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Cutting-edge ABA interventions and research delivered by experts in the field
Meet our Speakers and explore their papers!
Some members of the Scientific Comittee
Robert K. Ross
Ed.D., BCBA-D, CPBA-AP
Dr. Ross is the President and Founder of Ross Consultation LLC, a private practice providing High level Clinical consultation and oversight of programs serving children with ASD internationally.
He previously served as the Chief Clinical Officer at Beacon ABA Services of Massachusetts and Connecticut where he worked for over 30 years.
He received his Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis from Northeastern University and his Doctorate from Nova Southeastern University.
Dr. Ross provided oversight to all clinical, research and training activity at Beacon ABA Services, he has been providing direct and consultation services to families, schools and educational programs and clinicians throughout the U.S., Canada, Italy, Saudi Arabia and Egypt for over 35 years.
He is a founding member and current Past President of the Massachusetts Association for Applied Behavior Analysis.
Dr. Ross is also the ABAI Special Interest Group Chair and Past President of the Autism Special Interest Group (SIG) of ABAI, has served three terms on the ABAI Practice Board and has been on the editorial board of Exceptional Parent magazine.
Dr. Ross is a member of the Progressive Behavior Analyst Autism Certification Council.
He has written and co-authored numerous articles on a range of topics in ABA based ASD treatment and a book chapter on Matrix Training in the Handbook of Social Skills and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Dr. Ross is currently focusing his efforts on expanding access to quality ABA treatment internationally, including a focus on how we can use emerging technologies in both diagnosis and treatment of ASD.
Nicola Cefalo
BCBA, IBA, AdC
Nicola Cefalo, founder of Data Driven ABA and a certified behavior analyst with BCBA, IBA, and AdC credentials, has been active in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) since 2018.
In addition to providing behavioral interventions for individuals with autism and other disabilities, Nicola serves as an ABAI instructor and teaches advanced training courses for behavior analysts.
He has presented numerous posters and papers at international conferences such as ABAI and ECABA, and provides supervision in his area of expertise.
His practice spans all age groups, from children to adults, across various life settings, driven by research and data analysis to enhance the quality of life for his clients and their families.
Michael Nicolosi
BCBA, IBA, AdC
Michael Nicolosi is a psychologist, qualified as an ABAI Instructor and a behavior analyst with BCBA®, IBA®, and AdC certifications.
With a 15-year career in the field of autism and applied behavior analysis (ABA), he serves as Director of Services at Data Driven ABA.
As a behavior analyst, he works with children, adolescents, and adults, and has served as Director of ABA Services at several organizations.
He has taught ABA in over 80 training courses, published two articles in specialized journals, and presented over 10 scientific studies at international conferences.
Additionally, he teaches in post-graduate ABA courses for the Association for Advancement of Radical Behavior Analysis (AARBA).
Satia Riva
IBA, AdC
Satia Riva is one of the founders of Data Driven ABA.
She is an IBA and AdC certified Behavior Analyst, has a Master’s degree in Psychology and a Professional Master’s degree in Autism and Developmental Disorders.
She has been working in the field of ABA since 2018 providing behavioral interventions to children, adolescents and adults.
She has made presentations and presented posters at conferences such as ECABA and ABAI.
Francesca Siciliano
BCBA, IBA
Francesca Siciliano is a psychologist, psychotherapist and behavioral analyst.
She is certified by the BACB® and IBAO®.
She has worked in the field of behavior analysis for almost 10 years and is an Associate at Data Driven ABA.
She conducts behavioral assessments and plans behavior modification interventions for people with autism and other disabilities.
She is a lecturer in post-graduate courses in ABA for the Association for Advancement of Radical Behavior Analysis (AARBA) and has presented various studies at International Conferences such as ABAI.
Paper Sessions and Biographies
November 16, 2024 (Zurich Time 9:00 - 11:00)
But wasn’t mum supposed to be just a mum?
Symposium
Traditional practice in rehabilitative contexts often excludes parents and family members from ABA sessions, limiting them to a peripheral role.
This exclusion raises important questions about the validity and effectiveness of ABA intervention.
The symposium will critically examine the practice of professionals who propose that “mum should be just a mum” by presenting studies conducted directly by parents who have taken an active role in applying ABA with their own children.
