It is well known that Skinner founded the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior because other journals were disinterested in studies that focused on the behavior of individual organisms. Less well documented is the relationship between methods Skinner rejected and eugenics, the effort to alter human gene pools by excluding those judged to be inferior. In this talk, I will discuss documents published by the developers of mathematical techniques for analyzing large sets of data that overtly offered pseudo-scientific legitimacy to the practices of military imperialism and genocide. I will provide evidence of links between scientific racism and the widespread adoption in medical, psychological, and educational sciences of empirical epistemologies that allow for those at the tail ends of a distribution to be ignored or abandoned. I will provide evidence that Skinner persistently rejected the eugenic dream that was prevalent during his lifetime but that he may have needed to exercise caution in how strongly he decried these practices. Finally, I will comment on recent events that have resulted in a period of reckoning for the field of behavior analysis. If we are truly a field that advances by assessing the needs of individual organisms and tailoring unique interventions to help them flourish, then we are likely to survive this period of reckoning, realign with Skinner’s anti-eugenicist inclinations, and help the world make progress toward a more just and equitable future.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify racist and genocidal ideas in seminal works by Sir Francis Galton, Karl Pearson, and Ronald Fisher.

• Analyze writings by dominant medical, psychological, and educational researchers adopting the methods and social agenda promoted by Galton and his colleagues.

• Examine writings by BF Skinner on the implications of a concern focused on the behavior of individual organisms. 

• Discuss relationships between the neurodiversity and diversity, equity, and inclusion movements and the field of behavior analysis

Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) are the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play and they affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. They include economic stability, education access and quality, social and community context, healthcare access and quality, and the neighborhood and built environment. The practice of behavior analysis must address SDoH to ensure health equity. Influencers such as the World Health Organization and Healthy People 2030 organize their societal change efforts around SDoH. This session will provide an introduction to SDoH and provide some real-world examples of addressing SDoH in the practice of behavior analysis.  

Learning Objectives:

• Recall categories of social determinants of health

• Compare social determinants of health and the practice of applied behavior analysis and determine intersections

• Discuss the application of social determinants of health to their current practice in behavior analysis

• Describe how behavior analysis practices can address health inequity.

Disproportionality is a situation in which a particular group (e.g., racial, ethnic, etc.) is represented at a higher or lower percentage than their percentage in the general population. Disproportionality is evident in Special Education and school discipline as well. There are many negative impacts of this disproportionality including harsh punishment for minor infractions and support of the school to prison pipeline. School suspension data from throughout the state of New Jersey will be discussed. Behaviour analytic based treatments such as Positive Behavioral Supports, Social Skills Groups, Early Intervention | Antecedent Strategies that Focus on Prevention, Classroom Management Program (e.g., CHAMPS), and Restorative Justice are appropriate alternatives to zero-tolerance policies and punishment procedures. There are advantages and disadvantages to these alternative treatments, but behavior analysts can evaluate treatment to ensure that strategies are implemented within a culturally appropriate system. After implementation, data analysis can be used to evaluate the effectiveness to reduce disproportionality.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will identify examples of disproportionality in education

• Participants will be able to explain aggregate data of students with learning disabilities from schools that receive behaviour analytic consultation services and use said data to provide specific interventions for students that are marginalized

• Participants will be able to demonstrate how to use resources provided to address racial bias in education

• Participants will be able to provide alternatives solutions to school discipline

People with disabilities are disproportionately affected throughout the planning, response, and recovery efforts during emergencies and disasters. Research shows that people with disabilities are 2-4 times more likely than people without disabilities to die or to be injured in disasters, natural or man-made, such as war. Some of the barriers that have been reported include the following: access to humanitarian aid, accessible shelter, access to durable medical equipment like wheelchairs, as well as accessible communication. A whole community approach to emergency management addresses the need for proactive engagement, evaluation of current processes, and advocating for a shift in behavior contingencies at the individual and cultural levels. This presentation will offer a behavior analytic perspective on whole community inclusive planning and recovery by shaping new behavior contingencies involving individuals and the environment.

