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2 BACB General CEUs $15 1 hr 45 min On-Demand

General CEU: Trauma Informed or Trauma Misinformed?

Trauma Informed or Trauma Misinformed. belongs in serious BCBA study because it shapes whether behavior-analytic decisions stay useful once they leave a clean training example and enter case conceptualization, intervention design, staff training, and literature-informed problem solving.

Provider: BehaviorLive — via Florida Association of Behavior Analysis

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Course Description

The diagnosis and treatment of trauma has received much attention in the last several years. This presentation will provide a behavioral perspective on the definition of trauma (specifically what was called PTSD), and the necessary and sufficient conditions that may produce it. A key point is that trauma is not something inherent in the stimulus but may be an interaction between the stimulus, the context, and the history/skills of the person. There will also be a discussion of common causes of misdiagnosis, and examination of standard treatments and how the align with ABA principles, and suggestions of additional strategies based on ABA. Learning Objectives Participants will be able to: 1. List the main features of trauma (PTSD) 2. Distinguish the primary difference between Reactive Attachment Disorder and PTSD 3. Participants will be able to explain how language and concept development could differentially affect the presentation of PTSD 4. Participants will be able to explain why consistent avoidance of any one event or person is not necessarily evidence of trauma 5. Participants will be able to explain the concepts of resiliency and protective factors and how the relate to the development of PTSD

What You'll Learn

  1. Describe the behavioral definition of trauma and the necessary and sufficient conditions that may produce PTSD.
  2. Identify common causes of trauma misdiagnosis and explain how trauma results from the interaction between stimulus, context, and individual history.
  3. Compare standard trauma treatments with ABA-based intervention strategies and evaluate their alignment with behavioral principles.

CEU Credits Earned

Certification BodyCreditsType
BACB® 2 General

About the Instructor

MW
Merrill Winston
Ph.D., BCBA-D

Dr. Merrill Winston is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who has worked in the field of Developmental Disabilities for over 35 years. He has worked in small group homes, large residential facilities, secured facilities, family homes, and schools and has worked with a broad population who exhibited behavior problems that ranged from mild to life-threatening. Dr. Winston is comfortable working with both verbal and non-verbal individuals and both children and adults with a range of diagnoses. His strengths are relating to direct-care staff in a manner that sets them at ease as well as working in real-time with children and adults. Dr. Winston excels in public speaking and has given numerous presentations at various professional conferences throughout the country. His areas of interest are crisis prevention and intervention, psychotropic medication usage with special populations, and the development and implementation of training programs designed to increase the skill levels of parents, professionals, teachers, and direct-care staff.

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Clinical Disclaimer

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.

60+ Free CEUs — ethics, supervision & clinical topics