Latest web revision: Feb. 14:
      Thursday: Fisher keynote address approved for BACB CEUs.
      Thursday: Outstanding Contributor address approved for BACB CEUs.
      Friday: Sundberg keynote address approved for BACB CEUs.

Feb. 5 web revision:
      Friday: Palmer invited address moved to Bayside B, 1:30 - 2:20.
      Friday: Pavlik address moved to Bayside A, 10:30 - 11:20.

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Important note on continuing education: CalABA is accredited as a provider of continuing education (CE) by the following organizations: Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB); California Board of Psychology Mandatory Continuing Education Program for Psychologists (MCEP); California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS); California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board (SLPAB). Each of these organizations has specific criteria regarding events and instructors that can be offered for CE. If a prospective presenter at the CalABA conference wishes to have her/his address, symposium, or workshop considered for CE (posters are not eligible), s/he must indicate that when the presentation is submitted, and submit additional materials, such as the vitae of the proposed CE instructor. The CalABA Professional Standards Committee then reviews each of those submissions and determines if the event and instructor meet the CE criteria of the relevant organizations. In short, not all presentations in this conference program could be offered for CE. If a presentation is not offered for CE, it is either because the submitting author did not request CE review or did not submit the necessary materials, or because the event and/or instructor did not meet CE requirements.

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Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Thursday, February 16, 2006      Presenting authors are indicated in UPPERCASE

The completion of the map of the human genome holds great potential for expanding our understanding of gene-environment-behavior relations and behavior disorders. However, this potential can be fully realized only if the advances in genetic analyses are accompanied by advances in behavioral analyses that accurately characterize behavioral phenotypes. For example, in behavioral genetic studies, self-injurious behavior (SIB) is often characterized by one or a few items on a behavior rating scale. This simplistic and structural approach to identifying behavioral phenotypes often lacks precision and, more importantly, it may overlook the extent to which genes interact with environmental contingencies to influence the expression of one or more topographies of aberrant behavior. Functional analysis, on the other hand, provides a precise method of quantifying both the topographical and functional properties of aberrant behaviors like SIB. The accurate characterization of behavioral phenotypes using functional analysis methods should increase the power of analyses designed to identify genes that affect those phenotypes. My presentation will focus on how functional analysis methods may be used to better characterize behavioral phenotypes, using SIB, autism, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder as three exemplars.

Five percent of home accident fatalities involve children between birth and 4 years of age (National Safety Council, 2000). Explicit training of safety skills in children diagnosed with autism is of utmost importance due to the pervasive behavioral deficits commonly exhibited by these children. In an effort to add to the current research in household safety in young children with autism we sought to discover a practical method to teach these vital skills. A multiple-baseline design across participants was implemented to evaluate the effects of using rules, prompts and social praise to teach participants to respond appropriately to a doorbell as well as to the presence of dangerous household chemicals. Further, an assessment system that quantifies potential home safety hazards was implemented across several homes of children diagnosed with autism. Results of these analyses will be presented in addition to a review of the current behavioral literature on safety skills training.

In recent years, behavior analysts have demonstrated a growing interest in exploring the concept of a “theory of mind,” and the proposed theory of mind deficit in autism. While a thorough behavior analytic analysis of the identification of others’ private events has not yet occurred, a review of developmental literature allows the identification of several potential skill areas that may be critical in social-communicative interactions. One of the most significant of these skills may be the identification of others’ “knowledge.” Considering and applying what other people “know” during communicative and social interactions allows the speaker to moderate the amount of information required by the listener to provide sufficient, but not excessive, background, while failing to do so often results in conversational redundancies or lack of appropriate context. The current presentation describes skill targets and training procedures for increasing the identification of what others know, and case presentations will explore the generalization of training targets to general conversation.

Pediatric feeding disorders are common in children with autism and other disabilities and may also be evident in typically developing children. Feeding problems are generally treated by a single disciple or a team of professionals that include pediatric gasteroenterology, occupational/speech therapy, nutrition, and/or behavioral psychology. Treatments may involve services that are delivered in a clinic/hospital or in the home. The purpose of this presentation is to give the audience an overview of possible treatment approaches that may be initiated in a clinic or at home to resolve a variety of feeding problems. This presentation will also focus on the similarity and differences of clinic-based versus home-based programs. Lastly, we will discuss the outcome measures for the two types of program. This presentation should further the knowledge of BCBA’s or BCABA’s in the use of data-based practices for treating children with feeding problems. More specifically, the presentation should be able to assist clinicians on how data should be collected in a less structured environment and how the data could be used for good clinical practice.

We used a concurrent chains procedure in the current study to evaluate the effectiveness of and preference for three teaching tactics (i.e., errorless, moderate, trial-and-error) with 8 preschool children. All children were taught to match Spanish or Icelandic text to pictures. Progressive time delays and model prompts promoted fewer errors in the errorless tactic. In the trial-and-error tactic (T&E), a constant time delay was used and model prompts were only provided after 2 errors; thus, more errors resulted. The moderate tactic included features of the errorless and T&E tactics; this resulted in a moderate number of errors. Relative efficacy of the 3 tactics was determined by comparing differences in acquisition of text-picture relations and post tests of the same relations, whereas preference was determined by observing relative response rates in initial links of the concurrent chains arrangement (where children chose the tactics and then experienced them in the terminal links). Interobserver agreement was collected for a minimum of 30% of sessions and mean agreement was 90% or higher for all measures. Results indicated that T&E was most effective and preferred for 60% and 50% of applications, respectively. Correspondence between efficacy and preference measures was observed for 40% of applications. Descriptors: choice, concurrent chains, preschoolers, errorless, trial-and-error

The purpose of this address is to examine the current literature regarding the application of functional assessment strategies in a clinical setting (e.g., classroom, group home, etc). The first portion of the address will focus on recent studies in which consultants conduct functional assessments and develop intervention strategies within the clinical setting. The second portion will focus on studies in which teachers and/or other staff who are directly involved in the individual’s case conduct functional assessments and develop intervention strategies. The third portion will focus on studies in which consultants train teachers and/or other staff directly involved in the individual’s case on how to conduct functional assessments and develop intervention strategies. Finally, the presenters will discuss the need for more researchers to conduct studies in naturalistic environments. Challenges to conducting research in naturalistic environments will be discussed as well as practical solutions to those challenges.

