Istituto Europeo per lo Studio del Comportamento Umano (IESCUM) – 2025 Chapter Update

By Paolo Moderato

IESCUM (the Istituto Europeo per lo Studio del Comportamento Umano; http://www.iescum.org ) is, since 2007, the Italian chapter of ABAI, established to translate into specific actions a vision of experimental and applied behavioral science in Italy. Since its founding, IESCUM has been committed to promoting the full range of behavior analytic scientific and humanistic potential. Based on this premise, IESCUM is dedicated to the training, development, and evaluation of behavior analysis in clinical settings in various forms.

In January 2020, just before the pandemic, IESCUM played a pivotal role in founding ABA Italia. In Spring 2022, the IESCUM Board resolved to merge with ABA Italia to establish the largest Italian Association of BA’sts. ABA Italia (www.abaitalia.org) brings together 680 behavior analysts, 291 assistant behavior analysts, and 499 behavioral technicians who have passed the minimum training standards to ensure families. At the moment, 3879 are students still in training.

IESCUM has offered in Italy over the past year experiential trainings in clinical behavior analysis, acceptance and commitment therapy, and applied behavior analysis with scholars and professionals such as P. Chase, C. Nikopoulos, S. Ming, S. Alai-Rosales, V. Carbone, T. Thompson, P. McGreevy, L. McHugh, N. Martin, J. Guercio, C. Luciano, P. Sturmey, J. Ax, D. Cairns, and T. Cihon. The dissemination of a sound culture in ABA has been carried out institutionally through a 2-year postgraduate course sequence (“Master” in Italian) in behavior analysis, now in its XVIII edition, along with several 180-hour and 60-hour courses targeting operators who aim to become assistant behavior analysts or behavioral technicians.

IESCUM participated in the 19th Conference on Quality of Life for People with Disabilities in Brescia (September 2024), contributing to discussions on innovative approaches in applied behavior analysis (ABA) and early intervention. The event explored the use of metaphorical contexts to support individuals with rigid and limited repertoires, as well as technology-assisted ABA interventions, presenting empirical evidence on the effectiveness of an ecosystem platform. A case study was discussed on the relationship between autism, OCD, and the need for belonging, while another presentation focused on integrating ABA principles with the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) to promote social reciprocity and spontaneity in young children. Additionally, Prof. Presti chaired a session featuring Ethan S. Long, who presented a treatment model for autistic adults, while Prof. Moderato chaired Peter Sturmey’s session on addressing psychopathological issues in autism and intellectual disabilities.

In 2025, IESCUM will participate in two major international conferences. At the 51st Annual ABAI Convention in Washington, D.C. (May 24-26), it will contribute to a symposium on the exploratory use of social robotics and other technologies in ABA interventions. Later in the year, at the 12th ABAI International Conference in Lisbon (November 11-13), IESCUM will lead a symposium on integrating technology in ABA to enhance intervention efficiency and accessibility.

At the ABAI International Conference in Lisbon in 2025, IESCUM will also lead a symposium chaired by Prof. Peter Sturmey with Carmen Luciano as the discussant. The symposium will explore innovative applications of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and applied behavior analysis (ABA) to support individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Key topics include enhancing metaphor comprehension and social cognitive skills in children with ASD through interventions combining ACT and ABA, as well as strategies to improve psychological flexibility using metaphor-based ACT training. Another presentation will focus on perspective-taking as a foundational skill for understanding deception and irony, while a pilot study will examine the effectiveness of the KidStarter Program in supporting children with ASD.

In collaboration with IULM University in Milan, IESCUM has promoted a postgraduate course in Behavioral Economics and Nudging. The course, now in its sixth edition, is the first of its kind in Italy and aims to apply behaviorally informed policies to organizations and society.

Over the years, IESCUM has developed a network of national centers for early intensive behavioral interventions with autistic children. The network includes centers that are either managed by IESCUM or whose equipe is systematically supervised by IESCUM.

In October 2025, IESCUM is organizing the fourth Italian conference on third-generation behavior therapies called Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Compassion. This conference has been held in Milan since 2017 and sees the attendance of about 500 professionals and researchers.

In 2025, IESCUM will also contribute to the dissemination of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in the field of behavior analysis with the publication of the Italian translation of the book Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Behavior Analysts: A Practice Guide from Theory to Treatment by Dixon, Hayes, and Belisle (in press). This publication will provide a valuable resource for practitioners looking to integrate ACT principles into ABA interventions.