Conference Archive 2018

During this session, the basic principles of applied behavior analysis will be presented for beginners and those who want a review of those principles. This session is appropriate for parents and educators.

This session will provide an overview of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504, related federal agency policy interpretations and state laws, and court decisions specific to students with ASD, with a particular focus on eligibility and methodology issues. The emphasis will be on recent legal developments since the corresponding presentation during last year’s conference.

Doing a behavioral assessment and developing an intervention plan are seldom sufficient for effective ABA services for our clients. As our services rely on many other individuals to support the client, an ABA professional must incorporate Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) into their practice. The presentation will cover some of the essential procedures that can make the difference between a well-designed plan that does not work and one that is contextually appropriate and maximally effective given one’s resources.

This presentation highlights the critical role of early diagnosis and intervention in attenuating the symptoms of autism. Data will be presented on early diagnostic indicators obtained through eye-tracking-based behavioral assays that quantify the social disabilities in autism. The results of these assays were used to generate growth charts of normative social engagement and the deviations from the norm were taken as early indicators of risk. These methods yielded high sensitivity and specificity for the screening of infants. The ultimate goal of this effort is to develop objectified and quantified tools for the detection of autism in infancy, tools that might be deployed in primary care and pediatricians’ offices. This work will be contextualized in terms of recent developmental social neuroscience research with toddlers with autism, which implicated developmentally very early emerging, and evolutionarily highly conserved, mechanisms of social adaptation that set the stage for reciprocal social interaction, which in term represent the platform for early social brain development. These mechanisms of socialization are under stringent genetic control, setting the scientific basis for parent-delivered, community-viable, early treatment in which social engagement is “engineered” via daily activities, thus impacting a child’s development during every moment of social interaction.

Effective screening of infants would be unethical without a clinical infrastructure providing access to family support and early intervention for those screened positive. Through a collaboration with Dr. Amy Wetherby, we are now establishing tools and procedures for the full integration of primary care physicians and early intervention providers with the goal of establishing a new system of healthcare delivery for infants & toddlers with autism spectrum disorders. This system deploys “Early Social Interaction” as its modality of parent-delivered treatment.

This talk will discuss anxiety in straightforward terms and illuminate the extent to which it affects virtually everyone to a certain degree and the extent to which it affects persons with ASD even more. It will also discuss treatment, both in terms of experimental study and clinical application. Finally, because the research on treatment of anxiety in persons with ASD is so limited, the talk will extrapolate from the abundant literature on treatment of anxiety in typically developing persons.

We will review some basic behavioral processes including, but not limited to, discrimination and generalization, attention, operant classes, verbal behavior, higher-order classes, and the distinction between contingency-shaped and verbally governed behavior, We will then consider how these categories relate to significant dimensions of human social behavior, including ethical ones. In doing so we will juxtapose examples of real-world contingencies, as they occur in classrooms and other social environments, with those observed in the laboratory.

Health- and safety-related targets are important in programming for children and adults with autism. Swimming skills are an important target, as children with autism are at a higher risk of drowning than nondisabled peers. Other important targets include participating in dental exams, physical exams, blood draws, and EEGs. Applied behavior analysis offers an effective methodology for teaching these skills. Important procedures in teaching participation in the aforementioned activities will be presented.

Information will be provided to help parents learn how to navigate the confusing range of advice that is provided regarding effective educational programs for students with autism. The session will include an emphasis on how to determine if the claims about interventions have solid evidence and how to determine whether ongoing interventions are providing sufficient evidence of effectiveness. Also included will be a review of published reviews of evidence-based practice.

Many persons with autism fail to acquire advanced mand and intraverbal repertoires. Both repertoires have been the focus of research in recent years. The purpose of this presentation is to review these lines of research and provide conceptual and practical analyses of how to teach these skills in clinical settings. Video illustrations of children acquiring these skills in applied settings will be provided.

Highlighting the critical role of early assessment and intervention in ameliorating the symptoms of ASD, this presentation will focus on early indicators for developmental delay. The purpose of this presentation is to convey the power of behavior analysis by describing a range of evidence-based procedures and programs to increase necessary skills and decrease repetitive behaviors. Skilled behavior analytic practice requires expertise in the basic science of operant behavior, methods of measuring and evaluating behavior change, the technology of ABA, and its conceptual framework. Attendees should bring sample programs and curriculum to discuss and review during this didactic presentation. Opportunities will be provided to review programs and select and arrange exemplars for efficient practices.

It is estimated that up to 65 percent of children diagnosed with autism experience moderate to severe difficulties with language. As such, language and communication impairments are among the most common concerns of parents about their children with ASD. Ranking among some of the top communication priorities reported by parents is the ability to describe events and feelings, answer questions appropriately, and ask others for information. Interventions based in applied behavior analysis have been shown effective in promoting language and communication skills in this population. However, strategies to promote complex social communication, particularly with children with more significant language challenges, are lacking. While typically developing children demonstrate adult-like language production by age 5 and use novel and flexible communication across a variety of topics, children with ASD often have difficulty with more complex language that has not been directly taught. This presentation will cover a series of clinical studies aimed at promoting mands for information, recalling past events, and showing and sharing with peers using a variety of strategies, such as rehearsal, visual and textual prompts, and manipulating motivating operations. Procedures to promote vocal responding as well as use of high-tech AAC devices will be presented.

