Association for Behavior Analysis International

Applied behavior analysis is hands down the most effective treatment for young children with ASD. Many children with ASD receive ABA services at private clinics or from private providers who work with them at home. Many children with ASD, especially those from low income homes, only access the services to which they are entitled through IDEA (the federal special education law). There are often conflicts between behavior analysts who work for behavioral health agencies and teachers and behavior analysts who work for public schools about what services should be provided to young children with ASD and how these services should be provided. The purpose of this presentation is to describe how private BCBAs and public school personnel can work together to meet the needs of young children with ASD. I will describe a school based early intensive behavioral intervention that has sustained in Washington state for over 20 years and provide strategies that can be used to ensure that all children with ASD receive the quality of services to which they are entitled.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Unfortunate and unbelievable as it may seem, individuals with ASD who engage in severe interfering behavior have limited, if any, access to effective assessment and intervention if they live in rural areas. Telehealth has emerged as a promising delivery mechanism for behavior analytic approaches to teaching skills and functional communication. Yet tactics for addressing severe interfering behavior such as self-injury and aggression of adolescents have yet to be fully developed. This presentation will feature discussion of tactics for addressing severe interfering behavior and case examples as well as considerations for future research.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a science and, therefore, involves progressive approaches and outcomes. In this presentation we will argue that the spirit and the method of science should be maintained in order to avoid reductionist procedures, stifled innovation, and rote, unresponsive protocols that become increasingly removed from meaningful progress for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We describe this approach as progressive. In a progressive ABA approach, the therapist employs a structured yet flexible process, which is contingent upon and responsive to child progress. We will describe progressive ABA and provide rationales for both the substance and intent of ABA as a progressive scientific method for improving conditions of social relevance for individuals with ASD. We will provide the audience with data from recent studies on how Progressive ABA can be implemented to individuals diagnosed with ASD; as well as our findings in clinical practice.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students. 

There is increased attention to addressing problems of significant societal concern, which disproportionately affects marginalized populations and communities. Disparities in autism diagnosis, access to services, and cultural adaptations for underserved populations, including racial and ethnic minorities will be discussed. The importance of collaborating to address social determinants of health or underlying factors that may serve as antecedents for a range of issues is explored. The application of behavioral community approaches to advance community change through multisector collaboration is examined as a method of social validation. Opportunities are presented for cross-sector and multidisciplinary collaboration between applied behavior analysis and other disciplines including community psychology, prevention, and public health. The presentation examines strengths, challenges, and opportunities to contribute to change and improvements in population-level outcomes, including disparities in autism diagnosis and services, through multisector collaboration.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Dr. Jomella Watson-Thompson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science, and the Director of the Center for Service Learning at the University of Kansas. She is also affiliated with the Center for Community Health and Development. She attained a Ph.D. in Behavioral Psychology and a Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Kansas. She applies behavioral science methods and interventions to improve how communities address issues related to community health and development. Her research has focused on behavioral-community approaches to neighborhood development, substance abuse prevention, and youth and community violence prevention. Dr. Thompson supports community-engaged scholarship using participatory approaches to address social determinants or factors that may contribute to disparities, particularly for marginalized groups and communities. She has researched the effects of community-based processes and behavioral-community interventions to promote mobilization and change in communities.  Dr. Thompson has co-authored articles on community capacity-building, youth development, and prevention and received numerous federal, state and local funding awards.  She is as an Associate Editor with Behavior and Social Issues.  Dr. Thompson has extensive experience providing training, technical support and evaluation for coalitions and community-based initiatives.

Reimbursement for ABA services is vitally important but significant challenges continue to exist. This presentation will provide an overview of the process for developing and valuing CPT codes, describe the purpose of Medically Unlikely Edits (MUEs), review billing and coding issues associated with the provision of ABA services using telehealth, provide an overview of reimbursement challenges with ABA services, and discuss the work of the ABA Billing Codes Commission.

Providers utilizing the ABA CPT Codes.

This symposium will focus on obstacles and successes in the implementation of applied behavior analysis for individuals with autism in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria. There will be an extended discussion and Q&A opportunity at the end of the session.

At the conclusion of the presentation participants will be able to: (1) describe the challenges facing communities and families raising autistic children in South Africa who have barriers to accessing ABA services; (2) apply the principles learned during the session on how it is possible to effectively deliver quality ABA programs to various communities; (3) appreciate the importance of correct diagnosis and early and intensive behavioral intervention; (4) discuss the achievements and gains made from implementing ABA despite limited resources.

The World Health Organization has stated that in Africa, autism spectrum disorders are under recognized, under appreciated in their impact, and under resourced. The palpable difficulties include policies, institutions, infrastructures, leadership problems, and lack of self-organization. Poverty—both financial and “functional education”—the concept of the medical model of treatment and cure, religious beliefs, myths about autism, and ethical issues also present challenges. The number of competent ABA service providers in Africa is very low, resulting in the use of untrained therapists as ABA service providers and misrepresentation of what ABA stands for. This presentation will highlight efforts toward capacity building, raising awareness, and advocacy.

This presentation will focus on the current status of behavior analysis in South Africa, which includes the lack of recognition and regulation of ABA services. The presentation will provide an insight into the challenges facing South African parents of autistic children. The presentation will also discuss strategies for ensuring that the ABA approach be accepted as first-line treatment for autism in South African communities. The presenters will further share information on how high-quality ABA programs can be delivered to various communities even in the absence of medical insurance or government funding.

As the field of applied behavior analysis is gaining momentum in African countries, it is important to consider factors to enhance growth, cultural considerations needed, and the impact on the local communities. These factors include accessibility to training and education, validity and applicability of Westernized assessment tools, cultural sensitivity and requirements which vary across the continent, and how to disseminate ABA accurately, effectively and ethically. This presentation will discuss the challenges and successes faced in gaining BACB certification, disseminating information, creating awareness and running centres for individuals with developmental disorders both in Kenya and Tanzania. The importance of cultural aspects during staff and parent training, and the generalizability of resources readily available, how to empower the local community, and how to ensure sustainability will be discussed.