A functional analysis (FA) is the most commonly used assessment methodology for identifying maintaining variables influencing problem behavior. However, if an FA does not produce clear differentiation, researchers and practitioners often then modify procedures to include additional individualized variables. The interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA) provides a marked departure from FA methodology and aims to include individualized factors at the initiation of the assessment in order to more rapidly produce differentiation and clear results. We sought to further evaluate and compare the outcomes of two different functional analysis methods: the single-contingency functional analysis (FA) and the interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA) to determine the function of problem behavior and evaluate the subsequent function-based treatment determined from the functional analysis results with two children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both participants engaged in problem behavior maintained by single-contingencies of reinforcement identified within the single-contingency FA and emphasized by the effectiveness of each single-contingency function-based treatment.

Background. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent difficulties with social communication (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Due to the high prevalence of ASD there’s a significant demand for services to support these individuals and the involvement of caregivers is considered a crucial element of effective early intervention for young children with developmental disabilities (Siller & Morgan, 2018). The Incredible Years ® is an evidence-based behavioral parent training program with a large body of research demonstrating its efficacy with enhancing positive parenting practices during parent-child interactions for children with behavior problems (Menting et al., 2013). The program is built on the foundational concept of child-led free play. Recently, the program has been adapted for families with young children with developmental disabilities, Incredible Years Program for Autism Spectrum Disorder and Language Delays Ages 2-5® (IY-ASLD). IY-ASLD aims to help parents learn developmentally-attuned language and play strategies to effectively engage with toddlers with ASD or social communication delays. There are few published evaluations of IY-ASLD currently. However, the findings from pilot studies are promising in terms of the feasibility of implementation, with high levels parent satisfaction and attendance. The present study uses data from a pilot study of the IY-ASLD program (N=17), which was adapted to telehealth during COVID-19 pandemic with the assistance of program developer. This dissertation contributes to an emerging body of research by evaluating the IY-ASLD program in a community setting. By examining IY’s group treatment model in a telehealth format, we also gain valuable insight about virtual parenting interventions, which have the potential to significantly expand treatment to more families. Methods. Families were recruited from a specialized early intervention and preschool program that utilizes an Applied Behavior Analysis approach to education. Seventeen (N=17) parent-child dyads from the school enrolled in the program. All or virtually all children referred to this school by their school district are at-risk for or have been diagnosed with ASD. All of the children had an IEP or IFSP with mandated speech services, 71% of the children met criteria for ASD (N = 12) on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale-2-SF, and 2/3 of the sample had adaptive behavior composites below a standard score of 70 on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales- Third Edition Comprehensive Teacher Form (Sparrow et al., 2016) at baseline. The parent participants, all mothers, began and completed a 12-week IY-ASLD telehealth intervention delivered over HIPAA protected Zoom. Mothers were from diverse backgrounds (41% non US born), well-educated (94% college graduate) and had a high median household income. Data from participants was gathered through questionnaires administered to parents, child-functioning measures completed prior to treatment by school personnel, and parent-child interactions videos recorded in the home at pre-, mid-, and post-treatment across a 12-week IY-ASLD intervention. Primary outcome variables were parent verbal behaviors during 5-minute parent-child free play sessions recorded at each time point. Each vocal utterance during free play sessions was coded for function, consistent with the parenting skills that were targeted in the IY-ASLD program (e.g., reducing commands, questions, and corrections, increasing descriptive narration and praise, following the child’s lead). The independent variables were time and dosage (minutes spent in treatment) and the moderators were child’s functioning levels (special education teacher/clinician ratings on the Vineland Adaptive Behavioral Scales- Third Edition (Vineland-3, Sparrow et al., 2016) and Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition- Standard Form (CARS2= ST, Schloper et al., 2010). Results. Mothers in the IY-ASLD program significantly decreased the ratio of parent-directed language and increased the ratio of child-directed language they used during the free play sessions with large effect sizes and most of the change occurring in the mid-to-post interval. Descriptive statements (tacts) also increased significantly for all participants with large effect sizes; the number of directive or question statements (mands) decreased with medium effect sizes, though the results were not significant. Dosage was not a significant predictor of outcomes at post-treatment when pre-treatment parenting behaviors were taken into consideration, possibly due to low variability in attendance. When child level was analyzed as a moderator, there were large effect sizes for the observed changes in tacts, mands, and overall ratio of child-directed language when children were divided into ASD vs No ASD groups, but small effect sizes when looking at low vs high adaptative behavior groups. There was a significant interaction effect between change in parent language over time and ASD severity of the child; parents of children with ASD did not significantly reduce the number of mands over time, while parents of children without ASD significantly reduced their number of mands over time. This research provides support for a full-RCT of IY-ASLD in this setting, suggesting that the intervention promotes maternal use of child-directed language, particularly for children with language delays as opposed to those with more severe symptoms of ASD. Interventions such as IY-ASLD may help empower parents of preschoolers with disabilities with strategies to facilitate more rewarding free play interactions at home.

