General CEU: Panel: Automatic Reinforcement: Conceptual Importance, Evidence of Existence, and Applied Significance

William H. Ahearn, an ABAI Fellow, serves as the Director of Research at the New England Center for Children and as Adjunct Faculty for the Western New England University’s Master’s and Doctoral programs in Behavior Analysis. Previously he served as Clinical Assistant Professor in the Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis program at Northeastern University, as a Researcher at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine and as Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts, Worcester (while collaborating with researchers from the E.K Shriver Center). He received his doctorate in experimental psychology at Temple University in 1992 under the advisement of Phil Hineline and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Behavioral Psychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Bill’s research interests are varied and include peer reviewed publications on treating pediatric feeding disorders, teaching verbal and social skills, examining implications of the Behavioral Momentum metaphor, and exploring aspects of autistic behavior. However, his most cited work is on assessing and treating automatically reinforced behavior, specifically, repetitive behavior and restricted interests. Bill and his colleagues have developed a form of redirection referred to as response interruption and redirection (RIRD) which has been identified by the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice (https://ncaep.fpg.unc.edu/) as one of 27 evidence-based practices for treating autism. He has collaborated with many notable behavioral researchers including Bill Dube, Bill McIlvane, Tony Nevin, Mike Cataldo, Gina Green, Caio Miguel, and Becky MacDonald. Many of these collaborations were grant funded. He has published over 100 papers in outlets including the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Behavior Modification, Animal Learning and Behavior, The Lancet, Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, The Behavior Analyst, and Behavioral Interventions. He currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Behavioral Interventions and on the Board of Editors for the Journal of Experimental Analysis of Behavior. He previously served on the Board of Editors for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis for about 20 years. Bill has also reviewed for a variety of other outlets, most notably Pediatrics. Bill has provided extensive service throughout his career. He has provided service for BABAT (Board member, President, chair of Professional Practice, ACE); APBA (Board member, President); BACB (Subject Matter Expert, Exam Reviewer); ABAI (Autism track coordinator); CASP (various workgroups); ONTABA; and, Autism Speaks (training workgroup leader for the development of the challenging behavior toolkit). As BABAT’s chair of Professional Practice, Bill organized BABAT’s efforts relative to licensure in Massachusetts. After licensure was signed into law, he was appointed as an Applied Behavior Analyst member of the Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions board in 2013. Subsequently, Bill was appointed chair of this omnibus board by both a Democratic and Republican Governor and continues to serve as the Acting Chair of this board.