Association for Behavior Analysis International

The Association for Behavior Analysis International® (ABAI) is a nonprofit membership organization with the mission to contribute to the well-being of society by developing, enhancing, and supporting the growth and vitality of the science of behavior analysis through research, education, and practice.

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48th Annual Convention; Boston, MA; 2022

CE by Type: PSY


 

Workshop #W4
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Treating Autism Spectrum Disorder and Psychiatric Co-Morbidities Using Applied Behavior Analysis
Thursday, May 26, 2022
4:00 PM–7:00 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 256
Area: AUT; Domain: Service Delivery
CE Instructor: Jessica R. Everett, Ph.D.
JESSICA R. EVERETT (Melmark New England), BARBARA O'MALLEY CANNON (Melmark New England)
Description: There is growing recognition of the increasing prevalence of comorbid autism spectrum disorder and psychiatric disorders including, but not limited to, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and trauma- and stress related disorders (Hossain et al, 2020; Meyer et al, 2020). Clinicians providing applied behavior analytic services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder and co-morbid psychiatric conditions should have knowledge of various presentations and an understanding of how different treatment approaches may be integrated. This is particularly relevant for children and adolescents with comorbidities who may appear to have a poor response to applied behavior analysis and where collaboration with various professionals implementing evidence-based treatment for varying conditions (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of anxiety disorder) is needed. Developing behavior support plans that are based upon a functional approach to behavior that also include strategies that work to ameliorate rather than exacerbate clinical symptoms is crucial. Equally crucial is developing positive behavior support plans that can be implemented across settings and individuals (e.g., teachers, clinicians, caregivers). The current workshop will review differential diagnosis of autism and various psychiatric disorders, present case reviews, review collaborative practice and assist clinicians in adapting commonly used behavioral procedures with consideration of the whole individual.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify core features of anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and trauma and stress related disorders. 2. Learn strategies for collaborating with professionals providing collateral care for treatment of comorbid autism spectrum and psychiatric disorders. 3. Develop treatment goals that enhance skill development related to the core features of autism spectrum disorders and various psychiatric disorders. 4. Identify components of positive behavior support plans that can be generalized across settings and individuals.
Activities: Workshop activities will include: 1. Lecture/discussion 2. Group work to review a case study, formulate treatment plan 3. Completion of self-report tool on collaborative practice
Audience: Participants should have three to five years of direct care experience working with children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Clinical experience may include educational, clinic-based or home-based services.
Content Area: Practice
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): Anxiety, Autism, Depressive Disorders, Trauma
 
Workshop #W18
CE Offered: PSY/BACB — 
Ethics
Help for BCBAs With Challenging Ethical Dilemmas: Avoiding Multiple Relationships, Confidentiality, and Limits to Confidentiality
Thursday, May 26, 2022
4:00 PM–7:00 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 156A
Area: PCH/CBM; Domain: Service Delivery
CE Instructor: Jeannie A. Golden, Ph.D.
JEANNIE A. GOLDEN (East Carolina University)
Description: Similar to psychologists and other helping professionals, BCBAs have several ethical responsibilities including avoiding multiple relationships, confidentiality, and limits to confidentiality when someone is at-risk for hurting themselves or others or being hurt by others. Although BCBAs may be aware of what these ethical responsibilities are, they may not have had the training to deal with these complicated and sometimes threatening situations. The workshop presenter is a licensed psychologist in addition to a BCBA-D and has had much experience supervising professionals, including BCBAs, who are faced with these daunting situations. This workshop will provide BCBAs and other professionals knowledge of and practice with handling these situations. Workshop participants can bring real or hypothetical ethical dilemmas to process, as well as hear about case scenarios and participate in role-play situations. Behavior Skills Training (BST), which is an evidence-based procedure recommended for use in supervision, will be used to aid participants in becoming more skilled and confident in handling these challenging ethical dilemmas. Participants will be provided with specific tools that might be helpful in solving challenging ethical dilemmas (decision-making model, safety assessment form) and given information on how to use these tools.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the workshop, participants will be able to: 1. Describe the reasons why ethical dilemmas of avoiding multiple relationships, confidentiality and limits to confidentiality when someone is at-risk for hurting themselves or others or being hurt by others are so challenging 2. Describe the decision-making process for dealing with challenging ethical dilemmas and how it was used in specific case scenarios 3. Describe the use of Behavior Skills Training (BST), including instructions, modeling, rehearsal and feedback, to aid participants in becoming more skilled and confident in handling these challenging ethical dilemmas 4. Describe the use of specific tools that might be helpful in solving challenging ethical dilemmas (decision-making model, safety assessment form)
Activities: Workshop participants will be provided with didactic information, journal articles, self-assessments and case scenarios. They will also participate in role-play with feedback and discussion. Participants will be provided with specific tools that might be helpful in solving challenging ethical dilemmas (decision-making model, safety assessment form) and given information on how to use these tools.
Audience: Participants can include BCBAs, teachers, school administrators, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, counselors, therapists, and social workers. Participants should be familiar with the BACB Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts.
Content Area: Practice
Instruction Level: Intermediate
 
Workshop #W20
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
How to Stop Talking and Start Communicating With Motivational Interviewing
Thursday, May 26, 2022
4:00 PM–7:00 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 103
Area: TBA; Domain: Service Delivery
CE Instructor: Monica Gilbert, Psy.D.
MONICA GILBERT (Crystal Minds New Beginning)
Description: We walk the walk, but do we talk the talk? As clinicians, do we speak with parents or to them? Is it effective in motivating them to adhere to interventions or do you find that sometimes they inhale and exhale at the sight/sound of parent training sessions? Although Behavior Analysts offer empirically validated strategies and successfully change behaviors, it can be difficult for parents to adhere to treatment. Resistance is evoked by an antecedent stimulus (clinician's confrontational language), which is reinforced by escape of the aversive stimuli. Motivating Operations have a behavior/value altering effect in that they make "escaping" the stimuli (clinician) by engaging in resistant behaviors more or less reinforcing. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an empirically proven intervention that has shown substantial success in the literature in changing addictive behaviors in substance abusers, medication adherence and developmental disabilities. In this workshop, we will present the proven strategies of MI to decrease resistance and increase cooperation between parents and clinicians. The Transtheoretical model (stages of readiness) which helps identify parent’s level of resistance will also be introduced. Attendees will build skills in assessing parents’ level of resistance and learn to use change talk procedures to successfully decrease their resistance.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the workshop, participants will be able to: (1) Assess parent's motivation based on the trans-theoretical model and using different proven measures; (2) Provide examples of effective change talk strategies to develop and build collaborative relationships with parents; (3) Describe motivation using private events; (4) Identify traps that can harm clinician-parental relationships; (5) Describe key features of effective MI strategies; (6) Measure change talk vs. counter-change talk; (7) Identify key features necessary for cooperative relationships between caregivers and clinicians.
Activities: Workshop activities will include didactic instruction, active student responses, and video/audio role play discussion. If online we will have "break out rooms" to facilitate small group practice.
Audience: BCaBA, BCBA, graduate students, and licensed psychologists.
Content Area: Practice
Instruction Level: Basic
Keyword(s): ACT, Motivational Interviewing
 
Workshop #W23
CE Offered: PSY/BACB — 
Ethics
Risk-Benefit Analysis of Treatments for Severe Problem Behaviors
Friday, May 27, 2022
8:00 AM–11:00 AM
Meeting Level 2; Room 258A
Domain: Applied Research
CE Instructor: Nathan Blenkush, Ph.D.
NATHAN BLENKUSH (Judge Rotenberg Educational Center), JASON CODERRE (The Judge Rotenberg Educational Center), JOSEPH TACOSIK (Judge Rotenberg Education Center), DYLAN PALMER (Judge Rotenberg Educational Center)
Description: Behavior analysts are often part of multidisciplinary teams that treat patients with severe problem behaviors that are refractory to typical interventions. Professionals within and between disciplines do not always agree on the most appropriate treatment approach for a given person. However, there is general agreement that those providing treatment should provide the most effective and least restrictive interventions available. Unfortunately, risk perception and bias sometimes influence decision making to the detriment of the person receiving treatment. Here, we review decision analysis tools that may help inform decisions made by behavior analysts and interdisciplinary teams when treating severe problem behaviors. We review ethical, legal, and regulatory policies that must be considered in relation to treating people with severe problem behaviors.
Learning Objectives: 1. Participants will be able to describe the elements of at least two decision analysis tools associated with treatment selection. 2. Participants will identify at least three potential fallacies or biases associated with risk and clinical decision making. 3. Participants will evaluate at least two treatments using a risk benefit approach.
Activities: The format combines lecture, application of decision analysis, and group discussion.
Audience: Behavior analysts, psychologists, and other professionals who are often confronted with people who emit severe problem behaviors refractory to typical interventions.
Content Area: Practice
Instruction Level: Advanced
Keyword(s): Decision analysis, Risk Perception, Treatment evaluation
 
Workshop #W24
CE Offered: PSY/BACB — 
Ethics
Diversity submission Ethics Regarding Sexuality Issues for Those on the Autism Spectrum
Friday, May 27, 2022
8:00 AM–11:00 AM
Meeting Level 2; Room 252B
Area: AUT/TBA; Domain: Theory
CE Instructor: Joanne Sgambati, Ph.D.
JOANNE SGAMBATI (Eden II/Genesis Programs NYSABA), NATASHA TREUMAN (Eden ll/ Genesis Programs), AMANDA HAYES (Eden ll/ Genesis Programs)
Description: This presentation will focus on the treatment intervention and the importance of BACB ethicall standards as it relates to supporting individuals on the autism spectrum and sexuality issues. The workshop will give an overview of ASD symptomolog and sexually related challenging behaviors. It will discuss ethic and sexual consent and related human rights issues.The workshop will discuss case examples and practical ethical solutions to various challenging sexual behaviors. Autism LGBTQIA+ issues will be reviewed along with helpful ethical solutions. Lastly, best practices and advocacy will be discussed. Materials will be supplied and interactive audiance activities will be used for audiance participation. A Q&A session will follow.
Learning Objectives: (1) Participants will learn and review the Current BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts. (2) Participats will learn current sexual issues and challanging behaviors in those with autism based on several case examples and how they were addessed ethically by application of the current BACB ethics and related codes. (3) Participants will have opportunities to ask questions and problem solve through various interactive activities that target ethics, human rights, sexuality , and LGBTQIA+ issues in the autism community.
Activities: Workshop objectives will be met through a balanced presentation of lecture, video observation, small group break out, and group discussion. Core content will be taught through lecture and video demonstrations of strategies will be provided. Supplemental materials for identifying ethical issues and solutions will be provided in order to support participant learning.
Audience: Intermediate level - Partcipants should have rerequisite skills such as a general knowledge of BACB ethical standards and appled behavior analysis as it relates to autism spectrum disorder. This workshop is good for Behavior Anaylsts, Psychologists, Social Workers, Graduate Students, and Educators.
Content Area: Practice
Instruction Level: Intermediate
 
Workshop #W33
CE Offered: PSY/BACB — 
Ethics
Diversity submission Ethics Without Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is Unethical
Friday, May 27, 2022
8:00 AM–3:00 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 156B
Area: AUT; Domain: Service Delivery
CE Instructor: Natalie A. Parks, Ph.D.
NATALIE A. PARKS (Behavior Leader Inc.; Saint Louis University), CHARDAE RIGDON (Rockwood School District), CHELSEA LAXA (Behavior Leader, Inc.), ELIZABETH HARRINGTON (Behavior Leader)
Description: The Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts specifies that behavior analysts should provide services that are culturally responsive, be aware of their own biases, and provide supervision that focuses on developing these skills in trainees. Several behavior analysts have investigated various diversity and inclusion topics including the development of racism, the need for additional diversity and inclusion training in the field, and the discrepancies between behavior analysis and other social science fields. This workshop provides participants with a behavior analytic framework of the principles and concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, encourages participants to review and reflect upon their own biases and privileges and how these intersect with the delivery of services, and guides participants through the steps necessary to develop culturally responsive services. Participants will operationally define the most common terms in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work, explore how each concept and principle applies to their work as a behavior analyst, and practice developing programming and services that are culturally responsive. Participants will be challenged to examine their own biases and identities and how these intersect with the individuals served. Finally, participants will explore why DEI is necessary to provide ethical services.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: 1. Operationally define at least 5 common terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion. 2. State what it means to have culturally responsive services. 3. Identify their own biases and identity and how they intersect with the delivery of services. 4. Create services that are culturally responsive. 5. Identify why DEI is necessary for the provision of ethical services.
Activities: Workshop objectives will be met through a combination of lecture, video review, small group discussions and activities, individual activities, and large group activities. Core content will be taught through lecture and videos that illustrate examples and models and participants will practice and apply their learning through the various individual, small, and large group activities.
Audience: Participants should be BCBAs, BCaBAs, or BCBA-Ds that have a strong foundational knowledge of concepts and principles in behavior analysis. Background knowledge of cultural practices and interlocking behavioral contingencies will aid in understanding, but not necessary.
Content Area: Practice
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): diversity, equity, ethics, inclusion
 
Workshop #W35
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Updating Relational Frame Theory and Increasing its Utility in Applied Behavior Analyses of Human Language and Cognition
Friday, May 27, 2022
8:00 AM–3:00 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 153C
Area: DEV; Domain: Theory
CE Instructor: Carolina Coury Silveira, Ph.D.
DERMOT BARNES-HOLMES (Ulster University), COLIN HARTE (Federal University of São Carlos), JOAO HENRIQUE DE ALMEIDA (Londrina State University), CAROLINA COURY SILVEIRA DE ALMEIDA (ABAKids: Desenvolvimento Infantil)
Description: Relational frame theory (RFT) is a behavior-analytic account of human language and cognition which in recent years has experienced a period of intense conceptual and empirical development. The overarching aim of the current workshop is to summarise these recent developments in RFT and how they could translate into potential advances in applied behaviour analyses, particularly in understanding and treating language and cognitive deficits/developmental delays. The workshop will be built around a new RFT framework for conceptualising many of the key ‘behavioral units’ of human verbal behavior. It will aim to demonstrate how the framework could be utilised in analysing deficits in, and designing interventions for, people with autism and other developmental delays. A blend of lecturing, video material, examples of teaching programmes, and group-based practical exercises will be utilised. PowerPoint slides and related materials will be made freely available to participants as well as free access to supporting software related to workshop content. Many additional readings will also be made available via an open access website. At the end of the workshop attendees should be in a position to utilise this new framework in their own applied environments.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) articulate the basic descriptive and explanatory concepts in RFT; (2) identify and describe the key elements of the multidimensional, multilevel (MDML) RFT framework; (3) generate some examples of how the MDML framework may be used in the applied behaviour-analytic treatment of specific deficits in human language and cognition.
Activities: The workshop will involve a balance between lecture, active participation, opportunities to practice the skills demonstrated in groups along with feedback provided to participants by the workshop presenters. In addition, video demonstrations will be employed throughout, and examples of teaching programmes will be provided. Workshops slides and additional supplementary readings and materials will be made available to participants via an open access website.
Audience: A basic background in behaviour analysis is assumed.
Content Area: Theory
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): Developmental Delays, Language/Cognition, MDML Framework, RFT
 
Workshop #W37
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Diversity submission Trauma: The Invisible Elephant Underlying Challenging Behavior
Friday, May 27, 2022
8:00 AM–3:00 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 151A/B
Area: EDC/CBM; Domain: Service Delivery
CE Instructor: Jeannie A. Golden, Ph.D.
JEANNIE A. GOLDEN (East Carolina University), PAULA Y FLANDERS (Rethinked.com), DANIELLE WEBB (East Carolina University)
Description: Behavior analysts are often charged with the responsibility of dealing with challenging behaviors and may be unaware of the impact of underlying trauma on these behaviors. These challenging behaviors are frequently not amenable to traditional functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) and positive behavioral interventions (PBIs). This may be because behavior analysts are reluctant to incorporate distal setting events, discriminative stimuli, and motivating operations into their FBAs, which is essential to the incorporation of trauma into these analyses. Further, it is necessary to acknowledge the impact of verbal behavior in implementing effective interventions, as covert thoughts and feelings often are the establishing operations that motivate challenging behaviors. This workshop will familiarize participants with FBAs that incorporate trauma as well as with strategies that use verbal behavior in conducting interventions. They will see role-play demonstrations of these strategies and have the opportunity to practice these strategies with feedback and correction. They will also be provided with PBIs specific to their own caseloads.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will be able to: 1. Explain why youth who have experienced trauma are more likely to exhibit challenging behaviors. 2. Describe how to incorporate distal setting events, discriminative stimuli, and motivating operations into functional behavioral assessments of youth who have experienced trauma. 3. Describe how covert thoughts and feelings often serve as establishing operations that motivate challenging behaviors. 4. Explain why verbal behavior is important in implementing effective interventions for youth who have experienced trauma. 5. Describe some of the verbal behavior strategies that could be effective interventions for youth who have experienced trauma.
Activities: Participants in this workshop will receive didactic information as well as modeling, role play, feedback and practice of specific trauma-based interventions. Supplemental materials such as written scenarios, fidelity checklists, and sample FBAs and PBIs will also be provided.
Audience: Participants can include BCBAs, teachers, school administrators, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, counselors, therapists, and social workers. Participants should be familiar with terms including verbal behavior, discriminative stimuli, establishing and abolishing operations, and positive and negative reinforcement, and have experience and examples dealing with those terms.
Content Area: Practice
Instruction Level: Intermediate
 
Workshop #W46
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
VOX: An Experimental Analysis of Verbal Behavior for Speakers With Autism and Other Language Disorders
Friday, May 27, 2022
8:00 AM–3:00 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 153A
Area: VBC; Domain: Service Delivery
CE Instructor: Lee L Mason, Ph.D.
ALONZO ALFREDO ANDREWS (The University of Texas at San Antonio), LEE L MASON (Cook Children's Health Care System)
Description: Skinner (1957) writes, "It is my belief that something like the present analysis reduces the total vocabulary needed for a scientific account. In many ways, then, this seems to me to be a better way of talking about verbal behavior" (p. 456). Language is a much sought after, yet elusive subject matter for scientific investigation. Skinner proposed that language fell within the scope of a science of behavior, and was therefore open to functional analysis and interpretation. Over the past 60 years, much has been done to further the scientific explanation, prediction, and control of verbal behavior as a function of environmental variables. This workshop provides an interactive approach to conducting verbal operant experimental (VOX) analyses, and using the results of this assessment for developing individualized treatment plans for individuals with autism and other language disorders. Specifically, we use multiple-exemplar training and mediated scaffolding 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. 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 the strength of verbal operants in relation to one another; (2) conduct a VOX analysis; (3) develop individualized treatment objectives; and (4) demonstrate the process for transferring stimulus control across 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.
Content Area: Practice
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): errorless learning, functional analysis, stimulus control, verbal behavior
 
Workshop #W54
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Improving Classroom Behavior Support Through Applied Behavior Analysis
Friday, May 27, 2022
12:00 PM–3:00 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 252A
Area: EDC/OBM; Domain: Service Delivery
CE Instructor: Robert F. Putnam, Ph.D.
ROBERT F. PUTNAM (May Institute), ERIK D MAKI (May Institute)
Description: This workshop will provide behavior analysts with a review of the research on evidence-based practices in classwide behavior support (Simonsen & Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers, & Sugai, 2008; Simonsen et al., 2015; Reinke, Herman & Sprick, 2011). These practices include 1) antecedent practices (physical layout, classroom expectations, behavioral routines, teaching expectations and routines, precorrections, active supervision); 2) instructional management (opportunities to respond), 3) reinforcement practices (contingent behavioral-specific praise, group contingencies, and token economies, behavioral contracts) and consequence (planning ignoring, explicit reprimands, differential reinforcement, response cost, and timeout). The workshop will go over the use of classwide functional assessment as a method to systematically evaluate the classroom environment to design and implement effective classroom-wide behavioral support practices. Once the environment is assessed, the model incorporates both indirect (i.e., lecture, written training materials) and direct (i.e., modeling, performance feedback) instruction. Finally, participants will learn how teachers participate in a data-based decision-making process to establish more effective practices, procedures, and interactions with students. Data (Swain-Bradway et al., 2017) will be presented supporting the need for a comprehensive training method that includes both direct instruction and performance feedback for teachers to implement classroom-wide behavior support practices with integrity
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) apply functional assessment strategies to the selection and implementation of effective classroom-wide practices; 2) use evidence-based methods used to train teachers in evidenced-based classroom-wide behavior support practices; 3) use a data-based decision process used with teachers to modify classroom behavior support practices, and; 4) use instructional and behavior support practices that establish more effective interactions between teachers and students and increase on-task behavior.
Activities: The format combines lecture, guided practice, and frequency-building exercises to learn how to use the Classroom Observation Tool.
Audience: Behavior analysts who provide direct consultation to instructional staff and other staff who provide support to instruction staff.
Content Area: Practice
Instruction Level: Intermediate
 
Workshop #W66
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/NASP
Joining Forces: Enhancing School-Based Behavior Analytic Services Through Collaboration With Mental Health Professionals (In-Person and via Telehealth)
Friday, May 27, 2022
4:00 PM–7:00 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 103
Area: EDC/AUT; Domain: Service Delivery
CE Instructor: Whitney L. Kleinert, Ph.D.
WHITNEY L. KLEINERT (May Institute)
Description: In school systems, many of the students we work with require additional supports beyond Applied Behavior Analysis that are outside of our competence. Specifically, students may have comorbid diagnoses that necessitate different areas of expertise, such as a developmental disability in conjunction with anxiety or depression. Additionally, students may have significant trauma histories that impact how they respond to different features of treatments grounded in ABA (e.g., full-physical prompting). In order to fully meet the needs of the students we work with, and to maintain our ethical obligations (e.g., BACB Ethics Code 1.02), it is imperative that we collaborate with experts in other areas (e.g., mental health). This workshop will explore research-based methods of consultation and collaboration between behavioral staff and mental health clinicians – specifically, methods we can use to join forces and meet students’ needs effectively and efficiently.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the workshop, participants will be able to: (1) DESCRIBE how Mental Health and behavioral needs may be intertwined and the implications of solely addressing one or the other; (2) IDENTIFY ways to collaborate with staff providing Mental Health services and staff providing services rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis; (3) DESCRIBE specific ways to incorporate Mental Health and ABA components into each of these service areas to increase the likelihood of better outcomes for students.
Activities: This workshop can be adapted for both in-person and online learning platforms. Instructional strategies include brief lecture, group discussion, and small group breakouts. The format will include a lecture with supporting visuals, case illustrations/examples, polling questions (via Zoom or in-person), Behavioral Skills Training (BST; instructions, model, role-plays, feedback), and small group discussions with subsequent sharing with the whole group.
Audience: Experience working within school settings and/or collaborating with service providers within school settings preferred (e.g., Psychologists, Counselors, SLPs, OTs, PTs).
Content Area: Practice
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): Consultation, Mental Health, School, School Consultation
 
Workshop #W67
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Successful Intervention in Schools: How to Provide Systematic and Effective Behavioral Consultation
Friday, May 27, 2022
4:00 PM–7:00 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 104A
Area: EDC/AUT; Domain: Service Delivery
CE Instructor: Megan Robinson Joy, Ph.D.
MEGAN ROBINSON JOY (Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health), KRISTEN M. VILLONE (Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health), RYAN BIEMULLER (Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health)
Description: Working in natural environments like schools presents a number of challenges to implementing successful behavioral intervention. Competing priorities, last minute referrals, and large caseloads can make consultants feel like they are always putting out fires. In this workshop attendees will learn strategies for providing systematic, effective, and ecologically valid behavioral consultation. The presenters will review research on evidence-based practices for special education populations, including learners with autism and students with intensive special needs. Attendees will learn how to incorporate evidence-based practices into classroom consultation protocols, including how to create data-based observation systems and provide behavioral skills training to teachers and classroom staff. The presenters will discuss processes for addressing the needs of high-risk students who continue to exhibit problem behavior despite consistent implementation of evidence-based practices. Strategies for effective coaching in the classroom will be emphasized, including how to build rapport, work with staff from different backgrounds, communicate effectively and identify interventions that are feasible and contextually appropriate. The presenters will also discuss how to monitor progress, fade supports and build capacity within the school environment.
Learning Objectives: (1) Identify evidence-based classroom practices for special education populations, including learners w/ASD and students with disruptive behavior disorders. (2) Develop a structured classroom observation system, including data collection strategies and a plan for implementation and sustainability. (3) Demonstrate how to effectively use behavioral skills training to teach classroom staff how to consistently use evidence-based practices. (4) Discuss key practices for effective consultation, including building rapport, working within the resources of the environment, communicating clearly and consistent documentation.
Activities: Instructional strategies will include: - Didactic training and demonstration of targeted skills. - Sharing and discussing data on current implementation in public schools - Presentation of templates for developing data-based observation systems and implementation plans - Small group discussion to develop implementation plans - Opportunities to practice coaching and providing performance feedback
Audience: Participants should have experience developing behavior intervention plans. Participants should have experience working in schools or working with staff without a background in ABA.
Content Area: Practice
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): consultation, contextual fit, schools
 
Workshop #W75
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
The ABCs of Effective Advocacy: What You Should Know About Policymakers and What They Already Know About You
Friday, May 27, 2022
4:00 PM–7:00 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 258A
Area: TBA/CSS; Domain: Service Delivery
CE Instructor: John Scibak, Ph.D.
JOHN WALTER SCIBAK (Retired, Member of Massachusetts House of Representatives; ABAI Licensing Committee)
Description: People are impacted by an ever increasing number of public policies. Although many complain about various laws, rules and regulations, relatively few ever attempt to understand the process or influence policymakers to act in a particular way. While one would expect behavior analysts to play a prominent role in this regard, little has changed since Skinner (1987) acknowledged a collective failure to identify and manage the key contingencies influencing the behavior of public servants. Utilizing specific examples from 16 years in the legislature, the presentation presents an overview of the legislative and regulatory process and outlines key strategies for success, including identifying the key players, critical timelines, and complex contingencies at work, highlighting specific resources for accessing proposed legislation and regulations, interacting with legislators, testifying at public hearings, and recognizing procedural and process differences between legislative and executive branch interactions. Although the primary focus will be on what you should know about policymakers, data will be shared regarding what policymakers know about their constituents. While particular attention will be given to licensing statutes and regulations at the state level, the strategies will be easily generalizable to other policy domains and areas of concern at both the state and federal level.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) Identify the key players and critical timelines in the legislative process; (2) Identify specific state and federal resources to access proposed legislative and regulatory changes; (3) Identify the 3 key agenda items for a legislative meeting; (4) Describe the components of successful public hearing testimony; (5) Identify the differences between the legislative and regulatory process
Activities: The workshop will include a combination of lecture, video examples, role play and group discussion
Audience: Behavior analysts, leaders of state behavior analysis organizations, persons interested in public policy issues including licensure
Content Area: Practice
Instruction Level: Basic
 
Symposium #17
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Theory and Intervention for Misophonia: A Conditioned Aversive Respondent Behavior
Saturday, May 28, 2022
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Meeting Level 1; Room 104A
Area: CBM; Domain: Translational
Chair: Thomas H. Dozier (Misophonia Institute; Misophonia Treatment Institute)
Discussant: Emily Thomas Johnson (Behavior Attention and Developmental Disabilities Consultants, LLC)
CE Instructor: Thomas H. Dozier, M.S.
Abstract:

Misophonia is an understudied but relatively common learned respondent behavior condition, the impact of which ranges from annoying to debilitating. Misophonia is known as a condition where commonly occurring innocuous stimuli (e.g. chewing sound, specific voice) elicit anger and accompanying physiological responses which function as motivating operations for overt aggression, escape, and avoidance. Although there are many common misophonic stimuli, each person has a unique set of trigger stimuli. Misophonia has similarities with general sensory sensitivity which is common with autism, but is distinctly different. Misophonia was first identified and named by audiologists and has been considered a hearing disorder. Recently misophonia has come to be viewed as an anger disorder and the focus of psychologists and neuroscientists, however our research indicates the core of misophonia is a Pavlovian conditioned muscle reflex, so it may be more appropriate to view misophonia as a conditioned behavioral disorder. Once a misophonic respondent behavior develops, it generally strengthens with repeated exposure to the trigger stimulus and persists indefinitely unless there is an intervention to reduce the respondent behavior. One intervention that has been effective for misophonia is counterconditioning of trigger stimuli by paring a continuous positive stimulus with an intermittent trigger.

Instruction Level: Advanced
Keyword(s): ABA Intervention, aggression, counterconditioning, misophonia
Target Audience:

basic

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: 1. Identify the core reflex of the misophonia response chain. 2. Identify the neurological learning process that creates and maintains the core reflex of misophonia response chain. 3. Identify one treatment method that can change the misophonic response when used in an intervention. 4. Distinguish between general sensory sensitivity, common to ASD, and misophonia.
 
The Composition of Misophonia: A Conditioned Respondent Behavior
(Basic Research)
THOMAS H. DOZIER (Misophonia Institute; Misophonia Treatment Institute)
Abstract: Misophonia is a recently identified condition in which an individual has an immediate acute emotional response (e.g., anger, disgust, anxiety) when exposed to specific commonly occurring stimuli. We conducted two basic research studies that indicate the core component of misophonia is a Pavlovian conditioned muscle reflex. Following the muscle reflex, misophonia includes an intense conditioned emotional response, which is the hallmark feature of misophonia. An fMRI neurological imaging research study results will be presented which indicates the emotional response develops through experiential learning of emotions. Unconditioned physiological responses are elicited by the distress of the reflex and emotional response and have been validate with skin conductance measurements. Conditioned operant behavior develops around these core responses which often include avoidance, escape, and sometimes aggression. The “learned” nature of misophonia is also supported by age of onset data, and case data which support that counterconditioning the learned physical reflex results in a reduction in the emotional response and overall severity ratings of misophonia.
 

Counterconditioning Intervention for Misophonic Triggered Aggressive Behavior of a Student With Autism

(Service Delivery)
MOLLY LUTZ (Pediatric Therapeutic Services)
Abstract:

Misophonia is a disorder in which specific innocuous stimuli trigger negative emotional and physiological responses. Reactions can range from annoyance to fight-or-flight. Commonly occurring triggers are oral and nasal sounds, but can be any stimulus. This study reports a successful intervention of a male high school student diagnosed with the primary educational classification of intellectual disability, a secondary classification of autism spectrum disorder, and speech and language impairment. Prior to intervention, the student was frequently triggered by vocal stimuli of one student, and he was continually removed from class due to aggressive and perseverative episodes towards that student. Pre-intervention rate of perseverative behavior was 12.3 times per hour. The intervention consisted of 10-30 minute counterconditioning sessions in a public education setting for three recorded trigger stimuli. Counterconditioning was accomplished by pairing continuous preferred stimuli (e.g., video or music) while the trigger played intermittently using the Misophonia Trigger Tamer app on an iPad. Staff observed overt behavior which indicated physiological responses after the trigger played and increased or decreased volume to maintain a minimal response. The intervention successfully reduced the misophonic respondent behavior, and the aggressive behavior extinguished. Preliminary post intervention rate of perseverative behavior is 0 times per hour.

 
 
Invited Paper Session #20
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Empirically Based Analysis of the Traditional Definitions of Conditional Discrimination, Equivalence Classes, and Contextual Control
Saturday, May 28, 2022
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: EAB; Domain: Basic Research
Chair: Erik Arntzen (Oslo Metropolitan University)
CE Instructor: Paula Debert, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: PAULA DEBERT (University of Sao Paulo)
Abstract: This presentation proposes an empirically based revision of the traditional definitions of conditional discrimination, equivalence classes, and contextual control. Some experiments that employed alternative procedures to matching-to-sample (MTS) will be described and analyzed. Results from these experiments suggested the establishment of behaviors similar to those produced with the MTS procedure. The first experiment to be described indicated that the go/no-go procedure with compound stimuli could generate emergent control by stimulus combinations not presented in training. The second experiment revealed that simple discrimination procedures could generate emergent stimuli substitutability. The final experiment to be described shows that the go/no-go procedure with compound stimuli established what would be called equivalence classes comprising stimuli with multiple class membership without combining them into a single large class. The manner by which stimuli were presented in these experiments does not allow inferring supposed discriminative, conditional, and contextual functions that are specified in the traditional definitions. In order to account for the performances observed in the studies described, it is proposed that the definitions of conditional discrimination, equivalence classes and contextual control specify, respectively, performances that involve stimuli recombination, stimuli substitutability, and stimuli sharing by different equivalence classes without merging them into one. These definitions will allow the use of a wider range of procedures that may be useful in developing new teaching technologies to reach diverse populations and contexts that require procedures alternative to the traditional matching-to-sample.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Basic and applied researchers and practitioners interested in the development of new teaching technology to produce complex behaviors
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe and analyze experiments with alternative procedure to establish emergent behavior; (2) analyze and critic traditional definition of conditional discrimination, equivalence class and contextual control; (3) use new definitions and procedures to establish emergent behaviors.
 
PAULA DEBERT (University of Sao Paulo)
Dr. Paula Debert is a professor of Psychology at Universidade de São Paulo (USP) - Brazil. She is the vice-coordinator of Experimental Psychology Graduate Program in the university and the coordinator of Psychology Undergraduate Program in the Psychology Institute at Universidade de São Paulo. She is a researcher at the Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Behavior, Cognition and Teaching (INCT-ECCE) and a member of the Board of Editors of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. Dr. Debert's research focuses on the study of alternative procedures to generate symbolic emergent behaviors.
 
 
Invited Paper Session #23
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
When We Speak of Self…
Saturday, May 28, 2022
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Meeting Level 1; Room 154
Area: PCH; Domain: Theory
Chair: Michael D. Hixson (Central Michigan University)
CE Instructor: Timothy D. Hackenberg, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: TIMOTHY D. HACKENBERG (Reed College)
Abstract: The concept of self has a long and complex history in philosophy and psychology, ranging from an inner cause of behavior (e.g., as in psychodynamic theory) to an illusion (e.g., as in some Eastern religious traditions). In this talk, I consider the concept of self through a behavioral lens by identifying some of the conditions surrounding its use. From a behavioral perspective, the concept of self can be viewed as a kind self-discrimination, where some aspect of one’s own body or behavior serves a discriminative function. This encompasses a wide range of discriminative behavior, some shared with other animals, but mostly unique to human social environments in which we are prompted by others to examine our own behavior and the variables of which it is a function. I will discuss this type of self-descriptive behavior, where it comes from, how it relates to self-awareness, the extent to which it is seen in other animals, and relations between aware and unaware repertoires in the same skin. By grounding the concept of self in the particular conditions surrounding its use, my aim is to demystify it, treating it not as a causal entity separate from behavior, but rather, as behavior itself, a class of environment-behavior relations. This provides the basis for a behavioral view with intriguing parallels to other process-oriented and non-dualistic approaches to self, some of which will be considered in the talk.
Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience: Behavior analysts with an interest in conceptual issues
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to: (1) provide a behavioral definition of self; (2) distinguish aware from unaware behavior; (3) identify commonalities with other non-dualistic approaches to self.
 
TIMOTHY D. HACKENBERG (Reed College)
Tim Hackenberg has had the good fortune to work with and learn from great teachers and students over the years. He received a B.A. degree in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine in 1982 and a doctorate in Psychology from Temple University in 1987, under the supervision of Philip Hineline. Following a two year post-doctoral research position at the University of Minnesota with Travis Thompson from 1988-90, he served on the faculty in the Behavior Analysis program at the University of Florida from 1990-2009. He is currently a Professor of Psychology at Reed College in Portland Oregon. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, of the Society for the Quantitative Analysis of Behavior, as Associate Editor of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, as President of Division 25 of the American Psychological Association, as the Experimental Representative to the ABAI Council, and as the first Director of the ABAI Science Board. His major research interests are in the area of behavioral economics and comparative cognition, with a particular emphasis on decision-making, token economies, and social behavior. In work funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, he and his students have developed procedures for cross-species comparisons of complex behavior.
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #24
CE Offered: BACB/PSY/QABA
Preventing and Identifying Human Trafficking Among Individuals With Disabilities
Saturday, May 28, 2022
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Meeting Level 2; Room 256
Area: PRA; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Susan Wilczynski (Ball State University)
CE Instructor: Susan Wilczynski, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: LAURA CUSACK (Coalition for Independent Living Options, Inc.)
Abstract:

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at increased risk for abuse, violence, and human trafficking. According to the Trafficking Victim Protection Act (TVPA), trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or coercion for commercial sex, or if the individual is under 18 years. Labor trafficking includes involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery. Individuals with disabilities may be targeted as they may be more isolated, be more easily manipulated and groomed or not be able to communicate what is occurring. Sometimes there are signs of abuse such as an increase in certain behaviors, difficulty at school, home or therapy and new behaviors not present prior. Considering that some children with disabilities are nonverbal they may not be able to communicate any abuse that may be occurring. It is vital to teach healthy and unhealthy relationships, appropriate and inappropriate touch, how to communicate an occurrence and who they should confide in. More research should be conducted with individuals with disabilities for identification, screening, and prevention. All clinics should include mandatory training for human trafficking and abuse prevention and identification. Collaboration with therapists and families is vital to increase training and reporting to reduce the rates of human trafficking in this population.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

BCBAs, RBTs, anyone developing treatment plans and/or working with youth or those who may be at risk for abuse

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) explain human trafficking; (2) outline risk factors for human trafficking among clients with disabilities; (3) identify barriers to reporting faced by clients; (4) connect at-risk individuals to national resources.
 
