Issues and Improvements in the Visual Analysis of A-B Single-Case Graphs by Pre-Service Professionals

Professionals working with individuals at risk for, or with, disabilities are required by federal legislation to select, implement, and formatively and summatively evaluate the effectiveness of evidence-based practices in typical settings. Although multiple resources related to graph construction and visual analysis are available in the literature, studies on training pre-service and in-service professionals to visually analyze data are lacking. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a multi-component visual analysis training for pre-service professionals enrolled in a behavior management course. The training explained the importance of graphing and visually analyzing data, taught participants how to visually analyze data, and included guided practice visually analyzing sample A-B graphs. Results indicated that participants were likely to display difficulties visually analyzing complex data paths and, following the training, were able to increase their accuracy of visual analysis. Limitations and implications for future research and pre-service and in-service training are discussed.