
Jason C VladescuCaldwell University · Applied Behavior Analysis
Jason C Vladescu
Ph.D.
About
81
Publications
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Introduction
Jason C. Vladescu, Ph.D., BCBA-D, NCSP, LBA(NY) is a partner at North Jersey Behavioral Health Services, a Professor in the Department of Applied Behavior Analysis at Caldwell University and a Clinical Supervisor in the Center for Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis.
Additional affiliations
August 2016 - present
August 2011 - August 2016
July 2010 - July 2011
Education
September 2004 - December 2010
August 2000 - May 2004
Publications
Publications (81)
The purpose of the present study was to use behavioral skills training (BST) that incorporated feedback through the Quality Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (QCPR) Learners application to teach hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The QCPR Learners app is an application downloaded to the user's mobile device which is connected to a training...
Research is needed to identify staff training techniques that optimize training time and do not require the presence of a staff trainer. Asynchronous training procedures, such as video modeling and computer-based instruction, do not require the simultaneous presence of a trainer and trainee, but include different training characteristics that must...
Many behavior analysts currently work in school settings, or with individuals who may qualify for educational services through federal special education law. However, it remains unclear what training, if any, behavior analysts receive in this law. Behavior analysts have an ethical responsibility to practice within their scope of competency and in c...
Objectives
Previous reviews highlight the similarities in teaching healthcare and hygiene routines to individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. Additionally, similar interventions are used when interfering behaviors occur. Although these routines are topographically distinct, there are enough similarities to suggest...
Staff training is an important line of research to ensure that clinicians in the field of applied behavior analysis provide quality services. One approach to providing training involves the use of asynchronous training materials in which the trainer and trainee do not need to be physically present at the same time. This allows for training despite...
The current study compared equivalence‐based instruction (EBI) to self‐study of American Sign Language (ASL) videos to teach eight 3‐member classes of signs with 24 college students. Four of the equivalence classes consisted of verbs (i.e., throw, touch, blow, spin) and four classes were object nouns (i.e., truck, dollar, egg, ball). Each class con...
Equivalence-based instruction (EBI) involves the teaching of socially relevant material (e.g., academic material) with stimulus equivalence procedures. In the research literature, training and testing of equivalence classes has been almost exclusively conducted on an individual basis. To extend the literature, the present study compared the effects...
The impact of Verbal Behavior (Skinner, 1957) on behavior analytic research, although not immediate, has steadily increased. Empirical investigations of verbal operants initially focused on mands and tacts, yet other operants such as intraverbals, echoics, and autoclitics have started to receive more attention. Aguirre et al. (2016) reviewed intrav...
Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are often taught using discrete trial instruction. Because of low trainer-to-staff ratios commonly found in human service settings, research is needed to find an efficient method to train staff to implement discrete trial instruction with little to no in-vivo training by a qualified trainer. One such...
Behavioral skills training (BST) is an empirically supported procedure consisting of instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. BST is applicable to training a variety of skills, including how to conduct instruction, teach communication abilities, promote activity engagement, and assess preference among service recipients. This chapter will p...
To reduce sleep-related infant deaths, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has identified safe infant sleep recommendations; however, it is unclear which training strategies to teach safe infant sleep practices are most effective. Since the AAP released updated safe sleep recommendations in 2016, no analysis of the safe infant sleep training l...
Due to the low employment rates of adults with autism spectrum disorder, it is important to identify efficient and effective methods to teach these individuals vocational skills. The purpose of the current literature review was to expand on the previous reviews, to identify all studies regardless of participant age that taught vocational skills. A...
The rapid acquisition and generality of skills are important considerations when developing teaching techniques in various educational settings. Acquiring skills without direct teaching reduces instructional time, improves efficiency, and saves money. These desirable outcomes can be achieved through generative instruction such as matrix training. N...
Deficits in safety skills and communication place individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at risk of danger. Abduction prevention remains an understudied area. Video modeling has proven to be effective in some research on teaching safety skills to individuals with ASD. Existing research has yet to assess responding to lures from known peopl...
