Inside Behavior Analysis
Volume 1 | 2009 | Number 1
Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan
By James T. Todd
The 23rd annual convention of the Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan (BAAM) Convention was held on February 19-20, 2009, at the Student Center on the Campus of Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Approximately 225 people representing more than a dozen universities and colleges from half a dozen states and the province of Ontario attended the BAAM convention. Many local and regional agencies sent staff and administrators. BAAM scheduled all regular sessions in meeting rooms overlooking Eastern's Lake House area. As always, the BAAM staff, including Jennifer Kowalkoski, Tamara Pawich, Zina Eluri, and Nicole Henriksen, did a great job organizing and running the convention. BAAM extends special thanks to the staff of the Eastern Michigan Events Planning Office, especially Linda Panzica, Catering, and to all the workers in the Student Center for their contributions to making BAAM run smoothly.
The 2009 Keynote Address was delivered by Howard Shane, Director of the Center for Communication Enhancement at the Children's Hospital Boston and Associate Professor of Otology and Laryngology at Harvard Medical School. Shane's address, "Using Technology to Educate Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Do Professionals Get a Passing Grade?" spoke to several important issues in the application and misapplication of augmentative and assistive communication technology. Shane participated in a special showing of the PBS Frontline exposé of facilitated communication, "Prisoners of Silence," in which he was featured. BAAM supplemented the theme of communication integrity with a special presentation by Kamala London of the University of Toledo on "Children's Testimonial Competence and Adults' Abilities to Detect True and False Reports." Although such work is usually considered to be in the domain of "memory," BAAM presented it as an excellent analysis of how verbal behavior contingencies can distort the accuracy of verbal reports. In his paper, "The Legal Hazards of Facilitated Communication," Attorney Christopher Hurley (Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C., Chicago) presented some of the details of a recent $1,000,000 malpractice settlement won for a family against a Chicago psychiatrist who prescribed the discredited intervention facilitated communication rather than effective treatments for their child's autism. Material on facilitated communication available on the BAAM website was helpful in this case.
Other convention highlights included workshops on remediating eating problems in children by Krista M. Kennedy of the Detroit Medical Center, establishing ABA programs in public school settings by Barbara Esch (Esch Behavior Consultants, Inc.) and colleagues, and the Statewide Autism Resources and Training Project (START) by Amy Matthews of Grand Valley State. Among the many excellent regular sessions were papers and symposia on "Implementing Weight-Loss Strategies for Intensive In-Home Treatment of Pediatric Obesity" by Lisa M. Manthey (Wayne State University School of Medicine), "Some Effects of Procedural Variables on the Dynamics of Operant Choice" by Jay Moore (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), "Some Books Behavior Analysts Should Be Reading But Probably Aren't" by James T. Todd (Eastern Michigan University), "Alcohol Self-Administration: Persistence and Choice" by Corina Jimenez-Gomez (University of Michigan), "A Rose by Any Other Name: Deconstructing the Major Parent Management Training Programs" by Amy K. Drayton and Michelle Byrd (Eastern Michigan University), and "Autism Insurance in Michigan: A Status Update" by Ann Breznai (Michigan Advocacy Chair, Autism Speaks) and State Representative John Espinoza - District 83. A wide variety of topics were represented in over 40 posters. BAAM regular J. Silva conducted a mini-workshop on behavioral strategies for improving personal effectiveness. BAAM is especially pleased to acknowledge the continuing contributions of Western Michigan students and faculty to the BAAM poster session. A full copy of the schedule is available on the BAAM Web site.
BAAM will hold its 24th annual convention on February 25-26, 2010, in the Student Center on the campus of Eastern Michigan University. BAAM intends to continue to offer a mix of basic, applied, and theoretical presentations and workshops. Online program submission and registration will again be available, and we look forward to an expanded book fair, more refreshments, and other new convention features. For more information, visit the BAAM Web site at: www.baam.emich.edu.