Official Newsletter of the Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan's Autism Special Interest Group (Online Version)

Volume #2 Issue #1                                                                             March, 2002

What is BAAM-ASIG?

The Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan's Autism Special Interest Group (BAAM-ASIG) was organized to give BAAM members who are interested in autism a chance to discuss issues and gain information in the area of autism and Applied Behavior Analysis.  Our second annual meeting will be held at the BAAM convention on Thursday March 14th at 1:00.  For more details about the BAAM convention, a convention schedule,and how to sign up you can go the BAAM website at http://www.baam.emich.edu.  If you would like more information about how to become a member of the BAAM ASIG please contact me at kmanganello@provide.net or at:  734-564-1849.
In This Issue

Introduction to the BAAM-ASIG Board Members

Chair: Krista M. Kennedy, M.S., LLP
(Behavioral Building Blocks, P.C.)
Phone: 734-564-1849
Email: kmanganello@provide.net

Treasurer: Gina Truesdell-Todd, M.S., LLP, Ph.D. Candidate
(Behavioral Building Blocks, P.C.)
Email: ginattodd@aol.com

Secretary: Amy Jenkins, B.A.
(Eastern Michigan University)
Email: amyjenkins@aol.com

Krista Kennedy (BAAM-ASIG)
PO Box 184
Lincoln Park, MI 48146

BAAM members that attended the Autism Special Interest Group Organizational meeting elected the board members on March 16, 2001. Board members will hold their positions for a five-year term. All elections will be held at the annual BAAM convention ASIG meetings.

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Mission Statement for the Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan's Autism Special Interest Group

BAAM-ASIG is dedicated to providing information and education to professionals, students, and parents interested in autism and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). We plan to do this in the following ways:

  • Provide information on upcoming educational opportunities such as conferences, workshops, and classes related to autism and ABA.
  • Provide information about recent publications related to autism and ABA.
  • Provide information on agencies in Michigan that provide ABA services for children with autism
  • Provide a forum for discussion on autism and ABA through our online email list at http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/BAAM-ASIG.

BAAM-ASIG is also dedicated to promoting the integrity of the field of ABA. We plan to do this in the following ways:

  • Supporting valid autism research in ABA by establishing a research award for a student paper in autism and ABA to assist them in attending the national ABA convention.
  • Supporting ethical and effective treatments in ABA for individuals with autism.
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Upcoming Events

Local Events:

  • Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan 2002 Conference
    Thursday-Friday March 14-15, 2002
    Eagle Crest Conference Center
    (Ypsilanti Marriott) Special Guest Speaker: Ron Leaf of Autism Partnership
    (others to be announced)

    For more information go to the BAAM web site at http://www.baam.emich.edu  

                                                           

National Events:

 

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Announcements

Back issues of the BAAM-ASIG newsletter are now available at the BAAM website http://www.baam.emich.edu/ under "Autism Information."

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BAAM-ASIG Goals for This Year

Last year our three main goals were:

  1. Establish the organization and board of directors.
  2. Establish an email list for members to share information on ABA and autism.
  3. Establish a bi-yearly newsletter.

Last year each of these goals were accomplished.  This we have set new goals for our organization.

Goals for 2002:

  1. Increase our membership.
  2. Establish a fundraising and scholarship committee to enable us to offer a scholarship award to a BAAM member with the best presentation on ABA and autism at the BAAM 2003 Convention.

We plan to accomplish these goals by obtaining an information booth at this years BAAM convention to recruit new members and committee members and presenting on these issues at the annual BAAM-ASIG meeting on Thursday, March 14th at 1:00 p.m.

If you wish to participate on a committee but were unable to sign up at the BAAM convention please contact Krista Kennedy at 734-564-1849 or kmanganello@provide.net.

At the informational booth potential members will be provided with information on BAAM-ASIG, have the opportunity to sign up for membership, and have the opportunity to sign up for committee positions on the following committees:

 

  1. Scholarship Committee
  2. Newsletter Committee
  3. Fundraiser Committee
  4. Advertisement Committee

Descriptions of the committees are as follows:

Scholarship Committee

Members that sign up for the scholarship committee will participate in the establishment of the scholarship rules and selection criteria.

