Association for Behavior Analysis International

The Association for Behavior Analysis International® (ABAI) is a nonprofit membership organization with the mission to contribute to the well-being of society by developing, enhancing, and supporting the growth and vitality of the science of behavior analysis through research, education, and practice.

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38th Annual Convention; Seattle, WA; 2012

Event Details


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Symposium #124
CE Offered: BACB
Toward a Continued Technology of Supervision: Administrator, Student, University, and Supervising Agency Perspective
Sunday, May 27, 2012
9:00 AM–10:20 AM
LL02 (TCC)
Area: AUT/PRA; Domain: Service Delivery
Chair: Linda S. Heitzman-Powell (University of Kansas Medical Center)
CE Instructor: Nanette L. Perrin, M.A.
Abstract:

While the certification requirements for becoming a behavior analyst are not open to interpretation, how the content is provided during supervision is open to interpretation. As the widespread use of technology expands the delivery of that content to nontraditional settings, the form that the required supervision takes has been altered as well. There are multiple university sites that are administering courses from a distance. The availability of distance-delivered coursework opens the opportunities for enrollment to individuals who before would have been too remote. While this technology is beneficial for those living in remote areas, the remoteness itself adds to the need for creative approaches to supervision. Challenges range from the availability of qualified supervisors to the lack of a supervision structure or clear outcomes. This symposium will present data based information from the university perspective, the student perspective, the administrative perspective, and the supervision perspective regarding the implementation of a standardized supervision program based on the content areas presented by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Coursework and supervision was provided using primarily distance-technology, including online information and teleconferencing technology.

Keyword(s): Autism, BCBA Supervision, Distance, Technology
 
Toward a Continued Technology of Supervision: The University Perspective on the Collaborative Effort of Two Cohorts of Professionals
DANIEL P. DAVIDSON (Northern Arizona University)
Abstract: Northern Arizona University’s Institute for Human Development (NAU/IHD) provides an online BACB approved university training program. NAU/IHD was recruited by Alaska’s Center for Human Development (CHD) to provide training to those students selected to participate in their statewide BCBA capacity building effort. Initial planning for the collaborative effort required six month of preparation. This preparation involved provision of the course scope and sequence to the agency in charge of supervising fieldwork in order to match the content of supervision activities to their online university course content. With much planning, Arizona’s NAU/IHD, Alaska’s CHD and the fieldwork supervisors from Integrated Behavioral Technologies (IBT) of Kansas, began a series of summer institutes, candidate recruitment/selection, student orientation, course delivery, and fieldwork supervision. Two student cohorts have begun the process. This presentation will describe the challenges and benefits of such a coordinated effort from the perspective of the university responsible to teach the students within each cohort.
 
Toward a Continued Technology of Supervision: Implementation and Assessment of the Effectiveness of a Standardized Supervision Process for Behavior Analysts
NANETTE L. PERRIN (Integrated Behavioral Technologies, Inc.), Rachel L. White (Integrated Behavioral Technologies, Inc.), Linda S. Heitzman-Powell (University of Kansas Medical Center)
Abstract: While supervision requirements for becoming a behavior analyst are not open to interpretation, how the content is provided during supervision, is. Challenges range from the availability of qualified supervisors to the lack of a supervision structure or clear outcomes. This presentation provides information regarding the Implementation of a standardized supervision program based on the content areas presented by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Supervision was provided using primarily distance-technology, including online information and teleconferencing technology. For the supervision data on skill fluency/skill acquisition of supervisee's enrolled in this manualized supervision sequence suggests that skill fluency is variable, ranging from 63% to 94% criterion. During individual sessions, supervisors provide feedback on the assignments. During face-to-face supervision, supervisees receive feedback on their skill fluency in implementing basic behavioral techniques. Ongoing supervision is geared toward increasing skill fluency in all core content areas. Objective 1 is to implement a distance supervision sequence according to guidelines established by a behavioral certification agency Objective 2 is to assess the effectiveness of distance supervision on trainee’s knowledge and skill fluency.
 

Toward a Continued Technology of Supervision: Administration of a Distance Program

PHILLIP TAFS (University of Alaska, Anchorage Center for Health and Development)
Abstract:

Alaskas limited number of Board Certified Behavior Analysts severely restricted the ability of Alaska to implement best practice services and inhibited training opportunities for students. Alaskas Center for Human Development (CHD) was tasked with capacity building in Autism interventions and gathered a group of stakeholders to determine how capacity would be built and what practices would best serve the state. The stakeholder group overwhelmingly supported increased training in approaches rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis. Alaska only had one BCBA who was soon to retire and the university system provided no options for training in this science. Program directors began looking for resources outside Alaska. In addition, 6 BCBA candidates who were completing their BCBAs individually were surveyed to determine what worked and what did not work regarding distance supervision. A university school program and supervisors were selected and asked to coordinate with the State to address concerns regarding the quality and comprehensive nature of distance supervision. These issues included coordination of the university program and the supervision to reduce the response effort of the students, manualizing the distance supervision to increase quality of the experience, and using distance technology to increase face-to face interaction between supervisors and supervisees.

 

Toward a Continued Technology of Supervision: A Students Perspective on Learning From a Distance

ANNETTE BLANAS (University of Alaska, Anchorage Center for Health and Development)
Abstract:

Professionals working with young children, especially those experiencing Autism, who follow best practice guideline will find that practices informed by the science of Applied Behavior Analysis rise to the top. However, for professionals in Alaska these approaches, and the certification necessary to competently practice, were not available. Distance supervision and University course work were the only options that were feasible as relocating to another state was not possible. Distance supervision had two attractive qualities. First, it allowed students to maintain their current livelihood with no need to relocate, which is costly as well as difficult on families and the social networks they have developed. Second, the use of distance technology in a state that must use distance resources to provide services in frontier locations gave students an added skill to improve services. Distance education opportunities including the University coursework and distance supervision have allowed students to increase their skills and better serve families where otherwise this would have been impossible.

 

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