Association for Behavior Analysis International

For many years, behavior analysts within the field of brain injury rehabilitation have noted the efficacy of antecedent based interventions, especially in situations where responding may remain variable secondary to altered brain structure or function. But what happens when that is not enough? This talk will explore the efficacy of taking yet another step back within the four term contingency and emphasizing the role of interventions focused on motivating operation.

This talk is a humorous (and sometimes serious) look at some commonly used terms used by practitioners working with individuals with autism and developmental disabilities. Many of the terms used to describe interventions and clinical conditions are inaccurate, badly applied and/or flat out wrong. Board Certified Behavior Analysts often pride themselves on precise descriptions and technological precision. However, all too often we are guilty of using terms with no actual meaning, incorrect application of clear terms, referring to hypothetical entities and in general making things up. Disregarding the data is one thing, but not even knowing what we are talking about is another. The presenter will use a top ten list format to illustrate a range of examples of this phenomenon and show how we can avoid these mistakes and stay true to our science. Where mis-descriptions are identified, the presenter will offer alternative descriptions more consistent with our basic tenets as describe by Baer, Woolf & Risley. The focus will be on using applied examples of the problem in clinical settings and the potential impact of the use of these terms on the efficacy of services.