You must register for the conference in order to register for a workshop. Pre-registration for workshops is strongly encouraged, as space is limited and workshops will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please register for the conference and workshops online.

FEES: 6-hr workshop: $60/ 3hr-workshop: $35; additional flat fee of $50 for processing continuing education units (no maximum), where applicable.

Tracks: Autism – AUT; Clinical and Medical – CM; Developmental Disabilities – DD; Education – ED; Organizational Behavior Management – OBM; Professional, Ethical, & Legal -- PEL

Workshop Levels: Introductory (Intro), Intermediate (Intermed), Advanced (Adv)

Continuing Education (CE): Behavior Analyst Certification Board – BACB; Mandatory Continuing Education Program for Psychologists – MCEP; Board of Behavioral Sciences – BBS; Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology Board – SLPAB. Completion of a 3-hour workshop = 3 CEUs; completion of a 6-hour workshop = 6 CEUs

Workshop Schedule and Descriptions (subject to change – check this site periodically for updates)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Workshop # 1 (AUT – Intro)
Leaf, Ronald PhD
McEachin, John
Taubman, Mitchell
Autism Partnership

CE: BACB, BBS; MCEP pending

Divergence, Convergence and Resolution?
Perhaps there is no application area in which Applied Behavior Analysis has a greater presence than in autism. Years of research and clinical applications have produced a proliferation of behaviorally based intervention programs for persons with autism, including university-based projects, institutes, educational residential or day treatment and clinical service agencies. Though all are under the umbrellas of ABA, often originating from the same seminal efforts, divergent directions in philosophy, conceptualization and application have often been followed between and within these various types of ABA programs. The sometimes subtle and sometimes substantial disparities that may be found between some Applied Behavior Analysis approaches to treating persons with autism constitute the core of this workshop.

Workshop # 2 (DD – Intro)
Rios, Jose D. MS, BCBA
Hurtado, Evangelina
Private Practice

CE: BACB, BBS

Positive Reinforcement: Making It Work For You
We will review the importance of understanding the concept of positive reinforcement and how to effectively use it in everyday life. This workshop is geared for professionals, students and parents who likely have had prior training (and knowledge) of positive reinforcement but who can gain from a refresher on its importance with all populations. We will discuss guidelines on the use reinforcement, types of reinforcers, methods to identify reinforcement and how to use reinforcement regularly to be effective as a teacher, instructor, staff person, parent, employee, employer, or consultant. We will provide examples of the effect of reinforcement and we will discuss the use of differential reinforcement methods to deal with unwanted behavior.

Workshop # 3 (CM – Intermed)
Ayllon, Teodoro PhD, ABPP
Georgia State University

CE: BACB

Child Therapy as a Social-Contextual Experience
Parents and teachers are confronted daily with a variety of disruptive and problematic behaviors with which psychologists, counselors, and other health providers are called upon to help. Clinical experience suggests that assessment and the various diagnoses used to describe a child's behavior are helpful. The challenge for parents, however, is to fill the vacuum between the assessment and the corresponding treatment. The question is how to deal with the practical issues presented by a child's pattern of problematic behaviors? This is where Child Therapy as a Social- Contextual Experience comes in. At the outset, the family is the primary social system within which the behavior of its members takes place. A child actively interacts with his social environment to change it and, as he does so, he is changed by it. A functional analysis of problematic behavior attempts to identify the "purpose" of a child's behavior by checking what it is he gains or avoids for so behaving. Simply put: what does the problematic behavior do for him? Child Therapy is, fundamentally, a social experience concerned with the reciprocal processes through which a child's problematic behavior influences and is influenced by his social environment. The process is largely interactional and bi-directional. The patterns of interaction are in reaction to and are affected by the behavior of the family members toward one another. Therefore, an analysis of the causal basis of a child's problematic behavior involves an examination of the child-family pattern of interaction and the meaning of these to the family and the child. As a social experience, child therapy is family oriented in that parents are the agents of behavioral and emotional change and the home is where these changes are first introduced. Here, the therapist is a facilitator, or, coach who helps parents to acquire the skills involved in establishing a home environment for positive, behavioral-emotional, change. The implementation of specific therapeutic, learning, practices carried out by parents is the product of a collaborative parent-therapist relationship.

