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| Managing Complex and Rapidly Evolving Behavior in People With Emerging Consciousness After Brain Injury |
| Saturday, May 24, 2025 |
| 11:00 AM–11:50 AM |
| Marriott Marquis, M2 Level, Marquis Salon 1-5 |
| 📺 Streaming Status: session is complete - recording is pending |
| Area: CBM/PCH; Domain: Service Delivery |
| Chair: Alison Cox (Brock University) |
| CE Instructor: Alison Cox, Ph.D. |
| Presenting Author: ERIC SPIER (Craig Hospital) |
| Abstract: Brain Injury is the second leading cause of disability in the United States, creating an imperative need for a comprehensive and holistic approach to the motor, cognitive, visual and behavioral deficits that co-occur. The use of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) across the brain injury continuum has gained traction over the last decade but this clinical population is still gravely underserved. Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) are now present on interdisciplinary treatment teams in inpatient, outpatient and community settings for Brain Injury Survivors. However, the funding and access to these programs is limited within the continuum and often leads to less-than-ideal outcomes for survivors. Survivors who engage in behaviors such as aggression, property destruction and self-harm can often have even fewer options in terms of treatment. The unique skill set and tacet knowledge of practitioners that grounded in behavioral principles is needed to ensure recovery, generalization and maintenance of socially significant behaviors that will impact a survivor’s life. The use of operational definitions, behavior intervention plans and hands-on training creates a format where interdisciplinary team members can demonstrate to insurance rehabilitation benefits related to behavior improvement. Past the walls of rehabilitation, these tools can help families and caregivers feel confident in their ability to manage behavior of their loved one even as discharge approaches. This lecture will focus on the historical and societal markings that have built barriers to ABA being included in Brain Injury healing, the benefits of the inclusion of ABA within the rehabilitation setting, and how BCBAs can best position themselves for collaboration within these groups. |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Target Audience: Behavioral analysts, psychologists, case managers, program directors and practitioners working in a brain injury medicine setting. |
Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the historical evolution of behavioral psychology in brain injury
2. Explain the benefits of including behavior analysts on an inpatient rehabilitation team
3. Understand how to optimize their role on an interdisciplinary team supporting brain injury survivors |
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| ERIC SPIER (Craig Hospital) |
 Eric T. Spier, MD, serves as the Brain Injury Program Medical Director and Outpatient Brain Injury Medical Director at Craig Hospital. He also serves as Neurorehabilitation Consultant at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Denver, a Level I Trauma Center. Dr. Spier earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School in Houston and completed his residency at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven and the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He is boarded in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Brain Injury Medicine. He joined the medical staff at Craig Hospital in 2016 after building and serving as the Medical Director for Mentis El Paso, a 24-bed post-acute neurorehabilitation program that served West Texas, New Mexico and surrounding areas. Dr. Spier serves as the Medical Director for the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado and also serves as the Medical Director for the Board of Governors of the Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists. He has co-authored many textbook chapters and peer-reviewed articles in the field of brain injury medicine. |
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| Behaviorism and the Mind of a Bee |
| Saturday, May 24, 2025 |
| 11:00 AM–11:50 AM |
| Marriott Marquis, M2 Level, Marquis Salon 6 |
| 📺 Streaming Status: session is complete - recording is pending |
| Area: PCH; Domain: Basic Research |
| Chair: Andres H. Garcia-Penagos (California State University, Chico) |
| Presenting Author: LARS CHITTKA (Queen Mary, University of London) |
| Abstract: B.F. Skinner was one of the most influential, and also one of the quirkiest psychologists of all time. He trained pigeons to play ping pong, rats to pull levers and cats to play the piano. The behaviorist interpretation that all of these seemingly intelligent behaviors could be explained solely by operant conditioning, without the involvement of mental processes, is now confined to history lessons. However, the behaviorist view still holds strong in research on insect cognition. In recent years, bees have been trained to pull stings, roll balls to a goal and open puzzle boxes – but many researchers hold firm in their belief that this is “just operant conditioning”. Here I explore whether there is evidence for mental processes in bees – whether they can solve problems by insight rather than trial and error, whether they can imagine things, and whether they could be said to have emotion-like states. The answer to all these questions is a cautious “yes”. |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
Learning Objectives: 1. Explore levels of animal (insect) cognition that extend beyond operant conditioning
2. New experimental methods indicate that insects think and quite possibly feel
3. These findings mean that the exploration of the inner mental world of animals is both possible and exciting |
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| LARS CHITTKA (Queen Mary, University of London) |
