No abstract

Four overlap methods for quantitatively synthesizing single-subject data were compared to visual analysts’ judgments. The overlap methods were percentage of nonoverlapping data, pairwise data overlap squared, percentage of data exceeding the median, and percentage of data exceeding a median trend. Visual analysts made judgments about 160 A-B data sets selected randomly from the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis . The four overlap methods were compared for data sets in which all visual analysts agreed a change in data occurred or a change did not occur across conditions. Each overlap method had unacceptably high levels of errors. Given the findings and weaknesses of the overlap methods, their use should be abandoned. The desirable characteristics of a quantitative synthesis method are described.

Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Children with disabilities play less often and demonstrate fewer varied pretend play behaviors than children with typical development. A multiple-probe design was used to examine the relation between teachers’ use of the system of least prompts and contingent imitation and the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of pretend play and related behaviors by four children with disabilities. Results indicated the teachers’ use of the intervention package was functionally related to increases in the children’s frequency and diversity of pretend play and related behaviors. Children also maintained responses in sessions without prompts and generalized across toys and contexts. The findings replicate previous studies on adult prompting of pretend play and extend the literature by assessing generalization of children’s pretend play across contexts and measuring intervention and implementation fidelity. Overall, this study provides a strong argument for engaging in systematic instruction of play, including pretend play, for children who do not display such behaviors.

baseline design across 3 student teachers. Results were similar to Experiment I. Student teachers' use of expansions displayed more variability than the practicum students. Implications for (a) the identification of effective practices for university supervisors, (b) the use of e-mail to communicate between supervisors and pre-service teachers, (c) future research on feedback, and (d) methods for conducting systematic replications are discussed.