What Students and Educators Can Teach Us About Functional Behavior Assessment and Intervention in the Classroom

Description

The use of functional behavior assessments (FBAs) to inform treatment recommendations has long been established as best practice in behavior analysis from both ethical and empirical standpoints. However, the practicalities of conducting various forms of FBA (and implementing subsequent interventions) in schools sometimes poses obstacles for behavior analysts and the teachers with whom they work. The degree to which these obstacles can (and should) be overcome depends on a variety of factors that might be missed if one does not carefully consider the nature of the problems and the environments in which behaviors are expected to occur. Drawing upon nearly two decades of research and clinical work in schools, Dr. Austin will address how considering teacher and student behavior can potentially point us to more effective, efficient, and acceptable practices in conducting classroom-based assessments and interventions.

About the Speaker

Jennifer L. Austin, Ph.D., BCBA-D has been applying the science of behavior analysis to improve outcomes for children and their teachers for nearly 20 years. Both her research and clinical work focus on how behavior analytic assessment and intervention strategies can be applied with typically developing children, as well as examining what adaptations may be necessary for making our science “work” in mainstream classrooms. She has worked with numerous schools in the US and the UK, focusing primarily on those in disadvantaged communities. Dr. Austin received her PhD from the Florida State University and currently serves as Principal Lecturer in Psychology at the University of South Wales, where she leads the Behaviour Analysis Unit and directs undergraduate and postgraduate programs in behavior analysis. Prior to moving to the United Kingdom, Dr. Austin served as faculty at the University of South Florida, California State University, Fresno and the University of Houston, Clear Lake. She is the past President of the UK Society for Behaviour Analysis and a former Associate Editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis in Practice.