NEWS: Behavioral Therapy Boosts Treatment of Serious Behavior Problems in Autism Compared to Medication Alone

For those interested in the use of medications, behavior therapy, the combination of both in treating serious behaviors in pervasive developmental disorders, and use of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) in evaluating treatments, this article by Michelle Diament of Disability Scoop will be of interest. It describes study results that reported that the most effective results for treatment of problem behaviors in the study group of 4-13 year-olds with autism was a combination of parent training in use of behavioral therapy and medication vs. medication alone, with the improvements derived from parent training continued to increase over time. The research article itself will also be of interest; at the current time the article is available in free open access from the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry's December issue.


A significant statement has been made by Thomas R. Insel, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) regarding the results of this study,

“Medication alone has been shown to help with some symptoms of autism, but its potential is limited...This study shows promise of a more effective treatment protocol that could improve life for children with autism and their families."

ABA International members Eric Butter, Ph.D. and James A. Mulick, Ph.D. are two of the team of researchers who authored the research article.

Behavior Therapy Plus Medication Most Successful For Kids With Autism
By Michelle Diament
November 23, 2009
Disability Scoop 11/23/09

"Children with autism experienced fewer behaviors and needed less medication when their parents used behavior therapy in addition to medication, new research shows."

Aman, M.G., McDougle, C.J.,Scahill, L., Handen ,B., Arnold, L. E., et. al.(2009). Medication and parent training in children with pervasive developmental disorders and serious behavior problems: Results from a randomized clinical trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry,48(12),1143-1154.
doi: 10.1097/CHI. 0b013e3181bfd669

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Related:
NIMH Press Release
November 20, 2009
Parent Training Complements Medication for Treating Behavioral Problems in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

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The Oregon Association for Behavior Analysis (OR-ABA) posts items only as a service to OR-ABA members and other interested persons. OR-ABA reserves the right to edit items submitted for content, length, and style. OR-ABA will post only those event announcements that appear to be consistent with OR-ABA's statement of purpose, relevant laws, regulations, and ethical principles. OR-ABA's decision in this regard is final. These announcements should not construed as advertisements or endorsements of the products, services, or events described. OR-ABA cannot accept paid advertising on these pages. Announcements of commercial events or events with strong commercial tie-ins will be carefully evaluated for suitability. OR-ABA makes no representation of the accuracy of the events announcements, the quality of the events described, or suitability of any event or its intended use.
Please visit our website to find out more about OR-ABA, our activities, monthly meetings and speakers.

ANNOUNCE: CalABA Announces 2010 Conference Speakers and Events

28th Annual CalABA Conference · Feb. 18 - 20, 2010
Hyatt Regency, Irvine, CA

- Conference preview: Keynote and invited addresses - Conference advertising & exhibits. Deadline: Dec. 18, 2009 - Student researchers: 2010 Julie Vargas Award. Deadline: Dec. 1 - Graduate students: 2010 Skinner Foundation Research Award. Deadline: Dec. 1 - Fall 2009 CalABA newsletter available online