Data from four recent studies on the use of behavioral assessment procedures in organizational behavior management (OBM) will be presented. Data from two studies will depict the use of assessment methods which identify variables that might contribute to performance problems by employees in organizations. Data from two other studies will depict methods of assessing preference for items / activities, the results of which can then be used in performance improvement plans, by employees in organizations. The presentation will conclude with suggestions for future research on assessment in OBM.

This paper will examine biomedical and behavioral treatments for two mental problems, schizophrenia and depression, revealing that the current dominance of biomedical approaches to these problems is not based on their superior treatment efficacy. Some of the serious side-effects of biomedical treatments, typically psychotropic drugs, will be reviewed. Reasons why biomedical and pharmacological solutions are the dominant approach to dealing with these problems will be explained, including: huge profits garnered by the pharmaceutical industry, industry-controlled clinical research, drug company sponsorship of professional education, extensive media advertising campaigns, financial influence of client advocacy groups, infiltration of government regulatory agencies, and lobbying of legislative representatives.

Token reinforcement systems are among the oldest and most successful technologies to emerge from behavior analysis. Numerous studies have documented the therapeutic and educational benefits of token procedures across a wide range of settings and subject populations. Unlike most successful technologies in behavior analysis, however, the science and technology of token systems have developed largely in parallel, with little cross-fertilization of ideas and concepts. Despite laboratory research on token systems dating back to the 1930s, surprisingly little of this has found its way into the applied realm. And despite some 40 years of applied research on token economies, little of this work has shed light on basic behavioral processes. This split between laboratory and applied work has had unfortunate consequences for the field. The main goal of my talk will be to call for greater integration of laboratory and applied research on token systems. The talk will be divided into 3 parts: (1) Past, an historical overview of research on token systems; (2) Present, a description of recent work on token reinforcement from my own laboratory; and (3) Future, some especially promising trends, focusing mainly on the concept of generalized reinforcement. Many of the most exciting developments are those at the interface between laboratory science and application—what I call discovery-based application.

Many children with autism acquire a significant vocabulary of tact responses (expressive labeling), but fail to acquire a functional intraverbal repertoire. According to a Skinnerian analysis of language, this is in part, due to the nature of the relevant stimulus control involved in the two verbal operants. Tacts are under the functional control of nonverbal discriminative stimuli while intraverbal responses are under the functional control of verbal discriminative stimuli. Previous research with typical children, as well as children with developmental disabilities, has demonstrated that teaching a response under tact control does not guarantee that the same response form will occur under verbal stimulus control. The current presentation will present several procedures designed to establish intraverbal stimulus control for children with autism. Behavior analysts will learn how to analyze defective intraverbal repertoires and implement data based procedures for establishing verbal stimulus control over verbal behaviors.

This symposium will present data that are relevant to communication interventions for young children with autism. First we will discuss data based strategies relating to the use of antecedent strategies in creating language opportunities that result in increases in responsivity and child affect, as well as decreases in disruptive and avoidant behavior, for young nonverbal children with autism. Next, we will introduce additional empirical studies that address the issue of selective stimulus control in a subpopulation of early language learners. Specifically, the second study will demonstrate the use of a stimulus fading procedure for promoting functional speech for children who use a few words only under restricted stimulus conditions. A third study examining overselectivity, evaluates a strategy for treating children who overselect on specific phonemes in complex speech sounds by emphasizing the missing components of the word. Overall, conceptual implications of these stimulus variables will be discussed in relation to a broader understanding of delivering intervention to young children with autism. Moreover, the importance of incorporating various antecedent strategies in naturalistic motivational procedures for specific populations will be discussed.

Eliminating Antecedent Stimuli for Disruptive and Avoidant Behavior in Pivotal Response Treatment for Young Nonverbal Children with Autism
AMANDA MOSSMAN SERVESKO, University of California Santa Barbara, Koegel Autism Center
Grace A. Werner, University of California Santa Barbara, Koegel Autism Center
Robert L. Koegel, University of California Santa Barbara, Koegel Autism Center

This study examines the effects of several antecedent stimulus operations in language opportunities in pivotal response treatment in young nonverbal children with autism. Specifically, in Experiment 1, two conditions were identified: in order to provide a language opportunity, (1) the child’s action is interrupted or (2) the child’s action is not interrupted. A repeated measures design (n = 10) demonstrates significant increase in disruptive and avoidant behavior in Condition 1 compared to Condition 2. In Experiment 2, an ABAB reversal design documents a technique in which the interruption of the child’s action is used as a reinforcer to change the antecedent stimulus function of the interruption. The data indicate dramatic decreases in disruptive and avoidant behavior, and increases in responsivity and child affect under such conditions. Results are discussed in consideration of the relationship of antecedent stimulus operations to a learned helplessness model for conceptualizing teaching first words to nonverbal children with autism.

Using Stimulus Fading to Teach Functional Speech to Young Children with Autism Who Have Only a Few Non-Functional Words Under Restricted Stimulus Conditions
GRACE A. WERNER, University of California Santa Barbara, Koegel Autism Center
Amanda Mossman Servesko, University of California Santa Barbara, Koegel Autism Center
Robert L. Koegel, University of California Santa Barbara, Koegel Autism Center

This study examines the use of a stimulus fading procedure in promoting initial functional speech in children with autism who exhibit only a few non-functional words under restricted stimulus conditions. In Experiment 1, an ABAB reversal design documents a child’s lack of functional speech across settings and contrasts this with evidence of his non-functional imitation of a few words in response to one artificial stimulus condition. In Experiment 2, a stimulus fading procedure was used in which the controlling artificial stimulus was paired with the desired stimulus (a live voice) and systematically faded according to a changing criterion design. Results indicated rapid transfer of stimulus control to the desired live voice stimulus and follow-up data indicated continued responding and rapid growth in functional vocabulary. Implications for using existing non-functional words in promoting functional speech in children with autism are discussed within the context of a strength-based approach to intervention.

