Association for Behavior Analysis International

The program co-chair, Dr. Terry Falcomata, will provide opening remarks.

For young autistic children in need of intervention, comprehensive interventions based on the science of behavior analysis are often considered the gold standard, supported by decades of research showing large, group-level effects of intervention. Though impressive, important questions remain regarding why some children show large improvement, and others little or none. In this presentation, recent research examining heterogeneity of intervention effects will be explored, as well as research examining the relation between dose of intervention, intervention focus, and outcomes.

Behavior analysts, ABA professionals, Students

Just like society at large, the autism community is not unified in its beliefs about autism. The first time I mentioned ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy on my blog, it only took a few minutes before someone said to me, “You’re torturing your child with ABA therapy.” This didn’t come as a surprise. Before my son, Charlie was even diagnosed with autism I had searched the web for therapy options and found that ABA wasn’t liked by everyone. The discourse surrounding ABA therapy embodies the complexity of autism advocacy and intervention. The spectrum of opinions within the autism community mirrors the nuanced nature of autism itself, which defies uniformity and invites a multidimensional understanding. ABA is the number one therapy recommended by medical experts for children on the autism spectrum, however many autistics reject that conclusion. As an autistic adult, I see both sides of the argument. I recognize the genuine concerns raised by those who critique ABA. They often emphasize the need for ethical considerations, personalized approaches, and the importance of consent in autism interventions. I agree. At the same time, I've witnessed firsthand the transformative potential of ABA therapy when administered with empathy, respect, and the individual's best interests at heart. It has empowered my son to develop essential life skills, enhanced his communication abilities, and improved his overall quality of life. As a parent, I've found solace and support in this therapy, fostering a connection with my child that transcends the challenges posed by autism. In this presentation, I will address misconceptions about ABA that are flooding social media, things ABA needs to do better, and my personal positive experience with ABA therapy.

Behavior analysts, ABA professionals, and students

Autism is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition that spans the life course and can co-exist with a range of different developmental, intellectual, behavioral and mental health difficulties. As such, autism requires particularly personalized and ongoing evidence-based assessments and interventions beyond the diagnostic phase. The issues related to the myriad presentations of the condition have presented a significant public health challenge. One such issue relates to the earliest detection to provide specialized tailored ‘stepped care’ within an effective health model (The Lancet Commissions, 2022). Significant progress has been achieved in the last decade examining a range of biomarkers and in parallel, demonstrations of the effectiveness of ‘very early’ intervention for infants and toddlers have shown sustained improvements in developmental and behavioral measures. However, there is an enormous requirement to determine how best to deliver this ‘stepped care’ health model that takes into account family contexts and preferences, cultural considerations and financial cost. Furthermore, whilst the provision of interventions based on behavior analytic paradigms is recognized, researchers and clinicians must identify best practices in determining ‘non-responders’ to specific treatments at the earliest stages of ‘stepped care’. There are numerous possibilities in such cases involving adaptive personalized treatment tailored to family contexts, and these are now emerging and showing promise. In addition, the evidence-based validity of neurobiological treatments is continuing to grow and could offer some value to supplement psychosocial behavioral approaches most especially when improvement is slow. This paper will address each of these issues examining the supporting research that could help achieve the recommended models of stepped care and personalized health for ongoing intervention across the life course.

Behavior analysts, ABA professionals, graduate students

Given the prevalence of trauma in the general population, trauma-informed care (TIC) has come to the forefront of many models of human service delivery. Because the populations with whom behavior analysts typically work are at elevated risk for experiencing traumatic events, the field of behavior analysis is beginning to explore the relevance of TIC to behavior analytic work. However, discussions of TIC across behavior analytic forums have sometimes been fraught with misconceptions about what it means to be trauma-informed and how the framework could be implemented in behavior analytic settings. Drawing on the TIC and behavior analytic literatures, as well as interviews with children and adolescents who have experienced abuse and neglect, this presentation will define the core commitments of TIC through a behavior analytic lens. It will explore the potential benefits of TIC, providing recent examples from the behavior analytic literature. The presentation also will identify common misconceptions about what it means to be trauma informed and how those misconceptions could impede good practice. Importantly, it will identify areas where more research is needed to identify both the benefits and potential limitations of TIC for behavior analysis.

Behavior analysts, ABA professionals, students

Over the past 30 years a wide range of conceptual and empirical advances have occurred in behavior analysis to better understand the roots and applications of human language abilities. Relational Frame Theory (RFT) proposed that the behavior of relating should be considered a generalized operant, and with such, speaking with meaning and listening with understanding is made possible. At the same time, language abilities can have unintended side-effects. People get hung up on thoughts, prior experiences, and have emotional responses to stimuli that are far removed from the present stimulus conditions of the current environment. Treatment for such distress has fallen under the technology of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) - however such tools have been greatly adopted by non-behaviorists more so than from those within our home discipline. Part of the update is likely due to the confusing terminology and linkage to behavior analytic principles. This presentation hopes to change all that. A brief walkthrough of the linkage between RFT and ACT will be presented, along with data showing the utility of the overall approach of incorporating ACT in contexts such as autism treatment, staff engagement, and child academic success.

Behavior analysts, ABA professionals, graduate students, clinicians

Program co-chair, Dr. Christopher Newland, will provide closing remarks.