Face to Face 9:45 – 11:00 AM CT: Poster Session
Title of presentation: Increasing Vocal Interactions with Peers
Presenter: Madeline Harper
Advisor: Marwa Abdelkader
Abstract:
Within an initial intake with a 3-year-old boy diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, clinicians observed that the client will avoid interacting with peers by looking down and not speaking. Following pairing with the client, clinicians observed that he would have complex conversations with them but would still not interact with peers. To generalize his complex conversational skills to peers, clinicians implemented a protocol that had him stay with a peer until he interacts vocally with them. During this time, clinicians provided statements to encourage him to initiate a vocal interaction. As the client began to demonstrate progress, clinicians systematically decreased the target latency in which it takes for him to initiate a social interaction. The development of this skill aimed to strengthen his social repertoire by increasing the quality of his social interactions with others. Clinicians observed a rapid and significant decrease in the latency in which it took the client to interact with others upon implementation of this program. In addition, caregivers also reported that the skill has generalized to school and external settings.
Title of presentation: Teaching a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder how to Appropriately Respond to Bullying
Presenter: Kimberley Guiler
Advisors: Martha Anderson and Corrie Wilkins
Abstract:
A ten-year old client diagnosed with Autism Specturm Disorder began exhibiting an increase in spontaneous social interactions with peers following mastery of programs that targeted complex conversational skills. Due to the client’s increase in peer interactions and enrollment in a general education classroom, caregivers disclosed concerns regarding his ability to identify and respond to inappropriate statements (bullying) emitted by peers at school. The purpose of this program is to equip the client with the complex social skills needed to appropriately respond to inappropriate statements emitted by peers.
Title of presentation: Assessing Stimulus Control of a Mouthing Behavior Intervention Plan
Presenter: Caitlyn Rankin
Advisor: Dakota Januchowski
Abstract:
My client currently engages in teeth grinding, also known as bruxism. Teeth grinding is a socially significant behavior to target because it can lead to damage of the teeth, bones, and gums (Lang, et al., 2009). During sessions, clinicians utilize a behavior intervention plan that utilizes a SD and an oral stimulating toy. However, the clinical team witnessed that the stimulus control may lie in just the SD rather then the SD and oral stimulating toy together.
Title of presentation: Saftey Starts with Communication: Teaching a Child with Autism to Relay Emergency Messages
Presenter: Bailey Knaggs
Advisor: Sydney McInnis
Abstract:
Children with autism face several unique challenges daily, many of which can impact their safety as well as others in critical situations. As a result, it is crucial to teach strategies to aid children with autism in communicating emergency messages to others. This poster presentation aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of specific strategies for teaching a child with autism to relay emergency messages correctly and confidently. The data presented will be representative of a child with autism who receives services here at FSU- Panama City, Early Childhood Autism Program (ECAP). It will additionally showcase visual supports of graphed results and progress throughout the program that is currently in acquisition.
The purpose of this program is to strengthen the client's attending and safety skills by having them relay emergency messages effectively. This program aims to not only target their expressive communication but also contribute to their overall safety in novel situations. This program consists of an intraverbal objective as well as a natural situation objective. Upon mastery of this program, the client will be able to communicate relevant information regarding an emergency situation effectively and to the correct people with 100% independence.
Along with the initial purpose listed above, this poster aims to highlight future implications to promote generalization into the client's daily routines. This poster seeks to raise awareness of the importance of teaching a child with autism the skills to relay emergency messages in their natural environment to promote safety in day-to-day life.
Jones, Russell T., Alan E. Kazdin, And Janell I. Haney (1981). “Social validation and training of emergency fire safety skills for potential injury prevention and life saving.” Journal of Applied
Behavior Analysis 14.3, 249–260.
Title of presentation: Decreasing Self Injurious Behaviors in a Child with Autism
Presenter: Sidney Wade
Advisor: Sydney McInnis
Abstract:
Clinicians have observed an increase in the client’s behaviors including aggression, whining, aggression towards objects, and self-injurious behaviors throughout session. A previous Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) that targeted aggression and self-injurious behavior was implemented to reduce behaviors through Contingency Based Denial Tolerance. This approach was chosen based on the results of a Functional Analysis (FA) on whining and aggression that led clinicians to believe Sawyer’s behaviors were maintained by denied or perceived denied access to items and demands. The intervention was successful when items were denied, however maladaptive behaviors were occurring more frequently outside of these contingencies.
Recently, the clinical team conducted a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) on the client’s self-injurious behaviors, which indicated that this behavior was antecedently maintained by demand and consequently maintained by attention given through the previous BIP. Clinicians have also observed behaviors occurring throughout session when clinicians’ attention was diverted. With a new understanding of the client’s behaviors, the clinical team elected to implement a new BIP that targets differential reinforcement with aggression, whining, aggression towards objects, and self-injurious behaviors. Due to the nature of self-injurious behaviors, it is susceptible to socially mediated reinforcers (Vollmer et al., 1993.) Clinicians have elected to remove the current differential reinforcement of incompatible (DRI) response and target differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO). Attention was withheld while the client is engaging in self-injurious behaviors and attention is provided contingent on the absence of these behaviors (Vollmer et al., 1993.) Attention will be given immediately when aggression towards objects occurs to shape responding to hitting objects rather than himself.
Title of presentation: Determining the Most Effective Procedures for Skill Acquisition
Presenter: Kirstyn Yountz
Advisor: Kolton Sellers
Abstract:
Blake has been working toward acquisition of Tacting Caregivers and Clinicians for an extended period of time aiming to increase his expressive skill set; however, clinicians observed that Blake demonstrated rapid progress with mastery of programs that were taught receptively. The clinical team made minimal changes to Blake’s Tacting Pictures program, but a significant change to his progress was observed. The clinical team discontinued the Tacting Caregivers and Clinicians program and implemented a Receptive Identification of Clinicians program.
The goal of this program was to promote his visual attending and listening skills while incorporating additional ASL communication. In accordance with Grow et al. (2013), receptive language is used with everyday interactions between people, and children with developmental disabilities require a carefully contrived environment to increase their listener responding skills. Teaching receptive labeling without distractors has been shown to be more reliable and efficient than using a distracter stimulus alone (Grow et al., 2011).
References:
Grow, L. L., Carr, J. E., Kodak, T. M., Jostad, C. M., & Kisamore, A. N. (2011). A comparison of methods for teaching receptive labeling to children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44, 475–498. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2011.44-475
Grow, L. & LeBlanc, L. (2013). Teaching receptive language skills. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 6, 56–75. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03391791