Distance-Based Collaborations for Assessing and Treating Challenging Behavior

J Autism Dev Disord. 2024 Oct;54(10):3587-3604. doi: 10.1007/s10803-023-06085-5. Epub 2023 Aug 25.

Abstract

An interview-informed synthesized contingency analysis (IISCA; Hanley et al. in J Appl Behav Anal 47:16-36, 2014) and related skill-based treatment process can result in socially valid outcomes for clients exhibiting severe challenging behavior when implemented by professionals and then transferred to parents (e.g., Santiago et al. in J Autism Dev Disord 46:797-811, 2016). However, many families do not have access to professionals trained to implement functional analyses or function-based treatments (Deochand & Fuqua Behav Anal Pract 9:243-252, 2016). Experimenters in the present study coached three parents of children with autism exhibiting severe challenging behavior through implementing an IISCA and resulting skill-based treatment process through distance-based collaborative consulting. All parents achieved differentiated functional analyses, taught their children to emit functional replacement skills, and reduced challenging behavior relative to baseline.

Keywords: Challenging behavior; Functional analysis; Parent training; Telehealth.

MeSH terms

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / psychology
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / therapy
  • Autistic Disorder / psychology
  • Autistic Disorder / therapy
  • Behavior Therapy / methods
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cooperative Behavior
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Parents*
  • Problem Behavior* / psychology