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| Driving Staff Excellence: OBM Strategies for Clinical Supervisors and Leaders |
| Thursday, January 15, 2026 |
| 9:00 AM–12:00 PM |
| Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel; 2nd Floor, Metropolitan East |
| Area: AUT; Domain: Service Delivery |
| CE Instructor: Nicole Gravina, Ph.D. |
| NICOLE GRAVINA (University of Florida) |
 Dr. Nicole Gravina is an Associate Professor of Behavior Analysis in the Department of Psychology at the University of Florida. Nicole serves on five editorial boards including serving as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. In 2019, Nicole was honored with the APA Early Career Impact Award in Consulting Psychology and in 2021 she was granted the OBM Network Outstanding Contributions Award. Nicole specializes in designing behavior-based workplace interventions that improve employee safety, healthcare delivery, and supervision practices. In addition to her faculty appointment, Nicole has consulted in a variety of industries, including healthcare, human services, manufacturing, public utilities, insurance, and construction. |
| Description: This interactive workshop is designed for clinical supervisors and leaders who are seeking effective ways to improve staff performance, engagement, and retention. Drawing from the science of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), Nicole will present practical, evidence-based strategies to identify and assess common performance challenges—such as inconsistent data collection, lack of treatment integrity, and staff burnout. Attendees will learn how to use performance diagnostics, set clear expectations, and implement reinforcement systems that promote accountability and excellence. Emphasis will be placed on tools and techniques that are realistic, sustainable, and easy to integrate into the daily operations. Participants are encouraged to bring real-world examples and questions for discussion, making this session both collaborative and directly applicable to current workplace challenges. |
| Learning Objectives: 1. Attendees will be able to describe common assessment strategies used in organizational behavior management and when they should be employed. | 2. Attendees will be able to list leadership behaviors that promote high levels of performance and job satisfaction. | 3. Attendees be able to describe best practices for feedback conversations. |
| Activities: Lecture and discussion |
| Audience: This workshop is intended for clinical supervisors, mid- to senior-level leaders, and practitioners who are responsible for staff oversight and development in applied settings. It will be especially valuable for professionals in behavior analysis, psychology, education, or related fields who want to strengthen their leadership and supervisory practices through Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) strategies. Graduate students preparing for supervisory roles and anyone interested in improving staff performance, engagement, and retention in human service organizations will also benefit. |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
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| PECS and functional communication: A short history and review |
| Thursday, January 15, 2026 |
| 2:00 PM–5:00 PM |
| Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel; 2nd Floor, Metropolitan East |
| Area: AUT; Domain: Applied Research |
| CE Instructor: Andy Bondy, Ph.D. |
| ANDY BONDY (Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc.) |
 Andy Bondy, Ph.D., has 50 years of experience working with children and adults with ASD and related developmental issues. For more than a dozen years he served as the Director of a statewide public-school program for autistic students. He and his wife, Lori Frost, pioneered the development of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). He designed the Pyramid Approach to Education as a comprehensive combination of broad-spectrum behavior analysis and functional communication strategies. He is a co-founder of Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc., an internationally based team of specialists with offices in 16 countries. Each team consists of specialists from many fields working together to promote the integration of the principles of applied behavior analysis within functional activities, including an emphasis on developing functional communication skills. He currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the BOD for the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. He was the recipient of the 2012 Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA) Award for International Dissemination of Behavior Analysis. |
| Description: The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) was developed by a behavior analyst, Andy Bondy, and a Speech/Language Pathologist, Lori Frost over 30 years ago. I will review a brief history of its early development and influences and then describe unique aspects of the key Phases of the PECS protocol. The talk will address why starting with PECS is helpful, how does the use of PECS relate to SGD use or speech development, and describes many advanced lessons using Skinner’s VB terminology. Next will be a review of many criticisms of PECS from both within the field of ABA and from other professionals. The last section will review recent research from around the world on the many positive side effects of the use of PECS. |
| Learning Objectives: 1. Participants will describe at least three innovative aspects of the PECS protocol | 2. Participants will describe two recent criticisms about PECS and reasonable rejoinders to them | 3. Participants will describe two language related and two non-language related positive side effect of PECS implementation |
| Activities: Lecture and discussion |
| Audience: Behavior analysts, speech language pathologists, psychologists, educators, and other professionals who support individuals with autism and are interested in augmentative and alternative communication methods. This session will be particularly relevant for those seeking a deeper understanding of PECS, its history and development, its relationship to other communication systems, and current research and critiques related to its use. |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |