David A Wilder

Florida Institute of Technology · School of Behavior Analysis

Toe walking, which is defined as walking with a bilateral toe-to-toe gait, is common among children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and can result in a number of medical problems. Both medical and behavioral treatments for toe walking have been evaluated. In the current study, we surveyed caregivers of individuals who engage in toe...

Modern medical training consists largely of lecture‐based instruction and in vivo or video modeling of specific skills. Other instructional methods, such as teaching with acoustical guidance (TAGteach), have rarely been evaluated. In this study, we compared teaching with tactile guidance, or tactile TAGteach in which a vibratory stimulus is deliver...

Basic research suggests that reinforcer immediacy is important; even short delays to reinforcement may impair learning. Further, a previous applied study showed that most participants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) acquired tacts more quickly with immediate reinforcement, compared to delays of 6 and 12 s. However, no research has examined vari...

Performance diagnostic assessment, or performance analysis, is the assessment component of organizational behavior management. Its purpose is to identify the environmental stimuli and events that contribute to performance concerns. Performance analysis includes historical, informant, descriptive, and experimental methods of assessment. This chapter...

In applied behavior analysis, parents or other caregivers are often trained to implement an intervention after the intervention has been demonstrated effective when implemented by professionals. However, training novice staff members to conduct specific behavioral interventions has received less attention. This is particularly true in the context o...

Idiopathic toe walking (ITW) refers to ambulation with a toe‐to‐toe gait in the absence of a known cause. Although it is exhibited by typically developing children, it is more common among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Persistent ITW can cause several long‐term medical problems, including ankle deformities and balance and posture ab...

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) is an assessment used to identify variables contributing to staff performance concerns in human-service settings. In the current study, we introduce and assess the test validity, interrater reliability, and test-retest reliability of the PDC-HS (1.1), a revised version of the assessment t...

Previous behavior-analytic research to improve dance performance has separately demonstrated the efficacy of TAGteach and self-evaluative video feedback. However, no research has directly compared these two interventions. In this study, we used an adapted alternating-treatment design to examine the effects of TAGteach versus self-evaluative video f...

Noncompliance, or doing anything other than what is described in an adult-delivered instruction, is the most common childhood behavior problem. Assessment of noncompliance involves identifying the instructions which evoke it and the environmental conditions under which it occurs. Assessment can be accomplished via indirect, direct, or experimental...

Idiopathic toe-walking (ITW) describes a condition in which individuals walk with a toe-to-toe gait, preventing heel contact with the ground, in the absence of any known cause. ITW is most common among children with autism spectrum disorder. If left untreated, ITW can adversely affect ankles, joints, and tendons and has been associated with long-te...

Idiopathic toe-walking (ITW) describes a condition in which children walk with a toe-to-toe gait pattern in the absence of any known cause (Sala et al., Dev Med Child Neurol 41:846–8, 1999). Although it is occasionally exhibited by young, typically developing children, ITW is more common among children with intellectual disabilities. Over time, ITW...

Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) is commonly used to reduce behavioral excesses. Momentary DRO schedules involve delivery of reinforcement contingent upon the absence of the target behavior at a given moment. Two variations of momentary DRO exist: fixed‐momentary (FM) DRO and variable‐momentary (VM) DRO. In the current study, we d...

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist - Human Services (PDC-HS) is an assessment designed to assess the environmental variables contributing to employee performance concerns in human-service settings. Recent research has demonstrated that interventions indicated by the PDC-HS result in improved employee performance across several human-service setti...

Organizational behavior management (OBM) is the application of behavioral principles to individuals and groups working in business, industry, government, and human service settings. In this paper, we describe OBM methodology in research and practice, highlighting pinpointing, measurement of performance, procedural integrity, and maintenance. We con...

Noncontingent or response‐independent access to matched, competing stimuli has been shown to be effective to decrease automatically maintained challenging behavior. Despite research on its effectiveness, various schedules of noncontingent access to matched competing stimuli have not been directly compared. The purpose of the current study was to co...

Previous research has demonstrated that a minimum ratio of 5 affirmative to 1 constructive interactions is correlated with successful long-term intimate relationships, and similar (i.e., 4:1) ratios have been suggested in the context of supervisory relationships in employment settings. However, research has yet to examine methods of increasing inte...

Toe walking is relatively common among children with autism spectrum disorder and, if untreated, can contribute to a number of medical problems. Previous research has suggested that toe walking may vary by walking surface. Some (e.g., rough) surfaces may inhibit toe walking, whereas other surfaces may encourage it. In the current study, we first co...

