Making Teaching Fun Using Naturalistic and Game Based Teaching Strategies 

Linda A. LeBlanc, PhD, BCBA-D

LeBlanc Behavioral Consulting

Naturalistic teaching strategies involve incorporation of natural environments, natural change agents, and naturally occurring stimulus conditions and teaching contexts into instruction.  Many naturalistic teaching strategies have been developed over the past 40 years, providing a strong empirical evidence base for their effectiveness. The procedures are designed to incorporate generalization programming from the outset of teaching rather than after acquisition. In addition, these procedures usually target language and play simultaneously. This workshop will review the conceptual basis for these procedures, the specific procedures, and recommendations for modifying structured teaching to be more gamelike and naturalistic.  

Objectives

1)    Attendees will be able to identify the critical features of programming that promote maintenance and generalization of skills

2)    Attendees will be able to identify the elements of common naturalistic teaching strategies that are designed to make programs fun and effective 

3)    Attendees will be able to list the procedural steps for an incidental teaching trial.

4)    Attendees will design a game-embedded instructional activity that targets a specific instructional objective 

The Role of Mentoring in Career Blazing in Behavior Analysis

Linda A. LeBlanc, PhD, BCBA-D

LeBlanc Behavioral Consulting

Each professional is a product of their history and their current environment.  By conducting an analysis of your professional and personal influences, you can prepare yourself to identify your unique strengths and your remaining professional development needs.  This talk presents a series of questions that may assist women in behavior analysis in reflecting on their core influences and preparing to actively create the opportunities for new core influences.  Strategies are provided for identifying a mentor, charting your professional development path and purposefully advancing your career while maintaining happiness in both career and personal life. 

Objectives

1) Attendees will identify one prior influential mentor and the critical learning events that occurred with that mentor

2) Attendees will identify one remaining professional behavior analytic repertoire for which they require additional mentoring

3) Attendees will be able to identify the important role of stimulus control in establishing and maintaining balance in personal and professional arenas.

The Perspectives, Roles and Repertoires of an Effective Behavior Analyst

Judith E. Favell, Ph.D., BCBA-D

In launching, leading and living our careers and lives as behavior analysts, it is useful to keep a perspective on our historical and present contexts as well as our future course. Reviewing the origins and development of our field can provide a perspective not only on the evolution of knowledge and practice, but also remind us of the basic tenants of our discipline, notably insistence on sound behavioral principles and empirical validation of our methods.  These bedrocks should sustain us as we go forward, pursuing innovation robustly but building this progress on a foundation of our roots and fundamentals. Resting on these foundations, it is also useful to consider how faithfully we apply and live by our principles and methods in our present-day lives and practice.  Shaping, functional analysis, positive reinforcement and all else in our behavioral repertoires should serve as the basis, the very definition, of being an effective behavior analyst, and apply equally to all aspects of life:  to the individuals we serve, to ourselves, and to the advancement of our field.

 A review of the historical context and current practices of behavior analysis leads us to appreciate the need for addressing the larger context for our behavior, whether organizational, political or social.  This invites and requires us to widen our horizons and expand our roles as we move into the future.  In order to bring effective behavior analysis to a single individual, we need to address and influence the financial and legislative factors that influence that service.  To insure that behavior analytic services are properly supported, behavior analysts should consider becoming increasingly involved in advocating for those services whether through political or professional channels and means. Just as we established the foundation of our field through decades of solid science and sound practices; just as we demonstrate the power of these principles and methods in our daily practice and lives; we must ensure that our services remain relevant and strong in the decades ahead, through our good work and effective leadership in demonstrating and advocating for accessible and effective treatment. 

Objectives

1) Attendees will identify one major theme in the historical development of behavior analysis that serves as a foundation for today’s practice.

2) Attendees will describe two behaviors/skills that mark an effective behavior analyst.

3) Attendees will identify one area that requires additional skills and action to advance their own practice and the field of behavior analysis.

Panel Discussion on Professional Development and Leadership in Behavior Analysis

Linda, A. LeBlanc, Judith E. Favell, Nancy Marchese

This panel discussion will provide an opportunity to discuss various professional development and mentoring needs of attendees.  In addition, the panel will provide a follow up opportunity for attendees of the prior talks to ask questions of leaders in the field.  The topics will include roles and responsibilities of professional behavior analysts, active engagement in legislative and business activities related to the behavior analysis and taking a behavior analytic approach to analyzing your own professional development needs so that analysis can be used to guide changes in your professional environment.

Objectives

1)     Attendees will learn about the professional histories and mentors of leaders in the field of behavior analysis

2)     Attendees will learn strategies to help them succeed in efforts to promote legislation that will support the use of effective, evidence-based intervention strategies

3)     Attendees will learn how to do an analysis of their own professional development needs in the area of behavior analysis.