For our 2013 conference we will again feature invited addresses and workshops by renowned researchers and practitioners in each of our conference program areas.

(More info. will be posted as details become available.)

From all over the US we will be welcoming:
William Ahearn (AUT) Shahla Alai-Rosales (PEL) Jonathan Baker (HDG) James Carr (PEL) Peter Gerhardt (DD)	Timothy Hackenberg (TCP) Jose Martinez-Diaz (ED) Anna Petursdottir (VB) Cathleen Piazza (CM) Carol Pilgrim (EXP)

Autism (AUT)    (top)

William Ahearn, PhD, BCBA-D · The New England Center for Children
The Practice of Applied Behavior Analysis: A Call for Independence   (abstract)

Dr. Ahearn joined The New England Center for Children in August 1996, and currently serves at NECC® as the Director of Research. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in Northeastern University's graduate program in Applied Behavior Analysis and Adjunct Faculty in Western New England College's doctoral program. Bill was named the 2009 American Psychological Association – Division 25 awardee for Enduring Contributions to Applied Behavioral Research. Bill is the ACE coordinator for providing BCBA continuing education at NECC and for the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy. He also serves on the Autism Advisory Committees for the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts and the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. Bill's research interests include social skills in children with autism, verbal behavior, assessment and treatment of stereotypy, severe problem behavior, and pediatric feeding difficulties. He is also interested in resistance to change, behavioral economics, and conditioned reinforcement. His work has been published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Behavioral Interventions, Behavior Modification, The Lancet, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and has written book chapters on teaching children with autism and pediatric feeding problems in children with autism. Bill is currently on the Editorial Boards for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, and Behavioral Interventions and has served as a guest reviewer for several other journals. He has also been Principal Investigator on an NIH-funded grant with Dr. William Dube, is co-Principal Investigator with Dr. Becky MacDonald on a grant funded by the Organization for Autism Research, and is a past-President of the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy.

Clinical/Medical (CM)    (top)

Cathleen Piazza, PhD · Munroe-Meyer Institute (University of Nebraska)
A Summary of the Effectiveness of Treatments for Pediatric Feeding Disorders   (abstract)

Dr. Piazza received her doctorate from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. She completed a pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at the Kennedy Institute (KKI) and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSM) in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Piazza was a faculty member at JHUSM and KKI where she was the Chief Psychologist of the Neurobehavioral Unit, the director of Training, and the director of the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program. In 1999, she became director of the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program and the Training Program at the Marcus Institute in Atlanta. Currently, Dr. Piazza is a Professor in Pediatrics at University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and the director of the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program at Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI). She also has joined the professional teams in the small bowel/liver transplant and intestinal rehabilitation programs. She is a former Associate Editor, former Book Editor, and former Editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Developmental Disabilities (DD)    (top)

Peter Gerhardt, EdD · The McCarton School
ABA and Evidence-based Practice with Adults with ASD   (abstract)

Dr. Gerhardt is the Director of Education, Upper School, for the McCarton School in New York City. He has more than 30 years experience utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis in support of adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders in educational, employment, residential and community-based settings. He has authored and co-authored articles and book chapters on the needs of adolescents and adults with ASD and has presented nationally and internationally on this topic.

Dr. Gerhardt serves as Chairman of the Scientific Council for the Organization for Autism Research, is on the Editorial Board of Behavior Analysis in Practice and on numerous professional advisory boards, including the Autism Society of America. Dr. Gerhardt received his doctorate from the Rutgers University Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Gerhardt's research interests include issues related to: intensity of behavior analytic instruction with adolescents and adults; community integration and employment; development of adaptive behavior competencies; positive behavior supports with complex individuals; and the use of technology to support community safety and independence.

Education (ED)    (top)

Jose Martinez-Diaz, PhD, BCBA-D · Florida Institute of Technology

Address: A Behavior Analytic Approach to Teaching Behavior Analysis Online   (abstract)

Workshop: A Comprehensive Model for Analyzing Contingencies with Implications for Practitioners   (abstract)

Dr. Martinez-Diaz is Associate Professor and the founder and chair of Behavior Analysis Graduate Degree Programs at Florida Institute of Technology's College of Psychology and Liberal Arts. He also is the founder and program director of the ABA-On-line Professional Development Program at Florida Tech, CEO of ABA Technologies, Inc., and an adjunct professor at Penn State's Department of Special Education. Jose served as an officer and board member of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) for seven years and is now Senior Consultant for the BACB. Jose also serves as a member of the Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology Specialty Council and Florida's Behavior Analysis Peer Review Committee. He is a past president of the Florida Association for Behavior Analysis, which awarded him its highest honor, the Charles H. Cox Award for Outstanding Service and Advancement of Behavior Analysis in Florida, in 2005.

Jose earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology, with an emphasis in behavior analysis and therapy, from West Virginia University. His publications include a chapter on ethics in Cooper, Heron, and Heward, Applied Behavior Analysis (Second Edition) and an article on autism spectrum Disorders in the National Health Review.