In behavior analytic research, procedural integrity refers to the extent to which the independent variable is implemented as described. Collecting and reporting data on procedural integrity are important for assessing the internal validity of a study; it assists in verifying that the independent variable, and not an extraneous variable, is responsi...

During the COVID-19 outbreak, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommended that everyone 2 years and older wear a face mask while in a community setting. However, children with autism may be reluctant to wear a mask, particularly for extended durations. In the current study, we implemented a graduated exposure procedure to teach mask wearing fo...

Staff turnover can pose a significant problem for human service organizations. For Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) service providers, turnover may be particularly problematic due to the resources required for training. Accreditation organizations such as the Behavioral Health Center for Excellence® (BHCOE®) collect large amounts of organizational d...

Feedback is the most commonly used intervention in Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), and recent research has examined both the effects of inaccurate feedback on performance as well as rumors created due to inaccurate rules. To date, no studies have assessed the effects of providing differing information regarding feedback accuracy during th...

Although functional analysis (FA) methodology has been used to identify treatments for elopement, the results of some of these analyses have been confounded by the retrieval of participants. Recently, researchers have used latency‐based FAs, which eliminate the retrieval component during a session, to assess elopement. In the current study, we repl...

Demand curve fitting is a method of data analysis for interpreting reinforcer consumption. These methods were established and validated by examining increases in unit price (UP) across sessions. An alternative experimental preparation is the progressive-ratio (PR) schedule in which schedule requirements increase within a session. Although PR schedu...

Previous research has suggested that the response‐independent delivery of preferred stimuli can increase compliance to low‐probability instructions, although these results have been mixed. Two variables that might affect compliance during this procedure are the magnitude and duration of access to the stimuli. In the current study, we evaluated stim...

The high‐probability (high‐p) instructional sequence typically consists of the delivery of a series of high‐p instructions immediately followed by the delivery of a low‐probability (low‐p) instruction and is a commonly used procedure to increase compliance among children with intellectual disabilities. In the current study, we used withdrawal desig...

We conducted a functional analysis to identify the specific features of feet responsible for evoking inappropriate sexual behavior (ISB) by an adolescent male with autism. Results showed that bare female and male feet evoked ISB. We then evaluated a treatment consisting of a rule describing appropriate and inappropriate behavior in the presence of...

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) is primarily an informant-based assessment tool designed to help consultants identify variables contributing to problematic employee performance and formatted specifically for use in human service settings. In an evaluation of the tool’s validity and reliability, a previous study used a s...

Three-step guided compliance (vocal prompt, vocal plus model prompt, vocal prompt plus physical guidance) is a commonly used procedure to increase compliance among children with intellectual disabilities. Previous research has suggested that under some conditions, slight modifications to the three-step procedure may enhance its effectiveness. These...

We evaluated written instructions plus video modeling—and when necessary, in vivo prompting and feedback—to teach 3 parents to implement a structured meal procedure to decrease food selectivity among their children with autism. In addition to data on correct parent implementation, we also collected data on child bite acceptance. Results showed that...

Response effort refers to the distance, force/pressure, or number of discrete behaviors required to engage in a response. In applied behavior analysis, response effort has been used as an independent variable to address a variety of target responses. In this manuscript, we summarize recent clinical and organizational studies in which response effor...

Tantrums are displays of negative emotional behavior; they often include intense crying and screaming, and are sometimes accompanied by property disruption or destruction, aggression, and unusual motor behavior (e.g., foot stomping, breath holding). They are typically exhibited by young children and individuals with intellectual disabilities. Tantr...

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) is an informant-based tool designed to identify the variables contributing to poor employee performance in human service settings, such as clinics, schools, and residential facilities. Upon completion of the tool, an intervention indicated by PDC-HS results is used to improve employee per...

We conducted 2 experiments in which we used an informant-based assessment tool (i.e., the Performance Diagnostic Checklist–Parent; PDC-P) to identify an intervention specifically targeted to address the variables responsible for deficient intervention plan implementation by parents. In Experiment 1, we administered the PDC-P to 3 parents who were i...

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) is an informant-based tool used to identify the environmental variables contributing to employee performance problems in human service settings. Although previous research has suggested that the tool is useful to identify an intervention which can be used to improve performance, no studie...

