Purpose: The prevalence of sleep difficulties among children with rare genetic neurodevelopmental conditions (RGNC) is high. Behavioral interventions are commonly used in the treatment of sleep difficulties in children with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism, however, research is scarce in children with RGNC. The range of co-occurring…

When applied to functional analysis results, structured visual inspection criteria have resulted in improvements in the levels of agreement between raters as well as earlier identification of the function of challenging behavior. However, multistep criteria can be difficult to apply in real time, which could be a barrier to widespread adoption in…

Clinicians report primarily using functional behavioral assessment (FBA) methods that do not include functional analyses. However, studies examining the correspondence between functional analyses and other types of FBAs have produced inconsistent results. In addition, although functional analyses are considered the gold standard, their…

Noncompliance is a common caregiver concern that can have adverse effects on the learner. Although functional analysis is often employed for other forms of problem behavior (e.g., aggression, property destruction), it is infrequently conducted for noncompliance. Noncompliance is often hypothesized to be maintained by escape from demands. However,…

A functional behavior assessment is an evidence-based process that identifies the function of challenging behaviors in order for educators to develop behavior intervention plans for students with disabilities. All behaviors are under stimulus control and research indicates that behaviors typically serve four functions: tangible, escape, attention,…

Functional communication training (FCT) provides an efficient means for reducing a variety of challenging behaviors while increasing social communication. After establishing a functional communication response (FCR), interventionists may need to design a program to thin the schedule of reinforcement to provide more durable effects and maintenance…

The present study used functional analysis and tested for the effects of a treatment package on the increase of play and decrease of stereotypy with a student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who attended an inclusive international school in Hong Kong. The treatment package was a partial replication of a toy conditioning procedure from Tsai…

Individualization and iterative design are essential components of the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior. Currently, there are few validated frameworks for engaging in iterative processes. Due to the nature of single-case design, empirically rigorous evaluations of decision-tree processes are particularly prohibitive.…

As the rates of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) increase, so does the need to provide high-quality and empirically validated supports across the lifespan. Despite most of an individual's life taking place in adulthood, it is well-documented that the supports and services for adults with ASD are severely lacking. This is evidenced by outcomes…

Communication deficits are one of the main characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Self-injurious behavior (SIB) in individuals with ASDs often occurs due to the individuals' lack of social-communicative abilities to express what they want (e.g., attention; access to tangible items; help). Many researchers have successfully used…

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).…

Early childhood teachers receive some training related to overall classroom management but report receiving little training and support when working with children who engage in challenging behaviour. To alleviate the barriers to supporting students who engage in challenging behaviour, it may be helpful to implement a technology tool that provides…

Although functional behavioral assessments and behavior intervention plans (FBA-BIP) are standard practices for students with disabilities, the research base on the nature of FBA-BIPs is limited as most record reviews were conducted before 2010. We examined key compliance components of FBA-BIPs for 304 students with disabilities in one large U.S.…

This case analysis involved 41 clinical cases wherein children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) received a behavioral intervention for sleep problems. This study intended to (a) evaluate the efficacy of function-based behavioral sleep treatments; (b) elucidate variables impacting response to such interventions; (c) inform…

Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience challenges with verbal communication (VC) and task engagement (TE) in daily and academic activities. Antecedent-based interventions (ABI) have been explored as evidence-based practices (EBP) to improve VC and TE for children with ASD. The purpose of this study was to examine…