LAURA CUSACK (Coalition for Independent Living Options, Inc.)
Laura Cusack is a Senior Crime Victim Practitioner at the Coalition for Independent Living Options, Inc. and serves as the President for the Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches. She currently participates on Palm Beach County’s Sexual Assault Response Team’s Community Action Network and Training Committee. She also serves on the People with Disabilities Community Consultant Panel, as well as is a member of the National Human Trafficking and Disabilities Working Group. Laura’s experience includes providing training to service providers on specific needs of crime victims with disabilities according to the Rehab Act, ADA, and fair housing act, as well as providing training on human trafficking and crimes against children; facilitating psychoeducational groups for high-risk youth with trauma-related disabilities; and leading community outreach efforts. Laura launched the Hope Campaign in Florida, a community outreach in Palm Beach County that works with local hotels to identify missing children and increase public access to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. She has also conducted street outreach with law enforcement to women in street-based prostitution to promote safety and wellness, and has instructed a criminal diversion curriculum to men arrested for buying sex. Laura is a member of the Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force, and regularly attends the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking meetings. Laura earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW) from Florida Atlantic University and is certified in the My Life My Choice, iEmpathize Empower Youth Program, and Men Breaking Free national curriculum.
 
 
Symposium #28
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP — 
Supervision
Behavioral Skills Training: Applications in Real-World Settings With Typical Caregivers
Saturday, May 28, 2022
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Meeting Level 2; Room 254A
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Peter Sturmey (The Graduate Center and Queens College, City University of New York)
Discussant: Wendy A. Machalicek (University of Oregon)
CE Instructor: Peter Sturmey, Ph.D.
Abstract: Behavioral Skills Training (BST) is an evidence-based practice that behavior analysts must be competent to deliver. Despite its widely recognized importance, further real-world models and evaluations are needed. This symposium will present four examples of applying BST to such varied contexts as training a grandparent to deliver a behavior support plan to an adult with autism spectrum disorders; efficient training of discrete trial teaching to typical staff; training staff to implement correct redirection and restraint procedures; and, training parents via telehealth to implement effective sleep protocols. These studies demonstrate the versatility and robustness of BST in real-world-applied settings.
Instruction Level: Advanced
Keyword(s): behavioral-skills training, caregeiver training, telehealth
Target Audience: Advanced: Participants should have at least a basic knowledge of graduate-level ABA such as is described in Cooper et al. including modeling, feedback, contingencies of reinforcement, programming generalization, small N experimental design. This can include current and potential supervisors.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe how to implement behavioral skills training (BST) in at least two contexts; (2) describe the telehealth application of BST; (3) describe strategies to maximize the efficiency of BST.
 

Grandparent-Implemented Interventions to Reduce Challenging Behavior of an Adult With Autism: A Pilot Telehealth Study

EMILY GREGORI (University of Illinois at Chicago), Christine Drew (Auburn University), Catharine Lory (Baylor University), Namhee Kim (University of Illinois at Chicago)
Abstract:

Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often engage in challenging behaviors that require intensive intervention. Due to the lack of services for adults with ASD, their caregivers are often responsible for providing behavioral support. However, caregivers, including grandparents, often lack adequate training and have limited access to ongoing support from professionals that prevents them from providing high-quality behavioral intervention. Telehealth is a mechanism that can potentially increase access to effective intervention for adults with ASD and training for their caregivers. However, most telehealth research has been conducted with young children and their parents. There is limited research to support the use of telehealth as a mechanism for improving service delivery for adults and their caregivers. This study explored the effects of grandparent-implemented interventions on the challenging behavior of an adult male with ASD. Research staff used individualized telehealth training and coaching to teach a grandparent to implement two function-based behavioral interventions. Data were collected on the grandparent’s implementation fidelity of both interventions and on the challenging behavior of the adult with ASD. Results showed that both interventions resulted in low to moderate levels of challenging behavior and that telehealth training and coaching resulted in high levels of implementation fidelity.

 
An Efficiency Tactic for Behavioral Skills Training
BRIAN C. LIU-CONSTANT (The Evergreen Center), John Claude Ward-Horner (Evergreen Center)
Abstract: Behavioral skills training (BST) was used to teach staff members a discrete trial training (DTT) procedure in a setting with a low trainer-to-staff ratio. Although effective, the rehearsal and feedback components of BST can be time-consuming and require more time with an expert trainer than the trainer has available. For the BST protocol, the researcher recorded and presented instructions and modeling on video, and developed scripts that participants followed during rehearsal and feedback. Each participant was assigned to a group of three. Participants took turns in one of three roles (teacher-participant, student-participant, or observer-participant) and, when serving in the role of teacher-participant, practiced the DTT procedure with a student-participant while the observer-participant delivered performance feedback to the teacher-participant. Results indicated that all participants were able to learn the DTT procedure when all feedback was provided by an observer-participant. The procedure was also efficient as evidenced by the expert trainer providing minimal feedback to observer-participants, and participants subsequent to the first participant of each group learning the DTT procedure in less time and with fewer sessions.
 
Behavioural Skills Training for Teaching Safety Skills to Mental Health Clinicians: A Pragmatic Randomized Control Trial.
Elizabeth Lin (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; University of Toronto), Mais Malhas (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), Emmanuel Bratsalis (Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto), KENDRA THOMSON (Brock University), Rhonda Boateng (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; University of Toronto), Fabienne Hargreaves (The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), Heba Baig (Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto), Louis Paul Alexander Busch (Centre for Addictions and Mental Health)
Abstract: Workplace violence is an increasingly significant topic, particularly as it applies to staff working in mental health settings. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada’s largest mental health hospital, considers workplace safety a high priority and consequently has mandated clinical staff safety training. Key components of this training are self-protection and 2–5 person team control skills, which serve as a last resort when other interventions are ineffective (e.g., verbal de-escalation). Training-as-usual (TAU) for the past 20 years has been based on a 3-D approach (description, demonstration, and doing), but without any competency-based assessment. Recent staff reports indicate that the acquisition and retention of these skills is problematic and that there are issues with staff confidence in their ability to address workplace violence. We will present the results of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of behavioral skills training (BST) against TAU in terms of the acquisition and 1-month post-training retention of self-protection team control skills as well as the impact on staff confidence. Results to date support the effectiveness of BST vs. TAU for improving staff performance compared to TAU.
 

Evaluation of a Telehealth Parent Training Program for Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder who have Sleep Difficulties

AMANPREET RANDHAWA (Brock University), Julie Koudys (Brock University), Angeline Savard (The Gregory School for Exceptional Learning), Catherine McConnell (Ontario ABA), Meghan Dunnet (Kalyana Support Systems), Jeffrey Esteves (York University), Andrea Valencia (kalyana Support Systems)
Abstract:

Research supports parent-implemented, behavior-analytic sleep interventions to address sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (Jin et al., 2013; Linnehan et al., 2021). Further, some research exists to support distance models of parent education and sleep intervention (Corkum et al, 2016). However, few studies directly assess parents’ ability to accurately implement sleep interventions (i.e., treatment fidelity). This limits our understanding of whether parents are implementing sleep interventions as designed and draws into question whether child behavior changes can be attributed to the interventions. As parents are typically the primary mediators of behavioural sleep interventions––and intervention success depends on the accurate implementation of the procedures and the consistency with which those procedures are implemented in the natural environment––this is a significant gap in the literature. The purpose of this concurrent multiple baseline design across participants study was to evaluate whether parents could accurately implement their child’s behavior-analytic sleep intervention. Four parent-child dyads were recruited. Behavioral skills training and nightly coaching support were provided to parents using a telehealth approach. Nightly coaching support was systematically faded. Results demonstrate that treatment fidelity increased for all participants. Interobserver agreement was above 80%. Clinical implications and future research recommendations will be discussed.

 
 
Symposium #35
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Updating Relational Frame Theory: What is it, What are its Implications, and Where is it Going?
Saturday, May 28, 2022
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Meeting Level 1; Room 153A
Area: EAB/DEV; Domain: Translational
Discussant: Julio C. De Rose (Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos)
CE Instructor: Carolina Coury Silveira de Almeida, Ph.D.
Abstract:

The roots of relational frame theory (RFT) can be traced back to an early conference paper on rule-governed behaviour in 1984. The seminal book-length treatment of RFT is now itself 20 years old. In that time the account has introduced many new terms, concepts and methods that would be unfamiliar to traditional behavior analysis. The current symposium presents four papers that involve critically reappraising this (RFT) work in an effort to determine its value, while also identifying ways in which to move forward. We argue that progress will likely involve being genuinely open to identifying potential weaknesses in analytic strategies, limitations in key concepts, and in a willingness to engage genuinely with alternative approaches to the study of human language and cognition within behavior analysis. Specifically, the four papers will consider (1) recent developments in the analysis of data from an RFT methodology, known as the implicit relational assessment procedure (IRAP); (2) the limited utility of the concepts of pliance, tracking and augmenting within RFT; (3) the use of a new framework in applied behavior analyses of language and cognition; and (4) the potential benefits of drawing on both RFT and Verbal Behavior Development Theory (VBDT) in the experimental analysis of human language and cognition.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): HDML/MDML, IRAP, RFT, Rule-Governed Behavior
Target Audience:

A basic background in behaviour analysis is assumed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) summarize recent developments in RFT; (2) articulate the way in which recent developments have led to a revaluation of some of the key concepts and methodologies within RFT; (3) provide examples of how recent developments in RFT connect more directly with applied behavior analysis.
 

Pliance, Tracking and Augmenting Within Relational Frame Theory: Vague Concepts Masquerading as High-Precision Technical Terms?

(Theory)
COLIN HARTE (Federal University of São Carlos), Dermot Barnes-Holmes (Ulster University)
Abstract:

Pliance, tracking and augmenting were defined as functionally distinct categories of rule-governed behavior in 1982. Since this time, however, the terms have rarely been used as the basis for conducting systematic experimental-analytic research, despite their theoretical centrality to the study of rule-governed behavior. 40 years later, it seems useful to reflect upon their place within the literature on the experimental analysis of human behavior, and relational frame theory in particular. In the current talk we evaluate their place within the literature and argue that they should be considered middle-level terms, which lack the relative precision of technical terms within the literature on relational frame theory (RFT). We explore the potential utility of conceptualizing rules as involving increasingly complex derived relational networks and focusing on various dimensions that impact such networks. Finally, we briefly consider a new program of research that has begun to take this approach in the context of up-dating RFT.

 

Evaluating and Training Perspective-Taking Guided by the Multi-Dimensional Multi-Level Framework

(Applied Research)
CAROLINA COURY SILVEIRA DE ALMEIDA (ABAKids: Desenvolvimento Infantil), João Henrique de Almeida (Londrina State University), Yvonne Barnes-Holmes (Perspectives Ireland Consulting Psychologists, Ltd.), Dermot Barnes-Holmes (Ulster University)
Abstract:

Demonstrating awareness of oneself and the states of others is argued to involve a highly complex behavior referred to as perspective taking. Before abstracting or inferring another person's perspective, one depends on a sufficient previously trained relational repertoire. The objective of the current study was to draw on the fundamental units of AARR, specifically with respect to deictic repertoires, using the MDML framework and explore a set of tasks to evaluate and train perspective-taking (PT). A set of non-arbitrary and arbitrary tasks were used to investigate relational repertoires at four levels of relational development (1-mutual entailment, 2-relational framing, 3-relational networking, 4-relating relations) for various generalised patterns of responding (coordination, difference, opposition, comparison, and hierarchy). Data from two children of similar developmental age (one with typical development and one with autism) were collected. The typical development child presented the expected level in abstract relations and showed success in the PT test. The child with autism initially failed the PT test but after an MDML-based intervention showed development in his relational repertoire and finally succeeded in the PT test. This study adds potentially valuable information about the minimal units required for deictic relational responding.

 

An Application of Updated Relational Frame Theory to Study Naming

(Applied Research)
MAITHRI SIVARAMAN (Ghent University, Belgium; Tendrils Centre for Autism, India), Dermot Barnes-Holmes (Ulster University), Herbert Roeyers (Ghent University)
Abstract:

Conceptual developments in RFT, which have provided a general framework (Hyper Dimensional Multi-Level framework) and a dynamical unit of analysis (Relating, Orienting, and Evoking, ROE) have served to highlight clear points of contact and overlap between the analysis of naming and different levels and dimensions of derived relating, in general. Previous studies on naming have presented the object and its name simultaneously during both training and testing, and thus the training component may establish a transformation of function (ToF) directly between the object and the name. The aim of the current study was to test the emergence of speaker naming and entailed ToF with a non-simultaneous presentation technique and evaluate the effectiveness of Multiple Exemplar Training (MET) if deficits are observed. Five typically-developing toddlers participated in the study, and initially, none of the participants exhibited correct naming responses. Three participants received MET, which led to improvements in speaker naming for all. Of these, one needed additional training with simultaneous stimulus presentation trials. The remaining two participants were tested repeatedly, without MET, and did not show any consistent improvements in naming. The applications of the HDML framework to assess the strength of the levels/dimensions of naming are discussed.

 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #43
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Partnering With Caregivers to Support Development in Young Children With Autism
Saturday, May 28, 2022
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: AUT; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Corina Jimenez-Gomez (Auburn University)
CE Instructor: Aubyn C. Stahmer, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: AUBYN STAHMER (UC Davis Health)
Abstract:

Caregiver-mediated early interventions have demonstrated positive child and family outcomes for young children with, or at high likelihood of having, autism (Zwaigenbaum et al., 2015; Burrell & Borrego, 2012). Additionally, there is consensus that effective early intervention includes a caregiver component, including input in the development of treatment goals and priorities, identifying support for the family, and learning specific strategies to support their child’s development. However, many intervention providers working with children with autism and their families have limited training in how to partner with parents or how to coach them in the use of evidence-based intervention strategies. Recent research has identified key elements for caregiver coaching and engagement (e.g., Pellecchia et al., 2020). This presentation will examine the literature on effective coaching strategies and provide methods to increase caregiver partnership in the intervention process. The use of telehealth to deliver coaching will be examined.

Instruction Level: Advanced
Target Audience: Providers and researchers interested in engaging caregivers in delivering interventions
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe at least three strategies for engaging caregivers in early intervention; (2) identify at least three barriers to caregiver participation in early intervention and strategies to address those barriers; (3) consider methods for individualizing caregiver involvement in intervention based on family characteristics and needs; (4) identify common elements of caregiver coaching across evidence-based early interventions; (5) identify potential benefits and drawbacks of caregiver coaching through telehealth platforms.
 
AUBYN STAHMER (UC Davis Health)
Dr. Aubyn Stahmer is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the UC Davis MIND Institute, a clinical psychologist and a board certified behavior analyst. She directs the Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Stahmer has over 25 years of experience in implementation of evidence-based practices for children with autism, including a range of caregiver-implemented interventions. She is an expert in the translation of evidence-based autism research to community-based practice and delivery. She is an internationally respected expert in the use of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions which are validated treatments for autism. Dr. Stahmer has conducted extensive research in the areas of caregiver coaching, early intervention, inclusive education and services research in autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Stahmer leads several grants funded through the U.S. Department of Education that involve adapting evidence-based practices for children with autism in collaboration with teachers and community providers.
 
 
Invited Tutorial #50
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Discrete Trial Teaching: The Worst Form of Instruction Except for All Those Other Forms of Instruction
Saturday, May 28, 2022
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Meeting Level 2; Room 256
Area: PRA; Domain: Applied Research
PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP CE Offered. CE Instructor: John McEachin, Ph.D.
Chair: Susan Wilczynski (Ball State University)
Presenting Authors: : JOHN MCEACHIN (Autism Partnership)
Abstract:

Discrete trial teaching (DTT) is one of the most widely implemented interventions for children with autism and at the same time one of the most maligned. It can be an incredibly powerful tool and is an acknowledged key component in intensive early intervention for children with autism. But it is also the intervention that everyone loves to hate: “It is too rigid and formulaic…Behavior change does not generalize to real-world contexts…It is overly contrived and unnatural…It does not have curb appeal.” But we have to consider whether all these purported shortcomings are inherent in the DDT model or are they by-products of rigidly formulated or incompletely implemented translations of the model. This talk will propose a broader conceptualization of DTT that allows for flexible application along a number of relevant continua according to the readiness of the learner. It will be argued that while the structure that is commonly viewed as a defining characteristic of DTT and arguably a major contributor to its effectiveness can and should be varied according to the needs of the student. In other words, we should aim to provide the just right amount of structure. This flexible but systematic approach has been referred to as progressive (e.g. Leaf et al., 2016). Within this progressive model all elements of DTT are fair game for rethinking what we do and why we do it. Willingness to contrive learning opportunities and space them closely together could actually be an advantage, not a shortcoming of DTT. The research behind this model will be described and the areas where more research is needed will be highlighted.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Instructional program developers and interventionists

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe the historical development of DTT and the application to learners with autism; (2) name three examples of widely held rules for DTT that we should reconsider based on currently available evidence; (3) describe a continuum of structured vs. naturalistic teaching style and three important considerations for where to position your instruction on that continuum; (4) name a potential important advantage of willingness to contrive learning opportunities.
 
JOHN MCEACHIN (Autism Partnership)
John McEachin is a licensed psychologist and behavior analyst who has been providing intervention to children with autism as well as adolescents and adults with a wide range of developmental disabilities since 1974. He received his graduate training under Ivar Lovaas at the UCLA Young Autism Project. During his 11 years at UCLA, Dr. McEachin served in various roles including Clinic Supervisor, Research and Teaching Assistant, and Lecturer. His research has included a long-term follow-up study of the children who received intensive behavioral treatment at the UCLA YAP, which was published in 1993. In 1994 he joined with Ron Leaf in forming Autism Partnership, which they continue to co-direct. In 1999 they published A Work in Progress, a widely used behavioral treatment manual and curriculum for children with autism. Dr. McEachin has lectured throughout the world and co-authored numerous books and research articles. He is an instructor at Long Beach State University and consults regularly to families, agencies, and school districts, assisting in the development of treatment programs and providing training to parents, interventionists and teachers.
 
 
Invited Tutorial #51
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
SQAB Tutorial: Creating Artificial Organisms Animated by a Selectionist Theory of Adaptive Behavior Dynamics
Saturday, May 28, 2022
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Meeting Level 1; Room 151A/B
Area: SCI; Domain: Theory
PSY/BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: Jack J. McDowell, Ph.D.
Chair: Peter R. Killeen (Arizona State University)
Presenting Authors: : JACK J. MCDOWELL (Emory University)
Abstract:

The evolutionary theory of behavior dynamics (ETBD) is a complexity theory, which means that it is stated in the form of simple low-level rules, the repeated operation of which generates high level outcomes that can be compared to data. The low-level rules of the theory implement Darwinian processes of selection, reproduction, and mutation. This tutorial is an introduction to the ETBD, and will illustrate how the theory is used to animate artificial organisms that behave freely, and continuously, in any desired experimental environment. Extensive research has shown that the behavior of artificial organisms animated by the theory successfully reproduces the behavior of live organisms, in qualitative and quantitative detail, in a wide variety of experimental environments, including concurrent ratio schedules with equal and unequal ratios in the components, and concurrent interval schedules with and without punishment superimposed on one or both alternatives. An overview and summary of the research testing the ETBD will be provided. The material interpretation of the theory as an instance of supervenient realism will also be discussed. Finally, possible future directions will be considered with an eye toward identifying the most valuable path or paths for future development.

Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience:

Behavior analysts interested in the basic science; individuals interested in computational theories of behavior or machine learning; individuals interested in modeling clinically significant human behavior

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) create artificial organisms animated by the selectionist theory; (2) run artificial organisms in experimental environments; (3) summarize empirical support for the theory; (4) consider possible material interpretations of the theory; (5) consider fruitful paths for further development of the theory.
 
JACK J. MCDOWELL (Emory University)
J. J McDowell received an A. B. from Yale University in 1972 and a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1979. After completing his clinical internship, he joined the faculty of Emory University, where he is currently a professor in the Department of Psychology. Dr. McDowell is also a licensed clinical psychologist, and maintains a private practice of behavior therapy in Atlanta. Dr. McDowell's research has focused on the quantitative analysis of behavior. He has conducted tests of matching theory in experiments with humans, rats, and pigeons, has made formal mathematical contributions to the matching theory literature, and has proposed a computational theory of behavior dynamics. He has also written on the relevance of mathematical and computational accounts of behavior for the treatment of clinical problems. Dr. McDowell's current research is focused on his computational theory of selection by consequences, including studies of behavior generated by the theory's genetic algorithm, and possible implementations of the theory in neural circuitry. His work, including collaborations with students and former students, has been funded by NIMH, NSF, and NIDA. Dr. McDowell is a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International.
 
 
Symposium #61
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Insurance-Funded Applied Behavior Analysis Intervention Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: Telehealth and Learner Outcomes
Saturday, May 28, 2022
12:00 PM–12:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 258A
Area: AUT; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Valerie R. Rogers (The ABRITE Organization)
Discussant: Kendra B. Newsome (Fit Learning)
CE Instructor: Valerie R. Rogers, Ph.D.
Abstract: Though the COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges related to securing and maintaining access to applied behavior analysis (ABA) intervention for children with autism, it also brought forth an opportunity to evaluate changes in treatment modality, intensity or dose of treatment, and overall access to intervention on learner gains and outcomes. For many ABA agencies, insurance-funded medically necessary ABA has changed in many ways since the onset of the pandemic. This includes the uses of telehealth not only for supervisory practices, but also for direct intervention via the behavior technician. Moreover, with risks safely mitigated, the pandemic even resulted in increased access to treatment for some learners. Still, these changes require systematic evaluation. The current symposium addresses these needs. The first paper examines the outcomes achieved with the use of telehealth at the individual and group level across different types of learners receiving varying intensities of treatment. The second paper provides an analysis of outcome data for a sample of learners and discussed in relation to learner specific variables, barriers overcome, and treatment modalities. The symposium will conclude with a discussion of the two papers and recommendations for further outcome research.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): Insurance-funded, Outcomes, Telehealth
Target Audience: Data analysis, familiarity with insurance-funded ABA services, familiarity with standardized assessments and skill acquisition data
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe at least 3 variables in need of investigation by behavior analysts related to learner outcomes from telehealth services; (2) describe the relationship between rates of skill acquisition, treatment modality, proportion of recommended treatment hours received, and learner variables including telehealth prerequisite skills; (3) describe at least 2 factors correlating with improved learner outcomes.
 
An Examination of Telehealth and the Outcomes Achieved Across Various Types of Learners
GINGER R. RAABE (The ABRITE Organization), Valerie R. Rogers (The ABRITE Organization), Janice Frederick (The ABRITE Organization)
Abstract: The importance of a research practitioner approach within the field of behavior analysis has never been more important than in the presence of the current context. The pandemic has created what might be considered a paradigm shift in the delivery of behavior analytic services. To sustain access to services, telepractice was explored sparking additional questions in need of investigation. Within the arena of autism treatment and medical necessity, behavior analysts are continuing to navigate changes put forth by the various funders and continued examination of the outcomes produced would benefit the clinicians and the children and families served. The shift towards telehealth at all levels of service delivery has created new questions to be explored. Is telehealth at the behavior technician level effective? For what type of learner is telehealth effective? Do learners make the same, less than or more gains with this new service mode? This presentation will address these questions and examine the outcomes that were achieved with the use of telehealth at the individual and group level across various types of learners with autism receiving various amounts of service delivery in this fashion. In addition, the discussion will focus on access and medical necessity.
 

Pandemic Silver Linings: An Investigation of Parameters Related to Individual Learner Outcomes for Insurance-Funded Applied Behavior Analysis Intervention

VALERIE R. ROGERS (The ABRITE Organization), Ginger R. Raabe (The ABRITE Organization), Janice Frederick (The ABRITE Organization)
Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way insurance-funded intervention has been implemented for many learners with autism including modifications in treatment modality, intensity of treatment, and overall access to intervention. The pandemic provided rare treatment conditions for many learners and therefore necessitates ongoing investigation of the outcomes associated with these conditions. Examples of such conditions include learners receiving direct behavior technician intervention via telehealth and school aged children receiving comprehensive treatment programs given increased availability. The current paper provides a refined analysis of individual learner outcome data for a set of learners for whom barriers to accessing treatment were overcome. Specifically, outcome data for a sample of different learners receiving ABA insurance-funded treatment during the pandemic will be presented and discussed in relation to learner specific variables. An analysis of skill acquisition data in relation to variables such as age, modality of intervention, proportion of recommended treatment hours received, standardized assessment results, and treatment goals met will be presented across multiple participants. Results are discussed in terms of factors correlating with improved outcomes, removing common barriers to treatment, and providing support for insurance funded ABA treatment under these conditions. The need for additional outcome analyses and future research are discussed.

 
 
Symposium #69
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
What Works to Reduce Bullying from Applied Behavior Analytic Perspective
Saturday, May 28, 2022
12:00 PM–12:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 205A
Area: EDC/OBM; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Jeridith Ann Lord (Endicott College)
Discussant: Robert F. Putnam (May Institute)
CE Instructor: Robert F. Putnam, Ph.D.
Abstract: Applied behavior analysis principles have been used to improve numerous behavior problems in schools. For example, there are many programs available to schools that purport to reduce bullying. Unfortunately, few published programs purport to use and incorporate applied behavior analytic principles as the core of their interventions. This session will analyze these programs as reviewed in the literature from an applied behavior analysis perspective. The first paper will review the literature regarding reducing bullying from the unit of analysis of the whole school and its impact on students, parents, and teachers. A PRISMA model literature review will be presented on the existing literature. Finally, data will be shown on the extent to which these studies included competency assessment, generalization assessment, and social validity measures. The second paper will further analyze five of the most popular bullying programs. These programs were chosen because they were evaluated more than two times across different programs and different evaluators. It was found that staff training and parent involvement, hotspots monitoring, and treatment fidelity were associated with higher success. Data on these and other elements will be summarized, and implications for practice and training will be highlighted.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Intermediate - knowledge of school-based applied behavior analytical interventions
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) recite the components of effective anti-bullying programs (2) analyze anti-bullying programs for these effective components (3) list the the most effective components of anti-bullying programs
 

A Systematic Literature Review of Anti-Bullying Interventions

JACQUELINE J. WEBER (Endicott College), Brian Keith Mason (Endicott College)
Abstract:

1. Bullying in schools is a severe problem with implications for safety, mental health, and education. Schools around the world are implementing anti-bullying programs to address bullying. There are many different types of interventions available and in use, and it isn't easy to know which programs are most effective. Some programs are more efficacious than others, but what constitutes success is that the intervention must address the needs of the whole school, including students, teachers, and parents. Additionally, such programs must be implemented continuously and with fidelity. This paper will review the literature on anti-bullying programs to offer insight into what programs and program components are most effective in reducing bullying and victimization among students. A PRISMA model literature review will be presented on the existing literature. Initial searches yielded 351 articles; with additional requirements, the final analysis included 39 papers. Data will be shown on the extent to which these studies included competency assessment, generalization assessment, and social validity measures.

 
A Systematic Analysis of the Components of Effective Bullying Programs
BRIAN KEITH MASON (Endicott College), Jacqueline J. Weber (Endicott College)
Abstract: As an extension of the PRISMA model analysis of the existing literature, an additional analysis was done on five anti-bullying programs. As districts often implement a particular approach, this level of analysis seemed important. The programs selected were: Olweus, KiVA, Steps to Respect, Restorative Practices, and NoTrap! These programs were chosen because they were evaluated more than two times across different programs and different evaluators, lending some credibility to them. In addition, core elements of anti-bullying programs were assessed as to whether they were included in these models. Examples of these elements included: whole-school approach; parent involvement; teacher training; inclusion of classroom rules; curricular integration; working with peers, bullies, and victims; and hotspot supervision. A core component of bullying prevention programs is a whole school approach (Limber et al., 2011; Gaffney et al., 2019). Additionally, staff training and parent involvement were associated with higher success. An effective component that contributed additional value included the monitoring of hotspots. Not surprisingly, treatment fidelity was also associated with a higher impact from the intervention. Data on these and other elements will be summarized, and implications for practice and training will be highlighted.
 
 
Invited Paper Session #76
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Assessment of Cannabis’ Relative Value: Laboratory Evaluation of Reward Processing Among Those Who Use Cannabis
Saturday, May 28, 2022
12:00 PM–12:50 PM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: SCI; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Thomas J. Waltz (Eastern Michigan University)
CE Instructor: Elizabeth Aston, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: ELIZABETH ASTON (Brown University)
Abstract: Behavioral economics, an interdisciplinary field that prioritizes the assessment of reinforcer valuation, provides a powerful approach to examine the relative value of cannabis. Demand, an integral component of a behavioral economic approach to studying cannabis use, characterizes the value of a given reinforcer and facilitates identification of excessive substance valuation. Demand may be obtained via systematic assessment of hypothetical consumption across escalating price on the Marijuana Purchase Task. This talk will present the utility of demand as a potential marker of cannabis risk severity, including use frequency, use of high-potency cannabis formulations, and engagement in hazardous behaviors such as driving following use. This presentation will focus on demand assessment paired with ad libitum cannabis administration in the laboratory, including simulated purchasing behavior, subjective intoxication, and smoking topography (i.e., the way in which one smokes). The talk will conclude with discussion of clinical applications for demand assessment, how behavioral economic approaches can inform policy surrounding cannabis, and how we can tailor demand assessment in the wake of ever-evolving cannabis formulations, modes of administration, and legislation.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Attendees at the MA or Ph.D. level with interest in behavioral economics of substance use

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) explain behavioral economic theory and its applications as a marker of cannabis use severity; (2) justify how substance demand, or perceived reward value, is a critical individual difference variable with respect to cannabis use; (3) describe how behavioral economic demand indices can be used to assess the influence of cannabis value in the laboratory and in daily life, as well as related clinical and policy implications.
 
ELIZABETH ASTON (Brown University)
Dr. Elizabeth Aston completed her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Wake Forest School of Medicine. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at the Brown University School of Public Health. She studies the behavioral economics of cannabis use, as well as predictors of cannabis-related outcomes (e.g., frequency, cannabis use disorder, problems) among individuals who use cannabis. She recently completed a K01 career development award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse using qualitative and quantitative methods to modify and validate a behavioral economic measure of demand for cannabis. She is also interested in cannabis’ medical applications, and is currently using qualitative and quantitative methods to study potential medical benefits of cannabis in the treatment of pain and inflammation for individuals with rheumatic diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis).
 
 
Invited Paper Session #77
CE Offered: BACB/PSY/QABA
Diversity submission Defining, Measuring, and Ensuring the Social Validity of Skills in Interprofessional Collaboration, Compassionate Care, and Cultural Humility in Behavior Analysts
Saturday, May 28, 2022
12:00 PM–12:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 204A/B
Area: TBA; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Peter F. Gerhardt (The EPIC School)
CE Instructor: Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: MARY JANE WEISS (Endicott College)
Abstract: In recent years, there has been some discussion of the need to increase the training of behavior analysts in soft skills. Examples of soft skills that have been discussed include active listening, engagement, empathetic statements, and the provision of support. Specifically, some sources of data indicate that behavior analysts may be less skilled in these areas than is ideal (e.g., Taylor et al., 2018; LeBlanc et al., 2019). Given the humanitarian foundations of the field, the focus on the improvement of the human condition, and the associations between consumer satisfaction and outcomes, it is important to maximize the extent to which behavior analysts master and demonstrate these skills. Challenges include operationally defining terms that may be mentalistic in nature, and measuring behaviors that are inherently somewhat subjective. Additional challenges include ensuring that there is a genuineness and authenticity to the demonstration of the skills, and that social validity measures support that they are received well by clients. In recent years, progress has been made in issuing calls to action in the realms of interprofessional collaboration (e.g., Brodhead, 2015), compassionate care (e.g., Taylor et al, 2018; LeBlanc et al, 2019) and cultural humility (e.g., Fong et al, 2016; Miller et al, 2019; Wright, 2019). Models from other fields have been reviewed, adaptations of existing tools and models have been suggested, and the BACB Code of Ethics has been expanded to include these obligations (BACB, 2020). Several recent empirical explorations of work in these areas will be shared, and directions for future research and training will be suggested. Reasons for enthusiasm and hope will be reviewed, as the field both returns to its roots and meets the challenges of the future in this endeavor to expand the skill sets of practicing behavior analysts.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate student.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) list several component skills that have been suggested as lacking in the professional repertoires of behavior analysts; (2) describe how soft skill components might enhance outcomes of behavior analytic intervention and of collaboration with other professionals; (3) provide examples of how the component skills of compassionate care, interprofessional collaboration, and cultural humility might be defined for the contexts of collaboration and service provision; (4) review challenges in evaluating the mastery of these skills, including generalization to natural contexts, passing tests of authenticity, ensuing culturally responsive skill development, and obtaining social validity ratings from multiple stakeholders and experts; (5) identify future research questions and current strategies for student/staff training in these areas.
 
MARY JANE WEISS (Endicott College)
Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LABA, is a Professor at Endicott College, where she has been for 10 years, and where she serves as the Executive Director of ABA and Autism Programs, including overseeing the master’s programs in ABA and directing the Ph.D. Program in ABA. She also does research with the team at Melmark. She has worked in the field of ABA and Autism for over 35 years. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University in 1990 and she became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2000. She previously worked for 16 years at the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center at Rutgers University. Her clinical and research interests center on defining best practice ABA techniques, exploring ways to enhance the ethical conduct of practitioners, teaching social skills to learners with autism, training staff to be optimally effective at instruction and at collaboration, and maximizing family members’ expertise and adaptation. She serves on the Scientific Council of the Organization for Autism Research, is on the board of Association for Science in Autism Treatment, is a regular contributor to the ABA Ethics Hotline, and is an advisor to the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. She is a regular reviewer for several professional journals, and is a frequent member of service committees for a variety of organizations.
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #78
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Understanding Language Development: The Deeper Wisdom in B. F. Skinner’s Completely Incorrect Theory
Saturday, May 28, 2022
12:00 PM–12:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 256
Area: VBC; Domain: Theory
Chair: Rocio Rosales (University of Massachusetts Lowell)
CE Instructor: Catherine Snow, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: CATHERINE SNOW (Harvard University)
Abstract:

In 1959 Noam Chomsky published a famously scathing review of Skinner’s 1957 book, Verbal Behavior. For the next 30 or so years, invoking the role of the child’s language environment in explaining acquisition was viewed positively only in limited clinical and restricted educational contexts, while the majority of legitimate child language researchers focused on children’s acquisition of rules and abstract patterns remote from their actual verbal behavior. However, the role of the child’s language environment was never fully ignored as a research topic, and in the last 30 years has regained legitimacy as an explanation for individual and group differences in rate and course of acquisition. Although some might take this as an affirmation of the claims in Verbal Behavior, child language researchers would vehemently reject that interpretation, noting, for example, the central role that must be attributed to infants’ innate social-pragmatic categories and their general cognitive capacities, which far transcend the learning mechanisms Skinner posited. This talk will summarize the findings supporting a role for variation in the child’s language environment in explaining aspects of language development, and argue that the polarizing dispute between Skinner and Chomsky retarded progress toward understanding how children’s innate socio-pragmatic skills and linguistic input interact to support language development.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Anyone interested in language development or the intellectual history of behavior analysis.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) explain to parents or supervisors the mechanism by which producing verbal behavior can contribute to learning language; (2) explain to parents or supervisors why success at inducing verbal behavior falls so far short of supporting language acquisition; (3) reconsider the wisdom of engaging in polarized debates about language development.
 
CATHERINE SNOW (Harvard University)
Catherine Snow is the Patricia Albjerg Graham Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She received her Ph.D. in 1971 from McGill University, having written a dissertation on Mothers’ Speech to Children in which she argued against Chomsky’s claim that the ‘primary linguistic data’ available to children was misleading, degraded, and ungrammatical. She subsequently worked for 8 years in the Linguistics Department of the University of Amsterdam, and has worked since 1980 at Harvard. Her current work focuses on the quality of early childhood programs, and on promoting discussion to support learning in elementary classrooms.
 
