Richard W. Albin

Positive Behavior Support Evolution of an Applied Science

Positive behavior support (PBS) is an applied science that uses educational and systems change methods (environmental redesign) to enhance quality of life and minimize problem behavior. PBS initially evolved within the field of developmental disabilities and emerged from three major sources: applied behavior analysis, the normalization/inclusion movement, and person-centered values. Although elements of PBS can be found in other approaches, its uniqueness lies in the fact that it integrates the following critical features into a cohesive whole: comprehensive lifestyle change, a lifespan perspective, ecological validity, stakeholder participation, social validity, systems change and multicomponent intervention, emphasis on prevention, flexibility in scientific practices, and multiple theoretical perspectives. These characteristics are likely to produce future evolution of PBS with respect to assessment practices, intervention strategies, training, and extension to new populations. The approach reflects a more general trend in the social sciences and education away from pathology-based models to a new positive model that stresses personal competence and environmental integrity.

Toward a Technology of "Nonaversive" Behavioral Support.

Nonaversive behavior management is an approach to supporting people with undesirable behaviors that integrates technology and values. Although this approach has attracted numerous proponents, more adequate definition and empirical documentation are still needed. This article presents an introduction to the nonaversive approach. Important definitions are suggested, and three fundamental elements are presented: (a) an emerging set of procedures for supporting people with severe challenging behavior; (b) social validation criteria emphasizing personal dignity; and (c) a recommendation for prohibition or restriction of certain strategies. These elements are defined in hopes of stimulating further discussion and empirical analyses of positive behavioral support.

Essential Elements of Inservice Training in Positive Behavior Support

Positive behavior support is an effective and proactive approach for resolving serious problem behaviors that has been recommended by a growing number of professionals, advocates, policies, and laws. Building the capacity of educators and other professionals to provide positive behavior support is a vital concern as schools and community agencies serve increasingly diverse populations that include children and youth with disabilities and problem behaviors. This article describes issues and essential elements for building such capacity through inservice training. A core curriculum is outlined, and a national exemplar of comprehensive inservice training is described. Essential features of training that are needed for the development of practical skills are discussed.

Embedding comprehensive behavioral support in family ecology : An experimental, single-case analysis

The study evaluates a comprehensive, ecological approach to behavioral family intervention with a family of a child with severe disabilities and severe problem behaviors. A multiple-baseline design across family routines assessed the functional relationship between parent implementation of a multicomponent intervention and improvement in child behavior and successful completion of routines. Results indicate durable improvements in child behavior and routine completion. Associated outcomes included generalized improvements in child behavior and enhanced activity patterns. Results verify the efficacy of the approach for ameliorating problem behaviors and empowering parents to build successful family routines. The value of collaborative research with families is briefly discussed.

Family Implementation of Positive Behavior Support for a Child with Autism: Longitudinal, Single-Case, Experimental, and Descriptive Replication and Extension.

This study examined the efficacy, social validity, and durability of a positive behavior support (PBS) approach with the family of a girl with autism and severe problem behavior. The study was conducted across a 10-year period beginning when the child was 5 years old. A multiple baseline across family routines design evaluated the functional relationship between parent implementation of a PBS plan and longitudinal improvements in child behavior and successful participation in routines. Daily indicator behavior data allowed us to assess generalized improvements in child behavior. An inventory of monthly community activities allowed us to assess changes in child quality of life. In addition, social validity and contextual fit were assessed. Results document that the intervention was associated with a 75% reduction in problem behavior, and that the effects were maintained across a 6-month to 7-year follow-up period. Associated outcomes included generalized improvements in child behavior and enhanced community activity patterns. Parents also rated the social validity and contextual fit of the approach highly. Results verify the efficacy and social validity of the approach and offer preliminary descriptive evidence of its durability. Contributions to the literature, implications, and future directions are discussed.

TEACH-M: A pilot study evaluating an instructional sequence for persons with impaired memory and executive functions.

Primary objective: The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate an instructional package that facilitates learning and retention of multi-step procedures for persons with severe memory and executive function impairments resulting from traumatic brain injury. Research design: The study used a multiple baseline across participants design. Methods and procedures: Four participants, two males and two females, ranging in age from 36–58 years, were taught a 7-step e-mail task. The instructional package (TEACH-M) was the experimental intervention and the number of correct e-mail steps learned was the dependent variable. Main outcomes and results: Treatment effects were replicated across the four participants and maintained at 30 days post-treatment. Generalization and social validity data further supported the treatment programme. Conclusions: The results suggest that individuals with severe cognitive impairments are capable of learning new skills. Directions for future research include application of the instructional package to other multi-step procedures.

The Single-Case Reporting Guideline In BEhavioural Interventions (SCRIBE) 2016 Statement

Reporting guidelines, such as the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Statement, improve the reporting of research in the medical literature (Turner et al., 2012). Many such guidelines exist, and the CONSORT Extension to Nonpharmacological Trials (Boutron et al., 2008) provides suitable guidance for reporting between-groups intervention studies in the behavioral sciences. The CONSORT Extension for N-of-1 Trials (CENT 2015) was developed for multiple crossover trials with single individuals in the medical sciences (Shamseer et al., 2015; Vohra et al., 2015), but there is no reporting guideline in the CONSORT tradition for single-case research used in the behavioral sciences. We developed the Single-Case Reporting guideline In Behavioral interventions (SCRIBE) 2016 to meet this need. This Statement article describes the methodology of the development of the SCRIBE 2016, along with the outcome of 2 Delphi surveys and a consensus meeting of experts. We present the resulting 26-item SCRIBE 2016 checklist. The article complements the more detailed SCRIBE 2016 Explanation and Elaboration article (Tate et al., 2016) that provides a rationale for each of the items and examples of adequate reporting from the literature. Both these resources will assist authors to prepare reports of single-case research with clarity, completeness, accuracy, and transparency. They will also provide journal reviewers and editors with a practical checklist against which such reports may be critically evaluated.

