Association for Behavior Analysis International

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020) discusses the importance of health for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) in order that they be able to work, learn and be engaged citizens within their community. This panel will discuss the development of interprofessional collaborations, and the application of behavior analysis to healthcare for individuals with ID/DD. Panelists will discuss a case example from the Special Olympics- United Arab Emirates where a Unified Healthcare Program has been created and ABA professional development training, incorporating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), has been successfully delivered. Article 25 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities reinforces the right of individuals with ID/DD to attain the highest standard of healthcare, without discrimination on the basis of disability. It follows that the attitudes of healthcare professionals towards patients with ID/DD is of great importance. A discussion will be facilitated about the challenges when using self-report measures of attitude and the utility of assessing implicit attitudes using the Function Acquisition Speed Test (FAST). Panelists will discuss the value of the FAST in situations where respondents are unaware of their attitudes in certain socially sensitive contexts, such as in the healthcare of patients with ID/DD.

All behavior analysts and graduate behavior analysts in training interested to learn more about the application of behavior analysis to healthcare.