Speaker Series Day 3:

Thursday, March 26th, 2020

1. Speaker: Dr. Rebecca MacDonald, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Title: Identification of Early Markers of Autism in Infant Siblings

Abstract: Infant siblings of children diagnosed with ASD have a 19% recurrence risk at 3 years old (Ozonoff et al., 2011). The point at which symptoms emerge is documented in the literature as occurring within 6-12
months. Graupner and Sallows (2017), in a sample of 67 infant siblings, reported symptoms in children under 3 months old. Using weekly developmental assessments and ABA early intervention they were able to remediate symptoms in 13 of 14 symptomatic siblings. The purpose of this presentation is to
describe our current work toward replicating these findings. We hypothesize that if treatment begins at or before 6 months, with a high intensity, outcomes will be better. Currently 48 siblings under 6 months of age have been recruited and are receiving bi- weekly screenings focusing on identifying symptoms.
Five of those babies have shown some symptoms and ABA therapy and/or parent coaching is being provided. All babies receive standardized assessment at 3-month intervals. Data to date reveal that earlier age and greater intensity of treatment results in best outcomes. These findings have implication for service delivery and long term financial obligations.

Learning Objectives: 

• The participant will be able to describe the research on early identification of symptomatology in infant siblings.
• The participant will be able to describe the early social deficits in children with autism.
• The participant will be able to describe how to provide therapy to infants who display earlysymptoms Autism using the BIRP curriculum model.

2. Speaker: Amanda Guld Fisher, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Title: How consumers, clinicians, and academic faculty can collaborate to improve the future of behavior analytic service delivery

Abstract: This speaker series will review the roles of consumers, clinicians, and academic faculty in service delivery in our field. We will discuss how each role contributes to the training of future clinicians and direct support staff. We will discuss the strengths and limits of each role and how understanding these strengths and limits can help us to improve the quality of services. We will discuss how we can better collaborate in the future to improve our field and affect the change in quality we aim to see.

Target Audience: anyone - beginner

Learning Objectives:

• State one strength and one limit of each role as it relates to training future clinicians and direct support staff.
• List three ways you can collaborate with other people outside your role.

3. Speaker: Kevin Callahan, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA

Title: Social Validity and Autism Treatment: The Case for Comprehensive
Programming and Assessment (Or, How ABA May be Losing Its Heart)

Abstract: This presentation will summarize the two major categories of evidence for determining “evidence-based practices” in autism treatment, including both empirical and social validity. Wolf’s 1978 seminal work in social validation, and current research assessing the social validity of EBPS in autism will be presented. Applied Behavior Analysis and TEACCH will be assessed within a social validity framework to determine whether or not they are truly comprehensive treatment models in autism.

Target Audience: parents and ABA practitioners

Learning Objectives:

• Define the meaning of “social validity” according to Wolf (1978)
• Identify components of autism treatment that are both socially and empirically valid
• Describe resources for attaining information about the implementation of socially valid autism treatments, including the National ProfessionalDevelopment Center for Autism Spectrum Disorder (NPDC), and the National Autism Center’s National Standards Report.

4. Speaker: Dr. Byron Wine, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Title: Decreasing Turnover in Human Services

Abstract: While all organizations have to contend with turnover, human services face unique difficulties. Among other challenges, human services expect employees to engage in high-effort work, often without being able to offer highly competitive salaries. Moreover, human services rely heavily
on entry-level employees to deliver services and so high rates of turnover can make effective treatment difficult. This presentation will define turnover rate, how to calculate the cost of turnover, and present several strategies to decrease unwanted turnover in front-line employees. Additionally, we will explore some ideas for retaining behavior analysts.

​Target Audience: practicing behavior analysts

Learning Objectives:

• Define turnover
• Identify and create and an intervention for the most common factors impacting turnover in direct care staff
• State methods to decrease turnover in behavior analysts

5. Speakers: Frank L. Bird, M.Ed., BCBA, LABA & 

Helena Maguire, M.S., LABA, BCBA

Title: Supervision and Training: A Professional Obligation of Clinical Practitioners

Abstract: Supervision is an essential component to the maintenance of the procedural integrity with which organizational systems are implemented. Supervising the implementation of any given system by others is not synonymous with one’s own implementation of that same system. In other words, doing is not the same as overseeing. Thus, effective supervision requires specific training, training in the component skills of supervision itself. This presentation will outline a supervisory training system developed over a period of time to ensure effective, efficient, and acceptable training and ongoing supervision of staff within a human service organization. A description of the general structure and content areas of this training system will be reviewed and examples will be provided. Specific component skills such as conducting procedural integrity checks and providing feedback will then be described in detail to highlight training methods incorporated into the supervisory training system that result in the targeted outcome measures. The presentation will end with selected exemplars of performance management competencies of supervisors who completed this supervisory training series over the past several years.

Target Audience: clinicians, educators and administrators responsible for training and professional development

Learning Objectives:

• Identifying effective component skills of supervision
• Application of OBM principles and procedures for supervising employees in service delivery
• Understanding the benefits of systems-wide training and supervision

6. Speakers: Richard M. Foxx, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Tim Caldwell, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Nina Carraghan, M.A., BCBA, & Keith Williams, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Title: Panel Discussion

Abstract: Event details coming soon...