S1E3 - “FOLLOW-THROUGH ABA”: IMPACTS AND FINDING ALTERNATIVES

This episode Zach and Caleb discuss the ethics surrounding the use of escape extinction and alternative procedures. They are joined by Dr. Megan Miller and Dr. Pat Friman. 

Learning Objectives

1. Evaluate the historical reliance on forcing compliance via physical follow-through, balancing traditional operant theory against modern clinical standards of compassionate and dignity-first care.

2. Identify the secondary co-effects of escape extinction—including escalated emotional responding, physical aggression, and relationship deterioration between the practitioner and the client.

3. Describe clinical programming that prioritizes learner assent, ongoing preference checks, and immediate situational modifications rather than executing forced physical guidance.

4. Describe proactive intervention sequences that systematically alter task difficulty, instructional pacing, and reinforcement density to decrease escape-maintained behavior without relying on aversive consequence procedures.

5. Contrast the long-term system utility of teaching an individual to functionally express a desire for a break or a task modification versus enforcing passive, forced completion of an instruction.

6. Describe educational and training standards for parents and staff members that emphasize instructional control earned through rapport-building and positive reinforcement over coercive physical follow-through strategies.

Show Notes:

#Do Better Movement - https://www.facebook.com/groups/dobettermovement/

BACB Professional and Ethical Compliance Codes-  2.09, 4.02, 4.09 https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/BACB-Compliance-Code-english_190318.pdf

The 7 Steps of Earning Instructional Control (2014) by Robert Schramm and Megan Miller

References:

Ala’i-Rosales, S., Cihon, J. H., Currier, T. D., Ferguson, J. L., Leaf, J. B., Leaf, R., ... & Weinkauf, S. M. (2019). The Big Four: Functional Assessment Research Informs Preventative Behavior Analysis. Behavior analysis in practice, 12, 222-234.

Allen, K. D., & Warzak, W. J. (2000). The problem of parental nonadherence in clinical behavior analysis: Effective treatment is not enough. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33, 373-391.

Fisher, W., Piazza, C., Cataldo, M., Harrell, R., Jefferson, G., & Conner, R. (1993). Functional communication training with and without extinction and punishment. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26, 23-36.

Jones, K. M., & Friman, P. C. (1999). A case study of behavioral assessment and treatment of insect phobia. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 32, 95-98.

Geiger, K. B., Carr, J. E., & LeBlanc, L. A. (2010). Function-based treatments for escape-maintained problem behavior: A treatment-selection model for practicing behavior analysts. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 3, 22-32.

Hoch, H., McComas, J. J., Thompson, A. L., & Paone, D. (2002). Concurrent reinforcement schedules: Behavior change and maintenance without extinction. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 155-169.

Piazza, C. C., Moes, D. R., & Fisher, W. W. (1996). Differential reinforcement of alternative behavior and demand fading in the treatment of escape‐maintained destructive behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 29, 569-572.

Piazza, C. C., Fisher, W. W., Hanley, G. P., Remick, M. L., Contrucci, S. A., & Aitken, T. L. (1997). The use of positive and negative reinforcement in the treatment of escape‐maintained destructive behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 30, 279-298.

Ringdahl, J. E., Kitsukawa, K., Andelman, M. S., Call, N., Winborn, L., Barretto, A., & Reed, G. K. (2002). Differential reinforcement with and without instructional fading. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 291-294.

Ward, S. (2013). Teaching good learner repertoires.Ward, S., Parker, A., & Perdikaris, A. (2017). Task as reinforcer: A reactive alternative to traditional forms of escape extinction. Behavior analysis in practice, 10, 22-34. 

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