ABA Inside Track

2020 is finally over! One of the few good things about this dumpster fire of a year is that we get to end it with our buddy Matt Cicoria from the Behavioral Observations podcast. We discuss the lows, the other lows, and force ourselves to think of a few highs. And enjoy some adult beverages because nothing says 2020 like a Zoom call with wine and beer.

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If social skills are an important component of human development and individuals with autism often have challenges in learning social skills, there must be a curriculum that lets specialists of all backgrounds teach these important lessons, right? Well, maybe? This week we look at what actual research there is behind commercially-available curricula for teaching social skills and highlight a few of the more promising programs.

Articles discussed this episode:

Bellini, S., Peters, J.K., Benner, L., & Hope, A. (2007). A meta-analysis of school-based social skills interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders. Remedial and Special Education, 28, 153-162. doi: 10.1177/07419325070280030401

Hall, L.J., Leinert, S., & Jacquez, J. (2018). A review of social skill manuals for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 5, 77-88. doi: 10.1007/s40474-018-0134-5

Stichter, J.P., O'Connor, K.V., Herzog, M.J., Lierheimer, K., & McGhee, S.D. (2012). Social competence intervention for elementary students with aspergers syndrom and high functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 354-366. doi: 10.1007/s10803-011-1249-2

Laugeson, E.A., Frankel, F., Gantman, A., Dillon, A.R., & Mogil, C. (2012). Evidence-based social skills training for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: The UCLA PEERS program. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 1025-1036. doi: 10.1007/s10803-011-1339-1

IMPORTANT NOTICE: To earn CEUs for listening, you MUST sign up and listen to this episode on our website to get credit.

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Despite being a classic component of most parent discipline practices, the average person tends to forget that time out procedures started in the field of behavior analysis. Does this old chestnut still hold value as a part of a behavior management plan? Dr. Jeanne Donaldson joins us this week to review her research on the subject and how time out fits in the framework of trauma-informed care.

Articles discussed this episode:

Dadds, M.R. & Tully, L.A. (2019). What is it to discipline a child: What should it be? A reanalysis of time-out from the perspective of child mental health, attachment, and trauma. American Psychologist, 74, 794-808. doi: 10.1037/amp0000449

Donaldson, J.M. & Vollmer, T.R. (2011). An evaluation and comparison of time-out procedures with and without release contingencies. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44, 693-705. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2011.44-693

Donaldson, J.M., Vollmer, T.R., Yakich, T.M., & Van Camp, C. (2013). Effects of a reduced time-out interval on compliance with the time-out instruction. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 46, 369-378. doi: 10.1002/jaba.40

Ho ho ho! And a merry podcast! We're back with a wintry mix of exciting topics featuring a guest we've been dying to have on the show, a guest we've been dying to have return, and a topic we've been dying to explore.

Articles for December 2020

Time Out w/ Dr. Jeanne Donaldson

Dadds, M.R. & Tully, L.A. (2019). What is it to discipline a child: What should it be? A reanalysis of time-out from the perspective of child mental health, attachment, and trauma. American Psychologist, 74, 794-808. doi: 10.1037/amp0000449

Donaldson, J.M. & Vollmer, T.R. (2011). An evaluation and comparison of time-out procedures with and without release contingencies. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44, 693-705. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2011.44-693

Donaldson, J.M., Vollmer, T.R., Yakich, T.M., & Van Camp, C. (2013). Effects of a reduced time-out interval on compliance with the time-out instruction. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 46, 369-378. doi: 10.1002/jaba.40

Social Skills Curricula

Bellini, S., Peters, J.K., Benner, L., & Hope, A. (2007). A meta-analysis of school-based social skills interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders. Remedial and Special Education, 28, 153-162. doi: 10.1177/07419325070280030401

Hall, L.J., Leinert, S., & Jacquez, J. (2018). A review of social skill manuals for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 5, 77-88. doi: 10.1007/s40474-018-0134-5

Stichter, J.P., O'Connor, K.V., Herzog, M.J., Lierheimer, K., & McGhee, S.D. (2012). Social competence intervention for elementary students with aspergers syndrom and high functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 354-366. doi: 10.1007/s10803-011-1249-2

Laugeson, E.A., Frankel, F., Gantman, A., Dillon, A.R., & Mogil, C. (2012). Evidence-based social skills training for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: The UCLA PEERS program. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 1025-1036. doi: 10.1007/s10803-011-1339-1

Fitness, Physical Activity, and Fake Resolutions w/ Dr. Nick Green

Green, N. & Dallery, J. (2019). Evaluating the effectiveness of education, feedback, and task clarification to increase workplace physical activity. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 3-4, 237-246. doi: 10.1080/01608061.2019.1632239

Green, N. Sigurdsson, S., & Wilder, D.A. (2016). Decreasing bouts of prolonged sitting among office workers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 49, 717-722. doi: 10.1002/jaba.309

Kurti, A.N. & Dallery, J. (2013). Internet-based contingency management increases walking in sedentary adults. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 46, 568-581. doi: 10.1002/jaba.58

IMPORTANT NOTICE: To earn CEUs for listening, you MUST sign up and listen to this episode on our website to get credit.