Workshop # 4 (ED – Intro)
Davey, Bryan J. , BCBA
Utah State University
Stenhoff, Donald M.
Utah State University

CE: BACB

Excel Spreadsheets and Graphs: Visual Display of Individual Behavior and Academic Performance in Applied Settings
Visual display of data in single-subject research is imperative when communicating quantitative relationships and behavior patterns to consumers and fellow practitioners. Excel is an application that allows practitioners and consumers to create spreadsheets and graphic displays. Excel graphs convey effect across various single-subject designs (i.e., multiple-baseline, alternating treatment, reversal, cumulative record). While Excel can be difficult to navitgate and master, this workshop will provide participants with hands on training promoting effective use. A series of mini lessons will further the skills or knowledge of BCBAs or BCABAs. Workshop mini lessions include how to set up spreadsheets and input data sets, chart wizard navigation, graph construction of all data or select data sets within a spreadsheet, manipulation of graph components (e.g., axes, data labels, phase change lines), and updating data sets and graphs. Instructors will provide several models, followed by opportunities for participants to practice skills with feedback. Throughout the workshop instructors will explain and demonstrate the subtle nuances of Excel. These tips allow for easier Excel navigation and enhance the graphical presentation. Additionally, workshop instructors will provide an Excel CD tutorial that will continue to guide participants in future Excel projects. Participants are required to bring a laptop with the Excel application and strongly encouraged to bring their own data sets to graph during the workshop.

Workshop # 5 (PEL – Intro)
Youngbauer, John G. PhD, BCBA
Ballmaier, Heike
North Los Angeles County Regional Center

CE: BACB, BBS, SLPAB; MCEP pending

Behavior Analysts and Suspected Abuse
BCBAs and BCABAs provide professional services, but unlike our licensed colleagues, we do not require continuing education in the detection and reporting of suspected abuse. This lack of requirement does not relieve us of our ethical and legal responsibility nor does it protect us from criminal and/or civil liability if we fail in that responsibility. This workshop will provide definitions of abuse (child, dependent adult, and elder), the laws, risk factors, research, reporting requirements (timelines), and civil and criminal penalties for failing to report suspected abuse. This workshop will use video reenactments, redacted case records, and scenarios to illustrate instances of abuse. A pre-test and a post-test will allow the participant to self assess their level of mastery. Handouts will be provided.

Workshop # 6 (OBM – Intro)
Brethower, Dale M. PhD
Western Michigan University

CE: BACB

Achieving Peak Workplace Performance While Satisfying Certified Performance Technologist Standards
Participants will practice linking one or more performance improvement initiative to organizational results through use of the "30 Second Theory of Behavioral Systems Analysis" and the concept of the Performance Episode, and will practice using worksheets to connect the 6 Peak Performance variables to the 4 defining standards of the 10 International Society for Performance Improvement Standards for Certified Performance Technologists.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Workshop # 7 (PEL – Intro)
Robinson, Sarah PhD, BCBA
Florida's Agency for Persons with Disabilities
Osnes, Pamela
Ohio State University

CE: BACB

Guidelines for Professional Conduct and Ethical Decision Making in The Delivery of Behavioral Services
This introductory workshop will provide a discussion of ethical principles and their application to the practice of behavior analysis. It is designed to build understanding of ethical requirements in everyday professional situations. The content will encompass background history and foundations for codes of ethics, differences between legal and ethical behavior and interactive exercises. The presenters will review a number of professional codes and guidelines that have been designed to dictate professional conduct and to establish the relationship between ethics and law. Participants will identify and discuss the standards guiding the resolution of ethical dilemmas encountered in mental health, educational and developmental disabilities settings including: Confidentiality, privilege, privacy and consent; Record keeping; Professional competence; Fees and financial arrangements; Multiple relationships; Misuse of influence; Supervision; Consultation and referrals; Duty to warn; Honoring commitments; Rights of consumers; Publication credits; Use of punishment procedures; Due process; Distribution of education resources; Conflicts among parents and teachers; Issues relevant to development of individual education plans. Participants will be able to recognize and pursue strategies to avoid and resolve legal and ethical issues. They will participate in interactive exercises designed to enhance their analyses of ethical issues, dilemmas and decision making.

