J. Carl Hughes

Meta-Analysis of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention for Children With Autism

A systematic literature search for studies reporting effects of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention identified 34 studies, 9 of which were controlled designs having either a comparison or a control group. We completed a meta-analysis yielding a standardized mean difference effect size for two available outcome measures: change in full-scale intelligence and/or adaptive behavior composite. Effect sizes were computed using Hedgess g. The average effect size was 1.10 for change in full-scale intelligence (95% confidence interval = .87, 1.34) and .66 (95% confidence interval = .41, .90) for change in adaptive behavior composite. These effect sizes are generally considered to be large and moderate, respectively. Our results support the clinical implication that at present, and in the absence of other interventions with established efficacy, Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention should be an intervention of choice for children with autism.

Using Participant Data to Extend the Evidence Base for Intensive Behavioral Intervention for Children With Autism

We gathered individual participant data from 16 group design studies on behavioral intervention for children with autism. In these studies, 309 children received behavioral intervention, 39 received comparison interventions, and 105 were in a control group. More children who underwent behavioral intervention achieved reliable change in IQ (29.8%) compared with 2.6% and 8.7% for comparison and control groups, respectively, and reliable change in adaptive behavior was achieved for 20.6% versus 5.7% and 5.1%, respectively. These results equated to a number needed to treat of 5 for IQ and 7 for adaptive behavior and absolute risk reduction of 23% and 16%, respectively. Within the behavioral intervention sample, IQ and adaptive behavior at intake predicted gains in adaptive behavior. Intensity of intervention predicted gains in both IQ and adaptive behavior.

Outcomes of a behavioral education model for children with autism in a mainstream school setting

The authors report 1-year outcomes for 11 children (3-7 years) with autism who attended an “Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) classroom” educational intervention in a mainstream school setting. The children learned new skills by the end of 1 year and learned additional skills during a 2nd year. Group analysis of standardized test outcomes (IQ and adaptive behavior) showed moderate to large effect size changes over 1 year, with further changes during a 2nd year. Standardized test outcomes for nine children after 2 years were also analyzed against a comparison group (n = 18) of children with autism receiving “education as usual.” These controlled comparisons were associated with statistically significant large effects in favor of the ABA group for adaptive skills. Exploratory analysis also showed that increases in language and learning skills in the ABA class group were generally associated with positive changes in standardized test scores. A comprehensive behavioral intervention model can be successfully implemented in a mainstream school setting.

Using precision teaching to increase the fluency of word reading with problem readers

This study describes the effectiveness of a brief intervention aimed at increasing the rate (frequency) of reading common English words for five pupils who were experiencing problems with reading. The intervention employed frequency-building procedures aimed at increasing the rate at which the children could read words accurately, and precision teaching (PT) to monitor the effectiveness of the intervention. The children in the treatment as usual (TAU) condition received the standard reading support during the same period. All of the pupils’ were tested at pre- and post-intervention on the frequency at which they could read words accurately, and all were given a standardised reading test. Following intervention the outcome measures for fluency were taken: maintenance, endurance, application, and stability. All five of the PT children increased their rate of accurate word reading, and two made significant gains on the standardised tests of reading; however, the TAU children did not improve on any of the measures. The study provides additional evidence supporting the effectiveness of PT and frequency-building procedures, and that successful intervention need not require expensive or time-consuming resources.

Training and certification of behaviour analysts in Europe: Past, present, and future challenges

Across many countries in Europe, the last decade has seen a rapid increase in the number of early intervention programmes for children with autism based on applied behaviour analysis, and a related growth in demand for competent behaviour analyst practitioners. There has also been a rapid growth in university-based courses that are focused solely on behaviour analysis, and these have all aligned their curriculum with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board task list. We describe the context of these developments and discuss some of the ways courses have been developed and some of the future challenges to be faced in developing an international profession of behaviour analysis. These have been positive moves for behaviour analysis in Europe. Now there is a solid foundation to continue this work, and to ensure that behaviour analysts play a central role in helping those who need their expertise.