Based on the evidence presented, it will be up to the audience to conclude whether ‘mum should be just a mum’.
November 16, 2024 (Zurich Time 11:10 - 12:00)
Effectiveness of Early and Intensive Behavioral Intervention in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Author Anna Budzińska, Ph.D.
The effectiveness of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatment has been proven by numerous scientific studies (Evidence-Based Practice – EBP). Scientific research clearly indicates that every child who received a diagnosis of autism should receive Early and Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI).
Studies have shown that children receiving EIBI had better scores on standardized tests of IQ, language and adaptive functioning compared to children receiving other interventions.
During the lecture we will present the study “Effectiveness of Behavioral Intervention in children with autism in Institute for Child Development, Poland” (Marta Wójcik, Svein Eikeseth , Philip Eikeseth, Ewa Budzińska, Anna Budzińska).
In the Institute for Child Development (IWRD) in Poland we offer professional help based on positive approach of EIBI adhering to the highest ethical standards. We set treatment goals with the child’s well-being and happiness in mind.
A good motivational system makes the children feel happy and proud of their achievements.
Treatment program for a child with ASD is practical and include all areas of functioning and all stages of development of a neurotypical child.
The study shows outcomes achieved by 2,5 to 6-year-olds with autism who participated in intensive behavioral treatment based on the PCDI treatment model created by Krantz and McClannahan conducted by Institute for Child Development.
All children were assessed at intake and after 14 months of treatment with the Psychoeducational Profile – Revised, the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II, and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale.
During 14 months each child received an average of 20-25 hours of treatment per week.
A number of ABA principles and techniques were used such as differential reinforcement, prompting and prompt-fading, shaping, earless teaching procedure, chaining, and tasks analysis, discrete trial training, incidental teaching, activity schedules, scripts and script-fading procedures, video modeling.
Treatment was extended to the home settings and parents or caregivers participated in therapy. Our study, as other effectiveness research, show that EIBI can be an effective treatment for children with autism.
What is important current study evaluates Krantz & McClannahan model, which is applied in the USA and some European countries.
Anna Budzińska
Ph.D.
Director of the Institute for Child Development (IWRD) in Gdansk, Poland, an extremely influential training center and effective program for children with autism. She graduated from the Faculty of Social Science at the University of Gdansk, Poland.
Dr. Budzinska received training at the Institute of Psychology at the University, the Tidlig Intervensjons-Prosjektet I Oslo, the Kappellveien Treatment Center in Oslo and Oslo University.
Most influential, however, was her training at the Princeton Child Development Institute (PCDI) with Drs. Krantz and McClannahan. Dr. Budzinska established the first replication of PCDI in Europe in 2006 – Institute for Child Development in Gdansk (IWRD), providing effective intervention to children with ASD.
In addition, she has helped to establish centers for children with autism throughout Poland and Europe. Dr. Budzinska, through the Institute for Child Development in Gdansk, organizes the annual International Symposia, a well-attended science-based conference in Poland.
She is on the Board of Directors of Alliance for Scientific Autism Intervention (ASAI). She is also the member of Professional Advisory Board of International Behavior Analysis Organization (IBAO).
She has published a book and articles in Polish and foreign magazines and she teaches graduate and post-graduate courses at the University of Gdansk.
She has been dedicated to the training of therapists, trainers and supervisors. She is committed to promoting early intervention programs and science-based interventions for individuals with ASD both nationally and internationally (i.a. Norway, Slovakia, Austria, Italy).
She is an author of multiple publications and book chapters.
She is the co-author of ABA on-line course in Polish and English titled “15 minutes for treatment”.
November 16, 2024 (Zurich Time 12:10 - 13:00)
Behaviour analysis of activity anorexia through animal models of behavioural excess
Author Ricardo Pellón, Ph.D.
Anorexia nervosa is a disorder characterized by the high failure of treatment approaches, both psychological and pharmacological.
The low rate of clinical success may be due to a mischaracterization in most commonly used classifications, which implies a therapeutic approach focused on non-nuclear symptoms and delayed diagnosis.
Some authors point out that core symptomatology of food rejection and distortions in the body image could develop in late stages and be the result of the neurological affectation of malnutrition, rather than the cause of the disorder.
