Many children with ASD partake in escape maintain behaviors for numerous reasons. Children with autism might have difficulty attending to long tasks, can get overwhelmed with novel activities, and the challenging behaviors may heighten when too many demands are placed on them. As a result, teachers, parents and interventionists may start to witness children’s challenging behaviors increase. Many of the challenging behaviors are thought to have an escape function from the long or difficult task at hand. This paper will find and address various strategies that may be applied to decrease escape maintained behaviors in children with ASD. The aim for this review study is to describe and evaluate research findings of antecedent-based strategies and evidence-based practices used to assist in decreasing escape maintained behaviors in children with ASD. This study is to suggest educational implications for interventionists and parents. Keywords: autism, escape, escape maintained behaviors, decrease challenging behaviors, alternative behaviors, antecedent based intervention, evidence based practices

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present challenges for principals supervising both general and special education teachers. Evidence-based practices designed to address the challenging behavior and academic needs of this population exists, but there are numerous contextual factors that affect the ability of principals to effectively assist their teachers in implementation. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between principal leader’s demographic characteristics, the influence of contextual factors, and leadership attitudes that affect their development and priorities for their schools. The implementation science framework and collective impact theory was investigated as a conceptual framework to analyze these critical research areas. Elementary principals responded to a researcher-designed survey instrument to identify contextual factors and priorities for development. Information was analyzed using one-way analysis of variance tests (ANOVA) and survey response patterns. Findings will provide direct guidance for principal development and leadership practices.

It is of utmost importance that students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the public school setting across the United States are receiving the best, most researched services and treatments. This study aimed to find out what services and treatments are most commonly being used for students with ASD in the public schools, to see whether or not those practices are supported by research, and to discover how involved parents and families are in the services being provided to their students. This study found that of the top 25 most commonly used practices, 17 of those were supported by and recommended by research, 3 are considered to have some research support, 1 was considered to not have research support, and 4 were undetermined to have research support. This study also found that overall, parents are aware of the services being provided to their students with ASD, but they do not feel like they are actively involved with majority of the services being provided.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the current literature on the use of weighted vests with individuals with autism spectrum disorder. A literature review using the What Works Clearinghouse Standards was conducted. The results of the review show that the use of weighed vests with individuals with autism spectrum disorder is not an evidence-based practice.

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This poster presents development and pilot-testing of an electronic survey evaluating behavior analysts perceptions and use of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs). Demographic information, ratings of quality indicators (Horner et al 2005) in evaluating and choosing behavior interventions, and resources identifying EBPs were assessed. Fourteen graduate trainees in a behavior analysis certification program were participants. Test-retest intra-rater agreement was assessed approximately 2 weeks apart and varied considerably across survey items. Overall exact agreement was 71 % while agreement within 1 rating point was 91 %. The most highly rated quality indicators were clear descriptions of baseline and intervention conditions, measures of inter-observer agreement, and repeated measures of target behaviors. Lowest rated were group experimental designs, statistical analyses, and numbers of participants. Surprisingly, multiple studies with 20+ participants, integrated intervention packages, and written intervention manuals were not as highly rated. Most frequently reported EBP sources were professional society websites, university courses, practitioner journals, and professional peer-reviewed journals. Least frequently reported were webinars by private entities, non-peer-reviewed journals, and government websites (e.g., What Works Clearing House). Participants identified time constraints, difficulty finding research relevant to their current situation and technical rather than practical nature of research as impediments to keeping current with EBPs

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Objective Safety-net clinics such as health department family planning (HD) and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) provide free or low-cost contraceptive care to low-income and uninsured populations. Integration of contraceptive focused training within safety-net clinics is essential to deliver comprehensive, patient-centered contraceptive care. In SC, HDs receive Title X funding, which requires providing training to staff. However, due to different funding policies, trainings may be less available to FQHC staff which creates gap in care. This study examined perceptions of impact of trainings on overall performance and patient care among safety-net clinics in South Carolina (SC) that received externally funded contraceptive trainings for healthcare providers and clinic staff. The key focus of this study was to identify the perceptions of training among clinical staff and providers in HDs and FQHCs in SC. Our study showed that when equal funding opportunities were provided, it expanded the opportunity of positive impact. Method Key informant interviews were conducted among 58 individuals, 31 HD and 27 FQHC clinic staff and system leaders in 2019. Interview questions assessed the respondent’s perception of trainings on overall performance and patient care. Formal informed consent was obtained before the interview and participation was voluntary. Interviews were conducted privately via phone by study staff at East Tennessee State University. The interview recordings were transcribed and coded with QSR International’s NVivo 12 qualitative data analysis software. A codebook was developed, and inter-rater reliability and consensus coding methodologies were utilized to ensure consistency of coding. Results The majority of HD and FQHC respondents identified improved quality of services and infrastructure as positive impacts of provided trainings (N=14 and N=12, respectively). Additionally, four respondents from FQHC sectors mentioned that training increased capacity for contraceptive provision. Challenges with staffing capacity such as not having time for training were mentioned as a negative perception among both sectors. Perception of impact of training on patient care were positive among most respondents (N=44). Most respondents from both sectors indicated improved capacity for patient counseling as a positive impact of training (N=26). Two FQHC respondents mentioned that training led to implementing best practices. Conclusion Positive perception of contraceptive training on overall performance and patient care have been identified throughout this study. Federal funding provides support for training implementation but restrictions in funding due to policy changes and different funding mechanisms limit some clinics. Although external funding provides support; this does not ensure the sustainability of trainings after completion of the funding period which can create gaps in care and contraceptive provision. Future research should focus on training sustainability models such as Train-the-Trainer to ensure continuity of positive impact in local and state levels.

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Social workers and other human services professionals helping families reintegrate after parental incarceration deal with multiple issues without a model of for facilitating family resilience. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to explore the essence of the perceived role, activities, and practices of a sample of social workers and other human service professionals engaged in the use of family group conferences (FGCs). FGCs are also referred to as restorative justice, as they inform and assist human service professionals in developing clinical interventions and best practices to support reintegration, family preservation, and stabilization. The framework for this study was built around restorative justice theory, resiliency theory, and a larger social ecological theory and focused on the use of FGCs as a developing practice within family systems and the community. The primary research questions investigated the practitioners' experiences using FGCs. Data came from interviews of participants (15) drawn from professional associations and included their own case notes and reflections. The data was sorted and analyzed with the assistance of qualitative analysis software (Atlas.Ti7) to search for themes that may assist in identifying the phenomenon. The findings suggest that the FGC model should consist of a training curriculum, consistent practice, and dedicated and committed financial resources to support programs. This study impacts social change by informing human services professionals of current best practices and may provide a model of FGCs that will help implement services to families.