Reducing Overselective Responding During Early Language Development in Children with Autism
ARIELLA EICHENBAUM, University of California Santa Barbara, Koegel Autism Center
Robert L. Koegel, University of California Santa Barbara, Koegel Autism Center
Lynn Kern Koegel, University of California Santa Barbara, Koegel Autism Center

Literature on overselective responding to the components of complex stimuli suggests that children with autism may have difficulty acquiring speech because they may overselectively respond to only some of the components of complex speech sounds. The purpose of the present study was to systematically assess whether nonverbal children with autism who have had difficulty acquiring their first words and selectively respond to individual components within words can be directed to the missing relevant components when these components are first emphasized and presented alone. The results, replicated through a multiple baseline-across participants and words design, showed a decrease in overselective responding to components of target words and generalization across new words. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for further understanding the role of overselectivity and the development of intervention procedures in speech acquisition in nonverbal children with autism.

Research in discrete-trial instruction for children with autism has received increasing attention over the years given the frequency with which early intervention programs utilize this teaching methodology. This symposium will feature three examples of research relevant to discrete-trial instruction among children with autism. Shabani and Fisher will present data on the effects of interspersing previously mastered items during discrete-trial training with children with autism. Kenzer and Ghezzi will present a study comparing discrete-trial and fluency instruction. Cross and Bailey will present data comparing concurrent versus serial sequencing of intra-program exemplars. Finally, Patrick Ghezzi will serve as the discussant to integrate the findings of these three presentations.

The Effects of Interspersed Versus Distributed Training on Acquisition During Discrete Trial Instruction
DANIEL B. SHABANI, Lovaas Institute
Wayne Fisher, The Marcus Institute
Joselyn Cynkus, The Marcus Institute

This study incorporated features from a withdrawal and multielement design to compare the effects of interspersed versus distributed training during discrete trial instruction with two children diagnosed with autism. During interspersed training sessions, previously mastered sight words were alternated with one novel target word. During distributed training sessions, only novel sight words were presented. After meeting specific mastery criteria, periodic baseline probes were conducted in order to assess the effects of interspersed and distributed training on acquisition rates. Results indicated different rates of acquisition across training procedures. The implications for discrete trial training programs will be discussed.

A Comparison of Discrete Trial Instruction and Fluency Instruction on Retention of Academic Tasks with Young Children with Autism
AMY L. KENZER, University of Nevada, Reno
Patrick M. Ghezzi, University of Nevada, Reno

Fluency instruction is most widely used with children and adults of typical development. Further, investigations concerning potential beneficial outcomes of fluent performance have primarily included undergraduate students. Thus, the extent to which benefits of fluency instruction extends to individuals with developmental disabilities is not known. The retention of academic skills was assessed up to 21 weeks following fluency and discrete trial instruction with children with autism.

Serial and Concurrent Intra-Program Exemplar Sequencing
SCOTT C. CROSS, Lovaas Institute and Florida State University
Jon S. Bailey, Florida State University

In designing educational programs for children with autism, numerous aspects are likely to be affected by one’s own training and experience rather than objective measures of child learning characteristics. One such aspect of instruction is serial and concurrent intra program objective sequencing. Utilizing a repeated reversal design, serial and concurrent sequencing was investigated in terms of instructional efficiency, generalization, and maintenance of skills taught within the programming domains of expressive functions, word to picture association, sight-reading, and pretend play chains. The differential effectiveness of serial and concurrent objective sequencing will be reviewed as well as suggestions for future utilization of the reversal design in research and clinical applications.

This symposium will focus on current research conducted with children diagnosed with ADHD. The first paper will present a summary of a meta-analysis of the assessment and treatment literature related to problem behavior exhibited by children diagnosed with ADHD. The second paper will present a study evaluating the predictive validity of preferences assessments when conducted with children under different levels of medication status. The third paper will present a study demonstrating the effects of peer-mediated interventions for children displaying problem behavior in an afterschool program. Finally, the discussant will summarize the contributions and suggest avenues for future research realted to behavioral approaches working with children diagnosed with ADHD.

A Review of the Assessments and Treatment of Problem Behavior Exhibited by Children Diagnosed with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder
MARIA STEVENSON, University of Nevada, Reno
Michele D. Wallace, California State University, Los Angeles

Children who display problem behavior in school are more and more being diagnosed with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD/ADD). Common treatment approaches to eliminate these problems in school fall into three categories: Medical regimes, Behavioral approaches, or a Multitreament approach utilizing both medical and behavioral interventions. Although these approaches have been utilized to decrease problem behavior exhibited by children, a meta-analysis comparing these approaches with respect to their direct as well as their indirect effects has not been conducted. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the assessment and treatment literature related to decreasing problematic behavior exhibited by children diagnosed with ADHD/ADD with respect to: a) operational definitions, b) assessment approaches, c) treatment effects when behavioral approaches are utilized (e.g., reinforcement based procedures, antecedent manipulation procedures, and extinction based procedures), d) treatment effects when medication regimens are utilized, e) treatment effects when a combination of both approaches are utilized, and f) generalization and maintenance of treatment effects. In addition, suggestions for the treatment of problem behavior exhibited by children diagnosed with ADHD/ADD as well as future research suggestions are provided.

The Predictive Validity of Preference Assessments Conducted During Different Levels of Medication for Children Diagnosed with ADHD
CARRIE ELLSWORTH, Theraputic Pathways
Michele D. Wallace, California State University, Los Angeles
Mandy McClanahan, University of Nevada, Reno
Brooke Holland, University of Nevada, Reno
Molly Halligan, University of Nevada, Reno

The validity of preference assessments for predicting reinforcer efficacy was evaluated with children who took medication for the treatment of ADHD. Preference assessments were conducted during two medication levels. Full effects was when 1-2 hours had passed since the administration of the medication and partial effects was when 6-10 hours had passed since the administration of the medication. Reinforcer assessments were used to evaluate responding on an academic task using a progressive ratio (PR) schedule in which schedule requirements progressively increased within each session. Results demonstrated that preference assessments conducted during full effects accurately predicted performance during reinforcer assessments, whereas preference assessments conducted during partial effects did not predict performance. In addition, results demonstrate the utility of a PR schedule for evaluating reinforcer efficacy using various measures.

