Conference Speakers

John Austin, PHD

Keynote: Getting Results: Behaviors that Deliver Improvements (1.5 Supervision CEUs)

Leaders today are under pressure to deliver results, but as you know, pressure alone does not make it happen.  How can leaders or coworkers like you deliver better results? Dr. John Austin will discuss evidence-based strategies for producing measurable improvements in a wide variety of industries.  Backed up by years of scientific research, large-scale practical applications, and his nearly 100 scholarly articles in behavioral science, he will share a series of behaviors and mindsets that any leader, supervisor, or coworker can engage in to deliver rapid and lasting change.  These practices also improve relationships, improve retention, and increase psychological safety on your teams. Dr. Austin will deliver this message through stories and examples, in an entertaining and accessible way, and participants will leave with ideas for effective strategies they can immediately apply.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe what drives behavior and the most reliable way to change it (it’s not what you think it is)
2. Describe what drives results in your organization
3. Describe 5 things any leader can do to improve results

Biography: Dr.  John Austin is an internationally recognized expert in human performance and author of #1 Amazon bestselling book, “Results: The science approach to better productivity, profitability, and safety.”

He is the CEO of Reaching Results, where he teaches leaders to create more effective work environments.  Dr. Austin was also a professor of psychology at Western Michigan University.  He has consulted with organizations for thirty years to improve productivity and safety.

John and his teams have been instrumental in delivering over 10,000 work improvement, quality, and safety projects that have generated millions of dollars in improvements to businesses.  They have coached over 350 senior leaders from many companies and nineteen countries to help them improve business performance.

In the area of improving work performance John is the most published author between 1977-2019 in the Journal of Organizational Behavior Managment.  Overall, he has published nearly 100 articles and chapters, delivered hundreds of presentations at regional, national, and international conferences and business meetings.

John coaches leaders, teaches courses on behavioral leadership, difficult conversations, and safety leadership, and is an event speaker on these topics.

Workshop: Become the ABA leader your team deserves: OBM strategies that can immediately level-up your leadership (3 Supervision CEUs)

Leadership is a verb not a noun.  It’s not merely a title.  In fact power and influence derived from your designated job title or description is the weakest form.  Nor is leadership a bag of tricks to pull out when the team needs a pick-me-up . . . although there are techniques which can boost happiness, optimism, performance, and retention.

A sneak peek at the things you’ll learn during this highly interactive workshop:

• “Leadership” is a set of behaviors (governed by the same laws as all behavior) that you can learn, practice, master, and use for good.  Dr. Austin will share some of the most impactful behaviors he has learned from coaching hundreds of leaders in 19 countries (plus handouts, worksheets, and learning aids that you can immediately put into practice).
• Effective leaders are self-managers as well as task and people managers.  Our observation is that selfless ABA leaders are the last to put on their masks, not the first (as airlines recommend), and this has a detrimental effect on their effectiveness, their teams, and their health.  Dr. Austin will help you look in the mirror on your self-management strategies.
• Effective leaders create followership through strong relationships with their peers, maintaining high standards of performance, and coaching/mentoring to bring out the best in their teams.  Dr. Austin will discuss elements of these response classes plus a simple 5-step process for improving any organizational result.
• All of this is based on Dr. Austin’s new OBM book, RESULTS: The science-based approach to better productivity, profitability, and safety.

“Oh is that ALL”, you ask?  Your facilitator will endeavor to coach and present with fun and humor (because if we’re not all having fun, what’s the point??!?!).

With Dr. Austin’s 30 years of OBM research and coaching, he will bring together his real-world experiences and knowledge & passion of the science of OBM.

Evidence-based does not have to mean BORING.  Dr. Austin will seek to engage the audience and learn together while discussing real-world applications of techniques that you can immediately implement to rapid improvement.