A child’s early language environment, and their parents’ active engagement during parent-child interactions play a vital role in facilitating the development of complex social reinforcers and the growth of their verbal behavior. Using a verbal behavioral approach, this study aimed to measure the statistical significance of changes in the quality and quantity of parent-child interactions after parents participated in a virtual parent-training program. The intervention used was the Incredible Years-ASLD® (Webster-Stratton, 2015) program, which consisted of 12 group parent-training sessions delivered virtually in small groups. Th e study also aimed to assess the association between parental stress and the quality and quantity of parent-child interactions. Participants were seventeen biological mother-child dyads. The participant children attended a full-day, intensive Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) preschool, with a mean age of 4 years and 3 months and either had an Individual Education Program for a preschooler with a disability or an Individualized Family Service Plan. The number of verbal operants exchanged between the mother and the child during the parent-child interactions were measured at baseline, during, and after the intervention. Parent-child interactions were designed to mirror their naturalistic interactions and consisted of a five-min structured-play task, and a five-min free-play task, which were recorded for future analysis. Self-reported parental-stress levels were measured at baseline and after the intervention using the Parenting-Stress Index-Fourth Edition, Short Form (Abidin, 2012). This pilot study was conducted to statistically evaluate the changes across all three conditions following the IY-ASLD® intervention on a) the quantity of mother-child interactions, as measured by the number of vocal-verbal operants initiated by the mothers (i.e., mands and tacts), and the number of approvals vs. disapprovals; and b) on the quality of mother-child interactions as measured by mothers’ verbal responsiveness to their children’s initiations, mothers’ effectiveness in eliciting a response from their children, and the number of missed opportunities for mothers and children. The results for the first research question demonstrated that there was a statistically significant increase in the number of tacts emitted by the mothers in the free-play task, as well as a statistically significant decrease in the number of approvals following the intervention. There were no statistically significant changes in the number of mothers’ mands or disapprovals. The results for the second research question demonstrated that, following the intervention, there was a statistically significant decrease in the number of missed opportunities for the children during the structured-play task, and in the number of missed opportunities for the mothers in both tasks. There was also a statistically significant decrease in children’s responses to mothers’ initiations in the free-play task. This study also aimed to assess the relation between parental stress and the quality and quantity of parent-child interactions. The findings suggested a statistically significant negative association during the pre-intervention condition between parental-stress and the quality of parent-child interactions, specifically, mothers’ responsiveness to their children’s initiations. Furthermore, mothers’ stress levels were significantly negatively associated with the number of mands emitted by the mothers, but not associated with the quantity of the other vocal-verbal operants.