Using Peer-Mediated Reinforcement
ALICIA N. MACALEESE, University of Nevada, Reno
Michele D. Wallace, California State University, Los Angeles
Erin Pitts, University of Nevada, Reno
Mandy McClanahan, University of Nevada, Reno

Typical treatments for children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and who display problem behavior, often involve the use of psycho-stimulants. Moreover, behavioral interventions are typically under-utilized. One aspect of behavioral interventions that has not been extensively evaluated is the use of peers in mediating problem behavior of students diagnosed with ADHD. The use of peers may enhance behavioral treatments making them more desirable to psycho-stimulant interventions. The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the use of a peer mediating procedure to decrease the inappropriate behavior in the classroom setting displayed by students diagnosed with ADHD, thus extending the previous literature in the area. Moreover, this procedure may demonstrate a behavioral treatment that does not increase teacher response effort.

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the diagnosed cases of autism. Current estimates suggest that one out of every 166 children have some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In addition, the number of children being classified with an ASD receiving special education services in the United States has increased. As an example, the California Department of Education reported that the number of individuals with autism receiving special education services increased from 1,982 in 1992 to 24,943 in 2003. Due to the increasing number of children being diagnosed with autism, families, educators and policy-makers are in critical need of reliable tools to help them distinguish between science-based approaches to education and treatment and those approaches that are based on speculation. In an effort to address this need, the National Standards Project recently was established by the National Autism Center, a new, not-for-profit organization. The National Standards Project is a unique effort to provide validated national standards for evidence-based education and behavioral intervention for children with autism. This presentation will highlight the initial deliberations of the panel of experts convened to establish a set of standards designed to help guide families, educators and school administrators toward evidence-based approaches. This talk will present the methodology used to assess the educational practices and treatments reviewed. Finally, this presentation will discuss how the work of the National Standards Project dovetails with the current California Department of Developmental Services project, ASD Best Practice Guidelines for Treatment and Interventions.

Basic research on the cellular mechanisms underlying cerebral ischemia (stroke) and other cerebrovascular diseases is revealing much about why brain tissue dies or survives when its blood supply is cut off. The use of nonhuman animals in such research presents a special challenge for behavioral researchers--how to assess the neurological consequences of stroke in animals that do not speak or follow spoken commands? Although operant behavior may eventually be of value in this regard, at present researchers rely primarily on deficits in unconditioned behavior to assess impairment after an experimental stroke. These "neurological exams" often reveal deficits that are correlated with the extent of damage and that reflect recovery from stroke in animals exposed to tissue-sparing treatments. I will present data from experiments with rats that illustrate these procedures, draw comparisons between the procedures and neurological exams in stroke patients, and discuss how behavior analysts may play an important role in teams of basic researchers studying brain diseases.

As a student of contemporary applied behavior analysis, Glenda Vittimberga valued constructive or educative approaches over eliminative ones (Vittimberga, Scotti, & Weigle, 1999). This paper addresses some of the elements of repertoire enhancing ABA and examines their current use in everyday practice. It draws on examples from work with persons with developmental disabilities, a population with whom Vittimberga focused her own research and writing. Practices that might make her smile are identified, as are some about which she might show concern. Nowhere are concerns more evident than in the rapidly expanding cottage industry involving home-based autism programs. Extensive experience observing and evaluating such programs suggests it is time to get back to dancing with the one who brought us, and to revisit our roots in the science of behavior. The paper concludes with suggestions for continuing to improve the education, certification, and practice of behavior analysts.

Extinction is the most direct method for reducing the frequency of behavior. Nevertheless, the procedure is prone to misapplication, may produce undesirable effects, and can be difficult to implement. This presentation will consider some limitations associated with the use of extinction and will suggest alternative strategies.

This presentation will provide a brief background of the history of choice-making opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Research in the area of choice will be reviewed and research themes will be contextualized within advocacy movements that sought to increase opportunities and rights for individuals with disabilities. The application of choice as an intervention strategy will then be discussed. Conceptual research will be described that has offered theoretical explanations for the effectiveness of choice as an intervention strategy. Finally, a variety of applied research studies will be described that illustrate how choice can be implemented as an intervention approach in natural contexts.

This symposium includes three studies that used peer-mediated strategies to improve social and play skills for children with autism in school settings. The interventions were designed by special and general education teachers and researchers and were conducted in different school settings including general and special educational schools. Results indicated that peer-mediated strategies effectively improved play and social interactions between the children and their peers. Following the success of each program, the teachers who designed, implemented, and evaluated the interventions have since continued to train other in an attempt to generalize the effects to other students and other behaviors.

Peer Mediated Strategies to Improve Social Skills During Recess
CHRISTENA HARPER, California State University Los Angeles
William D. Frea, California State University, Los Angeles
Jennifer B. Symon, California State University, Los Angeles

Considering the challenges that individuals with autism often experience with social interactions, they are often left alone and isolated during unstructured recess activities. This study presents a successful peer mediated intervention to improve social interactions between children with autism and typical peers on the playground. During the baseline phase, the target children engaged in inappropriate or limited social interactions with peers. Groups (triads) of non-disabled peers were trained to use teaching strategies to improve interactive play skills of the target children with autism. Peers were taught motivational applied behavioral analysis teaching techniques including gaining attention, varying tasks, modeling, reinforcing attempts, and turn taking. Following the short training, the peers reached high levels of fidelity of implementation on their use of the techniques. They then successfully prompted the target children to gain attention, initiate, and take turns while playing at recess. A multiple-baseline across participants design showed that the typical peers learned how to provide social interactive opportunities and the children with autism greatly increased their appropriate play and social skills with their peers on the playground. These skills maintained after the training and demonstrated improved social interactions for the children with autism.

