During this course, students will develop an advanced, comprehensive understanding of antecedent- and consequence-based behavior change procedures from the science of behavior analysis. Students will evaluate the most effective procedures for establishing, maintaining, and generalizing (transferring) new behaviors. Students will apply problem-solving skills to design effective ABA-based strategies (e.g., task analysis, token economy, and contingency contract) to prevent or decrease challenging behavior in typically developing individuals and individuals with special educational needs. Topics covered during this course include strategies based upon the basic principles of reinforcement and punishment, such as functional communication training, utilizing high-probability instructional sequences, prompting, implementing the Positive Behavior Support model, teaching imitation, shaping, chaining, employing self-management strategies, applying behavioral teaching systems, training discrimination skills, basing interventions on verbal behavior approaches, and implementing extinction.
This verified course is one of the required courses designed to meet the coursework requirements for Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification; additional requirements must be met for certification.
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2007). Applied behavior analysis (2nd ed). Pearson/Merrill-Prentice Hall.
Week 1
Required reading:
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 11. Positive reinforcement
Chapter 12. Negative reinforcement
Week 2
Required reading:
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 30. Generalization and maintenance of behavior change
Recommended readings:
Falcomata, T. S., Wacker, D. P., Ringdahl, J. E., Vinguist, K., & Dutt, A. (2013). An evaluation of generalization of mands during functional communication training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 46(2), 444-454.
Miranda-Linné, F., & Melin, L. (1992). Acquisition, generalization, and spontaneous use of color adjectives: A comparison of incidental teaching and traditional discrete-trial procedures for children with autism. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 13(3), 191-210.
Week 3
Required reading:
Austin, J. L., & Agar, G. L. (2005). Helping young children follow their teachers’ directions: The utility of high-probability command sequences in pre-k and kindergarten classrooms. Education and Treatment of Children, 28(3), 222-236.
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 26. Antecedent interventions
Tiger, J. H, Hanley, G. P. & Bruzek, J. (2008). Functional Communication Training: A review and practical guide. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 1(1), 16-23.
Recommended readings:
Cote, C. A., Thompson, R. H., & McKerchar, P.M. (2005). The effects of antecedent interventions and extinction on toddlers’ compliance during transitions. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 38(2), 235-238.
Durand, V. M., & Carr, E. G. (1992). An analysis of maintenance following functional communication training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25(4), 777-794.
Fritz, J. N., Dupuis, D. L., Wu, W., Neal, A. E., Rettig, L. A., & Lastrapes, R. E. (2017). Evaluating increased effort for item disposal to improve recycling at a university. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(4), 825-829.
Mace, C. M., & Belfiore, P. (1990). Behavioral momentum in the treatment of escape-motivated stereotypy. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 23(4), 507-514.
Recommended website:
https://www.asatonline.org/for-parents/learn-more-about-specific-treatments/applied-behavior-analysis-aba/aba-techniques/functional-communication-training-fct/
Week 4
Required reading:
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 17. Stimulus control, pages 417-424.
Recommended reading:
Cengher, M., Shamoun, K., Moss, P., Roll, D., Feliciano, G., & Fienup, D. M. (2016). A comparison of the effects of two prompt-fading strategies on skill acquisition in children with autism spectrum disorders. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 9(2), 115–125.
Grosberg, D., & Charlop, M.H. (2017). Teaching conversational speech to children with autism spectrum disorder using text-message prompting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(4), 789-804.
Pace, G. M., Iwata, B. A., Cowdery, G. E., Adree, P. J., & McIntyre, T. (1993). Stimulus (instructional) fading during extinction of self-injurious escape behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26(2), 205-212.
Valentino, A. L., LeBlanc, L. A., & Raetz, P. B. (2018). Evaluation of stimulus intensity fading on reduction of rapid eating in a child with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 51(1), 177-182.
Week 5
Required reading:
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 28. Contingency contracting, token economy, and group contingencies
Recommended reading:
Donaldson, J. M., Matter, A. L., & Wiskow, K. M. (2018). Feasibility of and teacher preference for student‐led implementation of the Good Behavior Game in early elementary classrooms. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 51(1), 118-129.
Galbraith, L. A., & Normand, M. P. (2017). Step it up! Using the Good Behavior Game to increase physical activity with elementary school students at recess. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(4), 856-860.
Groves, E. A., & Austin, J. L. (2017). An evaluation of interdependent and independent group contingencies during the Good Behavior Game. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(3), 552-566.
Luiselli, J. K, Putnam, R. F, Handler, M. W, & Feinberg, A. B. (2005). Whole-school Positive Behavior Support: Effects on student discipline problems and academic performance. Educational Psychology 25(2-3), 183-198
Recommended website:
https://www.classdojo.com
Week 6
Required readings:
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 21. Imitation, modeling, and observational learning
Blakely, E., & Schlinger, H. (1987). Rules: Function-altering contingency-specifying stimuli. The Behavior Analyst, 10(2), 183-187.