Health- and safety-related targets are important in programming for children and adults with autism. Swimming skills are an important target, as children with autism are at a higher risk of drowning than nondisabled peers. Other important targets include participating in dental exams, physical exams, blood draws, and EEGs. Applied behavior analysis offers an effective methodology for teaching these skills. Important procedures in teaching participation in the aforementioned activities will be presented.

Token economies are among the oldest and most widely used procedures in applied behavior analysis. Unlike other successful technologies in behavior analysis, however, there has been little substantive contact between applied and basic research with token reinforcement over the years. Despite some 50 years of applied work on token economies, surprisingly little is known about the variables responsible for their effectiveness; they are rarely based on an understanding of the basic principles involved. This is beginning to change, as recent translational research is beginning to uncover the behavioral roots of token reinforcement. In this talk, I will discuss some research from laboratory and applied settings, designed to illustrate the benefits of an integrated approach to research and application. I will also provide concrete examples of how such knowledge of basic processes is translated into clinical practice. This type of function-based applied research has the potential to rapidly advance both the science and application of token systems.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders frequently develop problem behaviors that can range anywhere from relatively mild to extreme. Over the past several decades, differential reinforcement procedures have been refined in such a way that a majority of the problem behavior can be attenuated simply by changes in the interaction style of care providers, family members, teachers, peers, etc. Specifically, differential reinforcement can be implemented fluidly throughout an individual’s life, and this should be no different than any person’s interactions with any other person. That is, we should be providing greater levels of reinforcement for desired behavior and lesser levels of reinforcement for undesired behavior. The presenter will draw from his own research and published research of others to make a case for differential reinforcement as a way of life, and as a treatment for problem behavior in autism.

Social initiation and communication deficits are hallmarks of autism. Mand Training provides a method to teach children to ask for what they want and to initiate interactions with others. This session will discuss the basic principles and procedures of teaching children to make requests. It will include techniques to establish motivation and teach children to approach other people and to develop a broad range of effective requesting behaviors.

Phonetic hand cueing systems are commonly used by speech-language pathologists and promoted in commercially available products (Carahaly, 2012; Kaufman, 2007; Strode, 1994, and others). However, research on the effectiveness of these systems for improving articulation is limited (Hall and Jordan, 1992; Jordan, 1988; Klick, 1985; Stelton & Graves, 1985). This series of studies examines the effect of the systematic use of phonetic hand cues as a stimulus control transfer procedure and compares the relative effectiveness of phonetic hand cue procedures to other commonly used differential reinforcement procedures. Study results reveal rapid acquisition of hand cues, and improved articulation at the syllable and word level, as well as use of hand cues to improve intelligibility in natural settings. Reduction of speech sound errors on formal testing further confirms results. Use of hand cues as part of an ABA or school program, from target selection to generalization of improved articulation across the verbal operants, will be presented and illustrated via video examples. Results confirm previous case study findings that phonetic hand cues may be an effective intervention in promoting speech production skills in children with autism with limited vocal repertoires.

Identifying efficacious, durable, and socially acceptable interventions to promote the health and development of young children is a shared goal among caregivers, pediatricians, child psychologists, and behavior analysts. Sleep problems are prevalent in young children, especially children diagnosed with autism. This interactive presentation will provide attendees with a sound understanding of the factors that worsen and improve children’s ability to achieve age-appropriate amounts of sleep. Discussion will include functional assessment methods as well as evidence-based interventions for addressing common sleep problems such as delayed sleep onset, night or early awakening, nighttime routine noncompliance, and problem behaviors that interfere with sleep onset. As a result, attendees will have a better understanding of how to personalize interventions for existing sleep problems and use program preventative strategies that will help promote healthy sleep in young children.

The tools that a behavior analyst brings to the table with regard to interventions with clients should also be used to govern one’s own behavior. Ethics is a topic that is all encompassing. Practitioners can often face a variety of day-to-day decisions that should be driven by ethics-related undercurrents. This session will provide an analysis of ethical behavioral approaches, practical applications, data collection techniques, and strategies to improve expertise. Daily decisions, integrity, and principles occur in contingencies that should be analyzed and managed to maintain professionalism.

This session will review relevant research illustrating the unique characteristics of autism in females and the secondary impact of prevalence, possibly exacerbating social-communication impairments and risk for co-occurring mental health conditions. Most of the session will focus on designing and implementing interventions to promote overall social-emotional health and an overview of the Girls Night Out (GNO) model, a social skills and self-care program designed to address the unique needs of females with autism. Dr. Jamison will highlight key elements of the program, demonstrate strategies and supports utilized within various sessions, and present meaningful outcomes for girls with autism and their families. Finally, Dr. Jamison will discuss shifting paradigms from designing programs toward constructing models that promote inclusive communities for individuals of all abilities, outlining plans to “scale up” the GNO model, and build capacity to support these girls and women across the lifespan.

