|
 Verbal Operant Experimental (VOX) Analyses for Speakers With Autism and Other Contingency-Shaped Verbal Behavior Disorders |
| Friday, May 24, 2024 |
| 8:00 AM–3:00 PM |
| Marriott Downtown, Level 4, Meeting Room 412 |
| Area: AUT/VBC; Domain: Service Delivery |
| CE Instructor: Lee Mason, Ph.D. |
| JANET SANCHEZ ENRIQUEZ (The University of North Carolina at Charlotte), ALONZO ALFREDO ANDREWS (The University of Texas at San Antonio), LEE MASON (Cook Children's Health Care System) |
| Description: This workshop focuses on extending the technology of functional analysis to examining the verbal behavior deficits of individuals with autism. More than forty years of research on functional analysis has shown it to be the most rigorous and accurate method of assessing behavioral deficits and excesses, upon which individualized interventions are developed. Traditionally used to identify the environmental determinants of problem behavior, functional analyses are increasingly being used to assess a variety of different functional and academic skills. Here we demonstrate how functional analyses can be used to examine the verbal behavior of individuals with autism who fail to develop fluent speech. We provide an interactive approach to conducting verbal operant experimental (VOX) analyses, and developing individualized treatment plans to increase the language skills of individuals with autism and other language disorders. Specifically, we use multiple-exemplar training and guided practice to demonstrate the procedures and interpretation of a VOX analysis. The methodology described in this workshop is empirically supported, and conceptually systematic with a behavior-analytic approach to language assessment and intervention. We explain how VOX analyses can be used to guide treatment and document growth over time. Special attention will be paid to speakers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe a fluent speaking repertoire in terms of the proportionate strength of its component parts; (2) conduct a VOX analysis; (3) develop individualized treatment objectives for strengthening language; and (4) demonstrate the process for abstracting stimulus control over each of the verbal operants. |
| Activities: Workshop objectives will be met through a balanced presentation of lecture, video modeling, role-playing, and workbook demonstrations. Core content will be taught through lecture and video demonstrations of strategies will be provided. Guided notes will be provided in order to support participant learning. |
| Audience: This workshop is geared towards Board Certified Behavior Analysts, Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts, Registered Behavior Technicians, special education teachers, school psychologists, speech language pathologists, and other professionals who provide direct services to strengthen the language of children with autism. Additionally, researchers who study verbal behavior may benefit from this workshop. Participants should already be familiar with Skinner's (1957) elementary verbal operants, and Iwata's (1982/1994) functional analysis. |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Keyword(s): Early Intervention, Functional Analysis, Language Assessment, Verbal Behavior |