 Lars Chittka is the author of the book The Mind of a Bee and Professor of Sensory and Behavioural Ecology at Queen Mary College of the University of London. He is also the founder of the Research Centre for Psychology at Queen Mary. He is known for his work on the evolution of sensory systems and cognition using insect-flower interactions as a model system. Chittka has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of animal cognition and its impact on evolutionary fitness studying bumblebees and honeybees. |
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| Umbilical Leadership |
| Saturday, May 24, 2025 |
| 12:00 PM–12:50 PM |
| Marriott Marquis, M2 Level, Marquis Salon 1-5 |
| 📺 Streaming Status: session is complete - recording is pending |
| Area: EDC/DEI; Domain: Service Delivery |
| Chair: Andrew Bulla (Georgia Southern University - Armstrong ) |
| CE Instructor: Andrew Bulla, Ph.D. |
| Presenting Author: NOMBULELO SUME (Charles Duna Primary, PEER Imternational, Nelson Mandela University, GIZ) |
| Abstract: Charles Duna Primary School is a community school in the township of New Brighton in Gqeberha, South Africa. It serves as a beacon of hope, empowerment, and progress in the Nelson Mandela Bay school district. Under the hand of Nombulelo Sume, Charles Duna Primary School has achieved great heights through what she calls “Umbilical Leadership.” Principal Sume’s leadership is relational, and not a top-down process. Her leadership can be characterized by collaboration, creativity, transformation, and disrupting the status quo. Attendees will learn how her Umbilical Leadership fosters a generative environment, where the faculty and the broader school community find fulfillment and purpose in their work at the school in which the success of the child is the priority. Additionally, this presentation will describe the creative interpretation of the PEER International training and implementation in South African community schools, by the community itself. This presentation will describe how Umbilical Leadership allows schools to persevere with collaboration and unwavering values to break barriers and lead the way to excellence as well as elaborate on the continual collaboration and implementation with our PEER partners in South Africa for more than 20 years. |
| Target Audience: This target is appropriate for administrators, clinical dircetors, or aspiring leaders. |
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe the unique qualities of female leadership from an African perspective
2. Define what a community school is
3. Describe the role of stakeholders in successful community schools
4. List the core values needed to teach "the heart" that allows educators to build a community around The Child
5. List the features ecosystem which incorporates Ubuntu |
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| NOMBULELO SUME (Charles Duna Primary, PEER Imternational, Nelson Mandela University, GIZ) |
 Nombulelo Sume came into this world on the 4th of January 1964. Born 5th out of 7 kids to Nontsikelelo Nokhaya; a domestic worker and Wilmot Faneti Sume; a laborer who worked for the municipality. Although her parents were not formally educated, they instilled the value of education and a values laden life. She grew up in Mendi Road, New Brighton in a 2 bedroom home full of love, jokes and support. The home was very neat with a red ‘stoep’ that was always shining. Everyone had cooking and cleaning chores including the only brother who stepped in as the ‘in-charge’ whenever the parents were not at home. Nombulelo only started schooling at the age of seven due to her short arms that could not reach the ear; a criteria for admission that was used those years. This turned out to be a blessing as she was much more mature than the five and six year olds in her class. Annually she would receive books for academic achievements from the principal; Miss Mekuto who was also a neighbor. She grasped content easily and would be used to explain the work to other learners. This responsibility triggered her love for teaching and would play at school after hours, teaching her friends. She went to Johnson Marwanqa Primary where academic excellence was inculcated. Daily morning classes were compulsory and unruly behavior was reported to the entire school during assembly, embarrassing the culprit to compliance with rules. The school offered Domestic science classes that were attended at Newell High School, kindling a love of cooking and baking. Newell became an obvious choice for High school. Nombulelo went to Cape College of Education in Fort Beaufort and trained as a Foundation Phase teacher. She passed the majority of the courses cum laude. Her teaching career started in 1989 at Emafini Primary school, Kwa Dwesi. She studied part time at Vista University; where she received a BA and BA Honours. She was promoted and became the principal of Charles Duna Primary in July 1998 where she serves till present. Nombulelo and her entire School Management Team enrolled at Nelson Mandela University for a certificate in School Leadership and Management; passing cum laude. Nombulelo has over the years formed partnerships with many organizations to improve the school’s infrastructure, introduction of ICT, capacity building, quality of teaching and learning. Innovation, creativity, thinking out of the box, strategist, hard-work, leading through modeling, transparency and flexibility are some of her leadership qualities. The learner is always at the centre of all decisions taken. Accolades: -READ FOUNDATION – Most Supportive Principal 2002 -National Teaching Awards: Primary School Leadership 2010 -District, Cluster and Provincial winner (4th nationally) -Manyano School Network Advisory Board Chairwoman: 2019- present |
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| The Digital Paradox: Why Smartphones Haven't Made Us Happier and How to Reclaim Our Well-Being |
