1. Institute of Education Sciences Summer Research Training Institute: Single-Case Intervention Design and Data Analysis June 18-22, Madison, Wisconsin *

3. Introductions and General Overview
Welcome and Introductions
Goals and Objectives
Schedule and Logistics of the Meeting
Group Activity Sessions and Individual Consultation Options
Resources on Single-Case Design and Analysis

4. Single-Case Design Institute Faculty
John Ferron, PhD (University of South Florida) Ann Kaiser, PhD (Vanderbilt University) Thomas R. Kratochwill, PhD (University of Wisconsin-Madison) Joel R. Levin, PhD (University of Arizona) Wendy Machalicek, PhD (University of Oregon) James Pustejovsky, PhD (University of Texas-Austin)

5. Special Thanks to the Institute of Education Sciences
Joan McLaughlin, PhD Commissioner National Center for Special Education Research U.S. Department of Education

6. Welcome Participants!
Welcome to Wisconsin

7. Schedule and Logistics of the Meeting
Agenda for the Institute
Breaks, Lunch, and Dinner
Break-out Sessions/Small Group Activities
Individual Project Consultations

8. Group Activity Sessions and Individual Project Consultation Options
Format for Small Group Activities
Small Group Break-Out Rooms:
= main meeting room
= breakout room
(Rooms are reserved for the week)
Schedule for Individual Project Consultations

9. Some Goals Group Activity: Personal Research Consultation:
Participants are assigned to a collaborative group to build a logic model for a single-case study, design a study, and apply visual analysis, statistical analysis, and effect size measures.
Personal Research Consultation:
Each participant can meet with a faculty member(s) and develop a logic model (and more) for a single-case research study (or program of study) that is focused on their grant/research agenda.

10. Resources on Single-Case Design and Analysis
Required Readings
Recommended Readings
Additional Resources
Books, Monographs, and Journals
Faculty as a Resource and Follow Up

11. Follow up to Institute
Wendy Machalicek, PhD University of Oregon

12. Logic and Foundations of Single-Case Intervention Research
Joel R. Levin and Thomas R. Kratochwill University of Wisconsin-Madison

13. Brief Review of the Principles of Scientifically Credible Intervention Research and Transition to Single-Case Intervention Research Joel Levin

14. Logic and Foundations of Single-Case Intervention Research Tom Kratochwill

15. Options for single-case research in development of effective interventions:
Useful in the iterative development of interventions (e.g., replication research).
Documentation of experimental effects that can help understand and define the mechanism for change, not just the occurrence of change.
Analysis of interventions targeting low-incidence populations (e.g., individual as unit of analysis, individuals with disabilities).
Useful for pilot research to assess the effect size needed for other research methods (e.g., RCTs).

16. Options for single-case research in development of effective interventions (Continued):
Useful for fine-grained analysis of “weak and non-responders” (Negative Results; to be discussed later in the Institute).
Useful in RCT/group research when unique participants (e.g., non-responders) are further assessed to determine what modifications in the intervention may need to occur.
Has been recommended as a best practices strategy for “scientist-practitioners” for applied and clinical work.

17. Purposes and Fundamental Assumptions of Single-Case Intervention Research Methods
Defining features of SCDs
Core design types
Internal validity and the role of replication
“True” Single-Case Applications and the What Works Clearinghouse Pilot Standards (design standards and evidence criteria)
Classroom-Based Applications (design and evidence credibility)

18. Features of Single-Case Research Methods
Single-Case Research will have Four Features:
Independent variable
Dependent variable
Focus is on functional relation (causal effect)
Dimension(s) of predicted change (e.g., level, trend, variability, score overlap)

19. Additional Considerations
Operational definition of dependent variable (DV)
Measure of DV is valid, reliable, and addresses the dimension(s) of concern.
Operational definition of independent variable (IV)
Core features of IV are defined and measured to document treatment integrity.
Unit of IV implementation
Group versus individual unit.

20. Background on Single-Case Designs: Defining Features
Design: Repeated measurement of an outcome before, during, and/or after active manipulation of independent variable
Often Used in Applied and Clinical Fields
Allows study of low prevalence disorders where otherwise would need large sample for statistical power.
Sometimes more palatable to service providers because SCDs do not include a no-treatment comparison group.
What are researchers doing in literature reviews and studies?

