals succeed socially,…

Although the literature suggests that it is feasible to train paraprofessionals to effectively implement social interventions for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), there is a paucity of research that addresses the social validity of these programs. The present study replicated and extended previous research on paraprofessional…

Video modeling is an evidence-based instructional strategy for teaching a variety of skills to individuals with autism. Despite the effectiveness of this strategy, there is some uncertainty regarding the conditions under which video modeling is likely to be effective. The present investigation examined the differential effectiveness of video…

This study examined the effects of teaching the reframing of negative statements through self-management and video-feedback on social conversation in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A multiple baseline design across five participants showed that, following intervention, all were able to increase their positive and neutral statements…

A three-tier intervention system was designed for use with parents with preschool children with developmental disabilities to modify parent-child interactions. A single-subject changing-conditions design was used to examine the utility of a three-tier intervention system in reducing negative parenting strategies, increasing positive parenting…

Teachers working with students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) in elementary schools can be helped to increase use of an important behavioral strategy, behavior-specific praise statements (BSPS). Unfortunately, teachers' behaviors return to baseline levels when researchers leave, and little is known about the use of praise on high school…

This study examined the effectiveness of video modeling to teach a preschooler with autism to imitate previously mastered and not mastered actions during song and toy play activities. A general case approach was used to examine the instructional universe of preschool songs and select exemplars that were most likely to facilitate generalization.…

We conducted a systematic replication of Cannella-Malone et al. by comparing the effects of video prompting to video modeling for teaching seven students with severe disabilities to do laundry and wash dishes. The video prompting and video modeling procedures were counterbalanced across tasks and participants and compared in an alternating…

This study evaluated the efficacy of video modeling delivered via a handheld device (video iPod) and the use of the system of least prompts to assist elementary-age students with transitioning between locations and activities within the school. Four students with autism learned to manipulate a handheld device to watch video models. An ABAB…

In this study, evaluation of direct behavior rating (DBR) occurred with regard to two primary areas: (a) accuracy of ratings with varied instrumentation (anchoring: proportional or absolute) and procedures (observation length: 5 min, 10 min, or 20 min) and (b) one-week test-retest reliability. Participants viewed video clips of a typical third…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of three levels of training (direct, indirect, and none) on teachers' ability to accurately rate video of student behavior. Direct and indirect training groups received instructional sessions on direct behavior ratings (DBRs), with the direct training group receiving opportunities for…