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While nobody really wants to go to the dentist, there's a big difference between a grumbling as you walk in for a cleaning and hiding under the dining room table when the word "fluoride" is uttered. This week, Dr. Kelly McConnell stops by to discuss her research on helping individuals with autism tolerate dental exams, including the do's and do not's of working with dentists and ensuring that the program in the clinic actually results in a successful trip to the dentist's office. 4 out of 5 dentists recommend you listen to this episode (we're guessing).

Articles discussed this episode:

Allen, K.D., & Wallace, D.P. (2013). Effectiveness of using noncontingent escape for general behavior management in a pediatric dental clinic. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 46, 723-737. doi: 10.1002/jaba.82

Carter, L., Harper, J.M., & Luiselli, J.K. (2019). Dental desensitization for students with autism spectrum disorder through graduated exposure, reinforcement, and reinforcement fading. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 31, 161-170. doi: 10.1007/s10882-018-9635-8

McConnell, K.L., Sassi, J.L., Carr, L., Szalwinski. J., Courtemanch, A., Njie-Jallow, F., & Cheney, W.R. (2020). Functional analysis and generalized treatment of disruptive behavior during dental exams. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. doi: 10.1002/jaba.747

Appukuttan, D.P. (2016). Strategies to manage patients with dental anxiety and dental phobia: Literature review. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry, 8, 35-50. doi: 10.2147/CCIDE.S63626

For our first patrons-only book club, you voted on "Meaningful Differences" by Hart and Risley. And here it is: 2+ hours all about this classic, and sometimes controversial, book documenting Betty Hart and Todd Risley's longitudinal study exploring the home lives of 42 families to try to determine why some children develop more robust language than others. If you ever wondered where the 30 million word gap comes from, you've found it.

Interested in listening to the definitive podcast about "Meaningful Differences" (IMHO) AND earning 2 learning credits? Head on over to our Patreon page and join up at the $10 or up level to get access to these episodes as well as monthly social meet-up opportunities and discounts in our regular CE store.

Works discussed this episode:

Hart, B., & Risley, T. R. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children. Baltimore, Md: Paul H. Brookes.

Sperry, D.E., Sperry, L.L., & Miller, P.J. (2019). Reexamining the verbal environments of children from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Child Development, 90, 1303-1318. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13072

Golinkoff, R.M., Hoff, E., Rowe, M.L., Tamis-LeMonda, C.S., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2019). Language matters: Denying the existence of the 30-million word gap has serious consequences, Child Development, 90, 985-992. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13128

Gilkerson, J., Richards, J.A., Warren, S.F., Montgomery, J.K., Greenwood, C.R., Oller, D>K., Hansen, J.H.L., & Paul, T.D. (2017). Mapping the early language environment using all-day recordings and automated analysis. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 26, 248-265. doi: 10.1044/2016_AJSLP-15-0169

IMPORTANT NOTICE: To earn CEUs for listening, you MUST sign up and listen to this episode on our website to get credit.

To listen for the fun of learning? Just push play!

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Diana was so amazed by a talk given by our special guests, Worner Leland and Barb Gross from Sex Ed Continuing Ed, that she emailed them immediately to join us on the show. We're thankful that they agreed and spent an evening discussing the sexual wellbeing of individuals with developmental disabilities. We discuss the danger of seeing sexual behavior as problem behavior, review the ExPLISSIT model for addressing sexual wellbeing, and even get Rob to move beyond his classic New England Puritan viewpoints on "sex".

Interested in learning more? Check out these links shared by our guests:

Sex Ed Continuing Ed

Sexual Behavior Research and Practice SIG

Kids Ask

Our Whole Lives curriculum

Sex Ed for Social Change

Articles discussed this episode:

Davis, T.N., Machalicke, W., Scalzo, R., Kobylecky, A., Campbell, V., Pinkelman, S., Chan, J.M., & Sigafoos, J. (2016). A review and treatment selection model for individuals with developmental disabilities who engage in inappropriate sexual behavior. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 9, 389-402. doi: 10.1007/s40617-015-0062-3

Stein, S. & Dillenburger, K. (2017). Ethics in sexual behavior assessment and support for people with intellectual disability. International Journal on Disability and Human Development, 16, 11-17. doi: 10.1515/ijdhd-2016-0023

Taylor, B. & Davis, S. (2007). The extended PLISSIT model for addressing the sexual wellbeing of individuals with an acquired disability of chronic illness. Sexuality and Disability, 25, 135-139. doi: 10.1007/s11195-007-9044-x

IMPORTANT NOTICE: To earn CEUs for listening, you MUST sign up and listen to this episode on our website to get credit.

To listen for the fun of learning? Just push play!

Email us at [email protected] for further assistance.

If you've ever tried to develop a function-based treatment on elopement, you've probably wondered where in the research to start. The answer is start here with this week's episode! Not only are we joined by Dr. Megan Boyle to discuss the findings of her extensive literature review on the subject, but we also get to enjoy her first-hand accounts of assessment and treatment of elopement. The hipsters call it "bolting".

