Empowering Through Evidence Innovations and Advovacy in Autism

Nola

by Chris Newland and Terry Falcomata

N’Orleans! Enough said? If not, then consider food to die for, shrimp etouffee, an incredible music scene, a historic city, roaming the French Quarter, a run along the Desire streetcar line on St. Charles, the Audubon Zoo, and, oh yeah, an ABAI Autism Conference. We will hear carefully selected speakers on a variety of topics, ranging from bench to bedside to consumers and back. We are eagerly looking forward to the 2025 Autism Conference, to be held at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, January 17-19, 2025.

Workshops
The conference begins with two workshops. Dr. Carrie Borrero will conduct one on the “Assessment and Treatment of Pediatric Feeding Disorders” with an eye toward practice-related issues. Among the issues to be addressed are behavior analytic approaches to treating feeding disorders and working with professionals from other disciplines.

The second workshop, “Using Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) Tools to Improve Supervision in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Organizations” will be held by Dr. Heather McGee. Participants will receive hands-on experience with defining the job and performance requirements of applied behavior analysis and then designing and implementing training and management systems around those requirements.

Voices From the Lab
We always try to incorporate basic laboratory work because it provides the foundation for future treatments. Dr. Martha Hübner from the University of São Paulo will describe her work in identifying the minimum verbal units required for reading. Blending Skinner’s work on verbal behavior and stimulus equivalence, she will ask whether training large verbal units (words) can cause control by smaller units (phonemes) to emerge automatically.

Translational Voices
The gap between the lab and the clinic is filled by translational research. As always, this conference is a chock full of such studies. Dr. Daniel Fienup will describe “Skill Acquisition and ‘Mastery.’” He will examine the concept of “mastery” and draw from recent research to examine how different components of mastery contribute to the durability of learning. In his talk, he will offer data informing important decisions like how much training is enough and when do we move on to the next step? Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a major cause of suffering for many Autistics/individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and often leads to restrictive behavioral and pharmacological interventions. Dr. John Falligant will describe how treatment-resistant and treatable SIB can be distinguished using a laboratory model of how behavior is organized into bouts. His talk, “Response Dynamics in Stereotypic Movement Disorders with Self-Injury: Knowns, Unknowns, and Possibilities,” will apply basic laboratory work to a significant clinical problem experienced by many Autistics/individuals diagnosed with ASD. Functional analysis has been an indispensable tool for applied behavior analysts for decades, but it appears to present a dilemma. Dr. Tara Fahmie will discuss “Opposing Trends in Functional Analysis Research and Where to Go from Here.” Her research has examined the conflict between efficiency and precision. Her talk will draw from this work to suggest a productive way to move forward.

Voices From Management
Effective service delivery requires a well-run clinic. This requirement intersects with the motivation for service delivery. Is it pure profit? A desire to address a significant social concern? Private equity has discovered ways to profit from applied behavior analysis. Is it possible to blend our desire to do good with the motivation to do well? In a talk entitled “Private Equity is Corrupting Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): What You Can Do to Protect Your Clients, Yourself, and Your Profession,” Dr. Jon Bailey will argue that the private equity companies tilt the balance away from addressing socially significant issues in favor of a quick profit.

An important clinical consideration for effective service delivery is responsive staff management. Dr. David Wilder will discuss “Effective Staff Management and Supervision Strategies in Settings Serving Individuals with Autism.” He will highlight some key management and supervision strategies and provide evidence of effectiveness for each strategy.

Voices From Biomedical Partners
Our clients present with multiple issues and to provide comprehensive care, they require a mix of professions. Dr. Steven Mehran will examine the role of “Behavior Analysis in the Healthcare Ecosystem.” In it, he will identify the friction that sometimes emerges as behavior analysts ‘share the care’ of Autistics/children diagnosed with ASD with pediatricians and how these might be addressed to improve care by both disciplines.

Many Autistics/individuals diagnosed with ASD also have seizure disorders, so applied behavior analysts should be aware of what they are and how to identify them. Dr. Mohammed Aldosari will describe the overlap between autism and seizure disorders, the science behind it and, with carefully selected videos, will instruct the audience how to identify them. If you missed his talk on this at the ABAI Annual Convention, here is your chance to see it in New Orleans.

Psychotropic medication and supplements are a frequent component of the treatment of the challenging behavior associated with autism. Dr. Jennifer Zarcone will tell us about “The Ethical Use of Biomedical Interventions for Autism.” She will describe recent research on these interventions and help parents and service delivery agents separate the evidence-based claims from the rest.

Voices From Our Clients and Their Advocates
One voice that is often misunderstood, misrepresented, and excluded comes from those with profound autism. Judith Ursitti, the parent of an individual with profound autism, will discuss her experiences with “Support and Advocacy for People with Profound Autism.” She has long advocated for such individuals and will describe how the administrative term “profound autism” can be used to provide individualized support for them. Dr. Lee Wachtel will describe “Profound Autism: A Diagnosis Not to Be Missed,” people who require 24-hour care just to manage the activities of daily living, and evidence-based services that are available to this population. She will describe how the profound-autism rubric allows for more accurate autism diagnoses than what is currently available under the DSM-5. She will also discuss cultural trends that inadvertently contribute to the exclusion of those with exceptional needs as well as ways in which evidence-based interventions can help. Behavior analytic services can be tailored to the clinical presentation that occurs. While we eschew one-sizefits- all treatments, we still have much to learn about the diverse populations we serve. Dr. Rocío Rosales will issue “A Call to Promote Culturally Sustaining Practices in Applied Behavior Analysis,” in which she will describe how cultural sustaining practices contribute to programming for generalization.We hope to see you in New Orleans for the 19th Annual Autism Conference in January. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

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