Bobbie J. Vaughn

Family-Centered, Assessment-Based Intervention to Improve Behavior During an Early Morning Routine

This article presents a demonstration of assessment-based intervention conducted in a family context to improve the responding of a boy with Asperger syndrome during the early morning routine of getting dressed and ready for school. Following a process of functional assessment, we developed a multicomponent intervention package, which was implemented by the boys mother. We used a reversal design to demonstrate the effectiveness of the intervention package. The results showed that the intervention produced a substantial reduction of problem behaviors, higher levels of on-task responding, and a clear decrease in the length of time required to complete the morning routine. This empirical analysis provides another demonstration of the efficacy of a family-centered approach of assessment-based positive interventions in natural family contexts.

Family Involvement in Functional Assessment and Positive Behavior Support.

Recent developments in the field of autism and related disabilities have included two prominent themes: (a) the emergence of functional assessment (FA) as a requisite step in behavioral support and (b) a growing acknowledgment that families represent the most essential resource for the social, intellectual, emotional, and behavioral development of their children. In the vast majority of cases, families are the most committed, enduring, and knowledgeable source of personal support available for their children. Therefore, families are considered vital contributors in the educational process and, increasingly, in the application of FA and assessment-based behavioral interventions. This article provides a discussion of family involvement in the process of FA and offers some key considerations pertinent to the appropriate and optimal incorporation of families in the FA and intervention process.

Parent-Professional Partnership in Behavioral Support: A Case Study of Community-Based Intervention.

In this study and a companion article (Fox et al., 1997), we present an investigation that uses multiple research perspectives to study community-based, family-centered behavioral support. This study describes the intervention strategies and quantitative analyses that were used to address the challenging behaviors of a boy with severe disabilities. A collaborative team that included the boys mother designed and implemented functional assessments and hypothesis-based interventions in three settings: a drive-through bank, a large grocery store, and a fast food restaurant. Data showed that the interventions reduced problem behaviors in all three settings and that concomitant increases were observed in desirable mother-child interactions. Specific tantrums associated with transitions through doorways were decreased substantially. Social validation data supported the efficacy and feasibility of the support strategies. This quantitative analysis provides further testimony for the use of positive behavioral support in complex, public environments.

Parent-Professional Partnership in Behavioral Support: A Qualitative Analysis of One Family's Experience

Behavioral support with families is a multifaceted endeavor that should be studied from the various perspectives that affect its feasibility, efficacy, and potential to produce outcomes that are durable and meaningful to peoples lives. This study describes a qualitative analysis of one familys experience during a 10-month process of assessment and intervention for the behavioral challenges of a boy with multiple and severe disabilities. Data collection included an audiojournal recorded by the boys mother and a series of semistructured interviews with both parents and the boys older brother. The data were synthesized to chronicle the impressions of the family relating to the phases of the positive behavioral support process. The data yielded two pervasive themes that describe the impact of the problem behavior on the family and the effects of the behavioral support process on the child and his family. Together, with a companion article that presents the procedures and quantitative analyses (Vaughn et al., 1997), the methods and findings from this study offer a broader view of behavioral support than has been evident in the literature thus far. The findings are presented as a heuristic for researchers to engage in participatory investigations that can illuminate important features of support processes with the intention of increasing responsiveness to consumers (e.g., families) and enhancing the benefits of community-based support efforts.

Family-Centered Intervention to Resolve Problem Behaviors in a Fast-Food Restaurant

Problem behaviors in public contexts can be a significant problem for families attempting to carry out normal daily routines. In this study, functional assessments and assessment-based interventions were conducted in a family-centered manner to resolve the disruptive behaviors of a boy with significant disabilities in the context of a fast-food restaurant. The study used a multiple-baseline design across three problematic subroutines associated with the fast-food restaurant. The results provide an empirical demonstration of family-centered interventions in a popular community setting and thereby add to an expanding literature on community-based positive behavior support.

The Wave of SWPBS: Who Is Left behind?.

Over the past 15 years, positive behavior support (PBS) gained rapid momentum as we moved from research on the function of challenging behaviors in individuals situated in restrictive settings, to understanding the function of challenging behavior of individuals in natural settings, to initial legislation of positive behavior interventions and supports in IDEA (1997), to team based PBS (Lohrman-O’Rourke, Knoster, & Llewellyn, 1990), and finally cresting with tsunami-like force, to the application of PBS in schools and within school systems called schoolwide positive behavior support (SWPBS) (Horner & Sugai, 2000). We now find ourselves caught up by the rapid expansion of this wave fueled by national initiatives (e.g., NCLB, Safe Schools) and funding trends in an effort to support greater numbers of students, hence moving away from the exclusive focus on individualized positive behavior support (IPBS).