The primary focus of this session will be on the implementation of applied behavior analysis in scales of social significance. The principles and practice of applied behavior analysis have dramatic relevance for our society. The goals of American education, health care, and business are tied to understanding and improving behavior. Yet even compelling research demonstrations of the impact of applied behavior analysis have not become an accepted part of major institutions. One emerging exception is adoption of school-wide positive behavior support. As of August 2011 more than 16,000 schools in the USA were actively engaged in implementing school-wide positive behavior support. Two important messages for ABAI members are that a) school-wide positive behavior support is implementation of applied behavior analysis and b) the reasons why schools are adopting school-wide positive behavior support are central to better understanding how to make applied behavior analysis more accessible. Data will be presented from a recent review of seven states that now implement school-wide positive behavior support in more than a third of their schools. Four key features were identified from this review as central to scaling up implementation of school-wide positive behavior support. The relevance of these features for extending applied behavior analysis principles and practices across U.S.A. institutions will be explored.

Review Robert H. Horner’s biographical statement.