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| The Ethical Use of Biomedical Interventions for Autism |
| Saturday, January 18, 2025 |
| 3:50 PM–4:40 PM |
| Sheraton New Orleans, Level 3, Napoleon Ballroom BC |
| 📺 Streaming Status: recording available |
| Area: AUT; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Terry S. Falcomata (The University of Texas at Austin) |
| CE Instructor: Terry S. Falcomata, Ph.D. |
| Presenting Author: JENNIFER R. ZARCONE (The May Institute) |
| Abstract: There are many interventions that have been recommended as interventions for challenging behavior andpsychological and behavioral concerns related to autism. Some have clinical trials and other evidence-based research to support their use, but many do not. In this presentation we will discuss some of the recent research on the psychotropic medications, supplements, and other biomedical treatments that have been recommended to families and autistic individuals. We will discuss how we can wade through the information on social media supporting claims and how we can work with families and providers to understand what works and what doesn't. |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
| Target Audience: Practitioners, families, providers, and autistic individuals |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) Use a set of criteria for evaluating biomedical interventions related to autism; (2) Work with families and other stakeholders to evaluate the effects of biomedical interventions in an ethical way; (3) Work with community providers in a collaborative way to identify effective interventions. |
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| JENNIFER R. ZARCONE (The May Institute) |
 Jennifer Zarcone is currently the Chief Clinical Officer and the Director of the National Autism Center at the May Institute. Dr. Zarcone provides consultation and clinical support to staff around severe problem behavior, staff training, and developing and maintaining clinical service standards. Dr. Zarcone has served in several leadership positions for the Association of Behavior Analysis (ABAI), including co-chair of the ABAI Autism Conference, and is a Fellow of ABAI. She served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, the Journal of Intellectual Disabilities Research, and the American Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. She has been on the advisory board of Women in Behavior Analysis for 5 years. |
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| Bridging Cultures: Language Assessment and Intervention Strategies for Linguistically Diverse Learners |
| Saturday, January 18, 2025 |
| 4:50 PM–5:40 PM |
| Sheraton New Orleans, Level 3, Napoleon Ballroom BC |
| 📺 Streaming Status: recording available |
| Area: AUT; Domain: Service Delivery |
| Chair: M. Christopher Newland (Auburn University) |
| CE Instructor: M. Christopher Newland, Ph.D. |
| Presenting Author: ROCÍO ROSALES (University of Massachusetts Lowell) |
| Abstract: All behavior analysis practitioners work with learners and families from diverse backgrounds; however, training programs may not adequately prepare students to work with culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Additionally, pervasive myths and misconceptions about these learners may impact clinical decision-making. This presentation will review these myths and misconceptions and describe how they can affect learning outcomes and hinder culturally responsive practices. Drawing from research in behavior analysis, key areas will be explored to highlight the tangible impacts of the language of instruction on linguistically diverse learners. The presenter will discuss the importance of collaborative interdisciplinary practices in developing and implementing effective language support strategies. |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
| Target Audience: BCBAs, BCaBAs, graduate and undergraduate students, related service professionals |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) Identify common myths and misconceptions about linguistically diverse learners; (2) Describe culturally responsive language assessment and intervention techniques for these learners; (3) Discuss the role of interdisciplinary collaboration in enhancing language support and intervention outcomes. |
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| ROCÍO ROSALES (University of Massachusetts Lowell) |
 Rocío Rosales, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA, is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Program Coordinator of the Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Studies graduate program at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada Reno, and master’s and doctoral degrees from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Her research, clinical, and theoretical interests span a range of topics including applications of verbal behavior and derived stimulus relations, student and caregiver training, instructional design, issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in ABA, and the philosophical foundations of behavior analysis. She previously served as Associate Editor for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior and The Psychological Record, and on the editorial board of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. She is currently Section Co-Coordinator of ABAI’s Behavior Dissemination Blog: Verbal Behavior Matters. Dr. Rosales has worked to raise awareness of behavior analysis to underserved communities through various projects and professional collaborations and is currently leading a training grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs that will serve to fund scholars in interdisciplinary professional preparation in Applied Behavior Analysis and Special Education. One of the project's main goals is to diversify the workforce and train practitioners to work with bilingual learners with disabilities. |