Newsletter Committee

Members that sign up for the newsletter committee will participate in the publication of the bi-yearly newsletter.  Participation will include researching topics, submitting editorials, interviewing professionals in the field, and researching upcoming events.

Fundraiser Committee

Members that sign up for the fundraiser committee will participate in the organization and implementation of fundraising activities and events.

Advertising Committee

Members that sign up for the advertising committee with participate in organizing and implementing advertising activities to recruit new members and establish BAAM-ASIG in the community.

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Reference Guide

2001 References

For our members convenience we have put together a journal article guide for 2001 and the beginning of 2002. Below is a list of articles by author, which includes the article title, journal, volume number, and pages for ease in locating articles in the area of ABA and autism.

  • Adelinis, J. D., Piazza, C. C., & Goh, H. (2001). Treatment of multiply controlled destructive behavior with food reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. 34, 97-100.
  • Delprato, D. (2001). Comparisons of discrete-trial and normalized behavioral language intervention for young children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31, 315-325.
  • Dempsey, I & Foreman, P. (2001). A review of educational approaches for individuals with autism.  International Journal of Disability and Education, 48, 103-116.
  • Green, G. (2001). Behavior analytic instruction for learners with autism: advances in stimulus control technology.  Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilites, 16, 72-85.
  • Hagopian, L. P., Wilson, D. M., & Wilder, D. A. (2001) Assessment and treatment of problem behavior maintained by escape from attention and access to tangible items.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 229-232.
  • Progar, P. R., North, S. T. Bruce, S. S., DiNovi, B. J., Nau, P. A., Eberman, E. M., Bailey, Jr., J. R., & Nussbaum, C. N. (2001). Putative behavioral history effects and aggression maintained by escape from therapists.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 69-72.
  • Ringdahl, J. E., Vollmer, T. R., Borrero, J. C., & Connell, J. E. (2001) Fixed-time schedule effects as a function of baseline reinforcement rate.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 1-15.
  • Sarokoff, R. A., Taylor, B. A., & Poulson, C. L. (2001). Teaching children with autism to engage in conversational exchanges: script fading with embedded textual stimuli.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 81-84.
  • Schnieter, R. & Devine, M. A. (2001).  Reduction of self-injurious behaviors of an individual with autism: use of a leisure communication book.  Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 35, 207-219.
  • Smith, T. (2001). Discrete trial training in the treatment of autism.  Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 16, 86-92.
  • Hastings, R. P. & Johnson, E. (2001). Stress in UK families conducting intensive home-based behavioral intervention for their child with autism.  Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31, 327-336.
  • Heflin, L. J. & Alberto, P. A. (2001). Establishing a behavioral context for learning for students with autism.  Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 16, 93-101.
  • Keen, D., Sigafoos, J., & Woodyatt, G. (2001). Replacing prelinguistic behaviors with functional communication. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31, 385-398.
  • Mueller, M. M., Wilczynski, S. M, Moore, J. W., Fusilier, I., & Trahant, D. (2001). Antecedent manipulations in a tangible condition: effects of stimulus preference on aggression. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 237-240.
  • Ogletree, B. T. & Oren, T. (2001).  Application of ABA principles to general communication instruction.  Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 16, 102-109.
  • Neill, R. E. & Sweetland-Baker, M. (2001).  Brief report: an assessment of stimulus generalization and contingency effects in functional communication training with two students with autism.  Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31, 235-239.
2002 References
  • Green, G., Brennan, L. C., & Fein, D. (2002). Intensive behavioral treatment for toddlers at high risk for autism. Behavior Modification, 26,  69-102.
  • Eikeseth, S., Smith, T., Jahr, E., & Eldevik, S. (2002). Intensive behavioral treatment at school for 4- to 7-year-old children with autism.  Behavior Modification, 26, 49-68.
  • McClannahan, L. E., MacDuff, G. S., & Krantz, P. J. (2002). Behavior analysis and intervention for adults with autism.  Behavior Modification 26, 9-26.
  • Rosenwasser, B. & Axelrod, S. (2002).  More contributions of applied behavior analysis to the education of people with autism.  Behavior Modification, 26, 3-8.
  • Shook, G. L., Ala'i -Rosales, S. A., & Glenn, S. S. (2002).  Training and certifying behavior analysis.  Behavior Modification, 26, 27-48.
 