Public schools increasingly seek consultation from behavior analysts for students with autism and other developmental disabilities participating in regular education classrooms. This is a very positive development, as applied behavior analysis can often make a tremendous difference in the success of these programs. Many behavior analysts, however, have received most or all of their training in segregated settings. There are significant differences between successfully working 1-1 with learners in clinics or home settings and working with learners in regular education settings. This presentation focuses on teaching skills that behavior analysts and other educators need to be successful in regular education settings. The presentation will cover the obstacles and practical strategies to overcome those obstacles in the areas of assessment, measurement, teaching procedures, treatment of problem behaviors, and social skills.

Many persons with autism fail to acquire advanced mand and intraverbal repertoires. Both repertoires have been the focus of research in recent years. The purpose of this presentation is to review these lines of research and provide conceptual and practical analyses of how to teach these skills in clinical settings. Video illustrations of children acquiring these skills in applied settings will be provided.

Providing services to people with disabilities is a team sport. That means that as BCBAs, behavior analysts need to work collaboratively with other professionals, many from other disciplines. Although working as a member of a multi-disciplinary team can provide wonderful opportunities for professional growth, it can also challenge behavior analysts and pose interesting ethical dilemmas. The purpose of this webinar is to discuss ethical dilemmas faced by BCBA on multi-disciplinary teams and propose a problem-solving framework for addressing these dilemmas.

It is estimated that up to 65 percent of children diagnosed with autism experience moderate to severe difficulties with language. As such, language and communication impairments are among the most common concerns of parents about their children with ASD. Ranking among some of the top communication priorities reported by parents is the ability to describe events and feelings, answer questions appropriately, and ask others for information. Interventions based in applied behavior analysis have been shown effective in promoting language and communication skills in this population. However, strategies to promote complex social communication, particularly with children with more significant language challenges, are lacking. While typically developing children demonstrate adult-like language production by age 5 and use novel and flexible communication across a variety of topics, children with ASD often have difficulty with more complex language that has not been directly taught. This presentation will cover a series of clinical studies aimed at promoting mands for information, recalling past events, and showing and sharing with peers using a variety of strategies, such as rehearsal, visual and textual prompts, and manipulating motivating operations. Procedures to promote vocal responding as well as use of high-tech AAC devices will be presented.

Working to help children with language delays develop communication in the home can be an overwhelming task. This session will provide parents and instructors with functional tools for increasing communication, improving sibling interaction, and decreasing problem behavior in the home environment through set strategies and systems. Participants can watch videos of parents and teams working to develop these skills with children and will have the opportunity to practice the skills throughout the training session.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders frequently develop problem behaviors that can range anywhere from relatively mild to extreme. Over the past several decades, differential reinforcement procedures have been refined in such a way that a majority of the problem behavior can be attenuated simply by changes in the interaction style of care providers, family members, teachers, peers, etc. Specifically, differential reinforcement can be implemented fluidly throughout an individual’s life, and this should be no different than any person’s interactions with any other person. That is, we should be providing greater levels of reinforcement for desired behavior and lesser levels of reinforcement for undesired behavior. The presenter will draw from his own research and published research of others to make a case for differential reinforcement as a way of life, and as a treatment for problem behavior in autism.

This session will provide a review of various strategies and procedures for the delivery of effective, high-quality instruction. The focus will be on evidence-based interventions that include addressing the core issues of autism spectrum disorders, namely communication and social skills. Specific procedures to improve instructional control skills will be emphasized, as well as instructional procedures for both individual and small group sessions.

It is essential that behavior analysts design and implement social communication skills programming that conforms to the core principles of ABA and scientific evidence (Baer et al., 1968; Green, 1996; Normand, 2008). Learn to employ a functional assessment to select socially valid targets for intervention. A conceptual analysis of the stimuli that occasion and maintain simple and complex social skills informs development of functional equivalents for problem behavior. Learn to employ a behavioral skills training model in a group format via “Social Communication Therapy Class” (SCTC) and “Friends and Fitness” (F&F). Methods to target social behaviors, including self-advocacy, negotiation, and conversational skills (complimenting, advanced manding, reflective comments), with direct application via games and contrived problem-solving activities utilizing confederate peers, will be demonstrated via videotape and lesson plan examples. These practical group strategies improve motivation and intraverbal repertoires necessary to develop “mutual interests and experiences,” game knowledge, motor abilities that can be essential in maintaining friendships, and participation in community events. Parent training procedures will also be highlighted.

Doing a behavioral assessment and developing an intervention plan are seldom sufficient for effective ABA services for our clients. As our services rely on many other individuals to support the client, an ABA professional must incorporate Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) into their practice. The presentation will cover some of the essential procedures that can make the difference between a well-designed plan that does not work and one that is contextually appropriate and maximally effective given one’s resources.

