Long-term Effectiveness and Generality of Skill-Based Treatment [PAS 2024] belongs in serious BCBA study because it shapes whether behavior-analytic decisions stay useful once they leave a clean training example and enter language assessment, teaching sessions, caregiver coaching, and natural communication routines. In Long-term Effectiveness and Generality of Skill-Based Treatment, for this course, the practical stakes show up in clearer case conceptualization, better instructional targets, and stronger generalization, not in abstract discussion alone.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Profound Autism Summit
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Join Free →Many individuals with autism may engage in dangerous behaviors such as aggression or self-injury. For those with profound autism, the challenge of effectively addressing these behaviors is compounded by difficulties in communication. A starting point of any treatment for these behaviors should be an assessment to determine why these behaviors are occurring and what unmet needs the person is experiencing, followed by a comprehensive plan for teaching functional communication skills, coping skills for tolerating frustration or disappointment, and persistence in cooperating with difficult but important tasks (e.g., daily living, educational, or other therapeutic activities). One challenge associated with functional communication training (FCT) is the need to thin the reinforcement schedule to one that can be supported by the individual's typical environment, while also establishing a varied skill repertoire that allows the individual to communicate and participate in therapeutic and educational activities available to them. However, many published FCT applications occur under dense schedules of reinforcement without data on generalization and maintenance, and may not be conducted in a natural setting or with the individual's natural caregivers (Ghaemmaghami et al., 2020). To address these particular gaps in the literature, we conducted practical functional assessments with six children with autism and intellectual disabilities in a specialized school setting, and implemented FCT and schedule thinning following the skill-based treatment model described by Hanley et al. (2014). Treatment was conducted in each student's classroom with their typical classroom staff, and continued until dangerous behavior was no longer occurring during sessions, and skills were generalized across all relevant staff and goal areas of students' IEPs. Crisis procedures (e.g., restraint) were eliminated for students who had been experiencing them pre-treatment, and these effects were maintained at 1-year post treatment. In addition to presenting participant data, we will discuss strategies for addressing some common problems that may arise during treatment.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
| COA | 1 | — |
| NASW | 0 | — |
| PSY | 0 | — |
Dr. Slaton has worked in the fields of applied behavior analysis and special education for over 15 years. She is the Director of Applied Research at Nashoba Learning Group, a day school and adult program for autistic individuals, and also serves as adjunct faculty in the Applied Behavior Analysis master's program at Regis College. She received an M.S.Ed. in Behavioral Education at Simmons University in 2006, and Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis from Western New England University in 2016. She specializes in working with autistic children with intellectual disabilities who engage in severe problem behavior. Dr. Slaton has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals and currently serves on the Board of Editors of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
280 research articles with practitioner takeaways
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.