| Saturday, May 24, 2025 |
| 3:00 PM–3:50 PM |
| Marriott Marquis, M2 Level, Marquis Salon 6 |
| 📺 Streaming Status: session is complete - recording is pending |
| Area: LBD; Domain: Basic Research |
| Chair: Jennifer Lynne Bruzek (The University of Alabama in Huntsville) |
| Presenting Author: KOSTADIN KUSHLEV (Georgetown University) |
| Abstract: Some researchers have argued that smartphones and social media have ruined an entire generation, while others have concluded that the effect of digital media on well-being is about as negligible as eating potatoes. But unlike potatoes, our pervasive connection to the internet affords us convenient access to unlimited information, entertainment, and social connection. Why, then, isn’t the ubiquitous access to digital media making us happier (than potatoes)? In this talk, I will examine how and why smartphones and social media affect well-being and mental health both in adolescents and adults. Drawing on my own research, I will argue that considering the opportunity costs of digital media is key to understanding why our amazingly useful digital devices have failed to make us happier. Finally, I will explore how we can improve our digital well-being by presenting emerging evidence on the efficacy of digital detox interventions. This exploration of digital media's impact on well-being will provide insights into creating a healthier relationship with technology and optimizing its benefits while mitigating its negative effects. |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
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| KOSTADIN KUSHLEV (Georgetown University) |
 Dr. Kushlev investigates how constant internet connectivity affects health and well-being. Dr. Kushlev aims to identify the hidden costs of new technologies—from email and smartphones to social media and ChatGPT. His work shows that considering the opportunity costs of digital media use is key to understanding why our amazingly useful digital devices have failed to make us happier. In other words, it is essential to understand not only what people are doing on their digital devices but also when, where, and with whom they are using them. Dr. Kushlev received his Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia in 2015 and was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Virginia from 2015–2018. Dr. Kushlev has been an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University since 2018. Dr. Kushlev has written for The New York Times, The Conversation, and Psychology Today, and his work has been covered by other prestigious publications such as The Economist, BBC, NPR, Forbes, Fast Company, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, and The Washington Post. |
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| Empowering Change through Trauma-Informed Care: An Opportunity for Learning, Reflection, and Innovation |
| Saturday, May 24, 2025 |
| 5:00 PM–5:50 PM |
| Marriott Marquis, M2 Level, Marquis Salon 1-5 |
| 📺 Streaming Status: session is complete - recording is pending |
| Area: DDA; Domain: Service Delivery |
| Chair: Patrick Romani (University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus) |
| CE Instructor: Patrick Romani, Ph.D. |
| Presenting Author: JOHN M KEESLER (Indiana University Bloomington) |
| Abstract: Trauma-informed care is an approach that acknowledges the pervasiveness of trauma and its profound impact on wellbeing, and seeks to promote healing and reduce the risk of further harm or re-traumatization. Through interactions rooted in the principles of safety, choice, collaboration, empowerment, and trustworthiness, trauma-informed care seeks to restore that which trauma destroyed. Yet, despite increased vulnerability to trauma and increased attention to trauma-informed care, the adoption of trauma-informed care in the intellectual and developmental disability service sector has trailed behind the general service sector. This presentation will provide an overview of trauma-informed care; discuss the relevant disability literature with particular attention to barriers, strategies, and recommendations for the adoption of trauma-informed care; and consider the emerging evidence supporting the efficacy of trauma-informed care in disability services. Additionally, the presentation will explore considerations and preliminary strategies for the integration of trauma-informed care with behavior analysis. With increased attention to trauma and advocacy for change, we are challenged to transform current practices through innovation and the integration of trauma-informed care. |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
| Target Audience: The target audience includes students and practitioners. |
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe trauma-informed care as an approach that responds to the pervasiveness of trauma
2. Identify and describe the principles of trauma-informed care
3. Apply the principles of trauma-informed care to practice |
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| JOHN M KEESLER (Indiana University Bloomington) |
 John M. Keesler, PhD, LMSW, is a native of Buffalo, NY and an associate professor at Indiana University School of Social Work on the Bloomington campus. Dr. Keesler’s scholarship focuses on adversity/trauma, trauma-informed care, and quality of life in the disability service industry with an emphasis on community-based research. Dr. Keesler has published and presented nationally and internationally, and his research has been awarded by national organizations including NADD and AAIDD. Prior to joining academia, Dr. Keesler supported people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for more than a decade through various roles, including direct support and behavioral health services. His past practice experience provides a foundation for his present and future inquiry. |
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