Workshop # 8 (AUT – Intermed)
Moes, Doug PhD, BCBA
Carter, Faye
Lavarias, Gerald
Autism Spectrum Therapies

CE: BACB

Social Skills: Assessment and Intervention Planning for Children with Autism
The workshop Social Skills: Assessment and Intervention Planning for Children with Autism guides participants through a systematic process of designing individualized social skills programs for children with autism including assessment and intervention planning. Both the assessment and intervention processes adhere to ABA principles and methodology. The assessment portion of the program outlines strategies for clarifying the nature of the deficit, determining the scope of deficits, clarifying what competing problem behaviors exist, and identifying preferences and relative strengths to inform intervention planning. The intervention planning portion of the program outlines a multimodal approach to developing social skills. This includes teaching participants to operationalize pivotal skills, determine the appropriate means of instruction including setting, peer, and activity selection, and developing appropriate data collection systems. This multi-modal approach to social skills instruction is illustrated through review of a case study, Small group activities provide an opportunity for participants to immediately apply this approach.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19
9:00 AM – 12:00 NOON

Workshop # 9 (ED – Intro)
Ybarra, William
Los Angeles County Office of Educ.
Wong, Cindy
Montebello Unified School District

CE: BACB

Bullying In Schools
This workshop will address factors and provide a number of strategies that can assist school personnel address the problem of bullying in their school. Specific strategies for each member of the school community, including students, will be discussed in detail along with policy recommendations for the schools.

Workshop # 10 (DD – Intermed)
Bosch, Sebastien PhD, BCBA
Maier, Eric W.
California Unified Service Providers

CE: BACB

Behavioral Demolition: Designing Effective Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP)
This workshop will present themethods of behavioral demolition. We will review the functions of problem behaviors and the implications for treatment. We will also present functional assessments (interview and direct observation) and their use in the development of behavioral intervention plans (BIP).

Workshop # 11 (AUT – Intermed)
Huynen, Kim B. PhD, BCBA
Heo, Tammy H.
Vista Behavior Consulting

CE: BACB; MCEP pending

Using Applied Behavior Analysis to Support Inclusive Education
This workshop will cover the basic concepts of inclusive education and how the techniques of applied behavior analysis can be utilized to transition a child from early intensive ABA services to an inclusive classroom setting to facilitate the student's progress. Attendees will learn to prepare for and meet the challenges of transitioning a child to a less restrictive setting, achieving generality across time, behaviors, and settings. Attendees will receive an inclusion workbook and review strategies of utilizing research based ABA techniques when working collaboratively with a team of professionals in an inclusive setting.

Workshop # 12 (OBM – Intermed)
Reid, Dennis H. PhD, BCBA
Carolina Behavior Analysis and Support Center

CE: BACB, BBS

Evidence-Based Strategies for Training, Supervising, and Motivating Human Service Staff
This workshop will present procedures for improving and maintaining desired work performance among human service personnel. A behavioral outcome management approach derived from behavior analytic research will be described for application by supervisors, consultants, and clinicians who provide consumer services by working through other personnel. Specific topics to be covered include training work-related skills to staff in an efficient and performance-based manner, supporting proficient staff performance, corrective procedures for nonproficient performance, and means of motivating staff to impact both work performance and job satisfaction. Throughout all topics discussed, an emphasis will be on using staff training and supervision procedures that have an evidence base to support the effectiveness of the procedures. A focus also will be on procedures that are typically well received by direct service staff.

Workshop # 13 (ED – Intermed)
Jenson, William R. PhD
University of Utah
Bowen, Julie
Jordan School District/Univ. of Utah

CE: BACB, BBS; MCEP pending

Behavior Management for Tough Kids: Practical Classroom Interventions
This presentation will focus on the practical management of behaviorally disordered/emotionally disturbed students (BD/SED). These students are frequently referred to as "tough kids" because they exhibit strong behavioral excesses such as arguing, noncompliance, and aggression while at the same time they possess significant behavioral deficits in self-management (rule governed behavior), social skills, and academic abilities. This presentation will review what causes "tough kid" behavior, how to practically assess it, and strategies to remediate it. An emphasis will be placed on proactive strategies and positive behavior management interventions such as Mystery Motivators, the "Sure I Will" program, the "Yes and No" classroom management program, reward spinners, a whole school positive discipline program and several more. Strategies to decrease the behavioral excesses of noncompliance and arguing will include differential attention, What If Charts, effective classroom rule design, precision requests, and a variety of practical reductive classroom interventions. In addition, information will also be presented on how to get other people such as parents and other educators to follow through and implement these techniques. All the strategies to be presented will be research validated interventions that can be time-efficiently implemented in classrooms at low cost.