Improving Play and Social Interactions for Children with Autism Using a Time Delay Procedure
DANIELLA LIBER, California State University, Los Angeles
William D. Frea, California State University, Los Angeles
Jennifer B. Symon, California State University, Los Angeles

An intervention to teach social communication and play skills is crucial for the social, language, and emotional development of children with autism. Current research has indicated that the time delay procedure can be highly effective in teaching language acquisition, socially appropriate use of language, discrete behaviors, and chained activities to individuals with autism and developmental delays. In this study, three boys with autism, who attend the same non-public school, were taught a play activity that combined a play sequence with requesting peer assistance, using a graduated time delay procedure. Data from a multiple-baseline design across subjects demonstrated the success of using this procedure to teach 10- and 11-step social play sequences. Participant children learned the play sequence and also increased interactions with peers. The results indicated an additional benefit of the intervention namely increased use of pretend play by one of the participants. Two of the students also demonstrated a generalization of the skills learned through the time delay procedure.

Teaching Social Initiations to Children with Autism: Effective Peer Training
ANGELA LANDREY, California State University, Los Angeles
William D. Frea, California State University, Los Angeles
Jennifer B. Symon, California State University, Los Angeles

Individuals with autism demonstrate impairments in turn-taking, joint attention, pretend play, and maintaining social interactions. Studies have focused on how social skills of students with autism can be improved through peer mediation, the teaching of specific social skills, verbal prompts, feedback, and the teaching of modeling skills to peers. This study focused on increasing initiations of students with autism. Three specific social skills were taught including requesting, commenting, and sharing in addition to self-monitoring. The effects of a self-monitoring intervention program on social interactions between students with autism and their non-disabled peers was a focus of this study. A key finding from this study was that teaching social skills through peer mediation and self-monitoring, was effective in increasing appropriate social behaviors of students with autism toward their peers during play. The results showed that students with autism learned how to be aware of and monitor actions through an intervention program involving peer mediators.

People with severe developmental disabilities are continually challenged to find community residential options that meet their health, behavioral, and support needs, and also result in living a high quality of life. Community Living Opportunities (CLO), a residential service provider in Kansas, in cooperation with the University of Kansas’ Department of Applied Behavioral Science, has developed two residential models that help people with developmental disabilities to “Live the Good Life”. These models were adapted from the nationally disseminated Teaching Family Model (Wolf et al., 1995) and also reflect the premises of Todd Risley (1996), who suggested developing preferred lifestyles for individuals and then coaching them to successfully “live it”. The first presentation describes the characteristics of CLO’s Family Teaching Model and Extended Family Teaching model and the quality outcomes sought and measured in each model. In the second paper, outcome data including quality ratings, satisfaction ratings, hours in the community, and staff turnover data measure the success of the models as compared to traditional models. In the third presentation, ten years of individual outcome data flag the success of the models and of individuals who “got a life”. Behavior analysts will learn about (a) evidenced-based residential services, where quality outcomes are continually measured and used to increase quality of service, (b) what the research literature says about “Quality of Life”, (c) collection, reliability, and use of daily behavioral data in applied settings, and (d) how contextual variables can have a great effect on behavior over time.

The Family Teaching Model: Family-Style Community-Included Teaching-Focused Outcome-Driven Living for People with Developmental Disabilities
HOLLY M. SWEENEY, Community Living Opportunities, Inc.
Diane Bannerman Juracek, Community Living Opportunities, Inc.
Michael C. Strouse, Community Living Opportunities, Inc.

People with severe developmental disabilities are continually challenged to find community residential options that meet their health, behavioral, and support needs, and also result in living a high quality of life. One aspect of quality of life is having staff who provide high quality support and teaching and have good longevity. This means that the residential model must be a “good fit” for staff. Community Living Opportunities, a residential service provider in Kansas, in cooperation with the University of Kansas’ Department of Applied Behavioral Science, has developed two residential models that help people with developmental disabilities and their staff to “Live the Good Life”. Residential models include the “Family Teaching Model”, where a family supports three people with disabilities living in an adjacent duplex, and the “Extended Family Teaching Model”, where a family and a person with a disability live together in the families’ home. This presentation will describe the characteristics of these models and the quality outcomes measured to assess the success of the models. This presentation will share research literature on the development of effective residential supports and will teach behavior analysts how challenging behavior, health care needs, and preferences of people with developmental disabilities can be supported by creating preferred living environments with staff who have similar interests.

'Living the Good Life': Comparing Quality of Life Indicators Across Four Different Residential Models
DIANE BANNERMAN JURACEK, Community Living Opportunities, Inc.
Jamie Price, Community Living Opportunities, Inc.
James A. Sherman, University of Kansas

Quality of life has many faces in the literature but shares characteristics like satisfaction with home, housemates, lifestyle, and the ability to access preferences, make choices, build and maintain relationships, and be a part of the community. For people with severe developmental disabilities, obtaining quality of life can be challenging due to lack of communication skills, physical disabilities, and challenging behaviors. One important way to enhance quality of life for people with developmental disabilities is to provide residential models that support individuals in obtaining a preferred lifestyle and then assessing quality of life indicators of those models. Data on staff turnover, outcome evaluations, staff stability, time in the community, and satisfaction ratings will be compared across four residential models, including the Family Teaching Model, the Extended Family, group homes, and apartment living. Literature on defining and measuring “Quality of Life” will be presented. Additionally this presentation will teach behavior analysts about evidenced-based assessment of residential services. Data comparing outcomes across residential measures will be shared, including discussions about the reliability and validity of those data.

'Living the Good Life': A Retrospective Analysis of Challenging Behaviors and Health Indicators for Individuals Across Residential Models
JAMIE PRICE, Community Living Opportunities, Inc.
Holly M. Sweeney, Community Living Opportunities, Inc.
Jan B. Sheldon, University of Kansas

In pursuit of a positive quality of life, community service providers have retooled residential models in a variety of ways ranging from large bed facilities to single person living arrangements. Community Living Opportunities has evaluated quality of life indicators across time and residential service models. In this presentation, we will review case studies of individuals with severe and multiple disabilities who have lived in a variety of service models. We will review variables we believe were significant in the improvement of their quality of life. Over ten years of data show that smaller family-supported models (Family Teaching Model) and a model in which a person lives in a family’s home (Extended Family Teaching) resulted in increased consumer satisfaction and decreases in dangerous maladaptive behaviors and use of restrictive procedures such as psychotropic medications and restraint. Longitudinal data will be presented for at least 10 individuals looking at two or more variables for each person. Behavior analysts will learn about how to collect daily data in small residential settings and how contextual variables can have a great effect on behavior over time.

