Autism Partnership Foundation

ADVANCING EFFECTIVE METHODOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR ANALYTIC TREATMENT TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER.

PROGRESIVE BEHAVIOR ANALYST AUTISM COUNCIL (PBAAC). THE PBAAC PROVIDES ELITE CREDENTIALING IN THE FIELD OF APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS (ABA) AS IT APPLIES TO INTERVENTION PROVIDED TO INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) THAT SERVES BOTH STAKEHOLDERS AND CERTIFIED PERSONS. THIS PROGRAM USES A RIGOROUS AND DEFENSIBLE COMBINATION OF ASSESSMENT FORMATS TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS WHO MEET A HIGH STANDARD OF PRACTICE REGARDING THE RESEARCH AND DISSEMINATION OF PROGRESSIVE ABA INTERVENTION FOR INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH ASD. MORE THAN 30 SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CPBA CREDENTIALING PROGRAM. IN AUGUST 2021, THE PBAAC OPENED APPLICATION FOR ITS CERTIFIED PROGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR ANALYST-AUTISM PROFESSIONAL (CPBA-AP) CREDENTIAL, AN AUTISM-SPECIFIC HIGH-LEVEL CERTIFICATION. THIS CERTIFICATION IS DESIGNED TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS FUNCTIONING AT THE LEADERSHIP LEVEL WHO HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO PROVIDE COMPETENT TRAINING, SUPERVISION, AND OVERSIGHT TO PROFESSIONALS WHO IMPLEMENT BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION WITH INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH ASD. CURRENTLY, 22 BEHAVIOR ANALYSTS ARE CERTIFIED TO USE THE CPBA-AP DESIGNATION. IN JULY 2023 WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT THE CPBA-AP WAS APPROVED TO BE ACCREDITED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR CERTIFYING AGENCIES (NCCA).PBAAC RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THE AUTISM SUPERVISOR (CPBA-AS) AND THE AUTISM INTERVENTIONIST (CPBA-AI) CREDENTIALS WILL BE LAUNCHED IN 2024. THE CPBA-AS CREDENTIAL IS DESIGNED FOR PROFESSIONALS WITH A SUBSTANTIAL LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE OF APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS (ABA) AS IT RE LATES TO INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH ASD. EXPERIENCE MAY INCLUDE CLIENT IMPLEMENTATION AND CLINICAL SUPERVISION OF STAFF IMPLEMENTING ABA-BASED INTERVENTION TO INDIVIDUALS WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF ASD. THE CPBA-AI CREDENTIAL IS DESIGNED FOR PROFESSIONALS WITH EXPERIENCE IN ABA AS IT RELATES TO INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH ASD.

EVALUATION OF ASSUMPTIONS IN ASD INTERVENTION RESEARCH. APF'S RESEARCH TEAM CONTINUES TO DEVELOP AND EVALUATE CUTTING EDGE BEHAVIORAL APPROACHES THAT MAKE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES IN THE LIVES OF CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH ASD. THE TEAM'S PRODUCTIVITY IS DIFFICULT TO MATCH, AVERAGING 10 PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES A YEAR, TOTALING OVER 150 PUBLICATIONS IN 10 YEARS IN OVER 30 JOURNALS AND BOOKS AND WITH THE COLLABORATION OF OVER 100 DIFFERENT RESEARCHERS. IN ADDITION TO RESEARCH, TEAM MEMBERS SPEAK AT CONFERENCES AND PROVIDE TRAINING IN THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD. DURING 2023, THE RESEARCH TEAM PRODUCED 11 PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS, 9 CHAPTERS IN PROFESSIONAL BOOKS, AND 3 NEW BOOKS. CURRENT AREAS OF RESEARCH INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:-DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF INTERVENTIONS THAT PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL SKILLS ACROSS THE LIFE SPAN.-DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF DIRECT TELEHEALTH INTERVENTIONS THAT PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL SKILLS.-DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF METHODS TO ENHANCE LEARNER SKILL ACQUISITION THROUGH PROGRESSIVE ABA.-EVALUATION OF ASSUMPTIONS IN ASD INTERVENTION.-EVALUATION OF SHORT AND LONG TERM OUTCOMES AS THEY RELATE TO DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO ABA.-PROMOTING ABA AND ADDRESSING CRITIQUES OF ABA.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING. APF IS CONSTANTLY EXPLORING WAYS OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF TREATMENT OF ASD BY INVESTING IN EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING SKILLED PROFESSIONALS WHO TRAIN INTERVENTIONISTS TO DELIVER COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT BASED ON THE PRINCIPALS OF APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS. APF SPONSORS WORKSHOPS, PROVIDES CONSULTATIONS, AND CONDUCTS SEMINARS TO MAKE TRAINING AND SUPPORT AVAILABLE ACROSS THE U.S. AND AROUND THE WORLD. APF ALSO HOSTED THE 8TH ANNUAL APF CONFERENCE WHERE DISTINGUISHED EXPERTS IN THE FIELD OF ABA AND ASD JOIN TOGETHER FOR A DAY OF EDUCATION, DISCUSSION, AND REFLECTION. FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTY-ONE BEHAVIOR ANALYSTS, EDUCATORS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, SPEECH THERAPISTS, AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS ATTENDED THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE. IN 2023 APF CONTINUED TO OFFER A FREE 40 HOUR ON-LINE RBT TRAINING COURSE, AND PROVIDED A CEU LIBRARY AND AN 8 HOUR SUPERVISION WORKSHOP.