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| Private Equity is Corrupting Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): What You Can Do to Protect Your Clients, Yourself, and Your Profession |
| Sunday, January 19, 2025 |
| 8:10 AM–9:00 AM |
| Sheraton New Orleans, Level 3, Napoleon Ballroom BC |
| 📺 Streaming Status: recording available |
| Area: AUT; Domain: Service Delivery |
| Chair: Terry S. Falcomata (The University of Texas at Austin) |
| CE Instructor: Terry S. Falcomata, Ph.D. |
| Presenting Author: JON S. BAILEY (Florida State University, Ret.) |
| Abstract: All 51 states passed laws requiring insurance companies and state employee benefit plans to pay for applied behavior analysis (ABA) services; by 2019 this meant that over 200 million people were covered providing a huge new market for Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) that greatly exceeded the supply that was available. Private equity firms discovered this “cash cow” just sitting there and began investing as early as 2010 and by 2022 they constituted approximately 90% of all merger and acquisition deals in this new sector. The net result of this new gold rush involving millions and millions of dollars was that newly minted behavior analysts with very little experience were presented with six-figure offers with little understanding of what they were getting into; these companies are primarily involved in pressuring them to pull in more and more clients with increasing dosages (billable hours) of treatment. Many BCBAs have become fiscal pawns in a profit-driven game of grab-the-money-and-run. In this paper I will describe in detail the downside of this rapidly evolving practice by private-equity-owned ABA companies and offer suggestions on how behavior analysts can reestablish their role as guardians of honest, ethical, and effective treatment. |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Target Audience: Masters and Doctoral Behavior Analysts Concerned with Service Delivery to ASD Children |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) describe the three strategies that private-equity owned companies use to increase their profits; (2) describe three ways that they can push back against these contingencies; (3) describe red flags indicating that the profit motive is at work in the decision making process with the company. |
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| JON S. BAILEY (Florida State University, Ret.) |
 "Dr. Bailey received his BS and MS from Arizona State University where he worked with Jack Michael and Lee Meyerson, and his PhD, from the University of Kansas in 1970, with Mont Wolf as his mentor; he is a newly retired Professor Emeritus of Psychology from Florida State University where he was on the graduate faculty for 38 years and produced a record 63 PhDs. He was on the faculty of the FSU Panama City for nearly 25 years and created their ABA Master’s Program which has been ranked #1 in the world by the BACB three times in the last 10 years; approximately 350 students have graduated from the program. He is a BCBA-D, a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis: International, and the American Psychological Association. Jon received the Distinguished Service to Behavior Analysis Award from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis, the Division 25 Fred S. Keller Behavioral Education Award and the University of Kansas Applied Behavioral Science Distinguished Alumni Award as well as the prestigious Nathan H. Azrin Award for Outstanding Contributions to Applied Behavior Analysis from the American Psychological Association. In 2017, he received the Murray Sidman Award for Enduring Contributions to Behavior Analysis from the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy. He is credited with founding the Florida Association for Behavior Analysis which now has nearly 2,000 members and Behavior Management Consultants, a thriving consulting company, both in 1980. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed research articles, is past Chief Editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and is the co-author of 14 books including Ethics for Behavior Analysts, 4th edition, Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis, 2nd Edition, the 2nd edition of How to Think Like a... Behavior Analyst and 25 Essential Skills for Professional Behavior Analysts, 2nd edition. His latest endeavor is the creation of the popular ABAEthicsHotline.com which receives hundreds of ethics questions per month from consumers and behavior analysts all over the world. " |
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