We further evaluated the Performance Diagnostic Checklist- Safety (PDC-Safety) by comparing the effectiveness of a PDC-Safety indicated intervention with a PDC-Safety non-indicated intervention for three employees at a clinic serving children with intellectual disabilities. The interventions targeted participants’ hand washing before working with c...

In applied behavior analysis, the use of function-based treatments to reduce problem behavior is well-supported. However, in some cases, function-based treatments alone may not be as effective as nonfunction-based treatments or function-based treatments with additional, nonfunction-based components. In this case study, we compared the delivery of p...

We replicated and extended previous research on the use of auditory feedback to decrease toe walking exhibited by 3 children with autism. After pretreatment screening analyses suggested that toe walking occurred independent of social consequences, we attached squeakers to the heels of each participants' shoes. The squeakers provided auditory feedba...

The number of practicing behavior analysts who hold Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) certification has substantially increased in the past decade. Some have mistakenly interpreted the BACB’s certification requirements as being specific to the autism and intellectual disabilities practice area. We present key BACB requirements, describe h...

The high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence, which involves the delivery of a series of high-p instructions immediately before delivery of a low-probability (low-p) instruction, is a commonly used procedure to increase compliance among children and individuals with intellectual disabilities. Although the modal ratio of high-p instructions...

After a pretreatment screening analysis suggested that rumination by a 19‐year‐old man with autism was maintained by automatic reinforcement, we evaluated his preference for three snack foods and the frequency of his rumination after consuming each. Rumination was more common after eating high‐preference foods. We then examined noncontingent access...

The high‐probability (high‐p) instructional sequence involves the delivery of a series of high‐probability instructions immediately before delivery of a low‐probability or target instruction. It has been shown to be efficacious for treating noncompliance among children and individuals with intellectual disabilities. Previous research (Esch & Frylin...

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist—Human Services (PDC–HS) is an informant-based tool designed to assess the environmental variables that contribute to poor employee performance in human service settings. Although the PDC–HS has been shown to effectively identify variables contributing to problematic performance, interventions based on only two o...

We reviewed the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA), Journal of Organizational Behavior Management (JOBM), and Behavior Analysis in Practice (BAP) from 1990 to 2016, to identify articles that evaluated organizational behavior management interventions in a human service setting. Of those articles, 75 articles met the inclusion criteria for t...

We evaluated a procedure in which a wristband worn by a young boy with autism signaled the availability of praise for appropriate walking and the delivery of reprimands for toe walking. In the absence of the wristband, no programmed consequences were delivered for appropriate walking or toe walking. Once toe walking decreased to criterion levels wi...

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist-Human Services (PDC-HS) is an informant-based tool designed to identify the variables responsible for performance problems. To date, the PDC-HS has not been examined with individuals with intellectual disabilities. In the current study, two supervisors with intellectual disabilities completed the PDC-HS to asses...

Appropriate toileting is an important skill for independent living. A number of toilet training procedures have been shown to be effective to increase toileting skills among children and individuals with disabilities. However, behavioral problems such as self-injury, aggression, and noncompliance exhibited by trainees may complicate training and de...

We reviewed all issues of the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management (JOBM) from 2000 through 2015 to identify the percentage of empirical articles, which utilized some form of preintervention assessment. In addition, we categorized five types of assessment used and compared the number of assessments conducted in each category. Finally, beca...

Noncompliance is a common behavior problem exhibited by typically developing children, as well as individuals with intellectual disabilities, and is correlated with a number of psychiatric diagnoses later in life. We begin this manuscript by describing the definition and prevalence of noncompliance. We then review the assessment procedures that can...

The high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence consists of the delivery of a series of high-probability instructions immediately before delivery of a low-probability or target instruction. It is commonly used to increase compliance in a variety of populations. Recent research has described variations of the high-p instructional sequence and e...

After a functional analysis yielded undifferentiated results, a subsequent assessment suggested self-injury exhibited by a young boy with autism was sensitive to physical restraint. Canvas arm splints with metal stays were initially effective to reduce self-injury. Although we successfully faded the number of stays in each sleeve to 3, self-injury...

The use of the high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence to increase compliance, which includes issuing a series of instructions with which a participant is likely to comply immediately before issuing a low-probability instruction, has received mixed support in the literature. Previous research has suggested that the delivery of response ind...

We evaluated a preliminary method for examining the antecedent and consequent contributions to noncompliance exhibited by two children with disabilities. In Phase 1, we assessed whether noncompliance was a result of a skill deficit. For one participant, we then conducted a functional analysis to determine the variables maintaining noncompliance in...

