Alabama ABA

By Paige McKerchar

The Alabama Association for Behavior Analysis (ALABA) serves as a scientific and professional organization that embraces the principles and practices of behavior analysis. Their goal is to promote research that will advance the understanding of behavior, and to identify and promote the use of effective and humane behavioral procedures that meet individuals’ educational and habilitative needs. In addition, ALABA strives to serve as a resource for political, legislative, and policy-making bodies in Alabama in ways that support the scientific and professional interests of behavior analysts.

The ALABA Executive Committee’s most important task is hosting an annual convention that offers members an opportunity to learn from nationally recognized behavior analysts and other knowledgeable professionals. Members look forward to gathering with former schoolmates, colleagues, and friends while networking with new professionals who often become colleagues and collaborators. The annual convention is also vital because it offers Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts a way to earn high-quality continuing education credits in their own backyard, so to speak.

Last year’s convention was held October 12–13 at the Hilton Birmingham at UAB. Attendance at the two-day, one-track convention was the highest it’s been in over a decade with 232 people participating. At the convention, 123 attendees earned almost a thousand CEUs.

The convention kicked off with President-Elect, Ms. Sheridan O’Brien’s Presidential Address, Play the Long Game: The Responsibility of the Supervising BCBA to Bridge the Gap Between Buzz Words and Action. Again this year, all other presentations were Invited Speaker addresses, which included topics in diversity and inclusion, collaboration, ethics, and applied research: Dr. Debra Napolitano’s Interprofessional Collaboration: What it is, What we can Learn From Other Professions, and How Behavior Analysts can Benefit From This in Their Practice; Dr. Nadia Bhuiyan’s Comprehensive Assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorder Within a Clinical Psychology Doctoral Training Program; Dr. Tyra Seller’s Compassionate Leadership and Supervision—A Must for our Profession and It’s Not Black & White, My Friends; Dr. Traci Cihon’s Challenges and Opportunities
for Research and Practice in an Emerging Culturo-Behavior Science; Dr. Sarah Slocum Freeman’s Assessment and Treatment of Challenging Behavior Maintained by Social

Avoidance; Dr. John Rapp’s Recent Developments in Conjugate Reinforcement; and the Auburn Graduate Student Symposium
Further Development of Behavior Services for Justice-Involved Adolescents. The line-up also included a panel discussion on updates on ABA in Alabama, which included the licensing board chairperson (Mr. Kenneth Atkins), the Director of Psychological and Behavioral Services at the AL Department of Mental Health (Dr. Eliza Belle), and the AL State Autism Coordinator (Ms. Anna McConnell).

Congratulations to the new ALABA President-Elect: Laura Senn (University of Alabama in Huntsville); Member-at-Large: Tara Cook (ABA Associates); and Student Representative: Shane Phillips (Auburn University). The 2024 Executive Committee, which also includes Mary-Kate Carey, Sheridan O’Brien, Lauren Elliott, Amanda Niedfeld, Jodi Robeson, and Donna Perez is working on plans for the 2024 convention scheduled for October 17–18 in Birmingham, AL.

Annual Meeting: October 17–18 in Birmingham, AL.

Please visit www.AlabamaABA.com for more information and to become a member.