 
Invited Paper Session #106
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Using Technology to Extend the Collection and Use of Behavioral Data in Applied Settings
Saturday, May 28, 2022
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 154
Area: AAB; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Erica N. Feuerbacher (Virginia Tech)
CE Instructor: Kathryn L. Kalafut, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: KATHRYN L. KALAFUT (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology)
Abstract: Behavioral data is necessary in order to make informed decisions about the welfare of humans and animals, but its collection can be challenging--particularly so in animal care facilities. Traditional methods of collecting insightful behavioral data require time, resources, and experts who understand data analysis and visualization. Furthermore, in order for data to be used in-the-moment to make decisions about an animal’s care, it needs to be collected, analyzed, and visualized on a continuous basis. While this is nearly impossible to achieve with the methods frequently used in applied settings, it is not for those used in a basic laboratory. By finding inspiration from the standard operant chamber, and taking advantage of the availability of microcontrollers and sensors, automating data collection in applied settings is more feasible than ever. This presentation will discuss what it takes to provide continuous welfare for animals living under human care, and how we can achieve this with the use of current technologies. Projects involving domestic cats, Asian elephants, and penguins will be used to highlight the current usage as well as future applications.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Anyone interested in 1) how technology can be used to enhance data collection and use; 2) those interested in animal work; 3) those interested in animal welfare.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) discuss the importance and value of using technology in ABA; (2) cite specific examples of how technology has enhanced the knowledge of animal behavior and captive animal environments; (3) find resources to develop and use technology in their own practice; (4) discuss the value and importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in our field; (5) identify raspberry pi(e) as more than just a delicious dessert.
 
KATHRYN L. KALAFUT (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology)
Katie has published animal research in both applied and basic settings. Her background of basic and applied work carries equal weight in the research she conducts today. Her passion lies in building captive animal environments that enhance animal welfare, from building devices that continuously collect data to developing platforms that facilitate up-to-the-minute, data-based decisions regarding an animal's care. She does this work both as an Associate Professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Applied Behavior Analysis, as well as CEO of Tracks Technology, a consulting company working with animal facilities to collect, analyze, and interpret behavioral data to ensure the highest welfare for their animals.
 
 
Invited Paper Session #107
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Verbal Behavior and the Emergence of Novel Responses in Children With Autism
Saturday, May 28, 2022
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 256
Area: AUT; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Yanerys Leon (University of Miami)
CE Instructor: Andresa De Souza, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: ANDRESA DE SOUZA (University of Missouri St. Louis)
Abstract: Skinner (1957) developed a taxonomy of verbal behavior and referred to the different functional responses as verbal operants. Focused behavior interventions for children with autism and other developmental disabilities typically target each verbal operant individually and increase complexity as children expand their verbal repertoire (Sundberg & Partington, 1999). Considering the extent of a person’s verbal repertoire, it is unrealistic to believe that one can directly teach a child with communication and language delays all topographies of verbal behavior. Therefore, it is important not only to evaluate the effectiveness of verbal behavior interventions but also to identify strategies that can efficiently promote the acquisition of new responses. Research has shown that instructional conditions can be arranged to facilitate the emergence of novel, untrained verbal responses. This presentation will share some of the research about this topic and present strategies to promote the emergence of novel responses when programming verbal behavior instructions for children with autism.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Behavior analysts, speech and language pathologists, psychologists, graduate students, autism service providers
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) explain the importance of programming for the emergence of verbal responses; (2) distinguish between directly taught and emergent responses; (3) describe at least one procedure to facilitate the emergence of verbal operants.
 
ANDRESA DE SOUZA (University of Missouri St. Louis)
Dr. Andresa De Souza is an Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri – St. Louis and currently serves as the Dissemination Coordinator for the Verbal Behavior – Special Interest Group (VB-SIG). She received a Master’s in Behavior Analysis and Therapy from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale under the supervision of Dr. Ruth Anne Rehfeldt and a Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Nebraska Medical Center under the supervision of Dr. Wayne Fisher. She completed her Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Marcus Autism Center and Emory University in Atlanta, GA. During her studies, Dr. De Souza gained valuable experience in early-intervention applications for children with autism, the assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior, and the autism diagnostic criteria. She has provided supervision for behavior analysts and worked as a consultant for international sites. Dr. De Souza published several peer-reviewed articles on applications of Skinner’s verbal behavior within the framework of an autism diagnosis, and currently serves on the editorial board of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior. Her research focuses on strategies for teaching verbal behavior, the arrangement of conditions that can facilitate the emergence of novel language and decrease restricted stimulus control, and caregiver training.
 
 
Symposium #110
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Improving the Use of Applied Behavior Analytic Interventions to Improve Prosocial Functioning in a School District
Saturday, May 28, 2022
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 205B
Area: EDC/OBM; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Joyce West (Gardner Public Schools)
Discussant: Erik D Maki (May Institute )
CE Instructor: Erik Maki, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Applied behavior analysis principles have been used to improve numerous behavior problems in schools. However, most of these interventions have been focused on the individual student. This symposium will focus on applying applied behavior analysis at the district, school, and classroom levels to improve student functioning. The first session reviews the implementation of MTSS/PBIS at the district and school level, applied behavior analysis at the systems level with treatment integrity. As a result of this implementation, improvements were seen in prosocial outcomes, including increased attendance, improved mental health scores, increased and on-task behavior of students in the classroom, reduction in office discipline referrals. The second session focuses on implementing high leveraged applied behavior analysis classroom practices to improve academic engagement. Academic engagement is highly correlated to academic achievement. These practices include high rates of both praise to error correction teacher-students interactions, student opportunities to respond, and teacher active supervision practices and how this was scaled up across a district. Implementing an empirical classroom observation system in a small, diverse, high-needs city in Massachusetts will be reviewed. Improved student outcomes were also observed in increased academic engagement and reduced reactive discipline practices.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Intermediate, Competencies of using applied behavior analytical skills in schools.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: 1) Be able to describe leadership behaviors including collaborative, facilitative, adaptive and transformative that are critical to the implementation of applied behavior analytic interventions. 2) Be able to describe how to train multi staff members in leadership behaviors using Behavioral Skills Training (BST) 3) Be able to describe the high leveraged applied behavior analytical teacher skills to improve academic engagement.
 

Leveraging Building Leaders to Foster Adaptive Change to Implement District-Wide Applied Behavior Analytic Interventions

AMBER CASAVANT (Gardner Public Schools)
Abstract:

One of the critical drivers of school-based systems change initiatives, particularly in the successful adoption of MTSS, is the buy-in and support of the district and school leadership. For example, McCart et al. (2015), in their review of several fidelity instruments related to MTSS, PBIS, and RTI, found that the common elements of a school leadership role were (a) administrator support with a clear vision to drive implementation forward; (b) decisions about resource allocation including staff responsibilities and professional development; and (f) ongoing monitoring and overall MTSS effectiveness with data. This presentation highlights the effectiveness of applied behavior analytic interventions and training procedures including Behavior Skills Training (BST) & Pyramidal Approach, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), Data-Based Decision Making (DBDM), facilitative, adaptive, and transformative leadership skills and evidence-based classroom practices as outlined in the Classroom Observation System (Putnam & Handler 2020) to improve prosocial functioning across a school district. The data shows improvements in prosocial outcomes including increased attendance, improved mental health scores and on-task behavior of students in the classroom, reduction in office discipline referrals (ODR’s), and improved fidelity.

 
Implementing Applied Behavior Analytic Classroom Practices to Improve Academic Engagement
FINA ROBERTSON (Gardner Public Schools, Behavioral Concepts Inc. (BCI)), Amber Casavant (Gardner Public Schools), Robert F. Putnam (May Institute)
Abstract: This presentation will provide a review of the research on applied behavior analytical practices in classwide behavior support (Simonsen & Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers, & Sugai, 2008; Simonsen et al., 2015; Reinke, Herman & Sprick, 2011). These practices include: 1) antecedent practices; 2) instructional management practices, 3) reinforcement practices and 4) consequence practices. The presentation will go over the use of classwide functional assessment as a method to systematically evaluate the classroom environment to design and implement effective classroom-wide behavioral support practices. Once the environment is assessed, the model incorporates both indirect and direct instruction leading to how teachers participate in a data-based decision-making process to establish more effective practices, procedures, and interactions with students. Finally, a case study of the implementation of MTSS/PBIS in a small, diverse, high-needs city in Massachusetts utilizing the Classroom Observation System (Putnam & Handler, 2020) will be reviewed. In particular, how buy in was obtained, how staff were systematically trained and how these practices were utilized as a tiered system of response to improve implementation fidelity data across schools and teacher implementation of applied behavior analytic classroom practices will be shown. Improved student outcomes were also observed in reduced reactive discipline practices.
 
 
Invited Tutorial #113
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
SQAB Tutorial: What Is MPR and How Has It Evolved?
Saturday, May 28, 2022
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 151A/B
Area: SCI; Domain: Theory
PSY/BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: Peter R. Killeen, Ph.D.
Chair: M. Christopher Newland (Auburn University)
Presenting Authors: : PETER R. KILLEEN (Arizona State University)
Abstract:

Galileo’s “book of nature is written in the language of mathematics.” What are the mathematical sentences for reinforcement schedules? Good theories are based on principles, or axioms, so you know what they assume. Those in the Mathematical Principles of Reinforcement (MPR) are: Reinforcers: 1) excite, and 2) direct, responding, which 3) takes time. Baum’s and Catania’s theories have similar principles. I describe the data that motivate each principle, and the mathematics that animate those principles and their interactions. Each of the principle-models were specific enough to be tested, and to evolve into more precise, or more general ones. The first, for example, is A = ar, where A is activation, a motivation, and r rate of reinforcement. I describe two of the basic schedules to give a sense of the machinery; and then note its extension to adjunctive behaviors, contrast, progressive ratio schedules, and behavioral momentum theory. I show data that required refinement of the models. Finally I shall relate MPR to a recent general theory of time perception, and bridge that to Shahan and Gallistel’s information theoretic approach to reinforcement, sketching the blueprint of a grand theory of perception and action

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

All conference attendees curious about a principled approach to theory construction in the realm of reinforcement schedules.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) explain why a principled approach to theory construction is valuable; (2) describe the three principles in MPR, and note the similarities to either Baum’s or Catania’s models; (3) describe how the presenter distilled one of the principles into a model; or how he applied that model to a reinforcement schedule; or how you would go about that yourself; (4) explain how the “coupling coefficient” (viz. strength of contingency) may be related to the new “Trace Theory of Time Perception;” (5) describe similarities and differences from other theoretical approaches (e.g., Baum, Catania, Hull).
 
PETER R. KILLEEN (Arizona State University)
Peter received his doctorate in 1969 under the perplexed gazes of Howie Rachlin, Dick Herrnstein, and Fred Skinner. His only position was at Arizona State University (arriving as the department Previously-Known-As Fort Skinner in the Desert fell to the nativists). He has studied choice behavior, schedule-induced responses like polydipsia, reinforcement schedules, interval timing, and delay discounting. His reinforcers include the Poetry in Science Award; the APA Div. 25 Med Outstanding Researcher Award; the Hilgard Award for the Best Theoretical Paper on Hypnosis (!); the F. J. McGuigan Lecture on Understanding the Human Mind (!!); Presidents of the Society of Experimental Psychologists, the Society for the Quantitative Analysis of Behavior, and the 3rd International Seminar on Behavior (SINCA). A year at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Oslo birthed a behavioral energetics theory of ADHD, which received The Faculty of 1000’s “Must Read”. His statistic prep was an Emerging Research Front Feature on Thomson Reuters Sciencewatch. He has written oodles of screeds on choice and on timing; his first, now receiving social security, showed that pigeons were indifferent between free food and schedules where they had to work for it; his latest is a deep dive into the perception of sequential stimuli in the context of timing. He has also urged our field to turn some of their efforts to understanding the role of emotions in behavior, and to bridging to the field at large through study embodied cognition. In his golden years, family and friends; the health of behavior analysis; admiring nature; and thinking deep thoughts, are foremost in his life.
 
 
Invited Tutorial #129
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
The Camouflaged Reinforcer for Learning to Talk, Read, Write/Think
Saturday, May 28, 2022
4:00 PM–4:50 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 102B
Area: DEV; Domain: Applied Research
PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP CE Offered. CE Instructor: R. Douglas Greer, Ph.D.
Chair: Jo Ann Pereira Delgado (Teachers College, Columbia University)
Presenting Authors: : R. DOUGLAS GREER (Columbia University Teachers College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences)
Abstract: Research that identified how children develop verbal behavior from experience located some of the stimulus control for learning names, their functions, and their many attributes as the network of relations expand. The learned reinforcers for the sequence of verbal developmental cusps evolve into bidirectional verbal operants. One of these (i.e., Incidental Bidirectional Naming or Inc-BiN) allows children to learn language relations without instruction or the delivery of reinforcement, rather the reinforcer resides in the effects of the behavior. Once this veiled reinforcement for relating stimuli crossmodally (i.e., overarching reinforcement for parity across listening and speaking) becomes part of the child’s community of reinforcers, EXPOSURE ALONE results in the accumulation of more complex relations. Some more complex relations include incidentally learning unfamiliar stimuli relations along with learning them from exclusion, including arbitrarily applicable relations. When this cusp joins reading and writing, contact with print results in listening and writing is speaking. Recent research found that children’s difficulties with reading, writing, or computing are often traceable to the lack of, or weak, stimulus control with the lnc-BiN cusp and is fixable by addressing reinforcement stimulus control for this or a developmentally earlier cusp.
Instruction Level: Advanced
Target Audience: Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) identify three bidirectional operant verbal developmental cusps; (2) identify the source of reinforcement for Incidental Bidirectional Naming (Inc-BiN); (3) identify levels of complexity for Inc-BiN and how the complexity expands from exposure alone; (4) identify the relation of Inc-BiN to reading, writing/thinking/computing; (4) identify how Inc-BiN is complementary to derived relational responding and RFT.
 
R. DOUGLAS GREER (Columbia University Teachers College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences)
Doug Greer is Professor of Psychology and Education at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Teachers College of Columbia University. He has served on the editorial boards of 10 journals, published over 200 research and theoretical articles in more than 21 journals and is the author or coauthor of 14 books. Two of his most recent books are translated into Korean, Spanish, Chinese, and Italian. Greer has sponsored 252 doctoral dissertations, taught over 2,000 teachers and psychologists, originated the CABAS? model of schooling used in the USA, Ireland, Italy, England and founded the Fred S. Keller School (www.cabasschools.org). He has done basic and applied experimental research in schools with students, teachers, parents, and supervisors as well as pediatric patients in medical settings. He and his colleagues have identified verbal behavior and social developmental cusps and protocols to establish them when they are missing in children. He is a recipient of the Fred S. Keller Award for Distinguished Contributions to Education from the American Psychology Association, a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), the ABAI award for International Contributions to Behavior Analysis, and is recipient of May 5 as the R. Douglas Day by Westchester County Legislators and the Jack Michael Award for Contributions to Verbal Behavior. He has served as guest professor at universities in China, Spain, Wales, England, Japan, South Korea, India, Ireland, Germany, Italy, USA, and Nigeria.
 
 
Invited Paper Session #131
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Diversity submission Getting Unstuck: How Behavior Analysts Can Talk to Marginalized Communities, Behave Flexibly, and Change the World
Saturday, May 28, 2022
4:00 PM–4:50 PM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: SCI; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Jeanne M. Donaldson (Louisiana State University)
CE Instructor: Matthew Capriotti, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: MATTHEW CAPRIOTTI (San Jose State University)
Abstract: As behavior analysts, we know the potential of our science to change the world. Behavior analysis points to powerful interventions for a range of individuals’ challenges and societies’ ills, without assigning stigmatizing diagnoses of personal or cultural deficits, such as character problems and broken brains. Our beloved science has made enormous impacts in a few areas. And yet, behavior analysis’ reach is far from what Skinner imagined possible. At the same time, we behavior analysts often bemoan feeling misunderstood by colleagues and by society. Our science, and our reputations, tend to get stuck within our research and practice communities, and within tried-and-true applications. I propose that we can get our science “unstuck” through thoughtful collaboration with underserved and oppressed communities, and with the professionals who have long served them. As an exemplar of a recent (and ongoing) success story that has leveraged these principles, I will discuss how behavior analysts have changed the landscape of treatment for people with tic disorders across the world. To exemplify an unfulfilled opportunity for such progress, I will discuss potential applications of behavior analysis into LGBTQ+ health and wellness. I will present my own work in these two areas, with particular attention to intentional professional actions outside the traditional bounds of behavior analysis. This will include honest discussion of both “wins” (wherein such work has led to increased impact) and “misses” (wherein such projects have led down the rabbit holes of mentalism). I will conclude with practical suggestions for behavior analysts looking to expand the scope of their work into new areas.
Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience: faculty researchers, university educators, applied practitioners, graduate students
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) discuss research strategies and tactics that enable pragmatic scaling of behavior analysis; (2) describe how non-behavior-analytic research approaches contributed to the successful dissemination of behavior-analytic treatments for tic disorders; (3) identify steps that may aid early career researchers in conducting community-partnered research in new areas.
 
MATTHEW CAPRIOTTI (San Jose State University)
Dr. Matthew Capriotti is an Associate Professor of Psychology at San Jose State University. He completed his BS in Psychology at the University of Florida in 2010, and he then earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2015. Prior to joining the faculty at San Jose State University, Dr. Capriotti completed predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. His research interests lie in the behavioral treatment of Tourette Syndrome and in the study of processes that drive health and wellness among LGBTQ+ people. Dr. Capriotti has employed varied methodological approaches to conduct research across the basic-to-applied continuum. His earliest work investigated rats’ responding on multiple schedules. His subsequent programs of research on tic disorders and LGBTQ+ health have employed a range of methodological approaches and content foci, including within-case laboratory studies on behavioral processes in clinical populations, clinical trials, dissemination and implementation projects, phenomenological and epidemiological investigations of neurobehavioral and psychiatric conditions, experiments evaluating environmental determinants of stigma, survey- and interview-based qualitative research on facilitators and barriers of psychosocial treatment, and community-based participatory research. Dr. Capriotti is the author of 46 peer-reviewed publications and over 70 conference presentations.
 
 
Invited Panel #132
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Mathematical Principles of Reinforcement: A Panel with Discussion
Saturday, May 28, 2022
4:00 PM–4:50 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 151A/B
Area: SCI; Domain: Theory
Chair: M. Christopher Newland (Auburn University)
CE Instructor: M. Christopher Newland, Ph.D.
Panelists: M. CHRISTOPHER NEWLAND (Auburn University), JOHN FALLIGANT (Kennedy Krieger Institute; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), BRENT KAPLAN (University of Kentucky)
Abstract:

This session, a follow-up to Peter Killeen’s tutorial on Mathematical Principles of Reinforcement, will offer examples of MPR’s application and thoughts about potential uses. Why consider applying MPR? It is a comprehensive theory of behavior that is derived from three elementary, common-sensical principles. The data required for model fitting, which come from a series of fixed-ratios or a progressive ratio schedule, are acquired quickly. The ability of its parameters to distinguish reinforcer efficacy, how reinforcers select recent behavior, and motor characteristics of behavior can yield insight into behavioral determinants. Chris Newland will describe its application in characterizing the actions of drugs and contaminants that act on the nervous system, John Michael Falligant will explore its potential applications to applied behavior analysis, and Brent Kaplan will describe how it might address issues in substance abuse.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Basic and translational investigators interested in applying MPR, board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe what the parameters of the MPR model say about behavior; (2) describe how it has been applied in several arenas; (3) describe potential areas where MPR might be applied.
M. CHRISTOPHER NEWLAND (Auburn University)
Chris Newland directs a laboratory to investigate drugs and contaminants that affect behavioral and brain development using experimental models. With his students, he has reported troubling impairments in behavioral plasticity, choice, and learning that can be traced to low-level methylmercury exposure during the prenatal and adolescent periods or drug exposure during adolescence. For example, he reported that methylmercury during gestion accelerates aging long after exposure ends. He is also involved in a project to reduce the use of psychotropic medicine among children in foster care. Dr. Newland has served on numerous panels guiding federal environmental policy as well as grant review panels for the NIH and the EPA. He has played leadership roles in the Society of Toxicology and the Association for Behavior Analysis International. He teaches courses at all levels in behavioral neuroscience, psychopharmacology, conditioning and learning, and clinical psychopharmacology in developmental disabilities.
JOHN FALLIGANT (Kennedy Krieger Institute; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)
Dr. Falligant is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a Senior Behavior Analyst in the inpatient Neurobehavioral Unit at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. The Neurobehavioral Programs at the Kennedy Krieger Institute serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who suffer from severe behavioral dysfunction, including self-injury. Dr. Falligant’s clinical work and research is focused on the assessment and treatment of behavioral dysfunction in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. He is also interested in translational behavioral research involving models of choice behavior and impulsivity, reward sensitivity, behavioral persistence, and the identification and quantification of predictive behavioral markers. Dr. Falligant is a clinical psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D). He received his Ph.D. from Auburn University. He completed his Doctoral Internship and a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
BRENT KAPLAN (University of Kentucky)

Brent Kaplan received his Ph.D. in behavioral psychology at the University of Kansas and subsequently completed his postdoctoral training at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and a member of the Healthier Futures Laboratory. Brent’s research focuses on applying behavioral economic concepts and methodology to better understand alcohol and cigarette substance use and treatments. His interests also include developing and disseminating tools for analyzing and interpreting behavioral economic data. He has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and Perspectives on Behavior Science and currently serves on the executive committee for Division 28 Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse of the American Psychological Association.

 
 
Symposium #137
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Teaching Social Skills Repertoires to Children With Autism
Saturday, May 28, 2022
5:00 PM–5:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 254A
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Rebecca P. F. MacDonald (New England Center for Children)
Discussant: Jacquelyn M. MacDonald (Regis College)
CE Instructor: Jacquelyn M. MacDonald, Ph.D.
Abstract:

There is a growing body of research on teaching individuals with autism to engage in social skills repertoires that involve observing others including helping others, observational learning, social referencing, and joint attention. The first paper in this session describes an approach to teaching a child with autism to offer help to others in natural contexts. A multiple probe design across helping scenarios was used to assess the effects of multiple exemplar training, an instructional matrix, and video modeling. The child learned to offer help in training contexts, and those skills generalized across settings. The second paper in this session describes approaches to assessing and teaching observational learning skills in a group instructional arrangement with three children with autism. A multiple probe design across participants and a multiple baseline within participants across motor, object-motor, and vocal modalities were used to assess the effects of consequence discrimination training and differential observing response training. Two out of three children showed significant improvements in observational learning in a group instructional arrangement. Findings from these studies have implications for teaching social skills repertoires to children with autism which could lead to greater inclusion of individuals with autism in learning environments and to other positive outcomes.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Intermediate

Learning Objectives: 1) learner will be able to describe strategy for teaching helping using multiple exemplar training. 2) learner will be able to describe the role of observational learning in group instruction 3) learner will be able to explain role of consequence discrimination in observational learning
 

Teaching Helping to a Child With Autism Using a Multiple-Exemplar Matrix Model and Video Modeling

SHEMARIAH ELLIS (New England Center for Children), Rebecca P. F. MacDonald (New England Center for Children)
Abstract:

The purpose of the current study was to teach a child with autism to offer help and engage in appropriate helping responses in the presence of relevant stimuli using multiple exemplars, a matrix model, and video modeling. A concurrent multiple probe design was used across helping categories of cleaning, carrying items, and obtaining objects out of reach. A matrix was used to organize the relevant stimuli encountered in helping scenarios, such as fallen objects, vocalizations, and facial affect. Training targets were taught with video models depicting a known adult verbally offering an individual help and engaging in helping responses during situations where help was required (i.e., spilled water needs to be cleaned). The multiple exemplar matrix model and video modeling were effective in establishing a repertoire of helping across categories that generalized to novel settings and contexts. Interobserver agreement averaged 94% agreement across all trials with a range of 85% - 100%.

 

The Effects of Consequence Discrimination Training and Differential Observing Response Training on Observational Learning During Group Instruction

SYDNEY J BERKMAN (New England Center for Children), Rebecca P. F. MacDonald (New England Center for Children)
Abstract:

Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder do not demonstrate observational learning (OL), a repertoire that aids in learning during group instruction. Few studies have evaluated strategies for teaching individuals to engage in OL, and none have evaluated the effects of such strategies on individuals’ learning during group instruction. In this study, OL during group instruction was evaluated using a within-participant multiple probe design across motor, object-motor, and vocal modalities and using a concurrent multiple probe design across participants. Interventions included consequence discrimination training and differential observing response training consisting of differential reinforcement and rule statements following errors. Training sessions were conducted with one student participant and one adult participant acting as a confederate student. Observation sessions were conducted with two or three student participants and one adult participant acting as a confederate student. Data were collected on primary dependent variables during test sessions conducted with each student participant shortly following observation sessions. Following training, participants demonstrated improvements in OL across modalities during test sessions. Interobserver agreement during training and probe sessions was above 90%.

 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #140
CE Offered: BACB/PSY/QABA
Positive and Negative Reinforcing Effects of Opioids: The Opponent Process Theory From a Clinical Perspective
Saturday, May 28, 2022
5:00 PM–5:50 PM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: BPN
Chair: Sally L. Huskinson (University of Mississippi Medical Center)
CE Instructor: Sandra Comer, Please Select...
Presenting Author: SANDRA COMER (New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University)
Abstract:

Over 92,000 drug-related overdose deaths, the majority of which were due to opioids, were reported in the U.S. in 2020 (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm). This increase in opioid-related overdose deaths occurred despite the availability of several effective treatment medications. Both positive and negative reinforcing effects of opioids may underlie the initiation of opioid use and development and maintenance of opioid use disorder (OUD). Some investigators suggest that the negative reinforcing effects of opioids become more prominent with repeated use. Evidence for this position will be presented using clinical data from a variety of sources. While both processes appear to be supported by the data, the relative contribution of positive and negative reinforcing effects in maintaining opioid use is unclear. Additional research should be conducted to directly address this issue because it has relevance for the development of more effective pharmacotherapeutic and behavioral treatment strategies for OUD.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Basic researchers and clinicians
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) examine clinical laboratory data using self-administration paradigms and subjective reports of drug effects and opioid withdrawal symptoms to assess the positive and negative reinforcing effects of opioids; (2) characterize opioid self-administration among individuals who are maintained on medications for treating OUD; (3) evaluate self-reported reasons for using heroin among a large cohort of individuals with OUD.
 
SANDRA COMER (New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University)

Dr. Sandra Comer is Professor of Neurobiology in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University. She received her BS at Vanderbilt University and Ph.D. at the University of Michigan for her research on the effects of drugs using preclinical models. Dr. Comer is Director of the Opioid Laboratory in the Division on Substance Use Disorders and her current research focus is on the clinical testing of medications for treating opioid use disorder, methods to maximize the use of naloxone by opioid users, and evaluations of the comparative abuse liability of prescribed pain medications. Dr. Comer served as President of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, the longest standing scholarly society in the U.S. devoted to research on substance use disorders, and currently is the Public Policy Officer for CPDD. Dr. Comer is a member of the Expert Advisory Panel on Drug Dependence for the World Health Organization and has over 160 publications on substance use disorders.

 
 
Symposium #142
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Diversity submission Why So Racist? A Function-Based and Organizational Assessment and Interventions for Policing
Saturday, May 28, 2022
5:00 PM–5:50 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 156B
Area: CSS/OBM; Domain: Theory
Chair: Shawn Capell (Covenant 15:16 LLC )
Discussant: Ryan Sain (Mary Baldwin University )
CE Instructor: Ryan Sain, Ph.D.
Abstract:

The racial differentiation of policing in America has been widely researched and documented (Walker et al., 2008; Wilson et al., 1982; Eck et al., 1987; Braga et al., 1999). While these discrepancies have been largely documented, few changes have been made to the policies, procedures and law governing police officers, leading to the continuation of racist acts displayed by police officers across the country. The reasons for this are plentiful and the issues are symptoms of the larger problems of individual and institutional racism that increases the likeliness any police officer will engage in violence against a person of color. This symposium describes how individual racism is learned and strengthened and a functional perspective of the historical development of policing in America followed by suggestions about how these systems can be redeveloped and improved.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): police functions, racism
Target Audience:

This is appropriate for any level of behavior analyst or behavior analyst trainee who is interested in systems theory and how functional assessment can play a role in system and reinforcement of individual behavior.

Learning Objectives: 1. The learner will identify the common functions of policing in the United States. 2. The learner will identify how differential responding of officers to different groups of citizens develops and is maintained. 3. The learner will identify at least three ways behavior analysis can address the behavior of police officers to decrease differential responding between groups of individuals. 4. The learner will identify at least one organizational behavior management (OBM) strategy that can be used to decrease differential responding of police officers.
 
Diversity submission 

The Function of the Police Force: A Behavior Analytic Review of the History of How Policing in America Came to Be

NATALIE A. PARKS (Behavior Leader Inc.; Saint Louis University), Beverly Kirby (Team ABA LLC)
Abstract:

While the racial differentiation of policing in America has been widely researched and documented (Walker & Katz, 2008; Wilson & Kelling, 1982; Eck & Spelman, 1987; Braga, et al., 1999), there have been few changes within the policies, procedures and laws governing police officers. This has resulted in the continuation of individual acts of racism of police officers across the country and has upheld the systemic racism that results in the discrepancies between Black people and White people. To fully understand and develop effective interventions that will change policing behaviors and the racism observed within the police force, one must first understand the historical development and functional variables that maintain policing in America.

 
Diversity submission Solutions Addressing the Vulnerability of Individual and Institutional Racism in Police Departments
BEVERLY KIRBY (Team ABA LLC), Natalie A. Parks (Behavior Leader Inc.; Saint Louis University)
Abstract: Understanding the history and function of policing brings insight into the main areas to target for intervention when attempting to eliminate racism within policing and the the police force. This presentation focuses on suggestions regarding how to change and redevelop the system and functions of policing in America to decrease and eliminate specific and systemic acts of racism.
 
 
Invited Paper Session #147
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Disordered Behavioral Processes and Diet-Induced Obesity
Saturday, May 28, 2022
5:00 PM–5:50 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 154
Area: EAB; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Karen M. Lionello-DeNolf (Assumption University)
CE Instructor: Kimberly Kirkpatrick, Ph.D.
KIMBERLY KIRKPATRICK (Kansas State University), Travis Ray Smith (Kansas State University)
Abstract: No one chooses to become obese, yet obesity rates have risen steadily over the past 40 years and obesity is now one of the most widespread behavioral diseases. Obesity does not emerge from any one choice, but from the accumulation of many poor dietary and lifestyle choices. Many everyday choices can be impulsive choices, such as choosing to eat convenient fast-food items instead of taking the time to prepare a healthy meal. Research with rodent pre-clinical models has found that a diet high in processed saturated fat and/or sugar increased impulsive choices, impaired temporal discrimination, altered food reward value, and modified food choice and consumption behaviors. Dietary schedules that may simulate food insecurity, such as intermittent access to fat and sugar, also increased impulsive choices and altered food reward value. This suggests that an HF diet can impair self-control and related behavioral processes that are needed to avoid future intake of unhealthful foods, thus leading to a vicious cycle that may promote diet-induced obesity. The rodent model controls for dietary history so that specific causal mechanisms can be identified. Research pinpointing core behavioral mechanisms of diet-induced obesity can supply important insights for guiding the development of future obesity treatments.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students
Learning Objectives: PENDING
 
KIMBERLY KIRKPATRICK (Kansas State University)
Dr. Kimberly Kirkpatrick is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychological Sciences at Kansas State University. She directs the Reward, Timing, and Decision laboratory which is funded by a $1.9M grant from the National Institutes of Mental Health. She also directs the Cognitive and Neurobiological Approaches to Plasticity (CNAP) Center of Biomedical Research Excellence which was founded in 2017 through a $10.6M grant from the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences. Kirkpatrick received the Kansas State Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award in 2018 and became a University Distinguished Professor in 2019. She currently serves on the ABAI Science Board. Dr. Kirkpatrick studies everyday choices which can lead to long-term health problems such as obesity, substance abuse, and other impulse control disorders. She has found that diets high in processed sugar and saturated fats can undermine self-control and lead individuals to develop a pattern of problematic daily choices, known as impulsive choices. She has also developed interventions to promote self-control as a treatment for impulsive choices, which is the topic of her current R01 grant. Kirkpatrick graduated with a bachelor’s in Psychology from Iowa State University. She completed her PhD at the University of Iowa in Psychology with a focus on Behavioral Neuroscience and then subsequently completed her post-doctoral training at Brown University. She started her career as a faculty member at the University of York (UK) before joining the faculty at Kansas State in 2008.
 
 
Symposium #148
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/NASP
Remote Behavior Skills Training and Prompting to Increase Teacher Use of Evidence-Based Practices
Saturday, May 28, 2022
5:00 PM–5:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 205A
Area: EDC/CBM; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Sara S. Kupzyk (University of Nebraska Omaha)
Discussant: Brenda J. Bassingthwaite (Munroe-Meyer Institute; University of Nebraska Medical Center)
CE Instructor: Sara S. Kupzyk, Ph.D.
Abstract: Quality training and supportive feedback are essential for increasing teachers’ use of evidence-based practices. Remote training and prompting may offer a flexible, effective, and efficient training approach to meet teacher needs. This symposium will include two presentations that used remote training and feedback methods to enhance teachers’ skills and treatment integrity. Participants included teachers and pre-service teachers completing student teaching. The studies used single-case designs to evaluate the effectiveness of (a) remote behavioral skills training (BST) on teachers’ skills in collaborating with parents to support learning at home and (b) emailed prompts on teacher’s use of behavior specific praise. The results indicated that (a) teachers’ confidence and skills increased following remote BST, (b) teachers were more likely to use skills taught when emailed prompting was used, and (c) teachers rated the implementation supports as acceptable. Collectively, remote BST and prompting appear to be valuable and feasible methods for increasing teachers’ use of evidence-based practices.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): academic interventions, consultation, teacher training, treatment integrity
Target Audience: School-based consultation Effective communication Intervention development in schools
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe elements of effective remote teacher and parent training, (2) discuss remote strategies to enhance treatment integrity, and (3) describe methods for evaluating acceptability of interventions in school settings.
 

Training Teachers to Provide Opportunities for Parents to Support Learning at Home

SARA S. KUPZYK (University of Nebraska Omaha), Lindsey Aberle (University of Nebraska Omaha), Madison Schaller (University of Nebraska at Omaha), Maria Juarez (University of Nebraska at Omaha)
Abstract:

Home-school partnerships are valuable and associated with improvements in students’ academic success. However, teachers often do not receive sufficient training to confidently collaborate with families. Furthermore, parents report feeling unsure of how to support learning at home and dissatisfaction with the special education process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use distance behavioral skills training on special educator’s use of evidence-based parent training to teach parents how to support individualized education programs at home. A multiple probe design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. Pre and post data were also collected on teacher practices and confidence with working with families. All participants demonstrated a significant increase in steps completed following the training. The teachers reported high levels of satisfaction with the training and improved confidence in working with parents. Future research should examine parent perceptions of teachers’ use of the skills taught.

 
Emailed Prompts to Promote Early Childhood Educators’ Rates of Behavior Specific Praise
ZACHARY CHARLES LABROT (University of Nebraska Medical Center), Chelsea Johnson (University of Southern Mississippi), Terreca Cato (University of Southern Mississippi), Emily Maxime (University of Southern Mississippi), Emily DeFouw (University of Southern Mississippi)
Abstract: Although several implementation supports (e.g., prompts, performance feedback) delivered through school-based behavioral consultation have been found to be useful for improving early childhood educators’ treatment integrity, some research suggests that face-to-face consultation may not always be feasible. To overcome barriers to feasibility, school-based behavioral consultants may consider delivering implementation supports through email. There is some research to support the effectiveness of emailed supports for improving intervention integrity, but these studies have been limited to elementary school teachers. As such, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of emailed prompts for increasing early childhood educators’ rates of behavior specific praise (BSP). Participants included three early childhood teachers who were self-referred for behavioral consultation to learn effective classroom management strategies. Using a multiple baseline across participants design, this study provided an experimental demonstration of the effectiveness of emailed prompts for increasing rates of BSP. Specifically, results indicated that emailed prompts resulted in increases in all three teachers’ rates of BSP that maintained over time and generalized to settings in which consultation did not occur. Implications for practice and research in behavioral consultation in early childhood settings will be discussed.
 
 
Special Event #154
CE Offered: BACB/PSY/QABA
Presidential Scholar Address: Giant Rats to the Rescue! Applied Principles Shape Behaviors and Communities
Saturday, May 28, 2022
6:00 PM–6:50 PM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Chair: Carol Pilgrim (University of North Carolina Wilmington)
CE Instructor: Carol Pilgrim, Ph.D.
 
