Trina D. Spencer ABA 2009 Research Based Principles What Practice Can’t Do Without

best practices empirically supported interventions research based principles experience Evidence Based Practice Client Values Best Available Evidence Professional Judgment

Principles Provide Systematic Basis for Professional Judgment Select interventions Create Individualized Interventions Adapt Interventions

Types of Principles Basic Principles of Behavior Reinforcement Punishment Extinction

Types of Principles Principles and Tactics of Intervention Shaping Chaining Prompting Differential reinforcement Experimental functional analysis Monitoring through direct measurement Operationalizing targets and procedures

Types of Principles Discipline-Specific Principles Principles of Effective Instruction Providing immediate feedback Increasing number of opportunities to respond Principles of Reading Instruction NRP’s five recommendations for reading curricula Principles of Early Childhood Education Family involvement and choice

Practice Interventions Tactics Principles = what practitioners do Empirically-Supported Interventions and Best Practice methods tend to address the intervention as the level of practice. Methods for identifying research-based principles and tactics do not yet have a secure place within the evidence-based practice context. Tactics Principles

Strengths of Research-Based Principles Approach Infinite number of interventions Conceptually systematic Avoid a “collection of tricks”

Strengths of Research-Based Principles Approach Inform practice when research evidence for interventions is sparse We can’t do nothing Connect the dots

Strengths of Research-Based Principles Approach Adapt to local circumstances Practice dimensions vary across practitioners and contexts Practitioners apply research findings and adapt to their specific circumstance Principles provide a systematic way in which this is done

Strengths of Research-Based Principles Approach Increase sustainability of empirically- supported interventions Understanding the principles behind the intervention allows the practitioner to adjust Which features can be adjusted and maintain integrity of intervention Being able to adjust can lead to sustained use of effective interventions  Klingner, Vaughn, Hughes, & Arguelles (1999)  Baker, Gersten, Dimino, & Griffiths (2004)

Limitations of Research-Based Principles Approach It requires a high level of skill Extensive didactic and applied training Scientist/Practitioner model

Limitations of Research-Based Principles Approach Practitioner developed interventions have not been validated More steps to effective implementation More assumptions for making generalizations More room for error

Limitations of Research-Based Principles Approach It is not sufficient for large scale needs Can’t individualize for 500 students Need interventions

Research-Based Principles & EBP This approach is not widely recognized Level of practice – principles & tactics

“Research-Based” Defined Used by several human service fields including behavior analysts Often used as an umbrella term At least some research support Systematic review Meta analysis A few studies Not operationalized

Process of Identifying Research-Based Principles “A principle describes a basic behavior-environment relation that has been demonstrated repeatedly in hundreds, even thousands, of experiments.” “A principle has thorough generality across individual organisms, species, settings, and behaviors.” – Cooper, Heron, and Heward, 2007

Process of Identifying Research-Based Tactics A “tactic is a research-based technologically consistent method for changing behavior that is derived from one or more basic principle.” A tactic has “sufficient generality across subjects, settings, and/or behaviors.” – Cooper, Heron, and Heward, 2007

Process of Identifying Research- Based Principles and Tactics Scientific Consensus o Replication of consistent findings o Peer reviewed journals Experts o Text books o Common practice  This process is not objective or explicit

Reasons for an Explicit Process Perceived credibility Align with other disciplines Organizes Knowledge Guidance to practitioners Inform applied research

Identifying Principles and Tactics DECs Recommended Practices Professionals monitor child progress based on past performance as the referent rather than on group norms. Family members and professionals jointly develop appropriate family-identified outcomes. Consequences for children’s behavior are structured to increase the complexity and duration of children’s play, engagement, appropriate behavior, and learning by using differential reinforcement, response shaping, high-probability procedures, and correspondence training.

Identifying Principles and Tactics DEC’s Process 1. Experience-Based Knowledge – Focus Groups 2. Research-Based Knowledge – Literature Reviews 3. Synthesized knowledge and developed practice recommendations 4. Conducted field validation of practices 5. Produced and disseminated practice guides

Take Home Points Practice can’t do without principles Weaknesses should not be ignored Strengthen this approach by developing an explicit process for determining research-based principles and tactics Combine this approach with empirically-supported intervention and best practice approaches