The activity-based anorexia protocol has been widely accepted as an animal model of the disorder and has been used to test possible treatments for anorexia nervosa.
There is experimental evidence in activity anorexia suggesting that excessive activity is a crucial factor in the development of the phenomenon.
The aim of this presentation is to review the results from animal research using the activity-based anorexia model with an emphasis on the evidence and possible explanatory mechanisms of excessive activity.
Results obtained in our laboratory suggest that the combination of food restriction and exercise is the way to develop anorexia. Increased activity is a common foraging response in mammals subjected to food restriction.
This activity is expressed more frequently under diet, which facilitates its subsequent increase by mechanisms of reinforcement and induction. It has been proposed that the contingencies established by western culture encourage people to be involved in exercise and diet regimes, which in some individuals may lead to the combination of strong food restriction and hyperactivity, initiating the cycle of anorexia.
These results are in line with historical descriptions of the disorder and new clinical and research evidence that reports an excessive physical activity in a high proportion of diagnosed patients.
The proposed theoretical view will be based on basic and clinical research data of several studies that point in a similar direction, to propose a framework that can guide future research and clinical approaches to anorexia nervosa.
Ricardo Pellón
Ph.D.
Ricardo Pellón got the Degree in Psychology in 1980 and in 1987 defended his PhD in the area of Experimental Psychology, both at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain).
He has held research positions at the University of Cardiff, UK (1981-1984) and the Addiction Research Centre of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, USA (1990-1991).
In 2005-2006 he spent a sabbatical leave at Arizona State University, USA.
He is currently Professor of Psychology at Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain, where he directs an Animal Learning and Behaviour Lab working predominantly (but not exclusively) on animal models of excessive behavior, such as schedule-induced polydipsia and activity-based anorexia, both using laboratory rats as experimental subjects.
He has published in international journals in the areas of learning and behavior, behavioral pharmacology, and neural substrates of behavior.
He teaches undergraduate students in Psychology, supervises master and doctorate researchers at different universities, and is normally involved in managerial aspects of the university life.
November 16, 2024 (Zurich Time 14:30 - 15:20)
Effective Leaders, Providers and Parents Do What It Takes: Organizational Performance Engineering for Client Success
Author Guy Bruce, Ed.D., BCBA-D
When providers don’t work together, clients fail to make efficient progress towards mastery of the knowledge and skills they need for successful lives. “Things Fall Apart.”
Ethical leaders do what it takes so that providers will act in each client’s long-term best interest.
“If you pit a good performer against a bad system, the system wins almost every time.”
We can use behavior analysis to engineer provider behavior change at the system, process, and individual levels of a school, center, or tutoring program, to solve its organizational performance problems so that every client will make efficient progress towards mastery of the knowledge and skills needed for a successful life.
I will tell the story of a preschool for children with autism that was losing clients and staff because it lacked a pragmatic organizational performance engineering process to ensure provider, parent, and client success.
Guy Bruce
Ed.D., BCBA-D
Since earning his Ed. D. in Educational Psychology from the Behavior Analysis in Human Resources program at West Virginia University, Dr. Bruce has taught behavior analysis in both undergraduate and graduate programs and consulted with variety of organizations, including BellSouth, Crystal River Nuclear Power, Delta Faucet, Dearborn Financial, Mayo Hospital, and Waddell & Reid Financial Services.
He is the author of Instructional Design Made Easy, a workbook for designing more efficient staff training programs and Organizational Performance Engineering for Provider, Parent, and Client Success, which tells the story of how we designed and implemented an organizational performance engineering process to change how preschool staff worked together so that every client could be successful.
In addition to conducting workshops on the application of organizational performance engineering, he is currently working with developers to complete ProgressCharter, a mobile/web application that will make it easy to implement the EARS Process of Organizational Performance Engineering.
The EARS process has the following steps:
- Evaluate client progress.
- Analyze provider performance problems.
- Recommend changes in provider resources, training, and management.
- Solve provider performance problems by designing and implementing recommended solutions.
November 16, 2024 (Zurich Time 15:30 - 16:20)
How ABA Empowers parents – The True Role of Parents in ABA Programs
Author Fernando Armendariz, Ph.D., BCBA-D
This presentation will illustrate how the early contributions of the science of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) explicitly described parents as the most important persons that are in the best positioned to impact their child’s behavior.