Presidential Scholar Address: Giant Rats to the Rescue! Applied Principles Shape Behaviors and Communities
Abstract: Adopting fundamental principles of behavior, the Belgian NGO, APOPO, developed a hero out of the most unlikely of creatures, the African giant pouched rat (Cricetomys ansorgei). The rats are native to Tanzania where they have historically been viewed as pests. APOPO established operational headquarters in Tanzania in 2000 to train the rats to use their keen sense of smell for locating buried landmines in former conflict zones. Landmines not only pose serious safety and psychological risks, they also hamper economic development by blocking access to agriculture and displacing communities. To date, APOPO’s rats have safely located more than 140,000 landmines and unexploded ordnances (UXOs) to help return more than 65 million m2 of safe land to local communities in Africa and Southeast Asia. Research that began in 2003 has successfully trained the rats to also detect tuberculosis (TB). Until recently, TB stood as the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Working in partnership with local health authorities in Sub-Saharan Africa, TB-detection rats screen upwards of 100 sputum samples from suspected TB patients in under 20 minutes. To date, the rats have efficiently identified more than 20,000 patients that had otherwise been misdiagnosed, effectively increasing case detection by 40%. Ongoing research continues to inform training techniques by revealing the universal nature of behavioral principles. For example, recent results suggest interventions developed to prevent extinction in scent detection dogs and laboratory rats may reduce the need for routine maintenance training of deployed landmine-detection rats. Applying standardized training procedures in additional lines of research provides insights for optimizing how the rats are deployed and where. Recent results show they can be trained to detect other pathogens posing health and economic risks, contribute to various environmental initiatives by detecting contaminated soil and illegally trafficked wildlife, and even support search and rescue efforts following natural disasters. Through the process of training scent detection rats, APOPO’s collective work continues to shape behaviors, perspectives, and livelihoods.
 
CYNTHIA FAST (APOPO)
 
Dr. Cynthia Fast is the Head of Training and Innovation at APOPO, a Belgian NGO that trains African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys ansorgei) for scent detection of humanitarian targets. Cindy has more than twenty years of experience training a variety of animals, including rats, mice, pigeons, and hermit crabs, in addition to family cats, dogs, birds, and horses. She holds a Ph.D. in psychology from UCLA where her research focused on comparative cognition and behavioral neuroscience. While a member of the Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience department at Rutgers University, she investigated the neurobiology of rodent olfaction including how learning influences olfactory sensation and perception. Her research has received numerous professional awards, including the prestigious James McKeen Cattel Gold Medal from the New York Academy of Sciences. She is a member of the Pavlovian Society, Society for Neuroscience, Women in Learning, Association for Chemoreception Sciences, and Comparative Cognition Society and has served as a mentor in both Women in Learning and the STEM Alliance Next Scholars program.
 
Target Audience:

All convention attendees are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) consider shaping strategies tailored to the experiential factors of the individual; (2) evaluate methods for objectively quantifying behavioral changes and their feasibility; (3) explain broader societal and environmental impacts of a project applying behavior analysis; (4) discuss the breadth of applications for the science of behavior analysis.
 
 
 
Invited Paper Session #183
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Variables and Measurements That are Important to Take into Consideration in Stimulus Equivalence Research
Sunday, May 29, 2022
8:00 AM–8:50 AM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: PCH; Domain: Theory
Chair: Caio F. Miguel (California State University, Sacramento)
CE Instructor: Erik Arntzen, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: ERIK ARNTZEN (Oslo Metropolitan University)
Abstract:

Stimulus equivalence has been a lively research area for more than 50 years starting with the Sidman (1971) study. Since then, a huge number of experiments with variety of procedural variants have been published. The presentation will discuss some of the variables influencing the establishment of baseline conditional discriminations and the emergence of untrained relations during testing. Overall variables such as training structures, training and test protocols, and simultaneous vs. delay matching-to-sample, and details like concurrent vs serialized or sequential presentation of baseline trials and number of training trials will be discussed. Also, additional measurements in stimulus equivalence research as reaction time and sorting will be examined.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe different variables that could influence the outcome on tests for emergent relations; (2) analyze important differences among training structures; (3) how sorting tests could be used to track stimulus class formation.
 
ERIK ARNTZEN (Oslo Metropolitan University)
Dr. Erik Arntzen received his Ph.D. from University of Oslo, Norway, in February 2000. Arntzen’s dissertation focused on variables that influenced responding in accordance with stimulus equivalence. He also holds a degree as a specialist in clinical psychology. He is currently a full-time Professor in Behavior Analysis at Oslo Metropolitan University. His research contributions include both basic and applied behavior analysis, with an emphasis on research in relational stimulus control and verbal behavior. He has also been interested in ethical considerations and core values in the field of behavior analysis. Furthermore, he has ongoing research projects within the areas of gambling behavior and consumer behavior. He also runs a research group, Experimental Studies of Complex Human Behavior, at Oslo Metropolitan University. Dr. Arntzen has published papers 190 articles in international and national peer-reviewed journals including Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (JEAB), Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA), Perspectives on Behavior Science, The Psychological Record (TPR), Behavioral Interventions, European Journal of Behavior Analysis (EJOBA), Analysis of Gambling Behavior, the Analysis of Verbal Behavior, American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease & other Dementias, and Psychopharmacology. Dr. Arntzen has served as the president and past-president of the European ABA (2008–2014) and serve as the president from 2017–2020. Dr. Arntzen has been a member of the board of the Norwegian Association for Behavior Analysis from 1987–1993 and from 2006 to present, holds the position as the secretary of international affairs. Dr. Arntzen is a trustee of Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. He has presented papers at conferences worldwide. Dr. Arntzen has been recognized with awards, including the SABA award for the dissemination of behavior analysis, ABAI award for outstanding mentoring, the research award at Akershus University College, and publication award at Oslo Metropolitan University. Dr. Arntzen is one of the founders and the editor of EJOBA since 2000. He has also served as the editor of Behavior & Philosophy. He has served on the editorials board of several journals, including JEAB, JABA, TPR, International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, the Behavior Analyst, and The Behavior Analyst Today.
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #194
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Equitation Science and the 5-4-3-2-1 Framework for Ethical Animal Training
Sunday, May 29, 2022
9:00 AM–9:50 AM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: AAB; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Erica N. Feuerbacher (Virginia Tech)
CE Instructor: Paul McGreevy, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: PAUL MCGREEVY (University of New England NSW, Australia)
Abstract:

This presentation describes the complex nature of human-animal interactions and captures the dynamic interconnection of five constructs, some established and some novel, to characterise safe, ethical and sustainable [best] practices in the management, handling and training of non-production animals. It interdigitates the Five Domains Model for animal welfare assessment, four possible operant mechanisms that interactions may follow, the three influences of attachment, arousal and affective state, and the two contrasting ethologies (human and animal), with a One Welfare approach. This 5-4-3-2-1 framework reveals that while arousal and affective state influence behavioural outcomes of operant conditioning, the trainer’s choice and application of the operant quadrants have a further and cumulative influence on attachment, arousal and affective state. The power of this approach is that, on one hand, it marries optimal interactions with the highly prized attribute of trust in animal–trainer dyads, which may be, at times at least, a manifestation of trainers as attachment figures. On the other hand, it reveals sources of disruption of human-animal and animal-human attachment that promote negative affective states which are incompatible with safe, ethical and sustainable practices. By bringing these constructs together, the 5-4-3-2-1 Framework aligns the Five Domains Model with the ultimate animal welfare aim of One Welfare. As such, it may also serve as a notional checklist for reflective practitioners who ascribe to the One Welfare approach and aim to achieve safe, ethical and sustainable animal management, handling, training and keeping practices.

Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience: Animal trainers, animal behavior therapists, and learning theorists
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe the applications of operant conditioning in horse training; (2) question the use of gear designed to impose discomfort on horses and deny normal behaviour; (3) identify sustainable animal training techniques that align with the nascent 5-4-3-2-1 framework.
 
PAUL MCGREEVY (University of New England NSW, Australia)
Paul McGreevy BVSc, Ph.D., FRCVS, is a veterinarian and ethologist. He is the author of over 300 peer-reviewed scientific publications and seven books. With expertise in learning theory, animal training, animal welfare science, veterinary behavioural medicine and anthrozoology, he is a co-founder and honorary fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science. He led the VetCompass Australia initiative that brought together all of the Australian veterinary schools to provide ongoing national disease surveillance for companion animals and horses. With the additional involvement of Massey University (NZ), the same schools collaborated under Paul’s leadership to create the One Welfare teaching portal.
 
 
Symposium #196
CE Offered: PSY/BACB — 
Ethics
Response Patterns for Individuals Receiving Contingent Skin Shock to Treat Self-Injurious and Assaultive Behaviors
Sunday, May 29, 2022
9:00 AM–9:50 AM
Meeting Level 2; Room 257B
Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Nathan Blenkush (Judge Rotenberg Educational Center)
Discussant: W. Joseph Wyatt (Marshall University)
CE Instructor: Nathan Blenkush, Ph.D.
Abstract:

A small proportion of patients with intellectual disabilities (IDs) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit extraordinarily dangerous self-injurious and assaultive behaviors that persist despite long-term multidisciplinary interventions. These uncontrolled behaviors result in physical and emotional trauma to the patients, care providers and family members. A graduated electronic decelerator (GED) is an aversive therapy device that has been shown to reduce the frequency of severe problem behaviors by 97%. Within a cohort of 173 patients, we have identified the four most common patterns of response: (1) on removal of GED, behaviors immediately return, and GED is reinstated; (2) GED is removed for periods of time (faded) and reinstated if and when behaviors return; (3) a low frequency of GED applications maintains very low rates of problem behaviors; and (4) GED is removed permanently after cessation of problem behaviors. GED is intended as a therapeutic option only for violent, treatment-resistant patients with ID and ASD.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): aggression, punishment, self-injury, treatment refractory
Target Audience:

The audience should be familiar with treatment options for severe problem behaviors.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: 1. Describe response patterns that could result from CSS. 2. List alternative treatments that are considered prior to CSS. 3. Weight risks and benefits based on potential results.
 
Response Patterns for Individual Receiving Contingent Skin Shock
NATHAN BLENKUSH (Judge Rotenberg Educational Center), Miles Cunningham (Harvard Medical School; McLean Hospital), Golnaz Yadollahikhales (Neurology, University of Illinois Hospital at Chicago)
Abstract: Severe aggression and self-injury are devastating conditions. The primary treatments utilized to address severe problem behaviors include applied behavior analysis (ABA), psychopharmacology, and various forms of restraint. n addition, ECT and deep brain stimulation have also been utilized. Taken together, these treatments are not always effective. Some patients do not respond sufficiently to years of function based behavioral treatment. While psychopharmacological treatments are used extensively to treat severe problem behaviors, many patients are drug-refractory. Restraint often only serve to minimize harm rather than to treat the problem behaviors. Finally, ECT and deep brain stimulation are not always indicated or effective for various forms of severe behaviors. Although controversial, contingent skin shock (CSS) is often extremely effective in reducing the frequency of severe, treatment refractory problem behaviors. The risks and benefits associated with skin shock must be weighed against the risks/ benefits other treatments and the risks/benefits of taking no action. Here four common response patterns are presented and discussed.
 
Case Presentations of Contingent Shock Response Patterns
NICHOLAS LOWTHER (Judge Rotenberg Educational Center)
Abstract: Four individual individual cases that exemplify one of four different response patterns to contingent skin shock are presented. For each case, a complete history and summary of previous treatment interventions are described. For pattern 1 (P), the introduction of GED was remarkably effective; however, GED was prosthetic in that it could not be discontinued without recurrence of problem behaviors. For pattern 2 (L), treatment was required over the long term (105 months) as well, but he was able to control his behaviors for various periods of time with the absence of a GED device. For pattern 3 (M), problem behaviors improved initially when GED was added. However, GED lost efficacy and the GED-4 (a stronger stimulus) was required to reduce the frequency of his aggressive behaviors. For pattern 4 (J), GED successfully eliminated severe problem behaviors and was withdrawn without a major acceleration or relapse.
 
 
Invited Paper Session #199
CE Offered: BACB/PSY/QABA
Impact on Maternal and Infant Outcomes by Intervening With Maternal Health Behavior
Sunday, May 29, 2022
9:00 AM–9:50 AM
Meeting Level 1; Room 102B
Area: CBM; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Michele R. Traub (St. Cloud State University)
CE Instructor: Yukiko Washio, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: YUKIKO WASHIO (RTI International)
Abstract: Women are often motivated to stay healthy for the well-being of their child during pregnancy and lactation. Generally speaking, women who are pregnant are recommended to eat healthy, exercise properly, and stay away from substance use, including illicit and prescription drugs, alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco, which are potentially harmful to their child. Additionally, breastfeeding is increasingly encouraged as the most recommended feeding practice for at least 6 months, if not longer, to maintain the health of women and their infants. While most women are able to practice a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy and lactation, women with certain social determinants (such as socioeconomic disadvantage, younger age, race/ethnic status, mental health issues, violence exposure, and reproductive and sexual health issues) have difficulties maintaining healthy lifestyles during these critical periods. Various treatment options including behavioral and pharmacological interventions have been developed using computer-based and telecommunication technology to address substance, alcohol, and tobacco use, breastfeeding, contraceptive use, and adherence to maternal-infant care among pregnant and postpartum populations. Tested interventions include, but are not limited to, brief interventions, contingency management, cognitive behavioral therapy, peer and group support, additional to other forms of counseling, and pharmacological treatment such as bupropion. Treatment interventions generally provide education and referral information, nudge to focus on healthy practices, reinforcement on healthy behavior, and cognitive and behavioral exercises such as skill training, to increase the value of natural or contrived reinforcers to engage in healthy behavior. Comprehensive and combined intervention approaches are probably the most ideal for intervening with pregnant and postpartum populations to address intertwined health issues and social determinants that interact with each other. With under-resourced communities, healthcare settings, and workforces that deal with pregnant and postpartum populations, dissemination and sustainability of evidence-based interventions is another major challenge that we need to face. This presentation provides an overview of maternal health behavioral issues, some of the intervention studies, and challenges and efforts to overcome sustainability issues.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Professionals and students in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, nursing, women’s health, substance use treatment, technology use, behavior science
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) list WHO-defined maternal health behaviors that significantly contribute to female non-communicable diseases; (2) list at least two studies that used contingency management to improve maternal health behaviors; (3) list other forms of interventions to treat maternal health behaviors; (4) list future direction of maternal health behavior research introduced during the presentation.
 
YUKIKO WASHIO (RTI International)
Yukiko Washio is a researcher at Substance Use, Gender, and Applied Research of RTI International and an adjunct faculty at Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine. She consults in both the US and Japan for public health research and implementation using behavior analysis. She currently teaches behavior analysis at Capella University. Her research focus and interest are intervention development, adaptation, and testing to address persistent maternal health behavioral issues that tend to result in a major economic burden at the societal level. Her behavior analysis graduate and postdoctoral training thrives on development of behavioral interventions and professional network to expand research activities and dissemination.
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #214
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Reimagining Solutions to the Persistence of Gun Violence in K-12 Schools
Sunday, May 29, 2022
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: DEV; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Jo Ann Pereira Delgado (Teachers College, Columbia University)
CE Instructor: Sonali Rajan, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: SONALI RAJAN (Columbia University)
Abstract:

Gun violence in the United States (U.S.) persists as a public health crisis. Over 40,000 individuals die from firearm-related injuries each year and another 60,000 are shot. Of these, nearly 8,000 are children. And gun violence specifically within K-12 schools continues. Indeed, recent data have underscored that over 250,000 children in the U.S. have been exposed to gun violence specifically in K-12 schools since the Columbine High School mass shooting tragedy in 1999, with Black children disproportionately impacted in comparison to their White peers. And rates of gun violence have increased precipitously since the onset of the Covid19 pandemic.

The impact of gun violence on children is particularly concerning as exposure to gun violence is considered an adverse childhood experience (ACE). ACEs are potentially traumatic events that occur during childhood. An extensive body of research on exposure to ACEs has been linked to dozens of negative outcomes over the life course (poor mental health, increased risk for chronic disease, asthma, poor oral health, cancer, injury, suicide, premature mortality, and even decreased school success). They’re also highly prevalent: an estimated 30% of children report experiencing at least one ACE. Thus, preventing this kind of violence is of utmost importance. Despite this urgency, meaningful responses to the prevention of gun violence in K-12 schools over the past decade have been lacking and largely not informed by evidence.

In this presentation, I draw on existing research, novel data, and a child-centric framework to present a new model that reimagines what solutions to the persistence of gun violence in K-12 schools looks like. In pursuing this work, I seek to answer the following question: what if our collective response to school gun violence did not prepare our schools for the inevitability of the next school shooting, rather treated the eradication of gun violence in schools as a genuine possibility? Knowledge, support, prevention, policy, engagement, commitment, leadership, and consistency are guiding principles we can use to reimagine how our schools can be kept safe, while ensuring that our children thrive.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Researchers (e.g. in the behavioral sciences, public health, education, school psychology), school leadership (principals, superintendents), school health professionals, K-12 teachers

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) identify a comprehensive of "gun violence" as it pertains to child health and development; (2) describe the specific relationship between exposure to gun violence, child health, and learning outcomes; (3) identify specific and evidence-informed school safety strategies that are known to effectively reduce rates of gun violence in K-12 schools.
 
SONALI RAJAN (Columbia University)

Dr. Sonali Rajan is an Associate Professor of Health Education in the Department of Health and Behavior Studies at Teachers College, Columbia University. She also holds a secondary faculty appointment in the Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. Dr. Rajan is a school violence prevention researcher, studying gun violence, school safety, and adverse childhood experiences. She holds faculty affiliations with the CDC-funded Columbia Center for Injury Science and Prevention, the Columbia Scientific Union for the Reduction of Gun Violence, and the Institute for Urban and Minority Education. She also co-produces Re(Search) for Solutions, a podcast hosted by the Media and Social Change Lab at Teachers College devoted to amplifying creative and evidence-based solutions to the persistence of gun violence. For over a decade, Dr. Rajan has conducted research in K-12 public schools across the U.S.  And for nearly 15 years, Dr. Rajan has collaborated closely with the non-profit organization Girls on the Run; she currently serves on their National Board of Directors. Dr. Rajan has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles in additional to multiple talks, book chapters, and other written pieces. Her work has also been featured in multiple national media outlets (including National Public Radio, the Hechinger Report, and CSPAN).

 

 
 
Invited Panel #218
CE Offered: BACB/PSY/QABA
Diversity submission Affirming Neurodiversity Inside Applied Behavior Analysis: Evolving Toward Inclusivity and Compassion
Sunday, May 29, 2022
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Meeting Level 2; Room 253A-C
Area: PCH; Domain: Theory
Chair: Jonathan J. Tarbox (University of Southern California; FirstSteps for Kids)
CE Instructor: Jonathan J. Tarbox, Ph.D.
Panelists: KRISTINE RODRIGUEZ (Autism Learning Partners), AMY GRAVINO (A.S.C.O.T Consulting), WORNER LELAND (Sex Ed Continuing Ed)
Abstract:

Neurodiversity is a concept that asserts that the idea of normal cognition is a false premise, based on the medical model of disability. Instead, neurodiversity, which was conceptualized by the neurodiverse individuals we serve, states that all humans are born with different cognitive strengths and skills and that difference in cognition is valuable and even important for human evolution and creativity. As applied to ABA, advocates in the neurodiversity movement have pushed for a more flexible, more compassionate, and less ablelist approach to ABA supports for autistic people. Some of the criticisms from the neurodiversity movement appear controversial to many in the ABA field and many behavior analysts have rejected the concerns and/or attempted to defend our field against neurodiversity. This panel discussion will engage in an honest, vulnerable, and frank discussion of the strengths and limitations of what we do in ABA and use the neurodiversity movement as an opportunity to discuss practical steps the ABA field can take to moving our field to a future of greater inclusivity, flexibility, and less ableism. The neurodiverse panel of presenters includes researchers, practitioners, family members, and advocates.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
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 neurodiversity; (2) define ableism; (3) describe simple strategies for centering autistic voices in ABA research and practice.
KRISTINE RODRIGUEZ (Autism Learning Partners)
AMY GRAVINO (A.S.C.O.T Consulting)
Amy Gravino, M.A., is an autism sexuality advocate and Relationship Coach in the Center for Adult Autism Services at Rutgers University. She is also the President of A.S.C.O.T Consulting, which offers autism consulting, college coaching, and mentoring services for organizations, schools, individuals on the autism spectrum, and their families. Amy is an international speaker who has given TED talks, spoken twice at the United Nations for World Autism Awareness Day, and presented worldwide to audiences on a variety of topics related to autism, with a dedicated special focus and research on the subject of autism and sexuality. Ms. Gravino obtained her Masters degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Caldwell University in 2010 and currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Specialisterne USA, Yes She Can, Inc. and the Golden Door International Film Festival of Jersey City, as well as the Scientific Advisory Board of Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research (SPARK). She is an award-winning writer whose work has been featured in Spectrum, the leading online news source for autism research, Reader’s Digest, special education textbooks, and other outlets. Visit www.amygravino.com to learn more.
WORNER LELAND (Sex Ed Continuing Ed)
Worner Leland, MS, BCBA, is an agender, neurodivergent human, a former researcher and educator with Upswing Advocates, a current educator with Sex Ed Continuing Ed, and an organizer with the annual SexABA Conference. Their work focuses on assent and consent education, harm reduction and coercion reduction education in behavior analysis, and maximizing autonomy and access to appetitives. Worner is also a past President and past Research and Dissemination Liaison of the ABAI Sexual Behavior Research and Practice SIG.
 
 
Invited Tutorial #219
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Autism 24/7: Promoting Functional Communication at Home and in the Community
Sunday, May 29, 2022
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Meeting Level 2; Room 256
Area: PRA; Domain: Service Delivery
PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP CE Offered. CE Instructor: Andy Bondy, Ph.D.
Chair: Susan Wilczynski (Ball State University)
Presenting Authors: : ANDY BONDY (Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc.)
Abstract: The Pyramid Approach to Education helps the design of effective educational environments, within school settings, as well as the home and community. This talk will address how activities and routines around the home and in the community, along with the accompanying functional materials, may involve a variety of functional communication skills. We will discuss how a set of critical communication skills can be taught by parents and caregivers independent of the learner’s modality. How to incorporate a variety of functional skills within all activities and routines will be described.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Those involved with parent training
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe how the Pyramid Approach can be implemented at home and in the community; (2) describe a set of critical functional communication goals; (3) describe how four distinct lessons can be built into each activity or routine.
 
ANDY BONDY (Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc.)
Andy Bondy, Ph.D., has almost 50 years of experience working with children and adults with autism and related developmental disabilities. For more than a dozen years he served as the Director of a statewide public school program for students with autism. He and his wife, Lori Frost, pioneered the development of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). He designed the Pyramid Approach to Education as a comprehensive combination of broad-spectrum behavior analysis and functional communication strategies. He is a co-founder of Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc., an internationally based team of specialists from many fields working together to promote integration of the principles of applied behavior analysis within functional activities and an emphasis on developing functional communication skills. He currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. He was the recipient of the 2012 Society of the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA) Award for International Dissemination of Behavior Analysis.
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #220
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Aversive Effects of Methamphetamine as Arbiters of Risk for Use
Sunday, May 29, 2022
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Meeting Level 1; Room 151A/B
Area: SCI; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Suzanne H. Mitchell (Oregon Health & Science University)
CE Instructor: Tamara Phillips, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: TAMARA JEAN RICHARDS (Oregon Health & Science University)
Abstract:

This presentation will address the role of sensitivity to aversive drug effects in risk for unhealthy drug use. Considerable research has focused on drug use disorders as motivational disorders involving inherent or drug-induced reward pathway function. Human and animal research support a critical role for circuitry underlying sensitivity to rewarding and reinforcing drug effects in risk for continued use, neuroadaptation and relapse. However, less attention has been paid to the protective role of sensitivity to aversive drug effects. Dr. Phillips will present data proving that the trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) as an arbiter of the aversive effects of methamphetamine, which when experienced, reduce methamphetamine intake. More broadly, she will discuss the importance of considering drug avoiders in clinical studies of psychostimulant addiction, which could lead to the identification of a new class of therapeutics.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Basic and clinical researchers and therapists in addiction and reward-related disorders
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) discuss the importance of sensitivity to acute aversive drug effects in reducing risk for addiction; (2) describe the use of genetic models in behavioral research and criteria that meet the burden of proof; (3) explain the role of the trace amine-associated receptor 1 (Taar1) in methamphetamine intake and effects.
 
TAMARA JEAN RICHARDS (Oregon Health & Science University)

Tamara Phillips is Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Behavioral Neuroscience at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Senior Research Career Scientist at the Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, and Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism-funded Portland Alcohol Research Center. She received her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the State University of New York in Albany and completed Postdoctoral training at the Rutgers University Institute of Animal Behavior. She joined OHSU and the Portland VA in 1987, rising through the ranks to Professor in 1998. She has received several honors and awards, including teaching awards, research achievement and mentoring awards, and distinguished scientist and lectureship awards. She has served as the President of three different research societies: the International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society; the Research Society on Alcoholism; and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. She currently serves as Vice-President on the Board of the non-profit local chapter of Sigma Xi, the scientific research honor society. Mentoring has been one of her passions and she directed the Behavioral Neuroscience graduate program for many years. She has published numerous peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and reviews and is funded by two NIH institutes and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Her research focusses on the genetic dissection of behavioral traits associated with risk for the development of alcohol and drug use disorders.

 
 
Symposium #223
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Use of Technology to Disseminate Applied Behavior Analysis into Applied Settings
Sunday, May 29, 2022
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Meeting Level 2; Room 252A
Area: DDA/AUT; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Natalie Badgett (University of North Florida)
Discussant: Jennifer Nicole Haddock (University of Kansas)
CE Instructor: Rose Nevill, Ph.D.
Abstract:

While ABA is considered an evidence-based approach for skill development and challenging behavior reduction with people with autism and broader developmental disabilities, many lack access to services due to a number of barriers (e.g., distance, cost, scheduling, lack of providers, and transportation). Further, families and professionals who deliver primary supports to people with ASD/DD often do not have training in ABA. Technological advances over recent years now present a wide range of options for disseminating ABA to people with ASD/DD, and delivering coaching on behavioral techniques to support systems. This selection of presentations will provide examples of how four different technological modalities (an app, bug-in-ear speaker system, virtual reality, and the videoconferencing) can be applied to disseminate ABA knowledge to difficult-to-reach populations. Preliminary data will be shared to demonstrate the effectiveness of each approach and to conclude we will discuss implications of use of technology for furthering the reach of ABA within the disability field.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): Accessibility, Dissemination, Technology, Telehealth
Target Audience:

A minimum of a masters degree in behavior analysis, psychology, education, technology, or a related degree.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentations, participants will be able to: (1) Understand how virtual reality systems can be used as skill building tools for people with autism (2) Identify innovative tech-based strategies for disseminating ABA into applied settings (3) Explain the ECHO model and understand how it can be modified to provide behavioral consultation in new settings
 
There’s an App for That! Teaching Daily Living Skills Using Tablet-Based Technology
NATALIE BADGETT (University of North Florida), Young Hee Byun (University of Virginia), Micah Mazurek (University of Virginia), Rose Nevill (University of Virginia)
Abstract: Daily living skills include appropriate self-care skills (e.g., tooth brushing) that enable individuals to function independently across environments. Children with autism commonly struggle with daily living skills, regardless of cognitive abilities and these deficits may worsen from childhood to adulthood. Deficits in daily living skills lead to over-reliance on caregiver support and limited independence. Evidence-based behavioral strategies targeting daily living skills include chaining, prompting, and task analysis. While ABA represents a useful approach to teaching daily living and other adaptive skills, many children are unable to access high quality ABA services. Barriers to access include provider shortages, long waitlists, high costs of services, and logistical barriers. SkillSTAR represents an innovative strategy to improve access to evidence-based intervention for children with deficits in daily living skills. In this presentation, we will introduce the SkillSTAR application, which fully integrates assessment, intervention, data analysis, and user support to promote acquisition of daily living skills. We will also share data from an initial pilot study evaluating the effectiveness of the tool in teaching tooth-brushing skills.
 

Effects of Coaching Parents of Children With Autism via Telehealth

YOUJIA HUA (University of Virginia), QIAN ZHANG (Kunming LIH SkyCity Rehabilitation Hospital), Yan Liu (University of Virginia), Qing Li (Kunming LIH SkyCity Rehabilitation Hospital)
Abstract:

We designed and implemented a parent coaching program that focused on procedures used to teach three types of spontaneous verbal request skills for children with autism in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two parent-child dyads from a southwestern city in China participated in the study. Using the telehealth service delivery model, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in China provided coaching. During the coaching sessions, the parents received BCBA’s immediate prompt and feedback from a Bluetooth earpiece. In a randomized multiple-baseline across the behaviors design, we confirmed a functional relation between the parent coaching program and their frequency of correct teaching trials. Both children also emitted more spontaneous verbal requests during the intervention.

 
Skill Building With Virtual Reality
REHAN MAIRAJUDDIN (Floreo Tech), Vijay Ravindran (Floreo, Inc.), Sinan Turnacioglu (Floreo, Inc.), Rita Solórzano (Floreo, Inc.), Stephen Donaldson (Floreo, Inc.)
Abstract: There remains a clear need for effective, accessible, and low-cost interventions that can address the diverse needs of individuals with the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising method of intervention with over two decades of research on its use for a variety of different skills. The safety, feasibility, and efficacy of a virtual reality intervention to teach skills needed to successfully navigate encounters with law enforcement officers in adolescents and adults with ASD was assessed during a funded research project. Results indicate that participants’ knowledge of appropriate encounters with police officers and comfort interacting with officers increased significantly as a result of the virtual reality intervention. Participants’ eye contact during police interactions was rated as significantly better during the post-intervention assessment compared with pre-intervention, and the appropriateness of their behavior was rated as being significantly improved after participating in the virtual reality intervention. Research suggests that a novel mobile virtual reality skill-building system designed to support children and adults with ASD through real-time coaching and feedback is safe and feasible for use by a range of autistic individuals and may be effective at improving community social problem-solving skills.
 

Use of the Videoconferencing-Based ECHO Model to Disseminate Applied Behavior Analysis to Inpatient Psychiatric Settings

ROSE NEVILL (University of Virginia), Natalie Badgett (University of North Florida), Gail Lovette (University of Virginia), Jaimee Traub (University of Virginia), Keith Page (University of Virginia)
Abstract:

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience high rates of behavioral crises, which significantly increase their risk of emergency room or psychiatric hospital admissions. While psychiatric hospitals typically specialize in the assessment and treatment of severe mental illness and substance abuse, providers in these settings generally have little to no training on working with IDD populations. This project piloted an application of the Extensions of Community Health Outcomes (ECHO) model to disseminate behavioral knowledge to inpatient psychiatric care teams in state-funded hospitals across Virginia through a videoconferencing platform. Six providers participated in a pilot evaluation of this program and completed pre-post test measures of ABA knowledge, self-efficacy in managing challenging behavior, and program satisfaction. Results demonstrated a significant improvement in providers’ self-efficacy, knowledge of ABA, and high program satisfaction. The model design will be described, after which implications and considerations for future use of the ECHO model as a mode for disseminating behavioral knowledge and consultation will be discussed.

 
 
Invited Paper Session #234
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Diversity submission Extending the Reach of Applied Behavior Analysis to Health and Social Justice Domains
Sunday, May 29, 2022
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: BPN; Domain: Theory
Chair: August F. Holtyn (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)
CE Instructor: Bethany R. Raiff, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: BETHANY R. RAIFF (Rowan University)
Abstract: Applied behavior analysis has been successfully disseminated in the domains of autism and developmental disabilities. Although the science and technology of behavior analysis is relevant and is being used effectively in other domains such as health and addiction, these areas receive less attention in the field and do not have clear career pathways. I will review a wide range of applications of applied behavior analysis within these less well-known domains, such as addiction, physical activity, diabetes management, and social justice. Finally, I will discuss potential barriers to the dissemination of applied behavior analysis within these domains, along with some potential next steps.
Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience: Anyone interested in broadening the reach of ABA
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) discuss how applied behavior analysis has been used in areas outside of autism and developmental disabilities; (2) identify at least two reasons why applied behavior analysis is not being applied more widely in these other domains; (3) explain at least two steps that would need to occur for the successful extension of applied behavior analysis to these non-traditional domains.
 
BETHANY R. RAIFF (Rowan University)
Dr. Raiff graduated from the University of Florida in 2008 with her Ph.D. in Psychology, with an emphasis in Behavioral Pharmacology. She worked as a principal investigator for four years at the National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. in New York City before moving to the Department of Psychology at Rowan University in 2012 where she is currently a Full Professor and the Director of the Health and Behavioral Integrated Treatments (HABIT) Research Unit. Dr. Raiff's primary research interests include developing and evaluating the integration of technological innovations with behavioral economic interventions addressing a wide array of topics, including smoking, opioid use disorder, physical activity, diabetes management, and social justice. Dr. Raiff has been the recipient of numerous NIH grants to develop and evaluate smartphone and technology delivered contingency management interventions. She serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and is the current President of the Division 25 of the American Psychological Association.
 
 
Symposium #241
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Diversity submission Multiple-Exemplar Training on Verbal Operant Experimental Analyses of Culturally/Linguistically Diverse Speakers With Autism
Sunday, May 29, 2022
11:00 AM–12:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 258C
Area: AUT/VBC; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Lee L Mason (Cook Children's Health Care System)
Discussant: Alonzo Alfredo Andrews (The University of Texas at San Antonio)
CE Instructor: Alonzo Alfredo Andrews, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Speakers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds have been disproportionately identified with communication deficits, a defining feature of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Traditional approaches to language assessment focus on the topography of a response, without regard for the context in which it was emitted. In contrast, the functional analysis of verbal behavior offers a rigorous and innovative approach to language assessment that subsumes the cultural and linguistic diversity of the speaker. Through multiple-exemplar training, we demonstrate verbal operant experimental (VOX) analyses across different children with autism from a variety of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. VOX analyses are used to identify specific functional language deficits, and differences in the strength of verbal operants are examined through non-parametric analyses. Moreover, the results can be used to develop an individualized treatment plan, using a most-to-least prompt hierarchy to shape a response topography specific to each unique verbal community. In this way, functional analyses of language are shown to be a verbal-community-centered approach to observing and measuring the verbal behavior of speakers from diverse backgrounds.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): cultural diversity, functional analysis, linguistic diversity, verbal behavior
Target Audience:

Practitioners (BCBAs, LSSPs, Educational Diagnosticians, etc) who work directly with children with autism from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Audience should be familiar with the concept of functional analysis and the verbal operants.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) list the conditions of a verbal operant experimental analysis (2) describe the procedures for developing an individualized treatment plan based on the results of a VOX (3) explain how a VOX analysis is applicable to speakers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
 
Diversity submission 

Analyzing the Functional Language of a Child With Autism Who Speaks English

JANET SANCHEZ ENRIQUEZ (The University of North Carolina at Charlotte)
Abstract:

Functional analyses of language have been useful for measuring the strength of a speaker’s verbal repertoire, identifying verbal behavior deficits, and monitoring language development. An extension of the functional analysis methodology used to identify the variables that maintain challenging behavior, a verbal operant experimental (VOX) analysis is used to identify the variables that maintain a speaker’s verbal behavior. This presentation introduces the VOX analysis along with the procedures used to sample the speaker’s verbal repertoire. Using an English-speaking, three-year-old boy with autism as a case study, we demonstrate a pretreatment VOX analysis, describe how the results were used to develop an individualized intervention plan, and then show the results of a follow-up VOX analysis after six months of early intensive behavioral intervention. Whereas the pretreatment VOX results demonstrated examples of stimulus overselectivity, follow-up results show the development of more proportionate levels of stimulus control. Implications of VOX analyses for English-speakers with autism are discussed, and areas of future research are highlighted.

 
Diversity submission 

Analyzing the Functional Language of a Child With Autism Who Speaks Spanish

MARIANA DE LOS SANTOS (Bloom Childrens Center)
Abstract:

While all members of a verbal community speak a common language, not all speakers of a common language are members of the same verbal community. In addition to sharing a common language, members of a verbal community also share common reinforcing practices. Mere translation of an assessment into another language fails to address these critical issues of cultural and linguistic diversity. Consequently, topography-based language assessments provide an insufficient analysis of a speaker’s verbal behavior. Here we extend the research on functional analyses of verbal behavior to include speakers of a language other than English. Using a Spanish-speaking, five-year-old girl with autism as a case study, we demonstrate the use of a pretreatment VOX analysis conducted in the speaker’s native language, describe how the results were used to develop an individualized intervention plan, and then show the results of a follow-up VOX analysis after six months of referent-based verbal behavior instruction. Whereas the pretreatment VOX results demonstrated examples of stimulus overselectivity, follow-up results show the development of more proportionate levels of stimulus control. Implications of VOX analyses for Spanish-speakers with autism are discussed, and areas of future research are highlighted.

