LOS ANGELES, Calif. (PRWEB)
May 04, 2021

Nine behavioral scientists from Behavioral Health Center of Excellence co-authored research papers on thirteen topics related to the science and practice of behavior analysis, all of which will be presented at the virtual Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) 47th Annual Convention held May 28-31st. Since 1974, ABAI has been the primary membership organization for those interested in the philosophy, science, application, and teaching of behavior analysis with more than 9,000 members worldwide, and affiliated chapter membership of more than 28,000.

Says Sara Gershfeld Litvak, Chief Executive Officer with BHCOE, “ABAI’s Annual Conference plays a vital role in the research, education, and practice of behavior analysis, and I’m excited for the many contributions BHCOE team members are making this year. Their participation is demonstrative of their efforts to share their expertise on quality assurance and data science with the broader ABA community and showcase the important work they are doing to improve the quality of care for those receiving ABA.”

ABAI’s 47th Annual Convention offers over 380 continuing education hour opportunities from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board with more than 1,200 presenters.

Of particular note, Ellie Kazemi, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Chief Science Officer with BHCOE and professor at California State University – Northridge will be giving invited presentations on the topics of ‘How Advanced Computer Technology Can Advance Research and Practice in Behavior Analysis’ chaired by David Roth of the B.F. Skinner Foundation, and ‘Effective Leadership and Supervision.’

Additional symposiums and presentations from BHCOE include the following:

Symposium: Everyone Cares About Quality: How Do We Show It?

Date: Monday, May 31, 2021; 9:00 AM–10:50 AM EDT

•A Multimodal Approach to Measuring Quality Assurance

Authors:

*Nikki Williams (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

Sara Gershfeld Litvak (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

David J. Cox (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence; Endicott College)

Ellie Kazemi (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

•Organizational Outcome Data: Don’t I Already Do That?

Authors:

*Scott Page (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

Sara Gershfeld Litvak (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

Ellie Kazemi (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

David J. Cox (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence; Endicott College)

•Patient Satisfaction as a Quality Assurance Metric: What it Does and Doesn’t Tell Us

Authors:

*P. Micah Friddle (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

Sara Gershfeld Litvak (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

Ellie Kazemi (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

David J. Cox (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence; Endicott College)

•Staff Satisfaction Surveys: A Multi-Organization Analysis of Quality Assurance Data

Authors:

*Melissa Cottengim (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

Sara Gershfeld Litvak (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

Ellie Kazemi (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

David J. Cox (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence; Endicott College)

Symposium: Reassessing ABA Practice and Acceptance During COVID-19: Where Does Your Organization Stand?

Date: Sunday, May 30, 2021; 12:00 PM–12:50 PM EDT

•Parental Acceptance of Telehealth to Replace In-Person ABA Therapy at the Onset of COVID

Authors:

*Jenna Aranki (Easterseals)

Amin Duff Lotfizadeh (Easterseals Southern California)

Patricia I. Wright (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

•Impact of COVID-19 on ABA Practitioner Job Satisfaction and Perceived Care Quality

Authors:

*Sara Gershfeld Litvak (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

David J. Cox (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence; Endicott College)

Melissa Cottengim (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

Ellie Kazemi (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

Symposium: Quality Indicators in Applied Behavior Analysis Training Programs

Date: Sunday, May 30, 2021; 6:00 PM–6:50 PM EDT

•An Investigation of BACB Exam Pass Rates as a Quality Indicator of Applied Behavior Analysis Training Programs

Authors:

*Erick M. Dubuque (University of Louisville)

Ellie Kazemi (California State University, Northridge)

•Panel Discussion: Hindsight’s 2020: Missteps, Mistakes, and Lessons Learned for the Future of Ethics in Behavior Analysis

Presenters:

Sara Gershfeld Litvak (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

Shane T. Spiker (Positive Behavior Supports, Corp.)

Ivy M Chong (May Institute)

Symposium: Recent Developments in Applying Behavioral Skills Training in Contemporary Services

Date: Saturday, May 29, 2021; 12:00 PM–12:50 PM EDT

•An Examination of Variables That Predict Turnover, Staff and Caregiver Satisfaction in Behavior-Analytic Organizations

Authors:

*Daniel J. Cymbal (Florida Tech)

Sara Gershfeld Litvak (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

David A. Wilder (Florida Institute of Technology)

Gary Burns (Florida Institute of Technology)

Symposium: Behavioral Data Science: Novel Questions and Applications for Behavior Analysts

Date: Monday, May 31, 2021; 11:00 AM–12:50 PM EDT

•Identifying the Optimal Temporal Window to Analyze Behavior Measured in Non-Laboratory Contexts

Authors:

*Ma Krishna Rosales (Florida Institute of Technology)

David J. Cox (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence; Endicott College)

•Natural Language Processing to Identify Trends and Gaps in the Published Science of Behavior Analysis

Authors:

*Jacob Sosine (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence)

David J. Cox (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence; Endicott College)

•Using Machine Learning to Predict the next Response: One Approach to a Dynamic Unified Model of Behavior

Authors:

*David J. Cox (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence; Endicott College)

Bryan Klapes (Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine – Georgia)

John Falligant (Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

Symposium: Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity in Research and Practice: Where are We Now and How Do We Move Forward?

Date: Sunday, May 30, 2021; 3:00 PM–3:50 PM EDT

•The ABA Field Responds to Calls for Increased Diversity and Equity: An Analysis of Our Current Standing and the Path Forward

Presenters:

Noor Younus Syed (SUNY Empire State College; Endicott College; Global Autism Project)

David J. Cox (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence; Endicott College)

Ronnie Detrich (Utah State University)

*indicates presenters