|
 Verbal Operant Experimental Analyses for Speakers With Autism and Other Language Disorders |
| Friday, May 26, 2023 |
| 8:00 AM–3:00 PM |
| Convention Center Mile High Ballroom 1E/F |
| Area: AUT/VBC; Domain: Service Delivery |
| CE Instructor: Lee Mason, Ph.D. |
| LEE MASON (Cook Children's Health Care System), ALONZO ALFREDO ANDREWS (The University of Texas at San Antonio) |
| Description: Individualized interventions are premised upon the accurate assessment of behavioral deficits and excesses. Forty years of research on functional analysis has shown it to be the most rigorous and precise method of behavioral assessment. Traditionally used to identify the environmental determinants of problem behavior, functional analyses are increasingly being used to assess a variety of different functional and academic skills. This workshop focuses on extending the technology of functional analysis to examining the verbal behavior deficits of individuals with autism. Even with early intensive behavioral intervention, a large number of individuals with autism fail to develop fluent speech. These individuals may require a more systematic approach to language acquisition. We provide an interactive approach to conducting verbal operant experimental (VOX) analyses, and using the results of this assessment for developing individualized treatment plans for individuals with autism and other language disorders. Specifically, we use multiple-exemplar training and guided practice to demonstrate the procedures and interpretation of a VOX analysis. The methodology described in this workshop is empirically supported, and conceptually systematic with a behavior-analytic approach to language assessment and intervention. Special attention will be paid to speakers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe the strength of verbal operants in relation to one another; (2) conduct a VOX analysis; (3) develop individualized treatment objectives; and (4) demonstrate the process for abstracting stimulus control over each of the verbal operants. |
| Activities: Workshop objectives will be met through a balanced presentation of lecture, video modeling, role-playing, and workbook demonstrations. Core content will be taught through lecture and video demonstrations of strategies will be provided. Guided notes will be provided in order to support participant learning. |
| Audience: This workshop is geared towards Board Certified Behavior Analysts, Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts, Registered Behavior Technicians, special education teachers, school psychologists, speech language pathologists, and other professionals who provide direct services to strengthen the language of children with autism. Additionally, researchers who study verbal behavior may benefit from this workshop. |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Keyword(s): errorless learning, functional analysis, stimulus overselectivity, verbal behavior |