 
Diversity submission 

Analyzing the Functional Language of a Child with Autism Who Speaks Multiple Languages

SREEJA ATHERKODE (University of North Texas)
Abstract:

For speakers who belong to multiple verbal communities, functional analyses of verbal behavior allow for dynamic control of response topography. The simple practice of allowing the speaker the freedom to select the language of instruction minimizes cultural bias and hegemony. Here we extend the research on functional analyses of verbal behavior to include speakers of multiple languages. Using a multilingual, seven-year-old boy with autism as a case study, we demonstrate the use of a pretreatment VOX analysis, describe how the results were used to develop an individualized intervention plan, and then show the results of a follow-up VOX analysis after six months of behavior-analytic intervention. Notably, the follow-up VOX analysis was conducted in three different languages, and we compare the results of each. The results show a clear hierarchy of strength across English, Telugu, and Tamil, with overarching patterns across the three assessments. Implications of VOX analyses for multilingual-speakers with autism are discussed, and areas of future research are highlighted.

 
Diversity submission 

Analyzing the Functional Language of a Child With Autism Who Speaks With a Speech-Generating Device

MARIA JOSE OTERO (University of North Texas)
Abstract:

Within the context of cultural and linguistic diversity, speakers who use augmentative and alternative communication are often overlooked. The selection of augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) for non-vocal speakers with autism spectrum disorder has been described as more of an art than a science for the population of children with autism who do not develop functional speech. While the decision to use one AAC modality over another is largely subjective, what limited research exists primarily focuses on mand training. Here we extend the research on functional analyses of verbal behavior to include speakers who communicate with speech-generating devices. Using a non-vocal, five-year-old girl with autism as a case study, we demonstrate the use of a pretreatment VOX analysis conducted in which the speaker uses AAC, describe how the results were used to develop an individualized intervention plan, and then show the results of a follow-up VOX analysis after six months of early intensive behavioral intervention. Whereas the pretreatment VOX results demonstrated a functional mand repertoire, follow-up results show the development of more proportionate levels of stimulus control. Implications of VOX analyses for speakers with autism who use AAC are discussed, and areas of future research are highlighted.

 
 
Symposium #242
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
The Use of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventionsin Community Settings
Sunday, May 29, 2022
11:00 AM–12:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 257B
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Diondra Straiton (Michigan State University)
Discussant: Aubyn C. Stahmer (UC Davis Health)
CE Instructor: Allison Jobin, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) utilize natural contingencies and behavioral strategies (Schreibman et al., 2015) and are effective at increasing skills in autistic children. A recent meta-analysis of early interventions for autistic children found that NDBIs outperform other behavioral interventions (Sandbank et al., 2020). Yet most ABA providers report limited training in NDBIs. This symposium describes applied research from 13 institutions on the use of NDBIs in community settings. The first presentation reports improvements in adaptive behavior, social skills, and autism symptoms for autistic children receiving NDBIs within an inclusive preschool setting. The second and third presentations present data on practitioner perspectives on NDBIs, with presentation 2 demonstrating how ABA provider perceptions of NDBIs change over time and with consultation, and presentation 3 illustrating preschool teachers’ experience with and perceptions of NDBIs. Finally, the fourth presentation demonstrates the parent coaching practices of NDBI-trained early intervention (EI) providers, noting barriers and facilitators to parent coaching in the EI system. Dr. Amy Matthews (discussant) will draw on her expertise in the implementation of NDBIs in community settings and will provide recommendations for provider training and scale-up implementation efforts, particularly in publicly funded service systems.

Instruction Level: Basic
Keyword(s): behavioral interventions, community settings
Target Audience:

Behavior analysts and other practitioners interested in learning more about the implementation of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) in community settings

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: 1) describe the theoretical basis of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) and the behavior analytic principles of NDBIs, 2) describe the effects of NDBIs on child outcomes in community settings across 3 domains: adaptive behavior, social skills, and autism symptoms; 3) identify ABA provider perceptions of NDBIs and how these perceptions change over time and with expert consultation; and 4) describe at least 3 barriers and 3 facilitators to providing parent coaching practices within NDBIs delivered in the early intervention system.
 

Delivery of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions in a Community-Based Preschool Inclusion Program for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

ALLISON JOBIN (California State University San Marcos), Nora M Camacho (Rady Children's Hospital), Aubyn C. Stahmer (UC Davis Health), Gina May (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), Kristin Gist (Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego), Lauren I. Brookman-Frazee (UC San Diego)
Abstract:

The importance of inclusive environments for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is well established, and positive outcomes have been reported for some preschool inclusion programs (e.g., Strain & Bovey, 2011). However, these studies report extensive training from researchers, and limited data are available on the effectiveness of community-based and self-sustaining preschool inclusion programs. Moreover, few studies have reported outcomes from the community-based delivery of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBI) in group-based community care. This quasi-experimental study reports outcomes for 26 children, 3-5 years of age at entry and diagnosed with ASD, who were enrolled in a community-based inclusion preschool program delivering NDBI for at least 6 months. Paired sample t-test indicated statistically significant improvements from entry to exit on standardized measures of adaptive behavior (Figure 1), social skills (Figure 2), and autism symptoms (Figure 3). The majority of children were testing in the adequate or higher range across measures after an average of 18 months of intervention (SD=6.5 months). Implications for the effectiveness of inclusive settings for preschool-aged children, considerations in the delivery of NDBI in group inclusive settings, and future directions will be discussed.

 

The Effect of Time and Consultation on Applied Behavior Analysis Provider Perceptions of Project ImPACT

DIONDRA STRAITON (Michigan State University), Brooke Ingersoll (Michigan State University)
Abstract:

Background: Little is known about how ABA provider perceptions of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) change over time. Consultation may also affect provider perceptions of these interventions. We investigated the effect of time and consultation on perceptions of Project ImPACT, an empirically supported NDBI. Methods: We fit 9 two-level multilevel models. We report preliminary analyses from 9 providers across 4 agencies in the Medicaid system (single case design). Providers delivered Project ImPACT during baseline (randomized to 3-6 weeks) and during the 12 weeks of consultation. Providers completed the Perceived Characteristics of Intervention Scale (PCIS) weekly. Results: Perceptions of Project ImPACT were moderately high (see Figure 1). See Table 1 for model parameters. There was an effect of time on trialability and task issues; regardless of whether providers were receiving consultation, each week, providers rated Project ImPACT as easier to try out and more helpful at improving the quality of their work. The effect of time on trialability varied depending on condition. The average rating of trialability was lower during baseline than during consultation and trialability ratings increased each week during baseline, but not during consultation. Though marginal, there was an effect of time on observability; each week, providers rated client improvements from ImPACT to be more observable. There was no effect of consultation. Conclusions: Increased use of NDBIs over time results in more favorable perceptions. Consultation does not appear to change providers’ perceptions. Implications for provider training will be discussed.

 
Preschool Teacher’s Perceptions of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions
SOPHIA R D'AGOSTINO (Utah State University)
Abstract: Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs) are empirically validated interventions that are well matched for the preschool classroom context as they are designed for use in natural settings and integrate both behavioral and developmental intervention approaches. This study explored the perspectives of preschool teachers regarding common NDBI components. One hundred fifty-two preschool teachers across one Midwest state who taught at least one child with an identified disability in their classroom completed an electronic questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of open and closed ended questions on preschool teachers’ NDBI training experience, knowledge, reported use, and perceptions of social validity. Overall, most preschool teachers received preservice and inservice training experiences in child development and early childhood teacher practices but did not receive preservice or inservice training in strategies based on applied behavior analysis. Preschool teachers agreed that NDBI components are acceptable for use within their classroom context and align with current classroom practices. Open-ended comments revealed benefits and barriers to NDBI implementation as well as specific training needs. Implications for practice and future research needs will be discussed.
 
Parent Coaching in Early Intervention for Autistic Children: What Providers Say versus What Providers Do
JORDAN ALBRIGHT (Virginia Tech; University of Pennsylvania, Center for Mental Health, Perelman School of Medicine), Liza Tomczuk (University of Pennsylvania, Center for Mental Health, Perelman School of Medicine), Aubyn C. Stahmer (University of California – Davis, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; University of California – Davis, MIND Institute, Sacramento), Rinad Beidas (University of Pennsylvania, Center for Mental Health, Perelman School of Medicine), David Mandell (University of Pennsylvania, Center for Mental Health, Perelman School of Medicine), Rebecca Stewart (University of Pennsylvania, Center for Mental Health, Perelman School of Medicine), Melanie Pellecchia (University of Pennsylvania, Center for Mental Health, Perelman School of Medicine)
Abstract: Background: Parent coaching in early intervention (EI) can lead to improvements in parent and child outcomes for young autistic children. Little is known about how parent coaching is implemented in publicly funded EI systems. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study aims to 1) identify barriers/facilitators to the implementation of parent coaching in EI and 2) evaluate EI provider fidelity of parent coaching. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 EI providers and agency leaders to learn about barriers/facilitators to using parent coaching. Transcripts were analyzed iteratively using an integrated approach. Twenty-five EI sessions were coded for parent coaching fidelity using direct observation. Results: Several barriers and facilitators to parent coaching during EI sessions were identified (Figure 1). While EI providers reported using a variety of evidence-based parent coaching techniques, findings from provider observations indicate use of parent coaching strategies is low overall, with significant variability across providers (Figure 2). A strong correlation was observed between fidelity of collaboration and in-vivo feedback (r = .68, p = .000), providers who used collaborative coaching strategies were more likely to provide in-vivo feedback (Table 1). Conclusions: Targeted implementation supports are needed to improve the implementation of parent coaching for autistic children in publicly funded EI.
 
 
Invited Symposium #244
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Practitioner Experiences With Telehealth Across the World
Sunday, May 29, 2022
11:00 AM–12:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 256
Area: DDA; Domain: Translational
Chair: Yaniz C. Padilla Dalmau (Flamboyan Behavioral Services)
Discussant: Kelly M. Schieltz (University of Iowa)
CE Instructor: Kelly M. Schieltz, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many behavior analysts who serve individuals with developmental disabilities had to transform their practice swiftly using telehealth in order to continue supporting their clients. In this international symposium, we invited practitioners from across the world who adapted their services to telehealth to share their experiences. Smita Awasthi will present a study that reports how Behavior Momentum India shifted their in-clinic services across their 10 clinics in India to in-home telehealth during the pandemic using smartphones. Guido D’Angelo will present a study conducted in Italy through their agency, Dalla Luna, in which telehealth supervision was provided to two therapists in conducting functional analysis and functional communication training. Kristín Guðmundsdóttir, from University of Akureyri, will present a study in which the authors developed and implemented a telehealth parent training protocol with 5 families in rural Iceland before the pandemic despite challenges such as low-speed internet access. Iris Heidsha Pons from Starbright Academy in Puerto Rico will share her experiences shifting to telehealth during the pandemic for a school and clinic that serves over 200 individuals. Presenters will share cultural variables they considered, barriers they faced, and will present recommendations for other professionals implementing behavior analysis through telehealth.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe how smartphones can be used to teach skills typically taught in IBI programs for children with ASD; (2) describe the three models of tele-health service delivery; (3) discuss scaling up behavior analytic services beyond the horizon; (4) describe ethical challenges in transitioning services to telehealth; (5) idenitfy adaptation to therapists’s supervision via telehealth; (6) describe how to implement functional assessment and FCT via telehealth; (7)state critical components of an evidence-based telehealth behavioral caregiver training with families of young children with autism, using a low-speed internet connection; (8) state and discriminate between possible procedural, technological, ethical and cultural challenges during behavioral caregiver training; (9) state critical training components for higher and continuing education in behavioral caregiver consultation via telehealth in low-speed internet connection; (10) describe how telemedicine was used to work with children with ASD in Puerto Rico to deliver education-based ABA during the pandemic.
 

Using the Ubiquitous Smartphone to Deliver Behavior Analytic Telehealth Services: An Indian Organizations Response During the Pandemic

(Service Delivery)
SMITA AWASTHI (Behavior Momentum India), Sridhar Aravamudhan (Behavior Momentum India), Anupama Jagdish (Behavior Momentum India (BMI)), Bhavana Joshi (Behavior Momentum India (BMI)), Papiya Mukherjee (Behavior Momentum India (BMI)), Rajeshwari Kalkivaya (Behavior Momentum India (BMI)), Razia Shahzad Ali (Behavior Momentum India (BMI)), Sonika Srivastava (Behavior Momentum India (BMI)), Sreemon Edasserykkudy (Behavior Momentum India (BMI))
Abstract:

Telehealth services have been applied in the treatment of a variety of problems across geographies (Tsami et al., 2019). The COVID-19 pandemic provided such an opportunity to scale up the impact of behavior analysis for children with autism when in-clinic services stopped abruptly worldwide. This qualitative and quantitative case study details how Behavior Momentum India (BMI), an organisation with 10 clinics across India transitioned services from in clinic to telehealth using the ubiquitous smartphone. A cohort of 92 students diagnosed with autism participated in this study under a team of 51 therapists, 9 behavior supervisors, and a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Smartphones were used by 78% students and 82% therapists for direct 1:1 and parent-mediated sessions with 82 students. With 10 students, behavior supervisors provided parent training to continue interventions during lockdown. The critical transition decisions, logistics, and ethical challenges were identified using qualitative methods. All students continued to acquire targeted skills, while 52% of the students acquired more skills in telehealth compared to in clinic as per curriculum modification. A social validity survey provided high ratings on our organization’s initiative, and 72% parents reported that their familiarity and confidence with the science of applied behavior analysis had increased.

Dr. Smita Awasthi is a psychologist, behavioral scientist, and a BCBA-D. She completed her Master’s in Psychology in 1986, and earned her Ph.D. from Queen’s University Belfast, Ireland, in 2017. Dr. Awasthi started her career on a UNICEF project in community-based rehabilitation of people with special needs and has devoted 36 years of her professional career working across the lifespan with individuals and families affected by autism and other developmental disabilities. Dr. Awasthi founded Behavior Momentum India in 2010 and pioneered 1:1 behavior analytic services in India. She currently serves as its Executive Director and CEO. Today BMI is the largest autism intervention center outside the United States. With eight intervention centers and a team of behavior analysts and 200+ para-professionals, the agency provides intensive behavior analytic treatment to 350 pediatric and adolescent populations with autism spectrum disorder from India and abroad.
 
Supervision of Therapists and Families via Telehealth: An Italian Experience
(Service Delivery)
GUIDO D'ANGELO (DALLA LUNA - BARI)
Abstract: The dramatic effect of COVID-19 at the beginning of 2020 in Italy has forced the educational agencies to rapidly reorganize the provision of educational services, moving from an in vivo to a telehealth modality. Although in the international context there is wide evidence of the effectiveness of this approach, only a recent handful of studies have begun to research its application in the Italian context. This study investigates the effectiveness of telehealth therapists’ supervision in the context of two functional communication training (FCT) interventions for two children with autism spectrum disorder. Telehealth supervision was provided first to the therapists and then to the families of the children. The FCT was conducted following the functional analysis implemented by therapists, who had never received specific training on this procedure before. Subsequently, the family implemented an intervention through telehealth for the generalization of the previously taught skills within the home context. In this presentation we present the findings of both our initial and subsequent analyses, and eventually discuss their implications.
Guido D'Angelo is an internationally certified behavior analyst since 2016. He has been working for over 17 years with children and teens with autism and their families. He has been invited as a speaker at 17 national and international conferences on the topics of autism and psychology. He has published 13 books and scientific articles in the psychological field, on autism and other developmental disorders.
 

Rural Behavioral Consultation in Iceland Pre-COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects of Caregiver Training Via Telehealth on Child and Family Progress and Considerations for Training and Professional Practice

(Service Delivery)
KRISTÍN GUDMUNDSDOTTIR (University of Akureyri)
Abstract:

This paper presents the development and experimental evaluation of telehealth methods in behavioral caregiver training in rural Iceland pre COVID-19 pandemic. Lessons learned from the study will be described and considerations for professional training and practice in behavioral telehealth for families of children with autism will be discussed. The study was conducted with Icelandic families of preschool-aged children with autism that did not have access to evidence-based services. The experimental design was a multiple baseline across parent and child skills, replicated across 5 families. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected for experimental and social validity purposes. Caregivers were taught to apply the TeachingDANCE (Ala‘i-Rosales, Cermak og Guðmundsdóttir, 2013) during play interaction with their children in order to teach their children social communication skills and enhance the quality of the relationship between the parent and child. The majority of the training was conducted through telecommunication methods. The results showed measurable progress for parents and children across all skill areas. Furthermore, the caregivers valued the increased access to evidence-based intervention and expertise, despite various challenges during the intervention. The results indicated that training via telecommunication is a viable approach for rural families with low-speed internet connection. Critical training components for higher and continuing education will be highlighted and recommendations for professional training and practice will be discussed in the context of the research as well as the lessons learned. These recommendations include considerations regarding technical skills, effective training procedures, ethical and cultural considerations, and challenges when conducting data-based behavioral consultation via telecommunication.

Kristín Guðmundsdóttir is an Assistant Professor in Psychology at the University of Akureyri, Iceland. Kristín holds a Doctoral degree in psychology from the University of Iceland and a Master of Science degree in behavior analysis from the University of North Texas. She is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) since 2003. Kristín has served as the President of Icelandic ABA and has been an active participant in the shaping of behavior analysis in Iceland. Kristín has worked as a therapist and case manager in early behavior intervention for young children with autism and other developmental disabilities in Iceland and the US. She also has extensive experience teaching and consulting with children and caregivers in the Icelandic school system, specifically in rural parts of Iceland. Kristín’s current research focus includes behavior intervention for families of young children with autism and other developmental disabilities via telehealth. Specific emphasis is on caregiver training for rural families that have limited access to evidence-based services.

 

Telemedicine in Puerto Rico: A New Challenge During the Pandemic to Deliver Clinical and Educational Applied Behavior Analysis to Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders

(Service Delivery)
IRIS HEIDSHA PONS (Starbright Academy)
Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the education, family, and social aspects of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in Puerto Rico. Starbright Academy serves 116 individuals from the ages of 2-21 years in our school program and 101 individuals with ASD and other related disorders in our clinical program (MO Therapy). The pandemic challenged us to transfer our educational and clinical system from face-to-face to a virtual one. Within 5 weeks of the initial “shut down” in 2020, Starbright had converted all of our in-person services to telehealth. We conducted academic and clinical programs through telemedicine for 76 children for 10 months. In this discussion I will share the lessons learned during this transition. Specifically, I will discuss how telemedicine has had a positive impact in educating all family members in ABA techniques, the significant improvements we have seen in the well-being of the family threw the application of telehealth in these homes, the development of independence skills and the generalization of other skills learned at school into the home setting. I will also share the obstacles that we faced in Puerto Rico for receiving ABA services, other challenges encountered during this transition to telehealth and provide recommendations for future providers.

 
 
Invited Symposium #249
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Diversity submission Dismantling Ableism From Your Practice
Sunday, May 29, 2022
11:00 AM–12:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 253A-C
Area: PCH; Domain: Theory
Chair: Kaston Dariel Anderson-Carpenter (Michigan State University)
Discussant: Cailey M M Rodgers (Integrated Therapy Solutions)
CE Instructor: Cailey M Rodgers, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Ableism involves stereotypes (biased verbal behavior) and discriminatory actions against disabled people. Ableism results from the assumption that there is a normative way of living that is superior and that being disabled reflects deficits in need of “fixing,” and are thus, inferior. The Practice Board of ABAI developed a “Beginner’s Guide to Dismantling Ableism in Your Practice” in recognition of the fact that ableism is ubiquitous in helping professions, and behavior analysis is no exception. Behavior analysts have a particularly heavy responsibility for dismantling ableism given the large number of contact hours they have with Autistic clients and the immediate and long-term problems resulting from this form of discrimination. This symposium will include the perspective of four behavior analysts contributing to the development of the “Beginner’s Guide” and will reflect their perspectives and barriers they have experienced as activists--including that of an Autistic, a doctoral student, a professor, and a Board Coordinator. The symposium will conclude with discussion from a neurodivergent behavior analyst who has not been involved in the development of the “Beginner’s Guide;” she will reflect on ways this and additional work is needed to actualize a paradigm shift in ABA.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
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 ableism; (2) explain why dismantling ableism is important in ABA; (3) describe how ableism powerfully impacts the roles of students, professors, and Autistics.
 
Diversity submission 

Ableism and ABA: I Have Caused Harm

SHAWNNA SUNDBERG (Ball State University)
Abstract:

Studying behavior analysis involves a love for the science as well as a drive to support others. With the growing awareness of ableism and applied behavior analysis (ABA) as abuse, students are faced with challenging information and are required to navigate through the controversy in the field. It is critically important to inform these future practitioners and leaders in the field what ableism is and how to actively dismantle it in their practice. Ableist beliefs are present in everyone due to our society’s continuous reinforcement whether in the media (i.e. infantilizing, dehumanization) or in or taught in educational settings. The Beginner’s Guide to Dismantling Ableism in Your Practice is an introduction to these issues and a way to listen to Autistic voices. Listening to Autistic voices is essential to dismantling ableism in ABA. Learning that you have discriminated and caused harm can be an overwhelming realization. Students must learn how to move forward and practice using true client centered care and make the changes in the field that the people we support so desperately need from us.

Shawnna received a B.A. in Psychology from Purdue University in 2008, and a M.A. in Special Education with Certifications in ABA and Autism from Ball State University in 2015. Shawnna is a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA) with over 13 years of experience working in the mental health and ABA/VB field. Shawnna is currently a Ph.D. student in special education at Ball State University where she will be completing her dissertation on prompting methods to reduce ableism used to support Autistic students. She focuses both her clinical and research efforts on dismantling ableism and ABA reform as well as training other behavior analysts and parents on issues of social justice-diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of ABA. She has a special interest in sexuality education for Autistics. Previously in her career, Shawnna was a parent training coordinator focusing supporting families in home. In addition, Shawnna was the 2018-2019 Hoosier Association for Behavior Analysis Secretary assisting with licensure for BCBAs in the state of Indiana. She has published two chapters on using interventions with Autistic children and three peer-reviewed chapters accepted for publication that focus on sexuality education, self-management, and college alternatives for transition-aged Autistic students.
 
Diversity submission 

Considerations for Academic Training Programs

JENNIFER J. MCCOMAS (University of Minnesota)
Abstract:

Applied behavior analysts possess deep knowledge and strong skills in teaching desired behavior and addressing interfering behavior of individuals with a wide variety of needs. However, at least two issues interfere with practitioners’ ability to engage effectively with the people they aim to support. First, individual practitioners bring their own beliefs, values, and attitudes to their practice, yet their beliefs, values, and attitudes will inevitably vary from those of the people they serve. Second, applied behavior analytic practitioners have historically approached their work in a very technocratic manner – as elite technical experts. Behavior analytic practitioners must attend to these two issues and adjust their approach if they wish to achieve their aim of providing effective supports. Actively working to dismantle ableism is one approach to addressing these two issues, and training programs bear responsibility to teach aspiring behavior analysts how to think, talk about, and treat the people they serve and support in anti-ableist ways. I will discuss infusing a training program with instruction and practice in the use of anti-ableist attitudes, language, and practice.

Jennifer J. McComas, Ph.D., is Professor of Special Education and holds the Rodney S. Wallace Professor for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning Endowed Chair at the University of Minnesota and faculty lead of the Collaborative Action for Radical Equity in Applied Behavior Analysis (CARE ABA) lab. Her research focuses on systematic and individualized analysis and intervention for academic and social behavior. She co-coordinates the University of Minnesota Master’s program in special education with an emphasis in applied behavior analysis, recently co-authored a chapter titled, “Beyond Cultural Responsivity: Applied Behavior Analysis Through a Lens of Cultural Humility,” and co-authored ABAI Practice Guidelines, “Beginner’s Guide to Dismantling Ableism in ABA Practice: Where Do We Go From Here?”
 
Diversity submission 

Activism and Life-Long Learning

SUSAN WILCZYNSKI (Ball State University)
Abstract:

The Practice Board redefined our mission in 2020 as, “The mission of Task Force for Quality and Values-Based ABA is to recommend systemic changes to ABAI and leaders in the field of applied behavior analysis regarding how best to meet the needs of the people we serve. We maintain that anti-ableist, person-centered services that promote meaningful outcomes through socially valid and effective intervention is the means to achieving this mission. We further recommend reflection, honesty, and effective communication regarding the strengths and limitations of evidence regarding the utility and adverse side effects of all interventions applied by behavior analysts.” The Beginner’s Guide to Dismantling Ableism in Your Practice is consistent with that mission and collaborating on this work with Practice Board members learning from Autistics who are outside the field of ABA led to growth opportunities. For example, I had learned that White people need to do the heavy lifting for producing systems change with respect to social justice and race because they (we) had created the structures that produce marginalization. I incorrectly generalized this thinking to the development of The Beginner’s Guide by having only one Autistic person on the original group writing the document. However, this decision violated the trust of the Autistic community by not sufficiently addressing the need for representation. This presentation will focus on lessons learned and the need for self-reflection and reconsideration of our positions as we all consider how to dismantle ableism in our practice and field.

 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #255
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Diversity submission Power and Empowerment: Honoring by Decision and Design
Sunday, May 29, 2022
12:00 PM–12:50 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 151A/B
Area: CSS; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Sarah M. Richling (Auburn University)
CE Instructor: Sarah M. Richling, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: ANDRATESHA FRITZGERALD (Building Blocks of Brilliance)
Abstract:

Equitable and inclusive learning environments are built on the choices of individuals. This session will explore the notions of power and empowerment that are made evident in our decisions, our designs, and our outcomes. With antiracism and Universal Design for Learning we can begin inviting every voice to powerful positions by honoring identity, culture, and learning needs.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Anyone interested in deepening and solidifying the partnership toward creating equitable learning environments.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) define honor and power; (2) evaluate power-filled choices and examine the implications of power in equitable access to learning; (3) co-create a community of educators who are conscious of how to use power to honor learners.
 
ANDRATESHA FRITZGERALD (Building Blocks of Brilliance)
Andratesha Fritzgerald is the author of Antiracism and Universal Design for Learning: Building Expressways to Success (CAST, 2020), winner of a Benjamin Franklin Award from the Independent Book Publishers Association. She has worked as a teacher, curriculum specialist, administrator, and director. As an international speaker, presenter, and facilitator, Fritzgerald exhibits an audacious perseverance that calls organizations to evolve into inclusive antiracist safe zones for all learners. As a book nerd, Jeopardy enthusiast, and imagination expert, she loves writing and dreaming out loud with her husband, two children, and committed educators who believe in academic success for all. She is the founder of Building Blocks of Brilliance Educational Consulting Firm. For more information, go to www.buildingblocksofbrilliance.com. Twitter: @FritzTesha
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #257
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Laboratory to Clinic: Dysfunctional Behaviors Cannot be Erased From the Behavioral Repertoire, but a Growing Stable of Modification Techniques Collectively can Reduce Such Behaviors and Impede Relapse
Sunday, May 29, 2022
12:00 PM–12:50 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 102B
Area: EAB; Domain: Theory
Chair: Karen M. Lionello-DeNolf (Assumption University)
CE Instructor: Ralph R. Miller, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: RALPH R. MILLER (State University of New York at Binghamton)
Abstract:

A number of behavioral pathologies arise in part from aversive associations (e.g., anxiety disorders) and cue-drug reward associations. Enormous efforts have been made over several decades trying to identify procedures to decrease these behaviors, including extinction-like exposure therapy, counterconditioning, and related techniques. Most these treatments are initially of some effect, but relapse, with long retention intervals, change in context (i.e., renewal), and re-exposure to the initial affective experience, is frequently observed. Newer treatments such as presenting the target cue some minutes before starting a session of massed exposure/extinction trials (i.e., so-called disruption of reconsolidation) have proven no more effective in eliminating dysfunctional behaviors or preventing relapse when some initial benefit of treatment is observed. The observed recovery of the dysfunctional behaviors, in conjunction with experimental laboratory data concerning associative interference, suggest that irrevocably erasing memories is difficult if not impossible. Improved behavioral outcomes appear to reflect impaired retrieval of the problematic memories. Rather than seeking erasure of these associations, more realistically, we should be seeking to impede their retrieval, using conjointly as many different techniques as possible to impair subsequent retrieval (i.e., a “kitchen-sink” approach).

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Behavior analysts, clinical psychologists, behavior analysis students, graduate students in clinical psychology programs

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) reduce dysfunctional acquired behaviors by combining small-to-moderate effect-size training manipulations, rather than using any one silver-bullet technique; (2) delay and reduce relapse following behavior modification by both properly combining manipulations in initial treatment and, when necessary, in periodic refresher treatments; (3) design treatments that allow shorter behavior modification sessions by increasing trial frequency while more-than-comparably reducing trial duration.
 
RALPH R. MILLER (State University of New York at Binghamton)
Miller's specific area of specialization is elementary information processing in humans and nonhuman animals, including learning, memory, and decision making. Although his research team in recent years has worked in the framework of Pavlovian conditioning, integration with both the physiological and human cognitive literature is sought at the theoretical level. His research is concerned with dissociating processes impacting perception, acquisition, retention, retrieval, and response generation, using impediments to performance such as contingency manipulations, stimulus competition, and associative interference (including extinction). His laboratory has found that training and test contexts (i.e., background stimuli) play central roles in modulating the expression of acquired information. Present research examines how retrieval processes can explain phenomena that are traditionally attributed to differences in acquisition. Experiments are being conducted to determine whether the retrieval rule that they have formalized based on a modified form of contingency theory (the Extended Comparator Hypothesis) can explain sufficient behavioral variation to allow simplification of contemporary theories of conditioning. For example, with this retrieval rule, behavior indicative of conditioned inhibition can be explained in terms of a decrease in US likelihood as opposed to associations to the absence of a US per se, i.e., negative associations. A second avenue of research is concerned with the role of temporal relationships between events in elementary learning. Their data indicate that temporal proximity not only fosters the formation of associations, but is invariably part of what gets encoded within the association. Moreover, this temporal information is a critical determinant of how the association will later be expressed in behavior. Their work in this area is summarized in what they call the Temporal Coding Hypothesis. With the intent of informing practitioners of exposure therapy in clinical situations, other studies are examining the variables that influence relapse following exposure therapy, as modeled by extinction of conditioned fear. Additional research focuses on similarities and differences in Pavlovian conditioning, contingency judgment, and causal attribution by animals and humans. Professor Miller has served as editor-in-chief of the two leading journals in his field, chaired NIH study sections, lectured extensively on five continents, and has been widely cited in the professional literature (over 20,500 citations, h-index of 71, and i10-index of 286). His current research is collaborative with laboratories in England and France and his own laboratory is staffed by postdoctoral fellows and undergraduate research assistants.
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #261
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Embedding Behavior into an Organization: A Blueprint for Success
Sunday, May 29, 2022
12:00 PM–12:50 PM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: OBM; Domain: Theory
Chair: Nicole Gravina (University of Florida)
CE Instructor: Nicole Gravina, Ph.D.
Presenting Authors: ALAN CHEUNG (Costain), CLAIRE FRYER (Costain)
Abstract:

Alan and Claire will share Costain’s behavioural journey over the last 15 years. They will talk about the importance and challenges of keeping on the path and share how Costain has successfully managed to roll out and embed a truly sustainable behavioural safety programme, which has been designed to address the specific issues of a continually changing workforce, with multiple business sites and varying project durations. They will speak about the importance of the programme achieving Platinum Accreditation Status with the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies and how one of the keys to success has been to ensure that the programme is and remains a leadership focused programme that looks at making things simple, getting the simple things right, and providing outreach to their supply chain and clients. Alan and Claire will share real examples of the tools they use, how they apply it to all aspects of Costain, including wellbeing, carbon, IT security, quality and change management, where they are going next, and how the programme has moved from behavioural safety to behavioural management and more importantly to behavioural leadership.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

OBM researchers, practitioners, business owners, safety professionals. 

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation participants will be able to: (1) describe the key components of a practical behavioural management programme; (2) apply behaviorally sound approaches for workplaces with transient workforces; (3) utilize simple and effective behavioural management tools and techniques in the workplace.
 
ALAN CHEUNG (Costain)
Alan is operationally responsible for the Safety, Health and Environmental (SHE) performance of Costain, this includes responsibility for a team of 160 SHE Professionals and a team of 12 Behavioural Management Professionals. Alan has been instrumental in the development and implementation of the Costain Behavioural Safety (CBS) Programme, which began in 2006. In 2011 he successfully took the CBS Programme through third party accreditation with the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, making CBS the first third party accredited behavioural safety programme in the UK. In 2018 CBS was re-accredited for the third time and became one of only two programmes to achieve Platinum Status. In 2010 he developed a Behavioural Management Consultancy for Costain which helps clients apply the principles of behavioural science to improve all aspects of their business. Costain is a smart infrastructure solutions company, based in the United Kingdom, whose purpose is to improve people's lives by deploying technology-based solutions to meet urgent national needs across the UK's energy, water and transportation infrastructures. The company turns over c£1.0Bn per year delivering integrated consulting, complex project delivery, technological solutions and operations and maintenance services to major blue-chip customers in targeted market sectors such as highways, rail, water, power, nuclear and oil and gas. Alan has a degree in Civil Engineering from Loughborough University, is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and has over 30 years’ experience of working in the UK Construction Industry.
CLAIRE FRYER (Costain)

Claire Fryer is the Director of Behavioural Management and leads the team of Behavioural Management Team of consultants, practitioners, coaches, and advisers. She also leads the external consultancy, working closely with clients and specialises in the design and delivery of behaviourally sound programmes using accelerated learning techniques. She has over 20 years’ experience in the practical application of behavioural science and coaching principles to improve business and individual performance. Claire regularly presents at conferences, including Highways UK with Highways England Social Research and Behavioural Change Team, and in 2019 the UK Project Controls Expo, which focussed on leadership behaviours, exploring aspects such as the culture created during project revies and the impact of behaviour on programme delivery. She has played a key role in how the Costain behavioural programme has moved from Safety through to Management and through to Leadership. She has been an executive coach since 2004, blending traditional coaching techniques with applied behavioural science.

 
 
Invited Paper Session #292
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Feeding Two Birds With One Scone: Connecting Animal Welfare Concepts With Behaviour Analysis
Sunday, May 29, 2022
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: AAB; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Erica N. Feuerbacher (Virginia Tech)
CE Instructor: Alexandra Protopopova, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: ALEXANDRA PROTOPOPOVA (The University of British Columbia)
Abstract: Scientists and practitioners in applied animal behaviour analysis frequently work in animal welfare, management, and protection fields. Yet, the verbal behaviour within the scientific discipline of animal welfare science is often at odds with the verbal behaviour of behaviour analysts. In this talk, I draw from my own experiences from working with colleagues in animal welfare science as well as working in animal shelter settings to outline some commonalities and differences in verbal behaviour and recommend some ways to reconcile the differences to allow for effective communication across disciplines. I will outline how different disciplines place different emphasis on the importance of various concepts, such as affective states, consent, choice, cognition, etc., and propose possible solutions to reconcile these differing emphases. I will also argue that a clearer distinction between “procedure” and “behavioural process” will allow for easier communication to not only scientists but also practitioners of animal welfare. After this talk, I hope that listeners will be able to more easily connect verbal behaviour of the discipline of animal welfare science to their own work; likewise, I hope that listeners will improve their own verbal behaviour to not only aid interdisciplinary communication but to also allow for the inclusion of novel concepts to guide our work in improving animal lives.
Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience:

Scientists and practitioners working with non-human animals in applied settings.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) identify which features of behaviour are important to scientists and practitioners of animal welfare; (2) list common assessments of animal welfare, and how these assessments relate to behaviour analysis; (3) identify why differentiating between “procedure” and “process” is additionally important in reconciling the two disciplines; (4) consider the utility of incorporating verbal behaviour from other disciplines to aid in their research and/or practice with non-human animals.
 
ALEXANDRA PROTOPOPOVA (The University of British Columbia)
Dr. Alexandra (Sasha) Protopopova, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Animal Welfare Program at the University of British Columbia and the NSERC/ BC SPCA Industrial Research Chair in Animal Welfare. Sasha’s research aims are to learn more about dogs, improve animal shelter practices, improve companion animal welfare in shelters, pet homes, and in assistance roles--all within a One Welfare framework. Recently, Sasha has been shifting her research focus on connecting climate change and other societal issues to companion animal welfare. Sasha earned an MSc and a Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis from the University of Florida with Drs. Clive Wynne and Brian Iwata. She spends her days conducting research, teaching university classes in animal learning and animal sheltering, going on hiking trails, and cuddling dogs.
 
