Newsletter
Volume 29 | 2006 | Number 2
North Carolina ABA
By Dr. R. M. “Duke” Schell
Mission and Objectives of North Carolina ABA
As stated in our constitution, the purpose of North Carolina ABA (NCABA) is to promote the analytical science of behavior and its associated technologies within the State of North Carolina through the following means:
- Serve as a professional reference group for all in the State of North Carolina whose work involves the principles and practices of behavior analysis.
- Promote research that will advance the understanding of human behavior.
- Identify and promote the use of effective and humane treatment procedures in meeting the educational and habilitative needs of persons within the State of North Carolina.
- Organize and sponsor an annual conference that serves as a forum for presentation of technological achievements in behavior analysis.
- Publish and distribute a newsletter devoted to dissemination of technological achievements within the scope of behavior analysis and other matters of interest to the membership.
- Promote the development and expansion of education, training, and employment in the field of behavior analysis.
- Support efforts of allied organizations in providing services to individuals with disabilities.
Accomplishments over the Past Year
The primary accomplishment of NCABA each year continues to be the annual conference. Our 17th conference was held February 22-24, 2006, at the Blockade Runner Hotel in Wrightsville Beach, NC. Maureen Schepis, President of NCABA, kicked off the conference by presenting the following awards:
- Student award: Alicja Lipinski
- Technical Utilization award: Perry Lattimore
- The Fred S. Keller Excellence in Behavior Analysis award: Dr. J. Iverson Riddle.
In addition, Duke Schell received the new “Do Things” award for his unrelenting support of NCABA throughout the years.
The keynote address was given by Craig Kennedy of Vanderbilt University on the relationship between health conditions and problem behaviors. Martin Ivancic presented a series of research studies conducted in concert with student intern Whitney Heavner. Willant van Giessen presented the Noldus Software for data collection. The finale of the day was the student symposium that included students Whitney Heavner of Lenoir Rhyne College, Jill Slee from UNC-Charlotte, and Amy Diachenko and Alicja Lipinski from East Carolina University on topics of bone density, reading acquisition, and assessment of children with autism, respectively. In the evening, the NCABA Executive Board hosted a poster session that was judged by Craig Kennedy and Fred Spooner of UNC-Charlotte. The winner of the student poster award was Maggie Ivancic of North Liberty Middle School in Morganton, and the overall poster award was given to Buddy Barrett and his colleagues at the J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center (JIRDC) in Morganton.
The next day included concurrent sessions in the morning with presentations by Dave Richards, JIRDC; Jen Shryock, Family Paws; Jeannie Golden and colleagues from East Carolina University; Diane Irwin of the NC State Department of Instruction; Ya-Yu Lo of UNC-Charlotte; Ruth Hurst, UNC-Wilmington; and a panel with Craig Kennedy, Fred Spooner, and Maureen Schepis. The afternoon began with a reception hosted by UNC-Wilmington that highlighted their new Master’s program in clinical psychology and behavior analysis. The program will allow graduates to become both licensed psychologists in North Carolina and certified behavior analysts. Afternoon presentations included Carol Pilgrim of UNC-Wilmington; Teresa McKeon and Joan Orr of TAGTeach International; and Denny Reid, Marsha Parsons, Donna Towery, and Perry Lattimore of Carolina Behavior Analysis and Support Center and JIRDC in Morganton. The social was held Thursday evening with dancing to the sounds of DJ Perry Lattimore.
At the business meeting during the conference, newly elected officers were announced including:
- Vice-President: Ruth Hurst, UNC-Wilmington;
- Secretary-Treasurer: Beth Schmitt, Caswell Center;
- Member-at-Large: Ya-Yu Lo, UNC-Charlotte; and
- Student Representative: Katrina Johnson, East Carolina University.
Jamie Clary, JIRDC, will serve as incoming President, due to the resignation of Carolyn Green. Following the business meeting, Ray Miltenberger provided an invited address on children and gun safety, and Erik Drasgow and Christian Martin presented their research on functional communication training.
In addition to the conference, four workshops were provided by Martin Ivancic, Duke Schell, Jeannie Golden, and Ray Miltenberger. NCPA and BCBA credits were available for specific workshops and presentations. A special thanks this year to Noldus Software, Inc., the North Carolina Association on Mental Retardation, and Dr. Denny Reid of Carolina Behavior Analysis and Support Center, for providing monetary support for the conference events.
Goals of NCABA for Next Year
Our primary goal every year is to organize, present and evaluate a professional conference. We have been very successful with this event over the history of our chapter and it remains a valued gathering for behavior analysts in North Carolina and our region. Please join us at our 18th annual conference in February 2007, at Wrightsville Beach, NC, and visit our Web site at www.nc-aba.com to keep up with the latest news from NCABA.