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| Learning to Thrive: Enhancing Outcomes in Applied Behavior Analysis Settings With Acceptance Commitment Training |
| Sunday, January 20, 2019 |
| 9:10 AM–10:00 AM |
| Grand Ballroom A-C |
| Area: AUT; Domain: Service Delivery |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| CE Instructor: Evelyn Gould, Ph.D. |
| Chair: Julia Ferguson (Autism Partnership Foundation) |
| EVELYN GOULD (McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School; FirstSteps for Kids, Inc.) |
 Evelyn Gould, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LABA, is a Clinical Behavior Analyst and Research Associate at the Child and Adolescent OCD Institute (OCDI-Jr) at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School. The OCDI-Jr program provides residential level of care for children and adolescents struggling with treatment refractory OCD and related disorders. The program emphasizes evidence-based behavioral interventions, including ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). Dr. Gould currently works under the supervision of Dr. Lisa Coyne, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, researcher, and world-expert in ACT and the treatment of childhood anxiety disorders. Dr. Gould also continues to collaborate with FirstSteps for Kids, providing clinical consultation, mentorship, and training to staff. Dr. Gould has extensive experience working with children and adolescents with ASD (and their families) across settings, and has fulfilled a variety of clinical, training, and research roles in the USA, UK, and N. Ireland over the years. Dr. Gould remains passionate about the provision of high-quality clinical services for children, adolescents, and their families, and the dissemination of Behavior Analysis. Dr. Gould is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, and an Editorial Board Member for Behavior Analysis in Practice. Dr. Gould is actively involved in a number of Special Interest Groups (SIGs), including the ABAI ACT SIG, the ACBS Children and Families SIG, and the Women in ACBS SIG. |
| Abstract: Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) is part of a growing body of literature on "third-wave” behavioral therapies. Derived from Behavior Analysis, ACT seeks to increase adaptive, flexible responding by reducing the influence of problematic private events (including rule-deriving and rule-following). Empirical support for ACT-based interventions across a broad range of settings and populations continues to grow, however, research examining the application of ACT within ABA settings is still in its infancy. This talk presents ACT as a treatment model that holds promise for practitioners working with families of children with autism in ABA settings. Relevant theoretical and empirical literature supporting this promise will be reviewed and key components of ACT outlined. Adaptations for parents, children and adolescents, and staff will be presented. Finally, the potential benefits of combining traditional ABA strategies with ACT will discussed, in addition to implications for the development and dissemination of ACT-based treatments within the field of ABA. |
| Target Audience: Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students. |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) define ACT as a behavior analytic treatment approach; (2) describe the potential benefits of integrating ACT into ABA treatment settings; (3) identify at least one ACT-based intervention that might be utilized by ABA practitioners to facilitate desired behavior change in parents, children or in-line staff. |
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