Prerequisite Skills for the Enhancement of Sleep Treatment matters because it changes what a BCBA notices when decisions have to hold up in case conceptualization, intervention design, staff training, and literature-informed problem solving. In Prerequisite Skills for the Enhancement of Sleep Treatment, for this course, the practical stakes show up in stronger conceptual consistency and better translational decision making, not in abstract discussion alone.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via BABAT
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Join Free →Extinction/graduated extinction, sleep restriction/faded bedtimes, and adjustments to bedtime routines are three of the most common sleep treatment methods used for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder who also display problematic sleep (Carnett, et.al., 2020). Through these procedures, previously unidentified skills do typically emerge (e.g., behavioral quietude, toleration of caregiver separation, acceptance of new stimuli associated with sleep (i.e., darkness, white noise, being awake and alone, etc.). However, these new responses emerge only as a result of extinction procedures and learner resignation rather than through prerequisite skill teaching, development, or rehearsals. Absent from current research are antecedent strategies which can enhance the outcomes of procedures that are notorious for stimulating challenging behavioral escalations at bedtime. Of the many approaches to promoting sustainable and generalized behavior, we know maximizing contact with reinforcement within the generalized setting (e.g., learned in a structured setting then generalized to the home, caregivers, and/or designated sleep space, as this event reveals) is among those recognized as highly effective. Also, the carefully planned rehearsal of skills can yield reduced latency, higher response rates, and better retention (e.g., Johnson & Layng, 1994; Swanson & Sachse-Lee, 2000). Histories of behavioral escalations and aversive experiences surrounding bedtime and sleeping can confound caregiver goals and desires for their learner's sleep-health. This workshop proposes a variety of prerequisite skills that can shape, sensitize, and ease learners into new routines and sleep expectations, without resulting in challenging behaviors and escalations. Additionally, these prerequisite skill building programs can be implemented and supported throughout the day by both caregivers and the ABA implementation team, thereby minimizing caregiver response effort at bedtime and increasing the likelihood of success overnight when support staff are not present.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1.5 | General |
Emily Varon is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with a dedicated focus on sleep-related behaviors. She has worked in the field of behavior analysis since 2000 and has devoted her practice to improving the sleep habits of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder since 2010. Emily takes the complicated issue of pervasive sleep problems and helps behavior analysts develop appropriate and ethical behavior plans for improving the quality of sleep for consumers and their caregivers. Her focus on sustainability of sleep habits versus “good” or “bad” habits offers families and clinicians a broader, long-view perspective of sleep, resulting in more sustainable results over time. By combining the science of behavior analysis with the science of sleep, Emily has curated our field’s first sleep certification program, The Sleep Collective, designed specifically for Behavior Analysts to become fluent in the assessment and treatment of problematic sleep at any age. Emily resides in Irvine, California with her husband and two teens. Improving the quality of life for persons with Autism, and their families, has been a passion of hers for over 20 years.
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
224 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.