Experimental (EXP)    (top)

Carol Pilgrim, PhD · University of North Carolina, Wilmington
Stimulus Equivalence in Translation   (abstract)

Dr. Pilgrim is professor of psychology and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. An ABAI Fellow, Dr. Pilgrim has contributed substantially to behavior analysis through her leadership, teaching, and research. She has served as president of its major organizations, including ABAI (as well as its Southeastern ABA chapter), the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis, and Division 25 (Behavior Analysis) of the American Psychological Association. She also served as secretary of the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, and as a board member of that organization for 8 years. She has advanced the dissemination of behavior analysis and the vitality of its journals in her roles as chair of the Publication Board of ABAI, editor of The Behavior Analyst, co-editor of the Experimental Analysis of Human Behavior Bulletin, and associate editor of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. She has served on the board of directors of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies and other organizations, and chaired numerous committees. Dr. Pilgrim is known, in addition, as a stellar teacher and mentor. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including the North Carolina Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching and the ABAI Student Committee Outstanding Mentor of the Year Award. Dr. Pilgrim's research expertise and contributions traverse both basic experimental and applied behavior analysis. Her health related research has brought behavior analysis to the attention of scientists and practitioners in cancer prevention, and she is noted for her innovative work on the development and modification of relational stimulus control in children and adults.

Human Development & Gerontology (HDG)    (top)

Jonathan Baker, PhD, BCBA-D · Southern Illinois University
Development and Treatment Utility of a Behavioral Assessment for Aphasia   (abstract)

Dr. Baker is an Assistant Professor in the Behavior Analysis and Therapy Program in the Rehabilitation Institute at Southern Illinois University (SIU), and is the coordinator for the Certificate in Gerontology offered through SIU's College of Education and Human Services. He received his Ph.D. from Western Michigan University (2009) in Behavioral Psychology, an M.S. (2005) in Applied Behavioral Sciences and a certificate in Gerontology from the University of Kansas, and a B.S. (2003) in Behavioral Psychology from Western Michigan University. Dr. Baker is on the Editorial Board for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior (TAVB). He has served as a guest Action Editor for TAVB and The Psychological Record, and serves as a guest reviewer for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, The Behavior Analyst, Behavior Analysis in Practice, The Psychological Record, and the American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease & Other Dementias. Dr. Baker is the current chair of the Behavioral Gerontology Special Interest Group with ABAI. Dr. Baker's main research interest is behavioral gerontology, including the assessment/treatment of behavioral excesses and developing programs that remediate behavioral deficits in older adults with dementia, as well as treatment adoption. His interests also extend to adults and older adults with developmental disabilities. Dr. Baker is also the director for Project 12-ways.

Professional, Ethical, & Legal Issues (PEL)    (top)

Shahla Alai-Rosales, PhD, BCBA-D · University of North Texas

Address: Walking an Ethical Path: IBI Supervision Guideposts   (abstract)

Workshop: Supervision Beyond the Basics: Mentoring Excellence in Applied Behavior Analysis   (abstract)

Dr. Alai-Rosales received her B.S. from Southern Illinois University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Kansas. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas, where she established the North Texas Autism Project (NTAP). NTAP is a service, training and research program for the community. Shahla teaches classes in the areas of ethics, autism intervention, parent training, applied research, and behavior change techniques. She was the 2012 recipient of the "Fessor Grahm" award, UNT's most cherished teaching award. Shahla serves on the governing board of the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB). She has published and presented research on ethics in early intervention, play and social skills, change agent (caregivers, teachers) training, conditioned reinforcement, and evidence-based practice.

James Carr, PhD, BCBA-D · Behavior Analyst Certification Board    (top)
The Behavior Analyst Certification Board: Recent Developments   (abstract)

Dr. Carr is the Chief Executive Officer of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. His interests include the behavioral treatment of autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities, verbal behavior, and practitioner training. He is currently an associate editor of the journals Behavior Analysis in Practice, The Behavior Analyst, and The Analysis of Verbal Behavior and is a past associate editor of Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. He received his Ph.D. in 1996 from Florida State University and previously served on the behavior analysis faculties at University of Nevada-Reno (1996-1999), Western Michigan University (1999-2008), and Auburn University (2008-2011).

Theoretical, Conceptual, & Philosophical Issues (TCP)    (top)

Timothy Hackenberg, PhD · Reed College
The Tacts of Life: Accuracy, Science, and Pseudoscience   (abstract)

Dr. Hackenberg received a B.A. degree in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine in 1982 and a doctorate in Psychology from Temple University in 1987, under the supervision of Philip Hineline. He held a post-doctoral research position at the University of Minnesota with Travis Thompson from 1988-90. He served on the faculty in the Behavior Analysis program at the University of Florida from 1990-2009, and is currently a Professor of Psychology at Reed College in Portland Oregon. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, of the Society for the Quantitative Analysis of Behavior, as Associate Editor of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, as President of Division 25 of the American Psychological Association, as the Experimental Representative to the ABAI Council, and as the Director of the ABAI Science Board. His major research interests are in the area of behavioral economics and comparative cognition, with a particular emphasis on decision making and token reinforcement systems. In work funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, he and his students have developed methods for cross-species comparisons in adaptive choice and social behavior. He is blessed with a talented cadre of students, and has the good fortune to teach courses he cares about.

Verbal Behavior (VB)    (top)

Anna Petursdottir, PhD · Texas Christian University
The Mand and the Tact: Functionally Independent?   (abstract)

Dr. Petursdottir received her Ph.D. in Psychology from Western Michigan University in 2006. She is currently an Associate Professor of Psychology at Texas Christian University. Anna's research has been published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, and The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, among other journals, and she has presented her work at regional, national, and international conferences. Anna is the current Editor of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior and an Associate Editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. She has served on the editorial boards of numerous other journals, including The Behavior Analyst and Behavior Analysis in Practice. Anna is the current president of the Texas Association for Behavior Analysis, and for the last three years she has served on the ABAI convention program committee.