In this symposium we consider the contingencies that impact the development of evidence-based practices in special education. We focus on special education because it has largely been ignored in the education reform efforts and, in many ways, it is a separate system from general education. We propose an expanded model of an evidence-based education approach; a continuum of rigor that allows decision makers when the best available evidence does not meet the most rigorous standards of research. Finally, we propose a set of steps that can be taken to build an evidence-based culture within special education.

An Expanded Model of Evidence-Based Practice in Special Education
RANDY KEYWORTH, The Wing Institute
Jack States, The Wing Institute
Ronnie Detrich, The Wing Institute

As the movement toward evidence-based education develops it is important to define what constitutes necessary and sufficient evidence. It is the perspective of this paper that the necessary demonstration of evidence is not only a demonstration that an intervention is efficacious (producing results in a controlled research setting) but it is also necessary to demonstrate that the intervention is effective (producing results when taken to scale and applied in typical educational settings). A demonstration that a procedure is efficacious is an important step but it is critical as evidence based procedures are applied more broadly that consideration is given to the various social and political contingencies that may ultimately impact the effectiveness of an intervention. A simple example is that an intervention that is efficacious but is not acceptable to teachers expected to implement it is not likely to produce the expected results because the teachers are not likely to implement the intervention with sufficient integrity to produce the results.           In addition to proposing a model of evidence-based practice that includes demonstrations of effectiveness, some of the commons social and political contingencies that may negatively impact wide scale implementation will be described. Examples of successful and unsuccessful large-scale implementation will be considered for illustrative purposes.

From Research to Practice: An Analysis of the Interaction Between the Research Community and Special Education Services
RONNIE DETRICH, The Wing Institute
Randy Keyworth, The Wing Institute
Jack States, The Wing Institute

One of the requirements of No Child Left Behind is that educators use scientifically based practices to improve the quality of education. In special education this poses some specific challenges. Among those challenges is that there is often an insufficient research base for making decisions especially if randomized trials is used as the primary basis for evaluating the evidence. In this paper we will propose a continuum of rigor that will allow educators to make decisions with the best available evidence although that evidence might not meet the gold standard.           We will also examine how fundamental characteristics of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) can impede important research in special education. While researchers are interested in identifying interventions that are efficacious for a defined population the mandate of IDEA is that interventions are evaluated at the level of an individual student.           Similarly, we will consider how the requirements of research can often be incompatible with the mandate to provide appropriate educational services for students in special education. One of the contingencies that impacts researchers is to have sufficient control over the independent and dependent variables so that causal relations can be inferred. As researchers move to working in more applied settings there is often a loss of experimental control so that causal inferences are more difficult. This can be especially true when group designs are used to evaluate interventions. We will propose alternatives that allow for evaluation of the impact of interventions on individual students.

Getting There from Here: Creating an Evidence-Based Culture Within Special Education
JACK STATES, The Wing Institute
Randy Keyworth, The Wing Institute
Ronnie Detrich, The Wing Institute

This paper will address steps that can be taken at different levels within special education to facilitate movement toward a more evidence-based culture.           One of the critical features of an evidence-based culture is that there is evidence for decision makers to evaluate and make decisions. A second critical feature is that the decision makers routinely interact with the important data. One approach that shows great promise for bringing decision makers into regular contact with data about student performance is curriculum-based measurement. This approach allows for decision makers to have information about each individual student in special education, which is consistent with the level of analysis mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Act.           Other levels within the special education system also require attention if evidence-based practice is to become the primary working model for decision making. As an example, the due process procedures built in as a safe-guard for parents has become so expensive for school districts that they often agree to settle disputes rather than proceed with a hearing to determine services. Problems arise when the settlement results in the adoption of unvalidated procedures.           At each level in the special education culture there exist obstacles to implementing evidence-based practices. This paper will provide suggestions for each level within the special education culture. From a systems perspective, it is important that each level of the system has pieces in place that promote evidence-based practices. Failing to do so will result in the ultimate collapse of an evidence-based culture.

This symposium will describe Spectrum Center including the services provided and location of these programs. We will describe new programs we have developed and how these programs are positively impacting the education of the students we serve. The programs we will discuss in detail are our program for students with Autism and our collaborative classrooms on public school campuses. Innovations in programs for students with Autism includes a discussion of a continuum of services well beyond early intervention. The collaborative model will describe our joint programs with the Mt Diablo Unified School District and how that program allows our students to benefit from a behavior analytic program while accessing their typically developing peers. We will also review how we monitor our programs to ensure a quality education for the students we serve.

Spectrum Center Inc.: Program Overview
ANDREW WEIHER, Spectrum Center, Inc.
Trish Gibson, Spectrum Center, Inc.
Carrie Borrero, Spectrum Center, Inc.

Spectrum Center, Inc. is an organization that specializes in serving children with special education needs since 1975. Spectrum Center currently operates six non-public schools and six satellite programs that provide services to students in over 50 school districts. Programs are designed for students ages 3-22 who engage in challenging behavior and have special educational needs representing a wide range of disabilities including: Asperger syndrome, autism, emotionally disturbed, Fragile X, hearing and visually impaired, mental retardation, and traumatic brain injury. Our schools offer education and related services that are outcome driven, research based, and utilize the principles of applied behavior analysis. We also provide a full continuum of educational services for children with Asperger syndrome and autism, including dedicated classrooms for early intervention, ages 8-12, and ages 13 and older. Services are also available for students on graduation track with a range of disabilities, as well as vocational training for those students who are on a certificate of completion. Starting at age 14, students receive comprehensive assessments to determine vocational strengths and interests that are then matched with vocational training and activities in the classroom on campus and/or paid work experience at local businesses.

Innovations in Monitoring Systems
JENNIFER CARVALHO, Spectrum Center, Inc.
Whitney O' Keefe, Spectrum Center, Inc.

