Lecture: 4 hours/week
- Lecture, discussion boards, video, guest speakers, group activities, readings, self-directed online learning.
- Online: any combination of online methods such as but not limited to discussion boards, readings, video, video lectures, zoom/telephone consultations etc..
The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course:
- Contemporary best-practice in behaviour analysis is predicated on:
- Peer-reviewed, evidenced-based research.
- Interventions that are thoroughly individualized via detailed assessment processes.
- A contextual “Goodness of Fit” with families.
- Professional ethics are paramount.
- Problem behaviours are best assessed via a functional behaviour assessment.
- Problem behaviours are best remediated via a functional approach to intervention, rather than a structural approach.
- Initial selection and refinement of interventions are predicated on a visual analysis of baseline and ongoing data.
- Interventions are most likely to succeed when consistently implemented across settings and people:
- Parents and other caregivers are key to ensure that gains generalize across settings and are maintained over time.
- Professional ethics require behaviour analysts to restrict interventions to procedures found effective in published, peer-reviewed studies.
- Behaviour analysts search academic databases and read contemporary publications to remain abreast of treatment refinements.
- Eating, sleeping, and stereotypy problem behaviours are frequently seen in individuals with an ASD and remediating such problems form part of the professional repertoire of the behaviour analyst.
- Teaching children and persons who support them (parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, etc.) using behaviour analytic instructional methods form a central role of the behaviour analyst.
1. Conduct behavioural assessments to identify the functions that maintain problem behaviours:
- Evaluate peer-reviewed behavioural research for current best practices in functional behaviour assessments and function-based interventions.
- Select and conduct clinically relevant and ethical assessment procedures for problem behaviours such as eating, sleeping and stereotypy behaviours.
- Employ indirect, direct, and experimental methods into assessments.
- Analyze and evaluate assessment results.
2. Select clinically and contextually appropriate function-based interventions to remediate problem behaviors:
- Employ peer-reviewed, evidence-based procedures such as interventions utilizing positive and negative reinforcement, conditioned reinforcers, modeling, shaping, stimulus and response prompts, tokens, contingency contracts, and self-management.
- Consider client preference, social validity, and other relevant contextual variables.
- Ensure contemporary professional ethics are applied.
- Select best-practice methods for teaching functional communication, and for treating other clinically relevant behaviors such as eating, sleeping, and stereotypic behaviours.
- Institute appropriate evaluation mechanisms.
3. Craft contextually appropriate instructional methods for conducting individual, parent and staff training:
- Consider learner role and skill set.
- Incorporate feedback from all involved.
- Evaluate and hone methods for conducting individual, parent and staff training.
4. Refine technological behaviour analytic writing and communication skills:
- Use current APA formatting and style.
- Ensure privacy is protected and information is considered respectful and understandable to others.
- Document and share in contextually appropriate formats.
This is a graded course. Course assessment may include the following: Class participation, class presentation, quizzes, exams, case studies, clinical treatment plans, academic essay.
Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation as part of the student’s graded performance. Expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the instructor's course outline/syllabus.
Textbooks and materials to be purchased by students. Consult the Douglas College Bookstore for the latest required textbooks and materials. Examples of textbooks and materials include individually assigned readings and/or books.
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