Symposium - From Research to Practice: Enhancing Treatment Success through Assessment and Measuring Outcomes belongs in serious BCBA study because it shapes whether behavior-analytic decisions stay useful once they leave a clean training example and enter busy classrooms and teacher-managed routines, community routines and natural environments. In Enhancing Treatment Success through Assessment and Measuring, for this course, the practical stakes show up in clearer roles, fewer duplicated efforts, and better coordinated intervention, not in abstract discussion alone.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Colorado Association for Behavior Analysis
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Join Free →Paper 1: Very little research has been conducted on the identification and treatment of automatically maintained aggressive behavior. In the current study, we worked with a 17-year-old autistic young woman who engaged in aggression (e.g., pinching, scratching). We conducted this multi-experiment study in the classroom of a specialized day treatment program for youth with severe problem behaviors. During Experiment 1, we conducted a traditional functional analysis of aggression. Results showed high rates of aggression across all test and control conditions, including an ignore condition. In Experiment 2, we evaluated the effect of sensory extinction on responding to confirm the results of Experiment 1 that aggression was automatically reinforced. In Experiment 3, we clarified the specific source of automatic reinforcement by permitting brief, visual access to a scratch or red mark on the therapist's arm contingent on aggression. We successfully reduced automatically reinforced aggression in Experiment 4 by implementing a functional communication training routine in which the participant manded for access to a picture of a zombie with scratches/injury on its body. We will discuss these results in terms of strategies to clarify inconclusive functional analyses of aggression and methods to treat automatically reinforced aggression. Paper 2: Treatment fidelity measurement has been shown to be a critical component of behavior analytic research. However, recent studies suggest that community practitioners rarely measure treatment fidelity as part of their practice (Dueker & Desai, 2023). Similarly, the field of behavior analysis is grappling with poorly defined intervention models, with many providers advocating for "play-based" approaches that remain undefined. This presentation explores a framework for measuring treatment fidelity using existing billable codes and manualized treatments. Practical strategies include the use of behavioral skills training, ongoing competency evaluations, and a robust career progression system tied to treatment fidelity benchmarks. Emphasizing real-world fidelity measurement tools and continuous improvement, these methods have supported meaningful client outcomes. The outcomes achieved matched or exceeded those reported in peer-reviewed research (Devescovi et al., 2021). Implications for clinic- and home-based practitioners, as well as limitations, are also discussed.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
| COA | 1 | — |
Diane Carballo Allen, M.S., BCBA, IBA, is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst with over 18 years of experience in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). She is also an International Behavior Analyst (IBA) and a certified Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) Specialist. Diane’s work spans clinical, educational, and systems-level domains, with a consistent focus on ethical practice, compassionate care, and meaningful outcomes.Diane has provided behavior analytic services in diverse settings including schools, clinics, hospitals, group homes, community programs, and psychiatric inpatient facilities. While working on the Behavior Support Team at a hospital in NYC, Diane served individuals across the lifespan under the direction of the U.S. Department of Justice. She also has extensive experience supporting professional development in the field, having worked with organizations providing continuing education and mentoring.From 2019 to 2022, Diane was a Subject Matter Expert for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), contributing to the BCaBA Standard Setting Committee and Ethics Item Writing Task Force. She was also appointed to her local county’s Behavioral Health Technical Advisory Committee, where she supported funding and policy recommendations to improve behavioral health services.Currently, Diane provides consultation and supervision services to East Coast public schools and is an adjunct professor in ABA at Purdue Global. She is also an active member of the Colorado Association for Behavior Analysis (COABA), where she serves on the Board of Directors and chairs the Dissemination Committee and webinar subcommittee.Diane is passionate about advancing ethical, inclusive, and sustainable practices within the field and is committed to mentoring, disseminating best practices, and supporting professional growth in 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
252 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.