 
Invited Panel #299
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Diversity submission Ableism and the Social Model of Disability: What Does it Have to do With Behavior Analysts?
Sunday, May 29, 2022
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 253A-C
Area: PCH; Domain: Theory
Chair: Summer Bottini (May Institute)
CE Instructor: Summer Bottini, Ph.D.
Panelists: DOROTHEA C. LERMAN (University of Houston-Clear Lake), STEPHANIE PETERSON (Western Michigan University), ANDREW HALL (Pyles and Associates)
Abstract:

Recipients of behavior analytic services have traditionally been viewed through a medical model lens that treats deficits. Alternatively, a social model of disability views societal barriers and systemic biases as limiting people with disabilities’ ability to thrive and meet their own needs/wants. Some disciplines have increasingly acknowledged this social conceptualization of disability and begun to adopt more equitable language and practices across research and practice. In both research and practice, behavior analysts have generally have not ascribed to a social model of disability, perhaps contributing to ongoing negative perceptions of applied behavior analysis (ABA) in some communities. This panel will begin with a brief overview of terms and concepts relevant to equity in behavior analysis and disability research. Our panel will then discuss these concepts as they relate to ethical research and practice in ABA. Namely, the panel will (1) discuss the importance of considering these concepts as diversity issues in practice, (2) identify indicators of ableism in ABA research and discourse, and (3) consider how subtle ableism may influence behavior analytic interventions. Last, the panel will discuss initial steps behavior analysts may take to challenge their own assumptions and support equity for people with disabilities in our field.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Trainees, direct-care therapists, and active certified behavior analysts at the masters or doctoral level. Individuals that provide/supervise clinical services, consume research, and/or contribute to the empirical literature may benefit from this session.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) define ableism and the social model of disability as it relates to research and practice in behavior analysis; (2) identify behaviors and permanent products that reflect ableism in behavior analytic research; (3) state at least two behaviors that behavior analysts should engage in to promote ethical and equitable care of disabled people or those with developmental delays
DOROTHEA C. LERMAN (University of Houston-Clear Lake)
Dorothea Lerman is currently a Professor of Behavior Analysis at the University of Houston - Clear Lake, where she chairs the master’s program in behavior analysis and serves as Director of the UHCL Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities (CADD). She received her doctoral degree in Psychology from the University of Florida, specializing in behavior analysis. Her areas of expertise include autism, developmental disabilities, early intervention, functional analysis, teacher and parent training, and treatment of severe behavior disorders. She currently oversees several programs at CADD, including a focused intervention program for children with autism, a vocational program for adults with disabilities, a student support program for college students with autism, and a teacher training program for local school districts. Dr. Lerman has published more than 100 research articles and chapters, served as Editor-in-Chief for The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis in Practice and has secured more than $2 million in grants and contracts to support her work. She was the recipient of the 2007 Distinguished Contribution to Applied Behavioral Research Award and the 2001 B.F. Skinner Award for New Researchers, awarded by Division 25 of the American Psychological Association. She also was named a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis-International in 2008. Dr. Lerman is a Licensed Behavior Analyst and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
STEPHANIE PETERSON (Western Michigan University)
Stephanie M. Peterson, Ph.D. is Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Michigan University. She earned her doctorate in Special Education at The University of Iowa in 1994. She is also Professor of Psychology and the previous chair of the Department of Psychology. Previously, she taught at Gonzaga University, Utah State University, The Ohio State University, and Idaho State University. Her primary research interests are helping to decrease chronic severe behavior problems in children with developmental disabilities. Specifically, she studies choice making in the treatment of problem behavior, functional communication training, reinforcement-based interventions for children with problem behavior, concurrent schedules of reinforcement in the treatment of severe problem behavior, functional analysis of problem behavior, and teleconsultation. She also has interests in applications of behavior analysis to educational interventions and teacher/behavior analyst training. She has served on a variety of editorial boards, including the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis in Practice and is currently the editor of Behavior Analysis in Practice. She also served as a Senior Editor for Education and Treatment of Children for many years. She served two 3-year terms on the Board of Directors for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and was appointed by the Governor of Michigan to the Michigan Board of Behavior Analysts, Michigan’s licensing board for behavior analysts. She served as the President of the Board for two years.
ANDREW HALL (Pyles and Associates)
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #300
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
I Looked But I Did Not See: The Science of Missing What is Right in Front of Your Eyes
Sunday, May 29, 2022
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 151A/B
Area: SCI; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Suzanne H. Mitchell (Oregon Health & Science University)
CE Instructor: Jeremy Wolfe, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: JEREMY M WOLFE (Brigham and Women's Hospital / Harvard Med School)
Abstract:

"Looked but failed to see" errors are a real-world problem with psychological roots. When someone hits a pedestrian in the crosswalk or misses a tumor in a mammogram, it is often clear that the critical stimulus was clearly visible. It may be clear that it was fixated by the eyes. Why, then, did the driver or the radiologist fail to respond appropriately? The answers are found in fundamental limits on human perception and cognition. We cannot simultaneously recognize every object in our field of view. As a result, we deploy attention from object to object or place to place, searching for what we need. This is true whether we are watching a movie or driving downtown. Fortunately, we do not need to search at random. Our attention is guided by the features of the targets we seek and by the structure of the scenes in which those targets are embedded. Unfortunately, our search engine does not work perfectly and so our eyes can be pointed at or near an item of interest and we can fail to recognize its presence. When those missed targets are such things as tumors or bombs, these errors are socially significant. The problem is worth understanding and, if possible, worth correcting. In this talk, I will illustrate some of the basic principles of human visual attention and I can promise that you will fail to see some things that you would think you should have seen.

Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience: Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe the basic organization of the human "search engine;" (2) explain how a clearly visible, important stimulus could be missed, (3) discuss possible interventions to address the problem of "looked but failed to see" errors.
 
JEREMY M WOLFE (Brigham and Women's Hospital / Harvard Med School)

Jeremy Wolfe is Professor of Ophthalmology and Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School. He is Director of the Visual Attention Lab at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Wolfe received an AB in Psychology in 1977 from Princeton and his PhD in Psychology in 1981 from MIT. His research focuses on visual search and visual attention with a particular interest in socially important search tasks in areas such as medical image perception (e.g. cancer screening), security (e.g. baggage screening), and intelligence. His lab has been funded since 1982 by NIH (NEI, NIMH, NCI), NSF, AFOSR (Air Force), ONR (Navy), ARO (Army), Homeland Security, and the Nat. Geospatial Agency as well as by IBM, Google, Toshiba, Hewlett-Packard, & GE. Wolfe taught Intro. Psychology and other courses for 25 years, mostly at MIT. Leadership: Past President or Chair: Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences (FABBS), Psychonomic Soc, APA Division 3, Eastern Psychological Assoc, NAS Panel on Soldier Systems. Boards: Vision Sciences Society, APA Div 1, 6. Founding Editor-in-Chief of Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications (CRPI). Past-Editor of Attention, Perception, and Psychophysics. Wolfe also serves on the Oversight Committee of the North American Board of the Union for Reform Judaism. He was elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019.

 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #301A
CE Offered: PSY/BACB — 
Ethics
Diversity submission Healing the Wounds of Racial Trauma: Moving Toward Liberation
Sunday, May 29, 2022
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 102B
Area: DEI; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Elizabeth Hughes Fong (Pepperdine University)
CE Instructor: Thema Bryant Davis, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: THEMA BRYANT DAVIS (Pepperdine)
Abstract:

This presentation will illuminate ways the field of psychology and student services can serve communities who live with the psychological effects of racism. Insights from liberation psychology, decolonial psychology, Black psychology, and womanist psychology will be presented. This 90-minute training is for beginner and advanced clinicians, educators, and administrators, as most training programs have not offered training in addressing racial trauma. The training will encompass both theory and practical application of anti-racism therapy, teaching, and student service. The training also touches on sustainability, self-care, and community-care as clinicians may be affected by vicarious trauma when working with students/clients in the aftermath or continued exposure to racial trauma. Topics discussed will include: • The need for anti-racism therapeutic practice as an ethical mandate given the prevalence of racism-related stress and trauma • The overlapping theoretical frameworks of liberation psychology, decolonial psychology, and anti-racism psychology • Anti-racism in assessment and treatment, as well as education and administration.

Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience:

Clinicians, educators, and administrators, as most training programs have not offered training in addressing racial trauma.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) List at least three potential mental health consequences of racism; (2) apply decolonial, trauma-informed principles to assessing racial trauma; (3) describe an appropriate liberation, trauma-informed framework to racial trauma intervention.
 
THEMA BRYANT DAVIS (Pepperdine)

Thema Bryant is a professor of psychology at Pepperdine University and director of the Culture and Trauma Research Lab.  She is a past president of the Society for the Psychology of Women and past psychology representative to the United Nations.  The California Psychological Association honored her as Scholar of the Year for her work in the cultural context of trauma recovery and the Institute of Violence, Abuse, and Trauma honored her for mentorship in the field of trauma psychology.  She published one of the first frameworks and models for the treatment of racial trauma and has provided trainings for associations, Universities, counseling centers, and non-profit organizations nationally and internationally.  The APA division of International Psychology honored her in 2020 for contributions to international psychology for her global work on women.  She also gave an invited address at the APA 2020 convention on racial trauma. 

 
 
Symposium #306
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Diversity submission Partnering to Empower Staff in the Trenches: Strategies for Dealing With Trauma Underlying Challenging Behavior
Sunday, May 29, 2022
3:00 PM–4:50 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 156A
Area: CSS/CBM; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Jeannie A. Golden (East Carolina University)
Discussant: Gabrielle Morgan (Bay Path University)
CE Instructor: Gabrielle Morgan, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Behavior analysts frequently encounter staff such as teachers, administrators, and youth counselors who deal with youth exhibiting challenging behaviors that may be related to the trauma these youth are experiencing. Moreover, the youth who are experiencing this trauma are often youth of color who may be retraumatized by the traditional means of dealing with challenging behavior. Unfortunately, behavior analysts may lack the skills for dealing with these challenging behaviors and the related trauma and thus are unable to assist staff in their efforts. A partnership developed among the leadership of Together Helping Reduce Youth Violence for Equity (ThrYve), a program for youth at the University of Kansas, a private provider of services to youth in schools, and a university professor and doctoral student at East Carolina University. The goal of this partnership was to provide information, training, and support to staff working with youth in the ThrYve program as well as other community programs. Presenters in this symposium will provide information about the ThrYve program, the structure and resources provided in the training that took place, effective strategies for dealing with traumatized youth and their challenging behaviors, and lessons learned about empowering staff to implement these strategies.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Participants can include BCBAs, teachers, school administrators, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, counselors, therapists, and social workers. Participants should be familiar with terms including verbal behavior, discriminative stimuli, establishing and abolishing operations, and positive and negative reinforcement, and have experience and examples dealing with those terms.

Learning Objectives: At the completion of this symposium, participants will be able to: 1. Describe the structure and goals of ThrYve, a community-based intervention to address youth violence 2. Describe the structure and goals of START ANU Behavior, a training program for staff who work with traumatized youth exhibiting challenging behaviors 3. Describe several trauma-based strategies that consist of changing staff verbal behavior when dealing with challenging behavior of traumatized youth 4. Describe lessons that were learned from a pilot study that represented a collaboration among programs and universities with the goal of empowering staff to implement trauma-based strategies
 
Diversity submission 

ThrYve: Addressing Youth Violence Using a Trauma-Informed, Behavioral-Community Approach

Jomella Watson-Thompson (University of Kansas), Malika N. Pritchett (University of Kansas)
Abstract:

The consequences of youth violence are long-term, causing adverse health effects and negative impacts on life outcomes, including trauma. In Kansas City, Kansas (KCK), 28% of homicides in 2016 involved youth, 92% of victims were racial and ethnic minorities. Using the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Framework for Collaborative Action in Communities, this study examines Together Helping Reduce Youth Violence for Equity (ThrYve), a community-based intervention to address youth violence. ThrYve engages more than 40 community partners across 16 sectors through a Systems Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB coalition supports implementation of cross-sector, collaborative strategies by facilitating systems changes across socioecological levels to address factors that contribute to youth violence and prevent trauma. ThrYve supported the implementation of 87 system changes to address youth violence. As a result, the SAB facilitated more than 90 community action and community change activities. Implementation results demonstrate a marked increase in services and systems changes addressing factors impacting youth violence. The project provides social validity for addressing disparities in youth violence and trauma prevention by implementing and sustaining systems-level approaches. Factors that influenced collaboration will be explored including developing and using a strategic plan, data-informed decision-making, and building staff capacity to implement trauma-informed interventions.

 
Diversity submission 

START ANU Behavior: Providing Staff With Skills to Support Traumatized Youth Exhibiting Challenging Behaviors

PAULA Y FLANDERS (rethinked.com), Danielle Webb (East Carolina University)
Abstract:

Sensitive to Trauma Assessment and Relationship Training to Alter Negativity Underlying Behavior (START ANU Behavior) is a manualized training program especially designed to provide staff with the skills to support youth, many of whom are youth of color, who have experienced trauma and are exhibiting violent, aggressive, and other challenging behaviors. The START ANU Behavior program was provided online by three facilitators who conducted workshops over the course of four mornings. The first two mornings consisted of content and information sharing and the second two mornings involved modeling, role-play, feedback, and practice of specific strategies. These training days were followed by five online consultation sessions over several weeks. These consultation sessions were used to assist staff who were trying to implement new strategies with youth that they worked with. Staff were also provided with a training manual to use as a reference guide with written scenarios, sample behavioral intervention plans, and checklists providing steps for the various strategies.

 
Diversity submission Trauma-Based Responses to Challenging Behavior of Traumatized Youth: Changing Verbal Behavior of Staff
DANIELLE WEBB (East Carolina University), paula y flanders (rethinked.com)
Abstract: The verbal behavior of staff toward youth can serve as motivating operations that can either encourage (establishing) or discourage (abolishing) aggressive, violent, oppositional, or defiant behavior. When strong emotional reactions and physiological responses are brought about by underlying trauma, techniques such as reflective listening, reframing, empathy, paradoxical intention, reinforcement, validating, and debriefing can serve as abolishing operations for these challenging behaviors. However, when staff are constantly the target of many of these behaviors, it is very difficult to respond using these strategies. Staff need both the skills and the motivation to respond to challenging behaviors in these in trauma-sensitive ways. Presenters will describe and demonstrate how to provide staff with the skills and motivation to use these techniques with traumatized youth.
 
Diversity submission 

START ANU Behavior: Lessons Learned About Empowering Staff to Implement Trauma-Sensitive Strategies

JOMELLA WATSON-THOMPSON (University of Kansas), Malika N. Pritchett (University of Kansas)
Abstract:

Changing staff behavior has long been recognized as a difficult endeavor. Particularly when staff are being subjected to violent, aggressive, oppositional, and defiant behavior from youth, it is difficult to maintain a calm demeanor and provide therapeutic responses to their behaviors. Research has indicated that providing staff with didactic information alone does not change staff behavior. Behavior skills training has been demonstrated to be efficacious in training staff (Little &Tarbox, 2019). In our staff training program, staff were provided with two days (two-and-a- half hours each) of didactic information and then two days (two-and-a- half hours each) of modeling, role-play, and practice of the techniques that were taught. Follow-up was provided where staff received further practice and support of these techniques during five sessions over several months. Pre and post role-play videos, written scenarios, and surveys assessing opinions, attitudes, and beliefs were used to evaluate this training program. Much was learned about how to effectively facilitate change in staff who are on the front lines dealing with youth who have experienced trauma and are exhibiting challenging behavior.

 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #325
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
The Case of the Disengaged Learner
Sunday, May 29, 2022
4:00 PM–4:50 PM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: TBA; Domain: Theory
Chair: Daniel Mark Fienup (Teachers College, Columbia University)
CE Instructor: Karl Kapp, Ed.D.
Presenting Author: KARL KAPP (Bloomsburg University)
Abstract:

Engaging learners is a difficult task. They are constantly confronted with distractions and demands on their time. So how can we create instruction that pulls learners into the content and helps them gain the knowledge required to be successful? How do we grab and hold a learner's attention? How do we motivate them to engage with the content we are teaching? There are techniques and factors that can be borrowed from games which are shown to influence the behavior of individuals. Incorporating these techniques and factors from games into learning is often called “gamification.” This decidedly unacademic presentation will model using those technique to engage and educate the learners. Attendees will discover firsthand how research-based practices and game-thinking are used to engage learners, increase learning, and lead to performance driven results.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.
Learning Objectives: Engaging learners is a difficult task. They are constantly confronted with distractions and demands on their time. So how can we create instruction that pulls learners into the content and helps them gain the knowledge required to be successful? How do we grab and hold a learner's attention? How do we motivate them to engage with the content we are teaching? There are techniques and factors that can be borrowed from games which are shown to influence the behavior of individuals. Incorporating these techniques and factors from games into learning is often called “gamification.” This decidedly unacademic presentation will model using those technique to engage and educate the learners. Attendees will discover firsthand how research-based practices and game-thinking are used to engage learners, increase learning, and lead to performance driven results.
 
KARL KAPP (Bloomsburg University)

Karl M. Kapp, Ed.D., is an award-winning professor of Instructional Technology at Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, PA. where he teaches instructional game design, gamification classes and online learning design.  He is the Director of Bloomsburg’s Institute for Interactive Technologies and is recognized internationally as an expert in the application of games, game-thinking and gamification to learning.  Karl earned his doctoral degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

He is currently a senior researcher on a grant sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) which involves the application of microlearning and gamification to help childcare workers identify child abuse. Karl has co-founder of Enterprise Game Stack, a company that has created a digital card game tool for instructional designers. He is also the creator of the popular web video series, “The Unauthorized, Unofficial History of Learning Game.”

Karl has authored or co-authored eight books including The Gamification of Learning and Instruction, its accompanying fieldbook and the widely popular, Play to Learn. His latest co-authored book with Robyn Defelice is Microlearning: Short and Sweet. Karl is author of ten LinkedIn Learning courses including Learning How to Increase Learner Engagement and has been a TEDx speaker. In 2019, he received the ATD Distinguished Contribution to Talent Development Award. The award is presented in recognition of an exceptional contribution that has had a sustained impact on field of the talent development.

Karl’s academic and practitioner work explores the research, theoretical foundations and practical application of gamification, game-thinking and activity-based learning to organizational performance issues. His goal is to help organizations create engaging learning experiences through intelligent, research-based application of instructional strategies and techniques. He shares his expertise and knowledge through consulting, workshops and one-on-one mentoring with start-up firms, Fortune 100 companies and various governmental agencies. Follow him on Twitter @kkapp or check out his website at www.karlkapp.com

 
 
Invited Symposium #326
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Diversity submission Ableism, Professional Growth, and the Task Force for Quality and Values-Based Applied Behavior Analysis
Sunday, May 29, 2022
4:00 PM–5:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 253A-C
Area: PCH; Domain: Theory
Chair: Ruth Anne Rehfeldt (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago)
CE Instructor: Ruth Anne Rehfeldt, Ph.D.
Abstract:

In the summer of 2021, ABAI pulled together a team of professionals and created the Task Force for Quality and Values-Based ABA. This symposium begins with an overview of the Task Force and then brings together three members of the Task Force to discuss the topic of ableism and how that connects to the mission of the Task Force. This symposium discusses the importance of behavior analysts with different views about social justice--diversity, equity, and inclusion convening to discuss the topic of ableism so that we can all begin making substantive changes to the practice of ABA without sacrificing the technical precision that supports skill development in areas identified as important by Autistic clients. Each presenter will address how involvement with the Task Force has changed their views on ableism, their role in the field, or pivotal growth opportunities that have helped them evolve as behavior analysts. Reconsideration of the ways social validity should influence professional decision-making, an emphasis on compassionate care, the need to provide person-centered behavior analytic services, and the myriad ways behavior analysts should challenge their own assumptions as providers will be discussed.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
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 the purpose of the Task Force for Quality and Values-Based ABA; (2) explain why each behavior analyst needs to collaborate with others to gain insights and grow around the topic of ableism; (3) describe at least one form of ableism in their practice that they can begin discussing with behavior analytic colleagues.
 
Diversity submission 

Ableism: From the Journey Without to the Journey Within

AMY GRAVINO (A.S.C.O.T Consulting)
Abstract:

As an Autistic adult and member of the ABAI Task Force for Quality and Values-Based ABA, I have had the opportunity to bring a unique perspective to the Task Force’s work. My journey as a professional working in the field of ABA has dovetailed with my journey as a person on the autism spectrum understanding my own internalized ableism, and mention will be made of how each of these spheres work to inform the other. Emphasis will also be placed on the challenges faced as a member of the Task Force in overcoming the idea of my presence as an “other” in the group and the difficulties I experienced based on my own learning history. Engagement with and attitudes toward Autistic people influence the willingness of BCBAs to confront ableism and ultimately make changes to the culture of the field at large will be discussed. Examples of efforts that have been made to encourage dialogue between BCBAs and Autistic advocates will also be discussed, as well as the successes and limitations of these efforts.

 
Diversity submission 

Ableism: What's That Have to Do With Me? Some Reflections on a 50-year Journey as a Behavior Analyst

GORDON BOURLAND (Trinity Behavioral Associates)
Abstract:

As a person identifying as a behavior analyst for over 50 years, I have observed from a behavior analytic perspective many changes in my behavior, the scope and sophistication of behavior analysis, and in society in the United States during the time of that journey. Sometimes those changes are obvious and recognition of them unavoidable; at other times, they are noticed after comments by others or after times of personal reflection. Mention will be made of some relevant substantial changes in behavior analysis and in society at large as will changes in my personal perspective and practice as a behavior analyst during this 50-year journey. Particular emphasis will be given to changes in my personal and professional perspectives regarding persons said to have disabilities as well as persons whose behavior varies from what is commonly expected in society in the United States. One group of people regarding whom I have experienced and continue to experience changes in my perspective is the very homogeneous group of people identifying or identified as Autistic. As a member of the ABAI Task Force for Quality and Values-Based ABA, my thinking and behavior regarding the latter people, including regarding ableism, have changed and continue to change at an accelerated rate. Instances of the latter set of changes will be discussed.

Gordon Bourland completed his Ph.D. in General-Experimental Psychology at the University of Texas Arlington. Subsequently he was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Behavioral Psychology at the John F. Kennedy Institute (now Kennedy-Krieger Institute) of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral and a Licensed Behavior Analyst in Texas. For over 40 years he has held a variety of clinical and administrative positions involving services for persons with a variety of needs in public and private settings, published a number of papers in behavior analytic journals, and participated in the editorial process for several professional journals. Currently, he is the owner and principal in Trinity Behavioral Associates, providing behavior analytic services to persons across the age span with a variety of needs and diagnoses and in a variety of settings. He has been an active member of the Texas Association for Behavior Analysis (TxABA) for over 30 years. He has been a member of the organization's Executive Council and twice elected President of the TxABA. Dr. Bourland has been the initial President of the TxABA Public Policy Group, Past President of the group, and now is a member of the Advisory Committee. He has been actively involved in activities promoting public policies related to behavior analysis in Texas, primarily licensure of behavior analysts. Following establishment of behavior analyst licensure in Texas in 2017, Dr. Bourland was appointed and continues as Presiding Officer of the Texas Behavior Analysis Advisory Board. In addition, Dr. Bourland has been active in the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). In 1975, he attended the first convention of the Midwestern Association for Behavior Analysis that evolved into ABAI, with membership in the organization spanning over 40 years. His roles in ABAI include: Coordinator of the ABAI Affiliate Chapters Board from 2010-2016 and 2020-present; membership on the ABAI SIG Task Force; and Chair of the ABAI Licensing Committee that consults with ABAI Affiliate Chapters regarding licensure of behavior analysts.
 
Diversity submission 

Coordinating, Collaborating, Leading, and Learning

SUSAN WILCZYNSKI (Ball State University)
Abstract:

Given the purpose of applied behavior analysis is to use our technology and principles to lead to socially meaningful improvements in quality of life, we should all be concerned with how ableism influences the way we interact with disabled people. According to the BACB, most behavior analysts serve Autistic clients, and Autistic clients often receive a large number of service hours. The Task Force for Quality and Values-Based ABA was convened, in large part, to identify and address some of the concerns raised about ableism in the practice of ABA. The need to coordinate and collaborate with others with whom you share differences of opinion have served as a growth opportunity for all Task Force members. But growth is always accompanied by some level of pain, and my role in the Task Force is no exception. For example, my effort to lead gave me insights into the differences between impact and intention that can cause pain based on the point of view of Autistics and neurotypical behavior analysts. Learning more about professional actions, I have historically taken that I have caused harm when I thought I was creating good, has also been painful. Balancing the need to regularly dedicate time to examine our own ableist thinking and actions with the self-care that is needed to maintain a long-term commitment to changing ableism in our practice, is challenging but critical for our success as a field.

 
 
Invited Paper Session #346
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/NASP
Don Baer Lecture: The Current Future of Behavior Analysis in Educational Settings
Sunday, May 29, 2022
5:00 PM–5:50 PM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: PRA; Domain: Theory
Chair: Jennifer J. McComas (University of Minnesota)
CE Instructor: Janet S. Twyman, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: JANET S. TWYMAN (blast)
Abstract:

In his 1988 chapter of a similar name, Don Baer described the then-current accomplishments of behavior-analytic approaches to public education. These included the ability to transform student and teacher behavior and refine curriculum; however rather than offer a laundry list of the ways behavior analysis has and could improve education, he instead reiterated the question he and Don Bushell asked seven years earlier: “Why hasn't behavior analysis done more?” Despite their incisive analysis of the school as an organization and the environment and cultural implications of change, almost 40 years later behavior analysts continue to lament a lack of widespread acceptance and use of behavior analysis in education. Perhaps our collective lamenting is misplaced. Perhaps behavior analysis is more pervasive in schools than we recognize. Perhaps we could do more by analyzing a network of contingencies--not just of education systems but of our own approaches. By fusing contingency analyses, education, and technologies (tools and processes), the current and future opportunities for behavior analysts are limitless.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Behavior Analysts, educators, psychologists, school personnel, students

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) characterize how contingency analyses (such as Baer and Bushell's 1981 analysis of systems) might be relevant to the impact of behavior analysis in schools today; (2) describe a current educational trend (e.g., competency-based education, embedded data-based decision making, artificial intelligence, machine learning) and how it relates to behavior analysis; (3) identify current and future opportunities for behavior analysis in the context of teaching and learning.
 
JANET S. TWYMAN (blast)
Dr. Janet Twyman is an educator, instructional designer, and founder of blast: A Learning Sciences Company. Always passionate about education, Janet has been a pre-school and public school teacher, administrator, researcher, and university professor. She currently holds a faculty appointment as Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and formerly served as Director of Innovation and Technology for the U.S. Dept of Education funded Center on Innovations in Learning, and as Vice President of Instructional Development, Research, & Implementation at Headsprout. Her numerous articles, book chapters, and presentations address behavior analysis, instructional design, technology, and educational systems, and include co-editing books on educational innovation, personalized learning, and equity. She has presented to and worked with education systems, organizations, and institutions over 60 states and countries, including speaking about technologies for diverse learners and settings at the United Nations. In 2007-08 she served as the President of the Association for Behavior Analysis and in 2014 was named an ABAI Fellow. For her distinguished contributions to educational research and practice she received the 2015 Wing Award for Evidence-based Education and the 2017 American Psychological Association Division 25 Fred S. Keller Behavioral Education Award.
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #363
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/NASP
Supporting Educator Effectiveness: Measurement, Coaching, and Technology
Sunday, May 29, 2022
6:00 PM–6:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 203
Area: EDC; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Renee Hawkins (University of Cincinnati)
CE Instructor: Linda Reddy, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: LINDA REDDY (Rutgers University)
Abstract:

Professional development resources for educators that are highly reliable, valid and practical for routine educational practices are warranted. Evidence-based resources are particularly needed for teachers and paraprofessionals who work in high-poverty schools as they experience higher rates of stress and turnover, as well as rates for classroom disruptive behaviors approximately three times higher than national averages. Dr. Reddy presents the development of new assessments and coaching models designed to support teacher and paraprofessional instructional and behavior management practices that maximize student learning and behavior. Specifically, she will describe the theory, reliability and validity of the Classroom Strategies Assessment System, a multi-method teacher assessment designed to measure empirically-supported instructional and behavior management practices. Dr. Reddy presents the theory and evidence of new data-driven coaching models, Classroom Strategies Coaching for Teachers and Behavior Support Coaching for Paraprofessionals supported by four randomized controlled trials conducted in diverse school settings.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Researchers, university trainers, psychologists, behavior analysts, and school personnel
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe theories and key components of data-driven coaching models; (2) describe conditions and processes for effective implementation; (3) describe evidence of the Classroom Strategies Coaching for Teachers; (4) describe evidence of the Behavior Support Coaching for Paraprofessionals.
 
LINDA REDDY (Rutgers University)

Linda A. Reddy, Ph.D., is a Professor of School Psychology and Assistant to the Dean for Research and Innovations at Rutgers University who is passionate about helping schools maximize educator effectiveness and student success. She received her PhD in School Psychology from the University of Arizona and has published over 140 peer-reviewed publications and six books on coaching, school/classroom assessment, teacher effectiveness, disruptive behaviors, and educational technology. Her work has received awards and has been funded (over 60 million dollars) by the US of Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, Office of Special Education Programs, Office of Innovation and Improvement through Teacher Quality Programs, and private foundations. Dr. Reddy is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Fellow of the American Educational Research Association and inducted member of the Society for the Study of School Psychology. Dr. Reddy has held numerous national leadership roles (e.g., President of APA Division 16 School Psychology, member of APA Board of Professional Affairs, APA Council Representative, APA Task Force for Violence Againist Teachers). She is a licensed psychologist and nationally certified school psychologist. Most importantly, she is a proud mother of twin daughters, avid runner, hiker and alpine skier who lives in New Jersey.

 
 
Invited Tutorial #365
CE Offered: PSY/BACB — 
Ethics
Diversity submission Ableism and Apple Pie: Disrupting Majority Culture Assimilation in the Practice of Behavior Analysis
Sunday, May 29, 2022
6:00 PM–6:50 PM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: PRA; Domain: Theory
PSY/BACB CE Offered. CE Instructor: Evette Arlene Simmons-Reed, Ph.D.
Chair: Julia H. Fiebig (Ball State University; AGI)
Presenting Authors: : EVETTE ARLENE SIMMONS-REED (Ball State University)
Abstract:

Although not as tasty, ableism is as American as apple pie and is rooted in majority culture identities. Ableism is defined as a pervasive system that oppresses people with differing abilities while privileging people who are labeled as able-bodied. Majority culture refers to the ways in which those in power used the concept of race to create whiteness and a hierarchy of racialized value in order to disconnect and divide white people from Blacks, Indigenous, and other people of color, as well as define who is normal or abnormal (Tema Okun, 2021). The practice of applied behavior analysis inherently operates to perpetuate three main dimensions of ableism and privilege in that we operate to make those with the differing abilities account for their differences, treat them as being less than, and we measure our success on the extent to which the targeted behaviors fall in the “normal range.” The presentation will discuss the Ethical Code for Behavior Analysts, the imperfections of ethical guidelines, and the need for ethical and cultural competencies. Specifically, using examples of real-world behavior plans, publications, and the Ethical Code for Behavior Analysts, I will identify examples of ableism and bias attitudes and provide support for the need for development of ethical and cultural competencies for behavior analysts.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) discuss disability as a social construct; (2) identify the characteristics and influence of majority culture perspectives in the treatment and education of children and adults with differing abilities in the field of behavior analysis; (3) describe two or more differences between ableism and inclusion of differing abilities in the practice of behavior analysis; (4) describe why ethical guidelines are imperfect and the need for ethical and cultural competencies that promote inclusion and belonging; (5) identify everyday ethical pitfalls and strategies for becoming change agents in the treatment and education of individuals with differing abilities.
 
EVETTE ARLENE SIMMONS-REED (Ball State University)
Dr. Evette Simmons-Reed is an assistant Professor in the Applied Behavior Analysis graduate program, in the Department of Special education, at Ball State University. She was the 2019 President of the Division for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Learners (DDEL) for the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Dr. Simmons-Reed, is the program manager for the Disability in Postsecondary Settings Graduate Certificate Program with and Emphasis in Autism, and the director and co-founder of the CAPS2 Mentor Program for Autistic College Students at the Ball State Center for Autism Spectrum Disorder (CASD). She was a special education teacher in Columbus City Schools from 1994 through 1998, before returning to school full-time to pursue her masters. From 2001 through 2011, she served in multiple academic and vocational positions at the Ohio State School for the Blind, where in 2007, she was one of the recipients of the National Teaching Award from DCDT. Prior to joining the faculty at BSU, she was the Program Manager in the Special Education and Transition Department at The Ohio State University Nisonger Center, a University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). Dr. Simmons-Reed obtained her Ph.D. in special education and applied behavior analysis from The Ohio State University in 2013. As a tenure track faculty member at BSU, her research and expertise focus on mentoring, improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in and outside the classroom for Black children in particular, and children and youth with dis/abilities in general. Currently, her major research projects involve developing a family and student-centered model program that leverage campus resources, to increase access, persistence, and graduation of autistic college students. Other research projects involve improving the diversity and inclusion of students with dis/abilities in higher education settings including: developing curricula connecting majors and careers, the implementation of the Self-determined Learning Model of Instruction and Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), to facilitate mastery and utilization of academic, personal, and social skills for college students on the autism spectrum. In addition, she is also interested in increasing cultural competence in teacher education programs, improving clinical practices for culturally and linguistically diverse students, and examining the intersections of race, ability, and gender on student and faculty retention.
 
 
Symposium #415
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Tactics and Interventions for Treatment-Resistant Automatically Maintained Self-Injury: Preliminary Findings from a Clinical Trial
Monday, May 30, 2022
8:00 AM–9:50 AM
Meeting Level 2; Room 251
Area: DDA/AUT; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Louis P. Hagopian (Kennedy Krieger Institute)
Discussant: William H. Ahearn (New England Center for Children)
CE Instructor: Louis P. Hagopian, Ph.D.
Abstract: Research has identified subtypes of automatically maintained self-injurious behavior based on its level of differentiation across play and ignore conditions of functional analyses and the presence of self-restraint. Subtype 1 varies inversely with the level of stimulation across conditions; Subtype 2 is invariant; and Subtype 3 is characterized by self-restraint, a self-limiting behavior that impairs functioning. Treatments using noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) are effective for Subtype 1, but significantly less so for Subtypes 2 or 3. This symposium will discuss tactics and interventions for the treatment-resistant subtypes. The first presenter will discuss a principled approach to identifying protective procedures to prevent injury while assessing and evaluating treatments for severe SIB. The second presenter will describe a competing task assessment to identify and establish competing tasks associated with reductions in SIB. The third presenter will discuss findings from a self-control equipment assessment designed to identify equipment to promote self-control that competes with self-restraint. The fourth presenter will review initial findings from a randomized controlled trial comparing combination treatment, which employs methods to increase the amount and vary the sources of competing reinforcement for SIB and self-restraint to NCR with competing stimuli. The discussant will comment on the implications of these findings.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Attendees should be familiar with function-based treatment, automatically-maintained self-injury, and assessment and treatment of severe self-injury.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: 1. describe assessment findings that characterize treatment-resistant automatically-maintained self-injury 2. describe methods that can be used to minimize risks while assessing and treating severe self-injury 3. describe pre-treatment assessments to identify stimuli and tasks that can potentially be used to compete with reinforcement maintaining self-injury 4. describe the principle of reinforcer competition and its use in treatment for automatically-maintained problem behavior
 

A Protective Procedures Assessment to Minimize Risks When Assessing, Treating, and Conducting Research on Self-Injury

MICHELLE A. FRANK-CRAWFORD (Kennedy Krieger Institute; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), Jasmeen Kaur (Kennedy Krieger institute), Drew E. Piersma (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Jonathan Dean Schmidt (Kennedy Krieger Institute; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), Louis P. Hagopian (Kennedy Krieger Institute)
Abstract:

Automatically maintained self-injurious behavior is associated with more severe injuries relative to socially maintained self-injurious behavior (SIB). Assessing, treating, and conducting research on severe SIB poses many practical and ethical challenges; chief among them is minimizing risk. Protective procedures often used include mechanical devices that limit the occurrence of the behavior, protective equipment that protect areas of the body from injury, response blocking to prevent the completion of the response, and abbreviated sessions to limit exposure to situations in which the behavior is occurring. We describe a principled approach to guide the application of these and other tactics that balance the need to allow the occurrence of SIB to the extent that it can be assessed and treatments can be evaluated, while also minimizing risks of injury. The general principles include 1) matching the protective procedures based on the form of and injuries produced by SIB, 2) selecting the optimal combination of procedures, starting with the combination most likely to prevent injury, then 3) carefully reducing the use of procedures so that the optimal level of protection that is minimally restrictive is identified. Outcomes of the application of this approach will be discussed.

