UPDATE: Angus Kittleman & Kate Bromley: FBAs and Work-Based Learning

Angus_Kittelman1. ResearKate_Wagnerchers’ names: Doctoral Students Angus Kittleman, Co-PIs (angusk@uoregon.edu) & Kate Bromley (kwagner3@uoregon.edu); Faculty Advisor Valerie Mazzotti (vmazzott@uoregon.edu)

2. Study Title: Functional Behavioral Assessments and Behavior Support Plans for Work-Based Learning

3. Phase of studyArticle is out in the spring issue of Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals.

Kittelman, A., Wagner Bromley, K., & Mazzotti, V. L. (2016). Functional behavioral assessments and behavior support plans for work-based learning. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 39(2), 121-127. doi: 10.1177/2165143416633682

4. Population or age group: Individuals with low-incidence disabilities engaging in minor to moderate problem behaviors in secondary education.

5. Summary: This is intended to be a practitioner article designed to assist job coaches with students in secondary settings engaging in minor to moderate problem behaviors that are participating in work-based learning experiences (e.g., working at restaurants, movie theaters, office environment). The paper discusses the basic process for competing a functional behavioral assessment, along with specific strategies for tailoring behavior support plans for students in community settings. A modified brief functional assessment interview tool was also created for the purposes of this article to assist practitioners in gathering additional ecological information concerning student’s job strengths to better support students participating in these types of community experiences.

6. Opportunity for Participation: Although there is no opportunity to participate at this time, future single case studies on this particular topic are in the early planning process. Please email Angus Kittelman or Kate Bromley if you are interested in possible future collaboration.

Tracy Jane Raulston – Play Date

Tracy_Raulston1. Researchers’ names: Doctoral Students Tracy Raulston, PI (tracyr@uoregon.edu), Sarah Hansen & Angus Kittleman; Faculty Advisor Wendy Machalicek (wmachali@uoregon.edu)

2. Study Title: Effects of Simulated Play Date on Parent Use of Strategies to Promote Social Skills in Children with Autism

3. Phase of study: Recruitment, follow-up, and data analysis as of Fall 2015.

4. Population or age group:Triads including children ages 3-7 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), their parent, and a typically-developing peer.

5. Summary:This study employs a non-concurrent multiple baseline single case design to train parents of children with autism to uses strategies to promote social skills during a simulated play date. The intervention package consists of strategies to prevent challenging behavior (e.g., social story, visual supports), specific techniques (environmental arrangement and prompting) to increase turn taking and language during game play with a peer, and strategies to reinforce appropriate social skills. Generalization to the home setting is assessed to evaluate the efficacy of this clinic-based, simulated approach

6. Opportunity for Participation: Actively recruiting participants through the Pearl Duck Autism Center (PDAC). Email Tracy Raulston at tracyr@uoregon.edu for more information.

Sarah Hansen – Shared moments: a parent-mediated, play based, joint attention intervention

Sarah Hansen1. Researcher name: Doctoral Students Sarah Hansen, PI (sgh@uoregon.edu), Tracy Raulston, Rebecca Frantz; Wendy Machalicek, Faculty Advisor (wmachali@uoregon.edu)

2. Study Title: Shared moments: a parent-mediated, play based, joint attention intervention

3. Phase of Study: Intervention/data analysis

4. Population or age group: Children with ASD ages 3-6

 5. Summary: This is a single subject multiple-baseline design across parent-child dyads to see if  parents can be trained to successfully implement a naturalistic and behavioral joint attention intervention. Four parents intervened on response to joint attention behaviors in their young (3-5) children with ASD. Joint attention, or shared attention on an object or event with another person is a pivotal social communication skill often missed in children with ASD.

6. Opportunity for Participation: Not currently.

Ronda Fritz – Increasing Observation Efficiency to Improve Instructional Quality in Small Group Intervention Settings

Rhonda_Fritz1. Researcher name: Ronda Fritz, PI (rfritz@uoregon.edu); Faculty Advisor, Beth Harn (bharn@uoregon.edu)

2. Study Title: Increasing Observation Efficiency to Improve Instructional Quality in Small Group Intervention Settings

3. Phase of study: IRB submitted

4. Population or age group: Kindergarten students at-risk for reading difficulties

5. Summary: Using an observational tool (Quality of Intervention Delivery and Receipt: QIDR) designed at the University of Oregon for measuring instructional quality in small group intervention settings, this study will examine the extent to which the QIDR can be used to observe very short observation periods (i.e., six minutes) and still obtain a reliable and valid measure of instructional quality that is predictive of student outcomes. Given the nature of intensive interventions and the specificity of the observation tool, it is predicted that the QIDR can be used to effectively measure instructional quality to provide more frequent feedback to interventionists for the purpose of improving instructional quality and subsequent student outcomes.

6. Opportunity for Participation: Observers are still needed to code existing videos. Time requirements include CITI training, QIDR training (approximately 4-6 hours), and 2-3 hours of video observation and coding. Please contact Ronda (rfritz@uoregon.edu) if you are interested in participating. Training and coding should commence during Fall 2015.