Eric Alan Common

Promoting Social Competence and Peer Relationships for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders

This article addresses some of the key considerations and complexities associated with intervening to address social competence and peer relationships of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in middle and high school settings. First, we provide a brief overview of the social context during adolescence for all students. Next, we highlight particular challenges for adolescents with ASD. Then, we discuss potential school-based intervention pathways that appear particularly responsive to these contexts and challenges. Finally, we offer several recommendations for research and practice aimed at improving the social competence and connections of young people with ASD—during high school and into early adulthood.

A Review of Self-Regulated Strategy Development for Writing for Students with EBD.

In this systematic review, we evaluated the evidence base of self-regulated strategy development (SRSD; Harris & Graham, 1992) for writing with students with and at risk for emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). First, we evaluated the quality of studies identified (n = 13) by applying the quality indicators for single case (Horner et al., 2005) and for group (Gersten et al., 2005) design research. Second, we assessed whether SRSD for writing met the standards as an evidence-based practice for students with or at risk for EBD. All articles met 80% or more of the quality indicators (weighted coding range: 6.17–7.00 for single case design; 3.5–4.0 for group design). Results suggested SRSD for writing met standards as an evidence-based practice for this population. The need for future research and implications for practitioners are posed. Limitations and directions for future inquiry are addressed.

Improving teachers’ knowledge of functional assessment-based interventions: Outcomes of a professional development series

This paper provides outcomes of a study examining the effectiveness of a year-long professional development training series designed to support in-service educators in learning a systematic approach to functional assessment-based interventions developed by Umbreit and colleagues (2007) that has met with demonstrated success when implemented with university supports. Forty-eight educators attended a 4-day, practice-based professional development series, with coaching and applied practice occurring between sessions. Participants completed pre- and post-training surveys to evaluate their perceived knowledge, confidence, and usefulness as well as actual knowledge of 15 concepts and strategies addressed in the training series. Outcomes as well as implications for professional development to support in-service teachers and school personnel in learning how to design, implement, and evaluate functional assessment-based interventions are offered. Results indicated statistically significant improvements in each concept and strategy measured. Findings are discussed in light of noted limitations, with recommendations offered to improve subsequent professional development efforts.

Empowering Teachers with Low-Intensity Strategies to Support Academic Engagement: Implementation and Effects of Instructional Choice for Elementary Students in Inclusive Settings

Instructional choice is a low-intensity strategy that requires little preparation, is easy to implement, and supports content instruction in the classroom. In this study we explored the effectiveness of two types of instructional choice—across-task and within-task choices—implemented classwide during writing instruction by classroom teachers with limited university support in an inclusive first-grade classroom. Student participants were one boy (Neal) and one girl (Tina) who were identified using academic and behavioral screening procedures as needing more intensive supports in the classroom. Results established a functional relation between choice conditions and increases in academic engaged time and decreases in disruptive behavior for Tina, but not for Neal. Teachers functioned as both primary and reliability data collectors using momentary time sampling and implemented both choice conditions with high levels of fidelity. Social validity was assessed from the perspectives of all stakeholders. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Teacher Expectations for Student Performance: Lessons Learned and Implications for Research and Practice

In this chapter, we begin by exploring the lessons learned from studies of teachers’ expectations for student behavior, being with early inquiry conducted following the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142) of 1975. Next, we explore the expanding knowledge base following reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 1997), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004), and No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001) as the field increasingly emphasized inclusive programming and supporting access to the general education curriculum, called for academic excellence for all students, and focused on systems-level perspectives for teaching behavioral expectations. We summarize lessons learned from these bodies of knowledge, focusing attention on key findings and existing limitations of the studies conducted to date. We conclude with implications for educational research and practice, with attention to how lessons learned regarding teacher expectations for student performance can (a) facilitate inclusive programming for students with disabilities, (b) support school transitions, (c) inform primary prevention efforts and targeted supports, and (d) inform teacher preparation programs.