 
Initial Outcomes of a Competing Task Assessment for Automatically-Maintained Self-Injurious Behavior
JASMEEN KAUR (Kennedy Krieger institute), Jonathan Dean Schmidt (Kennedy Krieger Institute; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), Michelle A. Frank-Crawford (Kennedy Krieger Institute; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), Drew E. Piersma (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Lauren Veirs (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Griffin Rooker (Mount St. Mary's University), Louis P. Hagopian (Kennedy Krieger Institute)
Abstract: Competing stimulus assessments are used to identify stimuli (usually leisure items) to compete with reinforcement produced by automatically-maintained self-injurious behavior (ASIB). Recent research has highlighted the utility of augmenting these procedures by employing tactics to actively promote engagement with stimuli while disrupting ASIB. There is also preliminary evidence that engagement with tasks may be effective at reducing rates of treatment-resistant ASIB. In the current study, we brought these findings together to develop and evaluate a competing task assessment (CTA) with six participants enrolled in a clinical trial for treatment-resistant ASIB. In contrast to competing stimuli, with which the individual can engage in many ways, competing tasks require a discrete response or chain of responses (i.e., sorting objects). If noncontingent access to tasks did not produce reductions in SIB, we systematically included response promotion (e.g., prompting task engagement and food reinforcement), reductive components (e.g., response blocking SIB), and combinations of these procedures to reduce ASIB. Using this approach, multiple competing tasks were identified to reduce ASIB for all participants, but only after the inclusion of response promotion and reductive components.
 
Self-Control Equipment Assessment: Identification of Appropriate Forms of Self-Control via the Use of Competing Equipment
DREW E. PIERSMA (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Louis P. Hagopian (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Griffin Rooker (Mount St. Mary's University), Michelle A. Frank-Crawford (Kennedy Krieger Institute; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), Jonathan Dean Schmidt (Kennedy Krieger Institute; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), Courtney Hanlin (UMBC)
Abstract: Some individuals who engage in self-injurious behavior (SIB) also engage in self-restraint (SR), generally defined as behaviors that interfere with the occurrence of SIB (including holding onto objects or others, wrapping hands in clothing, sitting on hands). Although SR can reduce the occurrence of SIB, it can be maladaptive when it limits hand use or has other detrimental consequences (e.g., decreased circulation, skin breakdown). Self-restraint appears to be maintained by the avoidance of SIB, thereby suggesting it can be characterized as topographically maladaptive form of self-control. It is possible that alterations to the topography of SR can mitigate these detrimental consequences while maintaining low levels of SIB. As part of a clinical trial investigating an intervention for treatment-resistant subtypes of SIB, five participants completed a self-control equipment assessment (SCEA) in order to identify equipment that would compete with SR. The assessment examined the effects of the equipment when it was freely available, when its use was prompted, and when its use was prompted while SR was blocked. Preliminary results suggest that empirical identification of equipment that competes with SR is possible in the context of brief sessions. Implications for the extended use of these procedures are described.
 

Targeting Treatment-Resistant Subtypes of Automatically Maintained Self-Injury With Combination Treatment

JONATHAN DEAN SCHMIDT (Kennedy Krieger Institute; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), Louis P. Hagopian (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Michelle A. Frank-Crawford (Kennedy Krieger Institute; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), Drew E. Piersma (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Jasmeen Kaur (Kennedy Krieger institute)
Abstract:

The identification of treatment-resistant subtypes of automatically maintained self-injurious behavior (ASIB) created an imperative to develop more efficacious interventions. Increased understanding of the mechanisms involved in the maintenance of these behaviors, and the development of new technologies provide a conceptual and empirical basis for developing an intervention targeting these treatment-resistant subtypes. Combination treatment is based on the same principle of reinforcer competition as the current standard of care treatment, noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) with competing stimuli, but also employs novel methods to greatly increase the amount and vary the sources of competing reinforcement to target both self-injury and self-restraint. Combination treatment includes three phases: 1) Pre-Treatment Assessments to identify competing stimuli, competing tasks, and self-control equipment to reduce self-injury and self-restraint; 2) Intensive Training to strengthen skills needed to fully access available competing reinforcement, and replace debilitating self-restraint with self-control; and 3) Combination Treatment where competing stimuli, competing tasks, and alternative self-control equipment are combined to maximize their effects. The conceptual and empirical basis for this treatment are discussed, and preliminary findings from a randomized crossover design comparing the efficacy of Combination Treatment to NCR with competing stimuli are summarized.

 
 
Symposium #433
CE Offered: PSY/BACB — 
Ethics
Mixed Behavioral and Pharmacological Interventions: Prevention, Policy, Ethics, and Practice.
Monday, May 30, 2022
9:00 AM–9:50 AM
Meeting Level 1; Room 104A
Area: CBM/BPN; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: M. Christopher Newland (Auburn University)
Discussant: Maria G. Valdovinos (Drake University)
CE Instructor: Jennifer R. Zarcone, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Problem behavior can be treated with applied behavior analysis (ABA) or psychotropic medication, and each carries its own advantages and disadvantages. ABA is resource intensive, requires technically trained personnel, and the benefits may develop slowly but it has none of the side effects associated with psychotropic medications, their benefits are cumulative and often outlive the treatment period. Psychotropic medication’s effects appear quickly, their benefits can be striking, and are thought to be less expensive than ABA interventions. Finally, the educational and practicum training required for the two domains are nearly non-overlapping, so often only one approach is used or both are used with varying degrees of cooperation among practitioners, with impacts on families and clients. The two papers in this symposium examine treatment in this context. Chris Newland compares the costs of ABA with and without psychotropic medications and examines when ABA reduces the future use of psychotropic medication. Jennifer Zarcone discusses communicating with medical providers and families, and the ethical dilemmas presented when balancing their approaches with the therapeutic goals. The discussant, Maria Valdovinos, will examine these topics in the context of recent studies of joint treatment by psychotropic and behavioral interventions.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): Cost-Benefit, Medical Providers, Prevent Psychotropics, Psychotropic Medication
Target Audience:

The target audience includes behavior analysts interested in psychopharmacology in applied settings, the use of psychotropic medications, and ethical and practical issues that arise when working with medical personnel. School staff and families will also benefit. Audience members should have a basic understanding of behavior analytic principles, how to read and interpret complex graphs, an appreciation of interdisciplinary service delivery, and at least an elementary understanding of psychotropic medications that are used.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: 1) Describe the relative costs associated with interventions that include ABA services and psychotropic medications 2) Describe how ABA interventions can prevent the future use of psychotropic medications 3) Measure medication effects with their clients. 4) Collaborate effectively with interdisciplinary teams, families, and community services.
 

Prevention is Better, and Cheaper, than De-prescribing: How Applied Behavior Analysis Interventions Reduced Future Psychotropic Use Among Children in Foster Care

M. CHRISTOPHER NEWLAND (Auburn University), Anna Kate Edgemon (Auburn University), John T. Rapp (Auburn University)
Abstract:

We evaluated whether applied behavior analysis (ABA) services for children and youth in foster care reduces the future use of psychotropic medication and yields cost savings. Foster children 2 to 18 years old and their caregivers received ABA services to target specific problem behaviors and to train caregivers in behavior management. Most children were on psychotropic medication but those in the “Prevention Group” had no such history. An “ABA-Matched” group was matched on demographic variables and the severity of problem behavior. The costs of delivering services and medication was compared using these groups. A third group, called the “Medicaid-Matched” group was matched against the ABA-Matched group from a database of children receiving psychotropics through Medicaid. This last matching was based on demographics, medications prescribed on entering Medicaid, and the number of months receiving Medicaid-supported psychotropics. Costs for the older ABA-Matched children (> 12YO) were more than 10X the costs of age-matched prevention children, but costs for younger children (< 5YO) were similar. About half of the Prevention-Group children received no psychotropics in a three-year follow-up and the others received fewer than the ABA-Matched children. Thus, ABA services before commencing psychotropics prevented or greatly reduced the use of psychotropics over a three-year follow-up.

 

Ethical Issues Surrounding the Use of Psychotropic Medications With People With Intellectual Disabilities

JENNIFER R. ZARCONE (The May Institute)
Abstract:

This presentation will focus on some of the ethical issues we face as behavior analysts when collaborating with families and medical providers to measure the effects of psychotropic medication. There are barriers to effective communication for many clinicians and some advice on how to negotiate those barriers will be discussed. In addition, a brief review of common measures (both indirect and based on direct observation) that can be used to assess the effects of medication on challenging behavior will be discussed. For example, we conducted an academic analog assessment with a 10-year-old with autism to assess the effect of an attention deficit disorder medication on off task and problem behavior on an impatient hospital unit. The figure shows that atomoxetine (Straterra) was highly effective in reducing problem and off task behavior. Additionally, we will discuss how we can help behavior analysts become more knowledgeable about behavioral pharmacology and medication effects during their graduate programs as well as via continuing education opportunities.

 
 
Invited Paper Session #437
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Organizational Behavior Management: Where Systems Meet Culture
Monday, May 30, 2022
9:00 AM–9:50 AM
Meeting Level 1; Room 151A/B
Area: OBM; Domain: Theory
Chair: Nicole Gravina (University of Florida)
CE Instructor: Ingunn Sandaker, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: INGUNN SANDAKER (Oslo Metropolitan University/ OsloMet)
Abstract:

Systems may be formal or a result of self-organized selection of behaviors. We often talk about for instance a school system referring to the formal, planned and intentionally organized teaching and support services. A system may, however, as well arise without any formal structure, planning or intentionality. OBM, or the science of how to facilitate optimal contingencies for behaviors that serves the goals of the company, have to deal with both formal and informal functions, structures, and processes. These structures, whether visualized by an organization chart or a snapshot of network interactions, must also take culture into consideration. This presentation will show how the transmission of cultural practices over time influence both formal and informal systems.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Everyone interested in how organizations work, whether businesses or public sector.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) distinguish between a formal and an informal system; (2) to identify contingencies maintaining cultural practices in an organization; (3) analyze the functional relation between an organization, the processes maintaining the function, and the structure facilitating the processes.
 
INGUNN SANDAKER (Oslo Metropolitan University/ OsloMet)
Ingunn Sandaker, professor in the Department of Behavioral Science at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet) in Norway, received her Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of Oslo in 1997. She has served in numerous roles, including as dean of studies for social work and special education at Oslo College, and as head of planning and development at Oslo HVPU (division of state services for those with developmental disabilities). She was project manager at OsloMet and instrumental in establishing its master’s and Ph.D. programs in behavior analysis; she has since been director of those programs. Combining expertise in both behavior analysis and systems design/analysis (behavior systems), she served as a consultant and advisor to major corporations, including Norway’s huge oil sector and the Norwegian Olympic Committee, where, as leadership training project director, she played a significant role in enhancing participation and awards for women athletes. Her efforts have helped secure behavior analysis as an established discipline in Norway. In addition, Professor Sandaker has been a leader in international dissemination, serving as the international representative to ABAI’s Executive Council. She is also on the editorial board of the Norwegian Journal of Behavior Analysis and associate editor of Perspectives on Behavior Science.
 
 
Invited Paper Session #453
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
A Social Justice Framework for Intervention
Monday, May 30, 2022
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: EDC; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Renee Hawkins (University of Cincinnati)
CE Instructor: Tai Collins, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: TAI COLLINS (University of Cincinnati)
Abstract:

As the school-age population continues to diversify, it is now more important than ever that we provide services with a social justice focus that recognizes and values individuals’ unique identities and dismantles systems of oppression and marginalization. With a particular focus on school-based intervention, we will discuss a social justice approach to service delivery. Implications for integrating an ecological-behavioral framework with a social justice approach informed by critical race theory, intersectionality, and dis/ability critical race studies will be discussed. We will discuss the adaptation of evidence-based interventions to fit various contexts, as well as the development of novel interventions built specifically for minoritized populations. We will also examine peer-mediated interventions as a promising suite of culturally relevant strategies.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students; faculty members
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) ? define social justice and articulate a social justice framework for intervention; (2) integrate the ecological-behavioral model with a social justice framework; (3) discuss the importance of theoretical foundations (e.g., critical race theory; intersectionality; dis/ability critical race studies) in the social justice framework; (4) identify methods of adapting evidence-based interventions to fit various populations; (5) identify interventions developed for specific populations.
 
TAI COLLINS (University of Cincinnati)
Tai A. Collins received his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in 2013. Dr. Collins is primarily interested in the development of time- and resource-efficient behavioral interventions to support Black students in urban schools with limited resources.  Dr. Collins has focused on developing peer-mediated interventions to improve the academic, behavioral, social, and emotional functioning of students within multi-tiered systems of support.  Dr. Collins is also interested in applications of a social justice framework in school psychology research, practice, and training. He currently teaches graduate courses including the Applied Behavior Analysis sequence, Advanced Behavioral Research Methods, and Working with Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Schools. 
 
 
Symposium #458
CE Offered: PSY/BACB — 
Supervision
Intelligent Digital Technology to Advance Treatment, Procedural Fidelity, and Employment for Neurodiverse Individuals and Caregivers
Monday, May 30, 2022
10:00 AM–11:50 AM
Meeting Level 2; Room 254A
Area: AUT/OBM; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Donald A. Hantula (Temple University)
Discussant: Donald A. Hantula (Temple University)
CE Instructor: Donald A. Hantula, Ph.D.
Abstract:

Rapid advances in intelligent agent technology and artificial intelligence technology present new challenges and new opportunities for neurodiverse individuals, their caregivers, and the professionals who work with them. The COVID-19 pandemic became a strong motivating operation for integrating these technologies into work with neurodiverse individuals and their caregivers. This symposium shares groundbreaking new work on applications of intelligent agent technology and artificial intelligence technology with neurodiverse individuals from pre-K to adulthood. Drawn from research conducted by a NIH and NSF funded network of academic and private sector researchers across several states, four illustrative examples show how these digital technologies have been incorporated into work with neurodiverse individuals. One presentation shows how an intelligent agent platform can enable families to access expert guidance in implementing home-based behavioral treatment for children with ASD. A second demonstrates how a similar platform can be used to instruct school age children with ASD. The third presentation evaluates how an intelligent agent based tool increases caregiver treatment fidelity when teaching children basic living skills. The final presentation discusses design considerations for developing a platform that will enable neurodiverse adults to work as data annotators in the IT industry. Although all presentations will review data, there is an equal focus on issues of usability, acceptability and reaction from caregivers and employees using the intelligent agent technology. The overarching theme for this symposium is that forward-thinking applied behavior analysts can help create and leverage innovative technologies to assist the neurodiverse individuals, their families, and the professionals who work with them succeed.

Instruction Level: Advanced
Keyword(s): Cargiver support, Intelligent agent, Neurodiverse emoployees, Treatment fidelity
Target Audience:

Advanced: prerequisite skill/competency would include experience in supervising work with children with ASD and/or the work of neurodiverse employees; some basic educated lay person familiarity with AI, experience with efforts to improve program fidelity

Learning Objectives: Learning objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) discuss how an intelligent agent can improve caregiver provided ABA therapy; (2) identify how an intelligent agent can be used to improve instruction with school age children and its supervision; (3) describe the concerns of neurodiverse employees working in data annotation jobs.
 

Supporting Caregiver-Delivered Behavioral Intervention for Children With Autism With an Intelligent Agent Platform

ALIYA YAGAFAROVA (Auburn U), Corina Jimenez-Gomez (Auburn University), Cecelia Drummond (Auburn U), Emily A Phaup (Auburn U), Donald A. Hantula (Temple University), John T Nosek (Guiding Technologies)
Abstract:

Caregiver involvement is an integral component of behavioral interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to ensure generalization and maintenance of skills. Coaching and supporting caregivers in the implementation of behavioral interventions often requires closely working with behavior analysts, which can be resource intensive and may not be feasible in some settings (e.g., rural communities). Further, ensuring sustained treatment fidelity may require additional monitoring and re-coaching. An intelligent agent platform that coaches and guides caregivers in the implementation of behavioral interventions may be useful for minimizing resources required to support caregivers and may aid in maintaining high, long-term treatment fidelity. Caregivers of children with ASD receiving services at a university-based clinic were recruited to deliver behavioral interventions in the home under the direction of written instructions or an intelligent agent platform. Treatment implementation fidelity, percentage of correct responses by the child, and acceptability of each support system served as the main dependent measures. Caregiver acceptability of the intelligent agent technology is discussed.

 

Evaluating Intelligent Agent Technology for Acquisition and Instruction of Hand-Washing in Children With Autism

ELIZABETH R. LORAH (University of Arkansas), Brenna R Griffen (University of Arkansas), Donald A. Hantula (Temple University), John T Nosek (Guiding Technologies)
Abstract:

Intelligent agent technology can help improve procedural fidelity and maintain high levels of performance by ABA therapists and the clients that they serve. However, this nascent technology has only very recently been introduced to ABA therapy. Much remains to be learned about intelligent agent technology and its effects on ABA therapists, including social validity and acceptability This study evaluated the use of an intelligent agent and data collection system for ABA therapist use while teaching handwashing to three school aged children with a diagnosis of autism. Using a multiple baseline design data were collected on therapists’ fidelity of implementation, as well as child acquisition of handwashing. Data were collected until the child participants mastered the ability to independently demonstrate washing hands. Following this, therapists were given the option to either continue with the app or use a traditional paper based protocol and data collection method for the purposes of handwashing instruction as a test of acceptability. The results of therapist reactions, as well as implications for digital technology and intelligent agent use will be discussed.

 

Intelligent Agent Technology for Caregiver Treatment Fidelity and Life Skills of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

KAORI G. NEPO (NeurAbilities), Donald A. Hantula (Temple University), John T Nosek (Guiding Technologies)
Abstract:

Behavior Analysis provides effective interventions for individuals with ASD and other developmental disabilities. However, the shortage of qualified and trained professionals to implement such interventions has been an ongoing problem nationally and internationally over the past decades. This study evaluated the effect of an innovative intelligent agent technology (GAINS) as a new tool for the caregivers of children with ASD to teach them important life skills such as dressing, feeding, hand washing, or packing a snack. Children with ASD (ages between 3-8) who receive services from a regional behavioral health organization and their caregivers participated. A single subjects design across participant dyads was used to evaluate independent completion of the task analyzed target life skill of the child and treatment fidelity data of caregivers following the cues from the intelligent agent technology. Both behavioral data and participant reaction and satisfaction with the intelligent agent technology were assessed. Recommendations for designing intelligent agent technology for use with this population are discussed.

 
Design Considerations for Building a Platform to Enable Neurodiverse Employees to Work in Data Annotation
ELIZABETH GARRISON (Temple University), Slobodan Vucetic (Temple University), Eduard Dragut (Temple University), Matthew Tincani (Temple University), Donald A. Hantula (Temple University), Ray Hong (George Mason University)
Abstract: Neurodiverse individuals often struggle to obtain employment. With the surge of large-scale data-driven innovation in Artificial Intelligence, data annotation tasks found in Amazon’s MTurk and similar platforms have presented significant employment opportunities for neurodiverse individuals. We recruited nine neurodiverse and ten neurotypical participants between the ages of 18-30 and built an interactive web-based training platform to determine when, how and why the annotation performance and their perception of images and text tasks vary between the two groups of participants. After we collected data using our platform, we conducted additional semi-structured interviews with neurodiverse participants to gain a deeper understanding of the reasoning for their particular responses. Our approach (1) highlights differences between neurodiverse and neurotypical workers in data annotation, (2) identifies which characteristics result in differences between neurodiverse and neurotypical data annotation responses, and (3) explains possible reasons for those responses. We suggest design considerations for building future neurodiverse-centered data annotation user interfaces.
 
 
Invited Paper Session #474
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Video Modelling to Teach Social and Play Skills to Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Monday, May 30, 2022
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Meeting Level 2; Room 256
Area: AUT; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Yanerys Leon (University of Miami)
CE Instructor: Christos Nikopoulos, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: CHRISTOS NIKOPOULOS (Autism Consultancy Services, London)
Abstract:

Peer relations serve many important functions in children’s development. Social reciprocity or reciprocal peer interactions occur when children engage in social interactions with one another or when their actions support each other in their relationships. In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, reciprocity of social exchange is missing and is manifest as a lack of both social responses and initiations to other people. Over the years, various behavioral strategies have been developed to promote social interactions between children with ASD and their peers for a successful integration in inclusion settings. Video modelling, as one of them, is not only an effective and evidence-based method for developing many social and play skills, but it can also be a practical and efficient tool that is well-suited to the school environment. In this presentation, pertinent video modeling methodologies will be explored and specific suggestions on the effective use of video modeling will be provided.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Graduate students; RBTs; board certified behavior analysts (BCBA); board certified assistant behavior analysts (BCaBA); psychologists; therapists and special educators working in a variety of applied and experimental settings as well as educational and social science settings who are interested in the promotion of social and play skills in children with ASD.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the attendee will be able to: (1) name the salient features of video modeling procedures as guided by findings from the literature (e.g., with what ages video modeling can be effective, what intervention goals can be addressed by the implementation of video modeling, in which settings video modeling can be effectively used, etc.); (2) describe different types of video modeling and the advantages and disadvantages of each type when targeting social and play skills in children with ASD; (3) demonstrate step by step different types of video modeling (e.g., video modeling, self-modeling, priming modeling, point of view modeling) that could be designed and implemented.
 
CHRISTOS NIKOPOULOS (Autism Consultancy Services, London)
Dr. Christos Nikopoulos is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (Doctoral Level; BCBA-D), former member of the Board of Directors of the BACB and of the European Association of Behaviour Analysis (EABA). He has served as a clinician, a University lecturer, an educator, a consultant, a researcher, and an author in the areas of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual and other developmental disabilities, as well as neurological and behavioural interventions in special education for more than 23 years. He is currently the founder and CEO of Autism Consultancy Services in London (UK) and Riyadh (KSA). He has obtained international experience in working with children with autism and other developmental disabilities--from 18 months old until adults--as well as their families and has published widely on the topic. Dr. Nikopoulos has co-authored two books and a few book chapters that have become key reference texts on subject of video modelling and autism and he has been chosen to deliver keynote speeches at international conferences quite frequently (more than 90 presentations at international conferences worldwide). Dr. Nikopoulos has also obtained substantial experience in the administration of a number of assessments tools as well as employing a variety of different behavioural procedures/methods, running home- and school-based intervention programmes in many European and Middle East countries. He is also either the Course Leader or the Lecturer of five BACB Verified Course Sequences (VCS) in Europe. Finally, due to his research activities and expertise in the area of autism, he has gained the award of Chartered Scientist from the Science Council, he is the scientific advisor for the Research Autism charity, an EU expert reviewer, as well as a reviewer for a number of international journals and governmental agencies.
 
 
Invited Paper Session #476
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Motivation and Self-Regulation and Health Behavior Promotion
Monday, May 30, 2022
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: CBM; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Vivian F Ibanez (University of Florida)
CE Instructor: Paula Magalhaes, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: PAULA MAGALHAES (Universidade do Minho, Portugal)
Abstract:

Health behavior promotion in childhood has been dominated by knowledge-centered paradigms. However, research shows that beliefs about what is healthy have a stronger influence on behavior than factual knowledge. Motivation and self-regulation frameworks highlight the agent role of the individual in controlling the personal, behavioral, and environmental influences that impact one’s behavior. Although individuals may be influenced and regulated by external factors and agents, exclusively relying on external regulation does not allow the individual to develop adaptive competences and skills, such as choosing a healthy snack. The aim of this presentation is to describe how healthy habits in childhood can be promoted, including diet and sleep, through the modelling of self-regulation skills via story-tools/narrative-based programs.

Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience:

Anyone interested in motivation and self-regulation, and health behavior promotion

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) identify motivational components of health behavior; (2) describe the core components of empirically supported story-tools/ narrative-based programs to model and promote Self-regulation skills for health; (3) discuss what and how children learn the self-regulation competences for health behavior.
 
PAULA MAGALHAES (Universidade do Minho, Portugal)
Paula Magalhães is a researcher at the Psychology Research Center, Universidade do Minho, Portugal. She earned her PhD in Psychology in 2014, focused on the experimental analysis of behavior, with animal models, at the University of Otago, New Zealand, under the supervision of Professor K. Geoffrey White. Since then, she has directed her efforts into an applied psychology research path. In 2014, she was invited to an Assistant Professor position, at Universidade do Minho, and, later on, received Post-Doctoral training at the same university focusing on developing and implementing intervention programs aiming at promoting self-regulation skills via the use of story-tools/ narratives. Her current research focuses on health behavior promotion through self-regulation (e.g., healthy eating, sleep, exercise). She is also interested in the use of Gamification to engage individuals in health behavior interventions. She has already been awarded a research grant as a PI on these topics “In-person and Online Healthy Eating Promotion through Self-regulation: Assessing the Efficacy of a Narrative-based Intervention.”
 
 
Panel #478
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/NASP — 
Ethics
Diversity submission School-Based Behavior Analysts: Responsive Supports Throughout the COVID-19 Era
Monday, May 30, 2022
11:00 AM–11:50 AM
Meeting Level 2; Room 205B
Area: EDC/OBM; Domain: Applied Research
CE Instructor: Heather Volchko, M.Ed.
Chair: Heather Volchko (Old Dominion University; Louisiana Contextual Science Research Group)
TAMLA LEE (Bard College)
SHEILA WILLIAMSON (Mississippi State University - TK Martin Center; Behavior, Attention, and Developmental Disabilities Consultants, LLC.)
ELENA GARCIA-ALBEA (EGA Consulting, LLC)
Abstract:

In early 2020, schools across the entire world transitioned from traditional school settings to crisis teaching in virtual spaces due to the global pandemic, coronavirus or COVID-19. During this time, equity gaps in digital resources and access to education became increasingly apparent as socioeconomic status and geographical location strongly influenced whether families were able to support remote access to learning opportunities. Yet, students with emotional and behavior disorders (EBD) tend to experience higher rates of peer victimization, struggle to obtain and maintain positive interpersonal relationships, and battle more mental health problems than other special education students. Students who had already been identified as having splintered skills or gaps in their learning history did not have access to interventions provided in the traditional classroom at the same time that all students were expected to engage in much higher forms of executive functioning skills than previously expected. This panel of school-based consultants will share their own experiences working in the schools throughout the pandemic in terms of challenges, steps for addressing challenges, and resources necessary for doing so.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

This session is appropriate for professionals who interface directly with the highly applied school setting. Basic understandings of behavior analysis and varied applications of principles will be assumed as part of this conversation.

Learning Objectives: 1) Participants will learn about different forms of education consultation positioned in diverse (e.g., socioeconomic, linguistic, racial) contexts. 2) Participants will learn how behavior analysis is applied individually, class-wide, and at the systems level of school settings based on the presented needs. 3) Participants will learn how Covid impacted the schools and the rising need for multidisciplinary expertise in the schools.
Keyword(s): behavioral disorders, Covid, education consulting, emotional disorders
 
 
Invited Paper Session #491
CE Offered: PSY/BACB — 
Ethics
Diversity submission The Ethical Debate in the Proposition of Cultural Design
Monday, May 30, 2022
12:00 PM–12:50 PM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: CSS; Domain: Theory
Chair: Kathryn M. Roose (University of Nevada, Reno)
CE Instructor: Camila Muchon De Melo, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: CAMILA MUCHON DE MELO (Universidade Estadual de Londrina (Londrina State University))
Abstract: Culturo-behavior science has been especially dedicated in the last decades to proposing conceptual tools to subsidize interventions that can produce broader impacts on cultures. Since Skinner (e.g., 1948; 1971) there has been a concern that the planning of cultural practices, or of a culture as a whole, should seek a balance between individual goods and cultural goods. Forward-thinking cultures should consider their strengthening as a value, or as the objective of a planning. However, working with cultural practices poses challenges to behavior analysts. This is because cultural practices involve behaviors of many people, interlocking behaviors, often under the control of very different variables. In the field of ethics, it is discussed that social control is largely exercised by control agencies. Agencies, in turn, when handling cultural contingencies generate strengthening consequences for the institution itself, that is, they often operate only for their own benefit. These are some of the elements of the ethical debate that permeate the tension between the descriptive and prescriptive aspects of radical behaviorism. Therefore, this lecture will have the following objectives: (1) to present the possibility of an ethical system based on the philosophical commitments of radical behaviorism; (2) conceptualize the cultural designs and present the challenges of the designs in its technological and ethical aspects; (3) present a community extension project carried out in a Brazilian city, by volunteer behavior analysts, to face the COVID-19 pandemic--an example of cultural intervention driven by values consistent with a radical behavioristic ethics.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Behavior analysts interested in an ethical issues based on radical behaviorism and interested in cultural designs.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) identify ethical aspects in radical behaviorism; (2) identify and describe the values present in the Skinnerian ethical system; (3) conceptualize what cultural designs are; (4) identify values that may guide cultural interventions.
 
CAMILA MUCHON DE MELO (Universidade Estadual de Londrina (Londrina State University))
Camila Muchon de Melo is a psychologist with a degree from the State University of Londrina/UEL/Brazil (2000). She holds a master's degree (2004) and a Ph.D. (2008) in Philosophy from the Federal University of São Carlos/UFSCar/Brazil. She participated in a split-site doctoral program (2007) at the University of South Australia, under the supervision of Dr. Bernard Guerin. She conducted her postdoctoral research at the National Institute of Science and Technology on Behavior, Cognition and Learning between 2009-2012 (INCT- ECCE/UFSCar) while working with Dr. Julio de Rose. She was formerly an associate editor of Acta Comportamentalia (2015-2019) and is currently an associate editor of the Brazilian Journal of Behavior Analysis/REBAC (since 2016) as well as a reviewer for Behavior and Social Issues. She has been an Adjunct Professor in the Department of General Psychology and Behavior Analysis at UEL since 2012. She was the chair coordinator of the graduate program in Behavior Analysis/UEL (master’s and doctoral degree) between 2019-2021, and has been a supervisor since 2013. Since 2020 she has been a member of the Working Group 86/Theoretical Research in Behavior Analysis at the National Association for Research and Graduate Studies in Psychology (ANPEPP/Brazil). Camila carries out research in the areas of epistemology of radical behaviorism and culturo-behavior science.
 
 
Symposium #493
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Advances in Assessment and Intervention for Difficult-to-Treat Problem Behavior
Monday, May 30, 2022
12:00 PM–12:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 251
Area: DDA/AUT; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Joseph D. Dracobly (University of North Texas)
CE Instructor: Lindsay Lloveras, Ph.D.
Abstract: Since seminal work by Iwata et al. (1982/1994), researchers and clinicians have adapted functional analyses (FA) to assess and treat a wide variety of forms of problem behavior across many populations and settings. Although treatments derived from FAs are substantially more effective than non-functional, default treatments, there remain behavior disorders that present difficulty for identifying relevant controlling variables. Without precise identification of these variables, it can be difficult to develop effective, function-based treatment. Recently, researchers have begun adapting common FA procedures, to better identify the influence of idiosyncratic variables on problem behavior (e.g., Roscoe et al., 2015). These adaptations present an opportunity to further understand forms of problem behavior for which common FA procedures are insufficient to identify all relevant variables. In this symposium, three presenters will describe experimental analyses of variables related to three difficult-to-treat forms of problem behavior: automatically maintained problem behavior, problem behavior influenced by sleep, and rumination. Each presenter will describe their unique experimental analyses and how these analyses allowed for more precise determination of the relevant controlling variables, which increases the likelihood of effective, function-based treatment.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): assessment, functional analysis, problem behavior, treatment
Target Audience: Intermediate. Attendees should have a experience with conducting in experimental analyses and treatments of severe behavior disorders.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentations, participants will be able to: 1. Describe how a function-analytic approach can be used to assess variables related to difficult-to-treat problem behavior. 2. Describe how to assess, through behavioral and physical measures, the influence of sleep on problem behavior. 3. Describe how an analysis of components of control conditions in FAs can be used to inform treatment. 4. Describe methods to analyze various parameters of food, to determine which parameters most influence rumination.
 

An Evaluation of the Relation Between Sleep and Problem Behavior in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

LINDSAY LLOVERAS (University of Florida), Timothy R. Vollmer (University of Florida)
Abstract:

Previous research has demonstrated that children with ASD exhibit less sleep in a 24-hour period than their typically developing peers (Goodlin-Jones, 2008), and increases in problem behavior are associated with sleep deprivation (Goldman et al., 2011). However, there are few studies that evaluate this putative relation using direct measurement of both behavior and sleep. The general aim of this study is to extend the research on sleep and its relation to problem behavior. Using wearable and non-wearable sleep trackers, we collected data on various measures of sleep and compared them to in-clinic daytime problem behavior. Additionally, we conducted structured descriptive assessments (Anderson & Long, 2002) across days to evaluate if changes in sleep change how different establishing operations affect behavior. We will discuss how the social validity of well-established sleep treatments (e.g, Jin et al., 2013) would be greater if the effect of improved sleep on daytime behavior was directly evaluated.

 

An Analysis of the Play Condition in a Functional Analysis as a Basis for Treatment of Self-Injury Maintained by Automatic Reinforcement

SAVANNAH TATE (University of Florida), Timothy R. Vollmer (University of Florida)
Abstract:

Hagopian et al. (2015) delineated subtypes of self-injurious behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement partially based on occurrence of self-injury in the play condition (i.e., subtype one). They also analyzed treatment data with respect to subtypes and found that subtype one is less resistant to treatment than subtypes two and three. For one child with autism with oral-motor self-injury, we conducted a functional analysis and a more fine-grained analysis of engagement in the play condition. The functional analysis indicated that oral-motor self-injury was maintained by automatic reinforcement. However, oral-motor self-injurious behavior was reduced in the play condition. We used this information to conduct a component analysis of the play condition, and we found that combinations of stimuli reduced engagement in self-injurious behavior, with little differentiation across multiple stimuli used in this condition. We then conducted a competing stimulus assessment, both with items used in the play condition and with novel items, and found single stimuli were insufficient for reducing self-injury.

 

An Evaluation of Variables That Influence Rumination

AARON JOSEPH SANCHEZ (University of North Texas), Joseph D. Dracobly (University of North Texas), Richard G. Smith (University of North Texas), Elizabeth Joy Houck (University of North Texas)
Abstract:

Rumination, repeated regurgitation of ingested food, can be a difficult problem to assess and treat. Early research focused on punishment of rumination (e.g., Becker et al., 1978 ) whereas more recent research has focused on the food quantity (e.g., Kenzer & Wallace, 2007). However, there is limited research on the influence of food type on rumination. We analyzed effects of several dimensions of food, including food type and food category, in addition to total quantity and total calories, on rumination with an adult with intellectual disability. Initially, we equated calories across food types, which involved different quantities of food based on food type. We observed that rumination was lower when our participant consumed larger quantities of food. Subsequent analyses suggested a more dynamic interaction between food type and food quantity – at least two foods with different quantities produced low levels of rumination. We will discuss how an analysis of parameters of food could advance effective treatment of rumination.

 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #501
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Skinnerian Themes in Psychology
Monday, May 30, 2022
12:00 PM–12:50 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 154
Area: PCH; Domain: Theory
Chair: Michael D. Hixson (Central Michigan University)
CE Instructor: Michael D. Hixson, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: MURRAY J. GODDARD (University of New Brunswick)
Abstract:

Selected writings of B. F. Skinner will be shown to have several, sometimes quite striking, similarities with current psychological research. This includes research supporting Skinner’s position that the environment can alter human behavior outside conscious awareness and research by Daniel Wegner and Emily Pronin supporting Skinner’s warnings that introspection is a common, but flawed, habit in folk psychology. In addition, Skinner’s writings will be shown to be compatible with the critical psychiatry movement and (perhaps surprisingly) some shared worldviews between B. F. Skinner and Noam Chomsky will be outlined.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Behavior analysts, psychologists, graduate students

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) discuss current research supporting Skinner’s position that the environment can alter human behavior outside conscious awareness; (2) identify similarities between Skinner’s writings with Daniel Wegner’s “illusion of conscious will” and Emily Pronin’s “introspective illusion”; (3) outline how Skinner’s emphasis on the environmental determinants of behavior is shared by the critical psychiatry movement; and (4) articulate some compatibilities in the worldviews of B. F. Skinner and Noam Chomsky.
 
