The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (1.1): An initial assessment of validity and reliability.

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) is an assessment used to identify variables contributing to staff performance concerns in human-service settings. In the current study, we introduce and assess the test validity, interrater reliability, and test-retest reliability of the PDC-HS (1.1), a revised version of the assessment that included revised instructions, questions, and intervention planning references.

Recommendations Regarding Use of the Term " in Applied Behavior Analysis.

is a common term used in behavioral assessment, behavior intervention plans, textbooks, and research articles. In the present article, we recommend against the typical usage of the term in most applications of behavior analysis. First, we briefly outline some history of the use of the term in behavior analysis.

Paying for Supervision: Barriers, Solutions, and Opportunities.

In some situations, those requiring supervision to meet Behavior Analyst Certification Board supervised fieldwork requirements, maintain certification, or get assistance with a difficult case or ethical dilemma may need to contract with a qualified supervisor and pay them directly. Although it is not considered to be a multiple relationship, the financial component does carry an inherent conflict of interest, which can create barriers to effective and appropriate supervision. In this article we propose a list of barriers that may arise in this particular supervisory relationship and potential solutions to manage each one, with a particular focus on supervised independent fieldwork.

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist - Human Services: Guidance for Assessment Administration.

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist - Human Services (PDC-HS) is an assessment designed to assess the environmental variables contributing to employee performance concerns in human-service settings. Recent research has demonstrated that interventions indicated by the PDC-HS result in improved employee performance across several human-service settings and that the assessment has acceptable reliability and validity. Although PDC-HS-indicated interventions have been effective at increasing employee performance, there is a need for additional guidance when using the assessment given the limited nature of the original administration guidelines.

Improving Behavior Analysts' Public Speaking: Recommendations From Expert Interviews.

In his 2014 paper, Friman provided 15 recommendations for behavior analysts wishing to improve their public speaking skills and encouraged the field to view public speaking as a mechanism through which we can more broadly disseminate our science. Although some behavior-analytic research exists on the topic of public speaking, this body of literature is small, and many empirical questions remain. Little is known regarding which skills need to be targeted to improve public speaking and what successful public speakers in our field do to be effective and entertaining.

Self-guided behavioral skills training: A public health approach to promoting nurturing care environments.

The World Health Organization identified the promotion of "Nurturing Care Environments" as a global health priority. Responsive caregiving, 1 of 5 domains describing nurturing care, is critical for healthy child development. Relatively little research has evaluated population-level interventions aimed to increase responsive caregiving during the first 1,000 days of an infant's life.

On the BACB's Ethics Requirements: A Response to Rosenberg and Schwartz (2019).

Rosenberg and Schwartz (, , 473-482, 2019) criticize a number of aspects of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board's and propose, as an alternative, a decision-making process for evaluating the ethicality of behavior under a particular set of circumstances. We respond to the authors' main criticisms and discuss the broader professional and legal context of any profession's ethics code and enforcement activity.

Maximizing the Conference Experience: Tips to Effectively Navigate Academic Conferences Early in Professional Careers.

Most behavior analysts who are certified or licensed regularly attend professional conventions to obtain required continuing education credits and remain current with advances in clinical applications and research findings. As the number of behavior analysts in the profession grows, so, too, does the number of novice conference attendees at professional events. Attending conferences can be exhilarating to those who are new to the field and the context of professional events.

Increasing accuracy of rock-climbing techniques in novice athletes using expert modeling and video feedback.

Several studies have examined the efficacy of behavior analytic coaching strategies in sports to increase performance fluency. Rock climbing is a multifaceted sport requiring mastery of several complex behavior chains in order to successfully navigate climbing surfaces. To date, most investigations have focused on the physiological aspects of rock climbing, as opposed to training specific rock-climbing movements.

Board Certified Behavior Analysts' Supervisory Practices of Trainees: Survey Results and Recommendations.

The field of behavior analysis relies on supervised fieldwork to shape the repertoires of individuals aspiring to sit for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB®) exam. Board Certified Behavior Analysts® (BCBAs®) who are providing supervision to those seeking certification must follow the supervision and ethics requirements as directed by the BACB. We conducted a survey of BCBAs currently providing supervision to gather information about current practices and barriers.

Using Pictures Depicting App Icons to Conduct an MSWO Preference Assessment on a Tablet Device.

Identifying preferred content on tablet devices may be important when using such devices in programming. This study included six adults with disabilities and examined using laminated picture cards depicting application (app) icons to conduct multiple-stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessments of iPad content. Following identification of preference hierarchies, we conducted reinforcer assessments to validate preference assessment results by demonstrating that selected apps functioned as reinforcers.