Learning objectives:

1. The learner will be able to describe the 3 drivers of behavior and know which one we should focus on.
2. The learner will know the 5 steps of the behavior change process
3. The learner will be able to define psychological safety and one way they can create it in their teams

Tyra Sellers, JD., PhD, BCBA-D

Keynote: Professional Development — Cultivating Your Garden of Knowledge and Skills (1.5 Ethics CEUs)

Behavior analysts are typically life-long learners, and those who are certified are required to engage in on-going professional development. There are ethical implications for engaging in regular self-observation and evaluation of one’s scope of competence and very real risks of failing to do so. In this talk we will explore practical strategies for taking an active approach to evaluating and planning one’s professional development activities. We will also talk about professional development activities from the broader context of engaging with one’s professional community in service of the health and success of the profession of applied behavior analysis.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will be able to describe standards from the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (2020) and the RBT Ethics Code 2.0 (2022) related to ongoing professional development.
2. Participants will be able to describe the risks of not engaging in regular self-evaluation of one’s scope of competence.
3. Participants will be able to describe at least 2 strategies for evaluating one’s scope of competence.

Biography: Tyra P. Sellers is the CEO of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts. She earned a B.A. in Philosophy and M.A. in Special Education from San Francisco State University, a J.D. from the University of San Francisco, a Ph.D. from Utah State University, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst(R). Her professional and research interests focus on professional ethics, training and supervision, assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior, and variability. Dr. Sellers has over 20 years of clinical experience working with individuals with disabilities in a wide variety of settings. She has held positions as an Assistant Professor at Utah State University and as the Director of Ethics at the Behavior Analyst Certification Board(R). She has published several journal articles, four co-authored book chapters, co-authored the book titled Building and Sustaining Meaningful and Effective Relationships As A Supervisor and Mentor and the workbook titled pair titled The New Supervisor Workbook and The Consulting Supervisor’s Workbook. She currently serves on the editorial boards for several journals.

Workshop: Addressing Staff Performance Needs (3 Supervision CEUs)

Abstract: Supervisors are responsible for maintaining and shaping the skills of their supervisees and trainees. This process necessarily includes providing feedback (praise and corrective) about their staff’s performance. Research on feedback and performance management should inform the approach that supervisors take, unfortunately, many behavior analysts do not receive explicit instruction on these skills. In this workshop we will review and practice strategies from the literature that supervisors can use to inform their feedback practices. We will also discuss the Performance Diagnostic Checklist – Human Services (PDC-HS), a structured assessment designed to identify the environmental variables contributing to employee performance concerns in human-service settings that has been successfully used to help several different performance concerns in a variety of human-service settings. A revised version of the PDC-HS has recently been evaluated, so we will dive into how the use the revised version of the PDC-HS (1.1) to support efforts to identify and address staff performance needs.

Learning Objectives:
1. Attendees will be able to describe what bi-directional feedback is.
2. Attendees will be able to describe at least 3 evidenced-based strategies related to providing high-quality corrective/supportive feedback to support staff performance needs.
3. Attendees will be able to describe the risks of failing to provide high-quality corrective/supportive feedback.
4. Attendees will be able to describe the main categories of environmental influencers of staff performance issues.
5. Attendees will be able to describe the main components of the PDC-HS 1.1.

Dr. Sarah Casella Jones, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA

Breakout: A Behavior Analyst’s Journey into the World of Data Science in Law Enforcement (1 CEU)

Discussion articles in behavioral sciences have been non-existent in the review of data science techniques employed overall, but more specifically for law enforcement and crime analysis. For this review, the author analyzed eight behavior science peer-reviewed journals for the presence and relevance of specific keywords to identify data science usage in law enforcement articles. Overall, the author found an underwhelming amount of data science techniques being utilized within the field and zero research articles employed specifically from a law enforcement lens. However, the keywords for data science overall began appearing the behavioral science journals in 2012, but not in a law enforcement environment. The first author suggests an additional subfield in applied behavior analysis be created called behavioral data science. The author also intends to discuss these results and suggest greater attention be paid to increasing the use of data science applications in behavioral science research and law enforcement-specific research.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to identify the usage of behavioral science in law enforcement.
2. Participants will be able to examine the importance of the use of data science methodologies within behavioral science in law enforcement.
3. Participants will be able to formulate future research topics in the area of data science in behavioral science in other environments.

