Challenging Behavior of Individuals with Autism and/or Other Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychiatric, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 April 2025 | Viewed by 626

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
Interests: challenging behavior; generalization; treatment; caregiver training

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Guest Editor
Department of Human Development and Child Studies, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA
Interests: severe challenging behavior; treatment; renewal; caregiver training

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Researchers and professionals working with individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are cordially invited to contribute to a Special Issue of Behavioral Sciences dedicated to the assessment and treatment of [severe] challenging or destructive behavior. Challenging behaviors (e.g., aggression or self-injury) can severely impact the health, safety, development, and quality of life of the individuals who exhibit it, as well as their families. As such, the accurate assessment of such behaviors is vital for effective intervention.

This Special Issue will highlight innovative research on assessment and interventions, and evidence-based practices that contribute to and promote our knowledge and practice in the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. We welcome original applied or translational research articles, replication studies, case studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and theoretical or conceptual papers that address challenging behavior across the life span, varying clinical settings (broadly defined, e.g., laboratory, clinic, home, or community), and the continuum of support systems (e.g., caregivers or trained therapists). Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) evidence-based assessment methods or function-based interventions, demonstrations of generalization or generalization-promoting strategies and long-term intervention outcomes beyond controlled settings, technological advancements, caregiver and staff training, multi-disciplinary approaches, and basic or laboratory demonstrations of phenomena related to our understanding of the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior. We also encourage submissions that discuss ethical considerations and best practices (e.g., procedural integrity) in the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior in individuals with ASD.

Dr. Lesley A. Shawler
Dr. Michael Kranak
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • challenging behavior
  • severe behavior
  • treatment
  • neurodevelopmental disorders

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

11 pages, 1939 KiB  
Article
Identifying Cyclical Patterns of Behavior Using a Moving-Average, Data-Smoothing Manipulation
by Billie J. Retzlaff, Andrew R. Craig, Todd M. Owen, Brian D. Greer, Alex O’Donnell and Wayne W. Fisher
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 1120; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121120 - 22 Nov 2024
Viewed by 380
Abstract
For some individuals, rates of destructive behavior change in a predictable manner, irrespective of the contingencies programmed. Identifying such cyclical patterns can lead to better prediction of destructive behavior and may allow for the identification of relevant biological processes. However, identifying cyclical patterns [...] Read more.
For some individuals, rates of destructive behavior change in a predictable manner, irrespective of the contingencies programmed. Identifying such cyclical patterns can lead to better prediction of destructive behavior and may allow for the identification of relevant biological processes. However, identifying cyclical patterns of behavior can be difficult when using traditional methods of visual analysis. We describe a data-manipulation method, called data smoothing, in which one averages the data across time points within a specified window (e.g., 3, 5, or 7 days). This approach minimizes variability in the data and can increase the saliency of cyclical behavior patterns. We describe two cases for which we identified cyclical patterns in daily occurrences of destructive behavior, and we demonstrate the importance of analyzing smoothed data across various windows when using this approach. We encourage clinicians to analyze behavioral data in this way when rates vary independently of programmed contingencies and other potentially controlling variables have been ruled out (e.g., behavior variability related to sleep behavior). Full article
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