Mand functions for two stimuli (A1 and A2) were trained for 3 children with autism and were then incorporated into two related conditional discriminations (A1-B1/A2 -B2 and B1-C1/B2-C2). Tests were conducted to probe for a derived transfer of mand response functions from A1 and A2 to C1 and C2, respectively. When 1 participant failed to demonstrate derived transfer of mand response functions, transfer training using exemplars was conducted. When participants had demonstrated derived transfer of mand functions, the X1 and X2 tokens that were employed as reinforcers for mand responses were incorporated into two conditional discriminations (X1-Y1/X2-Y2 and Y1-Z1/Y2-Z2). Tests were conducted for derived transfer of reinforcing functions. Finally, tests were conducted to determine if the participants would demonstrate derived manding for the derived reinforcers (present C1 and C2 to mand for Z1 and Z2, respectively). Derived transfer of functions was observed when the sequence of training and testing was reversed (i.e., training and testing reinforcing functions before mand response functions) and when only minimal instructions were provided.

In Experiment 1, more and less relations were trained for arbitrary Stimuli A1 and A2 with 3 children with autism. The following conditional discriminations were then trained: A1-B1, A2-B2, B1-C1, B2-C2. In subsequent tests, participants showed derived more-less mands (mand with C1 for more and mand with C2 for less). A training procedure reversed the B-C conditional discriminations, and participants then showed derived reversed more-less mands (mand with C1 for less, C2 for more). Baseline B-C relations were retrained, and participants subsequently demonstrated a return to the original derived manding. A second experiment with 1 prior participant and 1 naive participant removed a possible confounding effect. Establishing derived manding may be an advantageous component when teaching a mand repertoire in applied settings.

This aim of this study was to assess implicit and self-reported stigma towards people with dementia in young adults with no contact or experience ( n = 23), and in care-workers ( n = 17 professional dementia care-workers). Data were analysed to determine whether stigma was related to self-reported levels of depression, anxiety, stress and professional burnout. Forty participants completed the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure and Dementia Attitudes Scale. The Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale and Maslach Burnout Inventory were used to measure depression, anxiety, stress and professional burnout. The young adult group showed statistically significant levels of dementia stigma (on the two “ dementia” trial-types, p = .027 and p = .030). Statistical analyses showed more dementia-positive attitudes in care-workers compared to young adults on the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure and the Dementia Attitudes Scale (both p’s=.021). Spearman’s Rho correlations tests showed that for the care-givers, higher levels of burn-out were associated with more negative attitudes towards people with dementia on both of the Dementia Attitudes Scale subscales (social comfort p<.001 and dementia knowledge p=.005). The results support prior research showing that experience with a stigmatised group can lower stigma and demonstrate the importance of providing a supportive work environment to mitigate burnout.

This research investigated the efficacy of precision teaching (PT) on the reading fluency of typically developing children, aged 7-8 years. Seven participants were assigned to a PT intervention group and received 6 weeks of fluency training using Say All Fast a Minute Every Day Shuffled (SAFMEDS) fluency cards (Phase 1) and a Dolch story (Phase 2). Outcomes were measured using multiple baseline design (MBD) data, Standard Celeration Charts, and pre-intervention-post-intervention fluency scores. The MBD data show increased correct responding for PT participants from baseline to the end of each intervention phase. These improvements were maintained at a 3-week post-intervention follow-up. The MBD clearly demonstrated a replication of intervention effects across participants. The study supports prior research in this area showing that PT can lead to large and socially relevant gains in children's reading fluency.

According to Relational Frame Theory (rft), repertoires of derived relational responding are essential for the development of human verbal behavior. As a result, the implications of relational framing for the education of developmentally disabled populations may be immense. Although at the level of process, there appears to be little difference among specific relational frames, there is potentially a natural sequence to their emergence in typical development. However, there is very little published evidence of training children across multiple frames consecutively. The current research comprised four studies that explored an extended sequence of training and testing in the relational frames of coordination, opposition, distinction, and comparison in a sample of nine young children with autism. The results demonstrate the relative ease with which relational deficits in these areas were remediated. In addition, the relationship between outcomes on the Verbal Behavior Milestones and Placement Program-Assessment (vb-mapp) and individual relational training requirements was investigated.

. Electronic mail should be sent to sean.hughes@ugent.be.

Participants were four 14-year-old adolescent boys with diagnosed autism spectrum disorder and 3 children without diagnosed learning disorders aged 5 to 11. Training trials to establish more/less relational functions for 2 stimuli (X and Y, respectively) were interspersed with training trials to establish comparative relations among 5 other arbitrary stimuli (i.e., A is more than B, B is more than C, C is more than D, and D is more than E). Subsequent tests showed a derived transformation of functions for 7 participants (i.e., derived more/less mands). Exemplar training was required with 2 children. An ABA design with 3 participants showed manding was controlled by trained relations.

Three 14-year-old boys with diagnoses of autism learned to mand for the delivery or removal of tokens by presenting nonsense syllables (A(1-5), respectively). A match-to-sample procedure was used to establish conditional discriminations between the 5 A stimuli and 5 B stimuli and between the B stimuli and 5 C stimuli. Subsequently, each participant was able to use the C stimuli to mand, illustrating a transfer of function, although 1 participant first required multiple-exemplar training.