This study compared 2 methods of fading prompts while teaching tacts to 3 individuals who had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The 1st method involved use of an echoic prompt and prompt fading. The 2nd method involved providing multiple-alternative answers and fading by increasing the difficulty of the discrimination. An adapted…

We evaluated 4 evidence-based interventions to increase compliance. Three children with autism who exhibited noncompliance when asked to relinquish a preferred toy were exposed sequentially to interventions that included a reduction in response effort, differential reinforcement, and guided compliance. Results indicated that effort reduction alone…

The present study evaluated a new 30-day Web-based contingency management program for smoking abstinence with 4 daily-smoking adolescents. Participants made 3 daily video recordings of themselves giving breath carbon monoxide (CO) samples at home that were sent electronically to study personnel. Using a reversal design, participants could earn…

Recent research has shown that behavioral skills training with in situ training is an effective strategy to teach children the safety skills needed if they ever encounter an unattended firearm. The current study evaluated the use of parents as trainers to increase the efficiency of training. The success of parent training on their children's…

Four experiments were conducted to evaluate a respite care training package. Effects of an instructional manual on acquisition of respite care skills were investigated and compared with a workshop approach. A simplified package was developed and found useable by respite care personnel. (CL)

Six adult women with mental retardation were trained in sexual abuse prevention, and performance was assessed using four separate measures: pretest and posttests of knowledge, verbal report, role play, and naturalistic probes. All learned the skills but failed to exhibit them to criterion during the probes. (Author/CR)

Four studies found serious problems with components of the federal Medicaid program's survey process for evaluating intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded--surveys did not discriminate between certified and noncertified units, direct-care staff behavior was very reactive to the survey's presence, and service providers had divergent…

The article reports on ways in which the Preparation through Responsive Educational Programs (PREP) project developed and conducted process and outcome assessment in a behavioral program for junior high students with behavior and learning problems. (Author/DLS)

Two experiments were conducted to train six severely multihandicapped students (ages 15 to 23) with hearing impairments to put on their own hearing aids independently, and to provide an empirical evaluation of a comprehensive instructional program for putting on a hearing aid by assessing acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of that skill…