The current study compared two equivalence-based instruction (EBI) protocols to each other and to a self-study control group to teach classes of logical fallacies to college students. The two different EBI protocols were stimulus-pairing yes-no (SPYN) responding and match-to-sample (MTS). Four three-member logical fallacy classes were taught (i.e.,...
Didactic approaches are commonly employed to train staff despite limited evidence to support their use. On the other hand, behavioral skills training (BST) has been successfully used to teach a range of trainees a variety of skills. Moreover, trainees seemingly value BST components. As such, BST represents a drastic departure from didactic training...
A number of variables may influence the effectiveness and efficiency of skill acquisition. One variable that may be important is set size. The current study replicated and extended Kodak et al. (2020) by evaluating the stimulus set size that led to the most efficient skill acquisition for two adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. More specific...
Accurate analysis of data is vital to the validation of interventions. As such, there has been a recent increase in studies evaluating visual analysis training procedures. However, past investigations have not evaluated direct and indirect visual analysis training methods with matched instructional content that was systematically designed. Furtherm...
Annually, thousands of infant deaths are classified as sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUIDs). In an effort to reduce the risk of SUIDs, the American Academy of Pediatrics has made a number of recommendations to educate caregivers, childcare providers, and healthcare professionals on safe infant sleep practices. The purpose of the current study wa...
One strategy to program for generalization is to vary noncritical features in teaching exemplars, thereby avoiding noncritical features from being highly correlated with reinforcement and thus gaining faulty stimulus control. In the current translational evaluation, 2 groups of adults of typical development were taught to respond to arbitrary stimu...
Stimulus equivalence-based instruction (EBI) was used to teach young children of typical development three 4-member equivalence classes containing contact information from three caregivers (e.g., mother, father, and grandmother). Each class comprised the caregiver's (a) photograph, (b) printed name, (c) printed phone number, and (d) printed name of...
The American Academy of Pediatrics (2016a) has made several recommendations regarding the safe positioning of infants by caregivers, including placing infants in a supine position for sleep and in prone for supervised periods of tummy time. However, caregivers may have difficulty adhering with these recommendations. A small, but growing, number of...
Asynchronous training procedures, which do not require the simultaneous presence of a trainer and trainee, may offer benefits over synchronous training because they may be more efficient, cost‐effective, and easier to disseminate. Additionally, asynchronous training may address low trainer to staff ratios. The purpose of this literature review was...
Instructive feedback (IF) is a modification to discrete trial instruction that may increase instructional efficiency for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Several variations of IF have recently been evaluated in the literature; however, few studies have assessed the effectiveness and efficiency of presenting secondary targets on continuous...
Thousands of children die each year as a result of unintentional injuries. Some of these deaths may be preventable. Given that there are different types of safety responses, a comprehensive review of the literature would provide information on important deficits and avenues for future research. The purpose of the present review was to evaluate the...
Obesity, which increases individuals’ risk for a variety of health problems and is associated with increased health-care expenses, is considered a public health concern due to the rapidly increasing rates of people who are considered obese (World Health Organization [WHO], 2018). One potential method for decreasing rates of obesity is to teach peop...
Over 3,000 children under 10 years old died in 2017 as a result of unintentional injuries (e.g. suffocation, drowning, firearm discharge, burns, and accidental poisonings). Some of these deaths likely occurred when children came across a dangerous item while unsupervised. In the current study two typically developing 4-year-olds were taught to enga...
Procedural integrity errors have widespread implications for the success or failure of behavior analytic interventions. However, previous research has not examined the effects of procedural integrity errors during auditory-visual conditional discrimination with clinical populations. The purpose of this preliminary investigation was to replicate and...
There are over 3,000 sleep related infant deaths each year in the United States. Attempts to teach medical personnel and parents safe infant sleep practices in the infant sleep training literature have demonstrated mixed results. Thus, strategies to teach arrangements of safe infant sleep environments warrant further investigation. Behavioral skill...