While current estimates vary widely, research predicts that college enrollment for students with autism spectrum disorders will increase by at least 114% in the next few years, with more than 430,000 students with autism seeking support on college campuses nationwide by 2020 (Cox, 2017). However, college acceptance does not always indicate a readiness to succeed, even for those who are academically gifted. This presentation will cover the various components of college readiness and their connection to college and career success. In addition, the presentation will review the current emerging landscape of college support structures as well as Autism at Work initiatives. Participants will learn, specifically, how Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is working to get students on the autism spectrum ready for employment, as well as how the Neurodiverse Hiring Initiative at RIT is working to connect job seekers on the autism spectrum with employers seeking neurodiverse talent. Participants will learn through lecture as well as case studies, videos, and activities.

An overwhelming amount of evidence has been amassed, suggesting that interventions derived from a behavior analysis result in effective outcomes. This panel of experts will provide discussions of how and why behavior analysis is central to the educational process for students who present with autism spectrum disorders.

Since the publication of the pioneering work by Hart and Risley (1975, 1978), naturalistic-based interventions, focusing on the acquisition and generalization of social communication, have been increasingly incorporated into applied behavior analytic programs for children with autism. In the past two decades, several researchers have drawn from this literature to develop and divulge comprehensive early intervention models that are said to focus specifically on early social behavior (e.g., Dawson et al., 2009; Rogers & Dawson, 2010). Given the syndrome-specific and primary deficits of autism, intervention that aims to address impairments in social responding early on may result in clinically significant outcomes for this population. Because language is typically acquired in the context of and maintained by social interaction, early focus on establishing people as a source of reinforcement may enable children to acquire verbal behavior under more environmentally valid sources of control. The current presentation will first briefly review the sparse literature on naturalistic interventions and the extent to which, as a scientific community, we have developed both an analysis and subsequent techniques to address and alter the social deficits in autism. The presentation will particularly focus on operationally defining and illustrating strategies to establish early social responding by referring to current behavioral interpretations of joint attention and eye contact as a conditioned reinforcer and derived evidence-based applications to establish language to contact and maintain social interaction.

Family engagement is critical to a high-quality early childhood program. Research in early intervention tells us that parents are a young child’s best teacher. The Autism Navigator is a resource demonstrating coaching practices that can increase a caregiver’s competence and confidence to support their child’s development now and in the child’s future. Embedded in family-based coaching are ABA practices. Family coaching supports parents’ ability to implement ABA strategies, thus increasing time engaged in learning. Family-based coaching is recognized by the CEC’s Division for Early Childhood as an evidence- based practice.

The presentation will examine the empirical evidence to date for speech generating devices (SGD) with respect to implementation and communication outcomes specifically for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Due to the dearth of empirical evidence to support communication programming for this population, the presenters will discuss a behavior analytic framework that can be used for assessment, goal setting, and implementation. Numerous videos will be presented of learners with various skill sets and with different levels of communication. The presenters will discuss the literature specific to SGD users to include experimental design, ages, participant characteristics, implementation/teaching, verbal operants, and theories of language development. There will be a discussion of assessment of learner skill repertoire, matching SGD with learner skill sets, individual goal setting, SGD and language acquisition programming, effect on learner communication and outcome measurements. Lastly, the presenters will discuss the need for further behavior analytic research in the area of Augmentative Alternative Communication, specifically in the area of speech generating devices for individuals with ASD.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provides that students with disabilities have access to the general education curriculum, and Every Student Succeeds Acts includes all students with disabilities in accountability measures, including statewide assessments. For students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, their educators are challenged to prioritize academic content and to present it in a meaningful and relevant way that is aligned to grade-level curriculum and accessible. In this session, participants will be shown Pennsylvania’s prioritized academic content aligned to grade-level standards and eligible content for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Participants will examine the prioritized content known as Alternate Eligible Content (AEC). Participants will use the AEC as a road map to connect instruction to IEP goals and objectives, units and lessons, and Pennsylvania-developed resources in math, reading, writing, and science. Participants will use the AEC to make instructional connections across content areas in a meaningful way while considering the continuum of the least restrictive environment.

This session, especially tailored for families of young children who receive Early Intervention (birth to five) services, will discuss challenges of and solutions to including young children with ASD in the community. A brief framework on national and state inclusion policy and regulation will be provided. The defining features of inclusion—Access, Participation, and Supports—will be illustrated through successful real-life examples of “inclusion in action.” Family presenters will share their expertise in navigating the system, building positive communication and collaborative team processes, and developing IFSP/IEPs that articulate inclusive practices. Perspectives on the benefits of inclusion will be shared by families whose children do not have a disability. Opportunities for participation in Parent-Cafe-style discussion related to sharing successes and common inclusion concerns will occur. Participants will leave with a “take-away” message identified through the Cafe. Resources will be abundant. Examples of simple assistive technology solutions will be available.

