Association for Behavior Analysis International

At this invited symposium, four different scenarios of Behavior Analysis field devoted to ASD (Autism Spectrum disorder) will be presented. Hübner, from Brazil, after giving a brief Brazilian scenario of Behavior Analysis, related to ASD, will describe how a Public University (University of São Paulo, USP) can play an important role in helping academic preparation of students to attend children with ASD and their parents, as well as offering services to prepare therapists to work in the field. Through step-by-step application of Behavioral Systems Analysis tools, USP Center for ASD (CAIS) was transformed: a specific undergraduate discipline, entitled Applied of Behavior Analysis to Autism, was created, guaranteeing greater visibility and stability of the work carried out by CAIS and, consequently, a higher number of undergraduate students enrolled in each semester, among other improvements that will be discussed. Williams, from USA and Spain, will bring her life’s experience as a scientist/practitioner in Applied Behavior Analysis, discussing challenges of maintaining such an approach in applied settings, while maintaining contact with the breakthroughs and extensions arising from ongoing applied research. Stromberg, from Sweden, will provide an overview of the development of behavior analytic services at the Autism Center for Young Children in Stockholm, as well as a national perspective on the use of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) at other publicly funded habilitation centers. Finally, Eldevik, from Norway, will also focus on EIBI challenges in the country, such as having experts in ABA oversee, properly trained staff implement the intervention, getting parents involved and providing a minimum of 20 hours per week intensive intervention. Recent outcome data about dose-response relationship between weekly hours and outcome will be discussed.

Board certified behavior analysts; licensed psychologists; graduate students.

The main objective of the presentation is to demonstrate the effects of behavioral systems analysis, more specifically, the Behavioral Systems Engineering Model, in the improvement of services provided by the Center for Autism and Social Inclusion, (CAIS-USP). In a country where health services are deficient and where there is a good number of students interested in Behavior Analysis, the Public University can play an important role in helping the academic preparation of students to attend children with autism and, at the same time, giving services to prepare therapist to work in the field. With step-by-step application of Behavioral Systems Analysis tools, CAIS- USP was transformed. The main results were the establishment of feedback data, such as pre and post test data performed by the therapists before and after classes, the results of the discrete trial assessment to which the therapists were submitted to, data on the frequency in class and its correlation with the results of evaluations. The results involved information about the alumni, regarding the performance in the autism area and the results of the children ´s assessments in the VB-Mapp, before and after the beginning of the interventions. Another result of the present study was the creation of a specific undergraduate discipline, entitled Applied of Behavior Analysis to Autism, guaranteeing greater visibility and stability of the work carried out by CAIS and, consequently, a higher number of undergraduate students enrolled in each semester. Considering all the stages of the applied intervention model, the conclusion is that the most fundamental one was the definition of the macrosystem and the mission of the CAIS. From these definitions, several processes had been redesigned and tasks were distributed, allowing the collection of feedback data, fundamental for the planning and decisions taken in each semester.

Today I will talk about my life’s experience as a scientist/practitioner of applied behavior analysis. In this presentation I would like to speak about the importance and challenges of maintaining such an approach in applied settings while maintaining contact with the breakthroughs and extensions arising from ongoing applied research.

Dr. Gladys Williams leads the program on autism and verbal behavior at the David Gregory School in NJ. She is the founder and director of Centro CIEL in Barcelona and Oviedo, Spain, and of LearnMore, inc. and institution to promote effective teaching strategies. Dr. Williams earned her doctoral degree in Special Education and Behavior Analysis from Columbia University - Teachers College, where she was a recipient of the Fred S. Keller Research Grant to study language development and autism. She has been granted several awards for her contributions in the field of applied behavior analysis. Dr. Williams has published 18 articles in peer reviewed journals such as the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, American Journal on Mental Retardation, Teaching Exceptional Children, etc. She has participated as guest reviewer for JABA, Behavior and Social Issues, and The Behavior Analyst. She is a frequent guest speaker in Europe and South America. At this time, Dr. Williams’ main objective is to implement effective strategies to teach functional verbal language to nonverbal children and to investigate strategies and techniques to facilitate social skills and functional language acquisition. Her quest is to utilize the behavioral technology to benefit children around the world.

For the past thirty years Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) has been implemented in Norway and other European countries. In most countries it has been a challenge to deliver EIBI according to some suggested minimum standards. The most common challenges have been: to have experts in ABA oversee, and properly trained staff implement the intervention, to get parents involved and to provide intervention in the home, and to provide intensive intervention (a minimum of 20 hours per week). As a result of this, the outcome of EIBI has generally been moderate. However, outcome of EIBI has been much better than “treatment as usual”. Outcome reported from various studies in Europe confirm a dose-response relationship between weekly hours and outcome. I will present recent outcome data from a study where we compared effects of EIBI provided 10 hours a week and 20 hours a week. The outcome will be related to EIBI benchmarks.