Recording of UK-SBA November Speaker Series: ABA Still Finding its Heart

ABA Still Finding its Heart: Minimizing Extinction & Affirming Client Assent

CEU/CPD: 3

The field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) appears to be at a turning point in its evolution, where researchers and practitioners are increasingly calling for our field to emphasize compassion (Taylor, LeBlanc, & Nosik, 2019; Rodriguez, Tarbox, & Tarbox, 2023). In addition, literature has suggested that a compassion-focused approach to ABA services may improve provider-client therapeutic relationships and has the potential to improve program acceptability and clinical outcomes experienced by our clients. In this presentation, radical compassion will be defined as a foundation for applied behavior analytic services. Although there seems to be a broad-based consensus on the need for increasing compassion, many are still calling for dissemination of practical strategies for how our procedures can be modified in this direction. This presentation will provide practical strategies for implementing assent-informed practice, minimizing the use of escape extinction and making extinction as a procedure more compassionate when it is deemed necessary. This presentation will offer real-life strategies that we can implement with the families that we serve, with the hope of leading with our hearts, while upholding the integrity of our science.

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will be able to define radical compassion behavior analytically
• Attendees will be able to define assent and assent withdrawal behavior analytically
• Attendees will be able to describe basic decision-making processes around when to reinforce assent-withdrawal
• Attendees will be able to describe decision-making processes for when to exclude or include escape extinction
• Attendees will be able to describe how to make extinction more compassionate
• Attendees will be able to describe a simple rapport-building procedure that honors client assent

Courtney Tarbox serves as Chief Clinical Officer at FirstSteps for Kids, a California-based ABA provider. Courtney earned her Master of Science Degree in Counseling, with a specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis from California State University, Los Angeles. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and is passionate about contributing to research that is informed by real-life practice. She is actively engaged in treatment evaluation research on topics including complex skill acquisition, compassionate and kind ABA treatment, and the infusion of acceptance and commitment training (ACT) within ABA programs for children with autism and their caregivers. Courtney is committed to fostering ongoing community-wide discussion and collaboration with the Autistic community. Courtney enjoys regularly presenting at professional conferences, has published articles in peer-reviewed journals, and has co-authored a book for training Registered Behavior Technicians.