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Depuis 2005, une loi garantit le droit à l’inclusion scolaire de tout enfant porteur de handicap. L’objectif principal de cette recherche de Doctorat était d'étudier les modalités de scolarisation des élèves avec autisme en école ordinaire en interrogeant à la fois les parents, les enseignants et les auxiliaires de vie scolaire (AVS). Nous souhaitions apporter des réponses aux questions suivantes : La scolarisation dans une école ordinaire est-elle toujours bénéfique aux enfants avec autisme quelle que soit l’ampleur de leurs troubles ? La sévérité du syndrome oriente-t-elle les objectifs à atteindre ? Les enseignants sont-ils suffisamment formés pour participer à une école inclusive ? La méthodologie de recherche se compose de trois parties : 1. la diffusion en ligne de trois questionnaires adressés respectivement aux enseignants, aux parents et aux AVS ; 2. Des entretiens conduits avec des parents d’enfants atteints d’autisme scolarisés en milieu ordinaire, des AVS et des enseignants ; 3. Une étude de cas visant à observer l’intégration d’un enfant avec autisme dans une classe. Les résultats montrent notamment des décalages de points de vue entre chaque acteur. Les parents évoquent souvent « un parcours du combattant » pour réussir à scolariser leur enfant et regrettent parfois le manque de motivation de certains enseignants pour accueillir des enfants avec autisme. La rencontre avec les enseignants laisse penser que la Loi a été promulguée un peu trop rapidement avant que les écoles et les enseignants soient véritablement prêts à accueillir les enfants différents et à leur proposer des modalités d’inclusion ajustées à leurs besoins particuliers. Ainsi, des enseignants et des AVS regrettent un manque de formation dans ce registre. Il apparaît finalement que réussir l’intégration des enfants « différents » en école ordinaire implique une différenciation des dynamiques d’apprentissage, un ajustement des stratégies pédagogiques de l’enseignant et un aménagement du cadre pour que le jeu didactique soit source d’enrichissement pour l’enfant, pour l’enseignant et pour les autres élèves de la classe. / Since 2005, a law guarantees the right to scholastic inclusion of any disabled child. The main objective of this PhD research is to focus on studying the modalities for students schooling with autism in ordinary schools by interviewing both of the parents, teachers and education/teaching assistants (EAs/TAs). We want to provide answers to the following questions: Is schooling in ordinary school always beneficial to children with autism whatever the extent of their problems? Can the objectives be oriented by the severity of the autism’s syndrome? Are teachers adequately trained to participate in an inclusive school? The research methodology consists of three parts: 1. online distribution of three questionnaires respectively addressed to teachers, parents and EAs/TAs; 2. interviews with parents of children with autism into ordinary schooling, EAs/TAs and teachers; 3. A case study to observe the integration of a child with autism in a classroom. The results show in particular shifting views between each actor. Parents often evoke "an obstacle course" to successfully schooling their child and sometimes regret the lack of some teachers’ motivation to receive children with autism. The meeting with teachers suggests that the Act is enacted too quickly before schools and teachers are truly ready to welcome different children and offer them modalities of adjuster inclusion to their specific needs. Thus, teachers and EAs/TAs regret a lack of training in this register. It finally appears that the successful integration of "different" children in ordinary schools implies a differentiation of learning dynamics, adjustment of teaching strategies of the teacher and a framework planning so that the didactic game is a source of enrichment for the child, the teacher and other students in the classroom.

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La scolarisation dans le secteur spécialisé des élèves avec autisme fait émerger des problématiques diverses et les réponses apportées sont variables. L’objectif principal de ce travail de doctorat est de questionner l’adéquation de la formation des enseignants en poste spécialisé avec l’accueil de ces élèves dans ces dispositifs. La méthodologie de recherche se compose de trois moyens distincts et complémentaires : 1. Diffusion de deux questionnaires en ligne, un à destination des enseignants référents et un à destination des enseignants en poste spécialisé ; 2. captations vidéo de séances d’enseignement ; 3. entretiens d’auto-confrontation des enseignants à leurs propres pratiques. Notre enquête montre notamment que plus de 80% des enseignants en poste spécialisé se déclarent insuffisamment formés pour prendre en charge des élèves avec autisme. La formation semble donc majoritairement insuffisante, les entretiens confirmant ces données. Le sentiment de confiance que procure une formation suffisante est pourtant un facteur déterminant car il permet de pouvoir poser un regard suffisamment rassuré sur sa pratique, de l’analyser et de projeter des évolutions possibles. Au terme de ce travail de recherche et sur la base de nos résultats, nous proposons un ensemble de préconisations. / Schooling in the specialized sector of pupils with autism brings out various problems and the answers given are variable. The main objective of this doctoral work is to question the adequacy of the training of teachers with specialized positions with how of these students are welcomed in these classes. The research methodology consists of three distinct and complementary means: 1. Dissemination of two online questionnaires, one for reference teachers and one for teachers in specialized positions; 2. video recordings of teaching; 3. interviews with teachers confronted by their own practices. Our survey shows that more than 80% of teachers in specialized positions declare themselves insufficiently trained to support students with autism. The training seems therefore largely insufficient, as confirmed by the interviews. The feeling of confidence that comes from having sufficient training is nevertheless a determining factor because it allows one to be able to take a sufficiently reassured look at one's practice, to analyze it and project possible evolutions. At the end of this research and on the basis of our results, we propose a set of recommendations.

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.

The measurement of engagement, or the interaction of a person with their environment, is an integral part of assessing the quality of an intervention program for young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Researchers and practitioners can and do measure engagement in many ways on the individual and group level. The purpose of this methodological study was to compare three commonly used recording systems: individual partial interval, group momentary time sampling, and group partial interval. These recording methods were compared across three classes of engagement: social, instructional, and non-instructional in a clinical setting with children with autism. Results indicate that group measurement systems were not sensitive to individual changes in engagement when child behaviors were variable. The results are discussed in the context of behavior analytic conceptual systems and the relative utility and future research directions for behavior analytic practice and research with young children in group settings.