Check out the conference schedule and agenda, now available on Behavior Live! Click below to explore all the details on their website.
Keynote Address
James Moore, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Currently Dr. James Moore is the Chief Clinical Officer at Therapy Matters, Incorporated (TMI) in Chandler, Arizona. Prior to his appointment with TMI, Dr. Moore served as Chief Clinical Officer for Apollo Behavior Services in the greater Atlanta-metro area. Dr. Moore is also currently a contributing faculty member in the graduate Applied Behavior Analysis program at Walden University. From January 2019 through August 2021, he was also a Visiting Assistant Professor in the online hybrid Professional Behavior Analysis program at the Florida Institute of Technology. More recently, Dr. Moore served as a Visiting Professor for the University of Kansas.
Prior to this, Dr. Moore served as Director of Autism Solutions for Canopy Children’s Solutions in Jackson, MS. Previously, Dr. Moore was the Director of Training for the Master’s Training Program in Applied Behavior Analysis at the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Moore has had the great fortune to train under some of the best mentors in the field of ABA, including Drs. Wayne Fisher, Cathleen Piazza, Jim Carr, and Gina Green, to name a few.
Dr. Moore holds a Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi. During his time in graduate school, Dr. Moore was awarded the Sideny and Janet Bijou Fellowship through the Association for Behavior Analysis International. He completed a pre-doctoral internship in Pediatric Psychology from the Kennedy Krieger Institute at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center and the Marcus Behavior Center through Emory University.
He has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the Doctoral level (BCBA-D®) since 2002 and became Mississippi’s first Licensed Behavior Analyst in 2015. He is currently a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the state of Arizona.
His research has been published in such journals as the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Behavior Analysis in Practice, Behavior Modification, Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, Child and Family Behavior Therapy, Journal of Behavioral Education, Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, Proven Practice, Focus on Autism and other Developmental Disabilities, School Psychology Review, and School Psychology Quarterly.
In 2015, he was appointed as the first chair of the Mississippi Behavior Analysis Licensure Board; the licensure and regulatory board for behavior analysis in the state of Mississippi. In August 2019, Dr. Moore became a Director for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) that governs the certification of behavior analysts. As a Director on the BACB, Dr. Moore served as Chair of the Elections Committee and as a member on the Michael Hemingway Award committee. He was appointed for a second three-year term in 2021.
Workshops
Emily Beal Wilkinson
Kristina Montgomery
Emily Beal Wilkinson (she/her) earned an M.S. degree in Education from the University of Southern California, in 2008. She has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2016 and also specializes in supporting individuals with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. She currently works at Victory Academy, a private, year-round school for students with autism and related disorders, in Sherwood, Oregon, where she runs their Health and Wellness program to help teach students to tolerate skills within essential at-home and clinical routines. She actively presents her work at professional conferences and privately consults with agencies and providers around the world.
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​Kristina Montgomery received a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology and Women’s studies from University of Oregon and an M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis from Columbia University Teachers College. During her time at Teachers College she worked directly with Dr. Greer and Dr. Ross on the research that contributed to the Verbal Behavior Analysis (Greer & Ross, 2008) Book. She continues much of this work under guidance of mentors from Columbia University. She is a licensed regular education teacher, licensed special education teacher, and a board certified behavior analyst. She has evolved with the field of Applied Behavior Analysis for 22 years working in home settings, public schools, and private schools with children and young adults as a teacher, consultant, program director, and supervisor. She is very passionate about parent training and involving families in meaningful ways. In 2018 she was named an EFL ambassador by Dr. Patrick McGreevy and Troy Fry for her innovative work using Essential for Living. At Victory Academy she collaborates together with Emily Beal Wilkinson and their teams, to develop programs rooted in Essential for Living. These programs including event-based teaching programs, in order to build skills that will last a lifetime and increase happiness with learners, families, and staff.
Deciding What to Teach: The Ethics of When and How to Use Essential for Living and Event-Based Instruction to Teach Meaningful Skills that Last a Lifetime
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When individuals do not demonstrate generalization, we must plan to teach skills in the context in which they need to occur. When the context maintains essential and meaningful skills, there is a greater likelihood to have skills that last a lifetime (Gerhardt et. al., 2023; Reid & Parsons, 2017). The question is: what life do we want to build for the learners we work with? How do we make ethical decisions about when and how to shift to our focus to include Essential for Living and event-based instruction? In this workshop we will discuss how you can define skill repertoires and profiles, how you can plan specific events for groups with these skills repertoires in mind (McGreevy, Fry, & Cornwall, 2014; McGreevy & Fry, 2022; Ghaemmaghami, Hanley, and Jessel, 2016), and how you can design and collect data on event based instruction to guide programming that plans for adulthood. Participants will have the opportunity to brainstorm together and apply these skills to subjects within their caseload to create events, targets, and data sheets in collaboration with the speakers.
