A bill to license Board Certified Behavior Analysts has been introduced in the New York Legislature by Senator John Flanagan of the Second Senate District on Long Island and Assemblyman Joseph Morelle of Assembly District 132 in the Rochester/Western New York region. The Bills are S7017 and A10064: “AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to providing for the licensure of behavior analysts.” …
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I attended a CSE meeting yesterday for a boy was transitioning into high school. His achievement is a few years below grade level and his cognitive skills are in the low- average range. The school staff encouraged the parents to place him in a 12:1:1 classroom in the high school. The parents, concerned about the potential for bullying in high school were supportive of the placement. As a Behavior Analyst working with the child at home, I was put in an awkward position. My role at the meeting was to explain services he’s receiving at home, notto advocate, especially since the parents and school appeared in agreement. However, I did not feel the school adequately explained the long term ramifications of the placement. Just before the meeting broke up and everyone was ready to sign, I voiced my coneern, stating, “I believe this guy is capabable of attaining a regents diploma and graduate. How will this placement effect that?” The chair, a bit surprised, said “oh no, the 12:1:1 classroom will not provide him credits toward graduation.” this was news to the parent, who was stunned. The chair went on to say that the program was focused on vocational and life skills and was not academic in orientation. The meeting broke without resolution regarding placement. Transitions are very difficult for children on the spectrum; from elementary to middle school, from middle school to high school, from high school to adulthood. These are times that professionals should take extra time to explain to families the implications of their choices for their children. Sometimes this means being “realistic” about the child’s capabilities. At other times, “optimism” is the key to preventing doors from being closed prematurely. In Animals in Translation, Temple Grandin said that the thing she likes about behavior analysts is that they are “natural-born optimists. I am an optimist: I prefer to try, measure, revise, try again. If a child can’t acquire a skill, I try to teach it differently. Some kids won’t get a regent’s diploma. That’s OK. But why not try first?
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Colleagues at Summit Educational Resources in Buffalo, NY respond to the recent CDC report that 1:88 children are diagnosed with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Dr. Steven Anderson, CEO of Summit emphasizes the need for research into effective, evidence-based interventions for the children, while Drs. Vicki Knapp and Deborah Napalitan0 describe their recent research into treatment of Autistic Spectrum Disorders. In a follow-up interview, Dr.. Knapp discusses …
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One in 88 children have autism in the United States. How well are educators and service providers prepared to meet the needs of these children? New York requires teachers to participate in 40 hours of training in autism. Do teachers feel this is adequate? Do parents and caregivers believe their children are getting what they need? As I provide professional development …
Show solidarity with those our “Neuro-Diverse” brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters. Friday the Center for Disease Control released their latest estimate that 1 in 88 children are on the spectrum. We can no longer think of autism as a disease that should be cured. Instead, we should see the whole spectrum of how people see the world, communicate, and interact with each other. We are part …
Teaching socialization to children on the spectrum is one of the more subtle challenges for educators. Social interactions involve so many component skills that disentangling them can be perplexing. A few general guidelines can help. First, move from structured to unstructured social opportunities. Structured means that the adult schedule, design and prompt interactions. For example, a “play date” involves a child visiting the house, playing …
I’ve been using Toontastic with a few of my clients to teach them to create characters, plot, conflict, climax, and resolution (the elements of imaginative story telling). It works really well for some kids. Generally, I use this as a reinforcer after the children have completed several “work” tasks. What they don’t know is that this is really an important skill they are learning during …
NOTE: The French Court has ordered Ms. Roberts’ film be removed from YouTube on March 28th. I’m glad I downloaded it before it was censored! ~ mf
“The Wall or psychoanalysis put to the test for autism”, is a French documentary filmed by Sophie Robert.
It describes the misuse of the psychoanalytic approach of autism in France in defining and treating autistic spectrum disorders. Ms. Robert was …
New York is a lopsided state in terms of population, with the greatest number of people centered in the New York Metropolitan Area. Accordingly, most of the Board Certified Behavior Analysts serve “downstate” clients. Approximately 82 % of the 625 BCBAs in the state of New York reside in the City and surrounding counties according to data from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. While this …
A Repost from OPWDD:
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
Country music legend Reba McEntire has joined OPWDD’s outreach campaign, which is designed to educate New Yorkers about services and supports available to individuals with developmental disabilities and their loved ones.
Reba, whose niece Haley has a developmental disability, has made access to services a pet cause throughout her career. As she says in the public service announcement, “Today, a cause very …
Young Adults
Asperger’s Syndrome creates unique gifts, concerns and perspectives. When the syndrome is misunderstood by others, it often creates painful experiences and loneliness. Come join others with asperger’s traits for practical support and social connection. Enjoy the comfort of being with others with similar ways of perceiving the world. This group meets the third Thursday of each month at 7PM in the basement of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Collegetown, Ithaca. …
Supervising Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in-home programs from a distance presents unique challenges for supervisors and therapists. It’s easy to lose the personal connection when the supervisor is not physically present to provide face-to-face contact. Since parents rarely see the supervisor, they may not be aware of what is going on behind-the-scenes to keep the program functioning. Insurance companies, who know little about Behavior Analysis, know …
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