David P. Wacker

Evaluation and long-term treatment of aberrant behavior displayed by young children with disabilities.

&NA; We trained parents to conduct functional analyses and functional communication treatment for 28 young children with developmental disabilities who displayed aberrant behavior. Of this sample, 22 parents conducted treatment for at least 3 months and 11 for 1 year. We conducted single‐case analyses of the results of assessment and treatment. The functional analysis identified social functions (positive and negative reinforcement) for 86% (24 of 28) of the children. Treatment resulted in a pre/post decrease in aberrant behavior averaging 87% across the range of children, with the greatest decrease occurring at 3 months. Appropriate social responding increased, on average, by 69% across the range of children. Decreases in aberrant behavior were demonstrated in all children, and all except one child displayed increased social behavior during treatment. On a measure of parent‐rated treatment acceptability, ranging from 1 (not at all acceptable) to 7 (very acceptable), the average overall acceptability was 6.35.

Treatment effectiveness, stimulus generalization, and acceptability to parents of functional communication training

We trained parents to conduct functional analyses (n = 25) and functional communication training (n = 23) in home settings over a four‐year period with 25 young children who had developmental and behavioural disorders. For 12 of the children, pre‐treatment (baseline) probes and post‐treatment stimulus condition probes were conducted to assess stimulus generalization of treatment across persons, settings, and tasks. Single‐case analyses were conducted to evaluate each child’s responding during assessment and treatment. The results were averaged across children to provide an overall summary of the project. Social functions (positive and/or negative reinforcement) were identified via functional analyses for 21 of 25 children (84%). Treatment resulted in pre/post decreases in destructive behaviours averaging 85% across children, with only one child showing no decrease in destructive behaviours. Similar results occurred for total problem behaviour. Mean pre/post decreases occurred across all stimulus conditions (8.38% to .69% for persons, 9.02% to 2.11% for settings, and 10% to 3.47% for tasks). Substantial reductions in training time also occurred for five children who received training on a second task. The procedures were rated as very acceptable by most parents. These results replicate previous findings that functional analysis plus functional communication training is an effective and acceptable procedure. The results extend previous findings by showing substantial stimulus generalization with respect to reductions in total problem behaviour.

Relation between parental attributions and the acceptability of behavioral treatments for their child's behavior problems.

This investigation was conducted to identify the relationship between parental causal attributions of childrens behavior problems and the acceptability of behavioral interventions. At 1-, 3-, and 6-month intervals, parents rated the acceptability of behavioral treatments recommended to them for their childrens behavior problems and completed an attribution measure. Results indicated that a significant, negative correlation exists between physical attribution ratings and acceptability ratings of behavioral treatments with the magnitude of the correlation increasing over time. Results are discussed in relation to the clinical implications of the findings as well as the need for additional research.

Training Adolescents with Severe Handicaps to Set Up Job Tasks Independently Using Picture Prompts.

Abstract Three adolescents functioning within the moderate to severe range of mental retardation were taught to use picture prompts to guide their performance on two vocational sequencing tasks. Evaluation of the effects of picture prompts was conducted within a multiple baseline (across subjects and tasks) with reversal design. Baseline was conducted on two tasks, valve assembly with 18 parts, and packaging with 20 parts. During baseline, students were to sequence a specified number of each part across three work stations. Following baseline, students were taught to use picture prompts to guide their performance on one of the tasks. All students completed the training task with at least 96% accuracy with the picture prompts, and generalized their performance with equal accuracy to the untrained task. When picture prompts were removed (reversal to baseline), the performance of all students decreased substantially, indicating that the pictures were controlling their performance. When the pictures were again available to guide behavior, the performance of all three adolescents returned to posttraining levels of accuracy.

Instructional Accommodations for Adolescent Students with Severe Emotional or Behavioral Disorders.