The science and world-view of ABA empower the parents so they can have tremendous impact on the development of their children.
These strategies not only allow parents to have a very positive impact on the behavior of their special needs child, but they will also help to guide all their children to become happy, respectful, and responsible children.
The strategies that will be presented are both for parents to implement and for behavior analysts to guide parents to obtain these skills. The skills are not to drill the child in session in a clinic or playroom of the home, but rather to facilitate a lifestyle change.
This is done by establishing a set of skills that are implemented by parents (and other caregivers) during real situations, every second of every day throughout their daily lives.
Fernando Armendariz
Ph.D., BCBA-D
Dr. Fernando Armendariz is the director of FABAS, a consulting, training and habilitation agency that provides bilingual services to families and schools.
He is a Licensed Psychologist and a Licensed Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D).
He designs and supervises home-based programs for families of children with autism, attention deficit, or learning disabilities.
Dr. Armendariz also provides consulting and training services to schools.
He conducts Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA) and provides training on classroom behavior management and effective instruction.
He earned his Ph.D. in Special Education with school psychology specialization at the University of Arizona.
He was an elementary school principal for 8 years and has more than 35 years of experience assisting children with special needs in home and school settings.
November 16, 2024 (Zurich Time 16:30 - 17:20)
Practical Functional Assessment (PFA): Why 40 years of data do not support this method of behavioral assessment
Author Michael M. Mueller, Ph.D., BCBA-D, IBA
Since the mid 1990s when Functional Analysis methods were popularized, the field of ABA has produced 100s of peer-reviewed, data-based, studies detailing the methods and outcomes of 1000s of functional analyses.
Many procedural variations exist within the functional analysis methods and all but one allows for the identification of single, multiple, or synthesized reinforcers.
The latest variation to enter the field is the “Practical Functional Assessment” (PFA). The PFA variation has gained considerable popularity in the field of ABA.
In spite of the popularity, a review of the existing data in the field do not support its use, outcomes, and underlying premise that all behavioral challenges are reinforced by synthesized variables.
Michael M. Mueller
Ph.D., BCBA-D, IBA
Co-founder of Southern Behavioral Group, Stimulus Publications, and the author of the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS).
He is the founder of the International Behavior Analysis Organization (IBAO).
Mike has practiced Applied Behavior Analysis with children, adolescents, and adults with autism in their homes, schools, state residential facilities, group homes, clinics, and other community settings.
He has delivered more than 100 conference presentations both nationally and internationally.
Dr. Mueller has more than 20 published research papers and 7 book chapters. He is the author of 10 books including, The Assessment of Functional Living Skills, The BIG Book of ABA Programs, and Behavior Analytic Consultation to Schools.
November 16, 2024 (Zurich Time 17:30 - 18:30)
Title under definition…
Author Jesús Rosales-Ruiz, Ph.D.
Abstract under definition…
Jesús Rosales-Ruiz
Ph.D.
Bio under definition…
November 17, 2024 (Zurich Time 11:10 - 12:00)
Title under definition…
Author Fabio Tosolin, Ph.D.
Abstract under definition…
Fabio Tosolin
Ph.D.
Fabio Tosolin is a Behavior Analyst and consultant that since the early 1980s has been introducing, spreading and applying Behavior Analysis and Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) principles both in Italy and Europe.
He founded his own consulting company, Behavioral Technologies, that is specialized in Performance Management, Learning Technologies and Behavior-Based Safety for the last of which he’s also a referent of European level.
His company implemented hundreds of PM and B-BS processes in plants and construction sites in Italy and around the world.
He is currently Professor of Human Factor in HSEQ Management (BBS) at the Polytechnic of Milan (Safety Engineering Master’s Degree Course, Faculty of Industrial Processes), and President of the Italy Associate Chapter of ABAI (IACABAI) and of AARBA – the Italian Behavior Analysis Scientific Society founded by the pioneers of ABA in Italy in 2001.
Since 2003 he has been the Chair of the European Scientific Conference on OBM, PM & B-BS, held by AARBA. He got the Outstanding Contribution Award in 2014 by OBMN and in 2019 he received the SABA Award for his contribution to the international dissemination/development of Behavior Analysis.
