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Interdisciplinary teams devise and implement educational plans for children with special learning challenges. Sometimes, these involve a behavior analyst. Whether you are a behavior analyst thinking about working in schools, currently working in schools, or working alongside a school’s behavior analyst, you know schools have teams of several people who contribute to each child’s education plan.

Primary care physicians, psychiatrists, specialists . . . OH MY! Working within the field of clinical behavior analysis includes working with clients that could be seeing multiple professionals for a variety of reasons. It is not always included in training, but it is important that behavior analysts have an understanding of the types of treatments their clients could be given from other health care professionals.

The field of Applied Behavior Analysis is growing and, as it continues to grow, we have a responsibility to the next generation of behavior analysts. In this continuing education course, Dr. Schlinger will challenge you to consider how we can do a better job of educating future behavior analysts. He uses literature to make the case for an increased focus on experimental and conceptual analysis. With an understanding that behavior is multiply controlled, it seems obvious that no single form of treatment will work.

Knowledge of ethical guidelines is an essential component when practicing as a BCBA or completing any form of behavior analytic services or consultations. Thomas Freeman reviews the history of ethical guidelines and codes in ABA, how they have changed, and comparisons between the current ethical guidelines and codes to the previous editions. Dr. Martinez-Diaz then reviews the newest addition to the code, element 10.0, and provides examples of violations within the newest code element.

“The heart of behavior analysis, the heart of the mission Skinner set us on, to bring to the world the notion that the environment plays a tremendous role in the determination of behavior.” 

So, you are a behavior analyst, and you want to start your own business, but you have limited repertoire. No worries! In this course, join Craig Onstott as he guides you through what it means to be a successful entrepreneur through effective management, marketing strategies, financial assessments, and most importantly, understanding your options on the kinds of corporations out there.

“Previously, we had a course called Holding Effective Supervision Meetings and that course was very specific to the BACB Standards and how to fit supervision into your meetings effectively, and that’s great, but that’s not the only reason we hold meetings.” Shauna Costello, MA, BCBA

“Reinforcement is a verbal operant. Our challenge is to identify which verbal operant it is at any given time.” Hank Schlinger Jr, PhD, BCBA-D

“Sometimes the phenomena of interest are not presently observed, and this is especially true with human behavior. Many people are interested in love, feelings, thinking, perceiving, and remembering, and those are things which are not presently observed. So, the problem that faces us is how do we deal with these phenomena that aren’t presently observed?

Perhaps you work in a clinical setting, where you have provided reinforcement to a client for an appropriate behavior consistently in a group setting. Eventually, another client consistently included in the group begins to emit the same behavior in response to the client receiving reinforcement.

“Our overarching goal, as behavior analysts, is to teach people how to get the things they want, the things they value, more effectively while living fuller, more enriched lives—and to do so without ever having to hurt themselves or other people.” Thomas Freeman, MS, BCBA

Reinforcement and its law was a major contributor to the advances made by behavior analysis. However, there is so much more that should be learned regarding contingencies. A better understanding of environmental factors of behavior has aided analysts in analyzing behavior as well as creating treatments for their clients. Antecedent events are just as important as consequences because they directly relate.

As you have gone into the “real world,” you probably found yourself in situations that you never thought you would encounter. Uninformed parents? Pseudoscientific treatments?  Facilitated communication? Work-life balance?

The necessity for developing healthy habits in our clients.

“I believe completely that Applied Behavior Analysis is and has been a huge influence in the child welfare arena for many years in the state of Florida. Our positive and productive gains are promising, and we need to compel more behavior analyst clinicians to go out there and replicate this work nationwide.” Karin Torsiello, MS, BCBA