Ongoing monitoring of staff behavior paired with feedback and training is essential to the success of a program. Spectrum Center has developed and implemented several systems for monitoring various aspects of our programs. These systems include Classroom Climate Data, which captures the rate of instructions and positive and negative statements to students; Communication Data which captures data on implementation of students’ communication training programs; Functional Analysis Checklist and Behavior Intervention Plan Checklist which guide Education Coordinators to evaluate the quality of Functional Analyses and Behavior Intervention Plans; and Individual Education Plan Checklist which guides Teachers and Education Coordinators to evaluate the Goals and Objectives of Individualized Education Plans. These monitoring systems will be discussed in this talk, as well as discussion of the importance of establishing and using data based systems to evaluate staff performance.

Innovations in Autism Programs
WHITNEY O' KEEFE, Spectrum Center, Inc.

As the number of students diagnosed with autism continues to increase, educators are seeing the need for new education service models for students diagnosed with Autism who have outgrown autism early intervention programs. Spectrum Center provides a full continuum of services for children with autism of all ages (early intervention, ages 8-12 and ages 13+). The continuum of services offers five curriculum models based on student’s ages and learning needs. The classrooms are dedicated to language development, social development, high rate learning trial, and use of Applied Behavior Analysis. Spectrum center provides higher ratios of staff to students and specified training for the staff members in the autism specific classrooms, as well as quality assurance checks that provide data for all of the classrooms. This paper will detail the continuum of services provided at Spectrum Center, the measures used to maintain quality with in the program and the training provided to staff members.

Collaborative Classrooms: A New Model
AMY CRYE, Spectrum Center, Inc.
Jennifer Carvalho, Spectrum Center, Inc.
Stephanie Chapralis, Spectrum Center, Inc.

Spectrum Center and the Mt Diablo Unified School District have worked together to develop a series of Spectrum Center-Mt Diablo collaboratives. Currently there are 5 collaborative classrooms in the Mt Diablo school district. These classrooms are on public school sites and are operated by Spectrum Center. These programs allow students who need behavioral support to remain (or be placed) at a public school site rather than being placed at a non-public or private school at a segregated site. This allows the students access to typically developing peers through assemblies, clubs/ extra-curricular activities, and mainstreaming. This paper will fully describe all 5 of the programs; the relationship between Spectrum, Mt Diablo Unified School District and the individual school sites; and collaboratives in other areas.

In 1840, a prison in Australia was the site of a novel administrative effort to reduce the brutality in the prison. It consisted of a “mark” system whereby prisoners could reduce their sentences by good behavior and hard work. After three years, the system was eliminated through bureaucratic decision. Also, in the 1800’s, a system of teaching was developed in England known as the Lancaster “Monitorial System.” In this system, students who excelled in a particular subject assisted in teaching 10 to 12 students. Both monitors and students were periodically examined and promoted or received a special prize for achievement. These efforts, antedating contemporary token economies, were concerned with social issues requiring practical solutions. On the other hand, the initial impetus of contemporary token economies came from efforts to apply operant methods largely derived from Skinner’s conceptualization and technology of behavior. Today, we have the luxury of selecting effective natural contingencies to strengthen or to weaken behavior or to utilize a token economy for the same goal. The choice is based largely on the social-cultural context of a given individual and his behavioral repertoire. Today, the art in behavioral applications comes in “customizing” interventions that look and sound genuine and real rather than “scientific” and laboratory based. A variety of such applications will be shown and discussed.

We will begin with a brief overview of the functional assessment procedures utilized in the following three case studies. The three case studies present data on behaviors of three children diagnosed with autism before and during implementation of behavior support plans. The implementers of the behavior support plan strategies in the first case study were undergraduate students, whereas in the second and third case study the implementers were parents. The first case study examines the effects of implementation of a behavior support plan on the occurrence of non-compliance and aggression during group preschool time and one-on-one teaching sessions for a 4-year-old boy. Baseline data included episodes of aggression and non-compliance ranging from 4-10 episodes per day. Aggression and non-compliance in the group setting were reduced to 0 episodes per day for 20 days. The second two case studies examine the effects of the implementation of a behavior support plan on the occurrence of tantrums, non-compliance and aggression at home. Baseline data for the 3-year-old boy included episodes of non-compliance in 17%-67% and tantrums in 8%-22% of intervals. Baseline data for the 4-year-old girl indicated that tantrums occurred in 30-42%, non-compliance occurred in 15-38%, and aggression occurred in 7-37% of the intervals. Data was collected on the accuracy with which the parents implemented the steps of the behavior plan. A quality of life survey and behavioral impact rating scale were collected before implementation and after. Reliability was collected on less than 10% of intervals, but interobserver agreement was 90%.

Habituation to Auditory Stimuli by Young Children with Autism Janice K. Doney and Patrick M. Ghezzi University of Nevada-Reno The effects of repeated presentations of auditory stimuli of varying intensities on an orient response (OR) and an ongoing operant response were compared in order to ascertain whether or not children with autism show any differences in their responses to those stimuli when compared to typically developing children. Children were exposed to a 3-sec auditory stimulus of narrow band frequency at intensities of 20, 40, and 60 dB. Stimuli were presented periodically and independently of VI 15 sec maintained responding. The intensity level of the auditory stimulus remained the same during each session and each child experienced a total of three sessions each consisting of twenty stimuli presented at each of the three intensity levels. The frequency of the OR and rate of the operant response in the presence and absence of the auditory stimulus were examined within-subject and within-triad in order to assess differences in children’s responding to the repeating stimulus.

As ABA providers, we excel in the treatment of children diagnosed with ASD. We can teach non-verbal children to communicate, reduce aggression to nearly non-existent levels, and can get even the most picky of eaters to try a vegetable. We work long and hard with our kids, often accompanying them throughout the majority of their waking hours. With all this effort and dedication, however, we often overlook the impact of the parents on our clients’ learning. We become so involved in the lives of our clients that parents come to depend on us for both treatment and parenting duties and thereby become systematically disempowered in their role as parents. With this disempowerment also comes disillusionment because we, as ABA providers, have failed to go beyond basic parent-training in order to manage parent expectations. So often, parents are hoping for recovery while we are focusing on building basic functional skills. As treatment proceeds, this process becomes more complex and parents often experience intense anxiety at the time of “fade-out” or progress-based transitions. As such, even the most positive child-outcome can result in a negative family-outcome making this a substantial area of study for clinicians working with children and families. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the psychology of parenting a child with special needs and to offer a Protocol for parent education and empowerment to be used in clinical practice with the ultimate goal of increasing lifelong independence for both child and family.

