Increasing integrity of a noncompliance procedure in a residential school for individuals with autism using the performance diagnostic checklist-human services

Document Type

Thesis

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Degree

M.S. Applied Behavior Analysis

Date Completed

2019

First Committee Member

Karsina, Allen

Second Committee Member

Henley, Amy

Third Committee Member

Roscoe, Eileen

Abstract

"We used the Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS; Carr, Wilder, Majadalany, Mathisen, & Strain, 2013) to identify the variables contributing to treatment integrity of a student’s behavior management guidelines, specifically a noncompliance procedure, in a direct-care setting. Participants included 4 direct-care staff employed at a residential school for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disorders. All participants were observed working with 1 student participant who was a 20-year-old male diagnosed with ASD and received services through the school. During a pre-assessment, data on the student’s complete behavior management guidelines showed that the noncompliance program was implemented with poor integrity. The PDC-HS was completed by the lead researcher for all participants corresponding to the student’s noncompliance program. For all participants, the PDC-HS results suggested that performance consequences, effort, and competition were contributing to the poor treatment integrity and that resources, materials, and processes were not contributing variables. A PDC-HS-indicated intervention was implemented using a multiple-baseline-across-participants design that consisted of a treatment package including constructive feedback and a self-monitoring data sheet. For 2 participants, a nonindicated intervention was implemented that consisted of increased resources. Following the indicated intervention participants met proficiency criteria, which was 2 consecutive sessions at or above 90% treatment integrity. Results showed that the indicated intervention was effective in increasing treatment integrity, whereas the nonindicated intervention was ineffective."

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