Assessing inter-rater agreement of the intellectual disability-frailty index short form: A descriptive pilot study.

Frailty is a health concern for many adults with intellectual disability and should be measured to detect at-risk conditions, monitor disease, plan treatment, and gauge mortality. This descriptive pilot study evaluated measurement consistency (inter-rater agreement) of the Intellectual Disability-Frailty Index Short Form among multiple assessors with 20 adults ( age = 48.3 years) who had intellectual and multiple disabilities.

Teaching clinicians and nurses to prepare for and present at interdisciplinary meetings through behavioral skills training.

Behavior analysts frequently collaborate with interdisciplinary colleagues to share information and make decisions about client services. This study evaluated the effects of behavioral skills training on preparation for and presentation during interdisciplinary review team meetings by clinicians (n = 4) and nurses (n = 4) at a residential school for students with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities. The primary dependent measure was the percentage of preparation and presentation steps from task-analyzed behavior checklists that the participants implemented correctly.

Brief Report: A Pilot Investigation of Safety Concerns Among Direct Service Providers for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

We designed and distributed a survey that assessed safety concerns experienced by direct service providers (DSPs) (N = 59) of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in community-based group homes at a single human services organization. Results indicated relatively few safety concerns among the respondents from a list of 25 survey statements. Possible influences on the findings are presented such as safety training of the DSPs, comprehensive safety guidelines in place at the group homes, and conditions occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data recording of seizures in children with autism spectrum disorder: description and social validation of computer-assisted measurement.

Some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience seizures and associated staring episodes, loss of consciousness, weakened muscle tone, and myoclonic jerking. Data recording of seizure frequency, duration, and co-occurring behavior is necessary to document the effects of anti-epileptic medications, identify contextual influences on seizure expression, and differentiate seizures from other movement disorders. We describe the design and operation of a computer-assisted system for recording seizures among children with ASD in a social validity study that revealed uniform approval and acceptance of the system from practitioners, clinicians, and nurse ( = 22), parents ( = 11), and neurologists ( = 7).

Public speaking disfluencies: A review of habit reversal training and research.

From 2016 to 2022, the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis published 7 studies that evaluated the effects of habit reversal training on speech disfluencies (filled pauses) during public speaking. This review summarizes the participants, dependent variables, procedures, experimental design, and outcomes from this research including practice implications and suggested areas of inquiry.

Multiyear Evaluation of Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy in an Adult With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Catatonia, and Challenging Behavior.

We report the case of a 30-year-old man diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) over a 4-year period to treat catatonia associated with life-threatening self-injury, aggression, major depression, and associated self-care, daily living, and communication skills deficits. A systematic schedule of maintenance ECT (m-ECT) was associated with elimination of challenging behavior, catatonic and depressive symptom remission, removal of protective equipment, and reduced dosages of psychotropic medications.

Psychotropic Medication Monitoring in a Human Services Organization for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Description and Evaluation of Interdisciplinary Team Review.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often prescribed psychotropic medications but pharmacotherapy is typically conducted and evaluated based on clinical judgement without reference to objective measurement of treatment effectiveness and combined efficacy of pharmacological-behavioral interventions. We describe an interdisciplinary review team (IRT) model at a human services organization for children with ASD that was designed to standardize a process of psychotropic medication monitoring through (1) coordinated involvement of medical, nursing, behavior analyst, and special education professionals, (2) parent-guardian participation, (3) data-driven decision making, and (4) high-level administrative support. Our description includes case illustrations of medication reduction-elimination trials with five students and social validity assessment of IRT clinicians, nurses, and parent-guardians.

Behavioral Training and Performance Management of Human Services Organization Care Providers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: This report describes a model of training and performance management that was designed for and implemented with care providers at a residential school for children with neurodevelopmental and intellectual disabilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The model focused on health and safety concerns, risk mitigation, and intervention integrity.

Methods: Procedures followed an applied behavior analysis (ABA) and organizational behavior management (OBM) framework.

Organizational Responsiveness to the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Mixed Methods Social Validity Assessment of Human Services Care Providers.

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic posed many challenges to human services organizations serving persons with pre-existing conditions and health concerns. Study objectives were to assess organizational responsiveness to the pandemic through training, safety, and risk mitigation initiatives at community-based group homes for adults with intellectual disability (ID) and acquired brain injury (ABI).

Method: This was a two-phase mixed methods study with human services care providers.

Behavioral assessment and faded bedtime intervention for delayed sleep-onset in an adult with autism spectrum disorder.

Faded bedtime has been evaluated as a behavioral intervention for delayed sleep-onset principally with children and youth who have intellectual and developmental disabilities in hospital and home settings. The present case report describes behavioral assessment and faded bedtime intervention in a 21-year old adult man with autism spectrum disorder at a community-based group home. The study also documented the effects of family home visits on the man's sleep when he returned to the group home.

Applied behavior analysis measurement, assessment, and treatment of sleep and sleep-related problems.

