School-based behavior analysts occupy a unique position in the field of applied behavior analysis. They work at the intersection of behavioral science, special education, and the complex social environment of schools, serving students with diverse needs while collaborating with educators, administrators, and families.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via LSGurdin Consulting, LLC
Take This Course →Including ethics, supervision, and topics like this one. New live CEU every Wednesday.
Join Free →This is our kick-off CE event for the 2024-25 school year! Behavior analysts are invited to join us online live, on-demand later, or in-person in at Grandview Farm in Burlington, Massachusetts for a live event featuring Dr. Kimberly Ho and Lisa Gurdin. Hosted by LABBB Collaborative, this live event is your chance to become part of a vibrant professional learning community of like-minded behaviors dedicated to moving the field forward. We will have time to network, share resources, and discuss important topics relevant to our work as behavior analysts in schools. Dr. Ho will talk about neurodiversity-affirming approaches in ABA and Lisa Gurdin will highlight 5 essential skills (compassion, collaboration, communication, cultural responsiveness, & contextual fit) for today's school BCBAs. This is a must-attend event! 2 Ethics CEs available for live, virtual and on-demand attendance to the formal presentations. Both presentations will be available for on-demand CEs. Event Schedule 8-8:30 Breakfast, networking (live only) 8:30-9:30 Neurodiversity-Affirming Care for AAC Users, Speaker: Dr. Kim Ho 9:30-10:30 The 5 C's: Compassion, Collaboration, Communication, Cultural Responsiveness, and Contextual Fit, Speaker: Lisa Gurdin 10:30-11:30 Networking, resource-sharing, schmoozing in-person & in the live stream - Cameras will be enabled and the conversation will not be shared. Neurodiversity-Affirming Care for AAC Users Autism is a neurodivergence that impacts a learner's behavior and social and communication skills. Traditionally, behavior analysts have viewed these individuals through the lens of the medical model and sought to ameliorate autistic traits by targeting eye contact, turn-taking, and pragmatic skills based on neurotypical norms. These practices are not neurodiversity affirming and lead to harmful masking and camouflaging behaviors which negatively impact autistic individual's mental health and development (Alaghband-Rad ; Hajikarim-Hamedani & Motamed, 2023). About 30% of autistic children have augmentative and alternative (AAC) needs past age 5 (Tager-Flusberg, & Kasari, 2013). The range of AAC needs in our autistic clients will be discussed along with neurodiversity affirming strategies to support these individuals to meet their communication needs, develop their language skills, and form friendships. The 5 C's: Compassion, Collaboration, Communication, Cultural Responsiveness, and Contextual Fit To be effective practitioners, behavior analysts must engage in professional behavior that is compassionate, collaborative, and culturally responsive. We must communicate with our clients, stakeholders, and change agents in a way that builds positive relationships so that all team members provide feedback and input throughout the consultation process. By engaging in these consultation behaviors, we are more likely to design interventions that consider critical environmental variables, address barriers, and facilitate treatment buy-in (contextual fit); thereby improving behavioral outcomes. During this presentation, we will define and discuss these five C's as integral to our effective and ethical practice of ABA.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| COA | 0 | — |
| BACB® | 2 | Ethics |
For over 25 years, Ms. Gurdin has been working with students, families, and school-based professionals with students from preschool to age 22 with a range of special needs and complex profiles. She is founder of LSGurdin Consulting, LLC, where she provides consultation, student evaluations, parent consultation, professional development, and recruitment support to school districts across Massachusetts. She works collaboratively with parents and school professionals to facilitate integrated support across settings and maximize behavior change and skill development. Ms. Gurdin also provides parent coaching to help parents implement behavioral strategies to improve behavior, encourage independence, and build stronger family relationships. In addition, she offers cutting-edge live and on-demand continuing education events to behavior analysts. Ms. Gurdin is a Part-Time Lecturer in the Master's in ABA program and College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University. Ms. Gurdin is also on the board of MassABA. When she is not working, she is spending time with her husband, three children (ages 21, 20, and 15) and two dogs.
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.