Articles discussed this episode:

Boyle, M.A. & Adamson, R.M. (2017). Systematic review of functional analysis and treatment of elopement (2000-2015). Behavior Analysis in Practice, 10, 375-385. doi: 10.1007/s40617-017-0191-y

Boyle, M.A., Keenan, G., Forck, K.L., & Curtis, K.S. (2019). Treatment of elopement without blocking with a child with autism. Behavior Modification, 43, 132-145. doi: 10.1177/0145445517740871

Boyle, M.A., Bacon, M.T., Brewer, E.M., Carton, S.M., & Gaskill, L.A. (2020). Evaluating a treatment wihtout extinction for elopement maintained by access to stereotypy. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53, 1531-1541. doi: 10.1002/jaba.682

Join us this November for a cornucopia of riches to give thanks to. At least, when it comes to awesome behavior analytic topics and guests. Between challenging behavior, necessary life skills, and human rights, we've got enough content to entertain you on Thanksgiving from the first dinner roll to the last slice of turkey. And, if your Zoom family gathering is going south, just put on ABA Inside Track on and pretend we're joining you for after-dinner pumpkin pie. Pie not included.

Articles for November 2020

Elopement w/ Dr. Megan Boyle

Boyle, M.A. & Adamson, R.M. (2017). Systematic review of functional analysis and treatment of elopement (2000-2015). Behavior Analysis in Practice, 10, 375-385. doi: 10.1007/s40617-017-0191-y

Boyle, M.A., Keenan, G., Forck, K.L., & Curtis, K.S. (2019). Treatment of elopement without blocking with a child with autism. Behavior Modification, 43, 132-145. doi: 10.1177/0145445517740871

Boyle, M.A., Bacon, M.T., Brewer, E.M., Carton, S.M., & Gaskill, L.A. (2020). Evaluating a treatment wihtout extinction for elopement maintained by access to stereotypy. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53, 1531-1541. doi: 10.1002/jaba.682

Sexual Wellbeing w/ Worner Leland + Barb Gross

Davis, T.N., Machalicke, W., Scalzo, R., Kobylecky, A., Campbell, V., Pinkelman, S., Chan, J.M., & Sigafoos, J. (2016). A review and treatment selection model for individuals with developmental disabilities who engage in inappropriate sexual behavior. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 9, 389-402. doi: 10.1007/s40617-015-0062-3

Stein, S. & Dillenburger, K. (2017). Ethics in sexual behavior assessment and support for people with intellectual disability. International Journal on Disability and Human Development, 16, 11-17. doi: 10.1515/ijdhd-2016-0023

Taylor, B. & Davis, S. (2007). The extended PLISSIT model for addressing the sexual wellbeing of individuals with an acquired disability of chronic illness. Sexuality and Disability, 25, 135-139. doi: 10.1007/s11195-007-9044-x

Dental Exam Tolerance w/ Dr. Kelly McConnell

Allen, K.D., & Wallace, D.P. (2013). Effectiveness of using noncontingent escape for general behavior management in a pediatric dental clinic. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 46, 723-737. doi: 10.1002/jaba.82

Carter, L., Harper, J.M., & Luiselli, J.K. (2019). Dental desensitization for students with autism spectrum disorder through graduated exposure, reinforcement, and reinforcement fading. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 31, 161-170. doi: 10.1007/s10882-018-9635-8

McConnell, K.L., Sassi, J.L., Carr, L., Szalwinski. J., Courtemanch, A., Njie-Jallow, F., & Cheney, W.R. (2020). Functional analysis and generalized treatment of disruptive behavior during dental exams. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. doi: 10.1002/jaba.747

Appukuttan, D.P. (2016). Strategies to manage patients with dental anxiety and dental phobia: Literature review. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry, 8, 35-50. doi: 10.2147/CCIDE.S63626

IMPORTANT NOTICE: To earn CEUs for listening, you MUST sign up and listen to this episode on our website to get credit.

To listen for the fun of learning? Just push play!

Email us at [email protected] for further assistance.

If your list of self-care activities begins and ends at a big glass of wine, you may not be doing it right. And, as our special guest, Dr. Shane Spiker, shares, you're not alone. This week, we discuss the challenges of self-care for behavior analysts including the consequences of burnout and the surprising fact that taking care of ourselves is an actual learned skill.

Articles discussed this episode:

Gibson, J.A., Grey, I.M., & Hastings, R.P. (2009). Supervisor support as a predictor of burnout and therapeutic self-efficacy in therapists working in ABA schools. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 1024-1030. doi: 10.1007/s10803-009-0709-4

Plantiveau, C., Dounavi, K., & Virues-Ortega, J. (2018). High level of burnout among early-career board-certified behavior analysts with low collegial support in the work environment. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 19, 195-207. doi: 10.1080/15021149.2018.1438339

Dounavi, K., Fennell, B., & Early, E. (2019). Supervision for certification in the field of applied behaviour analysis: Characteristics and relationship with job satisfaction, burnout, work demands, and support. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16, 2098. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16122098