Conference preview. This year's CalABA conference will again feature a number of invited addresses and workshops by renowned speakers, including several from the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) (see below). KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Howard Goldstein, PhD, CCC-SLP. Ohio State University Identifying Evidence-Based Practices: Consumer Reports Evaluation of Autism Interventions Edward K. Morris, PhD. University of Kansas The Gernsbacher Lectures: Cut Aways, Outtakes, and Bloopers - and Essentialism OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTOR ADDRESS John A. Nevin, PhD. University of New Hampshire Behavioral Momentum: Equations and Applications GLENDA VITTIMBERGA MEMORIAL LECTURE Stephanie M. Peterson, PhD, BCBA-D. Western Michigan University Concurrent Schedules of Reinforcement During Stimulus Fading Intervention INVITED SPEAKERS Invited Addresses Autism Thomas S. Higbee, PhD, BCBA-D, Utah State University Using Script Fading to Promote Spontaneous Language in Children with Autism and Related Disorders Developmental Disabilities Richard G. Smith, PhD, BCBA-D, University of North Texas Assessing Behavior Disorders: Alternatives to Standard Functional Analysis Procedures Experimental David Pierce, PhD, University of Alberta Activity Anorexia: Participation of Neuroendocrine Responses in Food-related Behavioral Contingencies Human Development & Gerontology Patrick C. Friman, PhD, Boys Town Using Applied Behavior Analysis to Address Problems of Mainstream, Everyday Life Organizational Behavior Management Judy L. Agnew, PhD, Aubrey Daniels International Ensuring Effective Treatment: Lessons Learned from Business Applications of Behavior Analysis Professional, Ethical, & Legal Issues Jerry Shook, PhD, BCBA-D, Behavior Analyst Certification Board Professional Developments in the Behavior Analyst Certification Board Jim Johnston, PhD, BCBA-D, Auburn University Issues in Credentialing Professionals in Applied Behavior Analysis Verbal Behavior David Palmer, PhD, Smith College Future Directions in the Analysis of Verbal Behavior Other Jesús Rosales-Ruiz, PhD, University of North Texas From Fierce or Fearful to Friendly: A Shaping Program for Dogs, Cats, and Beyond Invited Workshops (Sat. only) Autism Thomas S. Higbee, PhD, BCBA-D, Utah State University Using Activity Schedules to Promote Appropriate Independent and Interactive Play Skills for Children with Autism Clinical/Medical Michael P. Mozzoni, PhD, BCBA-D, Learning Services NeuroBehavioral Institute Behavioral Methods and Strategies for Working with Neurologically Impaired Adults Education Lloyd Peterson, PhD & Stephanie Peterson, PhD, BCBA-D Sam Houston State University and Western Michigan University Making the Most of Teachable Moments: A Paradigm Shift APBA Co-conference Addresses Linda A. LeBlanc, PhD, BCBA-D, Auburn University Teaching Children with Autism Using Naturalistic Teaching Strategies Coleen Sparkman, MA, CCC-SLP, Kendall School/Therapeutic Pathways Back to Basics: Things You Need to Know Before Starting Your Own Business or Going to Work for an Agency Panel Discussions Gina Green, PhD, BCBA-D, Association of Professional Behavior Analysts Jerry Shook, PhD, BCBA-D, Behavior Analyst Certification Board Jane S. Howard, PhD, BCBA-D, CalABA Public Policy Committee James C. Gross, JD, Nielsen, Merksamer, Parrinello, Mueller, & Naylor, LLP Advocating for Public Policies to Support Behavior Analysis Jim Johnston, PhD, BCBA-D, Auburn University Gina Green, PhD, BCBA-D, Association of Professional Behavior Analysts Ethan Long, PhD, BCBA-D, The Bay School Janet Yi, MS, BCBA, JBA Institute Everyday Ethical Challenges for Professional Behavior Analysts Workshops (Sat. only) Gina Green, PhD, BCBA-D, Association of Professional Behavior Analysts Obtaining Health Insurance Coverage of ABA Intervention for Autism Jose D. Rios, MS, BCBA, Private practice Writing, Implementing, and Evaluating Effective and Ethical Behavior Intervention Plans Conference advertising and exhibits. Take advantage of the many sponsorship and advertising opportunities while helping to ensure the success of our 2010 conference! For more information and to download an application, see our Sponsorship and Advertising page. Students.   Submit your research projects now for the Julie Vargas Award and the B. F. Skinner Foundation Research Award. The Dec. 1 deadline is just around the corner! Conference hotel reservations. Our hotel room block is filling up quickly, so make your room reservations early. Make your reservations online and automatically receive the special conference rate. For more information see our Travel & Hotel page. One-page flyer and conference logos. Help us spread the word about our 2010 conference! Print out our PDF single-page flyer to post at your schools and offices, and display our conference logos on your websites. Look for the "Marketing Items" link in the conference menu on the left at calaba.org. Thank you! Fall 2009 CalABA newsletter.  See this latest edition of our newsletter "Focal Point" for news from California's flagship behavior analysis organization, and visit our newsletter page for an archive of past issues. We look forward to seeing you at the conference!

---------- Disclaimer The Oregon Association for Behavior Analysis (OR-ABA) posts items only as a service to OR-ABA members and other interested persons. OR-ABA reserves the right to edit items submitted for content, length, and style. OR-ABA will post only those event announcements that appear to be consistent with OR-ABA's statement of purpose, relevant laws, regulations, and ethical principles. OR-ABA's decision in this regard is final. These announcements should not construed as advertisements or endorsements of the products, services, or events described. OR-ABA cannot accept paid advertising on these pages. Announcements of commercial events or events with strong commercial tie-ins will be carefully evaluated for suitability. OR-ABA makes no representation of the accuracy of the events announcements, the quality of the events described, or suitability of any event or its intended use. Please visit our website to find out more about OR-ABA, our activities, monthly meetings and speakers.

