PennABA 2011 Conference Presentations

THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2011

MORNING WORKSHOPS

Workshop 1

Title: "Six Common Teaching Mistakes and What To Do Instead"

Presenter: William Heward, Ed.D., BCBA-D

Description:

Six teaching mistakes committed frequently by both general and special education teachers will be presented in a

three-part format. First, the mistake (e.g., Asking students, "Do you understand?") and examples of its occurrence

described and/or demonstrated. Second, logical and empirical rationale will be offered why teachers should eliminate

or greatly reduce the frequency with which they commit the mistake. Third, one or more research-based and

classroom-tested alternative strategies (i.e., what to do instead) will be presented and/or demonstrated. Participants

will leave with a completed set of guided notes, handouts of examples and guidelines for implementing several of the

alternative strategies, and an annotated list of references and resources.

Workshop 2

Title: "Asperger’s Disorder"

Presenter: Michael DeWulf, Ph.D.

Description:

Asperger’s can be thought of as a type of social learning disorder. While some argue that the disorder is simply a

variant of autism, others believe it remains a distinct type of pervasive developmental disorder. But to what extent is

one disorder a variant of another? Is Asperger’s simply autism without the intellectual delay? Is the schizoid

personality a variant of Asperger’s? This workshop is designed to identify the primary characteristics of the disorder

and briefly cover the assessment and differential diagnosis process. Classification systems established by the DSM-

IV, ICD-10, and Gillberg’s criteria are reviewed. Other topics include incidence, possible cause, and mental health

problems commonly associated with the disorder. The question of whether or not Asperger’s can be present in a

person with an intellectual delay and its relationship to autism will be addressed, in addition to various approaches

designed to improve communication and social skills. A variety of other strategies with regard to behavior development

and useful tips for working with individuals that have Asperger’s disorder are provided.



Download Dr. DeWulf's Presentation by clicking here


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THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2011

AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS

Workshop 3

with autism.  It is typically, but not always, maintained by automatic reinforcement by the sensory consequences

produced by engaging in it. A brief discussion of automatic reinforcement and the implication of it for treatment will be

presented.  A number of effective interventions have been developed but stereotypy often persists as a problem when

active treatment is not in place.  Interventions for directly treating this problem that will be discussed include response,

interruption/redirection, response competition, and sensory integration.  Sometimes effective treatment also produces

appropriate behavior that can be fostered by natural or arranged contingencies; however, appropriate behavior must

often be promoted more explicitly.  This presentation will also discuss strategies for building functional skills.  These

strategies range from direct instruction of functional engagement (often necessary for younger or lower functioning

persons) to video modeling and verbal operant training.



Download Dr. Ahearn's Presentation by clicking here


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Workshop 4

FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2011

SPEAKER SERIES

Speaker Series 1

Title: "Why Be a Behavior Analyst?"

Presenter: William Heward, Ed.D., BCBA-D

Description:

"Why be a behavior analyst today and not something else?" Today's behavior analyst has access to conceptual tools,

behavior change strategies, and measurement and evaluation tactics more powerful and sophisticated than ever before.

Today's behavior analyst can bring the technology of behavior change to bear upon a wider range of problems and

opportunities than ever before. Several examples of how behavior analysis is helping to improve the human experience

will be presented. By any measure, however, the potential of behavior analysis to help make the world a better place

far exceeds its accomplishments to date. Five reasons will be offered why a person should become a behavior analyst

and eight actions recommended that behavior analysts, whether novices or experienced, can take to help narrow the

gap between the tremendous potential of behavior analysis and its impact on the world to date.

and clinical services to children with autism spectrum disorders; however, applied behavior analysis consists of

individually tailoring interventions to meet the educational and clinical goals of each child.  This is a complex task for a

clinician but if a systematic approach that involves regular review of progress through data analysis is utilized, best

practices may become apparent.  This presentation will discuss systematic evaluations of teaching procedures

conducted with students receiving educational instruction in a school for children with ASDs.  Procedures evaluated

include response prompting and prompt fading techniques for establishing behavior chains; response prompting

techniques for establishing verbal behavior; and, remediational strategies implemented when students do not acquire

educational objectives.  The discussion of remediation procedures will focus on increasing response opportunities and

evaluating differential reinforcement for prompt dependency.  How to incorporate simple research questions into

everyday practice will also be described.


Download Dr. Ahearn's Presentation by clicking here


(Note! Microsoft Power Point Viewer is Required to view files)