research

At  Behavior Analysts of New Jersey, we are focused on using evidence-based  strategies to heighten learning and occasion rapid rates of skill  acquisition. Strategies and tactics are often researched and replicated  at BANJ and our instructors are highly skilled in implementing the most  current research in behavior analysis. We work in teams to first assess  each child’s needs, communicate thoroughly with parents and relevant  audiences, such as school and childcare staff, and develop an  individualized program to target the areas that are identified as  deficits for the child.  Once we establish the child’s areas of need, we  determine where the child’s motivation lies. It is important for us to  create an appetitive setting for each child, to set the occasion for  increased availability for learning. We assess the child’s preferences  and determine what is of high interest to him or her. All areas of the  child’s developmental capabilities are comprehensively observed and  measured. Data collection is ongoing. Progress is reported on each  repertoire taught. Parental consent is obtained prior to any procedural  change in a behavior plan and plan modifications are reviewed at clinic  meetings. One of the most important pieces of each child’s program is  that the instructors and parents work together to bridge the setting gap  that is created when the child is behaving differently in various  locations. 
 

We  are excitedly one of the only teams in NJ to provide peer modeling, a  focused social skills group that uses literature-based programming.  These are the repertoires, especially social pragmatics, decision-making  and self-management skills, that students need in school and in the  community today.  Research on observational learning and the emergence  of social repertoires in generalized settings is a study in its infancy  at BANJ.

Pane, H. M., Sidener, T. M., Vladescu, J. C., & Nirgudkar, A. S. (2014).Social Stories™ with Children with Autism: Functional Analysis, Treatment Preference, and Maintenance. Paper submitted for publication. Caldwell College, NJ.

Pane, H. M., Sidener, T. M., Vladescu, J. C., & Nirgudkar, A. S. (2014).  Evaluating Function-Based Social Stories with Children with Autism. Behavior Modification, 39 (6), 912-931.

Greer, R. D., Chavez Brown, M., Nirgudkar, A. S., Stolfi, L, Rivera-Vales, C. (2005). Acquisition of fluent listener responses and the educational   advancement of young children with autism and severe  language delays. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 6 (1), 1-20. 
 

Nirgudkar, A. S. (2005). The Relative Effects of Naming and    the Multiple Exemplar Establishing Operation Experience on the Acquisition of the Transformation of Establishing Operations  Across Mands and Tacts. Columbia University: NY.

Albarran, E., Reeve, K., Nirgudkar, A. S., & Sidener, T. (2009).  Teaching Adolescents with Autism to Write and Self-Monitor Task Checklists. Unpublished Manuscript. Caldwell College, NJ.
 

Research Papers Presented at Professional Conferences:

Johnson, C., Nirgudkar, A. S.; Deschenes,P., Mudway, P., & Keogh, K. (1999, May).   Preference assessments: Selection versus duration as dependent measures. Paper presented at the Twenty-fifth Annual Convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis, Chicago, IL. 

Twyman, J. S., Sales, C. D., & Nirgudkar, A. S. (2001, May). Emerging speaker as own listener repertoires: The overt to covert role of echoics in delayed match to sample tasks. Paper presented at the Twenty-seventh Annual Convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis, New Orleans, LA. 

Hickson, L., Accenturi, N., Nirgudkar, A. S. Morgan, S., Liu, M., Wheeler, M., Nitka, J., Lapidus, S., Amany, I., & Singh, J  (2002, May).  Teacher perspectives on key factors in the education of children with and without disabilities. Paper presented at the Twenty-third Annual International YAI Conference on Mental Retardation and Developmental  Disabilities, New York, NY.

O’Sullivan, D., Nirgudkar, A. S., Healy, O.,  O’Connor, J. & Hawkins, E. (2002, May).   The most frequently used tactics for students with autism spectrum

disorders in CABAS ® Schools in the USA, Ireland  and the UK. Paper presented at the   Twenty-eighth Annual Convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis, Toronto, Ontario.

Rivera, C., Brown, M., Stolfi, L., Nirgudkar, A. S. & Greer, R. D. (2003, February).    The effects of listener emersion on rate of acquisition of kindergarten repertoires. Paper presented at the First Annual CABAS ® Conference, Bear Mountain, NY.

Greer  R. D, Nirgudkar A, & Park H. (2003, May).  The effect of multiple  exemplar instruction on the transformation of mand and tact functions.  Paper Presented at the International Conference of the Association for  Behavior Analysis, San Francisco, CA.

O’Sullivan, D., Hugh, A. & Nirgudkar, A. S., & Greer, R. D. (2003, May). The most frequently used tactics for students’ with autism spectrum disorders in CABAS ® Schools in the USA and UK. Paper presented at the    Twenty-ninth Annual Convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis, San Francisco, CA.

Nirgudkar, A. S. & Greer, R. D. (2003, May). The effects of multiple exemplar instruction on the transfer of mands  and tact  functions. Paper presented at the Twentyninth Annual Convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis, San  Francisco, CA.

Nirgudkar, A. S. & Greer, R. D. (2003, October). The effects of multiple exemplar instruction on the transformation of 

establishing operations across mands and tacts. Paper presented at the Sixteenth Congreso Mexicano de Análisis de la Conducta, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco México.

Brown, M., Stolfi, L., Nirgudkar, A. S. & Greer, R. D. (2003, October). Rate of acquisition post listener emersion. Paper presented at the Sixteenth Congreso Mexicano de Análisis de la Conducta, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco México. 

Nirgudkar, A. S., & Greer, R. D. (2003, November). The effects of multiple exemplar instruction on the transformation of establishing operations across verbal behavior repertoires. Research paper presented at the Thirteenth Annual Conference of the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis, Saratoga Springs, NY. 

Nirgudkar, A. S. & Greer, R. D. (2004, August).  The effects of multiple  exemplar naming instruction and multiple exemplar  establishing operation instruction on the 

transformation of establishing operationsacross mands and tacts. Research paper presented at the Second Annual International Conference of the Association of Behavior Analysis. Campinas, Brazil.
 

Nirgudkar,  A. S., Baker, K. & Wong, K. (2016, October). The effects of a  peer-yoked contingency on observational  learning.  Research paper presented at the  Thirty-fourth Annual Conference of Autism New Jersey. Atlantic City, New  Jersey.
 

Nirgudkar, A. S., & Baker, K. (2017, October). 

Making  evidence-based decisions: Learning to use the Decision Tree Protocol.   Research paper presented at the Thirty-fifth Annual Conference of  Autism New Jersey. Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Research Posters Presented at Professional Conferences: Nirgudkar, A. S., & Speckman, J. (2003, May). The effects of a peer-competitive contingency on food acceptance and consumption in young children with autism. Poster presented at the Twenty  ninth Annual Convention of the Association for Behavior 

Analysis, San Francisco, CA