Video-based instruction has been effective in teaching a range of skills, including functional living skills, to individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Few studies have compared the efficacy and efficiency across video modality-specifically, comparing video modeling to video prompting. Consequently, practitioners have little empirical guidance...
Unintentional injury is a leading cause of death for infants and children. Although the specific causes of these deaths vary, a subset is the result of contact with dangerous stimuli. Along these lines, effort has been made to evaluate ways to teach children to engage in a safety response when a dangerous stimulus is encountered. Following a discus...
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there are approximately 3,500 sleep related infant deaths each year in the United States. National campaigns and legislation have advocated adherence to safe sleep practices since the 1990’s, however, rates of infant mortality have remained fairly unchanged since the recommendation of the supine posi...
Noncompliance can be a concern for some children with autism and can affect their interactions with their parents. A token economy may be an effective and easily transportable strategy for parents to provide reinforcement to their children for compliance with directions. The results of this study (a) systematically replicated Spiegel, Kisamore, Vla...
Assessment plays a vital role in the programming and education of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To date, only a small handful of studies have evaluated the use of assessment to identify the most efficient instructional practices for individuals with ASD. This is problematic as these individuals often have difficulty acquiring skills...
All components of behavioral skills training may not be necessary to effectively train staff to implement behavior-analytic technologies with children with disabilities. This study evaluated manualized instruction to train inexperienced staff to implement a token economy with a confederate and collect data on learner responding. A nonconcurrent mul...
Early intensive behavioral intervention is costly and comprehensive; thus, research is needed to identify procedures that increase instructional efficiency for learners with autism spectrum disorder. A growing body of literature provides support for the use of instructive feedback. Broadly speaking, research has shown instruction is more efficient...
Few studies have evaluated the use of assessment to identify the most efficient instructional practices for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. This is problematic as these individuals often have difficulty acquiring skills, and the procedures that may be efficient with one individual may not be for others. The experimenters conducted instru...
The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of implementing differential reinforcement at different times relative to the onset of teaching new skills to learners with autism spectrum disorder. Specifically, we first determined the most efficient differential reinforcement arrangement for each participant. Using the most efficient a...
The current experiment is a systematic replication of previous studies that evaluated the efficiency of echoic and tact prompts on the acquisition of intraverbals (i.e., French‐to‐English translations) following exposure to each prompt type. We extended these studies by (a) evaluating participants' language skills on standardized assessments, (b) i...
We assessed the effects of trainees observing and rating the accuracy of others implementing a paired-stimulus preference assessment from video on the trainees' subsequent implementation accuracy. These observational experiences increased implementation accuracy with both a confederate and an actual consumer. These results suggest conducting observ...
Teaching individuals a safety response when they encounter a firearm may be one way to prevent accidental injuries or death. Previous researchers have used behavioral skills training (BST) with and without in situ training to teach individuals with and without disabilities to engage in a safety response in the presence of a firearm. However, few st...
Being familiar with world religions and their diverse practices is referred to as religious literacy. The present study compared the effects of stimulus equivalence-based instruction (EBI) and video lecture (VL) to increase religious literacy in middle-school students; 10 participants were assigned to either the EBI or the VL group. Participants in...
Providing a choice of reinforcers is a commonly used strategy with children with autism spectrum disorder; however, less is known about the differential effectiveness and efficiency of providing choices before or after responding during acquisition tasks.Therefore, we evaluated reinforcer choice using untaught targets prior to and following respond...
Behavior analysis is among the most sought-after early-intervention programs for children with developmental disabilities, with language
training being a common primary objective. Many early-intervention programs subscribe to a traditional conceptualization of language skills and focus on developing a robust vocabulary. Conversely, Skinner's
(Verba...
Social behavior ranges from simple responses (e.g., making eye contact when speaking to another, imitating the behavior of others, initiating conversations) to complex responses such as understanding and taking the perspective of others, empathizing with others, maintaining conversations, using and understanding figurative language, understanding w...