Generalization with Precision: The Role of Negative Teaching Examples in the Instruction of Generalized Grocery Item Selection

For generalization to be functional, it must occur with a precision that results in acquired responses occurring under appropriate, nontrained conditions, and acquired responses not occurring under inappropriate, nontrained conditions. This study examines the effect of differing types of negative teaching examples on the precision with which generalized grocery item selection is learned. Within a split-multiple baseline design, six young adults identified as mildly, moderately, or severely mentally retarded were trained to select or to reject grocery items using picture cards as cues. The dependent variables were correct selection of 10 trained “positive” grocery items and the correct rejection of 20 nontrained “negative” grocery items in a nontrained grocery store. Participants were trained in a grocery store to select 10 positive grocery examples matching their picture cards and to reject either (a) a set of negative examples that were maximally different from the positive examples, or (b) a set of negative examples that were minimally different from the positive examples. Both training sets resulted in participants correctly selecting the 10 positive items in a nontrained store. Training with the “minimally different” negative examples was functionally related to improved rejection of nontrained negative items in the nontrained store. The implications of teaching with minimally different, negative examples are discussed.

Systematic instruction for individuals with acquired brain injury: Results of a randomised controlled trial

The goal of this study was to evaluate experimentally systematic instruction compared with trial-and-error learning (conventional instruction) applied to assistive technology for cognition (ATC), in a double-blind, pre-test–post-test, randomised controlled trial. Twenty-nine persons with moderate–severe cognitive impairments due to acquired brain injury (15 in systematic instruction group; 14 in conventional instruction) completed the study. Both groups received 12, 45-minute individual training sessions targeting selected skills on the Palm Tungsten E2 personal digital assistant (PDA). A criterion-based assessment of PDA skills was used to evaluate accuracy, fluency/efficiency, maintenance, and generalisation of skills. There were no significant differences between groups at immediate post-test with regard to accuracy and fluency. However, significant differences emerged at 30-day follow-up in favour of systematic instruction. Furthermore, systematic instruction participants performed significantly better at immediate post-test generalising trained PDA skills when interacting with people other than the instructor. These results demonstrate that systematic instruction applied to ATC results in better skill maintenance and generalisation than trial-and-error learning for individuals with moderate–severe cognitive impairments due to acquired brain injury. Implications, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

The Single-Case Reporting Guideline In BEhavioural Interventions (SCRIBE) 2016 statement.

We developed a reporting guideline to provide authors with guidance about what should be reported when writing a paper for publication in a scientific journal using a particular type of research design: the single-case experimental design. This report describes the methods used to develop the Single-Case Reporting guideline In BEhavioural interventions (SCRIBE) 2016. As a result of 2 online surveys and a 2-day meeting of experts, the SCRIBE 2016 checklist was developed, which is a set of 26 items that authors need to address when writing about single-case research. This article complements the more detailed SCRIBE 2016 Explanation and Elaboration article (Tate et al., 2016 ) that provides a rationale for each of the items and examples of adequate reporting from the literature. Both these resources will assist authors to prepare reports of single-case research with clarity, completeness, accuracy, and transparency. They will also provide journal reviewers and editors with a practical checklist against which such reports may be critically evaluated. We recommend that the SCRIBE 2016 is used by authors preparing manuscripts describing single-case research for publication, as well as journal reviewers and editors who are evaluating such manuscripts. SCIENTIFIC ABSTRACT Reporting guidelines, such as the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Statement, improve the reporting of research in the medical literature (Turner et al., 2012 ). Many such guidelines exist and the CONSORT Extension to Nonpharmacological Trials (Boutron et al., 2008 ) provides suitable guidance for reporting between-groups intervention studies in the behavioural sciences. The CONSORT Extension for N-of-1 Trials (CENT 2015) was developed for multiple crossover trials with single individuals in the medical sciences (Shamseer et al., 2015 ; Vohra et al., 2015 ), but there is no reporting guideline in the CONSORT tradition for single-case research used in the behavioural sciences. We developed the Single-Case Reporting guideline In BEhavioural interventions (SCRIBE) 2016 to meet this need. This Statement article describes the methodology of the development of the SCRIBE 2016, along with the outcome of 2 Delphi surveys and a consensus meeting of experts. We present the resulting 26-item SCRIBE 2016 checklist. The article complements the more detailed SCRIBE 2016 Explanation and Elaboration article (Tate et al., 2016 ) that provides a rationale for each of the items and examples of adequate reporting from the literature. Both these resources will assist authors to prepare reports of single-case research with clarity, completeness, accuracy, and transparency. They will also provide journal reviewers and editors with a practical checklist against which such reports may be critically evaluated.