Services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families have evolved with the advent of the Medicaid waiver, leading to more family-based coordination of care. Evaluating family involvement, the current investigation compared 230 families of children with ASD receiving Medicaid waiver services to a propensity-score matched…

When assessed, treatment fidelity is most often evaluated by checklists of intervention steps after an observation session, though estimates can vary depending on how intervention steps are operationalized and rated. A more straightforward approach may involve the adoption of direct observation methods such as time sampling or event recording,…

The contextual fit of a behavior support plan refers to the extent that the procedures of the plan are consistent with the knowledge, values, skills, resources, and administrative support of those who are expected to implement the plan. This study used a concurrent multiple baseline design across four participants to assess the presence of a…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by challenges with social communication and the display of restrictive and repetitive behaviors. Research has also shown that children with ASD are behind their typically developing peers in motor skill competence. However, limited studies have used the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2…

School psychologists (SPs) have emerged as a key agent in delivering or orchestrating evidence-based, behavioural interventions in specialist settings with students who have a disability and challenging behaviour. These trends in practice create complex tensions and ethical dilemmas for SPs. UNICEF (2017) argue that all children with disabilities…

Single cigarette use (i.e. loosies, loose ones, singles) poses risks for smoking continuation among urban, African American smokers. There is, however, limited research to inform health education interventions addressing this behavior. We conducted 25 in-depth interviews with urban, African American users (ages 20-58 years) from Baltimore, MD and…

Social stories are effective interventions that can be used to manage negative behaviors and develop social skills. However, contradictory results are suggested within the research because of variability in designing social stories, intervention phases, target behaviors, and treatment protocol. Social story interventions may reduce negative…

This study examined the feasibility and potential efficacy of the Resilience Education Program (REP), a Tier 2 school-based internalizing intervention. REP represents a hybrid intervention approach, incorporating both small-group cognitive-behavioral instruction and a Check-In/Check-Out reinforcement-based mentorship program. A randomized…

This study examined the feasibility and potential efficacy of the Resilience Education Program (REP), a Tier 2 school-based internalizing intervention. REP represents a hybrid intervention approach, incorporating both small-group cognitive-behavioral instruction and a check-in/check-out reinforcement-based mentorship program. A randomized…

Objective: To better understand the effectiveness of a single-session positive cognitive intervention and uncover the possible mechanisms. Participants: Participants were 79 first-year students (aged 17-21) who volunteered for the intervention during the 2016 fall semester. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned into the intervention group…

Funding for early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) for children with autism spectrum disorder is rapidly expanding. Yet we know little about children's utilization, and research on inequities in utilization is lacking. We examined the relationship between utilization during the first year of EIBI and (a) child race-ethnicity and (b)…

A growing evidence base supports early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) for young children with autism spectrum disorder. We have found only one study exploring the outcome of EIBI for children with Rett syndrome, which reported little effect. It suggested that future studies should employ more fine-grained outcome measures. We provided…

A school-based behavioral therapy intervention at East High School in Rochester, New York, in partnership with a local university, builds resilience for middle-school students with high trauma.

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a classroom management intervention whereby students earn points toward a particular criterion to "win" the game. Typically, students know the criterion at the start of the game. However, this approach may cause behavior to deteriorate if, during the game, students believe that they have already won or…

Increasing numbers of children are entering our nation's schools with mental or behavioral health problems. Although many of these children are included in general education programs, teachers report feeling under- or unprepared to manage problematic behaviors. This is not surprising given that reviews of teacher training programs have evidenced…