Eugene, OR: Association for Direct Instruction announces dates for National Direct Instruction Conference and Institutes

The Association for Direct Instruction announces the upcoming Annual National Direct Instruction Conference and Institutes to be held in Eugene, Oregon.

The Association for Direct Instruction (ADI) is pleased to announce that the 36th (yes 36 years) Annual National Direct Instruction Conference and Institutes will be held

July 25-29, 2010,
in Eugene, Oregon,
at the Hilton Eugene and Conference Center.

The featured Keynote speaker will be noted DI consultant Carolyn Schneider. Carolyn has a long history with and was inducted into the Direct Instruction Hall of Fame in 2001.  Over the past 35 years she has trained and coached thousands of teachers and administrators, as well as serving as a lead consultant trainer for SRA. 

Zig Engelmann will also present an opening address.

Along with main line program training, there are sessions on Classroom Management, Coaching, RTI, DIBELS, Administrator training and much more.  A brochure will be available in early January.

The Eugene Hilton is ready to take your hotel reservation now.  Room rates start at $137.00.  Contact them at 1.541.342.2000 and reserve your room today.

Plan on attending the largest, longest running conference designed specifically for Direct Instruction users!

I hope to see you in Eugene this summer!

Bryan

Bryan Wickman,
Executive Director
Association for Direct Instruction
PO Box 10252
Eugene, OR   97440
1.800.995.2464 voice
1.541.868.1397 fax
www.adihome.org

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Disclaimer
The Oregon Association for Behavior Analysis (OR-ABA) posts items only as a service to OR-ABA members and other interested persons. OR-ABA reserves the right to edit items submitted for content, length, and style. OR-ABA will post only those event announcements that appear to be consistent with OR-ABA's statement of purpose, relevant laws, regulations, and ethical principles. OR-ABA's decision in this regard is final. These announcements should not construed as advertisements or endorsements of the products, services, or events described. OR-ABA cannot accept paid advertising on these pages. Announcements of commercial events or events with strong commercial tie-ins will be carefully evaluated for suitability. OR-ABA makes no representation of the accuracy of the events announcements, the quality of the events described, or suitability of any event or its intended use.
Please visit our website to find out more about OR-ABA, our activities, monthly meetings and speakers.

MEETING: October 26, 2009 ORABA Executive Board Meeting

The next meeting of
the Oregon Association for Behavior Analysis (ORABA)
Executive Board will be
5:00 P.M.
Monday, October 26, 2009
733 NE Prescott, Portland, Oregon 97211

To discuss goals for outreach, presenters, and other issues pertaining to the state for the upcoming year. Participation by anyone interested is welcome.

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Disclaimer
The Oregon Association for Behavior Analysis (OR-ABA) posts items only as a service to OR-ABA members and other interested persons. OR-ABA reserves the right to edit items submittedfor content, length, and style. OR-ABA will post only those event announcements that appear to be consistent with OR-ABA's statement of purpose, relevant laws, regulations, and ethical principles. OR-ABA's decision in this regard is final. These announcements should not construed as advertisements or endorsements of the products, services, or events described. OR-ABA cannot accept paid advertising on these pages. Announcements of commerical events or events with strong commercial tie-ins will be carefully evaluated for suitability. OR-ABA makes no representation of the accuracy of the events announcements, the quality of the events described, or suitability of any event or its intended use.
Please visit our website to find out more about OR-ABA, our activities, monthly meetings and speakers.

ANNOUNCE: The journal archives of "The Behavior Analyst" are now available in open access at Pubmed Central

The Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABA-I) recently announced that

Volumes 1-30, 1978 to 2007. of the semiannually published journal, The Behavior Analyst (TBA), are now archived in open access at PubMed Central.

(Other behavioral journals of interest to behavior analysts and (other interested parties) archived in open access at PubMed Central are the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) and the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (JEAB).)

For recent Table of Contents and information on subscription or manuscript preparation for current issues of The Behavior Analyst.

Future announced plans include similar archiving at PubMed Central of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior (TAVB). Look for future news when those are uploaded to PubMed Central.

Disclaimer
The Oregon Association for Behavior Analysis (OR-ABA) posts items only as a service to OR-ABA members and other interested persons. OR-ABA reserves the right to edit items submittedfor content, length, and style. OR-ABA will post only those event announcements that appear to be consistent with OR-ABA's statement of purpose, relevant laws, regulations, and ethical principles. OR-ABA's decision in this regard is final. These announcements should not construed as advertisements or endorsements of the products, services, or events described. OR-ABA cannot accept paid advertising on these pages. Announcements of commercial events or events with strong commercial tie-ins will be carefully evaluated for suitability. OR-ABA makes no representation of the accuracy of the events announcements, the quality of the events described, or suitability of any event or its intended use.
Please visit our website to find out more about OR-ABA, our activities, monthly meetings and speakers.