Amanda N Kelly, PhD, BCBA-D
Dr. Amanda N. Kelly, “Behaviorbabe,” is a leading behavior analyst known for her dedication to professional development and advocacy. With over twenty years of experience, she has pioneered social media influence in behavior analysis and co-authored the influential textbook "Back to Basics: Ethics for Behavior Analysts." Her work in legislative reforms, including autism insurance reform and behavior analyst licensure in Massachusetts and Hawaii, has been transformative. In 2016, she became the first behavior analyst licensed in Hawaii. For nearly two decades, Dr. Kelly has provided free resources for students, practitioners, and consumers, including online content, in-person events, and a popular podcast through her online persona, Behaviorbabe. Dr. Kelly’s contributions have earned her numerous awards, recognizing her efforts to expand access to care, increase consumer protections, and provide valuable, freely accessible resources. As she transitions to Director of Adult Programs at Unumb Place in SC, Dr. Kelly aims to continue her efforts to support and elevate quality of life for profoundly autistic adults. Learn more about Dr. Kelly at www.behaviorbabe.com and follow @Behaviorbabe on social media.
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Mastering Medical Necessity & Treatment Planning: Ethical Considerations
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This meticulously designed workshop aims to equip behavior analysts with essential skills and knowledge to elevate their practices. In this workshop, we will delve into the definitions of medical necessity, exploring their sources and understanding their significance within the realm of effective treatment planning. Attendees will also identify and apply relevant ethical standards crucial for making informed medical necessity determinations, ensuring the highest level of care for their clients. Recognizing the importance of treatment planning, participants will not only become well-versed in the components specified by the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP) but will also gain the expertise needed to formulate effective treatment planning goals, intricately linked to diagnostic criteria. Furthermore, our workshop will explore the nuanced differences between focused and comprehensive models of treatment, providing participants with the insights necessary to make informed recommendations based on specific case contexts. To conclude, attendees will have the opportunity to create goals and objectives directly tied to diagnostic criteria for their clients and the caregivers they support. Join us for this enriching learning experience and take your practice to new heights.
Presenters
Celia Heyman PhD, BCBA-D
Celia Heyman obtained her Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D) credential in 2014. She is on the Development Committee Member of the BF Skinner Foundation for the past several years. She has held the position of Student Activities Chairperson with the World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance since July 2023. Dr. Heyman served as an Associate Guest Editor for the Behavior Analysis in Practice journal, special edition on compassion. Dr. Heyman currently resides in Princeton, New Jersey with her family. Dr. Heyman received her PhD in behavior analysis from Capella University. She earned a bachelor’s degree from New York University and master of arts degree in behavior analysis from Rider University.
Dr. Heyman is a Lead Consultant at FTF Behavioral Consulting. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Capella University’s graduate Applied Behavior Analysis program. Her clinical work focuses on the dissemination of trauma-sensitive and assent-based assessments and interventions. Dr. Heyman has been implementing the practical functional assessment and skill-based treatment, empowering both the learners and their families to lead happier and fulfilling lives. Her research interests include the practical functional assessment (PFA) and skill-based treatment (SBT), equivalence-based instruction (EBI), relational frame theory (RFT), and acceptance commitment therapy (ACT). Dr. Heyman recently co-authored Writing Skills for Behavior Analysts, available in July 2024 and contributed a chapter covering ACTr in ABA for Autistic People and Their Support Teams, in the book, Lifespan Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Evidence-Based Guide for Professional and Families (in press). Celia enjoys championing and supporting aspiring behavior analysts. During her spare time, she provides tutoring support through the Facebook ABA Study Group. This group has now grown to a community of 57,000 members worldwide.
Shawn Thomas Capell
Shawn Thomas Capell, MS, BCBA, LBA-TX, is a distinguished Board Certified Behavior Analyst and the Principal Consultant for Capell Behavioral Consulting. With over a decade of experience in clinical and educational settings, he is dedicated to advancing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) through innovative research and diversity-focused practices. Shawn holds a Master of Science in Psychological Studies with an Individualized Concentration in ABA from Capella University and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Psychology specializing in Behavior Analysis. As the Executive Director of Covenant 15:16, LLC, he has developed comprehensive programs for children with disabilities and supervised numerous BCBA candidates. Shawn's work, including his co-edited book *Multiculturalism and Diversity in Applied Behavior Analysis*, highlights his commitment to culturally responsive practices. As a gay African American man, he brings a deep understanding of intersectionality to his work, making him a sought-after collaborator in the field.
T. V. Joe Layng, Ph.D.
T. V. Joe Layng is a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and has over 50 years of experience in the experimental and applied analysis of behavior with a particular focus on the design of teaching/learning environments. He earned a Ph.D. in Behavioral Sciences (biopsychology) at the University of Chicago, where Israel Goldiamond was his advisor. At Chicago, working with pigeons, he investigated animal models of psychopathology, specifically the recurrence of pathological patterns (head-banging) as a function of normal behavioral processes. Also working with pigeons, Joe collaborated with Paul Andronis and Israel Goldiamond on investigating the production of untrained recombinant, complex symbolic repertoires in pigeons from simpler behavioral components which arose from the arrangement of nonlinear consequential contingencies, a process they described as contingency adduction. Joe has extensive clinical behavior analysis experience with a focus on ambulatory schizophrenia, especially the systemic as well as topical treatment of delusional speech and hallucinatory behavior. Joe was a Dean at Malcom X College where he founded the award winning Personalized Curriculum Institute, and he co-founded Headsprout where where he was the chief architect of the company’s patented Early Reading and Reading Comprehension online reading programs used by millions of children. He has published widely including coauthoring a self-instruction book on Signal Detection Theory, and the book Nonlinear Contingency Analysis: Going Beyond Cognition and Behavior in Clinical Practice.
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