Problem behaviors like meltdowns, self-injury, aggression, or intractable stereotypy will often require address at some point in the life span of a person diagnosed with autism or intellectual disabilities. There is strong evidence supporting behavioral intervention to address these problem behaviors, with better outcomes evident when (a) the functions of these behaviors inform treatment, (b) skills relevant to the core deficits associated with autism are developed in the treatment, and (c) the treatment prepares the person with autism for life’s inevitable ambiguities, disappointments, and opportunities. In this presentation, a practical (fast, safe, and effective) functional assessment process that informs this sort of treatments will be described. Safety and dignity are paramount in this process that relies on a functional analysis of problem behavior personalized from an interview with parents and teachers. The progressive skill-based treatment process will then be reviewed in the context of several controlled case studies.

Mathematics learning is an intricate web of connected concepts. Teaching students to access new content beyond rote math facts and problem-solve mathematically requires the ability to identify and verify the needed component skills and instruct students so they build the content base necessary to apply to a variety of mathematical problems. In this session, participants will examine mathematical content, the necessary component skills, development of early numeracy skills and skills sequence as well as determine how to access content contained with the Pennsylvania Math Standards.

Mathematics learning is an intricate web of connected concepts. Teaching students to access new content beyond rote math facts and problem-solve mathematically requires the ability to identify and verify the needed component skills and instruct students so they build the content base necessary to apply to a variety of mathematical problems. In this session, participants will examine mathematical content, the necessary component skills, development of early numeracy skills and skills sequence as well as determine how to access content contained with the Pennsylvania Math Standards.

The concept of “motivating operations” (MO) has had an immense impact on theory, research, and practice in applied behavior analysis (ABA). I will provide an overview of MOs, as well as definitions of the key concepts related to MOs, including establishing operations, abolishing operations, unconditioned MOs, and conditioned MOs. I will describe a series of practical lessons from the applied research on MOs using concepts, procedures, and diagrams. The practical lessons span seven areas of practice and types of analyses in ABA: (1) mand for tangible items training, (2) mand for information training, (3) preference assessment, (4) functional analysis of problem behavior: pre-session manipulations, (5) functional analysis of problem behavior: within-session manipulations (6) treatment of problem behavior, and (7) organizational behavior management. I will close the presentation with a summary of recommendations for practice and recommendations for future research.

This session is intended to address the needs of students with autism who present with limited or absent tact (labeling) and mand (requesting) repertoires. The presenter will review conceptual skills and protocols necessary to establish basic skills sets. A significant focus of the session will be on the process of establishing early instructional control as well as establishing the value of social interaction. The session will cover assessment procedures, skill sequencing, and instructional program development; as well as strategies for organizing instructional materials. Specific strategies relevant to teaching across a variety of operants including mand, imitation, listener responding, and tact will be presented.

Perhaps the most complex area of intervention in ASD is the development of functionally relevant social skills and social behavioral competencies. Social skills are, by their very nature, complex decision skills and their use is tied directly to different environmental contexts (e.g., home v. work v. church). In addition, it is not uncommon for an individual with ASD to acquire a specific social skill but then fail to generalize its use to the more typical environment, as the contingencies supporting the skill are quite different than they were during instruction. This workshop will provide an overview of the myriad challenges associated with the development of generalized social competencies that maintain across time in college-bound adults with ASD. In addition, intervention strategies designed to address these challenges will be reviewed.

IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) guide the delivery of special education and related services and supplementary aids and supports for children with disabilities in Pennsylvania. This parent-focused session will review IDEA, the special education process, eligibility for special education services, statewide timelines, common acronyms, the IEP process, the IEP and other relevant documents, as well as roles and responsibilities of IEP team members.

This session will review social skills strategies for students with autism and intellectual disabilities. This presentation will cover assessment, procedures, and implementation of social skills for students ranging in age and skill level. The information presented will be based upon a social skills sequence that is aligned with individual assessments and data-based decision making. It will review topics related to mand training, strategies for conditioning peers as reinforcers, peer to peer manding, and play and leisure skills, as well as identify a sequence of social skills or established curriculum that is used to assess, teach, and monitor social skills.

Teachers and service providers often struggle with selecting skill sets to teach and in what order to teach them. This session will review arrangement of instructional sequences across instructional levels, which increases result in established repertoires that not only lead to acquisition of skills taught, but also to generalization and facilitation of the development of complex skills, and generate an indefinite number of novel responses, without having to teach every response directly. In addition to suggested curricular sequences, several instructional procedures and guidelines on data-based decision making regarding when to discontinue programs as well as when to move on to more complex skills will be reviewed.

Effective July 1, 2017, all four bureaus of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) implemented an announcement to provide guidance to early learning programs in PA who receive funding from OCDEL. The purposes of the announcement are to raise awareness of the seriousness of suspension and expulsion of young children from their early learning settings, and to provide support for reducing these actions. This session will provide information for families and service providers about the expectations of the announcement and the supports that OCDEL is making available to all children and families, including children with ASD.

Effective July 1, 2017, all four bureaus of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) implemented an announcement to provide guidance to early learning programs in PA who receive funding from OCDEL. The purposes of the announcement are to raise awareness of the seriousness of suspension and expulsion of young children from their early learning settings, and to provide support for reducing these actions. This session will provide information for families and service providers about the expectations of the announcement and the supports that OCDEL is making available to all children and families, including children with ASD.