A three-phase functional assessment was conducted to develop and test hypotheses about the relation between instructional accommodations in academic areas and behavior problems for three adolescents with severe behavioral disorders. In Phase 1, the researchers conducted descriptive analyses to identify when most behavior problems occurred at schools, and to interview teachers and students concerning those behavior problems. From the results of descriptive analyses, individualized hypotheses were developed regarding instructional accommodations that might result in improved academic and classroom behavior. Phase 2 included experimental analyses within alternating treatments designs to test these hypotheses within the classrooms. Phase 3 included extended interventions of the instructional accommodations within multiple-baseline (across academic subjects) designs for each participant. Implementation of one or more of the instructional accommodations resulted in improved academic productivity and accuracy, and behavior problems were reduced during the classes in which the instructional accommodations were implemented. In addition, for two participants behavior problems decreased throughout the school day.

A DEMONSTRATION OF INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCE FOR NOVEL MANDS DURING FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING

Preference for mand topography was evaluated for 2 individuals with developmental disabilities who exhibited problem behavior. The results of a functional analysis showed that each participants problem behavior was maintained by social reinforcement. Participants were taught two novel mand topographies for the same functional reinforcer, and each proved to be effective in reducing problem behavior. Finally, preference for mand topography was assessed within a concurrent-schedules design. Results indicated that functional communication training was an effective treatment, regardless of the mand used, and that each participant demonstrated a preference for one mand topography relative to the other.

Conducting Functional Communication Training in Home Settings: A Case Study and Recommendations for Practitioners.

We coached a parent to conduct functional analysis and functional communication training (FCT) procedures in her home to reduce the destructive behavior displayed by her 2-year-old son. Descriptive assessment information and functional analysis results suggested that destructive behavior was maintained by escape from demands. After conducting a series of baseline probes, the parent implemented an FCT program to teach her son to comply with designated task requests and to mand for a break to play. Results showed that destructive behavior decreased and manding and independent task completion increased during FCT. Positive intervention outcomes were maintained for 1 year. Results are discussed with respect to developing an FCT program that is both efficient and acceptable for parents to implement in their homes.

AN EVALUATION OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN QUALITY OF ATTENTION AND NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT WITH CHILDREN WHO DISPLAY ESCAPE-MAINTAINED PROBLEM BEHAVIOR

The choice-making behavior of 2 typically developing children who engaged in problem behavior maintained by negative reinforcement was evaluated within a concurrent-operants assessment that varied the quality of attention across free-play and demand conditions. The results demonstrated that it was possible to bias responding towards academic demands for both participants by providing high-quality attention, despite the continuous availability of negative reinforcement. The current study extended brief clinical methods with typically developing children and demonstrated how different qualities of attention provided across concurrent schedules could bias responding.

A Descriptive Evaluation of Long-Term Treatment Integrity.

The validity of selecting treatment contingencies on the basis of the results obtained through functional analysis is well documented. However, a number of second-generation questions have emerged: For example, what are the parameters required to achieve desired treatment outcomes? More specifically, what is the degree of treatment integrity needed for the successful reduction of problem behavior? This study had two purposes: to describe the relationship between treatment integrity levels and treatment effectiveness and to highlight the importance of reporting the treatment integrity in outcome-based research. The results indicate that a high level of treatment integrity is required for treatment success. Furthermore, the authors found that very low levels of integrity may be required for behavioral reduction procedures (i.e., extinction) if high levels of reinforcement are provided.

Evaluation of relations between specific antecedent stimuli and self-injury during functional analysis conditions.

We evaluated the influence of child location on the occurrence of self-injurious behavior (SIB) during functional analyses conducted in home settings. An initial functional analysis conducted with 2 children who had developmental disabilities showed undifferentiated patterns of SIB. Analyses of behavior during free play suggested that the childs location was an active variable for self-injury. Both children showed a decrease in self-injury when they were placed next to their parent versus being placed in a wheelchair or on the floor. A second functional analysis was conducted with child and parent on a couch. Results showed low percentages of self-injury during free play, but high percentages during other test conditions. Functional communication training programs for each child resulted in decreases in self-injury.