This discussion article considers applied behavior analysis measurement, assessment, and treatment of sleep and sleep-related problems among infants, children, and youth who are typically developing and have neurodevelopmental disabilities. Measurement has concentrated on designing practitioner-implemented methods and improving fidelity of data recording through sleep-monitoring instrumentation. The emphasis of assessment is identifying antecedent and consequence variables that promote sleep and evoke and maintain sleep-related problems.

Teaching students with autism spectrum disorder to tolerate haircutting.

We describe intervention with 2 adolescent male students who had autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and resisted haircutting performed by care providers at a residential school. The students were exposed to a graduated hierarchy of steps including the presence of hair clippers, and increased duration of hair clippers against their scalp and hair. Edible reinforcement was presented contingent on completion of a step without interfering behavior.

Effects of a peer-mediated performance improvement intervention on recording of child well-body checks by educational care-providers.

We report the effects of peer-mediated training as a performance improvement intervention on recording of well-body checks by classroom instructors at a specialized school for children and youth. The instructors were trained as peer mediators and then assumed performance monitoring responsibilities in the classroom. Compared to baseline phases in a withdrawal design, peer-mediation increased recording of well-body checks to near-100% among the instructors.

Improving Classroom Appearance and Organization Through a Supervisory Performance Improvement Intervention.

This study evaluated the effects of a supervisory intervention on maintenance of appearance and organization in classrooms at a human services program for children and youths. The intervention combined performance feedback to classroom staff, public posting of performance outcomes, and eligibility for a performance-based incentive. Conducted in a multiple-baseline design, intervention was immediately and consistently effective in all classrooms.

Video Modeling Training Effects on Types of Attention Delivered by Educational Care-Providers.

We evaluated the effects of abbreviated (i.e., one-session) video modeling on delivery of student-preferred attention by educational care-providers.

Towards a Competency-Based, Ethical, and Socially Valid Approach to the Supervision of Applied Behavior Analytic Trainees.

Competency-based supervision of trainees has recently come to the forefront of behavior analytic practice; however, there are minimal data to support the effectiveness of various supervision practices on trainee outcomes. Accordingly, this paper is intended to spark further discussion and research activity regarding the supervision of those seeking to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA). We present a practice model and considerations for supervising applied behavior analytic trainees consistent with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) Supervisor Training Curriculum Outline (Behavior Analyst Certification Board, 2012b), the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts (Behavior Analyst Certification Board, 2014), and extant literature from behavior analysis and related fields.

Refining Supervisory Practices in the Field of Behavior Analysis: Introduction to the Special Section on Supervision.

The rapid growth in the number of behavior analysts and aspiring behavior analysts creates an imperative for effective and efficient supervisory practices. Many behavior analysts receive little to no explicit instruction and mentoring in supervision practices while they are in training themselves. Those behavior analysts may then be expected to provide supervision for a range of individuals soon after graduation and certification and throughout the remainder of their career.

Behavioral treatment of rumination: Research and clinical applications.

This brief review describes research on rumination treatment that emphasizes functional analysis, recent intervention methods (supplemental feeding, fixed-time stimulus presentation, continuous access to preferred stimulation), clinical implications, and procedural recommendations.

Social Validity Assessment of Training Methods to Improve Treatment Integrity of Special Education Service Providers.

We report the results of a social validity assessment that was administered to special education service providers (N = 44) to document the acceptability and effectiveness ratings of several treatment integrity training methods. The participants judged performance feedback as the most likely method to improve their treatment integrity, followed by avoidance (negative reinforcement) of supervision meetings, online training, and financial incentive. Performance feedback was also rank-ordered as most effective among the four training methods.

Effects of an idiosyncratic stimulus on functional analysis of vocal stereotypy in two settings.

Objective: This study evaluated the effects of an idiosyncratic stimulus (Legos plastic blocks) on vocal stereotypy by a child with pervasive developmental disorder during functional analysis sessions conducted in analogue and natural settings.

Methods: The presence and absence of the idiosyncratic stimulus was controlled in a multielement experimental design that incorporated four functional analysis conditions.

Results: The background presence of the idiosyncratic stimulus was associated with a higher percentage of vocal stereotypy in all functional analysis sessions in both settings when compared with phases where the stimulus was absent.

Functional analysis and intervention for chronic rumination.

We conducted a functional analysis and treatment evaluation of chronic rumination in a 19-year-old man with intellectual disabilities. Outcomes of the functional analysis suggested that rumination was maintained by automatic reinforcement. Results of the intervention evaluation suggested that (a) noncontingent access to food after meals reduced rumination more effectively than did noncontingent access to inedible stimuli, (b) a particular type of food was associated with lower levels of rumination than other types of food, and (c) both presession and continuous access to food reduced levels of rumination more effectively than did fixed-time access to food.

Descriptive analysis of a staff injury-reduction intervention in a human services setting for children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Clinical safety is a dominant concern for human services organizations serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and high-risk challenging behaviors. This article is a descriptive analysis of components that comprised an injury-reduction intervention among direct-care staff at a specialized school. Using a behavior-based safety approach, intervention was associated with fewer staff injuries and more weeks without injury reports.