Increasing Play and Decreasing the Challenging Behavior of Children With Autism During Recess With Activity Schedules and Task Correspondence Training

This article examines the effects of a teacher-implemented playground intervention consisting of activity schedules and task correspondence training on the challenging behaviors and play of three school-age children with moderate to severe autism. Researchers used a multiple-baseline design across participants to evaluate the intervention effects. Results indicated that each of the participants learned to use an activity schedule to follow a schedule of play activities and demonstrated improved play. Moreover, challenging behavior decreased for two participants during the intervention and remained at low levels for the third participant. The findings from this study provide support for the use of activity schedules and task correspondence training to reinforce appropriate play and decrease challenging behaviors during recess.Educatio

The use of video tele-conferencing to train teachers to assess the challenging behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorders

textEducational legislation requires the implementation of a functional assessment for students with disabilities who engage in challenging behavior that could lead to a change in their educational placement (IDEA Amendments, 1997; IDEA, 1990; IDEA Improvement Act, 2004). Research has shown that teachers can implement functional assessments with intensive instruction and performance feedback, yet this training can be difficult to carry out in educational settings with limited resources to provide such supervision. In the health care field, video teleconferencing (VTC) is used to overcome specialist shortages and provide supervision. Such technology might be used to deliver training and performance feedback to teachers learning to assess challenging behavior, but few studies have reported the use of VTC in educational settings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of performance feedback delivered via VTC on the acquisition and maintenance of functional analysis procedures by 6 teachers. Concurrent multiple baseline designs across teacher-student dyads with embedded multi-element designs were used to evaluate the effects of performance feedback delivered via VTC on the percentage of functional analysis procedures implemented correctly. Performance feedback via VTC was provided once per week over an average of 6 weeks until each teacher implemented the procedures of each functional analysis condition (i.e., escape, attention, and play) at 100% accuracy over three consecutive sessions. Results indicated that performance feedback delivered via VTC was effective to train the teachers to independently implement functional analysis conditions. These results were maintained at or near criterion performance four weeks following the termination of performance feedback for 4 teachers. Each teacher rated performance feedback delivered via VTC positively with respect to the training procedures and the outcomes of training. The results and limitations of this study, and relevant areas for future research are discussed.Special Educatio

A Delphi Study to Identify Core Areas of Knowledge and Skills for Early Career Single Case Researchers

This study will employ a Delphi survey methodology to establish consensus among an expert panel regarding key skills and knowledge early career researchers need in order to conduct high quality single-case research designs. Single-case research methodologies and data-analysis strategies have grown in sophistication and will continue to play an even more central role in applied and clinical research in psychology, education, special education, early intervention, and related fields. Unfortunately, there are limited resources available to young scholars and experienced researchers for accessing these new developments. To respond to this need, the IES funded Single Case Institute provides intensive hybrid (both onsite and distance learning) Professional Development (PD), aimed at improving the methodological rigor of single-case design (SCD) intervention research, the teaching of SCD methods in higher education settings, and the visual and statistical analysis of SCD data by education, special education, early childhood special education, and early intervention researchers. In this study, the results of the Delphi survey will inform the curriculum design of the Single Case Institute, including a curriculum-based assessment for future institute attendees

Influence of attrition, missing data, compliance, and related biases and analyses strategies on treatment effects in randomized controlled trials in rehabilitation: a methodological review

INTRODUCTION: Attrition, missing data, compliance, and related biases are three interrelated concepts. Previous research has found that these biases can affect the treatment estimates of randomized trials (RCTs). The extent to which the effects of attrition, missing data, compliance and related biases influence effect size estimates in rehabilitation as well as the effect of analytic strategies to mitigate these biases is unknown. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: To compile and synthetize the empirical evidence regarding the effects of attrition and compliance related biases on treatment effect estimates in rehabilitation RCTs. Electronic searches were conducted. Studies were included if they investigated the effects of attrition, missing data, compliance and related biases on treatment estimates. The seven studies meeting inclusion criteria were coded for type of biases and summarized using a narrative and/or quantitative approach when appropriate. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Findings demonstrated that trials reporting higher levels of attrition (differences in ES: 0.18 [95%CI: 0.15, 0.22 ]), exclusion of participants from analyses (differences in ES: 0.13 [95% CI: -0.03, 0.29]), lack of good control of incomplete outcome data (differences in ES: 0.14 [95%CI: -0.02, 0.30]) and analysis by “as treated”(differences in ES:-0.39 [95%CI: -0.99, 0.2]) or “per protocol” (differences in ES:-0.46 [95%CI: -0.92, 0]) analyses were more likely to have higher effects than those that did not. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that attrition, missing data, compliance, and related biases have an influence in treatment effect estimates in rehabilitation trials. Therefore, these results should be taken into consideration when designing, conducting and reporting trials in the rehabilitation field

Academic and Related Skills Interventions for Autism: a 20-Year Systematic Review of Single-Case Research