21. Literature Reviews
Wong and colleagues (2015) conducted a review of intervention practices for children with autism. Of 456 studies identified in their review, 89% used single-case designs and only 11% used between-groups research designs.
Wong, C., Odom, S. L., Hume, K. A., Cox, A. W., Fettig, A., Kucharczyk, S., … Schultz, T. R. (2015). Evidence-based practices for children, youth, and young adults with autism spectrum disorder: A comprehensive review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(7), 1951–1966. doi: /s z

22. Literature Reviews
Conroy, Dunlap, Clarke, and Alter (2005) conducted a systematic review of positive behavioral interventions for children with challenging behavior. They identified 62 single-case design studies and 1 between-group design.
Conroy, M. A., Dunlap, G., Clarke, S., & Alter, P. J. (2005). A descriptive analysis of positive behavioral intervention research With young children with challenging behavior. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 25(3), 157–166. doi: /

23. Descriptive Analysis
Hammond and Gast (2010) reviewed 196 randomly identified journal issues (from ) containing 1,936 articles (a total of 556 single-case designs were coded). Multiple baseline designs were reported more often than withdrawal designs and these were more often reported across individuals and groups.
Hammond, D., & Gast, D. L. (2010). Descriptive analysis of single subject research designs: Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 45(2), 187–202.

24. Literature Reviews that Include Single-Case Design
Kiuhara, Kratochwill, and Pullen (2017) reported over 70 literature reviews (e.g., meta-analysis) of single-case research studies from More recent reviews have adopted various standards for critique of single-case design research.
Kiuhara, S. A., Kratochwill, T. R., & Pullen, P. C. (2017). Single-case design intervention research: Applications in special education. In J. M. Kauffman, D. P. Hallahan, and P. C. Pullen (Eds.). Handbook of special education (2nd ed.)(pp ). New York: Routledge.

25. Types of Research Questions that Can be Answered with Single-Case Design Types
Evaluate Intervention Effects Relative to Baseline
For example: Does Multi-systemic Therapy reduce the level of problem behavior for students with emotional behavior disorders?
Compare Relative Effectiveness of Interventions
For example: Is “function-based behavior support” more effective than “non-function-base support” at reducing the level and variability of problem behavior for this participant?
Compare Single- and Multi-Component Interventions
For example: Does adding Performance Feedback to Basic Teacher Training improve the fidelity with which instructional skills are used by new teachers in the classroom?

26. Some Further Examples of SCD Research Questions that Might be Addressed
Is a certain teaching procedure functionally related to an increase in the level of social initiations by young children with autism?
Is time delay prompting or least-to-most prompting more effective in increasing the level of self-help skills performed by young children with severe intellectual disabilities?
Is the pacing of reading instruction functionally related to increased level and slope of reading performance (as measured by ORF) for third graders?
Is Adderal (at clinically prescribed dosage) functionally related to increased level of attention performance on the Attention Network Test for elementary age students with Attention Deficit Disorder?

27. Single-Case Designs are Experimental Designs
Like RCTs, purpose is to document causal relationships
Control for major threats to internal validity
Document effects for specific individuals / settings
Replication (across studies) required to enhance external validity
Can be distinguished from case studies

28. Ambiguous Temporal Precedence Selection History Maturation Testing
Single-Case Design Standards were Developed to Address Threats to Internal Validity (when the unit of analysis is the individual)
Ambiguous Temporal Precedence
Selection
History
Maturation
Testing
Instrumentation
Additive and Interactive Effects of Threats 31

29. Additional Threats to Validity May Occur When Clusters are the Unit of Analysis
Examples:
Cluster Selection
Cluster Composition
Within-Cluster Variability
Attrition of Within-Cluster Participants and of Clusters
Within-Cluster Extraneous Variables
Across-Cluster Contagion Effects

30. Distinctions Between Experimental Single-Case Design and Clinical Case Study Research

31. Some Characteristics of Traditional Case Study Research
Often (and traditionally) characterized by narrative description of case, treatment, and outcome variables;
Typically lack a formal design with replication but can involve a “basic effect” design format (e.g., A/B);
Methods have been suggested to improve drawing valid inferences from case study research [e.g., Kazdin, A. E. (2011). Single-case research designs: Methods for clinical and applied settings(2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press].

32. Some Considerations That May Improve Case Study Research
Type of data
Assessment occasions
Planned vs. ex post facto
Projections of performance
Treatment effect size
Treatment effect impact
Number of participants/replication
Standardization of treatment
Integrity of treatment
Randomization

33. Questions and Discussion