Learning Objectives: 

• Operationally define whole community inclusive planning
• Define the three principles and six strategic themes of a whole community approach
• Identify potential barriers to a successful and inclusive emergency management response and recovery
• Identify proactive and reactive strategies and sustainable solutions

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The purpose of this presentation is to help BCBAs realize the importance of ensuring Autistic clients as active leads rather than passive recipients in intervention services. This talk will also explore personal experiences of the author (an Autistic, woman) as it relates to the importance of neurodiversity, and as it applies to assent, autistic autonomy, and social validity. This essay will discuss and examine theoretical underpinnings, which validate that it is essential to include the client in all interventions. It is important that BCBAs develop a professional repertoire involving the Autistic community as key stakeholders, in order to determine what should and should not be targeted for intervention, and to help facilitate neurodiverse directives.

Learning objectives: 

• List five ways in which they can source client values and utilize social validity measures to inform programming.

• Identify ableist biases within the field and assessments and choose to promote individualization and cultural responsiveness.

• Gain three strategies to enrich programs using Autistic stakeholders.

• Differentiate between the medical model of service provision vs. a neurodiversity perspective.

• Define masking and identify harmful teaching practices that may promote masking.

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Social Justice ABA Series: Starting Early, Strengthening Neurodiversity by Jagmeet Kaur Sangha & Ben VanHook

The terms neurodiverse and neurodivergent are used more frequently and interchangeably in today’s academic and workplace settings however there is a distinction between the terms. As detailed by the presenters,  Jagmeet Kaur Sangha and Ben VanHook, neurodiverse refers to the uniques way that each of our individual brains function while neurodivergent is a classification of brain functioning that differs from what is generally considered “normal” or “neural-typical” (i.e., autism, ADHD, dysgraphia, etc.).  Over the years, the neurodivergent population has been subjected to practices, interventions, and environments that have not fostered their ability to thrive and reach their fullest potential. The ever-present stigma around being “different” has only been perpetuated by situations like pulling students out of class, presenter Ben VanHook recounts from his personal experience. There are a number of ways in which we can celebrate the talents and abilities of those who are neurodivergent and  also reframe how we respond to the needs of others. 

How we respond to such needs was the general theme throughout the Professional Learning Community (PLC) that followed Jagmeet and Ben’s presentation. PLC members discussed a number of ways to reframe our practice. The topic of compliance was discussed and how there is often an undertone in clinical practice that the client needs to adjust or comply. On the contrary, the PLC discussed a number of ways in which clinicians can set up environments for the client to be successful; these include but are not limited to using a client's strengths to generalize to new skills, capitalizing on novel teachable moments, offering choice and being flexible in choice making in an effort to honor a client’s autonomy. Clinician flexibility was also a hot button issue. The members of the PLC were vulnerable and open to discussing the many ways in which they themselves could be less rigid when it comes to not requiring a plan for everything, making space for organic novel situations, and letting go of the need to control or contrive every aspect of a session. 

As behavior analysis evolves alongside our ever changing world, the PLC offered insight into how to teach others without being forceful or using coercion. For this to happen, being open to having conversations about alternatives in an effort to facilitate autonomy and self-determination is imperative. Clinicians should also be aware of when our own judgments are creeping in - what are the barriers that show up for us? Other people? What can we do to have compassion? Be of service? Help to reduce barriers? As clinicians we can look to social validity measures to guide or practice as these measures may provide us with information regarding the client’s lived experience. ABA is a people centric practice. If we are not putting the client first, perhaps we should ask ourselves, “are we doing ABA?”

As a wise behavior analyst once said…

“I learned one very important thing: the student is always right. He is not asleep, not unmotivated, not sick, and he can learn a great deal if we provide the right contingencies of reinforcement. But if we don’t provide them, and provide them soon, he too may be inspired to say, “Good-bye!” to formal education.”

- Fred Keller, 1968

Abstract

In summary, neurodiversity is the variation in all human cognition. It is as normal and critical for our social communities as biodiversity is for the planet. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD, Dyslexia, Tourettes and other related syndromes are all examples of neurodivergent abilities. Understanding and embracing these differences in the education system as well as the workplace can greatly benefit individuals as well as our social organizations. In this webinar, hear about how we can create educational and workplace environments that will empower neurodivergent individuals to lean into their strengths and how parents, educators and company leaders, can create communities that promote and embrace these differences.

Learning objectives: 

Participants will be able to define the concept of neurodiversity and how it impacts all human learning 

Participants will be able to describe methods to promote neurodiverse learning and developing within the family, the education system as well as workplace settings 

Participants will be able to understand social impacts and benefits from embracing individual neurodiversity

Participants will be able to identify two call-to-action steps they can take to help their community embrace neurodiversity