Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis and Teaching Verbal Behavior in the Classroom - Pensacola 

This two-day workshop (8:30am - 4:30 pm each day) will illustrate through extensive use of video how applying the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis to teaching Verbal Behavior (VB) can be effective in classroom settings for students with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Research has demonstrated that the application of these principles (motivation, stimulus control, reinforcement, extinction, etc.) to teaching language and other important skills can lead to the development of functional communication skills, reduction in problem behavior, and an increase in social interactions.

At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Identify the core deficits identified by the DSM-V that define the autism diagnosis.
• Explain the benefits and steps involved in pairing teachers, (teaching materials, and teaching environments) with positive reinforcement.
• List the benefits and steps involved in conditioning new reinforcers for children with limited interests.
• List the benefits and steps involved in pairing peers with positive reinforcement for students who show little or no interest in others.
• Define Mand and explain why it should be a focal point of an intervention plan for many students with autism.
• Determine if a student is a candidate for an alternative communication system.
• Identify four important considerations when choosing an alternative communication system.
• Explain the benefits of using the results of a criterion-referenced assessment (VB-MAPP) for assisting in the selection of IEP goals.
• Describe how developmentally appropriate individual goals can be targeted during heterogeneous group activities.
• Explain how and when to program students for natural environment teaching (NET) and/or discrete trial training (DTT).
• Describe how utilizing research-based teaching procedures can minimize the occurrence of problem behavior and improve the effectiveness of instruction.
• Identfy three reinforcement-based approaches that reduce problem behavior.