Nesrhtens…..

I´m starting journey back from the conference in Jacksonville, a 18 hour trip back. But as the conference is over it´s worth it.

Day two also included very good presentations, but I really appreciated Brian Iwata´s presentation on Experimental functional assessments. He gave a brilliant overview over the field, and showed good data on “real life” application. It´s really nice to see the research and implementation so elegant put together.

It´s been an excellent conference, and I will be back next year, and encourage all others to join next year.

Finally, after travelling for 26 hours, I´m arrived in Jacksonville, FL to attend the conference “Research to Practice: Making Real Changes in the Lives of People with Autism”.

I will try to get the time to write something about the conference on this blog through this weekend, but some of it may have to wait until the conference is over, and I´m back in Norway.

So check back to read about what´s happen here in Jacksonville, and my thoughts on the conference.

I´m continuing to prepare my trip to Jacksonville and the Autism conference. As I went trough the list of posters for Poster session two, I made a list over must see posters for this session too:

4. Can a Computer-Based Program Improve Color Identification for a Youngster with Autism? (EDC; Service Delivery) E. AMANDA BOUTOT (Texas State University)

9. Let’s Face It! A Computer-based Curriculum to Improve Face Processing Skills in Autism. (EDC; Service Delivery) MAGALI SEGERS, James Tanaka (University of Victoria), Robert Schultz (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia), Kim Maynard, Rebecca Phillips, Jeff Cockburn, Matt Pierce (University of Victoria)

13. Using Video Modeling to Teach Children with Autism Extended Greetings. (EDC; Service Delivery) Joy Tramuta (Renaissance Learning Center), Rebecca Haynes (Renaissance Learning Center), JOY MARIE TRAMUTA, Traci Tucker, Sarah Tancig, Toby J. Honsberger (Renaissance Learning Center)

15. Maintenance of Parent Behavioral Skills and Child Outcomes after a 12-Week Training and Consultation Program. (TBA; Applied Behavior Analysis) MELISSA NOSIK, Ashley Greenwald, Holly Seniuk, W. Larry Williams (University of Nevada, Reno)

20. Intensity of Mand Training by Parents and Its Influence on Language Development in Children with Autism. (VRB; Applied Behavior Analysis) SMITA AWASTHI (ABA India)

22. Teaching Children with Autism to Describe Novel Objects: A Strategy Using Intraverbals. (VRB; Applied Behavior Analysis) Gladys Williams (CIEL, Spain), Luis Antonio Perez-Gonzalez (University of Oviedo), Monica Rodriguez Mori (CIEL, Spain), KIMBERLY VOGT (Columbia University Teachers College), Anna Muller Queiroz, Daniel de Matos (CIEL, Spain)

35. Randomized Study Contrasting Behavioral and Naturalistic Approaches to Inducing Speech in Prelinguistic Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Preliminary Analysis. (Applied Behavior Analysis) BRIAN REICHOW, Rhea Paul, Moira Lewis, Elizabeth Schoen (Yale University Child Study Center)

As the time for the ABA-internationals 2009 autism conference is approaching I have started the preparation for this conference. I particularly find it useful to check out the poster sessions, to pinpoint what posters I have to visit and think about what useful information they can provide me with.

ABA-international provide an excellent overview at their website, so preparing is quite easy. Reading through the list I find some I just got to visit. At poster session 1, on Friday I will make an effort to visit at least the following posters:

Assessing a Competency Based Behavioral Parent Training Program. Melanie Mills, JOHN M. GUERCIO (Judevine Center for Autism)
This is a very interesting project, and I hope to get some ideas and discuss possible solutions to follow trough with our project on teaching parents to implement Pivotal Response Training.

16. Applied Behavior Analysis with Children in Their Natural Environment: Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. DENNIS CROWLEY (Macon County Mental Health Board & Millikin University), Kristen Deeanne Braun (Macon County Mental Health Board), Amy Shymansky (Washington Park District)
It is always interesting to see how other who implement services in a larger community organize their service delivery.

20. Training Parents of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Increase the Frequency of Eye Contact During Play Interactions. HEATHER O’BRIEN (Mailman Segal Institute), Liliana Dietsch (Nova), Tara M. Sheehan (Mailman Segal Institute), Melissa DeVincentis, Hernan Dennis Ruf (Nova Southeastern University)
Again I hope this could give us some points in implementing our recent project.

23. An Application of Computer-Based Training on Emotion Discrimination in Children with Autism: A Comparison to Non Computer-Based Training. AMY SCHREMBS, Rodney D. Clark (Allegheny College)
As two of my main interests is applied behavior analysis and computers, I hope I will find this poster interesting, think I will…….

28. Increasing Playtime Initiations for Children Who have ASD Using Video Self Modeling. JORDAN P. BOUDREAU, Mark T. Harvey (Florida Institute of Technology)
It sounds really interesting. And I have previously implemented Video Modelling into an EIBI program, and it will be interesting to learn how to expand the use of this method.

35. The Effects of Video Modeling on Independent Play Skills. TARYN HUGHES (Boston ABA)
The same applies to this poster.

39. Use of Pivotal Response Training with Peers to Facilitate Play in Children with Autism: A Special Education Teacher’s Experience. GOKULALAKSHMI SADHANANTHAM (Treasure Coast High School)
Although not directly relevant to our Pivotal Response Training project, it´s always interesting to learn more about experiences regarding implementing this approach.

40. Using “Self-as-Model” Video Modeling to Teach Children with Autism Social Questions. BETH POTTER, Toby J. Honsberger (Renaissance Learning Center)

I will of course walk through and have a look at all the posters, but I will probably spend more time reading and discussing these ones.

I have been so lucky to be able to go to ABA-Internationals Autism Conference in Jacksonville, FL; February 2009. I am really looking forward to attendt this conference. If you would like to read more about the conference, follow this link   .ABA international