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| ABAI Presidential Address: Dream Chasers |
| Monday, May 30, 2011 |
| 5:00 PM–5:50 PM |
| Four Seasons 1-3 (Convention Center) |
| Chair: Raymond G. Miltenberger (University of South Florida) |
| CE Instructor: Richard Malott, Ph.D. |
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ABAI Presidential Address: Dream Chasers |
| Abstract: Here's one of my favorite things about our field of behavior analysis: it's filled with dream chasers-delightfully delusional behavior analysts devoting their lives to chasing the behavior analytic dream, to saving the world with behavior analysis, or at least some small chunk of the world, to helping all kids on the spectrum learn to talk, to disseminating behavior-analytic, computer-based instruction throughout public education, to ending global warming, to infusing their undergrad students with a love of behavior analysis, and also to understanding what makes us complex organisms and complex social systems tick, without forgetting our Skinner-box, our experimental roots; in other words, to finding out why the pigeon pecks the key and what that has to do with you and me. You name it, and there's a small or large group of people using behavior analysis to achieve these illusive goals, working toward the well being of humanity. I'd like to share a few of my heroes with you. |
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| RICHARD W. MALOTT (Western Michigan University) |
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 Dr. Richard Malott, Ph.D., BCBA-D (DickMalott@DickMalott.com) teaches behavior analysis at Western Michigan University (WMU), where he works with students interested in becoming practitioners, rather than researchers. He trains students to work with autistic children and to apply behavior systems analysis and organizational behavior management to human-services settings. He concentrates on training BA and MA students as well as Ph.D. students. Every summer, he runs the Behavioral Boot Camp, an intense 15-class-hour-per week, 7.5 week, graduate-level, behavior-analysis seminar for students from WMU and around the globe. Originally, he taught an intro behavior-analysis course to 1,000 students per semester, who produced 1,000 lever-pressing rats per year. Now, his students only condition 230 rats per year, but they also do 130 self-management projects and provide 13,500 hours of training to autistic children each year. To further those efforts, in 2008 he founded the Kalamazoo Autism Center. He also coauthored Principles of Behavior (the textbook previously known as Elementary Principles of Behavior.) Since 1980, he has been working on a textbook called I’ll Stop Procrastinating When I Get Around to It. He has presented in 14 countries and has received two Fulbright Senior Scholar Awards. In 2002, he also received ABA’s Award for Public Service in Behavior Analysis. And in 2010, he was elected president-elect of ABAI. For more information, please see http://DickMalott.com. |
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