Chronic absenteeism is a problem encountered by many human services organizations. Large-scale intervention projects to reduce staff absences have incorporated applied behavior analysis methods but there are few studies in the extant literature. In the present study, the authors record staff absenteeism at a specialized school for students with…

This study examines developmental, clinical, gender, and ethnic group differences in preference in residentially placed children and adolescents. In addition, this study considers whether residentially placed youth prefer stimuli currently being used as rewards as part of a campuswide token economy system and whether youth would identify preferred…

Discrete-trials teaching (DTT) is commonly used to implement applied behavior analysis treatment for children with autism. The authors investigated a revised self-instructional manual for teaching university students to implement a 21-component DTT procedure to teach three tasks to confederates role-playing children with autism. Also, as a…

Latinos demonstrate high rates of depression, often do not seek treatment, and terminate prematurely for a variety of reasons, including lack of sensitivity to contextual and cultural factors in treatment approaches. For decades researchers have suggested a behavioral approach to Latinos diagnosed with depression because such an approach targets…

Developers of evidence-based therapies are enhancing methods of teaching therapists to implement "best practices" with integrity. However, there is a relative dearth of information available as to clinic operations and related contextual factors necessary to sustain successful implementation of these treatments. This article describes various…

This study applied functional analysis methodology to nail biting exhibited by a 24-year-old female graduate student. Results from the brief functional analysis indicated variability in nail biting across assessment conditions. Functional analysis data were then used to guide treatment development and implementation. Treatment included a…

There is abundant research to support that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit challenging feeding behaviors. Despite increase in empirical evidence supporting the role of behavior analysis in treating severe feeding problems, evaluation of the short- and long-term effects of these treatments for a large group of children with ASD…

Major depressive disorder is commonly treated in primary care settings. Psychotherapy occurring in primary care should take advantage of the unique aspects of the setting and must adapt to the problems and limitations of the setting. In this open trial, the authors used a treatment development model to adapt behavior therapy for primary care…

Hair pulling in pediatric populations has not received adequate empirical study. Investigations of the affective and sensory states contributing to the etiology and maintenance of hair pulling may help to elucidate the classification of trichotillomania (TTM) as an impulse control disorder or obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder. The current…

Public speaking anxiety (PSA) is a common phobia. Although cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is preferred, difficulties arise with the exposure component (lack of therapist control, patient's inability to imagine, self-flooding, loss of confidentiality resulting from public exposure). Virtual reality CBT (VRCBT) enables a high degree of therapist…

Two men with profound developmental disabilities used a mouth-wiping response instrumental to reduce drooling via a micro-switch-based program (i.e., a program in which the response was automatically monitored and followed by positive stimulation). The wiping response was performed via a napkin or a handkerchief placed inside a belt pocket. The…

Positive behavior support (PBS) emerged in the mid-1980s as an approach for understanding and addressing problem behaviors. PBS was derived primarily from applied behavior analysis (ABA). Over time, however, PBS research and practice has incorporated evaluative methods, assessment and intervention procedures, and conceptual perspectives associated…

Empirically supported treatments (EST) hold much promise in relieving psychological distress and dysfunction. However, various obstacles to effective training and clinical practice have truncated dissemination efforts. One such obstacle is the perceived applicability of EST procedures to raw world clinical practice. This article proposes a rubric…

Treatment adherence is a frequent problem in bipolar disorder, with research showing that more than 60% of bipolar patients are at least partially nonadherent to medications. Treatment nonadherence is consistently predictive of a number of negative outcomes in bipolar samples, and the discontinuation of mood stabilizers places these patients at…

Determining the means by which effective psychotherapy works is critical. A generally recommended strategy for identifying the potential causal variables is to conduct group-level statistical tests of treatment mediators. Herein the case is made for also assessing mediators of treatment outcome at the level of the individual participant.…