Stimulus equivalence paradigms are successful interventions for teaching individuals a variety of skills. In particular, researchers have taught individuals how to more accurately estimate portion sizes of foods using equivalence-based instruction (EBI). This area of research lacks information on the effects of using nonfood items during EBI. The p...
Correctly installed child passenger safety restraints may reduce the risk of child injury and death during accidents. The present study evaluated behavioral skills training and self‐monitoring to teach correct installation and use of a child passenger safety restraint in the rear‐facing position. Extension probes were conducted with untrained insta...
The primary method of data analysis in applied behavior analysis is visual analysis. However, few investigations to date have taught the skills necessary for accurate visual analysis. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate computer-based training on the visual analysis skills of adults with no prior experience. Visual analysis was taught...
Generalization is a critical outcome for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who display new skills in a limited range of contexts. In the absence of proper planning, generalization may not be observed. The purpose of the current study was to directly compare serial to concurrent multiple exemplar training using total training time per...
Behavior analysts frequently use stimulus preference assessments to identify putative reinforcers for consumers with autism spectrum disorder. The current study evaluated the effect of video modeling with voiceover instruction and on-screen text (VMVOT) and performance feedback to train staff to implement the multiple-stimulus-without-replacement,...
Research on tact acquisition by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has often focused on teaching participants to tact visual stimuli. It is important to evaluate procedures for teaching tacts of nonvisual stimuli (e.g., olfactory, tactile). The purpose of the current study was to extend the literature on secondary target instruction and t...
Providing students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) a choice of putative reinforcers during learning trials may confer advantage during skill acquisition programming. However, such advantage should not be assumed and may not be associated with the most efficient instructional arrangement. In the current study, we taught labels of common object o...
Although choice of task has been effective in reducing noncompliance, it may provide an opportunity to escape from less-preferred tasks. We used a reversal design to evaluate the effects of choice of a low-preference task sequence on noncompliance, task engagement, and duration to complete activities across two individuals with autism spectrum diso...
Few studies have evaluated methods for training decision-making when functional analysis data are undifferentiated. The current study evaluated computer-based training to teach 20 graduate students to arrange functional analysis conditions, analyze functional analysis data, and implement procedural modifications. Participants were exposed to traini...
Children have been taught to demonstrate a safety response when they encounter a dangerous stimulus using behavioral skills training (BST). However, little research has evaluated the usefulness of BST to teach safety skills to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the current study, we evaluated BST to establish a generalized repertoire...
We replicated Fritz, Iwata, Hammond, and Bloom (2013) by evaluating the efficacy of an
experimental methodology to identify precursors to aggression displayed by an adolescent with
autism spectrum disorder. Using their trial-based precursor analysis, we identified seven precursors
to aggression. Next, we compared the outcomes of separate precursor...
The current study examined the outcome of presenting multiple secondary targets in learning trials for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. We compared conditions in which (a) a secondary target was presented in the antecedent and consequence of trials, (b) two secondary targets were presented in the consequence of trials, (c) one secondary t...
Behavior analysts frequently use stimulus preference assessments to identify putative reinforcers for consumers with autism spectrum disorder. The current study evaluated the effect of video modeling with voiceover instruction and on-screen text (VMVOT) and performance feedback to train staff to implement the multiple-stimulus-without-replacement,...
Differential reinforcement procedures may promote unprompted correct responding, resulting in a quicker transfer of stimulus control than nondifferential reinforcement. Recent studies that have compared reinforcement arrangements have found that the most effective arrangement may differ across participants. The current study conducted an assessment...
Noncompliance with requests is a problem for some children
with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Wilder, 2011). Video modeling
is effective for teaching a variety of skills, but has not received
much attention in the parent training literature. The purpose of
the current study was to extend the parent training literature by
(a) evaluating the effects of v...
The present study compared continuous and discontinuous data collection systems on acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of tacts, and on-task behavior, during discrete trial teaching with three children with autism. A constant prompt-delay procedure was used to teach tacts. Performance across data collection systems was compared using conti...