Biography: Dr. Sarah Casella-Jones earned a B.S. from Florida State University in Psychology, a M.S. in Organizational Behavior Management from Florida Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Behavioral Sciences from WMU where her interest in law enforcement and big data began. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst – Doctoral and is a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the States of Maryland and Virginia.

As a civilian Data Scientist for the Department of Defense (DOD) and an Adjunct Professor of Behavioral Science at The Chicago School for Professional Psychology – Washington D.C. and at the National Intelligence University (NIU), Dr. Casella-Jones helped DOD and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) realize the potential of behavioral science by influencing more than 200 analysts and senior government officials to appreciate basic concepts of human behavior across multiple Intelligence Community mission areas and academia. She has taught individuals to better understand a target’s tactics, techniques, and procedures in conjunction with their behaviors to provide a more comprehensive and nuanced approach that enables a greater discovery of unknowns. Introduced the value of behavioral patterns into the data science arsenal by enlightening DOD and the Intelligence Community (IC) user base to produce better intelligence and outcomes. Prior to her civilian position, Dr. Casella-Jones worked as a government contractor for a few government agencies (i.e., Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization or JIEDDO; Pentagon, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Intelligence & Analysis (I&A) Branch) all while employing behavioral sciences from her academic background. Dr. Casella-Jones has presented at numerous behavioral and IC conferences about the topics of behavioral and data science in various environments and topics.

Dr. Casella-Jones and her husband, Zach, enjoy spending time with their two dogs, Truman and Hula, going to breweries and wineries while playing chess, and watching various TV shows and movies. In her free time, she enjoys running, yoga, hiking, and reading various books.

Barbara J. Kaminski, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Breakout: Getting a Bigger Bang for Your Buck: Conceptualizing Stakeholder Foundational ABA Knowledge as a Behavioral Cusp (1 CEU)

Generalization and lasting behavior change are dependent on changing an individual’s environment. It is widely acknowledged, both within the ABA profession and by funders/insurance, that the most important environment of an autistic child participating in ABA services is the family home and the pivotal change agents are the parents/primary stakeholders. This presentation conceptualizes stakeholder knowledge of foundational ABA concepts as behavioral cusps for this pivotal population. Ten foundational concepts are proposed as cusps. An example of a pre-assessment for determining current level of knowledge and skill will be described. Use of preassessment results, regardless of the tool/procedure used, to identify knowledge gaps and develop training specific to the gaps is discussed and sample training is described. It is proposed that a focus on foundational ABA knowledge increases buy-in, improves fidelity of implementation, and promotes independent stakeholder application of trained and self-generated protocols, while discouraging inappropriate generalization of trained specific protocols and avoiding a reactive, “whack-a-mole” style approach to home-based needs.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participant will identify ABA concepts and skills that function as behavioral cusps during parent training
2. Participant will understand the process of selecting parent goals and training that target cusp skills of parent behavior

Biography: Dr. Barbara Kaminski earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from the Behavior Analysis Training Program at West Virginia University. During postdoctoral training and a subsequent faculty position at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, she was involved in grant-funded research in behavioral pharmacology. In 2013, she pivoted to clinical applications and is currently Clinical Director of an agency providing ABA therapy services and teaches graduate level courses in ABA for George Mason University and The Chicago School-DC Campus. She is passionate about professional development for young and in-training clinicians, is actively involved in development of problem-solving strategies for values-informed ethical decision-making, and is dedicated to contextually-based application of behavioral principles to address real-world problems, both large and small.

