Use of synthesized analysis and informed treatment to promote school reintegration

Taylor et al. (2018) worked with one middle-school student with autism. The student had been kept in a separate room because of hitting and yelling.

The team first ran a quick interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis, or IISCA. They asked the teacher and parents what happened right before and after the problem. Then they tested that story in a short 5-minute play session.

Next they built a full-day plan. The plan taught the student to touch a card that said "break please" instead of hitting. Adults gave the break only when the student used the card. They practiced this in every class period.

Problem behavior dropped sharply once the card was taught. The student also started following teacher directions more often.

By the end of the study the student spent the whole day in the general-education classroom. No crisis holds were needed.

Jessel et al. (2019) showed that a single 5-minute IISCA is enough to find the true trigger. Taylor et al. used that same short test before building the all-day plan.

Slaton et al. (2024) later ran a similar package with six students and tracked them for a full year. Their crisis procedures dropped to zero and stayed there. Because Taylor et al. only followed one student and stopped once school re-entry worked, Slaton et al. now give us stronger proof that the gains hold.

Briggs et al. (2018) warns that problem behavior can pop back up in 76 % of cases when you later thin reinforcement. Taylor et al. did not test thinning, so we do not know if the same risk applies here.

You can copy this package next week. Run a 5-minute IISCA on Monday morning. Teach a simple break card before first period. Have every adult honor the card and ignore the old behavior. Track minutes out of the general room. One student can move from isolation to inclusion in under a month.