This paper describes a sequence of experiments addressing basic questions about the control of visual attention and the relationship between attention and object recognition. This work reviews compelling findings addressing attentional control on the basis of high-level perceptual properties. In five experiments observers were presented with a rapid sequence of object photographs and instructed to either detect or selectively encode a verbally cued object category. When these object categories (e.g. "baseball") were preceded by contextual images associated with a given object category (e.g. "baseball diamond"), observers were less likely to accurately report information about the target item. This effect obtained with both detection and discrimination measures. This evidence of attentional capture is particularly strong because associated contexts typically enhance object detection or discrimination, whereas here they harmed performance. These findings demonstrate that observers use relatively abstract and elaborated representations when selecting visual objects on the basis of category. Further, even when observers attempt to ignore depictions of associated contexts these images engage perceptual processing. That is, while participants were able to determine the target of their search categorically, they had relatively little control over the specific types of representations and information employed when performing an object search task. After reviewing these five experiments, conclusions regarding the use of object-context association knowledge in vision are addressed.

Relational Frame Theory research involves either of two protocols utilized to establish relational networks and functions for stimuli in those relational networks. Years of research indicate the most prevalent method involves first establishing a relational frame, conditioning one of the stimuli to acquire a particular function, and then providing a test to see if the function trained to one of the stimuli in the network transferred through the relational network to other stimuli. The less common method involves first training a particular function for a stimulus, entering that stimulus in a relational network with at least two other stimuli, and then subsequently providing a test to see if the function transferred. Hayes, Kohlenberg, and Hayes (1991) hypothesized that not only do both procedures work, but there is also no differentiation between the two with regards to transformation of stimulus function. Although both protocols have been used in the RFT literature, a direct comparison has never been made. The current study directly examines that comparison in a within-subject analysis to determine if there may be differentiated results in transformation of stimulus function based on the protocol used. A within-subjects analysis indicates that subsequent probes of transformation of stimulus function probes yielded similar levels of correct responding in both training protocols, and thus supporting the hypothesis put forth by Hayes and colleagues (1991).

Abstract This study evaluated the effectiveness of a classroom based training in teaching social skills to four adolescent females between the ages of 13–17 years old and residing in foster care. The training took place over a three week period, one night a week, for three hours at a time and utilized a Behavioral Skills Training format. The assessments were conducted via role play scenarios; pre- and posttraining. The results show each participant demonstrated an overall increase in skills from pretraining to posttraining indicating that youth in foster care were capable of learning the skills taught.

Currently, there is no known research on teaching gun safety skills to individuals with developmental disabilities. Research has shown that children typically engage in gunplay behaviors if they find a firearm. These behaviors can lead to unintentional firearm injuries and even death, especially for young children. Previous research has shown the success of video modeling for teaching various skills to individuals with autism. This study examined the effectiveness of video modeling for teaching gun safety skills to three children with autism spectrum disorder, and found that video modeling was effective for one participant, but in situ training was needed to promote maintenance. For a second participant, IST was effective for skill acquisition and maintenance. Finally, a modified IST procedure was effective for a third participant when implemented by a trainer but not when implemented by his mother.

Abstract Interrupted behavior chain procedures have been shown to be an effective way to teach individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism to mand for missing objects and information concerning missing objects. Research has shown that an interrupted behavior chain procedure is more effective than traditional mand teach trials, which occur at the onset of a behavior chain or in a massed trial format. However, there is a lack of research evaluating the use of interrupted behavior chain procedures to teach vocal mands for missing items and the possible generalization effects thereof. This study evaluated the acquisition of vocal mands for missing items using interrupted behavior chain procedures, as well as participants' generalization of learned mands to novel behavior chains when said chains were interrupted. Each participant exhibited some form of generalization to a novel chain suggesting that interrupted behavior chains may be an efficient means to teach mands to children with autism. However, the extent to which a mand generalized across topographically distinct chains was different for each participant, suggesting that an individual's verbal repertoire could be a factor influencing generalization.

Daily routines in the home are typically the most common interactions for children with their siblings and parents. When a child exhibits challenging behavior in these routines, it can cause a strain on the family as well as the child's ability to learn a more appropriate behavior. This study examined the feasibility and potential efficacy of an adapted version of the Prevent-Teach- Reinforce (PTR) intervention with three families of young children with developmental disabilities. The school-based PTR manual was adapted for treatment use in a family context. The study assessed the family adherence to the collaboratively developed PTR intervention, family use of the behavior rating scale, social validity, procedural integrity, and child behavior behaviors during the routines. A multiple-baseline design across children was used to examine the impact of the PTR intervention on child behavior within the routine. Results indicated that the PTR interventions were successful in demonstrating an increase in appropriate behaviors and a decrease in challenging behaviors across children. The results also indicated that parents were able to successfully use the behavior rating scale to measure each child's behavior.

This study evaluated a parent implemented in-situ pedestrian safety skills intervention for three individuals with autism. Specifically, this study examined the utility of using a behavioral skills training (BST) to help parents implement the most-to-least prompting procedures in training their children with autism pedestrian safety skills in community settings. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to assess parent implementation of in-situ pedestrian training as well as child participants' independently performed correct skills. Results indicated that parents implemented most-to-least prompting procedures with high levels of accuracy across streets during intervention and fading of BST. All child participants improved their safety skills significantly during intervention. For one child, the acquired skills maintained during follow- up. The percentages of their independent correct use of pedestrian safety skills were similar to those in baseline during generalization probes.

