Trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) is an accurate and ecologically valid assessment of challenging behavior. Further, there is evidence to suggest that individuals with minimal exposure to behavior analytic assessment methodology (e.g., parents, teachers) can quickly be trained to conduct TBFAs in naturalistic settings (e.g., schools, homes).…

The present review sought to examine contemporary applied behavior analytic (ABA)-based assessment and curriculum protocols for teaching language skills to children with autism and evaluate the evidence supporting their reliability, validity, and effectiveness. Results of the literature search revealed the existence of 18 ABA educational…

A camera-based microswitch technology was recently used to successfully monitor small eyelid and mouth responses of two adults with profound multiple disabilities (Lancioni et al., Res Dev Disab 31:1509-1514, 2010a). This technology, in contrast with the traditional optic microswitches used for those responses, did not require support frames on…

Response to intervention (RTI) has been discussed as a new model of assessment. Although the basic process by which RTI works has received frequent attention in the literature, the available research leaves several important questions unanswered (Kavale et al. in Learn Disabil Q 28(1): 2-16, 2005). One concept within RTI that has received little…

The acquisition of new skills may be hindered when teaching procedures vary from previously validated approaches or contain errors. In the present study, we compared the acquisition and maintenance of response chains taught using a perfectly implemented system of least prompts and a multiple verbal prompts procedure (i.e., addition of multiple…