Biomedical subjects

David P Wacker

Publications and source records attributed to David P Wacker.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Using telemedicine to conduct behavioral assessments.

We describe the use of telemedicine by the Biobehavioral Service at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics to conduct brief functional analyses for children with developmental and behavioral disorders who live in rural areas of Iowa. Instead of being served at our outpatient facility, participants received initial behavioral assessments in their local schools or social service agencies via videoconference. Case descriptions for 2 participants whose evaluations were conducted via telemedicine, and a brief summary of all outpatient assessments conducted over a 4-year period by the Biobehavioral Service, are provided. This report extends previous applications of functional analysis procedures by examining brief behavioral assessments conducted via telemedicine.

Autistic Disorder↗

PubMed2005

Evaluation of relations between specific antecedent stimuli and self-injury during functional analysis conditions.

We evaluated the influence of child location on the occurrence of self-injurious behavior (SIB) during functional analyses conducted in home settings. An initial functional analysis conducted with 2 children who had developmental disabilities showed undifferentiated patterns of SIB. Analyses of behavior during free play suggested that the child's location was an active variable for self-injury. Both children showed a decrease in self-injury when they were placed next to their parent versus being placed in a wheelchair or on the floor. A second functional analysis was conducted with child and parent on a couch. Results showed low percentages of self-injury during free play, but high percentages during other test conditions. Functional communication training programs for each child resulted in decreases in self-injury.

Behavior Therapy↗

PubMed2005

The effects of sleep disruption on the treatment of a feeding disorder.

We evaluated the effects of sleep disruption on the mealtime behavior of a young boy with developmental disabilities. Results showed that bite acceptance was less likely to persist during meals following disrupted sleep, but only when escape extinction was not implemented. Findings are discussed in terms of establishing operations and the effects of sleep disruption on the assessment and treatment of feeding problems.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed2005

Combined antecedent variables as motivating operations within functional analyses.

Functional analysis test conditions typically manipulate a single antecedent variable and an associated consequence to better isolate response-reinforcer relations. In some instances no problem behavior is observed, perhaps representing a false-negative finding. The present study evaluated one approach to assess potentially false-negative findings within functional analyses. Participants were exposed to single-antecedent functional analysis test conditions and combined-antecedent test conditions within a multielement design. Both participants engaged in problem behavior primarily during the combined-antecedent test conditions, and treatments matched to the results were effective in reducing problem behavior. Findings are discussed in terms of clinical implications of combining antecedent variables to further examine potentially false-negative functional analysis results.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

An assessment of antecedent events influencing noncompliance in an outpatient clinic.

Several studies have shown that various factors can influence noncompliance, including task novelty, rate of presentation, and task preference. This study examined the impact of selected antecedent variables on noncompliance in an outpatient clinic setting. In two experiments involving 6 typically developing children, the consequences for noncompliance remained constant. During Experiment 1, demands that included noncontingent access to adult attention were contrasted with the same demands that did not include attention within a multielement design. In Experiment 2, demands were altered by decreasing the difficulty or amount of work or providing access to attention. In both experiments, results indicated idiosyncratic responses to the manipulated variables, with decreases in noncompliance observed following introduction of one or more antecedent variables with 5 of the 6 participants. These results suggested that noncompliance can be reduced via changes in antecedent variables, including adding potential positive reinforcers to the task situation, and that it is possible to probe variables that alter noncompliance in an outpatient clinic setting.

Ambulatory Care↗

PubMed2004

Promoting response variability and stimulus generalization in martial arts training.

The effects of reinforcement and extinction on response variability and stimulus generalization in the punching and kicking techniques of 2 martial arts students were evaluated across drill and sparring conditions. During both conditions, the students were asked to demonstrate different techniques in response to an instructor's punching attack. During baseline, the students received no feedback on their responses in either condition. During the intervention phase, the students received differential reinforcement in the form of instructor feedback for each different punching or kicking technique they performed during a session of the drill condition, but no reinforcement was provided for techniques in the sparring condition. Results showed that both students increased the number of different techniques they performed when reinforcement and extinction procedures were conducted during the drill condition, and that this increase in response variability generalized to the sparring condition.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Use of a short-term inpatient model to evaluate aberrant behavior: outcome data summaries from 1996 to 2001.

Previous outcome studies have provided descriptions of functional analyses conducted in outpatient clinics (Derby et al., 1992), long-term inpatient programs (Iwata, Pace, et al., 1994), and home environments (Wacker et al., 1998). This study provides a description of 138 children and adults with and without developmental disabilities who were evaluated and treated for aberrant behaviors on a short-term inpatient unit. The results indicated that the functional analyses conducted during a short-term inpatient evaluation were successful for 96% of the participants in identifying maintaining reinforcers of aberrant behavior and leading to an 80% or greater reduction in aberrant behavior for 76% of the participants in an average of 10 days.

Extinction, Psychological↗

PubMed2002

Assessment of mand selection for functional communication training packages.

We evaluated the effects of training novel and existing mands during functional communication training (FCT) to decrease problem behavior for 2 children. A functional analysis (Phase 1) identified mands for FCT. Phase 2 used distinct stimulus conditions to train novel and existing mands. Phase 3 evaluated allocation of responding within a concurrent-schedules design. When reinforcement for either mand was concurrently available, the children used existing mands more than novel mands, but higher levels of problem behavior occurred with existing mands.

Behavior Therapy↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The effects of fixed-time and contingent schedules of negative reinforcement on compliance and aberrant behavior.

Prior research has suggested that fixed-time (FT) schedules of reinforcement do not necessarily preclude the acquisition of appropriate behavior (e.g., mands) when combined with differential reinforcement (DRA). These studies also note that dense FT schedules are more likely to interfere with DRA packages than lean FT schedules. In the current investigation, we examined whether similar findings would occur with FT schedules of negative reinforcement. Schedule analyses were conducted with two participants following functional analyses that identified escape from task demands as the maintaining variable for problem behavior. Differential negative reinforcement of alternative behavior (DNRA) was implemented first to establish behavioral control (decreased problem behavior and increased compliance). Breaks (negative reinforcement) were then concurrently delivered on a FT basis under either dense (at a greater rate than that obtained during DNRA alone) or lean (at a lower rate than that obtained during DNRA) reinforcement schedules. In general, results showed that FT escape did not preclude compliance when the FT schedule was lean, but treatment gains were significantly disrupted when dense FT schedules were superimposed.

Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorder↗