ANNOUNCE: National Autism Center releases National Report from the National Standards Project

The National Autism Center, in Randolph, MA, "dedicated to serving children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) by providing reliable information, promoting best practices, and offering comprehensive resources for families, practitioners, and communities.", has just issued its National Standards Project National Report.

There are three available options for download:

• National Standards Project Overview (pdf)
  (This two-page document provides a summary of the National Standards Project.)
  

• Findings & Conclusions of the National Standards Project (pdf)
  (This is a pdf of the 53-page Findings and Conclusions Report, which includes the
  results of the National Standards Project.)
  
  
• National Standards Full Report (pdf)
  (This is a pdf of the full 160-page National Standards Report.)
  

Some notes about the report and intent,

"...The findings of the National Standards Project include the identification of:

11 “Established” Treatments: treatments that produce beneficial outcomes and are known to be effective for individuals on the autism spectrum. The overwhelming majority of these interventions were developed in the behavioral literature (e.g., applied behavior analysis, behavioral psychology, and positive behavior support).

22 “Emerging” Treatments: treatments that have some evidence of effectiveness, but not enough for us to be confident that they are truly effective.

5 “Unestablished” Treatments: treatments for which there is no sound evidence of effectiveness. There is no way to rule out the possibility these treatments are ineffective or harmful.

The National Standards Report encourages parents, educators, and service providers to use this information about treatment effectiveness as they make decisions about which treatments to select. It also strongly advises decision makers to consider other factors in addition to treatment effectiveness, including the judgment and data-based clinical recommendations of qualified professional(s), the values and preferences of the individual with ASD and those who care for him/her, and the capacity of their local schools and/or treatment programs to deliver the treatment correctly.

The project identified significant limitations of current autism treatment research. The National Autism Center is hopeful that the results of the project will encourage the research community to concentrate its efforts and conduct more research in areas that have not been studied adequately. In addition, research on all treatments should be extended to appropriate age groups, treatment targets, and diagnostic populations. "

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UPDATE: Thursday, December 3, 2009
ANNOUNCE: National Autism Center releases new educators' manual on evidence-based practice for ASD in schools

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Disclaimer
The Oregon Association for Behavior Analysis (OR-ABA) posts items only as a service to OR-ABA members and other interested persons. OR-ABA reserves the right to edit items submittedfor content, length, and style. OR-ABA will post only those event announcements that appear to be consistent with OR-ABA's statement of purpose, relevant laws, regulations, and ethical principles. OR-ABA's decision in this regard is final. These announcements should not construed as advertisements or endorsements of the products, services, or events described. OR-ABA cannot accept paid advertising on these pages. Announcements of commercial events or events with strong commercial tie-ins will be carefully evaluated for suitability. OR-ABA makes no representation of the accuracy of the events announcements, the quality of the events described, or suitability of any event or its intended use.
Please visit our website to find out more about OR-ABA, our activities, monthly meetings and speakers.

ANNOUNCE: Results of ORABA Officer Elections

The Oregon Association for Behavior Analysis (ORABA) is pleased to announce the newly elected ORABA board of directors as determined at the September 12, 2009 business meeting of the membership:

President: Sarah Schaefer, LPC, BCBA

Vice President: Mark Vogl, BS

Secretary: Melanie Shaw, MSW, BCBA

Treasurer: Robin Sobotka-Soles, BCaBA

Congratulations to the new board!

Disclaimer
The Oregon Association for Behavior Analysis (OR-ABA) posts items only as a service to OR-ABA members and other interested persons. OR-ABA reserves the right to edit items submittedfor content, length, and style. OR-ABA will post only those event announcements that appear to be consistent with OR-ABA's statement of purpose, relevant laws, regulations, and ethical principles. OR-ABA's decision in this regard is final. These announcements should not construed as advertisements or endorsements of the products, services, or events described. OR-ABA cannot accept paid advertising on these pages. Announcements of commerical events or events with strong commercial tie-ins will be carefully evaluated for suitability. OR-ABA makes no representation of the accuracy of the events announcements, the quality of the events described, or suitability of any event or its intended use.
Please visit our website to find out more about OR-ABA, our activities, monthly meetings and speakers.