Effective professional development is critical for improving implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in special education. The present systematic review sought to gather evidence exploring the effects and key components of in-service special education teacher training in EBPs. This review identifies six essential components of training…

Background: The theoretical understanding of firesetting behaviour has predominantly been developed with men in prisons or psychiatric hospitals without neurodevelopmental disabilities. Consequently, there is a lack of evidence regarding the validity of current theory when applied to adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism. Method:…

Autism is a "developmental" disorder defined by "social and communication" impairments. Current theoretical approaches and research studies however conceptualise autism as both static and independent from the social context in which it develops. Two lines of research stand out from this general trend. First, research from the…

When responses function to produce the same reinforcer, a response class exists. Researchers have examined response classes in applied settings; however, the challenges associated with conducting applied research on response class development have recently necessitated the development of an analogue response class model. To date, little research…

We evaluated the feasibility and utility of a laboratory model for examining observer accuracy within the framework of signal-detection theory (SDT). Sixty-one individuals collected data on aggression while viewing videotaped segments of simulated teacher-child interactions. The purpose of Experiment 1 was to determine if brief feedback and…

If the members of a functional response class occur in a predictable order, a response-class hierarchy is said to exist. Although this topic has received some attention in the applied literature, it remains relatively understudied. The purpose of the current investigation was to develop an analogue model of a response-class hierarchy. Children…

This study compared the effectiveness of self-, other-, and subjective-video models on teaching daily living skills to three individuals with developmental disabilities. Results indicated that all conditions were effective in promoting independent correct responding in both instructional and generalization settings and that the effects maintained…

The effectiveness of a behavioral skills training (BST) package to teach the implementation of the first three phases of the picture exchange communication system (PECS) was evaluated with 3 adults who had no history teaching any functional communication system. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effectiveness…

This paper briefly reviews the two assumptions involved in the use of a stress management approach with parents of the developmentally disabled, i.e., that many parents are subject to high stress and that stress interferes with the person's functioning. A discussion of possible stressors and possible effects of stress are outlined, e.g., health…