Review of Educational Practices in Human Services Organizations: EnvisionSMART™: A Melmark Model of Administration and Operations

Maguire, H., Orchanian, S., Bird, F. L., Gardner, R. M., & Luiselli, J. K. (2023). Educational practices in human services organizations: EnvisionSMART™: A Melmark model of administration and operation. Elsevier Kate McKenna, MEd, MSEd, MS, BCBA, LBA Association for Science in Autism Treatment Melmark is a multi-state nonprofit human services organization that combines education, clinical…

Focus on the Treatment Team: School Psychology

Kate McKenna, MEd, MSEd, MS, BCBA Association for Science in Autism Treatment Frank Cicero, PhD, BCBA-D (Certified School Psychologist) Seton Hall University History School psychology, as a field, emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when the laws requiring compulsory schooling increased the number of children attending public schools. As the need for…

Systematic Review of Acceptance and Commitment Training Components in the Behavioral Intervention of Individuals with Autism and Developmental Disorders

Suarez, V., Moon, E, & Najdowski, A. (2022). Systematic review of acceptance and commitment training components in the behavioral intervention of individuals with autism and developmental disorders. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15(1), 126-140. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00567-7 Reviewed by: Kristina Mira, MEd, QBA, IBA and Kate McKenna, MEd, MSEd, MS, BCBA Association for Science in Autism Treatment Why…

Promoting Autism Awareness and Acceptance in School Settings

Simon Celiberti-Byam and Julia Weiss High School Externs with the Association for Science in Autism Treatment Increasingly, individuals with autism are included in regular educational settings. This inclusion is a huge improvement, as many were formerly taught in segregated settings and had reduced access to social, recreational, and educational activities. Still, these students may have…

A Systematic Review of the Impact of Precision Teaching and Fluency Building on Teaching Children Diagnosed with Autism

Martinho, M. T., Booth, N., Attard, N., & Dillenburger, K. (2022). A systematic review of the impact of precision teaching and fluency-building on teaching children diagnosed with autism. International Journal of Educational Research, 116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2022.102076 Reviewed by Kate McKenna, MEd, MSEd, MS, BCBA Association for Science in Autism Treatment  Why research this topic? Many autistic…

Implementing an Applied Verbal Behavior Model in Classrooms

  Shillingsburg, M. A., Frampton, S. E., Juban, B., Weddle, S. A., & Silva, M. R. (2022). Implementing an applied verbal behavior model in classrooms. Behavioral Interventions, 37(1), 56-78. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1807 Reviewed by: Xinyue Wang, MA, & Robert H. LaRue, PhD, BCBA-D Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University Why research this topic? Children…

Snoezelen Rooms®: Is There Science Behind That?

Elizabeth Hardesty, MA, BCBA, Breanna Roberts, MA, BCBA, and Thomas Zane, PhD, BCBA-D Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas In this article, we will discuss background information and current research on Snoezelen Rooms® or multi-sensory environments (MSE) that claim to treat symptoms of ASD including atypical sensory responses. Atypical sensory responses are now…

Using Behavioral Skills Training to Teach Peer Models: Effects on Interactive Play for Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities

  Covey, A., Li, T., & Alber-Morgan, S. R. (2021). Using behavioral skills training to teach peer models: Effects on interactive play for students with moderate to severe disabilities. Education & Treatment of Children, 44(1), 19-30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43494-020-00034-y Reviewed by: Xinyue Wang, BA, & Robert H. LaRue, PhD Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers…

Peer Modeling

Written by: Julie Ashkenazi, MS, BCBA, Synthesis Behavior  Lisa Tereshko, PhD, BCBA-D, Endicott College Description A father shows his adolescent child how to start a lawn mower. A tennis instructor shows a student how to serve. An older sibling shows their younger sibling how to flip a pancake. These are everyday examples of modeling. Modeling…

A precision teaching framework for improving mathematical skills of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities

  Vostanis, A., Padden, C., Chiesa, M., Rizos, K., & Langdon, P. E. (2021). A precision teaching framework for improving mathematical skills of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Behavioral Education, 30(4), 513-533. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-020-09394-2   Reviewed by: Victoria Flanagan, BA, and Robert H. LaRue, PhD Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers…

Antecedent-Based Interventions: Is There Science Behind That?

Elizabeth Hardesty, MA, BCBA, Breanna Roberts, MA, BCBA, and Thomas Zane, PhD, BCBA-D Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas Most children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in at least one form of challenging behavior throughout their lifetime (Quetsch et al., 2023; Steenfeldt‐Kristensen et al., 2020). Research shows that some challenging behavior may…