Video modeling and video feedback are behavioral procedures that have been shown to increase skill acquisition over time in a variety of environments. This study investigated the use of a video modeling and video feedback procedure, via a multiple baseline design to enhance skill acquisition in boxing. This study also incorporated multiple dimensions of analysis by including data based not only on a percentage of performance with a task analysis, but also the duration of each particular target behavior. The target behaviors for the study included three different boxing combinations, which were operationally defined based on component steps via a task analysis. Each step was marked as either correct or incorrect based on participant performance. The two participants in the study had little or no previous boxing instruction. During intervention, participants were shown a video of a professional boxer performing the specific combination being trained. The participant was then recorded performing the combination, which was used to compare to that of the professional model. The results indicated that both participants' skill levels increased upon intervention using video modeling and video feedback. Reaction time also decreased substantially for one participant.

Broadly, the purpose of this study was to address the gaps in the knowledge base of caregiver strain through an examination of this and other theoretically related constructs in a sample of parents of high-risk youth. In the last two decades, a growing body of research has pointed to the significance of strain that can result from this caregiving experience, particularly as it relates to patterns of mental health services utilization. Despite the fact that the majority of children who receive mental health receive them from the school, few studies have examined caregiver strain in the context of school-based mental health services or with caregivers of youth in special education for Emotional Disturbance (ED). Additionally, while the Modified Double ABCX Model of family stress and coping has been identified as a useful model to understand caregiver strain and its related constructs, questions remain about how all of the components of this model work together to influence caregiver strain and the mechanism by which caregiver strain influences youth mental health service use and parent engagement in services. The specific aims of this study were to: (1) explore the construct of caregiver strain and its relationship with theoretically related constructs in caregivers of youth in special education for ED, and (2) examine the factors, including caregiver strain, that predict school-based mental health services utilization and parent engagement in services. Secondary analyses were conducted using data collected as part of a randomized controlled trial of a parent support intervention for caregivers of youth in special education for ED. Participants included 112 caregivers and you their youth recruited from 22 schools and special education centers. Data were provided by caregivers and school-based mental health service providers. Caregivers completed phone interviews conducted upon entry into the study and again approximately nine months later. These semi-structured interviews included measures of youth functioning, caregiver strain, and caregivers’ perceptions related to their child’s problems and engagement in services. School-based mental health service providers supplied data related to the amount of school-based mental health counseling services received by youth and whether caregivers consulted with service providers during the study period. Data were analyzed using a variety of quantitative methods, including descriptive statistics, dependent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), multiple linear regression, and multiple logistic regression. Results revealed that caregivers reported the highest levels of subjective-internalizing strain, and that the level of three types of caregiver strain decreased from time 1 to time 2. Additionally, caregivers of males tended to report higher levels of strain than caregivers of females, and parents tended to report higher levels of strain than other caregivers. Consistent with previous studies, non-Hispanic Black caregivers tended to report the lowest levels of caregiver strain compared to all other racial/ethnic groups. Findings from SEM analyses revealed that following slight modifications to the originally hypothesized model, the model tested fit the data well and all of the paths included in the model (other than those related to race/ethnicity) had statistically significant parameter estimates. Findings from the multiple linear regression analyses revealed that collectively the predictors included in the model accounted for only a small percentage of the variance in the outcome (11.9%), and none of the predictors included in the regression model significantly predicted the amount of school-based counseling received by students. Results from the multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that only youth gender and youth conduct problems were significant predictors of the outcome; caregivers of male youth and caregivers of youth with more conduct problems were less likely than caregivers of female youth and caregivers of youth with fewer conduct problems, respectively, to have consulted with their child’s school-based mental health services provider during the school year. Collectively, findings from this study demonstrate that caregivers of youth in special education for ED experience caregiver strain to a similar degree as caregivers of youth receiving services through mental health systems. Further, findings provide evidence for the usefulness of the Modified Double ABCX Model in studying and understanding caregiver strain in this population. While findings from this study provide support for the relationships among the constructs of this model, findings from this study also suggest that this model may not hold up in terms of predicting the amount of school-based services received by youth or the likelihood of parent engagement with their child’s school-based mental health service provider. Additional research is needed that includes a more complete representation of the constructs of this model to determine if this model holds for school-based service use and engagement.

Independent living skills are extremely important for individuals with developmental disabilities as these skills aide in autonomy, lessen the burden on caregivers, and assist with integration into the community. An important skill that should be targeted is purchasing skills. Teaching purchasing skills can bring individuals into contact with new environments and access to items that would not have been available for them to access independently before learning the skill. Traditional purchasing skills often target teaching money and math skills. However, as technology advances, these skills are not only hard to teach to various individuals but may be outdated. There have been a few studies that targeted teaching purchasing skills to individuals using forms other than cash. This study taught debit card purchasing skills using a multiple baseline across participants design to individuals with developmental disabilities and evaluated the effects of using multiple exemplar training on generalization to novel settings. All three study participants showed improved performance after training by demonstrating 87% or more of the steps accurately in the natural setting during post-training generalization probes to the trained stores (average across the three participants and three stores was 90%). Two out of three participants generalized the skill to a novel store with at least 90% accuracy. The third participant generalized the skill to a novel store with 83% accuracy. Maintenance probes were conducted for two of the three participants and those two participants were able to maintain the skill well above baseline accuracy.