December, 2008

Dear CalABA Members and Friends:

For its 2009 conference, CalABA will once again use the beautiful Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in Burlingame. This hotel hosted two previous CalABA conferences, and attendees as well as our conference staff gave high marks to the hotel's meeting space, guest rooms, services, and amenities. The cost of meeting and sleeping rooms in hotels in the downtown areas of major cities like San Francisco puts them out of CalABA's reach, so we are grateful to have a site like the Hyatt Regency SFO that can accommodate our space and budgetary needs while affording conference-goers easy access to many attractions in the Bay Area.

We are also grateful to an outstanding cast of featured speakers who have agreed to share their wisdom with CalABA conference participants. In keeping with CalABA tradition, they will cover a variety of topics in conceptual, experimental, and applied behavior analysis. Keynote addresses will be delivered by CalABA's public policy consultant James Gross, who is sure to inspire listeners to get involved in public policy work, and Sigrid Glenn, a visionary behavior analyst who will clarify burning conceptual questions about what it means to be a "radical" behaviorist. The 2009 Outstanding Contributor to Behavior Analysis, Jon Bailey, will describe "pillars of professionalism" for behavior analysts in his address. This year's Glenda Vittimberga Memorial Lecture will be on the important topic of psychotropic medications for challenging behaviors, delivered by Jennifer Zarcone.

Each area of the conference program will have an invited address or workshop by a leading scientist or scientist-practitioner. Invited speakers by area are: Lynne Huffman, Stanford University Medical School (Autism); David P. Wacker, University of Iowa (Developmental Disabilities); Brian Martens, Syracuse University (Education); Allen Neuringer, Reed College (Experimental); Keith Allen, Munroe-Meyer Rehabilitation Institute, Nebraska Medical Center (Clinical/Medical); Gary Novak, California State University, Stanislaus (Human Development & Gerontology); Ron VanHouten, Western Michigan University (Organizational Behavior Management); Jerry Shook, Behavior Analyst Certification Board (Professional, Ethical, & Legal); and Ruth Anne Rehfeldt, Southern Illinois University (Verbal Behavior). See the invited speakers page for details about these exciting presenters and their topics.

CalABA is very pleased to be co-conferencing this year with the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA), which will have several presentations on the conference program. They include a panel on ethical challenges for practitioners led by Jim Johnston; a presentation on staff training and supervision in autism programs by Jane Howard; addresses by APBA Board members Richard Foxx and Ray Romanczyk on developmental disabilities and autism, respectively; and a workshop on health insurance coverage of autism treatment by Eric Larsson and Gina Green.

Additionally, the CalABA Conference Committee has carefully selected addresses, symposia, panels, and workshops from the large number of submitted presentations to construct a program that has something for everyone who has an interest in behavior analysis. Whether you are a consumer of behavior analysis services, a university student or faculty member, a researcher, or a practitioner working in regular or special education, developmental disabilities, autism, public health, organizational management, or brain injury rehabilitation, you will find people with a wealth of information to share not only in formal conference presentations, but also through informal interactions during the several conference social events or over a cup of coffee or a meal. Speaking of meals, when you register for the conference be sure to sign up for the luncheon. The meal is a bargain, and the luncheon is a great time to socialize with old friends and meet new ones.

Continuing education units will be available for Board Certified Behavior Analysts, Board Certified Associate Behavior Analysts, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, school psychologists and counselors, social workers, and speech-language pathologists. The flat fee of $60 for any number of CEUs is not only a great value, but a portion of it will also help fund public policy work to advance and support behavior analysis. Certain presentations throughout the conference general session will be available for some types of CEUs; they will be identified in the program book and on the CalABA website. Most of the Saturday workshops offer at least one type of CEU as well, but enrollment in those is limited, so make sure you pre-register for workshops when you register for the conference.

The CalABA conference provides great opportunities to advertise position openings and graduate programs, and to support CalABA by being a conference sponsor or exhibitor. A sponsorship and advertising application (which includes the Job Fair and Graduate Program Expo) is available here. The deadline is January 15, so get your application in right away!

Register for the conference by February 24, 2009 to qualify for the early registration fee, and don't forget to reserve your hotel room now to hold a spot and get the great conference rate. Check the website frequently for updates and the full conference program. We look forward to seeing you in March by the bay!

Gina Green, PhD, BCBA
Jill Young, PhD, BCBA
2009 CalABA Conference Committee Co-Chairs

2009 CalABA Conference Committee