MURRAY J. GODDARD (University of New Brunswick)
Murray Goddard is an Honorary Research Professor at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. He received his PhD in 1987 from McMaster University under the supervision of Herb Jenkins, a leading researcher in Pavlovian conditioning and a pioneer in the development of the autoshaping preparation. As a graduate student, Herb Jenkins had also occasionally served as B. F. Skinner’s teaching assistant at Harvard. From 1993-1994, Murray was a Research Scientist at Duke University and was the recipient of a University Merit Award in 1999 and a University Teaching Award in 2002 and 2012. His previous research explored fundamental associative processes in Pavlovian conditioning and was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. His current research explores similarities between the writings of B. F. Skinner and current research in psychology, the critical psychiatry and critical psychology movements, and the writings of Noam Chomsky.
 
 
Invited Paper Session #506
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Rule-Governed Behavior and Responding to One’s Behavior: Where We Were, Where We Are, and Where Are We Moving Forward
Monday, May 30, 2022
12:00 PM–12:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 256
Area: VBC; Domain: Theory
Chair: Rocio Rosales (University of Massachusetts Lowell)
CE Instructor: Carmen Luciano, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: CARMEN LUCIANO (University Almeria, Spain)
Abstract: Early on, human beings learn to understand, formulate, and follow rules. This process requires learning to relate to and, consequently, derive contents about oneself, others, and the world around as well as to respond to all these contents. That is, the way we think, the emotion we feel, the rules derive and the function they have for responding in particular directions generate specific relational operants throughout multiple exemplars of responding to the own behavior, for good and for bad. This is the core of the analysis of human behavior, the analysis of suffering, and the therapy overcome it. In this context, this presentation aims to describe where behavior analysis was in the last portion of the previous century, where it is now, and where and how it is moving forward.
Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience:

All interested in behavior analysis, experimental analysis, the self, rule-governed behavior, relational frame theory, and clinical behavior analysis

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) identify the functional perspective on rules and rule-governed behavior; (2) describe the conditions to learn to relate; (3) describe the conditions to derive thoughts, emotions, and selfing behavior; (4) identify the two functional relational operants of responding to the one’s behavior; (5) identify experimental protocols aimed to analyze selfing behavior, as deriving thoughts and rules about oneself and responding to them; (6) describe the functional principles in moving from ineffective relational operants to effective ones.
 
CARMEN LUCIANO (University Almeria, Spain)
Carmen Luciano graduated in 1978 and received her Ph.D. in the Complutense University of Madrid in 1984. She is Professor of Psychology at the University of Almeria since 1994 and at the University of Granada from 1979 to 1993. Her research dedication began on the experimental analysis of language. Her Postdoc Fulbright research stay in Boston University and the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, in 1985-86, was centered in studying problem-solving behavior under Skinner’s supervision. This was a critical point in her career as basic researcher. She was involved in the equivalence research, rule-governed behavior and, shortly after, in research of RFT and ACT. Her research lab has been -and it is- conducting basic creative experimental-applied RFT designs for the analysis of analogies, coherence, deictic and mainly hierarchical framing in the context of identifying core components of metaphors, false memories, experiential avoidance, values, defusion, selfing behaviors as responding to the own behavior. She designs brief ACT protocols and teaches ACT focused in analyzing the conditions under which emotions, thoughts, and valued motivation are brought to the present to build flexibility responding. She is Director of the Experimental and Applied Analysis of Behavior Research Group since 1986, where she has supervised over thirty doctoral theses - some of her students are running their own labs nowadays. She is also Director of the Functional Analysis in Clinical Contexts Doctoral Program in the University of Almeria, and Director of the Master Program in Contextual Therapies in Madrid Institute of Contextual Psychology – MICPSY. Her research has been funded by international, national, and regional public funds. She has collaborated with research groups from different countries, and she has spread the functional analysis perspective in meetings, courses, research presentations, and publications. She is known for her exciting, precise, and creative style while teaching, working with clients, and doing research.
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #535
CE Offered: BACB/PSY/QABA
Behavioral Economics Approaches to Improve Care for Seriously and Critically Ill Patients
Monday, May 30, 2022
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West
Area: CBM; Domain: Theory
Chair: Michele R. Traub (St. Cloud State University)
CE Instructor: Scott Halpern, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: SCOTT HALPERN (University of Pennsylvania)
Abstract:

Six decades of research on human decision making has revealed how sensitive our choices are to the ways in which options are framed. A key insight from this line of scholarship, which is typically referred to as behavioral economics, is that the influence of nudges – or intentional framings of options so as to make certain choices more likely – is greatest when people lack deep-seated or well-ordered preferences among the options. Most of us know, for example, whether we prefer vanilla or chocolate ice cream, or at least the situations in which we prefer one or the other, and so are unlikely to be nudged to choose differently. But unlike ice cream selections, seriously patients’ (and their family members’) choices about end-of-life care are made infrequently, and typically without receiving feedback about how choosing one way versus another makes us feel. For these reasons and perhaps others, research over the past decade has shown that these high-stakes, seemingly preference-sensitive decisions are in fact quite strongly influenced by the ways in which options are framed. This talk will begin by differentiating among behavior change strategies that differ in their likely effectiveness and threats to autonomous choice, and will then explore how behavioral economic concepts are being used by the speaker and others in efforts to improve the quality of serious illness care in the U.S. Examples from ongoing and recently completed randomized trials will be presented, and the ethics of consciously “nudging” certain end-of-life decisions will be considered.

Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience: Any clinicians who may engage with seriously ill patients
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) differentiate among behavior change strategies that differ in their likely effectiveness and threats to autonomous choice; (2) describe how behavioral economic concepts are being employed in efforts to improve serious illness care; (3) evaluate the ethics of consciously “nudging” certain end-of-life decisions.
 
SCOTT HALPERN (University of Pennsylvania)
Scott D. Halpern, MD, Ph.D. is the John M. Eisenberg Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology, and Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, and a practicing intensive care doctor. He is the founding Director of the Palliative and Advanced Illness Research (PAIR) Center, which generates evidence to advance policies and practices that improve the lives of all people affected by serious illness. His awards include the American Federation for Medical Research’s Outstanding Investigator Award for the best scientist in any field under the age of 45, the Association of Clinical and Translational Science’s Distinguished Investigator Award, and the Arthur K. Asbury Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award. He is an elected member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians, and serves on the Editorial Boards of the Annals of Internal Medicine and the American Journal of Bioethics.
 
 
B. F. Skinner Lecture Series Paper Session #538
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Diversity submission Until Earth and Heaven Ring: How Academicians Can Recognize and Help Dismantle Systemic Racism in Child Health
Monday, May 30, 2022
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 256
Area: DDA; Domain: Theory
Chair: Kelly M. Schieltz (University of Iowa)
CE Instructor: Kelly M. Schieltz, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: RAY BIGNALL (Nationwide Children’s Hospital)
Abstract:

Structural racism is one of the most pervasive and impactful social paradigms in American life, and often works in tandem with systems of inequality to drive social factors that adversely affect child health. Understanding the influence of racism on these unjust systems can aid individuals in narrowing health disparities. First, individuals should acknowledge a shared definition of racism as a “system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on the social interpretation of how one looks… that unfairly disadvantages some… unfairly advantages others, and saps the strength of the whole society through the waste of human resources.” Next, an identification of these systemic inequities should be made, with throughlines drawn connecting social adversity with poor health outcomes. Finally, intentional and evidence-based strategies should be employed to counteract these adverse influences in both health care and society, and these interventions studied to gauge efficacy and direct resources.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Healthcare providers

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) define racism, and overview its historical context and systemic nature in medicine and society in the United States; (2) briefly highlight a few of the racial/ethnic health disparities we see in pediatrics, link them to structurally racist and unjust systems that perpetuate these disparities; (3) discuss changes academicians and health care leaders can make to help dismantle systems of inequality and promote health equity and justice in medicine and society.
 
RAY BIGNALL (Nationwide Children’s Hospital)
O. N. Ray Bignall II, MD, FAAP, FASN is Director of Kidney Health Advocacy and Community Engagement in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Nationwide Children's Hospital, and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. A graduate of Howard University and Meharry Medical College, Dr. Bignall completed his general pediatrics residency, clinical fellowship in nephrology, and NIH post-doctoral research fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. As a physician-advocate, Dr. Bignall’s work addresses the social determinants of child health, kidney disease, and transplantation through community-based scholarship, engagement, and advocacy. He is an appointed Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN); the Founding Chair of the ASN’s Health Care Justice Committee; and serves as a member of the Council on Medical Legislation for the National Medical Association. Dr. Bignall is a recipient of the American Academy of Pediatrics Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) Award; a John E Lewy Fund Advocacy Scholar of the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology; and was named a 40 Under 40 Leader in Minority Health by the National Minority Quality Forum and the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. Twitter: @DrRayMD
 
 
Invited Paper Session #542
CE Offered: BACB/PSY/QABA
Operant Conditioning to Combat Addiction, Unemployment, and Poverty
Monday, May 30, 2022
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 151A/B
Area: SCI; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Elizabeth Kyonka (California State University - East Bay)
CE Instructor: Shrinidhi Subramaniam, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: SHRINIDHI SUBRAMANIAM (California State University, Stanislaus)
Abstract: Over 37 million people in the United States lived in poverty in 2020. Poverty is a top risk factor for premature mortality and can exacerbate other health conditions like drug addiction. There is a clear relation between poverty, unemployment, and addiction. Addiction is more prevalent in unemployed than employed individuals and employment predicts positive treatment outcomes in people with addiction. Two evidence-based approaches to combat addiction and poverty are to: 1) treat addiction using incentives to promote drug abstinence (a proximal intervention), or 2) address poverty with education and job-skills training (a distal intervention). In this presentation, I will highlight behavior analytic research merging a proximal and distal approach to treat addiction in unemployed adults living in poverty. These studies evaluated the effectiveness of wage supplements to increase competitive employment and promote drug abstinence; assessed job readiness in this population; and incentivized job readiness activities during the search for employment. Interventions that promote full-time, steady employment can help improve socioeconomic position and have the added benefit of removing barriers to addiction recovery.
Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience:

Behavior analysis students, practitioners, and researchers.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) explain the relation between unemployment and addiction; (2) describe how incentives promote drug abstinence and employment; (3) list the essential features of an operant antipoverty program.
 
SHRINIDHI SUBRAMANIAM (California State University, Stanislaus)
Dr. Shrinidhi Subramaniam is an Assistant Professor in Psychology at California State University, Stanislaus and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Dr. Subramaniam received her PhD in Psychology from West Virginia University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in behavioral pharmacology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She teaches courses in applied behavior analysis, research methods, ethics, and addiction treatment, and mentors graduate students in their thesis research. Dr. Subramaniam’s research applies behavior analytic principles to solve problems like addiction, unemployment, and poverty in her community. Currently, her lab is evaluating the feasibility of a contingency management program to engage residential substance use disorder patients in continuing care. In addition to this work, she has published over 20 manuscripts and chapters across broad research interests. These publications include clinical studies evaluating the effectiveness of behavioral interventions like incentives and education, and basic and translational studies exploring processes underlying human decision making such as choice and temporal learning. Dr. Subramaniam is an Associate Editor for The Psychological Record, is on the editorial board for the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, and serves as the Board Secretary of the Society for the Quantitative Analysis of Behavior. She is the Association for Behavior Analysis, International’s 2022 winner of the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences Early Career Impact Award.
 
 
Invited Paper Session #543
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis to Schooling in Italy as a Strategic Model for Service-Design Innovation
Monday, May 30, 2022
3:00 PM–3:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 203
Area: TBA; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Lin Du (Teachers College, Columbia University)
CE Instructor: Fabiola Casarini, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: FABIOLA CASARINI (Errepiu R+ Association)
Abstract:

For over a decade, CABAS was implemented in Italy by several learning centers that aimed to test the effects of education as a social innovation tool. We found that this model can provide schools and health services with an evidence-based system to design interventions that are both effective and efficient. Also, it greatly contributed to maintaining treatment integrity for children and adults with autism spectrum disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic. During these challenging times of economic and health crisis across the world, consequences for failing to design early and efficient ABA treatments were being highlighted by researchers. In addition, all countries in terms of reaching the “sustainable development goals” (SDGs) for fighting educational poverty, can do so only by providing people with a disability with individualized proper interventions. CABAS was able to offer help with identifying criteria for effective behavioral interventions, with particular attention to highly critical groups, such as people with autism. Luckily, the science of teaching provides researchers all over the world with a system to measure education. A growing number of research findings show that CABAS is among the most cost-effective educational model in the world. Moreover, its implementation across all age groups and for both special and general education, suggest that it is a cross-cultural, flexible tool for different contexts. Therefore, in Italy, we implemented it as a tactic within social, health and school services, for individuals with and without disability, from 18 months to adulthood. We found that the implementation of such a comprehensive model of education fits the need for sustainability of welfare systems drastically different from those in the United States. CABAS® was first replicated in Italy in 1991 and further expended through a great deal of applied research across various fields and disciplines. International replications are paving the way for further research and trans-disciplinary analysis of its effects, using longitudinal measurements and both criterion and norm-based data.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

ABA master and Ph.D. students, school directors, supervisors, service managers, community health advocates

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) identify indicators of educational poverty; (2) list five CABAS components; (3) describe CABAS as a model and a tactic.
 
FABIOLA CASARINI (Errepiu R+ Association)
Fabiola Casarini, Ph.D, BCBA, founded the first Italian Fab Lab for Education and is currently serving as Scientific Director for a network of CABAS(R)-based learning and research centers. She is President of "Errepiu R+" Association for the dissemination of Applied Behavior Analysis in Italy. She is the President of the Verbal Behavior SIG for AARBA (Italy Associate Chapter of ABAI) and one of the founders of ADC Italia, the national Association for Board Certified Behavior Analysts. She taught in several ABAI VCS courses trained dozens of doctoral students and professionals in the field. She promoted initiatives to fight educational poverty in Italy and she was awarded the Sustainable Innovators Award from Emilia-Romagna Region, in 2020, because of her initiatives for children during the Covid-19 pandemic. She has been a consultant for schools and publicly funded centers, also conducting workshops to raise awareness of science-based education. In 2018 she co-authored the first Italian book about the Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis in Schooling, "Strategie Educative CABAS" with her mentor, R. D. Greer.
 
 
Symposium #545
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
HAL 9000 or R2-D2?: Accessibility of Advanced Data Analytic Techniques for Behavior Analysts
Monday, May 30, 2022
3:00 PM–4:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 254B
Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Translational
Chair: Jonathan E. Friedel (Georgia Southern University)
Discussant: Brent Kaplan (University of Kentucky)
CE Instructor: Shawn Patrick Gilroy, Ph.D.
Abstract:

With modern computers, there is an ever-increasing promise for the ability to conduct complex data analyses that are designed for behavior analysts and the types of data we collect. However, many of these useful techniques remain out of the grasp of the average behavior analyst because the techniques do not exist as a functional tools and are just promises. A wholly different behavioral repertoire related to data analysis and computer programming is necessary to translate the promises into functional tools. The goal of this symposium is to highlight the growing effort within behavior analysis to develop useful data analytic tools and applications for ourselves. Topics will cover efforts to analyze behavioral data in relation to environmental variables outside of the behavior analyst’s control (e.g., client medications), neural network computing to analyze multiple baseline data, methods to develop decision support systems for functional analysis, and development of a system for charting of single-subject design data that can be easily extended to support advanced statistical analysis.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): computing, data analysis, statistics
Target Audience:

Attendees should be aware of pharmacotherapy and should have knowledge of multiple baselines and functional analyses.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: 1) describe some new methods to analyze behavioral data, 2) list some of the benefits of computer aided data analysis, and 3) compare and contrast traditional visual analysis with computer aided data analysis.
 

Demonstrating an Analyses of Clinical Data Evaluating Psychotropic Medication Reductions and the ACHIEVE! Program in Adolescents With Severe Problem Behavior

(Applied Research)
ALISON COX (Brock University), Duncan Pritchard (Aran Hall School), Heather Penney (AmethystABA), Llio Eiri (Aran Hall School), Tim J. Dyer (Aran Hall School)
Abstract:

Researchers report increasing trends in psychotropic medication use to treat problem behavior in individuals with intellectual and developmental disability, despite some controversy regarding its application and treatment efficacy. While a substantial evidence-base exists supporting behavioral intervention efficacy, research evaluating separate and combined interventions (i.e., concurrent application of behavioral and psychopharmacological interventions) effects is scarce. This talk demonstrates a series of analysis using the clinical treatment data of four adolescent males who engaged in severe problem behavior to retrospectively explore separate and combined intervention effects. First, we calculated individual effect sizes and corresponding confidence intervals. The results indicated larger problem behavior decreases may have coincided more often with behavioral intervention adjustments compared to medication adjustments. Second, a conditional rates analysis indicated surges in problem behavior may not have reliably coincided with medication reductions. Spearman correlation analyses indicated a negative relationship between behavioral intervention phase progress and weekly episodes of problem behavior compared to a positive relationship between total medication dosage and weekly episodes of problem behavior. However, a non-parametric partial correlation analyses indicated individualized, complex relationships may exist between total medication dosage, behavioral intervention and weekly episodes of problem behavior. Although our conclusions are tentative, we will discuss many potential clinical implications, as well as rationale for behavioral researchers and practitioners to consider applying creative analytic strategies to evaluate separate and combined interventions effects on problem behavior to further explore this extremely understudied topic.

 
Artificial Neural Networks to Analyze the Results of Multiple Baseline Designs
(Applied Research)
MARC J. LANOVAZ (Université de Montréal)
Abstract: Since the start of the 21st century, few advances have had as far-reaching impact in science as the widespread adoption of artificial neural networks in fields as diverse as fundamental physics, clinical medicine, and psychology. In behavior analysis, one promising area for the adoption of artificial neural networks involves the analysis of single-case experimental designs. The purpose of our study was to compare the predictions produced by an artificial neural network with more traditional methods of analysis. To this end, we trained a new model using 100,000 samples generated with a Monte Carlo simulation to analyze multiple baseline graphs and compared its outcomes with those produced by visual raters and the dual-criteria method. Using artificial neural networks improved power by more than 15% whereas Type I error rate remained consistent across all three methods. Our results suggest that researchers may use artificial neural networks to develop novel models to analyze the outcomes of single-case experimental designs.
 
Automating Functional Analysis Interpretation II: Better Approximating an Expert Human Rater
(Applied Research)
JONATHAN E. FRIEDEL (Georgia Southern University), Alison Cox (Brock University)
Abstract: Functional analysis (FA) has been an important tool in behavior analysis. The goal of an FA is to determine problem behavior function (e.g., access to attention) so that treatment can be designed to specifically target causal mechanisms (e.g., teaching a socially appropriate response for attention). Behavior analysts traditionally rely on visual inspection to interpret the results of an FA. However, existing literature suggests interpretations can vary across clinicians resulting in poor interobserver agreement (Danov & Symons, 2008; Ninci et al., 2015). To increase objectivity and address interrater agreement across FA outcomes, Hagopian et al. (1997) created visual-inspection criteria to be used for FAs. Hagopian and colleagues reported improved interobserver agreement but limitations of the criteria were noted. Therefore, Roane et al. (2013) addressed these limitations when they created a modified version. Cox and Friedel (2020) described a computer script designed to automatically interpret functional analyses based on the above-mentioned criteria. In that study, the authors noted several instances where the script provided incorrect interpretations because an experienced interpreter would ignore the strictness of the criteria. Here, we outline further refinement of the script to produce more accurate FA interpretations.
 

Integrating Visual and Statistical Analysis With R: Fast, Efficient, Pixel-Perfect Charting with the fxl R Package

(Applied Research)
SHAWN PATRICK GILROY (Louisiana State University)
Abstract:

Applied work in Behavior Analysis is moving towards regularly integrating quantitative metrics in the design, delivery, and evaluation of behavioral interventions. Efforts in this area are constrained by the tools available to practitioners. Whereas commercially available spreadsheet software supports robust charting capabilities, only the most basic types of computations are supported. Furthermore, this approach cannot be fully automated and places significant demands on the analyst. The approach presented here leverages the capabilities of the free, open-source R program to support both quantitative as well as the existing charting conventions (e.g., style, formatting) expected of commercially available spreadsheet software. The combination of which is a toolset that supports both visual analysis and the integration of robust statistical methods (e.g., multi-level modeling). This paper ends with a discussion on the importance of statistical consultation and training and exploration of free and open-source alternatives to commercial software packages.

 
 
Symposium #551
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Enter Interbehaviorism: Examining the Applied Utility of an Interbehavioral Philosophy
Monday, May 30, 2022
3:00 PM–4:50 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 156C
Area: PCH; Domain: Theory
Chair: Thomas B. Sease (Texas Christian University)
Discussant: Karen Kate Kellum (University of Mississippi)
CE Instructor: Karen Kate Kellum, Ph.D.
Abstract:

The implications of the philosophical underpinnings of behavior analysis have, of late, increasingly become a point of interest for behavior analytic practitioners in the context of their applied work. Despite this increasing interest, practitioners may continue to benefit from increased opportunities to engage with these concepts that have robust applied utility. One such philosophy of behavior science that has garnered a recent increase in attention is that of J.R. Kantor’s Interbehaviorism (Kantor, 1924). Kantor’s approach to analyzing behavior is naturalistic, and dismisses many assumptions that other approaches operate within. In this symposium, we will discuss key behavior analytic concepts from an interbehavioral lens, and examine how approaching these concepts differently could be beneficial in applied settings. The aim of the symposium is to demonstrate how Interbehaviorism can increase a clinician’s sensitivity to responding occurring within sessions potentially even over other modern philosophies of behavior science, including Radical Behaviorism and Functional Contextualism.

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Keyword(s): Function, Interbehaviorism, Learning History, Psychological Event
Target Audience:

-Basic competency in philosophical concepts of Radical Behaviorism (as a prerequisite to contrasting RB conceptualizations with Interbehaviorial conceptualizations).

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) Identify the differences between the Interbehavioral Field Construct and Skinner’s three-term contingency. (2) Identify the potential drawbacks to causal constructs (including contingencies) in applied practice. (3) Identify the differences between the use of the term "function" from an Interbehavioral perspective, and the use of the term "function" from a traditional Radical Behaviorial perspective. (4) Identify two benefits of conceptualizing learning history as part of the current interaction for applied practice.
 
Orienting Toward the Entire Organism: Unit of Analysis From an Interbehavioral Perspective
BRAD MICHAEL PARFAIT (University of Louisiana at Lafayette), Michael C May (Louisiana Contextual Science Research Group; Compassionate Behavioral Healthcare, LLC), Thomas B. Sease (Texas Christian University), Emily Kennison Sandoz (University of Louisiana Lafayette)
Abstract: As philosophical systems, Skinner’s Radical Behaviorism and Kantor’s Interbehaviorism both approach behavioral science as a natural science focused on the interactions among aspects of context and behavior. However, the two philosophies diverge decisively with respect to how they conceptualize their respective subject matter (i.e., behavior) in terms of its units. Perhaps Interbehaviorism’s most distinctive feature is the integrated-field approach from which its subject matter is characterized. From an Interbehavioral perspective, the subject matter of behavior analysis is interbehavior and the primary unit of analysis is the Interbehavioral Field, a.k.a., the psychological event (Kantor 1959). According to Kantor, the interbehavioral field is composed of five co-occurring, participatory factors: stimulus function, response function, history of interbehavior, setting factors (or immediate circumstances), and the medium by which the stimulus is contacted (Lichtenstein, 1984). This presentation will (1) review the Interbehavioral Field as the unit of analysis in behavior analysis, and (2) propose implications for practitioners both within and outside of the therapeutic setting.
 
Does Causality Help or Hinder Our Clinical Agenda?: An Interbehavioral Perspective
MICHAEL C MAY (Louisiana Contextual Science Research Group; Compassionate Behavioral Healthcare, LLC), Thomas B. Sease (Texas Christian University), Janani Vaidya (Louisiana Contextual Science Research Group), Brad Michael Parfait (University of Louisiana at Lafayette), Emily Kennison Sandoz (University of Louisiana Lafayette)
Abstract: Historically, notions of causality have been central to the natural sciences’ endeavor of explaining respective phenomena of interest. This agenda of identifying causal relations has continued in behavior analysis and carried over into its applied domain. Despite Skinner’s call to abandon mechanistic notions of causality as a means of explaining human behavior, the contingency relation promulgated within his philosophical system has continued to function as a linear causal construct. While the contingency relation has facilitated progress in the behavioral sciences, is this search for causality useful to the practitioner? The present paper enumerates the potential problems resulting from continued reliance on notions of causality within clinical contexts and offers a robust alternative drawn from the JR Kantor’s Interbehaviorism (Kantor, 1924). Building upon Kantor’s own criticisms of the validity of causal relations outside of tight experimental conditions, the paper will critically examine the utility of causal relations in the context of applied practice with a particular focus on clinical behavior analysis. Have we gone far enough in diminishing reliance on causal notions in applied behavior analysis, or is it time that we as behavior analysts dispensed with causal constructs altogether?
 
Conjunction Junction, What’s a Function?: Function from an Interbehavioral Perspective
EVA LIEBERMAN (Western Michigan University), Janani Vaidya (Louisiana Contextual Science Research Group), Michael C May (Louisiana Contextual Science Research Group; Compassionate Behavioral Healthcare, LLC), Emily Kennison Sandoz (University of Louisiana Lafayette)
Abstract: Function is arguably one of the most important concepts involved in behavior analysis. In everyday contexts, “function” refers to the natural or intended purpose of an event. Applied to behavior, then, the function of a behavior is its effects. This orientation is part of what distinguishes behavior analytic explanations of behavior from mentalist ones. While behavior analysts may traditionally use function as an explanation of behavior, we offer an alternative perspective. Rather than explanatory, an interbehavioral approach would suggest that “function” serve as a descriptor of behavior, and a term that refers to the observable, bidirectional relationship between stimulus and response (Fryling & Hayes, 2011). Building upon the discussions of units of analysis and causality in the previous papers in this symposium, this paper will approach function in terms of functional relationships, inclusive of co-occurring response functions and stimulus functions. This presentation will also discuss how an interbehavioral perspective on function might be applied in intervention contexts.
 
The Past is Present: An Interbehavioral Approach to Learning History
HEATHER VOLCHKO (Old Dominion University), Mary Abbott (Mary Abbott Therapy Services), Michael C May (Louisiana Contextual Science Research Group; Compassionate Behavioral Healthcare, LLC), Emily Kennison Sandoz (University of Louisiana Lafayette)
Abstract: Learning history and the role it plays in our behavior has been conceptualized differently throughout the history and development of psychology. While cognitivistic conceptualizations of learning history focus on the mediating role of structural constructs like memory, the traditional behavior analytic account has treated learning history in terms of past contingencies of reinforcement coming to bear on present behavior via changes in the biology of the organism (Skinner, 1974). Whether in the form of memory, or hypothetical biological changes to the organism, both treatments of psychological history appeal to hypothetical unobservable constructs to explain how events of the past come to influence behavior in the present. . The current paper considers these dominant approaches in contrast to the treatment of learning history from an interbehavioral perspective - that is, as an aspect of the interbehavioral field. This paper will further explore how approaching history as part of the psychological present (Hayes, 1992) might inform intervention, with a particular emphasis on educational contexts.
 
 
Invited Paper Session #558
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP — 
Ethics
Diversity submission A Risk-Driven Approach to Applied Behavior Analysis Across Ages: Implications for "Medical Necessity"
Monday, May 30, 2022
4:00 PM–4:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 258C
Area: DDA; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Patrick Romani (University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus)
CE Instructor: Rachel Taylor, Ph.D.
Presenting Author: RACHEL TAYLOR (Center for Applied Behavior Analysis)
Abstract:

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is the “gold standard” for service provision aimed at helping young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the increased attention to this population may be detracting from the value associated with taking an ABA approach to support individuals of all ages, across a range of diagnoses. Further, the shift to define ABA as medically necessary for individuals diagnosed with ASD (APBA, April 10, 2020) requires effective patient, provider, and payor collaboration, and recent publications have highlighted the need for structured approaches to decision-making based in analytical ethics to support this transition. Accordingly, APBA released guidelines directing practitioners to provide services based on individualized risk exposure requiring a more patient-informed approach to care. The purpose of the current presentation is to outline a collaborative risk-driven approach designed to help guide practitioners to make ethically informed decisions regarding ABA service delivery, regardless of setting, age, or severity. Considerations regarding a potential divide between science and ABA-based service delivery will be addressed, including misconceptions about that which defines our professional and ethical obligations; specifically, how our related responsibilities extend far beyond particular ABA-based clinical programming procedures, necessitating constant empirical evaluation of the overall continuity of care for a given individual (e.g., placement, transition, community-based activities, and more).

Instruction Level: Intermediate
Target Audience:

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe how ABA services need to be adjusted for individuals across a range of ages and diagnoses; (2) describe the benefits associated with adopting a risk-driven approach to ABA service delivery; (3) identify the defining features of “medically necessary” services and related implications for ABA-based practice across both crisis and non-crisis scenarios; (4) identify several common misconceptions regarding ABA-based practices and procedures and discuss crucial considerations related to established BACB ethical requirements.
 
RACHEL TAYLOR (Center for Applied Behavior Analysis)
Dr. Rachel Taylor (formerly Dr. Tarbox) has supported individuals diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders for more than 20 years. She started her career working in several prestigious institutions including the New England Center for Children and the Kennedy Krieger Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She is the former Co-Director of Research and Development for the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) and the former Chief Clinical Offer for Intercare Therapy, Inc.. Dr. Taylor has also held several academic positions including founding Department Chair for the ABA Masters and PhD programs at The Chicago School of professional Psychology Los Angeles, and Faculty member in Psychology at the California State University Los Angeles and Channel Islands. Dr. Taylor is as an Advisor to the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, Scientific Council member for the Organization for Autism Research, and former Executive Council member for the International Association for Behavior Analysis (ABAI), in addition to her longstanding service on the Board of Directors for the California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA), most recently as the 2020 Conference Chair. Her interests include 1) protecting against a potential divide between science and practice and 2) demonstrating how ABA produces socially significant improvements regardless of age or diagnosis.
 
 
Symposium #577
CE Offered: PSY/BACB
Going "Soft": Exploring Compassion, Mindfulness, and the Therapeutic Relationship in Applied and Clinical Behavior Analysis
Monday, May 30, 2022
5:00 PM–5:50 PM
Meeting Level 1; Room 156C
Area: PCH/CBM; Domain: Theory
Chair: Jessica Auzenne (University of North Texas)
Discussant: Luisa F Canon (Institute for Effective Behavioral Interventions (IEBI)/ ACT to Thrive)
CE Instructor: Luisa F Canon, Psy.D.
Abstract:

Relationship variables such as mindful presence and compassion, though often dismissed as “soft skills,” are critical to the quality and effectiveness of applied and clinical behavior analysis. The job of a behavior analytic practitioner is to identify, critically analyze, and intervene upon relationships between context and behavior, so that they can promote meaningful change. To the extent that the practitioner is part of the context in which all this takes place, the practitioner-client relationship cannot be extracted from the analysis. In this way, the behavior analytic practitioner’s skills with regards to mindfulness and compassion have immense practical value. In this symposium, the presenters will explore these important variables in the therapeutic relationship and present methods for fostering and measuring such components. The first paper presents a conceptual behavioral analysis of compassionate behavior, along with practical implications for behavior analysts. The second paper presents a multiple baseline study across practitioners on the effects of process-based notetaking on clinical behavior analyst mindfulness and subjective alliance. Finally, the discussant will offer thoughts and invite commentary with regards to relationship variables and the therapeutic context provided in behavior analysis.

Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience:

Basic

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) Describe components of a behavioral definition of compassionate behavior; (2) Describe potential benefits of clinical behavior analytic approaches to in-session psychotherapeutic processes, such as alliance; (3) Describe the value of mindfulness and compassion as variables in the therapeutic relationship
 
Beyond Experimental Control: Toward a Behavioral Definition of Compassion and Applications for Behavior Analysts
HANNAH KAPLAN-REIMER (Louisiana Contextual Science Research Group), Emily Kennison Sandoz (University of Louisiana Lafayette)
Abstract: Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), including clinical behavior analysis, is fundamentally a pro-social practice aimed at helping individuals by expanding their repertoires to be more meaningfully effective. However, ABA has faced criticism for lacking certain qualities of compassionate practices such as warmth and flexibility. Recently, perhaps in partial response to these criticisms, more attention is being paid to how we might foster such practices in the field. Though various definitions and descriptions of compassion have been suggested, having a concise, but comprehensive, functional definition of compassion, or compassionate behavior, would be useful in planning, executing, and training such practices effectively. This paper will provide a brief review of definitions of compassion, with particular attention to the utility of extant definitions of compassion in the behavior analytic literature. In addition, we will propose a functional definition of compassionate behavior in terms of the motivating, establishing, or augmenting functions it has for the recipient’s appetitive repertoire. Finally, we will explore implications of this working definition in terms of recommendations for evoking compassionate behavior in behavior-analytic practice, particularly when working with autistic people, their families, and their therapists. We will conclude with suggestions for further areas of research and development.
 
Trust the Process: Examining the Effects of Process-Based Note Taking on Therapist Perceptions of Alliance and Therapist Mindfulness
ABBEY WARREN (University of Louisiana at Lafayette), Emily Kennison Sandoz (University of Louisiana Lafayette)
Abstract: Psychotherapy research has identified the therapeutic alliance between client and therapist as the prototypical integrative variable of therapy due to its importance across all treatment modalities (Wolfe & Goldfried, 1988) and the degree of impact it has on therapy outcome (Jordan, 2003). While most commonly explored outside of behavior analysis, clinical behavior analytic approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) include explicit incorporation of the therapeutic alliance as a fundamental aspect of the contingencies necessary for clinically-relevant learning. A next step in this line of research involves the identification of therapist behaviors that positively impact the development and strength of alliance. For example, the extent to which a therapist exhibits “mindful” behaviors during a therapy session predicts the strength of the alliance. Process-based approaches to therapy emphasize mindfulness and related constructs as clinical processes of change. This study employs a single-case design to monitor the use and effects of process-based note taking across a small sample of therapists. Using a multiple baseline design, effects on therapist mindfulness and therapist perceptions of alliance will be examined in comparison to a baseline phase without the use of process-based note taking. Implications for future research will be discussed.
 
 
Invited Tutorial #578
CE Offered: PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP
Demystifying the Motivating Operation
Monday, May 30, 2022
5:00 PM–5:50 PM
Meeting Level 2; Room 258C
Area: PRA; Domain: Basic Research
PSY/BACB/QABA/NASP CE Offered. CE Instructor: Caio F. Miguel, Ph.D.
Chair: Sarah Frampton (May Institute, Inc. )
Presenting Authors: : CAIO F. MIGUEL (California State University, Sacramento)
Abstract:

Motivating operations (MO) are antecedent variables responsible for the transitory effects of reinforcing consequences. The MO concept helped behavior analysts focus on environmental, rather than organismic variables when trying to predict and control someone’s wants and needs, as MOs can be defined, observed, measured, and manipulated. The MO also served to stimulate research and allow clinicians to better understand behavioral functions in clinical settings. Despite its obvious utility, the MO is a complex and controversial concept involving multiple origins, effects, and functions. The purpose of this talk is to describe the different types of MOs, differentiate between motivational and discriminative effects, and address some of the most common misconceptions about the concept regarding the utility of the value-altering effect, the direct nature of its control over behavior, its private nature, the multiple functions of MOs, and the need for the different types of Conditioned MOs.

Instruction Level: Basic
Target Audience:

Board certified behavior analysts; graduate students; licensed psychologists

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe the two main effects of the MO and why they should be separate; (2) describe the different types of conditioned MOs and their relevance for practice; (3) describe and be able to respond to some of the main criticisms of the MO concept; (4) describe different ways to manipulate MOs; (5) describe the indirect effects of the MO and learn to recognize them.
 
CAIO F. MIGUEL (California State University, Sacramento)
Dr. Caio Miguel is a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Verbal Behavior Research Laboratory at California State University, Sacramento. He is also an adjunct doctoral advisor at Endicott College, MA. He is the past editor of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior and a former Associate Editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. Dr. Miguel's research focuses on the study of verbal behavior and stimulus control. He has given hundreds of professional presentations around the world, and has had 90 manuscripts published in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. He is the recipient of the 2013 award for outstanding scholarly work by the College of Social Sciences at Sacramento State, the 2014 Outstanding Mentor Award by ABAI, the 2019 Award for Excellence in Teaching Verbal Behavior, the 2019 Alumni Achievement Award from the Department of Psychology at Western Michigan University, and the 2020 Jack Michael Award for Outstanding Contributions to Verbal Behavior. He is the co-founder of Verbale - a firm that provides behavior-analytic consultation all around the world.
 

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