Jennie Kampf, M.Ed, BCBA, LBA

Breakout: A Values-Based Perspective to Supporting Disabled
Individuals’ Quality of Life (1 CEU)

Participants will review the history of the disability movement and important legislation to then apply to a discussion of Nirje’s eight planks (Perske, 2004), which address how settings and environments may be set up to be “normal” (i.e., the most similar to the environments that non-disabled individuals experience and the least restrictive environment according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) for autistic and disabled individuals. Connections will be made between this concept of “normalization” and its relationship to the BCBA ethical principles and codes, namely, the emphasis on benefiting others and treating others with compassion, dignity, and respect. Participants will critically analyze how they approach setting up the environment to best support the quality of life of the individuals they serve (Schwartz & Kelly, 2021). The facilitator will lead the participants in personal values work, guided by principles from Acceptance and Commitment Training, to explore how they make decisions about the quality of life for their disabled clients and their families.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will critically analyze connections between Nirje’s Eight Planks (Perske, 2004) and BACB ethics code.
2. Participants will evaluate the alignment of their own and their institutional practices to Nirje’s discussion of “normalization” and discuss actions that may be taken to better enhance client dignity and quality of life via emphasis on least restrictive environment and normalization.
3. Participants will engage in personal values work, guided by principles from Acceptance and Commitment Training, around how they approach working with autistic and disabled individuals

Biography:  Jennie Kampf, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA is the Aspire Program Director at the Ivymount School in Rockville, MD and a first year doctoral student in Special Education and Disabilities Studies at George Washington University. Jennie earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from James Madison University and her Master of Education degree in Special Education from George Mason University. She is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a Licensed Behavior Analyst in Maryland.

Jennie has more than 20 years experience working with individuals with disabilities across the life span within schools, homes, and community settings. She has led numerous trainings for the special education professional community and for parents of children with disabilities within the Washington, DC area. Jennie is passionate about utilizing and researching Acceptance Commitment Training to support disabled individuals, their families, and professionals within the field of special education. Jennie is also interested in developing social and emotional learning programming to teach individuals with disabilities sexuality, sexual health, and relationship skills to ensure they can create meaningful lives for themselves rich with healthy friendships and relationships.

Jennie is currently on the executive board of the Maryland Association of Nonpublic Special Education Facilities (MANSEF) and a member of the Association for Contextual and Behavioral Science.

Siri Ming, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Breakout: Frame by Frame: A user-friendly guide to understanding RFT (1 CEU)

Behavior analysts, across all practice areas, are involved in one or both of the following endeavors: designing interventions that teach languaging behavior, and/or using an understanding of our own and others’ language as an intervention, such as when teaching, coaching, and consulting.  As such, an understanding of complex language is critical to all of our work.  Relational Frame Theory views generalized derived relational responding – relational framing – as the core skill involved in human language and cognition, essential to the development of flexible, fluent conversational skills and academic progress, and a critical underpinning of psychological flexibility repertoires.  However, many behavior analysts are new to RFT, struggle to understand RFT concepts, or aren’t sure how RFT fits with existing behavior analytic tools.  Dr. Siri Ming has been there and done that as part of her own journey of learning and applying RFT, and in this session, she presents an accessible introduction to RFT and the basic premise that relational frames are generalized, contextually-controlled patterns of arbitrarily-applicable derived relational responding, and shows how adding an RFT lens can be transformative to behavior analytic practice.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the development of relational framing as a generalized operant repertoire, across multiple patterns of relational framing.
2. Describe the role of relational framing in rule-governed behavior, valuing , and psychological flexibility.

Biography: Siri Ming, PhD, BCBA-D, (she/her) is a scientist-practitioner with over twenty-five years of experience in the field. She is committed to the compassionate practice of behavior analysis to help people live meaningful, values-directed lives. Her research and clinical focus are on applications of relational frame theory (RFT) to early intervention programs for children with autism, integrating Skinnerian verbal behavior with RFT. Her work in RFT includes co-authoring Understanding and Applying Relational Frame Theory, as well as numerous peer-reviewed research and theoretical articles on applications of RFT, and a practical handbook series on using RFT in early intervention programs. Coauthor of Finding Your Why and Finding Your Way, Siri also supports both clinicians and creatives through ACT-informed coaching practices to help them find and stay on their chosen path. She teaches and acts as subject-matter expert for graduate-level classes in verbal behavior at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and has been an associate editor for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior journal. Her work is grounded in the values of rigor, generosity, and kindness.

