Diana Delgado's research while affiliated with The University of Memphis and other places

The present study examined the effects of two error-correction procedures on the spelling performance of five students who were rising first through third grades. Each participant was diagnosed with a learning disability in reading and spelling. Using an Adapted Alternating Treatments Design, a teacher-led questioning procedure and a student-led visual comparison procedure were implemented in the unbranded Orton-Gillingham instructional model. Teacher- led questioning is the scaffolded model of error-correction described in Orton-Gillingham Simultaneous Oral Spelling instruction. Student-led visual comparison is a method which is well documented in the literature as highly effective for students with learning disabilities. The intervention results across participants showed little difference in students’ spelling accuracy under each condition. Responses to social validity questions indicated that student preference could be a determining factor in selecting which error correction method to implement in the Orton-Gillingham approach to spelling instruction.

Cultural awareness reminds ABA service providers of the importance of considering the cultural practices of others when programming for behavior change. Decisions about the appropriateness of services may be difficult, however, when the values of the client conflict with the values of the culture(s) to which the client belongs or with the cultural biases of the practitioner. To minimize such conflicts, we propose a decision-making model that integrates client-centered and culture-centered assessments of habilitative validity. Throughout the proposed evaluation process, the behavior analyst and the recipients of services collaborate to refine program goals that will increase access to reinforcers for the client and their cultural groups. Given that cultures arrange reinforcers and punishers for the individual, assessing habilitative and social validity for the cultural groups affected by services is emphasized as an essential component of the model. We illustrate how the proposed model could be used to suggest appropriate courses of action by analyzing a situation that may involve conflicts of values.

The long-term success of the practice of behavior analysis requires that practitioners adhere to the ethical standards of the profession. When providing a service that directly impacts the lives of others, even small unethical acts may cause significant harm to the consumer of behavioral services, stakeholders, and, ultimately, the professional community. Although familiarity with the ethical standards is a required component of training in applied behavior analysis, this alone may not be sufficient to influence the behavior of practitioners when in the presence of an ethical dilemma. We suggest that increasing and maintaining ethical behavior among practitioners of behavior analysis requires designing an environment conducive to this end. Drawing from research findings from the self-control and cooperation literature, we discuss ethical behavior as a choice that entails forgoing immediate individual gains to favor the best interest of others. Based on this approach, some strategies that may be included in the successful design of an ethical culture in agencies or organizations are suggested.

Multitiered systems of support (MTSS) is an effective model for identifying students at risk for academic failure as well as behavioral concerns (excesses and deficits) that impede classroom success. Over the years, researchers have investigated the positive effects of the MTSS model on behavioral needs of students; however to date, the research has not focused on the need for embedding trauma-informed practices into the MTSS tiers. This article fills a void in the research by providing a framework for a trauma-informed MTSS (TI-MTSS) model and a case study implementing this model. Specifically, it describes the scope, sequence, assessments, interventions, and staff roles across each tier as utilized in the pilot study. The success of this TI-MTSS model and lessons learned in this urban setting conclude the article along with suggestions for future research in other settings.

The current study examined the collateral effects of an antecedent intervention for decreasing speech volume on vocal stereotypy. After teaching the participant to use a conversational voice level by providing visual feedback from a decibel meter app, conversational voice levels were differentially reinforced in the presence of a green card. Differential effects in voice magnitude during a green-card condition and a no-card condition were demonstrated using an alternating-treatments design. Results showed a decrease in volume of speech during the green-card condition, an overall decrease in vocal stereotypy, and a decrease to zero levels in loud stereotypical vocalizations. The implications of these findings on the treatment of vocal stereotypy are discussed.

Despite systematic demonstrations of the effectiveness of the respondent-type procedure in producing relational responding, matching-to-sample continues to be the predominant approach for studying equivalence class formation. The length of exposure to stimulus pairings during respondent-type training, and repeated alternation of blocks of training and testing are factors that seem to undermine the practicality and the perceived effectiveness of the procedure. Further, the presentation of stimulus pairs without the simultaneous presence of nonclass members may be said to lack the complexity of the matching-to-sample stimulus arrangement. The present study evaluates the efficiency of a respondent matching-to-sample arrangement after exposing participants to a reduced number of training trials per baseline relation. Probes were added at the end of each block of training trials to verify the strength of S–S relations while keeping the number of acquisition trials to a minimum. At least half of the participants responded correctly to all probe trials per baseline relation after only one exposure, and all participants performed accurately in tests of derived relations. Procedural components of S–S training such as intermixing probes during training and arranging an environment-elicited orientation response towards the relevant stimuli, are discussed as key elements of efficient respondent equivalence training procedures.

Female athletes are at a greater risk for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries than males. Current training programs for ACL injury reduction focus on muscle strengthening, appropriate movement patterns, and balance training. However, there is limited research on effective strategies to teach youth female soccer athletes how to properly perform desired movements associated with a decreased risk of ACL injuries. Behavioral skills training (BST) programs have been shown to be effective in teaching a wide variety of skills, but research on applications to sports is limited. This study evaluated a BST package for teaching a stepwise agility program to 3 youth female soccer athletes that consisted of verbal instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback, which included video replay. Results showed a significant improvement in the number of steps the participants performed correctly relative to baseline, as well as maintenance of skills at follow-up. Implications for coaches and athletes, as well as limitations and directions for future research, are discussed.

The benefits of inclusion classrooms for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders have been frequently acknowledged by parents, instructors, and professionals in education settings. However, despite the general support for inclusion classrooms, students with autism often struggle academically. Among some of the factors that contribute to this outcome are: problems of student motivation, ineffective consequences for academic behavior, and ineffective learning histories with the instructor and the classroom environment. We review and describe evidence-based practices relative to each of these problems, all of which can be implemented by educators or other professionals in a classroom setting. We provide a description of these strategies, and examples of how to incorporate them effectively into daily instructional activities to improve academic engagement in children with autism.