One of the greatest challenges facing school staff is problem behavior in the classroom (Public Agenda, 2004). Children who engage in problem behavior in the classroom setting greatly challenge teachers and diminish the ability to learn. This study evaluated the effects of self-monitoring using the Individualized Behavior Rating Scale Tool (IBRST) on problem behavior and on-task behavior in a classroom setting using a multiple-baseline across participants design. This study also evaluated the extent to which students self-rating on the IBRST correlated with direct observation data. Results indicate that self-monitoring using the IBRST was an effective strategy for increasing on-task behavior and decreasing problem behavior for all three students. Results also indicate that the IBRST may be an accurate and reliable means of measuring data when direct observation data may not be feasible or possible. There were 56/60 perfect agreements, with the other four opportunities being only 1-pt value apart. Limitations and future research are discussed.

Very few behavior-change programs with canines produce effects that persist beyond the training condition. The present study is an experimental demonstration of a constructional program that established calm patterns of behavior as alternatives to hyperactive ones. Three dogs that exhibited hyperactive patterns were chosen as subjects. Seven conditions common to canine-caretaker relationships were used to determine which factors resulted in the hyperactive patterns. Then, sitting and lying down were taught as beginning points using touch as a reinforcer. The final behavior, maintained by naturally occurring reinforcers, was established errorlessly. The study used a control-analysis strategy of behavior change with a changing-criterion design. The intervention resulted in an immediate reduction in hyperactivity and an increase in sitting and lying down for all dogs.

The present study investigated the effects of a concurrent schedules arrangement, in which three dimensions of reinforcement (duration, attention, and stimuli) were manipulated, on choice responding, appropriate behavior, and problem behavior for three participants with disabilities who had escape-maintained problem behavior. Three experiments were conducted in which participants could choose between work, break, or problem behavior. In the first experiment, the choice analysis, three reinforcement dimensions were varied simultaneously for choice responses. In the second experiment, the component choice analysis, reinforcement dimensions were evaluated in isolation. In the third experiment, the effort analysis, increasing task demand requirements and how they affected response allocation were investigated. Results of the first experiment were consistent across all participants, and suggested that participants allocated their choices in favor of reinforcement contingencies that resulted in breaks with the longest duration, high preference stimuli, and high quality attention. Results of the second and third experiments, however, were idiosyncratic across participants. Component choice analysis results suggested that only specific reinforcement dimensions maintained responding for some participants, whereas all reinforcement dimensions maintained response allocation for others. Results of the third experiment suggested that as task demands increased, reinforcement contingencies that previously maintained responding in the second experiment did not always continue to maintain responding for all participants. This study contributes to and extends the literature on choice making in several ways. The majority of previously published investigations evaluated different dimensions of reinforcement when only two response options were concurrently available, and many of these studies only examined one or two reinforcement dimensions. The present study used a concurrent schedules arrangement in which three concurrently available response options existed. Like previous research the present study suggests that quality of reinforcement can be manipulated to effectively bias individuals' responding in favor of adaptive responses, and the quality variables that impact choice responding may or may not be related to the function of problem behavior. However, further research is needed to understand how choice responding is impacted by increasing demand requirements, as this study demonstrated that choice responding was idiosyncratically affected by changing task demands.

Tolerating transitions between activities and locations is an essential daily-living skill, as transitions are inevitable in most typical settings. However, for some individuals, requests to transition may occasion problem behavior which can interfere with daily routines and result in a more restrictive lifestyle. The unpredictability of transitions is often assumed to be aversive and functionally related to transition-related problem behavior. As a result, advance notice procedures are often recommended to reduce problem behavior during transitions. However, Brewer et al. (2014) found mixed results for the use of advance notice highlighting some studies where advance notice procedures reduced problem behavior and others where the procedures were inefficacious. In this study, we reviewed the relevant literature between 1994 and 2020, including studies reviewed by Brewer et al. (2014) and extended Brewer et al.’s (2014) review in a number of ways. We first summarized the current literature, including new studies published since Brewer et al.’s (2014) review, which included a total of 28 applications of advance notice published in 14 papers. Next, we identified key features of each study, including the presence or absence of demonstrated functional relations, inclusion of additional antecedent or consequent interventions, and evaluation and control of the effects of pre- and post-transition reinforcers on responding. Then we identified gaps in current knowledge regarding predictability and made research recommendations for addressing these gaps. Finally, we discuss practice recommendations for transition-related problem behavior based on current research.

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This study evaluated the effects of the type of language used by the therapist during a functional analysis on rates of challenging behavior with individuals who came from families where Spanish was the primary language. Three individuals with autism spectrum disorder who live in a residential treatment facility participated in a multi-element (i.e., demand, attention, play- verbal, and play-nonverbal) functional analysis (FA). The FA was conducted in an ABAB experimental design with the A conditions conducted in Spanish and the B conditions conducted in English. Language did not have an effect on rates of challenging behavior during the FA. One participant displayed no responding across conditions and the other two participants responded similarly during the demand conditions regardless of the language in which the conditions were conducted. Functional communication training (FCT) was conducted for one of these two participants in both languages. The results for this individual that there was no difference according to language in rates of challenging behavior as well as acquisition and maintenance of a functionally communicative response. Keywords: functional analysis, language, functional communication training, Autism Spectrum Disorder, problem behavior / Applied Behavioral Analysis

Early language weaknesses are associated with increased risk for behavior challenges (Yew & O’Kearney, 2013). Comorbid language and behavior challenges are common, although the directionality and mechanisms underlying this association are unclear (Bichay-Awadalla et al., 2020; Petersen & LeBeau, 2021). In this project we investigate the association between language and problem behavior within the context of early caregiver-child interactions. We examined the degree to which child problem behavior predicts conversational turn-taking with caregivers, controlling for child language. We also compared child participation across interaction contexts, and the degree to which this was shaped by problem behavior. Finally, we evaluated the association between caregiver use of communicative repairs and child language, controlling for problem behavior. To address our research questions, we used parent-report measures of child language and behavior, as well as recorded interactions with caregiver-child dyads (N = 32) between the ages of 16 and 48 months of age. Using linear regression modeling, we found that child problem behavior was negatively associated with conversational turn-taking after adjusting for expressive language. We used negative binomial mixed effect modeling to examine participation, and found that children’s participation was significantly greater during completion of a puzzle and free play compared to book reading. There was no association between language and problem behavior on participation across contexts. We used zero-inflated binomial regression modeling to examine caregiver repair use, and failed to find significant associations with variables of interest. We conclude that problem behavior uniquely shapes the quality of early language interactions, and discuss clinical implications. / Communication Sciences

Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) are the majority of population in residential settings. Many clients in residential settings engage in problem behavior that interferes with their daily routine and work requirements. Restricted and repetitive behavior are one of the features of ASD diagnosis, typically in the form of invariable responding and predictable responses. Differential reinforcement has been used to produce and maintain response variability. I evaluated the utility of a fixed ratio 1 (FR1) schedule on variability to increase the diversity of activity selections in the treatment of problem behavior occasioned by the interruption of routines. Chase engaged in problem behaviors in his bathroom routine, no matter by himself or with his housemate. Results demonstrated a reinforcement-based treatment increased both variable and novel selections while decreasing the rate of self injurious behavior.