The identification of putative reinforcers is a critical component of programming for individuals with disabilities. A multiple stimulus without replacement preference assessment is one option for identifying putative reinforcers; however, staff must be trained on the steps necessary to conduct the assessment for it to be useful in practice. This s...
Direct teaching procedures are often an important part of early intensive behavioral intervention for consumers with autism spectrum disorder. In the present study, a video model with voiceover (VMVO) instruction plus feedback was evaluated to train three staff trainees to implement a most-to-least direct (MTL) teaching procedure. Probes for genera...
The current study compared the differential effects of choice and no-choice reinforcement conditions on skill acquisition. In addition, we assessed preference for choice-making opportunities with 3 children with autism, using a modified concurrent-chains procedure. We replicated the experiment with 2 participants. The results indicated that choice-...
Obesity has become a major health concern in the United States. While a number of factors can contribute to obesity, including genetics, socioeconomic status, and sedentary lifestyle, its underlying cause tends to be overconsumption. Thus interventions are needed that will teach individuals the accurate estimation of portion sizes. The current stud...
Social Stories™ are often used with children with autism to provide information about appropriate behaviors in specific contexts. Although Social Stories™ often target reduction of problem behavior, there is limited research evaluating function-based Social Stories™ based on the results of experimental functional analyses. This study used a brief f...
Clinical applications of multiple-schedule arrangements have generally been used to produce discriminated manding. The present study evaluated the effects of a multiple-schedule arrangement with rules on the rate of mands for one child diagnosed with autism. We sought to bring the participant's mands under discriminative control of adult behavior t...
A key component of successful early intervention programming is the identification of stimuli that may function as reinforcers. One common direct method used by behavior analysts to determine preference is the paired-stimulus (PS) preference assessment. Although effective at identifying potential reinforcers, the PS procedure is only useful if staf...
There is an ongoing need to identify stimuli that may function as reinforcers due to the reliance on reinforcement techniques during teaching. Three commonly used stimulus preference assessments (SPAs) are the single-stimulus (SS; Pace et al., Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 18, 249-255, 1985), paired-stimulus (PS; Fisher et al., Journal of A...
The current evaluation compared the effects of 2 differential reinforcement arrangements and a nondifferential reinforcement arrangement on the acquisition of tacts for 3 children with autism. Participants learned in all reinforcement-based conditions, and we discuss areas for future research in light of these findings and potential limitations.
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Verbal behavior plays a fundamental role in the development of complex social and communication skills. Many children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder exhibit profound deficiencies in intraverbal repertoires and the development of social relationships. Recent studies that investigated the effects of intraverbal training on the emergence of r...
Recently, researchers have investigated the effectiveness and efficiency of presenting secondary targets during learning trials for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This instructional method may be more efficient than typical methods used with learners with ASD, because learners may acquire secondary targets without additional instr...
The current study examined the effectiveness and efficiency of presenting secondary targets within learning trials for 4 children with an autism spectrum disorder. Specifically, we compared 4 instructional conditions using a progressive prompt delay. In 3 conditions, we presented secondary targets in the antecedent or consequence portion of learnin...
The present study replicates and extends previous research on the use of video modeling (VM) with voiceover instruction to train staff to implement discrete-trial instruction (DTI). After staff trainees reached the mastery criterion when teaching an adult confederate with VM, they taught a child with a developmental disability using DTI. The result...
Although the use of differential reinforcement has been recommended in previous investigations and in early intervention curriculum manuals, few studies have evaluated the best method for providing differential reinforcement to maximize independent responding. This paper reviews previous research on the effectiveness of differential reinforcement a...
Research methods and statistics courses constitute a core undergraduate psychology requirement. We analyzed course syllabi and faculty self-reported coverage of both research methods and statistics course learning objectives to assess the concordance with APA's learning objectives (American Psychological Association, 20071.
American Psychological A...
Autism is a low-incidence disability that is complex to assess and for which rates continue to increase. Assessment options for autism are reviewed and presented in the context of recent research and a comprehensive, multidisciplinary assessment model. The model involves three levels that yield data progressing from more subjective and general to m...