This systematic literature review examines single-case intervention research targeting academic and related skills for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in school settings. Fifty-four studies published between 1995 and 2014 met inclusion criteria. Tau-U was calculated for each study to examine the effectiveness of interventions. The mean score across all the studies was high (M Tau-U = 0.78), but ranged from weak to very high with scores between 0.15 and 1.00. The analysis demonstrated that school-based interventions were generally effective at improving the academic and related skills of students with ASD. The authors summarized some critical gaps in the research, and reviewed the quality of the research designs

Machalicek et al. (in press) Sustaining Personal Activism: Behavior Analysts as Anti-Racist Accomplices

One pervasive social issue that has received little attention within the behavior analytic community is racism and the systemic oppression of Black, Indigenous, and non-Black People of Color (BIPOC). The present paper offers guidance and examples of how each of us as behavior analysts might build individualized self-management behavior change plans that support initiation and sustained socially significant anti-racism work as we move from allies to accomplices within our own sphere of influence. This paper introduces the concept of self-managed anti-racism behavior change plans that (a) operationally define anti-racist action, use measurable outcomes and strategies for data collection on specific anti-racist and support actions; (b) provide choices to improve engagement and reduce barriers to adherence; and (c) use effective behavioral interventions to alter the availability of discriminative stimuli or reduce their influence, and increase the availability of reinforcers that are compatible with the goal of the behavior change plan for increasing anti-racism behavior and dismantling structures perpetuating racial inequities

Coaching via Telehealth: Caregiver-Mediated Interventions for Young Children on the Waitlist for an Autism Diagnosis Using Single-Case Design

Years can elapse between parental suspicion of a developmental delay and a diagnostic assessment, ultimately delaying access to medically necessary, autism-specific intervention. Using a single-case, concurrent multiple baseline design, autism spectrum disorder symptomology (i.e., higher-order restrictive and repetitive behaviors and interests; higher-order RRBIs) was targeted in toddlers (21–35 months) waiting for a diagnostic appointment. Caregivers were coached via telehealth to mediate early intervention to decrease interfering, inflexible higher-order RRBIs during play using four evidence-based applied behavior analytic strategies: modeling, prompting, differential reinforcement of appropriate behaviors, and response interruption and redirection. Six mother–child dyads were recruited from pediatrician offices and early intervention service districts in the United States. All families were considered under-served, under-resourced, or living in rural locations. A visual analysis of the data combined with Tau-U revealed a strong basic effect between the intervention package and parent strategy use and child flexible and inflexible behavior. Findings were consistent across participants with one exception demonstrating a moderate effect for flexible behaviors yet a strong effect for inflexible behaviors. Standardized mean difference was beyond zero for all participants. Implications for science and practice include support for early intervention of higher-order RRBIs for young children with and at risk for ASD

Parent-Implemented Interventions: Evaluation of Three Utility of Tau-U, Hedges’ g, R-IRD, and Visual Analysis

Recently, the field has seen an increase in the publication of meta-analyses and systematic reviews of treatments for people with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities, which are critical in providing practitioners and other stakeholders with information regarding for whom and in what contexts particular treatments are most effective. However, many controversies remain regarding these advances. To that end, this symposium will include conceptual and applied presentations and discussions by nationally/internationally-recognized researchers who publish cutting-edge work in meta-analysis and synthesis of single-case research and in autism spectrum and developmental disabilities. The four included presentations will cover current debates in the use of meta-analysis and research synthesis, effects of measurement methods on estimation of effect sizes, and two meta-analyses of studies on caregiver- and family member-implemented interventions. Single-case researchers will gain an understanding of the state of the science in regard to the use of meta-analyses and research syntheses to evaluate single-case experimental research in autism spectrum and developmental disabilities

Attrition, missing data, compliance, and related biases in randomized controlled trials of rehabilitation interventions: towards improving reporting and conduct

INTRODUCTION: Attrition, missing data, compliance, and related biases can influence the magnitude of treatment effects in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). It is unclear which items should be considered when reporting and evaluating the influence of these biases in trial reports in the rehabilitation field. The aim was to describe which individual items considering attrition, missing data, compliance, and related biases are included in quality tools used in rehabilitation research. In addition, we aimed to determine whether the existing reporting guidelines, such as the CONSORT and its extensions include all relevant items related to these biases when reporting RCTs in the area of rehabilitation. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Comprehensive literature searches and a systematic approach to identify tools and items looking at attrition, missing data, compliance and related biases in rehabilitation were performed. We extracted individual items linked to these biases from all quality tools. We calculated the frequency of quality items used across tools and compared them to those found in the CONSORT statement and its extensions. A list of items to be potentially added to the CONSORT statement was generated. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Three new tools to assess the conduct and reporting of trials in the rehabilitation field were found. From these tools, 28 items were used to evaluate the reporting as well as the conduct of trials considering attrition, missing data, compliance, and related biases in the rehabilitation field. However, our team found that some of these items lack specificity in the information required and therefore more research is needed to determine a core set of items used for reporting as well as assessing the risk of bias (RoB) of RCT in the rehabilitation field. CONCLUSIONS: Although many items have been described by existing tools and the CONSORT statement (and its extensions) that deal with attrition, missing data, compliance, and related biases, several gaps in reporting were identified. It is crucial that future research investigate a core set of items to be used in the field of rehabilitation to facilitate the reporting as well as the conduct of RCTs