November 17, 2024 (Zurich Time 12:10 - 13:00)
Inner Behavior: Definitions, Data, and Decisions
Author Abigail B. Calkin, Ph.D.
Abstract under definition…
Abigail B. Calkin
Ph.D.
Bio under definition…
November 17, 2024 (Zurich Time 14:30 - 15:20)
Staff Training and Supervision for Behavioral Interventions for Children With Autism
Author Justin B. Leaf, Ph.D., CPBA-AP, BCBA-D
Training and supervising staff to implement effective behavioral interventions for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) requires effective techniques.
This training can occur on a scale from one-on-one, group based, all the way to large scale internship models.
The purpose of this presentation is to present the audience with both clinical and empirical updates on the most effective ways to train staff to implement Progressive ABA as it relates to behavioral interventions for individuals diagnosed with ASD.
The presenter will go over the historical research on staff training and supervision, current guidelines of staff training and supervision, current research on staff training and supervision, and the implementation of staff training and supervision in clinical practice.
Throughout the presentation the presenter will describe staff training and supervision within a progressive model of ABA and encourage the audience to adopt the progressive model within clinical practice.
Finally, the presenter will provide some practical guidelines, so that the audience members can better train and supervise the staff they are working with.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of the workshop, the participants will be able to:
- Identify and describe the findings of at least 2 research studies on training and supervising staff.
- Identify 3 different approaches to effectively train and supervise staff to implement behavioral interventions to individuals diagnosed with ASD.
- Compare and contrast staff training in a progressive ABA model as compared to a conventional ABA Model.
Justin B. Leaf
Ph.D., CPBA-AP, BCBA-D
Member of the Executive Committee of ABAI’s Special Interest Group on Autism and Director of Research and Training at Autism Partnership Foundation (CA, USA).
He has authored more than 90 publications in peer reviewed scientific journals, as well as authored books on the topic of autism.
He is a lecturer in undergraduate courses in Applied Behavior Analysis and research methodology and has presented several symposia at national and international conferences.
Dr. Leaf is associate editor of the Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders; serves or has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities and the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
November 17, 2024 (Zurich Time 15:30 - 16:20)
Some Progressive Teaching Methods
Author Joseph Cihon, Ph.D., BCBA-D, CPBA-AP
One of the distinguishing features of a progressive approach to ABA as it relates to autism and autism intervention is that the main source of control for the interventionist’s behavior is the client and the client’s context.
Implementation of this approach requires methods that are flexible and can change based on moment-to-moment analysis of relevant variables (e.g., current and past performance, general health, client input). Interventionists cannot simply rely on a protocol, no matter how thorough, to inform what they should do and when they should do it.
The purpose of this presentation is to provide a description of several methods that may be considered progressive in their implementation as well as how methods can be implemented in a progressive manner.
Challenges with the implementation of these methods and research examples will also be provided.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will identify and describe at least three ABA-based teaching methods that can be implemented in a progressive manner.
- Participants will identify and describe at least one variable that is required for a teaching method to be considered progressive.
- Participants will identify research examples that have evaluated ABA-based teaching methods that can be implemented in a progressive manner.
Joseph Cihon
Ph.D., BCBA-D, CPBA-AP
Dr. Joseph H. Cihon received his B. S. in special education from Fontbonne University, M.S. in behavior analysis at the University of North Texas, and his Ph.D. in applied behavior analysis at Endicott College.
He is currently the Director of Research at Autism Partnership Foundation, adjunct professor at Endicott College, Certification Coordinator at the Progressive Behavior Analyst Autism Council, and on the council for the Autism Special Interest Group.
Joe has 20 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults on the autism spectrum and with other developmental disabilities in home, school, and community settings.
His research interests in behavior analysis are broad and include evaluating assumptions within practice, examining historical foundations in behavior analysis, training thoroughgoing behavior analysts, examining the effectiveness and training professionals in shaping techniques, increasing favorable interactions among children, their families, and interventionists, developing contingencies to promote generalization and maintenance, and improving mealtimes for selective eaters.
Joe serves on the editorial boards for the International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education and Behavior Analysis in Practice and has published over 90 peer-reviewed articles, books, and book chapters.
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