Brady J. Phelps, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Psychology, South Dakota State University

Breakout: Dissociative Identity Disorder in Behavior Analytic Terms (1 CEU)

This presentation reviews the two competing models of the behaviors given the diagnostic label of dissociative identity disorder or DID, the post-trauma model (PTM) and the sociocognitive model. The sociocognitive model or the SCM, is translatable into behavior analytic contingencies. The history and evolution of the concept of DID in the various editions of the DSM will be reviewed. An argument is made that this disorder can be conceptualized as being changes in verbal and non-verbal behavior, as controlled by social contingencies of positive and negative reinforcement, as exerted in typical
psychotherapy for the behaviors of DID.
A review of the literature on the topic of self and personality is presented from the relevant behavior analytic literature, as well as a behavioral case study of an individual with the relevant behaviors. Finally, a discussion of the verbal behavior operants that are altered and atypical in the behavioral repertoire of an individual with behaviors given the label of dissociative identity disorder. The proposal is made that DID primarily consists of changes in the verbal behaviors of tacting, intraverbals and the prosody of speech, which can be conceptualized as being akin to a descriptive autoclitic.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the changes in the concept of MPD/DID over the various editions of the DSM.
2. Identify the two models that are put forth to explain the behaviors of DID, the PTM or Post Trauma Model and the SCM or SocioCognitive Model.
3. Identify the facts that the initial presentation of the behaviors of DID are difficult to discriminate but become more apparent as conventional therapy progresses.
4. Differentiate the behaviors of DID as overt behaviors and complex verbal behavior.
5. Differentiate the SCM as being akin to the application of behavioral mechanisms.

Biography: Dr. Brady J. Phelps served as a psychology faculty with the department of psychology at South Dakota State University (SDSU) from 1992 to 2021 after finishing his doctorate in the analysis of behavior at Utah State University in 1992. From 1990-1991, he served one year as an invited lecturer for the University of Maryland in the Republic of Korea, including a very brief incursion into North Korea.

Upon semi-retirement in 2021, Dr. Phelps moved to Virginia to be with his spouse and has served as an adjunct graduate faculty in behavior analysis for St. Cloud State University and currently for George Mason University. Dr. Phelps is currently a Content Developer for Behavior Development Solutions (BDS) Inc., as well as a Training Consultant for (AI)², Inc., the CyberRat company. Dr. Phelps is also an adjunct faculty for SDSU, currently teaching Introductory Psychology on-line. Dr. Phelps is the first in his family to ever attend college and is probably the only behavior analyst to publish and give presentations on the behaviors known as dissociative identity disorder.

Callie Plattner, PhD, LPA, BCBA-D

Breakout: Maintaining Ethical Practice Amidst Rapid Growth: A
Curriculum for Future Leaders in Behavior Analysis (1 Ethics CEU)

The rapid evolution of our field has presented many benefits to the clients we serve while also allowing the development of thousands of clinicians. However, this expansion has been coupled with challenges which indicates a need to maintain the standards within our Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (“The Code”; BACB, 2020). The first few years as a BCBA should be focused on establishing a skill set sufficient to provide effective clinical services, however many are placed into leadership roles early in their careers without the opportunity to learn or demonstrate the skills necessary for success. Therefore additional training to ensure BCBAs are able to effectively execute increased responsibilities with competence is critical. In order to address this need a curriculum has been developed which allows BCBAs to establish the skills necessary for long-term success and professional growth. This curriculum sets the standard for excellent clinical care, compassionate interactions, leadership, management and the successful implementation of research in applied clinical settings. This presentation will include a discussion of the ethical implications of our field’s rapid growth without sufficient training programs, a suggested curriculum to meet this need and a review of feedback
from 40 clinicians who have completed the training program.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will identify at least 3 ethical implications associated with the rapid
   growth of our field.
2. Participants will be able to identify at least 3 ethical codes which may be impacted
   by clinicians’ lack of skills in the areas of supervision, management, and applied
   research.
3. Participants will be able to identify at least 3 components of a curriculum to be
   adopted into organizations in order to prepare their clinicians for future
   leadership roles.

