New York State ABA – 2025 Chapter Update

By Noor Syed

We hope this update finds you all well, and we are excited to share our most recent chapter update. The New York State Association for Behavior Analysis (NYSABA), amongst other initiatives, has been focusing most extensively on the following:

Legislative Agenda

The Public Policy Committee, co-chaired by Maureen O’Grady and Dr. Debbi Napolitano, has been focusing on advocacy against the proposed cuts to ABA services under Medicaid in New York. At the time of this writing, the Public Policy Committee has: 1) submitted oral and written testimonies to the legislature; 2) organized letter and phone call campaigns to Senators and Assembly Members; 3) organized in-person advocacy days at the state capitol; 4) met with other organizations, such as the Council for Autism Service Providers (CASP) to discuss next steps; and 5) met with the governor’s office. In addition to advocacy against proposed Medicaid cuts, the Public Policy Committee continues to work on other legislation, including a proposed bill to stop the use of aversive procedures.

Research in Support of Policy Change

In addition to the legislative agenda outlined above, Drs. Noor Syed, President, and Deborah Napolitano have been engaging in research over the last few years to assess 1) New Yorker perspectives on the use of aversive interventions and 2) the state of resources in New York. We presented our findings at the 2024 NYSABA Annual Conference and followed this presentation with a panel comprised of individuals with varying identities, including but not limited to neurotype.

2024 Conference Information

NYSABA has been working diligently to increase accessibility to the conference via hybrid options, and were pleased to welcome presentations from a variety of topics, including but not limited to affirming practices, collaboration, residential supports, and supervision—empowering supervisees. Our keynote speakers included Drs. Linda Leblanc and Pat Friman. We are currently exploring alternative/additional in-person locations for events.

NYSABA’s Commitment to Equity

NYSABA continues to remain aligned with our mission, vision, and strategic goals of creating safe and inclusive spaces for individuals of diverse backgrounds and identities. As such, we have passed bylaw revisions that 1) increase accessibility and frequency of Board meetings; 2) increase accessibility of Board requirements by providing ways to mitigate financial hardships in attending in-person meetings; and 3) allowance of remote voting by all members, rather than voting on major issues in-person only at the yearly NYSABA conference. In addition to our bylaw revisions, we are committing to representing and lifting up diverse voices at our 2025 Annual Conference and in our continuing education events. Finally, we are increasing communication with membership, committing to transparency within the organization, and opening up 1:1 meeting times for members to connect with the President.

Current Board of Directors:

Noor Syed, President

Nancy Dib, Past-President

Melissa Jackson, President-elect/Conference Committee Chair

Brian Healy, Treasurer

Lauren Lestremau Allen, Secretary/Student Activities and Behavior Technician Committee Chair

Amanda LaPrime, Gina Feliciano, & Alan Kinsella, Representatives-at-Large

Leanna Mellon, Membership Chair

Fernande Ikombo-Deguenon, Finance Chair

Rachael Atherley, Chair, & Kozue Matsuda, Co-Chair, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Accessibility Committee

Lindsey Maffei-Almodovar- Education Chair

Bobbi Rogers, Parent & Family Committee Chair

Amanda Adams, Chair, & Shannon Carr Co-Chair, Marketing Committee

Maureen O’Grady, Chair, & Deborah Napolitano, Co-Chair, Public Policy Committee

Goals for the 2025 Calendar Year

We will be engaging in infrastructure evaluation to develop, streamline, and improve our policies and procedures.
Increased communication with and resources for membership.
Increased equity initiatives, including but not limited to policy initiatives regarding the use of aversive interventions, celebrating diverse voices in ABA, and conference/continuing education accessibility.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions, feedback, comments, and/or interest in collaboration! We welcome your perspectives and inquiries. Emails can be directed to Dr. Noor Syed at president@nysaba.org.

Our sincerest thanks to all of you, the NYSABA membership, and all of those who have lent their lived experiences and guidance to us.