This session will briefly recount the history of the sibling movement, discuss the sibling experience based upon research and personal experience, and provide some suggestions to parents on how best to support their non-disabled children.

Problem behaviors like meltdowns, self-injury, aggression, or intractable stereotypy will often require address at some point in the life span of a person diagnosed with autism or intellectual disabilities. There is strong evidence supporting behavioral intervention to address these problem behaviors, with better outcomes evident when (a) the functions of these behaviors inform treatment, (b) skills relevant to the core deficits associated with autism are developed in the treatment, and (c) the treatment prepares the person with autism for life’s inevitable ambiguities, disappointments, and opportunities. This presentation describes a practical (fast, safe, and effective) functional assessment process that informs this type of treatment. Safety and dignity are paramount in this process that relies on a functional analysis of problem behavior, personalized from an interview with parents and teachers. The progressive skill-based treatment process will then be reviewed in the context of several controlled case studies.

Perhaps the most complex area of intervention in ASD is the development of functionally relevant social skills and social behavioral competencies. Social skills are, by their very nature, complex decision skills and their use is tied directly to different environmental contexts (e.g., home v. work v. church). In addition, it is not uncommon for an individual with ASD to acquire a specific social skill, but then fail to generalize its use to the more typical environment, as the contingencies supporting the skill are quite different than they were during instruction. This workshop will provide an overview of the myriad challenges associated with the development of generalized social competencies that maintain across time in college-bound adults with ASD. In addition, intervention strategies designed to address these challenges will be reviewed.

Establishing a strong team for students is vital. We will be discussing ways we increase collaboration, communication, and relationships at a community, district, and building level when working with our students.  We will review how we utilize a team approach to generalize skills and maintain a consistent program.

This sessions aims to give participants strategies to coach classroom teams. Some strategies include the importance of regular and clear descriptive feedback, reinforcing staff skills sets, as well as modeling and guided practice of procedures.

We have created a model promoting the compilation and collaboration of two AS programs, essentially merging them into one that is grounded on scientific principles and evidence-based teaching practices.

The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is a fusion of developmental, relationship-based, and behavioral interventions for young children who are on the autism spectrum or who have red flags/concerns that they may be on the autism spectrum. It is a comprehensive program that incorporates assessment and progress monitoring across developmental domains. The ESDM incorporates collaboration with parents and other caregivers and is implemented across a variety of routines. This session will highlight the experiences of two Early Intervention providers who pursued certification in the ESDM and who have been using it in conjunction with coaching practices to impact children and families. Topics discussed will include applying ESDM objectives to IFSPs, team collaboration, family roles, and fidelity. The presenters will discuss their successes and challenges to assist attendees with the implementation of the ESDM in their programs.

LEAP Preschool has been providing inclusive, evidence-based research and programming for over 30 years. This workshop will review LEAP’s history and current research and provide strategies for effective programming and inclusive practices for children on the spectrum and their same-age peers. These strategies will focus on pre-planning to create meaningful interactions and learning throughout the preschool day.

Since the publication of the pioneering work by Hart and Risley (1975, 1978), naturalistic-based interventions, focusing on the acquisition and generalization of social communication, have been increasingly incorporated into applied behavior analytic programs for children with autism. In the past two decades, several researchers have drawn from this literature to develop and divulge comprehensive early intervention models that are said to focus specifically on early social behavior (e.g., Dawson et al., 2009; Rogers & Dawson, 2010). Given the syndrome-specific and primary deficits of autism, intervention that aims to address impairments in social responding early on may result in clinically significant outcomes for this population. Because language is typically acquired in the context of and maintained by social interaction, early focus on establishing people as a source of reinforcement may enable children to acquire verbal behavior under more environmentally valid sources of control. The current presentation will first briefly review the sparse literature on naturalistic interventions and the extent to which, as a scientific community, we have developed both an analysis and subsequent techniques to address and alter the social deficits in autism. The presentation will particularly focus on operationally defining and illustrating strategies to establish early social responding by referring to current behavioral interpretations of joint attention and eye contact as a conditioned reinforcer and derived evidence-based applications to establish language to contact and maintain social interaction.

Teachers and service providers often struggle with selecting skill sets to teach and in what order to teach them. This session will review arrangement of instructional sequences across instructional levels, which increases result in established repertoires that not only lead to acquisition of skills taught, but also to generalization and facilitation of the development of complex skills, and generate an indefinite number of novel responses, without having to teach every response directly. In addition to suggested curricular sequences, several instructional procedures and guidelines on data-based decision making regarding when to discontinue programs as well as when to move on to more complex skills will be reviewed.

Children typically acquire language, not just through explicit learning trials arranged by parents and teachers, but by a process of automatic reinforcement. They first acquire a repertoire of discriminative responses to what they hear as well as an echoic repertoire that enables them to repeat what they hear. Assuming that they have normal hearing, they hear themselves when they speak. They can any detect discrepancies between their own speech and that of others, and this permits a process of automatic shaping toward the practices of the verbal community. (The process is analogous to a novice picking out a tune on a piano.) In this presentation, I will review some demonstration experiments that suggest that both grammar and prosody can be acquired this way. Since both grammar and prosody are features of complex verbal behavior, automatic reinforcement appears to be of fundamental importance in moving beyond the elementary verbal operants when addressing language deficits in children.

