Inside Behavior Analysis
Volume 3 | 2011 | Number 2 | Online ISSN: 2151-4704
Nevada ABA
By Kenneth R. MacAleese
The Nevada Association for Behavior Analysis (NABA) hosted a conference on October 16–17, 2010. The conference featured presentations and posters in basic, applied, and conceptual areas of behavior analysis. Featured speakers included Drs. Kent Johnson, Linda Parrott Hayes, Frances McSweeney, and Caio Miguel, among other notable regional clinicians, researchers, and educators. The new Joe Crowley Student Union on the University of Nevada, Reno's (UNR) campus provided an excellent backdrop for our conference, which was cosponsored by the Behavior Analysis Club at UNR. Our continued focus to forge new relationships in Nevada's behavior analytic community resulted in a number of new registrants and members at the 2010 conference—a result we are committing to accomplish again in 2011.
NABA made a number of organizational improvements in 2010 as well as completing an update of the website (http://www.nevadaaba.org). In an effort to strengthen our position in the Nevada community, NABA held two parent-oriented events in the last year, articulated a statement on autism treatment released during the past Nevada government elections, provided support to legislative bills and budget meetings related to consumers of behavior analytic services, and assisted the State of Nevada Board of Psychological Examiners with information as they constructed the licensing regulations for behavior analysts required by the recently passed autism insurance mandate.
The parent-oriented events included a "Parents in the Park" event and a free training to parents new to the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process. The "Parents in the Park" provided an opportunity to give thanks to parents of children with disabilities in the Northern Nevada community and was attended by over 100 total providers, parents, and children. The IEP training process occurred in collaboration with Nevada Parents Educating Parents (Nevada PEP) and our local school district and was offered as a free workshop for parents as part of our annual conference.
A statement on autism treatment was released in October prior to the Nevada elections in response to political comments made by candidates threatening to repeal the autism insurance mandate, among other state mandates affecting parents and children, in Nevada.
Nevada, like many other states, is undergoing substantial stress to its financial system. Because of this, a number of consumers of behavior analytic services have faced the prospect of decreased or eliminated funding in recent budget discussions. NABA board members have offered testimony at legislative meetings and constructed letters supporting behavior analytic professionals and those who receive those services in clinical and educational settings.
NABA members have supported the State of Nevada Psychological Examiner's Board in their establishment of licensing behavior analysts in Nevada arising from the passage of an autism insurance mandate, AB162, in 2009. Members have been present at meetings of the board and have offered information and research to board members regarding our profession and practice. A number of behavior analysts have added the designations "licensed behavior analyst" (LBA) or "licensed assistant behavior analyst" (LABA) to their credentials as a result of being licensed in Nevada. Many in traditional, direct-line tutor/therapist roles have added the "certified autism behavior interventionist" (CABI) credential as well. A total of 44 applications for licenses and/or certificates have been received as of the writing of this report. The Examiner's Board reports that new applications are received each month. A behavior analyst will be appointed to serve on the Psychological Examiner's Board in 2011.
Nevada has many critical issues facing behavior analysts and consumers of their services that require unification of behavior analysts in our state. Current threats to public funding sources for consumers of behavior analytic services, the school districts that support those children, and systems of higher education (who train behavior analysts and further develop behavior analytic science through research) are but a few of the immediate issues that cast a gloomy cloud on Nevada's future. Without organization, behavior analysts have no local voice to unite behind in attacking these issues and no visible presence in the affairs that influence them—a grim prospect for our profession and science. NABA hopes to fill that organizational need dealing with issues related to our profession and our consumers while continuing to provide opportunities for intellectual development and exchange.
For more information on upcoming conferences, please visit www.nevadaaba.org or "like" us on our Facebook account.