Speakers and Presentation
     
 

Dr. Vincent Carbone, PhD, BCBA                                                 The Carbone Clinic
Toward a Behavioral Analysis of Complex Social and Listener Behavior: Implications
for Clinical Practice

Dr. Vincent J. Carbone Dr. Vincent J. Carbone is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with over 30 years of experience designing learning environments for persons with autism and development disabilities. He is currently visiting professor in the Behavioral Education doctoral program at Simmons College in Boston, MA. He is the developer and presenter of a series of workshops on teaching verbal behavior to children with autism based upon B.F. Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior.
Effective clinical practice is best informed by a behavioral analysis of complex behavior. Identification and analysis of the sources of control for the behavior of typically developing children’s complex social and listener responses can serve as a guide for teaching these skills to children with autism and related disabilities. The purpose of this workshop is to present a review of the behavior analytic literature related to teaching complex social and listener behavior and to discuss the implications for clinical practice. Video illustrations will be provided to demonstrate extensions of the analysis to teaching children with autism and related disabilities in educational settings.

 
 

Mr. Ray Cepeda, BCaBA: ABAskills, LLC                                                                      
Curriculum Development and Flowcharting: Getting Started

Ray CepedaRay Cepeda, BCaBA is a behavior/program consultant for children with autism spectrum disorders with over fifteen years experience supervising home-based programs, functioning in administrative roles in schools that specialize in the education and treatment of children with autism, integrating and mainstreaming learners with autism into typical learning environments, training parents, and speaking on topics regarding the use of behavior analytic teaching methodologies and program individualization for children with autism.
If you are involved in curriculum development you may ask questions such as, “What comes next?” or “Where do I start this program?” or “he has so many language skills but for some reason he is not using them…why?” Whether you are using one of the current excellent resources (ABLLS-R, A Work in Progress, VB-MAPP, the IGS curriculum etc.) this workshop will help you understand the relationship between programs across skill domains as well as the crucial role of “rate of acquisition” when assessing progress and should provide you with additional tools to facilitate identifying programming issues, how to potentially fix them and keep your learner’s learning.

  
 

Dr. Bridget Taylor, PsyD, BCBA                                                    Alpine Learning Group
The Prevention and Treatment of Problem Behavior

Dr. Bridget A. Taylor Dr. Bridget A. Taylor is co-founder and Executive Director of Alpine Learning Group. She has specialized in the education and treatment of children with autism for the past twenty-four years. Dr. Taylor is active in the autism research community and has published numerous articles on effective interventions for autism. Dr. Taylor is also senior clinical advisor for Rethink Autism - an innovative web-based curriculum for children with autism. She is a national and international speaker and has authored numerous research articles and book chapters related to autism.
Children with autism can present with challenging behavior. For example, it is not uncommon for an individual with autism to engage in high rates of repetitive behavior, tantrum in the presence of demands, or engage in aggression or self injury when denied access to preferred activities. The presentation of problem behavior can significantly interfere with and limit educational and social opportunities, negatively impact family functioning, and if not addressed can limit overall community integration experiences. This talk will provide an overview of the potential reasons why problem behavior exists, innovative interventions that match treatment to function, and practical strategies parents and teachers can implement to prevent the development of problem behavior. Case examples will be presented through lecture and videotapes to illustrate assessment, intervention and data-base outcomes.
 

Dr. Steven Blaustein Ph.D., CCC SLP                                                                               
Speech Sound Production and Language Affecting Social Skills: A Concise Evidence Based Discussion of Two Different Aspects of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Dr. Blaustein is a speech and language pathologist who practices in New York City and is an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor at New York University Steinhardt School. He has over 37 years experience, including therapist, Early Intervention and CPSE evaluator, consultant to school programs and families, advocate, member of advisory boards, and director of a hospital based program. Dr. Blaustein has presented at national, state, and local meetings and conferences and has worked extensively with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
The acquisition of speech sounds and the impact of language on social skills are two challenging areas faced by children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. This presentation will provide a concise review of specific difficulties in each area, theories and models of etiology and treatment, and research data on outcomes. Evidence based practice will be discussed and highlighted.