This workshop is designed primarily for practitioners who have some familiarity with the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysis from the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) and wish to improve their skills to identify and analyze ethical challenges, develop strategies to resolve ethical challenges, refine their skills to tactfully and effectively resolve ethical challenges, and obtain CEUs in the ethics domain as required for BACB recertification. Others, including licensed psychologists, who are interested in applying BACB ethical guidelines to real-world ethical challenges in practice and research are also encouraged to attend. Participants should be prepared to describe and discuss real world ethics cases in a manner that protects the identity of those individuals involved in the ethics cases. (limited to 30 participants)

Teaching or improving speech skills is a critical goal in many instructional programs for individuals with developmental disabilities. However, many professionals are unsure how to design and organize a speech-teaching program or how to best collaborate with speech pathologists who are providing such treatment. In this presentation, Dr. Esch will discuss some of the basics and not-so-basics of speech instruction including an overview of speech production, pre-skills needed for speech learning, assessment of existing speech repertoires, target selection sequence, and the role of echoic and vocal mand training in speech acquisition. A model will be provided for developing a speech-training program. The talk will include a review of several evidence based behavioral training procedures aimed at developing vocal (speech) skills within the context of the verbal operants (Skinner, 1957). Finally, Dr. Esch will discuss some common instructional errors in speech teaching and suggest alternatives to these.

One of the most common misconceptions in the field of applied behavior analysis is that discrete trial instruction fails to support the generalization of skills to real life applications. This session will teach participants how to take an active role in planning for and monitoring the generalization of skills instead of relying on more passive methods. The presentation will provide participants with recommendations for programming, target selection, lesson plan development, and goal setting. Throughout the presentation, examples and practical resources from classrooms across the state of Pennsylvania will be shared. Suggestions for preventing and addressing barriers to implementation as well as ethical considerations will also be discussed.

This session will focus on the various points critical to establishing an effective internal coach within a school district. An internal coach plays a crucial role in sustaining effective school-based instruction for students with autism – providing staff training and program guidance and ensuring the principles of behavior analysis are applied to all programs. The focus will be on different procedures that the internal coach uses to ensure effective instruction for all students. There will be recommendations and specific supports provided to bring these effective procedures to more districts across the country.

For many individuals on the autism spectrum, graduation from high school (whether at age 18- or 21-years) is also a time of “aging out” of entitlement services guaranteed under IDEA. Unfortunately, research indicates that most graduates with autism will have “a difficult time following high school for almost any outcome they choose – working, continuing school, living independently, socializing and participating in the community, and staying healthy and safe. To complicate matters, many such youth begin their journey into adulthood by stepping off a services cliff.” Roux, et al, 2015, p. 8. Part of this might be understood as resulting from the limited availability of appropriate services in adulthood. But some of the responsibility can be attributed to the limited or, at times, simply inadequate, transition programming provided by schools. This workshop will provide a brief overview of some of the challenges to the provision of effective transition programming, discuss the importance of focusing instruction and intervention outside of the classroom using evidence-based practices, and provide recommendations moving forward.

All mands are multiply controlled. While there is a clear benefit to establishing a broad repertoire of basic mand skills for items that are present, a full mand repertoire requires a broad range of skills that involve multiply controlled responses. This session will include a description of the variables that control mand responses across a range of conditions and provide guidance on effective instructional procedures. It will include a review of strategies to integrate mand training across the day and specific protocol for teaching tact to mand transfers, yes-no mands, interrupted chain procedures, and mands for information. The importance of shaping appropriate expansion of mand forms will be reviewed.

One educational method that is highly effective and supported by published evidence is fluency training. Fluency training is implemented for skills that a child can demonstrate but not at a speed that is efficient. It serves to build the rate at which particular skills are emitted. Many educators are familiar with fluency for academic skills such as words read correctly per minute. This session will extend verbal skills using fluency training. Rate data is a valid measurement and fluency training is an effective teaching tool; however, an analysis of when to use such tools is important for maximizing effective instructional time. Skills taught to fluency aims serve to build retention, endurance, stability and promote generalization for more complex language.

This session will highlight mand training programs from elementary to high school with a focus on how the program evolves from basic mand programs to more natural opportunities using interrupted chains, mands for information, as well as age appropriateness for target selection and training.

Students with autism are a growing population on college campuses. Services and programs are growing across the country and Pennsylvania is leading the way. The commonwealth has more programs for students on the spectrum than any other state. Current students will talk about what the experience of college is like, how they have adjusted to a new environment and different type of education than K-12. A history of the programs and their development in the commonwealth will precede the panel. Students, professionals and parents will all benefit from hearing the discussion from this knowledgeable panel.

