Association for Behavior Analysis International

Dr. Wayne Fisher, conference co-chair, will welcome attendees and make some brief remarks.

For the past several years, ABAI has been working with the American Medical Association (AMA) to establish new billing procedures for ABA-related services for children and youth with autism. Recently, the AMA adopted Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Category III codes. The AMA codes recognize that applied behavior analysis is an empirically supported and medically necessary intervention. Dr. Travis Thompson, who was instrumental in the approval of these codes, is the instructor for this training, which will explain the how the new codes define procedures and services performed by behavior analysts. These codes will improve access to ABA services for families of children with autism and severe behavior disorders and reduce financial burdens on these families. Additionally, these codes will result in systematic and standardized valuation of ABA services and will simplify and streamline the billing and collection processes for ABA services (e.g., facilitate electronic billing).

Over 25 years ago, the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) was developed and used a training protocol that incorporated Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior to help rapidly establish manding and other key verbal operants in students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental issues. Many research reviews describe PECS as an evidence-based practice, including a recent publication in Pediatrics. In that 2012 publication, which supported the strong evidence in support of ABA, it also noted that there was as yet no evidence for the effectiveness of "AAC devices." However, with the advance of technology involving the use of speech generating devices (SGDs) and iPad apps, many parents and professionals are convinced that the technological advances and the voice associated with such devices will help lead to better communication skills as well as speech. This talk will review recent research regarding such devices as well as apps; it will also review why the PECS protocol is effective with regard to the rapid development of verbal behavior under the stimulus control of the audience (or listener). A similar analysis will then be usedto review whether some of the uses of SGDs and apps ensures that verbal behavior is being established.Finally, the presentation will point out some simple ways to demonstrate whether an electronic device is being used as a toy or as part of a communication strategy.

This symposium will discuss applied behavior analysis as it relates to autism globally.

TBD

This presentation will use Stokes and Baer's 1977 seminal article on generalization and Wolf's 1978 paper on social validity as platforms to discuss why behavior analysts should consider a public health framework for dissemination of ABA principles in the treatment of autism globally and correcting some of the misconceptions of behavior analysis. Strategies and tactics for promoting acceptance, implementation, and dissemination of evidence-based practices in low-resource settings will be reviewed. Theories of why global acceptance of ABA has not occurred and more importantly why behavior analytic fallacies still exist in the world will be examined. Strategic planning steps for students, families, practitioners, researchers, and organizations to influence public health policy and educational reform will be outlined. The need for both single-subject design research and randomized-controlled trials will be proposed in evaluating low-intensity/large scale programs, and the training of non-specialist facilitators in low-resource settings to meet the treatment gap needs of individuals and families affected by autism spectrum disorders.

The need for community-viable evidence-based intervention strategies for toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a priority with earlier diagnosis. The Early Social Interaction Project (ESI) uses the SCERTS curriculum to teach parents of toddlers with ASD how to embed evidence-based intervention strategies and supports in everyday activities in natural environments to promote their child's active engagement. Research findings from the randomized controlled trial of ESI, funded by Autism Speaks and NIMH, will be presented. Plans for rolling out Autism Navigator, a collection of web-based courses and tools that uses extensive video footage to bridge the gap between science and community practice will be highlighted.

Dr. Jennifer Zarcone and Dr. Wayne Fisher, co-chairs of the 2016 autism conference, will provide concluding remarks.