Evaluating Remote Behavioral Skills Training of Online Gaming Safety Skills

This study assessed the use of behavioral skills training for teaching online safety skills to two children, 7 and 9 years old. In situ assessments took place while playing the popular online game, Among Us, and consisted of confederates presenting lures to the child participants. Before training, the participants scored 1s and 0s, indicating a lack of online gaming safety skills. Both participants scored at mastery criterion (i.e., three scores of 3 in a row) following training. During the first 2-week follow-up, one participant scored a 1 because he did not leave the game following the presentation of a lure; his mother immediately implemented in situ training (IST). He scored at mastery criterion during the next follow-up assessment, indicating the effectiveness of the caregiver-implemented IST. The second participant scored a 3 during his 2-week follow-up.

A Survey of Safety Skills Training Used by Behavior Analysts in Practice

This survey study examines the clinical practices and opinions of Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) certificants regarding safety skills training with their clients with neurodevelopmental disabilities. This article focuses on five safety threats: abduction, sexual abuse, poisonous substances, firearms, and fire-starting agents. Respondents were asked to rate the importance of teaching their clients safety skills for each of these safety threats. Furthermore, the survey included questions pertaining to the use of behavioral interventions, notably behavioral skills training. Results from this preliminary survey of BACB certificants (N = 695) are included and we provide a discussion of current practices and recommendations for future research related to safety skills training among practitioners in clinical settings.

Teaching Safety Skills to Children: A Discussion of Critical Features and Practice Recommendations

Children may encounter safety threats from the physical environment (e.g., firearms or poisonous substances) or from the behaviors of others (e.g., abduction or sexual abuse lures). Such encounters may result in injury or death if children do not learn skills to respond safely. Research over the last 40 years has investigated approaches to assessing and training safety skills. This article discusses critical features that have emerged in the research related to best practice for assessing and training safety skills. We emphasize the importance of in situ assessments, effective training approaches, the need for data-based decision making, strategies for enhancing generalization and maintenance, the accessibility of training programs, and approaches to training individuals with disabilities. Following a discussion of each critical feature presented in this article, we provide recommendations for practicing behavior analysts.