Association for Behavior Analysis International

The mission of the Verbal Behavior Special Interest Group (VB SIG) is to disseminate theory, research, and practice to all those interested in Skinner’s (1957) analysis of verbal behavior and a behavioral approach to language. Our dedicated group of elected council members carry out the many functions of the VB SIG. VB News, the SIG’s newsletter, is published three times annually with featured labs, interviews, and articles by both students and influential researchers. The VB SIG Student Group is a forum for students to discuss verbal behavior and write article summaries for our website and newsletter. Students can apply to two annual research awards: one for a completed research project in verbal behavior, and one for a grant proposal for a study in verbal behavior. These awards are presented at the annual business meeting at ABAI, as is the Jack Michael Award for enduring contributions to the study of verbal behavior. There are many ways to interact with others interested in verbal behavior, such as through our website, our listserv, Facebook, emails, and other outlets. The VB SIG Expo poster is a wonderful way for people to learn about the VB SIG and get involved.

The Open Educational Resources SIG aims to promote the adoption, creation, and dissemination of open educational resources in behavior analysis. We build a community of passionate advocates, providing a forum for OER creators to collaborate on new projects, highlight new resources, and reduce the individual workload required to create and manage OERs. We also work to disseminate news about OER and the empirical benefits of these resources within and beyond our membership. Join us to learn more about the benefits of open educational resources for promoting student success and aiding in equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts.

Standard Celeration Society By the SCS Board of Directors The Standard Celeration Society (SCS) became an ABAI special interest group in 1995. The mission of the SCS states to uphold and advance the defining features and conventions of the standard celeration chart. The SCS aims to function as a friendly and enduring forum, supporting application and dissemination of standard celeration charting across an expanding range of practitioners and other stakeholders. The values of the SCS that guide behavior in fulfilling the mission include acknowledgement and appreciation of the founding principles and applications of our science (e.g., “standing on the shoulders of giants”), authenticity, inclusivity, legacy, community, and kindness. Since 2015, the SCS has employed an organizational structure composed of a board of directors and volunteer leadership teams that actively work toward implementing new and maintaining current initiatives designed to further the organization’s mission. We have an active board of directors comprised of five members, each on 3-year terms. In addition to the board, the organization also consists of an executive director, vice presidents, and associate vice presidents. The board of directors provides guidance and decision-making for the SCS executive director, who carries out board initiatives with vice presidents, associate vice presidents, and other volunteers. Current leadership teams include finance, programs, membership, scientific and academic relations, public relations, operations, international relations, diversity, and website services. Since the beginning of 2015, our leadership teams have actively developed the underlying systems to support the SIG’s structure and facilitate institutional memory as there is transition in our leadership roles, an important component for voluntary leadership teams to maintain productivity. Current priority initiatives include providing more free continuing education opportunities for members, publication resources, and training program locations for students interested in academic training, internships, and externships, among others. The SCS offers membership for a low cost and includes discounted rates to annual conference each year, access to the historical publication database of the Journal of Precision Teaching and Celeration, and soon to be announced web-based continuing education events (annual fees: sustaining, $100; full, $50; student, $25). Current initiatives also aim to highlight our organization’s entrepreneurial members. The skills of the members, including insights and strategies developed over decades of business development in the area of precision teaching, are made available to others looking to start their own businesses. This is an exciting opportunity to become involved with the SCS, as this organization has a long history of entrepreneurs creating successful operations that provide clinical/educational services outside the mainstream of applied behavior analysis. Finally, as in many prior years, new and seasoned precision teachers gathered to learn and share research and clinical data at the SCS Annual Conference in November 2021 with both live and virtual attendance options. The society was honored to have Dr. Kent Corso and Kirk Kirby as keynote speakers along with an array of invited addresses, panels, and paper symposia. The SCS awarded Stuart Harder with the Ogden R. Lindsley lifetime achievement award. Additionally, the conference offered a poster session and the annual chart share. This year, we celebrate our 35th Annual Conference November 3 – 5 in Denver, Colorado at the Curtis Hotel. Please visit www.celeration.org for more information regarding the conference. The SCS eagerly welcomes new charters and members into our community. This nurturing group is full of brilliant and seasoned professionals who are always willing to offer advice or mentorship. Simply become a member and see the opportunities accelerate!

The Neuroscience SIG brings together researchers, academics, clinicians, and students interested in the intersections of behavior analysis and neuroscience and has four primary missions: (1) to introduce behavior analytic research to the neurosciences and introduce neuroscience research to behavior analysis; (2) to serve as both a meeting place and training environment for students and professionals alike interested in basic and applied neuroscience research; (3) to serve as a forum for collaborative relationships, funding applications, and the sharing of best practice; and (4) to advocate for and promote high standards in the application of behavior analytic treatments for individuals with neurological dysfunction.