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| Language Assessment in Early Intervention for Children With Autism: Identifying Treatment Priorities |
| Tuesday, January 31, 2017 |
| 9:30 AM–12:20 PM |
| Miramar Ballroom |
| Area: AUT; Domain: Applied Research |
| CE Instructor: Mark L. Sundberg, Ph.D. |
| MARK L. SUNDBERG (Sundberg and Associates) |
 Mark L. Sundberg, Ph.D., BCBA-D, received his doctorate degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Western Michigan University (1980), under the direction of Dr. Jack Michael. He is the author of the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP), and co-author of the original ABLLS assessment program, and the book Teaching Language to Children with Autism or Other Developmental Disabilities. He has published over 50 professional papers and 5 book chapters. He is the founder and past editor of the journal The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, a twice past-president of The Northern California Association for Behavior Analysis, a past-chair of the Publication Board of ABAI, and has served on the Board of Directors of the B. F. Skinner Foundation. Dr. Sundberg has given hundreds of conference presentations and workshops nationally and internationally, and taught 80 college and university courses on behavior analysis, verbal behavior, sign language, and child development. He is a licensed psychologist with over 40 years of clinical experience who consults for public and private schools that serve children with autism. His awards include the 2001 “Distinguished Psychology Department Alumnus Award” from Western Michigan University, and the 2013 “Jack Michael Outstanding Contributions in Verbal Behavior Award” from ABAI’s Verbal Behavior Special Interest Group. |
| Description: Given that deficits in social communication and social interaction constitute the primary diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorders, an effective language and social skills assessment and intervention program is an essential component of an individual treatment program. The assessment process is necessary for identifying a child's strengths and weaknesses across a wide range of skills, and for comparing his skills to those of typically developing children. The assessment results should then guide the intervention. The current presentation will focus on a behavioral approach to assessment based on Skinner's (1957) analysis of verbal behavior. Participants will learn how an assessment tool based on Skinner's work, the VB-MAPP, can be used to identify a child's language, learning, and social skills, as well as potential barriers that may be impeding skill acquisition. Participants will then learn how to use the results of the assessment to identify a child's immediate and long-term intervention priorities, as well as potential intervention strategies that might be most beneficial for the child. |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the workshop, participants will be able to: (1) define and exemplify the basic verbal operants from Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior; (2) describe the five components of the VB-MAPP; (3) use the VB-MAPP to identify intervention priorities for children with autism. |
| Activities: Core content will be taught through lecture and video demonstrations of of various strategies. Supplemental materials for identifying language and learning barriers will be provided in order to support participant learning. |
| Audience: Certified behavior analysts, licensed psychologists, graduate students. |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
| Keyword(s): skill acquistition, VB-MAPP |
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| Effective School Consultation: Getting in the Door, Staying in, and Making a Difference |
| Tuesday, January 31, 2017 |
| 2:00 PM–4:50 PM |
| Miramar Ballroom |
| Area: AUT; Domain: Service Delivery |
| CE Instructor: Cynthia M. Anderson, Ph.D. |
| CYNTHIA M. ANDERSON (The May Institute; The National Autism Center) |
 Cynthia M. Anderson earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology from West Virginia University, and is the Senior Vice President of Applied Behavior Analysis and Director of the National Autism Center at the May Institute. In addition to her service to ABAI on the SIGs Board and Program Committee, she is Representative at Large for APA Division 25 and associate editor for the Journal of Behavioral Education. |
| Description: Behavior analysts supporting children and adolescents are often asked by parents or other care providers to provide support in public schools. Although behavior analysts have much to offer education, it can be difficult to build a collaborative and effective working relationship with teachers and other educational professionals. In this workshop, we will delineate proven strategies for initiating a consultation relationship and building a collaborative working relationship. Attendees will build skills in developing and using two collaborative models, one for supporting a specific student and the second for building classroom and/or school-wide capacity in supporting students with autism spectrum disorder. |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the workshop, participants will be able to: (1) Provide examples of effective strategies to develop and build collaborative relationships with school districts; (2) Identify traps that can harm consultative relationships; (3) Describe key features of effective consulting relationships for individual students; (4) List benefits of school- and district-wide systems-level consultation for supporting students with autism spectrum disorder; (5) Identify key features necessary for school- and district-level capacity in behavior supports. |
| Activities: Workshop activities will include didactic instruction, small group breakout, and role plays. |
| Audience: Certified behavior analysts, licensed psychologists, graduate students. |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
| Keyword(s): education, school support |