What’s the probability of that? Using SAFMEDS to increase undergraduate success with statistical concepts

Psychology undergraduates are required to study statistics as one of the main components of their degree, and for many this is the most challenging aspect of the curriculum. Undergraduates taking an introductory statistics module participated in this study. Based on the results from their first weekly open-book test, students scoring at the 50th percentile and below were identified and invited to sit a pre-test of questions selected to cover all the statistical content for the semester. Using the results from the pre-test we randomly allocated 55 participants to either a precision teaching SAFMEDS intervention (PT) (24 students) or a “treatment as usual” (TAU) group (31 students). We made SAFMEDS cards with key statistical concepts taken from the study guide of the main statistics textbook and students were instructed how to use the cards and how to chart their learning performance. Additionally participants were invited to attend bi-weekly meetings with student proctors to review individual progress and make instructional decisions. Results indicated that those students in the PT intervention maintained a higher score than the TAU for all of the weekly tests through the semester, and achieved a statistically significant gain in post-test performance almost equivalent to an entire degree class score when compared with the TAU group, F(1, 53) = 5.23, p = .026, d = 0.62.

Developing a Competence Framework for ABA and Autism: What Can we Learn From Others?

Competence frameworks have become a defining feature of modern professions. They were originally developed to facilitate training and to help benchmark pay scales. However, they are increasingly being used to achieve a high level of consistency with respect to quality of service provision, assessing performance, and providing a basis of common language both within a profession and for its external audience. The present paper describes the process we employed to define the scope and structure of a framework appropriate for the field of ABA, specifically focused on autism education in the UK. We present an overview of the issues that led to the proposals to develop such a framework, a review of the common and critical features of competence frameworks across health and education in the UK, and discuss how these features might best map onto ABA practice in typical settings, as well as the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (2005) Behavior analyst task list, third edition.

Increasing high school students’ maths skills with the use of SAFMEDS class-wide

ABSTRACT The use of SAFMEDS cards, which stands for “Say All Fast Minute Every Day Shuffled” has been widely reported in the literature as an effective fluency-building tool. Most studies have focused on students with a learning disability or those classed as at risk of failing academically. In addition, most of the research has implemented SAFMEDS one-to-one or in small groups. We investigated the use of SAFMEDS in a high school setting, targeting basic maths skills across the whole class. Forty-eight students aged 11–12 years participated in the study over a 4-week period. Our results showed that using SAFMEDS to compliment students’ maths lessons can further increase basic maths skills when compared to standard maths classes alone. We also found that the gains were maintained at a 1 month follow-up. An application quiz showed that students could also transfer the information they had learned to real-world maths problems.

Using applied behaviour analysis as standard practice in a UK special needs school

This article describes how applied behaviour analysis can be implemented effectively and affordably in a maintained special needs school in the UK. Behaviour analysts collaborate with classroom teachers to provide early intensive behaviour education for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and function based behavioural interventions for children between the ages of three and 18 years. Data are presented that show how the model is effective. Children with ASD under the age of seven made significant gains on intelligence quotient and on a range of skills including language, social and play, and academic skills following three academic terms of intervention. Case study data for two children reveal a marked decrease in challenging behaviour following a function based behavioural intervention. These interventions have led to greater independence, integration and access to curricular activities. These data show that children are making significant gains within this cost-effective model.

UK Parents' Beliefs about Applied Behaviour Analysis as an Approach to Autism Education.

Abstract Research into factors underlying the dissemination of evidence-based practice is limited within the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). This is pertinent, particularly in the UK where national policies and guidelines do not reflect the emerging ABA evidence base, or policies and practices elsewhere. Theories of evidence-based practice in education and policy suggest that decision makers’ ‘perceptions’ of evidence are significant factors in dissemination. For professionals, scientific evidence is often critical. For others, including parents, experiential and anecdotal evidence can be as important. Within autism education, parents are often, and not necessarily by choice, key decision makers. This study is the first to try to identify and quantify UK parents’ beliefs about ABA in the education and support of children with autism. We developed and tested, using an internet survey method, the Parental Beliefs about ABA and Autism scale (P-BAA). Current and/or past use by parents of any behaviorally based approach including ABA was a significant predictor of P-BAA scores as were parent education, household income and child diagnosis: experience of a behaviorally based approach, higher levels of education and income and children at the more ‘severe’ end of the autism spectrum were associated with more positive beliefs about ABA.