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Applied Behavior Analysis In Public Schools: Can Past Research Provide New Answers?

Gina T. Todd, M.S. LLP.
(Behavioral Building Blocks)

This purpose of this editorial is to discuss past research conducted by behavior analysts in public schools; to identify problems associated with the continued implementation of the research procedures, and to offer suggestions for remediation of implementation problems.

A review of the literature established by applied behavior analysts yields a wealth of research that took place in public school settings, that occurred primarily in the nineteen seventies and eighties. This research resulted in a wealth of behavior change interventions that effectively shaped increases in the amounts and rates of academic skill acquisition, attending, and self-directed learning in students.  Furthermore, these results indicated potential toward decreasing the ongoing costs to public school systems associated with handling difficult to manage and difficult to teach students.

Persons who learn of these successes are often frustrated when they not only find these interventions absent in the public school system but also that the very mention of applied behavior analysis may instantly evoke avoidance and escape behavior in public school personnel. Consideration of the primary goals and procedures of the research, along with the intervention status after the research ended, may reveal some important clues as to how these resistant behaviors were established.

Consider for example the research goals and procedures.  The goals were, of course, to find answers to applied research questions--to determine what effect a particular set of procedures in a particular setting would have on a particular set of behaviors in a particular set of subjects.  Research team members rather than school personnel typically implemented the procedures.  Even when school personnel participated in the implementation, other supports such as materials, training, data validity measures, and data analysis were supplied by research team members.  Because the public school systems were neither financially equipped to provide the necessary supports (research planning seldom included consideration of the public school budget) or trained to troubleshoot for problems related to the applied technology (training on procedure implementation, does not a behavior analyst make!) eventually the gains made during the research were lost.

Since that time, many clinical behavior analysts and school personnel attempted to implement some of the research (and novel) procedures in public school settings.  However, little resolution has occurred regarding the problems associated with the initial attempts and the failures are repeated.  Currently, and quite functionally, the very mention of applied behavior analysis will frequently evoke instantaneous avoidance and escape behavior in public school personnel.  A well-intentioned behavior analyst (or two) might be even be observed responding to the situation with one (or two) "tantrum like‚" behavior

A solution to establishing effective working relationships between behavior analysts and public school personnel may lie in taking the following steps:

Conduct a careful review of the problems associated with lack in the social validity of past attempts.

  • Share your findings with others.
  • Consider the environmental supports prior to developing program procedures.
  • Consider input from all involved parties prior to developing program procedures.
  • Implement procedures that will either survive in your absence or that the consumer understands will be effective only given your presence.
  • Never blame the subject for program failure.

Behavior analysts and public school personnel have similar goals with respect to the progress and well being of students.  By working together to correct the problems of the past these mutual goals can be more effectively achieved.

 

Join us!

BAAM-ASIG

 

Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan Autism Special Interest Group

_____ I am the parent of a child with autism and would like to be a member of BAAM-ASIG.

_____ I am a student and would like to be a member of BAAM-ASIG.

_____ I am a professional and would like to be a member of BAAM-ASIG.

 

Name: ____________________________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________

City: _____________________________________________________

State: ____________________ Zip: ______________

E-mail address: ____________________________

 

Membership is $5.00

Please make checks payable to: The Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan

Mail to:

Krista Kennedy
PO BOX 1249
Taylor, MI 48180
Phone: (734) 564-1849
E-mail: kmanganello@provide.net