Implementation of interventions informed by precursor functional analyses with young children: A replication.

Individuals who engage in problem behavior may also engage in precursor behavior maintained by the same functional reinforcers as the more severe target problem behavior. This study replicates and extends previous research by examining precursor assessments and interventions with three preschool-aged children. We conducted assessments to identify precursor behavior, and conducted subsequent functional analyses targeting the precursor behavior.

Evaluation of a Performance Management Intervention to Increase Use of Trial-Based Functional Analyses by Clinicians in a Residential Setting for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities.

We evaluated the effects of a performance management package on the implementation of trial-based functional analyses (TBFAs) by 6 clinical supervisors working in a large agency providing residential and day-program services to approximately 800 adolescents and adults with intellectual disabilities across 2 states using remote methods. Implementation of TBFAs increased for 5 of the 6 participants following introduction of the treatment package.

Speech Rate Entrainment in Children and Adults With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Purpose: Conversational entrainment, a phenomenon whereby people modify their behaviors to match their communication partner, has been evidenced as critical to successful conversation. It is plausible that deficits in entrainment contribute to the conversational breakdowns and social difficulties exhibited by people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined speech rate entrainment in children and adult populations with and without ASD.

Evaluating the Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services to assess incorrect error-correction procedures by preschool paraprofessionals.

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) has been used to assess variables contributing to undesirable staff performance. In this study, three preschool teachers completed the PDC-HS to identify the factors contributing to four paraprofessionals' inaccurate implementation of error-correction procedures during discrete trial training sessions. The PDC-HS indicated insufficient training as a contributing factor.

The Benefits of Group Supervision and a Recommended Structure for Implementation.

Effective supervision practices can facilitate the professional development of the supervisee, the continued growth of the supervisor, and the overall development of our field and its practice. In addition to individual supervision, many aspiring certificants also participate in group supervision experiences either as part of their academic practicum or as part of a supervised independent fieldwork experience. Group supervision can provide unique opportunities to establish critical professional repertoires such as peer feedback skills and public speaking skills.

Recommendations for Detecting and Addressing Barriers to Successful Supervision.

Behavior analysts who supervise staff are responsible for establishing a healthy supervisory relationship and for teaching basic behavior analytic skills (e.g., verbal repertoires, technical repertoires, clinical decision-making).

Taking Full Responsibility: the Ethics of Supervision in Behavior Analytic Practice.

The supervision of professionals in the field of behavior analysis is multifaceted. The BACB® Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysis provides guidance for effective supervisory practices, as supervision impacts both the supervisee and the consumers. The purpose of this article is (1) to discuss rationales and consequences relative to supervision issues, (2) to provide directions for professional development in each of the seven identified supervisory areas within the code, and (3) to set the occasion for critical discourse relative to supervision.

Recommended Practices for Individual Supervision of Aspiring Behavior Analysts.

Practicing behavior analysts and behavior analysts in academic settings often provide supervision for young professionals who are pursuing certification as a behavior analyst. Effective supervision is critical to the quality of ongoing behavioral services, the professional development of the supervisee, the continued growth of the supervisor, and the overall development of our field and its practice. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board recently instituted several new requirements including training in supervisory practices prior to supervising those who are accruing hours toward the experience requirement for certification.

A Proposed Model for Selecting Measurement Procedures for the Assessment and Treatment of Problem Behavior.

Practicing behavior analysts frequently assess and treat problem behavior as part of their ongoing job responsibilities. Effective measurement of problem behavior is critical to success in these activities because some measures of problem behavior provide more accurate and complete information about the behavior than others. However, not every measurement procedure is appropriate for every problem behavior and therapeutic circumstance.

Effects of Simultaneous Script Training on Use of Varied Mand Frames by Preschoolers with Autism.

Young children with autism may fail to mand using a range of frames (e.g., "I want," "May I have," "Please give me").

Evaluation of some components of choice making.

Providing access to choice-making opportunities is a useful addition to behavioral interventions, although the critical features of choice making may differ greatly across individuals. In this study, results of an initial 3-choice concurrent-operants preference assessment with 4 subjects with autism spectrum disorder suggested that 2 subjects preferred the choice-making condition and participated in subsequent assessments to examine the potential influences of reinforcer variability and differential access to high-preference reinforcers on their preferences for choice making. Two other subjects did not prefer the choice-making condition and participated in subsequent assessments to explore conditions under which they might prefer choice-making opportunities.

Increasing response variability of mand frames with script training and extinction.

We examined the effects of script training and extinction on response variability of mand frames used by children with autism. Results demonstrated that extinction following script training was effective for increasing variability for 2 of the 3 participants.