ABSTRACT
In recent years, the field of behavior analysis has shifted its attention to issues of diversity, social justice, and cultural responsiveness. With various cultural groups in the United States, behavior analytic practitioners increasingly find themselves serving clients of diverse cultural backgrounds. One of the populations that continue to face underrepresentation is Latinos. In the current article, a cultural understanding of the Latino culture is provided to support cultural responsiveness in behavioral service delivery. This article explores the Latino identity of individuals receiving behavioral services, systemic barriers faced by Latinos, the use of acceptance and commitment training for Latino families and clients, and Latino cultural values and their role in behavioral service delivery. Most important, a shift in perspective to account for the barriers perceived by practitioners within the context of Latino cultural values is offered through a contextual behavioral framework, the literature, and the authors' personal and professional experiences as Latino behavior analysts. Recommendations in the areas of assessment, treatment design, service delivery, and collaboration when working with Latinos are also discussed.
ABSTRACT
Recent research has emphasized the need for training and competency beyond the standard technical skills acquired by applied behavior analysis (ABA) practitioners, including essential relationship-building and compassionate care skills (Taylor et al., 2019). Clicker training is a well-established behavior-analytic method for improving performance via immediate feedback in the form of an audible "click." The effectiveness of clicker training has not yet been evaluated as a technique for shaping complex clinical repertoires. This study evaluated the effects of verbal instructions, clicker training, and role-play on the acquisition of therapeutic relationship skills in ABA practitioners. Data were obtained as part of a training program conducted within an ABA agency, and the acquisition of target skills was evaluated using a multiple-baseline design across behaviors for two participants. During baseline, participants rarely demonstrated target skills. During training, the procedure resulted in increased engagement in all three target skills for both participants. Skill generalization with respect to untrained and novel scenarios was observed but at levels below mastery. Findings have potential implications for trainers and supervisors seeking efficient, nonintrusive, socially acceptable methods of improving practitioner performance.
