Date: November, 2019
November 2019 WORKSHOP with Dr. Greg Hanley
November 9, 2019
Toward Meaningful Outcomes from Kind Processes Addressing Problem Behavior of Persons with Autism
(Full day workshop for professionals, family members and students)
Workshops:
The workshop is presented by Dr. Gregory Hanley, who has been applying the principles of learning to improve socially important behaviors of children and adults with and without disabilities just under 30 years. He currently serves as a Research Professor at WNEU, an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and CEO of FTF Behavioral, an international training and consulting group based in Worcester Massachusetts. This group of researcher-practitioners supports professionals attempting to create meaningful outcomes with practical functional assessment processes and skill-based treatments for addressing emerging and severe problem behavior, intractable stereotypy, food selectivity and mealtime problem behavior, and sleep problems.
Dr Hanley worked and trained at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, was degreed at the University of Florida, was tenured at the University of Kansas, and directed the Behavior Analysis Doctoral Program and Life Skills Clinic at Western New England University (WNEU). Dr. Hanley is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Div. 25), past Associate Editor of The Behavior Analyst, and past Editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and of Behavior Analysis in Practice.
Workshop Abstract: Autism is characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication and by restricted, repetitive, or stereotyped patterns of behavior. A diagnosis of autism is not dependent on severe problem behaviors like meltdowns, self-injury, or aggression or on sleep problems or extreme food selectivity. Nevertheless, odds are that one or more of these types of problems will require addressing at some point in the life span of a child diagnosed with autism. Behavioral intervention can be effective for addressing these problems, but satisfying experiences and meaningful outcomes do not occur from behavioral intervention unless it is developed in collaboration with parents and teachers, is carefully tailored to the child’s preferences, and the behavior analyst champions safety and dignity as they progressively develop a repertoire of skills germane to the context in which the problem behavior occurs. This sort of behavioral assessment and intervention process for addressing severe problem behavior, intractable stereotypic behavior, sleep problems, and food selectivity will be detailed via case examples from peer-reviewed research.
Workshop Objectives:
- The attendee should be able to describe the difference between behavior modification and applied behavior analysis (ABA) in the context of addressing problem behaviors.
- The attendee should be able to describe the importance of both an interview and an analysis for informing the treatment of problem behavior.
- The attendee should be able to describe five decisions that lead to safe analyses.
- The attendee should be able to describe the conditions under which stereotypic behavior may warrant address.
- The attendee should be able to describe the three critical skills capable of replacing severe problem behavior as well as the progressive process for developing these skills.
- The attendee should be able to describe the five features of effective intervention for sleep problems.
- The attendee should be able to describe how to arrange therapeutic contexts so that children with autism choose to learn skills that address their problem behavior.
Relevant website: http://practicalfunctionalassessment.com/
Organized by ABLE Developmental Clinic and the UBC Psychoeducational Research and Training Centre