Recommended reading:
Jowett, E. L., Moore, D. W., & Anderson, A. (2012). Using an iPad-based video modelling package to teach numeracy skills to a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 15(4), 304-309.
Tiger, J. H., & Hanley, G. P. (2004). Developing stimulus control of preschooler mands: An analysis of schedule-correlated and contingency-specifying stimuli. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 37(4), 517-521.
Recommended website:
Week 7
Required reading:
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 22. Shaping
Chapter 23. Chaining
Jerome, J., Frantino, E. P., & Sturmey, P. (2007). The effects of errorless learning and backward chaining on the acquisition of internet skills in adults with developmental disabilities. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40(1), 185–189.
Recommended website:
https://www.asatonline.org/for-parents/learn-more-about-specific-treatments/applied-behavior-analysis-aba/aba-techniques/behavior-chaining/
Week 8
Required reading:
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 29. Self-management
Recommended reading:
Okyere, B. A., Heron, T. E., & Goddard, Y. (1997). Effects of self-correction on the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of the written spelling of elementary school children. Journal of Behavioral Education, 7(1), 51-69.
Recommended website:
Week 9
Required readings:
Kubina Jr., R. M., Morrison, R. & Lee, D. L. (2002). Benefits of adding precision teaching to behavioral interventions for students with autism. Behavioral Interventions, 17(4), 233-246.
Smith, T. (2001). Discrete trial training in the treatment of autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 16(2), 86-92.
Recommended reading:
Delprato, D. J. (2001). Comparisons of discrete-trial and normalized behavioral intervention for young children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31(3), 315-325.
Goldstein, H. (2002). Communication intervention for children with autism: A review of treatment efficacy. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32(5), 373-396.
Green, G. (2001). Behavior analytic instruction for learners with autism: Advances in stimulus control technology. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 16(2), 72-85.
Miranda-Linné, F., & Melin, L. (1992). Acquisition, generalization, and spontaneous use of color adjectives: A comparison of incidental teaching and traditional discrete-trial procedures for children with autism. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 13(3), 191-210.
Recommended website:
Week 10
Required reading:
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 17. Stimulus control
Recommended reading:
Bao, S., Sweatt, K. T., Lechago, S. A., & Antal, S. (2017). The effects of receptive and expressive instructional sequences on varied conditional discriminations. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(4), 775-788.
Griffith, K. R., Ramos, A. L., Hill, K. E., & Miguel, C. F. (2018). Using equivalence‐based instruction to teach piano skills to college students. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 51(2) 207-219.
Stanley, C. R., Belisle, J., & Dixon, M. R. (2018). Equivalence‐based instruction of academic skills: Application to adolescents with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 51(2), 352-359.
Week 11
Required reading:
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 18. Verbal behavior
Recommended reading:
Najdowski, A. C., Bergstrom, R., Tarbox, J. & Clair, M. A. (2017). Teaching children with autism to respond to disguised mands. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(4), 733-743.
Recommended podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhggQZzliNE
Week 12
Required reading:
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 24. Extinction
Chapter 26. Antecedent interventions
Recommended readings:
Iwata, B. A., Pace, G. M., Kalsher, M. J., Cowdery, G. E., & Cataldo, M. F. (1990). Experimental analysis and extinction of self-injurious escape behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 23(1), 11-27.
Voulgarakis, H., & Forte, S. (2015). Escape extinction and negative reinforcement in the treatment of pediatric feeding disorders: A single case analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 8(2), 212–214.
Week 13
Required reading:
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 25. Differential reinforcement
Chapter 26. Antecedent interventions
Recommended reading:
Austin, J. L., & Bevan, D. (2011). Using differential reinforcement of low rates to reduce elementary school children’s requests for teacher attention. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44(3), 451-461.
Heffernan, L., & Lyons, D. (2016). Differential reinforcement of other behavior for the reduction of severe nail biting. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 9(3), 253–256.
Lindberg, J. S., Iwata, B. A., Roscoe, E. M., Worsdell, A. S., & Hanley, G. P. (2003). Treatment efficacy of noncontingent reinforcement during brief and extended application. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 36(1), 1-19.
Piazza, C. C., Adelinis, J. D., Hanley, G. P., Goh, H., & Delia, M. D. (2000). An evaluation of the effects of matched stimuli on behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33(1), 13-27.
Week 14
Required reading:
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 15. Negative punishment
Chapter 14. Positive punishment
Iwata, B. A. (1988). The development and adoption of controversial default technologies. The Behavior Analyst, 11(2), 149-157.
Recommended quiz:
https://quizlet.com/121444442/chapter-15-aba-time-out-flash-cards/
Recommended reading:
Wolf, T. L., McLaughling, T. F., & Williams, R. L. (2006). Time-out interventions and strategies: A brief review and recommendations. International Journal of Special Education, 21(3), 22-29.
Week 15
Course review Weeks 1-14