Positive reinforcement-based programs may be viewed as economic systems in which reinforcer consumption is affected by changes in response requirements. In economic terms, changes in response requirements are interpreted as alterations in the “price” of a reinforcer (i.e., “commodity”). As such, in positive reinforcement-based programs there is an interaction between spending (responses emitted) and consumption (reinforcers obtained) that is dependent upon changes in price (response requirements). Behavioral economics is a sub-field of behavior analysis in which responding is viewed as an interaction between price and consumption. Although relatively common in basic experimentation, behavioral economic principles have been underutilized in applied research. In this presentation, representative examples of applied behavioral economic research will be discussed. Each area of research involved the application of economic principles to the design and interpretation of reinforcement-based response programs for individuals with developmental disabilities. First, separate reinforcers were evaluated under progressive ratio requirements. This line of research shows how differentially preferred stimuli function as differentially effective reinforcers under increasing response requirements. In the second evaluation, adaptive responding was examined under open and closed economic systems. This research demonstrates how extra-experimental access to reinforcers might influence response acquisition. Finally, we examined the effects of adjusting the relative price of a reinforcer during differential reinforcement schedule thinning. This research suggests that adjusting reinforcement magnitude in response to increases in response requirements may affect treatment efficacy. The combined results will be discussed in terms of the potential utility of economic concepts in the design and development of reinforcement-based interventions.

The critical role of variation at the levels of biology, operant behavior and culture is explored in relation to the treatment of individual differences in American educational systems. Behavioral sets currently labeled as dyslexia, disgraphia and attention deficit disorder are examined in terms of their evolutionary history and their important contributions to the diversity of culture. There are multiple negative outcomes for individuals and society when we treat these sets as disorders. General educational approaches that embrace and incorporate the positive skills of children with these labels are presented along with ways to improve the deficits inherent in these behavioral sets. Children, school systems and the culture at large will benefit by analyzing differences as normal variations instead of disorders.

The Competent Learner Model (CLM) develops the repertoires needed to participate successfully in well designed instructional conditions in general and special education classrooms. The impact of the CLM in two early childhood education programs will be described. In both programs, the development of the Competent Learner Repertoires (CLRs) has resulted in learners who initially were missing or weak with respect to one or more of those repertoires developing those repertoires so as to successfully participate in general education environments. How the development of the CLRs produces these results and how that process influences the instructional practices of the educators in the special and general education settings involved will also be described.

Varying concurrent schedules within sessions and examining local choice following response-produced food and other stimuli, Davison and Baum obtained results that undermine both the notion of conditional reinforcement and the idea that reinforcers strengthen behavior they follow. First, when responses at the richer alternative produce brief stimuli more often than at the leaner alternative, the stimuli are followed by preference pulses toward the richer alternative even though they are never paired with food, and when responses produce brief stimuli paired with food more often at the leaner alternative they are followed by preference pulses toward the other alternative. These results contradict the notion of conditional reinforcement. Second, although food delivery generates a preference pulse to the alternative that gave food when food itself signals higher likelihood of food, when food delivery signals a lower likelihood of food, it is followed by a preference pulse to the other alternative. In traditional terms, this would mean that “reinforcers” sometimes “reinforce” and sometimes do not. Although one might suppose that reinforcers and conditional reinforcers have discriminative properties additional to their reinforcing properties, these results suggest that the discriminative properties alone suffice. They make us confront the possibility that the 100-year old concept has outlived its usefulness. Perhaps instead stimuli (including “reinforcers” themselves) simply signal what to do for more of the same. Perhaps so-called “reinforcers” are simply highly attractive events, and perhaps behavior is simply guided toward them by discriminative stimuli. Such an approach explains many known phenomena.

In behavior analysis, language has been viewed as no different in its operative properties than other forms of behavior. The term verbal behavior has been used instead of language to suggest its environmental determination and move away from more traditional structuralist approaches. Skinner (1957) classified units of verbal behavior according to their relations to the environment; he referred to these functional relations as verbal operants. Over the years, researchers have evaluated specific procedures to develop verbal operants, as well as studied the relations among them. The purpose of this presentation is to introduce a working model of language development that suggests possible interrelations among verbal operants. This model may serve to guide research in the area of verbal behavior. Examples of research on automatic reinforcement, intraverbal relations, and naming will be presented. Other areas of needed research in the analysis of verbal behavior will also be discussed.

This symposium will include three papers on various dimensions of applied behavior analysis as laid out by Baer, Wolf and Risley (1968). The first paper addresses how response rate affects interoberver agreement (reliability). The second paper addresses the inclusion of social validation in research published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. The third paper addresses the notion of treatment integrity by reporting on what happens when treatments are temporarily discontinued due to holidays. Finally, the discussant will provide insightful interpretation and synetheses of the three papers and provide suggestions for future research.

Response-Rate Influences on the Calculation of Interobserver Agreement
NATALIE U. ROLIDER, University of Florida
Brian A. Iwata, University of Florida
Christopher E. Bullock, University of Florida

We compared four commonly used methods for calculating observer reliability: total, interval, exact, and proportional agreement. Trained observers used PDAs to record computer-generated session data appearing on a separate computer screen. In study 1, two target events (responses) were programmed to occur at different rates (low, moderate, high) during each session so that reliability could be compared across a range of values. Interobserver agreement was calculated using each the four methods listed above. Exact agreement yielded the most conservative results, especially for high-rate responding, but proportional agreement was the most representative. In study 2, the separate effects of bursting and end-of-interval responding were evaluated with a moderate-rate response. Response bursting had little effect on interobserver agreement scores; however, the distribution of some responses at the ends of intervals significantly decreased interval, pro