Newsletter
Volume 31| 2008 | Number 2
Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan
By Dr. James T. Todd
BAAM’s work this year continued to revolve around its growing annual convention but included some interesting sidelights. Approximately 300 people representing more than a dozen universities and colleges from over ten states and the province of Ontario attended the BAAM convention held March 13–14, 2008 in the Eastern Michigan University Student Center. Many local and regional agencies sent staff and administrators. Hundreds of BACB continuing education units (CEUs) were generated—more than triple last year’s number. The BAAM book fair featured over 30 behavior analytic book titles. The BAAM staff, including convention managers Heather Anson, Jennifer Kowalkowski, and Nicole Henriksen did an outstanding job organizing and running the convention. BAAM extends special thanks to the staff of the Eastern Michigan Events Planning Office, Catering, and the new Student Center for their contributions to making BAAM run smoothly in the new facility.
The 2008 Keynote address was provided by Dr. Jack Michael of Western Michigan University. Dr. Michael spoke on the topic of “Motivating Operations,” and received an award from BAAM for “Enduring and Continuing Contributions to Behavior Analysis.” Western Michigan University also received a BAAM award for providing “A Stimulating and Reinforcing Environment” for Dr. Michael’s contributions.
Other convention highlights included well-attended workshops on autism treatment by Mark Sundberg and Eric Larsson (Lovaas Institute). Paul Andronis (Northern Michigan University) gave a talk on “Autism, Biology, and Behavior Analysis” to a packed room. Dennis Delprato (Eastern Michigan University) gave a presentation on the history of behavior analysis. Verbal behavior, aging, and autism issues continued to receive attention by BAAM presenters. James Carr, Linda LeBlanc, students, and colleagues from Western Michigan presented sessions on a wide variety of behavior issues. Carl Johnson, Michael Kephart, Sharon Bradley-Johnson, and their colleagues and students from Central Michigan University presented a symposium on “Utilizing Organizational Behavior Management and Industrial and Organizational Psychology Measurement Methodologies to Improve Customer Service.” Wayne Fuqua and his colleagues and students from Western Michigan presented an interesting session on “Simulation-Based Training to Improve Health Care Team Skills and Reduce Medical Errors.” Lisa Manthey of Wayne State University conducted a symposium with her colleagues on “Multisystemic Therapy,” a type of behavioral medicine that can contain significant behavioral components. Scott Gaynor’s group (Western Michigan) presented a symposium on “Understanding and Treating Childhood Problems: Evaluating School-Based Interventions for Anger and Reading and Characterizing the Experiences of Parents of Children with an Autism Spectrum Diagnosis.” Eastern Michigan’s John Palladino discussed the problems of retention of special education teachers in “Burned Out or Fatigued?: What’s the Real Cause of Special Education Teachers’ Exoduses From the Profession.” James T. Todd (Eastern Michigan University) talked about historical issues and methods of automating data collection in applied settings. A wide variety of topics were represented in over 40 posters. BAAM is especially pleased to acknowledge the continuing contributions of Western Michigan students and faculty to the BAAM poster session.
BAAM is pleased to have played a role in the successful defense of an Oakland County Michigan family falsely accused of sexual abuse through “facilitated communication” (FC). Michigan is seeing an increase in the use of FC due to the promotional efforts of affiliates of the Autism Society of America, continuing university-level instruction in FC as a valid intervention for autism, and strong promotion by individual FC advocates. In the Oakland County case, the parents had been accused of eight years of systematic sexual abuse against their 14-year-old, non-verbal daughter with autism. There was no physical evidence consistent with the accusations. The father spent 80 days in jail without bond, the mother was put on an electronic tether, and the two children were taken away. BAAM Secretary/Treasurer James T. Todd (Eastern Michigan University) was contacted by the defense to provide scientific background research on the validity of facilitated communication. Todd was joined by Howard Shane of Harvard University, and both gave crucial testimonies during a two-day special hearing in January. Because it had the backing of hundreds of signatories, including many members of ABAI, BAAM’s 1996 resolution against the validity of facilitated communication was read into the court record. Even though the judge ruled in favor of accepting facilitated testimony in court, the strength of the evidence and testimony against the credibility of the accusations eventually forced the prosecution to dismiss all of the charges. The dismissal occurred just days before the BAAM convention, making it possible for Judge Deborah G. Tyner, one of the winning defense attorneys, to give a special invited presentation on “Court, Litigation, and the Expert Psychological Witness: Implications and Lessons for Psychologists, Treatment Professionals, and Academics on the Stand.” Judge Tyner thanked BAAM members for their support of empirically-based autism treatments, and acknowledged the work of behavior analysts providing the scientific evidence that helped win the dismissal. More information on this case can be found in a special report on the BAAM Web site.
BAAM will hold its 23rd annual convention on March 26–27, 2009 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. On-line 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.
The Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan has been organized to support and promote scientific research on the basic principles of behavior and the extension of those principles to create demonstrably effective and humane outcome-based therapies with the primary goal of establishing and enhancing functional independent living skills.