The assessment and treatment of severe behavior in individuals with profound autism has historically been concentrated in university-based clinics and specialized research settings — the so-called unicorn programs that few communities could access. This course, presented by Joyce Tu, addresses the critical need to transition these highly specialized services into community-based clinical practice, examining the logistical, ethical, and clinical considerations necessary for establishing and scaling severe behavior service lines.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Council of Autism Service Providers
Take This Course →Including ethics, supervision, and topics like this one. New live CEU every Wednesday.
Join Free →The assessment and treatment of severe behavior in individuals with profound autism requires specialized expertise, resources, and environmental considerations. Transitioning these services from university-based clinics to community-based clinical practice introduces unique challenges that demand careful planning and strategic execution. This session explores the logistical considerations necessary for establishing and scaling severe behavior service lines. Key topics include the critical need for staffing, including recruitment, training, and retention of highly skilled clinicians and support personnel. Participants will learn strategies for working collaboratively with funders to ensure sustainable financial models that align with evidence-based care. Education for leadership will be emphasized, detailing how to foster a culture of clinical excellence, safety, and accountability while navigating the complexities of operational demands. Environmental, ethical, and safety considerations, including the design and modification of treatment spaces, will also be addressed to ensure both client and staff safety. Lastly, the session will discuss the replication and expansion of these service lines beyond the university setting, identifying practical frameworks for community-based implementation and considerations for maintaining clinical fidelity at scale. Furthermore, this presentation will discuss considerations for clinicians and companies who currently do not have the expertise to serve these individuals. This presentation offers actionable insights and strategies for organizations looking to develop or enhance severe behavior service lines, empowering leaders to advance care for individuals with profound autism.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | Ethics |
| APA | 0 | — |
| COA | 1 | — |
Dr. Joyce C. Tu is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with a doctorate in educational psychology from West Virginia University, specializing in applied behavior analysis (ABA). Dr. Tu has over 20 years’ experience as an organizational leader, behavior analysis professor and practitioner — teaching behavior analysis in universities and providing ABA services, training, workshops and supervision in the U.S. and abroad. Dr. Tu’s specialization and research interests are chiefly in verbal behavior, specifically, joint control and its role in listeners’ behavior. Her research appears in peer-reviewed journals, such as The European Journal of Behavior Analysis and The Analysis of Verbal Behavior. In 2011, Dr. Tu co-authored a Chinese-language textbook published by Peking University Press, including chapters on topics such as shaping, prompting/fading, chaining and generalization. Dr. Tu has held numerous workshops and speaking engagements for professional organizations in the U.S. and abroad, such as the Ai You Foundation, ABA International (ABAI) and the California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA). She has served on the board of advisors for Best Buddies International; as Editor-in-Chief of Operants magazine; and on CalABA’s Board of Directors, including as its President. Dr. Tu currently serves as President of the B.F. Skinner Foundation. Additionally, Dr. Tu is founder and director of ABA Unlimited (ABAU), a behavior analysis consulting and continuing education provider. In 2021, ABAU developed a new verified ABA course sequence for Peking University School of Medical Education in Beijing, where Dr. Tu serves as an ABA professor. Prior to her work for Easterseals, Dr. Tu was founder and director of Center for Behavioral Sciences (CBS) for 16 years, an ABA provider with over 100 employees throughout California. CBS was acquired by Easterseals Southern California (ESSC) in 2019 and Dr. Tu became ESSC’s Vice President of Clinical Transformations, Autism Services.
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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.