Newsletter
Volume 31| 2008| Number 2
Heartland ABA
By Dr. Steven L. Taylor
The past year was very successful for HLABA. In that time, the attendance at our annual conference and our total membership of HLABA increased significantly, and HLABA has become a recognized affiliate of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and successfully completed our second annual conference. The conference was greatly expanded and included presenters from throughout the Midwest as well as a poster session and available continuing education units through Glenwood Resource Center. At the 2007 conference, workshops were conducted by Dr. Phil Strain (Peer-mediated social skills training programs for young children with autism), Dr. Pat Friman (Anxiety and applied behavior analysis), and Dr. Wayne Fisher (ABA treatments for autism). Additional presentations were also given by Dr. Keith Allen (Pediatric Pain Management), Dr. Tiffany Kodak (Assessment of verbal operants in children with autism), Dr. Henry Roane (Preference and reinforcer assessments), and Dr. Bill Warzak (Enuresis assessment and treatment). We’ve already determined our workshop speakers for the 2008 conference (October 9–10), which will include Dr. Jon Bailey (Ethics for behavior analysts), Dr. Ed Daly (Applied behavior analysis and school psychology), and Dr. Brian Iwata (Functional analysis). The HLABA Web site contains a call for papers for the 2008 conference. In addition to the invited presenters, we anticipate speakers from various behavior analysis programs throughout the region, including the University of Iowa; the University of Kansas; the University of Nebraska, Lincoln; the University of Nebraska, Omaha; Boys and Girls Town; and the Munroe-Meyer Institute. Finally, at the 2008 conference we will hold a student poster competition in which the student judged to present the best empirical dataset will receive an award of $200 to apply toward the presentation of their poster at the 2009 annual meeting of the Association for Behavior Analysis International in Phoenix, Arizona.
HLABA has done a great deal to advance and support behavior analytic practices throughout the region and boasts members from Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Nevertheless, our group is working hard to further promote behavior analysis in the Heartland region. As many are aware, there is a growing diversification within the field. Among researchers and practitioners there is a wide variability in the populations served. Likewise, the field has experienced a growth in the consumer of behavior analytic services, particularly in the areas of primary caregivers and school personnel. As a result, HLABA must be able to serve as a professional organization and resource to both groups. Through our diligent Board of Directors, we have a number of initiatives that should continue to promote the growth of behavior analysis in this region. Examples of these initiatives include hosting presentations that target the provision of behavior analytic services in home and school settings and conducting quarterly clinical case/research reviews via telehealth or in person throughout the region. The Board hopes to expand student involvement within HLABA by conducting the previously mentioned student poster competition at the 2008 conference. Finally, we have developed our Web site so members can keep up with various activities throughout the year. The current HLABA officers are Henry Roane, President; Tami McDowell, Vice President; Anney Fahrenholz, Secretary; Lera Joyce Johnson, Representative at Large; Elizabeth Gawley, Student Representative; and Steve Taylor, Past President. Information regarding HLABA is available from the Web site (www.hlaba.org) or via e-mail (info@hlaba.org).