A Meta-Analysis of Single-Case Research on Applied Behavior Analytic Interventions for People With Down Syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-141
Author(s):  
Nicole Neil ◽  
Ashley Amicarelli ◽  
Brianna M. Anderson ◽  
Kailee Liesemer

Abstract This systematic review evaluates single-case research design studies investigating applied behavior analytic (ABA) interventions for people with Down syndrome (DS). One hundred twenty-five studies examining the efficacy of ABA interventions on increasing skills and/or decreasing challenging behaviors met inclusion criteria. The What Works Clearinghouse standards and Risk of Bias in N-of-1 Trials scale were used to analyze methodological characteristics, and Tau-U effect sizes were calculated. Results suggest the use of ABA-based interventions are promising for behavior change in people with DS. Thirty-six high-quality studies were identified and demonstrated a medium overall effect. A range of outcomes was targeted, primarily involving communication and challenging behavior. These outcomes will guide future research on ABA interventions and DS.

2020 ◽  
pp. 104420732093404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Collin Shepley ◽  
Kathleen N. Zimmerman ◽  
Kevin M. Ayres

The implementation of research-based practices by teachers in public school classrooms is required under federal law as expressed in the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. To aid teachers in identifying such practices, researchers conduct systematic reviews of the educational literature. Although recent attention has been given to changes in the quality of these reviews, there has been minimal discussion about changes in the quality of the studies that comprise them. Specifically, to what extent have educational policies leading to the creation of experimental design standards resulted in a change in the rigor of educational research? Using a subset of the single-case literature commonly published in special education journals, we estimate the impact of What Works Clearinghouse single-case design standards on the trend in the rigor of single-case studies using a comparative interrupted time series framework. Within this subset of single-case studies, our estimation strategy did not detect a change in the trend of the rigor of single-case research following the establishment of What Works Clearinghouse single-case design standards. Implications are discussed for practitioners and researchers. Study data, syntax, and supplemental materials are available for public use at https://osf.io/xp7wv/.


2020 ◽  
pp. 027112141989972
Author(s):  
Collin Shepley ◽  
Jennifer Grisham-Brown ◽  
Justin D. Lane

Multitiered systems of support provide a framework for matching the needs of a struggling student with an appropriate intervention. Experimental evaluations of tiered support systems in grade schools have been conducted for decades but have been less frequently examined in early childhood contexts. A recent meta-analysis of multitiered systems of support in preschool settings exclusively synthesized outcomes from group design studies. Our current review extends this review by synthesizing single-case research examining interventions implemented within tiered support system frameworks in preschool settings. Our data indicate that single-case evaluations of tiered support systems do not frequently meet contemporary standards for rigor nor consistently identify functional relations. Recommendations and considerations for future research are discussed. Copies of completed coding tables, syntax, and supplemental tables referenced throughout the manuscript may be obtained via Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/ghptw/ .


2020 ◽  
pp. 109830072091114
Author(s):  
Virginia L. Walker ◽  
Megan E. Carpenter ◽  
Kristin J. Lyon ◽  
Lindsey Button

Paraprofessionals report spending a substantial amount of time addressing challenging behavior in a range of school environments, yet identify behavioral intervention as a high-priority training area. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to systematically review and summarize single-case intervention studies involving paraprofessional-delivered behavioral interventions for students with disabilities. Descriptive findings suggest that, among the reviewed studies, paraprofessionals primarily provided behavioral support to students with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and multiple disabilities who engage in a wide range of challenging behaviors in both inclusive and noninclusive school environments. Overall, training largely was delivered by researchers and resulted in positive paraprofessional implementation outcomes. Likewise, paraprofessional-implemented behavioral interventions contributed to desirable changes in student challenging and appropriate behavior, with effect size estimates significantly higher for interventions delivered to early childhood–age students and within inclusive school settings. Implications for practice, limitations, and future research directions are described.


2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise A. Soares ◽  
Judith R. Harrison ◽  
Kimberly J. Vannest ◽  
Susan S. McClelland

2018 ◽  
pp. 393-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariola Moeyaert ◽  
Kathleen N. Zimmerman ◽  
Jennifer. R. Ledford

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corey Peltier ◽  
Kristi L. Morin ◽  
Emily C. Bouck ◽  
Mindy E. Lingo ◽  
Joshua M. Pulos ◽  
...  

Manipulatives are widely considered an effective practice and have been recommended as an evidence-based practice for students identified with a learning disability when used within the concrete–representational–abstract instructional framework. The aim of the current study was to evaluate single-case experimental designs that implemented a mathematics intervention using manipulatives on the mathematical outcomes of students at risk or identified with a disability. A total of 53 studies were included in the review. The Tau- U effect size (ES) across studies ranged from 0.34 to 1.00, with an omnibus ES of 0.91 (CI95 = [0.87, 0.95]). The between-case standardized mean difference for individual studies ranged from 0.03 to 18.58. Moderator analyses revealed that out of nine variables analyzed (i.e., study quality, design, age, interventionist, manipulative type, perceptual richness, math concept, dependent variable, and disability category), only disability category served as a moderator. Implications for research and practice are discussed.


2019 ◽  
pp. 016264341989025
Author(s):  
Kristi L. Morin ◽  
Sarah Nagro ◽  
Jonet Artis ◽  
April Haas ◽  
Jennifer B. Ganz ◽  
...  

Video analysis is effective for changing the instructional practices of a variety of special educators in different settings and contexts; however, questions remain regarding whether (a) intervention characteristics moderate the results, (b) effects are differentiated by type of dependent variable, and (c) student outcomes improve when video analysis is used to improve educators’ skills. This meta-analysis reports the overall impact that video analysis has on student outcomes as well as the differential impact on special educator outcomes by dependent variable and implementation variables (i.e., length of videos, number of intervention videos, primary evaluator, and timing of feedback). A total of 30 publications reported outcomes for special education preservice teachers, in-service teachers, and paraprofessionals; of these, 12 publications reported student outcomes. Results are positive and indicate that video analysis is effective for improving student outcomes and that it can be successfully implemented in a variety of ways.


2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Bowman-Perrott ◽  
Mack D. Burke ◽  
Sharon de Marin ◽  
Nan Zhang ◽  
Heather Davis

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