Course Description
In this upper level course, students deepen their professional knowledge, skills, and abilities in conducting various functional behaviour assessments and in selecting individualized interventions for individuals diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities.
Course Content
The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course:
- Contemporary best-practice 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
- Problem behaviours are best assessed via a functional behaviour assessment.
- Problem behaviours are best remediated via a functional and not a structural approach to intervention.
- 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
Learning Activities
- Lecture
- Case studies
- Audio-visual presentations
- Problem-based learning
- Reading groups
- Self-directed online learning
Means of Assessment
- On-line contributions
- Module exams
- Case Studies
- Clinical treatment plans
- Academic essay
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Evaluate peer-reviewed behavioural research for current best practices in functional behaviour assessments and function-based interventions.
- Conduct behavioural assessments to identify the functions that maintain problem behaviours employing indirect, direct, and experimental methods.
- Select clinically and contextually appropriate function-based interventions with attention to peer-reviewed, evidence-based procedures, and contemporary professional ethics.
- Craft contextually appropriate instructional methods for conducting parent and staff training.
Textbook Materials
Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students
- Individually assigned readings and/or books