One of the most common misconceptions in the field of applied behavior analysis is that discrete trial instruction fails to support the generalization of skills to real life applications. This session will teach participants how to take an active role in planning for and monitoring the generalization of skills instead of relying on more passive methods. The presentation will provide participants with recommendations for programming, target selection, lesson plan development, and goal setting. Throughout the presentation, examples and practical resources from classrooms across the state of Pennsylvania will be shared. Suggestions for preventing and addressing barriers to implementation as well as ethical considerations will also be discussed.

Stimulus control can be described as a behavioral phenomenon is which a particular set of behaviors can be reliably strengthened in the presence of one set of circumstances and weakened in the absence of those circumstances. A strong conceptual grasp on how stimulus control is established is critical to effectively teach and develop socially adaptive behaviors for individuals with disabilities, including autism. The initial focus of this presentation will be a tutorial on what stimulus control is, how it works, how it is different from motivational control, and its role in the control over non-verbal and verbal repertoires of behavior. The second half of the talk will cover errorless learning, its history, its importance in the development of socially adaptive behaviors, and some of the research-based procedures shown to be effective in good instructional design.

Children typically acquire language, not just through explicit learning trials arranged by parents and teachers, but by a process of automatic reinforcement. They first acquire a repertoire of discriminative responses to what they hear as well as an echoic repertoire that enables them to repeat what they hear. Assuming that they have normal hearing, they hear themselves when they speak. They can any detect discrepancies between their own speech and that of others, and this permits a process of automatic shaping toward the practices of the verbal community. (The process is analogous to a novice picking out a tune on a piano.) In this presentation, I will review some demonstration experiments that suggest that both grammar and prosody can be acquired this way. Since both grammar and prosody are features of complex verbal behavior, automatic reinforcement appears to be of fundamental importance in moving beyond the elementary verbal operants when addressing language deficits in children.

(limited to 30 participants)

Teaching or improving speech skills is a critical goal in many instructional programs for individuals with developmental disabilities. However, many professionals are unsure how to design and organize a speech-teaching program or how to best collaborate with speech pathologists who are providing such treatment. In this presentation, Dr. Esch will discuss some of the basics and not-so-basics of speech instruction including an overview of speech production, pre-skills needed for speech learning, assessment of existing speech repertoires, target selection sequence, and the role of echoic and vocal mand training in speech acquisition. A model will be provided for developing a speech-training program. The talk will include a review of several evidence based behavioral training procedures aimed at developing vocal (speech) skills within the context of the verbal operants (Skinner, 1957). Finally, Dr. Esch will discuss some common instructional errors in speech teaching and suggest alternatives to these.

Talented instructors and leaders often develop their skills through training outside of educational coursework. Identifying the right areas to focus on can be overwhelming. This session will provide skill sequences for supervision and discuss key components for behavior analytic professional mentorship. Competency checklists and strategies for developing skill sets will be shared.

This session provides information related to preventing, addressing, and managing problem behavior for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).  The session’s focus will be on how to prevent problem behavior by teaching appropriate alternative behavior, as well as how to systematically address problem behavior when it occurs. Participants will learn procedures to teach appropriate transitions from a preferred activity, giving up preferred items, waiting for reinforcement, and accepting being told, “No.” 

This session will review direct instruction history, basic research, available curricula, and prerequisite skills necessary prior to consideration for placement within programs. Specific use of placement assessments, signals across curricula, and the use of within-program assessments will be discussed. Classroom examples of single and small-group presentations will be used to demonstrate the implementation of specific programs with students diagnosed with autism within the classroom setting. Variables related to effective group instruction will also be reviewed.

Down syndrome and autism can be challenging disabilities separately; when combined, the challenges can be quite complex and oftentimes are misunderstood by the family members and professionals in the individual’s life. This workshop will take a look at what we know about DS-ASD, explore basic behavioral red flags from childhood through adulthood, help you learn more about the differences in thought processes and the strategies that can be used, and discuss the importance of building a support network and care team throughout the lifespan.

This presentation will cover evidence-based practices for toilet training children with autism and other developmental disabilities. In addition, this session will discuss collaborative practices for parents and school based service providers.

Many children with autism do not acquire speech as their primary form of communication. Procedures derived from behavior analysis have shown promise in supporting speech development in children with autism. This session will describe scientifically-informed assessment, programming, and implementation techniques that have been shown to increase speech production and improve speech clarity in the home and classroom. The session will also discuss how to select the most fitting procedure(s) based on specific learner characteristics.

The goal of treatment for children with feeding disorders is to ensure the child has adequate nutrition and calories to gain weight or grow. We also want to address any skill deficits that prevent a child from meeting his or her feeding milestones. Although our behavior-analytic services provide a foundation for increasing appropriate mealtime behavior, such as accepting and swallowing bites of healthy foods and drinks, caregivers play a crucial role in maintaining their child’s long-term success. We believe that caregiver adherence to recommendations is the greatest predictor of success towards age-typical eating. In this presentation, I will discuss our team’s current clinical research, how we collect and analyze data on caregiver behavior before and after treatment, and how we train caregivers to implement feeding protocols. I will also discuss current limitations surrounding caregiver training in the pediatric feeding disorder literature and future directions