Autism Service Delivery: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Practice

This volume examines ways in which service delivery to individuals with autism can be improved from both ends of the basic-applied research spectrum. It introduces the concept of translational scholarship and examines real-world value in developing relevant interventions. Each area of coverage reviews current findings on autism from basic research and, then, discusses the latest applied research literature to create a roadmap for researchers, clinicians, and scientist-practitioners to develop new, effective strategies as children, adolescents, and adults with autism continue to learn and grow.

Featured coverage includes:

• Why practice needs science and how science informs practice.
• The social learning disorder of stimulus salience in autism.
• Assessment and treatment of problem behaviors associated with transitions.
• Understanding persistence and improving treatment through behavioral momentum theory.
• The behavioral economics of reinforcer value.
• Increasing tolerance for delay with children and adults with autism.

Autism Service Delivery is an essential resource for researchers, clinicians and scientist-practitioners, and graduate students in the fields of developmental psychology, behavioral therapy, social work, clinical child and school psychology, occupational therapy, and speech pathology.

Florence D. DiGennaro Reed, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is a behavior analyst specializing in performance management and staff training in service delivery settings.  Currently, she is an Assistant Professor, Director of the Performance Management Laboratory, and Fellow of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre at the University of Kansas.  Dr. DiGennaro Reed has served as an editorial board member of Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Behavior Analysis in Practice, School Psychology Review, and Journal of Behavioral Education.  She has also served as Associate Editor for Journal of Behavioral Education, Co-Editor of the APA Division 25 (Behavior Analysis) Recorder newsletter, and Vice President for the Association for Science in Autism Treatment.  With Drs. Derek Reed and James Luiselli, she co-edited a book published by Springer titled “Handbook of Crisis Intervention and Developmental Disabilities.”  Dr. DiGennaro Reed serves as Co-Coordinator of the Education Program Area for the ABAI annual convention, consults with nonprofit organizations that provide services to individuals with developmental disabilities, and conducts translational and applied research.

Derek D. Reed, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is a behavior analyst specializing in applied behavior analysis, behavioral economics, use-inspired basic research, quantitative analysis, and performance improvement. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Applied Behavioral Economics Laboratory at the University of Kansas. Dr. Reed has served as co-editor of the Division 25 (Behavior Analysis) Recorder newsletter and is Associate Editor for both Behavior Analysis in Practice and The Psychological Record, in addition to serving on the editorial boards for Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and The Behavior Analyst. Dr. Reed has co-edited two other books published by Springer, “Behavioral Sport Psychology:Evidence-Based Approaches to Performance Enhancement, and “Handbook of Crisis Intervention and Developmental Disabilities.” He presently serves on the Science Board for ABAI, is President of the Mid-American Association for Behavior Analysis, and is Executive Director for the Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior.