Beth Sulzer-Azaroff

Beth Sulzer-Azaroff (September 6, 1929 – February 26, 2022) was a psychologist and pioneering figure in the field of behavior analysis. and promoted the use of applied behavior analysis for teaching children with autism. The Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences noted her contributions as "instrumental in translating findings from the basic behavior analytic laboratory to the applied setting, from the classroom to the factory."

Sulzer-Azaroff was recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the OBM Network in 1991, and received the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) Fred S. Keller Behavioral Education Award for distinguished contributions in 1997. In 2004, Sulzer-Azaroff received the Distinguished Service to Behavior Analysis Award from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis.

Biography Sulzer-Azaroff grew up in Washington Heights, New York City. From the time she was a child, she knew she wanted to be a teacher. Though her family could not afford to pay for college, the City University of New York funded free colleges at the time. Sulzer-Azaroff completed her B.S. degree in elementary education and teaching (1946–1950), and her M.A. degree in elementary education and teaching (1950–1953) at City College of New York. Behavior analysis can be implemented with varying degrees of skill and responsibility. Responsible behavior analysts must know how to select goals, objectives, measures, and procedures ethically and legally and how to use them appropriately. There were three targeted students that showed positive effects of this intervention.

With Julie B. Schweitzer, Sulzer-Azaroff conducted research on self control in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They observed that boys with ADHD were more likely to choose rewards that they could get immediately, rather than wait for larger rewards. This preference was exacerbated when the boys were more active. In another study, the authors reported that children could learn to prefer the larger reward following training, which consisted of gradually increasing the durations of the delay interval over many sessions. With G. Roy Mayer, Tom Butterworth, and Mary Nafpaktitis, Sulzer-Azaroff designed a training and consultation program to address the problem of vandalism in school settings through staff development, aimed at creating a more positive school environment.

Books

Bony, A., & Sulzer-Azaroff, B. (2002). The pyramid approach to education in autism. Pyramid Educational Products. Sulzer-Azaroff, B. (1999). Who killed my daddy? A behavioral safety fable. Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. Sulzer-Azaroff, B., Dyer, K., Dupont, S., & Soucy, D. (2012). Applying behavior analysis across the autism spectrum: A field guide for practitioners. Sloan Publishing, LLC. Sulzer-Azaroff, B., & Mayer, G. R. (1977). Applying behavior analysis procedures with children and youth. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. Sulzer-Azaroff, B., & Mayer, G. R. (1986). Achieving educational excellence: Using behavioral strategies. Holt Rinehart & Winston. Sulzer-Azaroff, B., & Mayer, G. R. (1991). Behavior analysis for lasting change. Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Representative publications

Alavosius, M. P., & Sulzer-Azaroff, B. (1986). The effects of performance feedback on the safety of client lifting and transfer. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 19(3), 261-267. Alavosius, M. P., & Sulzer-Azaroff, B. (1990). Acquisition and maintenance of health-care routines as a function of feedback density. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 23(2), 151-162. Babcock, R. A., Sulzer-Azaroff, B., Sanderson, M., & Scibak, J. (1992). Increasing nurses' use of feedback to promote infection-control practices in a head-injury treatment center. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25(3), 621-627. Lifter, K., Sulzer-Azaroff, B., Anderson, S. R., & Cowdery, G. E. (1993). Teaching play activities to preschool children with disabilities: The importance of developmental considerations. Journal of Early Intervention, 17(2), 139-159. Sulzer-Azaroff, B., & Austin, J. (2000). Does BBS work? Behavior-based safety & injury reduction: A survey of the evidence. Professional Safety, 45(7), 19-24.