Many workers in industrialized nations spend their day seated at a desk. Research suggests that accumulated sitting time increases risk for certain diseases (van der Ploeg, Chey, Korda, Banks, & Bauman, 2012). To reduce risk, health researchers recommend frequent standing or walking breaks during the workday. In the current study, we evaluated 3 be...

We describe the conceptualization and development of the Behavior Analysis programs at the Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech). From its beginnings as a small master’s program in applied behavior analysis (ABA), the Behavior Analysis programs at Florida Tech have now grown to include three Master of Science programs across two campuses,...

Rumination is the deliberate regurgitation, chewing, and swallowing of stomach contents, and operant vomiting is the purposeful expulsion of vomitus from the mouth. Rumination is estimated to occur in 6–10 % of individuals with intellectual disabilities and is associated with a number of adverse health consequences, such as malnutrition, esophageal...

We used discrete-trial training to teach 3 children with autism to tact shapes of countries using 3 levels of reinforcement delay for correct responding: 0 s (immediate delivery), 6 s, and 12 s. Two of the 3 participants acquired the targets more quickly in the immediate-delivery condition, suggesting that delays as brief as 6 s may be detrimental...

We adapted the Performance Diagnostic Checklist to analyze the environmental events contributing to safe and at-risk behaviors by employees in organizations. We then used the resulting tool, the Performance Diagnostic Checklist–Safety (PDC-Safety), to identify variables contributing to unsafe equipment usage by 3 members of a landscaping crew at a...

Safety is a large concern in organizational and community settings. Behavioral safety, the application of behavioral principles to safe performance, has contributed to safe practices in many ways. This chapter first describes behavioral safety, briefly reviews its history, and then notes some of the target behaviors and industries in which it has b...

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist (PDC) has been used in a number of investigations to assess the environmental determinants of substandard employee performance. Carr et al. (2013) revised the PDC to explicitly assess the performance of employees in human-service settings who are responsible for providing care to others: the Performance Diagnost...

Applied behavior analysis (ABA), the application of the principles of behavior to problems of social significance, relies on peer-reviewed research to establish and confirm the effectiveness of practical procedures across a wide variety of applied areas (Baer et al. 1968). These areas include, but are not limited to, the assessment and treatment of...

In 2 experiments, we examined the effects of programmed reinforcement for compliance with high-probability (high-p) instructions on compliance with low-probability (low-p) instructions. In Experiment 1, we compared the high-p sequence with and without programmed reinforcement (i.e., edible items) for compliance with high-p instructions. Results sho...

After a pre-treatment screening analysis suggested that rumination exhibited by a boy with autism occurred in the absence of social consequences, we evaluated the effect of a verbal reprimand contingent on the target behavior via a reversal design. The reprimand reduced rumination to near-zero levels; we then thinned the reprimand schedule and rumi...

The Performance Diagnostic Checklist–Human Services (PDC-HS) is an informant-based tool designed to assess the environmental variables that contribute to poor employee performance in human services settings. We administered the PDC-HS to 3 supervisors to assess the variables that contributed to poor performance by 4 staff members when securing clie...

Previous research has shown that employee preferences for tangible items may change significantly from one month to the next. Although a 1-month interval may be too long to wait between preference assessment administrations, no guidelines exist with regard to how often to assess employee preference. This study examined changes in preference as meas...

We examined the effect of equipment proximity on the safe performance of 3 assembly workers in a manufacturing setting. After a baseline period in which protective eyewear was kept 6.1 m from employee workstations, task clarification was used to inform participants to wear their eyewear while they worked. Next, the eyewear was moved to 1.5 m from e...

Although massed-trial instruction, distributed-trial instruction, and task interspersal have been shown to be effective methods of teaching skills to children with autism spectrum disorders, they have not been directly compared. In the current study, we taught 6 children to tact shapes of countries using these methods to determine which would resul...

We conducted two experiments to evaluate the effects of errors of omission and commission during alternative reinforcement of compliance in young children. In Experiment 1, we evaluated errors of omission by examining two levels of integrity during alternative reinforcement (20 and 60 %) for child compliance following no treatment (baseline) versus...

We evaluated a modified technique for teaching self-control and increasing the duration of waiting for access to a preferred item among 3 children with autism. Participants initially chose an immediate small reinforcer over a delayed large reinforcer and a delayed large reinforcer with a concurrent activity requirement for the duration of the delay...