A Comparison Between SRSS-IE and SSiS-PSG Scores Examining Convergent Validity

We report findings of a validation study comparing two screening tools: the Student Risk Screening Scale–Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE, an adapted version of the Student Risk Screening Scale) and the Social Skills Improvement System–Performance Screening Guide (SSiS-PSG). Participants included 458 kindergarten through fifth-grade elementary students from one school in a southeastern state. Correlation coefficients indicated statistically significant, inverse relations between SRSS-IE scores (SRSS-IE 12 [total score], SRSS-E7 [subscale score which includes original seven items constituting the SRSS], and SRSS-I5 [subscale scores of the five items to address internalizing behaviors]) and Prosocial Behavior, Motivation to Learn, Reading Skills, and Math Skills subscale scores of the SSiS-PSG. Analysis of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves contrasting students with significant difficulty versus adequate progress suggested the SRSS-IE12 is more accurate for detecting Prosocial Behavior (area under the curve [AUC] = .972) and Motivation to Learn (AUC = .904) compared with Math (AUC = .817) and Reading Skills (AUC = .805) as measured by the SSiS-PSG. Educational implications, limitations, and future directions are offered.

Functional Assessment–Based Interventions for Students With or At-Risk for High-Incidence Disabilities: Field Testing Single-Case Synthesis Methods:

This systematic review investigated one systematic approach to designing, implementing, and evaluating functional assessment–based interventions (FABI) for use in supporting school-age students with or at-risk for high-incidence disabilities. We field tested several recently developed methods for single-case design syntheses. First, we appraised the quality of individual studies and the overall body of work using Council for Exceptional Children’s standards. Next, we calculated and meta-analyzed within-case and between-case effect sizes. Results indicated that studies were of high methodological quality, with nine studies identified as being methodologically sound and demonstrating positive outcomes across 14 participants. However, insufficient evidence was available to classify the evidence base for FABIs due to small number of participants within (fewer than recommended three) and across (fewer than recommended 20) studies. Nonetheless, average within-case effect sizes were equivalent to increases of 118% between baseline and intervention phases. Finally, potential moderating variables were examined. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Psychometric Evidence of SRSS-IE Scores in Middle and High Schools

We report results of an exploratory validation study of the Student Risk Screening Scale–Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE) applied with the first sample of middle and high school students from nine middle and three high schools from three states. The Student Risk Screening Scale (SRSS) was modified to broaden the scope of this user-friendly systematic screening tool to detect secondary-age students with internalizing behavior patterns. Building on initial evidence establishing reliability and validity of the SRSS-IE at the middle school level, we used classical test theory to explore reliability of SRSS-IE spring screening scores for use with sixth- through 12th-grade students. Specifically, we analyzed item-level data, internal consistency estimates, and factor structure using exploratory factor analysis. Results suggested five of the seven proposed items be retained, yielding the SRSS-IE12. Peer rejection (one of the originally developed items by Drummond) loaded on the internalizing construct, providing preliminary evidence suggesting two factors: SRSS-E7 (the original tool) and SRSS-I6 for use with secondary students, with peer rejection loading on both subscales but only added once when formulating the total score (SRSS-IE12). We present limitations and direction for future inquiry.

Increasing Opportunities to Respond for Students with Internalizing Behaviors: The Utility of Choral and Mixed Responding.

Increasing students’ opportunities to respond (OTR) is a low-intensity strategy effective in increasing engagement. Building on the work of Haydon and colleagues, we compared two types of OTR, choral and mixed (70% choral, 30% individual), to examine the utility of these strategies in increasing active student responding and accuracy during mathematics for two elementary-age students with internalizing behaviors. Results indicated the general education teacher implemented both OTR strategies with high fidelity with limited university support. However, results of this alternating treatment design were unable to distinguish either choral or mixed responding as superior to the other. Results suggested one student showed high active student responding with less than 80% accuracy, whereas the other student was highly accurate but responded less than 75% of the time. In the discussion, we highlight reasons why the two OTR strategies had similar effects on student outcomes, consider implications of these findings, and provide direction for future inquiry.

Social Validity Assessment

Abstract Social validity refers to the social significance of intervention goals, social acceptability of intervention procedures, and social importance of effects (Kazdin, 1977. Behavior Modification, 1, 427; Wolf, 1978. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 11, 203–214). Assessing social validity is an important component of applied behavioral analytic inquiry. By assessing social validity, practicing professionals are empowered to revise and refine interventions with positive outcomes. In this chapter, we defined the term social validity and offered behavioral practitioners pragmatic direction and recommendations regarding social validity assessment. We provided a concise discussion of the history of social validity, explaining how the assessment of social validity became—and continues to be—a priority in the field of applied behavior analysis. Then, we focused on practical applications of social validity: (1) the importance of assessing social validity at each level of prevention, (2) the importance of assessing social validity from all stakeholders involved in any intervention effort, and (3) the range of methods for measuring social validity. We concluded with a summary of practical guidelines, noting salient essential learning from this chapter.