Biography: Dr. Callie Plattner is a behavior analyst who believes in the compassionate implementation of our science and has spent her career focused on building a better reputation for our field, establishing high standards for quality care, and improving training and mentoring opportunities for clinicians. Callie earned an MS in Applied Behavior Analysis from Auburn University under Dr. Jim Johnston’s supervision and a Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis from Endicott College under the guidance of Dr. Cynthia Anderson. She currently serves as Vice President of Clinical Operations at Mosaic Pediatric Therapy where she is responsible for elevating clinical services and operational performance. Callie is well versed in board governance through her 10 years of service on the North Carolina Association for Behavior Analysis (NCABA), including two-time Past-President. She has also held a seat on the board of directors for the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA), served as a subject matter expert for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) and the Council for Autism Service Providers (CASP). She has authored several book chapters and published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis in Practice, the latter for which she has served as a reviewer.

Katie Quinn, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA; Jessica Meyler, MA, BCBA, LBA; Jen Kent, M.A., CCC-SLP, BCBA, LBA

Breakout: Socially Valid Assessment of Efficacy and Preference for
Communication Modalities (1 CEU)

Often caregivers and professionals are charged with the task of selecting a communication method (e.g., vocal communication, sign language, an application on an iPad) for a child who is learning to communicate. The selection of a method should be guided by both (a) the efficacy of the method (i.e., its ability to increase independent communication relatively quickly) and (b) the preference of the user (i.e., what modality the child prefers). However, limited evidence-based guidance exists to help professionals assess these variables. This presentation will review a novel assessment protocol to determine the most appropriate communication modality for learners who do not yet have an effective communication modality. Employed by an interdisciplinary team (led by BCBAs, SLPs, and dually credentialed providers), the protocol aims to not only determine which communication modality is most effective, but which method the child prefers.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review the current research on communication modality/AAC assessment.
2. Learn about a novel communication modality assessment protocol.
3. Explore a case study of a child for whom the assessment protocol was utilized.
4. Critically analyze limitations and implications of the current study.

Biography: Katie is the Endeavors Program Director at Ivymount Corporation in Rockville, MD. In this role, Katie supports the Ivymount School’s Endeavors Program, the Early Childhood Clinic, and Professional Consultation to schools, organizations, and agencies. Katie earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Virginia and her Master of Education degree in Special Education from George Mason University. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Licensed Behavior Analyst in Maryland and Virginia. Katie has worked with individuals with disabilities and their families since 2010 as a behavior analyst and an educator in school, home, and community settings. She is passionate about changing behavior through skill building and training.

Jess started working in Ivymount’s Endeavors School Program and for Ivymount Outreach’s ABA Home Programs in 2015. Since then, she has supported disabled individuals and their families across the lifespan from early childhood to adulthood. Her current practice focuses on early learners. She feels passionate about ensuring individuals with disabilities learn the skills that lead them to the most autonomous and fulfilling lives after they leave school.

Jen is a dually certified Speech-Language Pathologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has over 8 years of experience working with autistic children and young adults. She is a senior program specialist at the Ivymount school in the Endeavors School Program and Early Childhood Clinic. She is interested in assistive technology to support communication, alternative and augmentative dynamic assessment procedures and incorporating language-based strategies into academic programming.

Mawule A. Sevon, PhD, NCSP, BCBA

Breakout: School while Black: Analyzing the Racial School Discipline Crisis for Behavior Analysts (1 CEU)

