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| Int'l Symposium - Developments in Training and Certification of ABA Practitioners in the UK and Ireland |
| Monday, May 30, 2005 |
| 3:00 PM–4:20 PM |
| Lake Erie (8th floor) |
| Area: TBA; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Gerald A Shook (Behavior Analyst Certification Board) |
| Discussant: Gerald A Shook (Behavior Analyst Certification Board) |
| CE Instructor: Gerald A Shook, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: In April 2002, The TreeHouse Trust, in conjunction with the ABA Lecturers’ Co-operative, established the first Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) approved course sequence for training in ABA in the UK. The course, Applied Behaviour Analysis (with Developmental Disabilities) was designed to meet the coursework and experience requirements of the Board Certified Associate Behaviour Analyst (BCABA) examination. Subsequently there have been two BACB approved Masters programmes developed to meet the coursework and experience requirements of the Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) examination. This symposium will discuss the development and delivery of these course sequences and the difficulties overcome in relation to establishing university programmes in the UK and Ireland that have also been designed to meet approval from the BACB. |
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| Development and Evaluation of the First BACB Approved Course Sequence in the UK |
| NEIL T. MARTIN (TreeHouse School), Simon Dymond (APU, Cambridge, UK) |
| Abstract: In April 2002, The TreeHouse Trust, in conjunction with the ABA Lecturers’ Co-operative, established the first BACB approved course sequence for training in ABA in the UK. The course, Applied Behaviour Analysis (with Developmental Disabilities), course sequence FLBAC-CL-0075, was designed to meet the coursework and experience requirements of the Board Certified Associate Behaviour Analyst (BCABA) examination. The course was evaluated by the co-operative and TreeHouse in terms of the effect on the development of individual skills and competencies and general effect on practice. The course led to 100% success in terms of subsequent certification at both BCABA and BCBA level. The second course sequence will run from January 2004 to January 2005 and a third will begin in January 2005. Further funding has been obtained by TreeHouse for supporting this course as well as funding a National centre with the remit of expanding the currently very limited pool of ABA practitioners and adding to the growing number of BCBAs and BCABAs in the UK and Ireland |
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| Development of Master’s Programme in ABA at the University of Wales, Bangor |
| STEPHEN NOONE (University of Wales, Bangor), J. Carl Hughes (University of Wales, Bangor) |
| Abstract: A new Master programme in ABA was established at the University of Wales, Bangor in the summer of 2003. It has since received BACB accreditation. The course has attempted to balance the requirements of accreditation with the traditions of a British University. The existing post graduate system in Wales offers opportunities for exiting a Masters programme after completing key modules, with either a post graduate certificate or a diploma (depending on how many successful modules were completed). This has allowed the course to be offered to a broader range of students other than those intending to achieve BCBA. The talk will reflect the impact of this structure on applications and the wider problems that face the Master’s Programme in attracting students.Data will be reported on the use of Precision Teaching principles in the delivery of the programme. A comparison was made between two groups of students who received the first module of the ABA course. The ABA Masters group followed Precision Teaching methods while the second group (from another applied psychology Masters course) did not. The data supports the use of precision teaching.Implications for the development of ABA within Britain will be reviewed. |
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| Evaluating the Effectiveness of Teacher Training in ABA |
| IAN M. GREY (Trinity College, Dublin), Rita Honan (Trinity College, Dublin), Michael Daly (Trinity College, Dublin) |
| Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an accredited course in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) in the Republic of Ireland. Eleven teachers undertook 90 hours of instruction in the basic principles of ABA over a seven month period. All were previously working with children with an autistic spectrum disorder. They each conducted a comprehensive functional assessment and designed a behaviour support plan targeting one behaviour or behaviour class for one child with autistic disorder. Target behaviours chosen included challenging behaviours and communication problems targeted for reduction, and compliance and skill based behaviours targeted for increase. Teachers recorded observational data for the target behaviour for both baseline and intervention sessions. Implemented interventions were found to bring about a 79.5% change in target behaviours in the desired/expected direction. Course assessment questionnaires were completed by parents and teachers, both of which evaluated the course as having a beneficial effect on both the target child and the educational environment. The potential benefits of a teacher implemented behavioural intervention model are discussed and course recommendations considered. Implications for ABA in the Republic of Ireland are discussed. |
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