Workshop # 14 (AUT – Intro)
Sparkman, Coleen MA, CCC-SLP
Young, Jill
Cavagnaro, Devon
Machado, Melanie
Moore, Allyson
Therapeutic Pathways, Inc./The Kendall School

CE: BACB, SLPAB

Assessing and Programming for the Acquisition of Complex Language Skills in Children with Autism
This workshop will discuss how information obtained through speech and language assessment tools might be combined with direct observation to develop behavior analytic intervention programs that target advanced verbal skills in children with autism. Discrete-trial methodologies have shown to be effective in teaching children a variety of verbal skills; however, fewer procedures have been developed that target more complex verbal skills. Script-fading, self-monitoring and behavioral rehearsals are among the techniques used to develop higher-order language skills such as commenting, maintaining contextually appropriate conversations, responding to listeners non- verbal behavior, and "inference making". Suggestions in the use of different assessments and interventions based on the learner's language, social and behavioral profiles will be outlined.

Workshop # 15 (CM – Intro)
Nunn, R. Gregory PhD, BCBA
National University

CE: BACB, BBS; MCEP pending

Advances in Treating Children with Habit Disorders, Motor and Vocal Tics, Tourette's Syndrome, and Stuttering Using the Habit Reversal and Regulated Breathing Treatment Program
Maladaptive and undesirable habits, tics, Tourette's Syndrome (TS), and stuttering are extremely common problems which can seriously affect the personal relationships and self-esteem of individuals who suffer from them. Because these problems can cause acute psychological distress, many different types of treatments for them have been developed. Habit Reversal is a behavioral treatment approach which has proven to be an effective, "General treatment" for habits and tics including TS (Azrin & Nunn, 1973; Azrin & Nunn, 1977; Nunn, 1978; Azrin, Nunn & Frantz, 1980; Azrin & Peterson, 1988a, Finney, Rapoff, Hall, & Christopherson, 1983; Franco, 1981; Zikis, 1983; Miltenberger, 2001). In this workshop we will discuss the identification, nature, and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with these type of problems. Specifically we will cover the diagnosis and treatment of individuals using the Habit Reversal and Regulated Breathing Treatment Procedures of Azrin and Nunn as well as treatment variations that have evolved from their original work. Case studies are included where possible and workshop participants are strongly encouraged to provide input. You will learn: To identify and diagnose maladaptive habits, tics, TS, and stuttering with children and adults. To understand the theoretical rationales that have spawned the many treatments for these types of problems, The Habit Reversal and Regulated Breathing Treatment Procedures, Common pitfalls of treatment and ways of overcoming them. All practitioners, educators, and other professionals working with children, adolescents, or adults presenting with these types of problems are encouraged to attend.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Workshop # 16 (OBM – Intro)
LaVigna, Gary W. PhD, BCBA
Kelly, Rose K.
Institute for Applied Behavior Analysis

CE: BACB

Staff Recruitment and Retention: An Application of Organization Behavior Management
This one-day workshop will provide the participants with the information necessary to develop a staff recruitment and retention plan aimed at reducing turnover, staff vacancies and reduced time needed to fill open positions with qualified people. The methods utilized are based on the principles of organization behavior management (OBM). Using the methods described in the workshop, IABA has reduced its own employee turnover nearly in half and has dramatically improved staff job survival rate.

Workshop # 17 (ED – Intro)
Sloane, Howard PhD
Calif. Assoc. for Behavior Analysis

CE: BACB

Helping Teachers in Traditional Classrooms Use Behavior Analytic Procedures
This workshop does two things. First, it provides an overview of a range of things behavior analysis suggests a teacher needs to have in place in the classroom. Then it has an in-depth skill session on helping teachers learn to use correct questioning procedures to increase attending and learning and to decrease behavior problems. In the latter, participants are guided through using these techniques and teaching others to use the techniques, including practice in questioning and teaching others to use questions correctly. After the overview introduction, the workshop incorporates these procedures into the workshop itself.

Workshop # 18 (AUT – Intermed)
Bondy, Andy PhD
Pyramid Educational Consultants

CE: BACB; MCEP pending

Using Verbal Behavior to Understand Multiply Controlled Operants and Autism
This workshop will review Skinner's fundamental verbal operants and expand upon his description of "impure" or multiply controlled verbal operants. Video examples of behavior by children with autism and other disabilities using various modalities, including PECS, will be reviewed. The analysis will be extended to the teaching structure of the PECS protocol. Furthermore, a review of Skinner's writing concerning private events and the autoclitic will be presented with special attention to autism. Much of this work is based upon an article in press in The Behavior Analyst.