Newsletter
Volume 29 | 2006 | Number 2
Texas ABA
By Dr. Leslie Burkett
The Texas Association for Behavior Analysis (TxABA) is an ABA Affiliated Chapter with 453 total members and 64 voting members. The primary activities of TxABA include conducting the annual conference, the location of which alternates between Dallas and Houston. The average attendance of the conference ranges from 250 to 450 persons, and is comprised of practitioners, academic professionals, students, community participants such as parents, and other professionals such as psychologists, educators, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and social workers. The annual conference brings together behavior analysts from Texas and the surrounding states, and provides a valuable resource to share information on the latest basic and applied topics from the U.S. and around the world. Recent speakers have included such key figures as Dr. Richard Foxx, Dr. Jon Bailey, and Dr. Gina Green.
The Texas Association for Behavior Analysis is also becoming a more vibrant and visible organization in the public. TxABA hosts a Special Interest Group (SIG) the Autism SIG. In addition to aiding in the planning and preparation for the annual conference, the Autism SIG provides educational opportunities to the community throughout the year, presenting information to the public regarding behavior analysis and its application to autism intervention. These instructional workshops are designed to give parents and educators first-hand exposure to behavioral principles and their usefulness in improving the quality of life for individuals with autism. The Autism SIG also maintains a directory of service providers throughout the state of Texas who are members of TxABA. Recent efforts within the Autism SIG include developing an informational packet describing Autism and ABA for medical professionals and pooling resources to investigate funding streams for behavior analysts in Texas, including state options and insurance options. The growing level of student interest provides an opportunity to promote student involvement in behavior analysis programs in various academic institutions throughout the state.
As TxABA looks to the future, it is confronted with many issues of relevance to the behavior analyst. Most notably is the impact that the certification process will have at the local, state, and national levels with respect to training, standards of practice, ethical behavior, and service evaluation. TxABA continues to actively monitor the activities of the Texas legislative groups, and stands poised to contribute when necessary. Additionally, there are several local and statewide efforts in place to promote more active and accepted involvement from behavior analysts in the public school system. The members of TxABA are doing everything possible to aid the growth of this movement and other types of efforts that would directly promote the advancement of behavior analysis within the state and region.