A substantial number of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or a related disorder display severe behavior problems that pose significant risks to themselves, others and their environment. These behavior problems also interfere with children’s ability to learn important life and academic skills.
Current research in the Department of Severe Behavior focuses on improving the efficacy, efficiency and generality of function-based interventions, such as functional communication training.
Specifically, the severe behavior department is conducting research on:
- informing best practice strategies to assess and treat severe problem behavior using function-based intervention;
- empirically identifying strategies to prevent development of severe problem behavior;
- optimizing caregiver implementation of behavioral programming;
- predicting treatment outcomes;
- improving application of behavior analytic practices with an interdisciplinary approach; and
- integrating trauma-informed perspectives to care.