This presentation is based on the presenter’s 2022 article in Behavior Analysis in Practice titled “School while Black: Analyzing the Racial School Discipline Crisis for Behavior Analysts”. The discourse centers the enduring and complex issue of racial disparities within school disciplinary practices, commonly known as the school-to-prison pipeline. It uncovers the disproportionate impact of exclusionary discipline, such as expulsions and suspensions, on Black children, highlighting how these practices starting in early childhood education can lead to detrimental outcomes in subsequent academic years and beyond. Despite the growing concern and national scrutiny from civil rights organizations, there remains a notable gap in behavior analytic literature regarding the intersection of racism and educational discipline. The presentation aims to inform behavior analysts about the prevalence of anti-Black racism in American educational institutions and encourages a critical evaluation of how their practices can either perpetuate or help dismantle oppressive systems within the educational framework. Through a comprehensive analysis, the presenter will outline strategies for behavior analysts to actively engage in combating these systemic issues, thereby contributing to a more equitable educational environment for all students.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will label the implications of the racial disparities in school disciplinary actions, with a focus on how these practices disproportionately affect Black students.
2. Participants will recognize the existing gap within behavior analytic literature regarding racism and discrimination in school settings, understanding the need for a more robust research focus on systemic issues related to race and discipline.
3. Participants will be able to outline actionable steps that behavior analysts, educators, and policy-makers can take to address and mitigate the impacts of anti-Black racism in educational disciplines, aiming to contribute to systemic change and promote equity in educational outcomes.

Biography:  Mawule is a dedicated professional in the field of education and behavior analysis, passionately addressing and mitigating complex racial disparities in the U.S. education system. Her focused commitment lies in unraveling the significant racial inequities prevalent in disciplinary actions within schools, a critical issue that has captivated her attention and shaped the direction of her professional journey. Focused on the area of inequity in disciplinary practices among young children, Mawule actively works to enhance the awareness and application of culturally responsive practices among educators and clinicians. Her involvement extends to social justice, supported by her in-depth research and her experiences in leading workshops and facilitating discussions.

Central to Mawule’s philosophy is the principle of capacity building, aimed at empowering parents, educators, and communities. She is driven by the belief in providing essential information that enables informed decision-making, contributing to a more equitable educational environment. Her deep-seated desire to foster racial equity in education inspired the founding of The Key Consulting Firm. This venture is Mawule’s channel for advocating positive change, aiming to diminish racial inequities in schools by promoting socially just practices among educators.

Jessica VanDevander, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Breakout: Behavior Rates in Neurotypical Children: Are our behavior goals realistic? (1 CEU)

The presentation will review the current research, or lack thereof, of rates of problem behavior and ability to demonstrate replacement behaviors in neurotypically developing children. As BCBAs, we are able to utilize a variety of assessments to determine how many words a child should be saying at each age or what motor skills they should be demonstrating. However, there remains a lack of quantitative data and research on rates of problem behavior displayed across a variety of age ranges. The present study conducted a survey of over 1600 caregivers of neurotypical children ages 1 – 10 to assess frequency of 5 common problem behaviors and 4 commonly targeted prosocial adaptive/replacement behaviors. Results showed problem behaviors occurred at some level across all age ranges. Additionally, despite 80% being our most commonly used mastery criteria, over 60% of our data for replacement behaviors (e.g. waiting, tolerating no) shows typically developing children displaying these skills at 60% of opportunities or below. This serves as a starting point for further research and for practitioners to make data driven decisions when developing behavior intervention plans to ensure we are not unknowingly holding our neurodivergent clients to a higher standard than their neurotypical peers.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will further their knowledge of rates of common problem behaviors displayed by neurotypical children across a variety of ages.
2. Participants will further their knowledge of how often neurotypically developing children engage in commonly targeted replacement skills across a variety of ages.
3. Participants will be able to think critically when developing interventions to ensure they are targeting socially significant goals based on data.

Biography: Jess VanDevander is the Director of ABA Services at Achieving True Self, overseeing all in-home and center-based services in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and Washington DC.
Jess has been in the field of behavior analysis for nearly fifteen years and became a BCBA in 2017. She has experience providing services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder in a variety of settings, including in-home, clinic, public school and non-public school. Jess’s primary area of interest is early intervention and verbal behavior, which led to her passion in researching norms of behavior in children to ensure that clinicians are setting attainable and socially significant goals for their clients. Additionally, she is passionate about growing practitioner-based applied research in the ABA literature.