Tips and Resources for Families during COVID-19 with Katherine Johnson, BCBA

The sudden disruption in routine due to COVID-19 is challenging for all individuals to manage as we adjust to a new, and hopefully short-lived, normal of staying at home and ceasing most of our regular activities. For families of individuals with autism and other disabilities, the disruption can be especially challenging.

Richie has a conversation with Katherine Johnson, BCBA and founder of Advances Learning Center to share helpful tips and resources for you and family during this time.

Katherine has a Master of Arts degree in Behavior Disorders and Applied Behavior Analysis from Columbia University Teachers College and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (Charter Certificant). Katherine has taught in both private and public schools at pre-school and elementary levels and has provided educational consultation services to public schools and home programs. She has taught undergraduate behavior analysis courses at Northeastern University and graduate level courses at Simmons College, has provided parent training through the May Institute, and is on the Advisory Board for the undergraduate psychology program in Applied Behavior Analysis at Regis College. Katherine also currently serves as Vice President of MassCAP.

Resources Discussed:

Go Noodle: https://www.gonoodle.com/ 

Privilege Points: http://www.privilegepoints.com/

For more helpful tips and resources, sign up for our Parent Newsletter at learnbehavioral.com/learnacademy/parentresources.

All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (learnbehavioral.com/learnacademy).

Autism and Co-occurring Disorders with Susan W. White & Carla Mazefsky

Dr. Carla Mazefsky is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where she is Co-Director of the Center for Autism Research (CeFAR) and the Director of the Regulation of Emotion in ASD Adults, Children, & Teens (REAACT) Research Program. She is a past recipient of the INSAR Ritvo-Slifka Award for Innovation in Autism Research. Her current studies take a lifespan approach, with an emphasis on adolescence and the transition to adulthood.  Her research focuses primarily on emotion regulation and associated mental health and behavioral concerns in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including the mechanisms underlying emotion dysregulation in ASD and the development of new assessment and treatment approaches. She is co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of Autism and Co-Occurring Psychiatric Conditions, author of the Emotion Dysregulation Inventory, and co-author of the Emotion Awareness and Skills Enhancement (EASE) Program.   

Susan W. White is Professor and Doddridge Saxon Chair in Clinical Psychology at the University of Alabama. Her clinical and research interests include development and evaluation of psychosocial treatments that target transdiagnostic processes underlying psychopathology. She is associate editor for the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, and she the Editor in Chief of the ABCT Series on Implementation of Clinical Approaches. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense. She received her PhD from Florida State University.

All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (learnbehavioral.com/learnacademy).

Global Autism Project: Training Staff at Autism Centers Around the World

Molly Ola Pinney is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Autism Project, a nonprofit organization that increases the capacity of local individuals working with children with autism worldwide. The Global Autism Project has grown to an organization that has served ten countries so far and is well on its way to achieving its goal of establishing centers of excellence in 20 countries by year 2020.

She has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades for her work, including the Comcast NBC Universal award, the Autism Light Foundation award as well as given the opportunity to ring the NASDAQ bell alongside her staff in 2012. Her recent TEDx talk “Doing things for others doesn’t help” discusses the importance of doing things with people, rather than for them.

As a leader in the nonprofit community and international service delivery, Molly has collaborated with multiple organizations to increase their ability to provide quality services to those with autism.

Multidisciplinary Care for Autism with Dr. Hanna Rue

We are proud to welcome Dr. Hanna Rue to AllAutismTalk for a monthly, in-depth conversation about the latest research and treatment options for individuals on the autism spectrum.

Dr. Hanna C. Rue is Head of Clinical Development for AST. She oversees clinical standards and assists in the design and implementation of numerous research projects and staff training protocols. Dr. Rue is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Massachusetts and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.  She obtained her doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of North Dakota and completed her pre-doctoral training at May Institute. Prior to joining AST she played a leadership role at the National Autism Center and also served as a clinical director for the May Institute’s largest special education school. Dr. Rue also served as Chairperson on the National Standards Project, phase 2.

A Closer Look at The BHCOE

Dr. Ellie Kazemi is the Chief Science Officer at Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE), an accrediting organization focused on improving the quality of behavior analytic services. She is also a professor at CSUN, where she founded the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program. Dr. Kazemi joins us to share about the accreditation process and the importance of assessments and measuring outcomes in the field of ABA. As Dr. Kazemi discusses the value of connecting the perspectives of the families and the clients, and shares, “To measure outcomes you should see progress from different perspectives”.

For More Information:

https://www.bhcoe.org/

All Autism Talk is sponsored by Learn Behavioral.

An Honest Look at the Full Experience of Autism with Russell Lehmann

Motivational Speaker and Poet Russell Lehmann joins us to share his perspectives on autism and the human condition. Having spent most of his life in isolation, Russell has found his voice and independence in recent years. His passion for erasing stigma and stereotypes about autism is shared through his moving, spoken-word poetry. As Russell shares, “I like to say you hold up a mirror to anybody, and that’s what autism looks like. I don’t expect anyone to be able to tell that I have autism just by looking at me. But hopefully, someday they won’t be as shocked to find out.”

All Autism Talk (https://www.allautismtalk.com/) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (https://learnbehavioral.com).

Lasting Happiness – How to be kinder to yourself and others

Professor Emeritus at the University of Oregon and President of the Choose Kindness Foundation, Doug Carnine joins us to discuss his work with the Choose Kindness Foundation that works with schools, businesses, prisons, and social service agencies across the US to promote mindful kindness. 

For More Information:

Current Autism Research and Why Families May Want to Participate

Pamela Feliciano, Scientific Director of SPARK (Simons Powering Autism Research) the world’s largest autism research study. Dr. Feliciano joins us to share her thoughts on the recent change to autism statistics from the CDC, the value of participating in research, and the information that can be accessed (or declined) for those who do. As she shared, “SPARK’s ultimate goal is to power research to help people with autism live their fullest lives.”

For More Information:
Sparkforautism.org

Understanding the IEP Process and How to Best Advocate for Your Child

Mo Buti, an advocate and instructional expert for people with autism joins us to take a deep dive into the IEP process. She shares details about all the people that make up the team and how parents can best prepare and advocate for their child. As Mo shared, “It’s so important that communicate well and build relationships with your team. Even if you disagree, it makes the process so much more successful.”

For More Information:
https://www.aiepautism.com/

 

Follow Your Passions: The Vast Areas of Interest in ABA

Dr. Danquah-Brobby is an international psychologist and board certified behavior analyst currently serving as the ABA Chair for the Chicago School of Professional Psychology’s Washington, DC Campus. Paula joins us to talk about a variety of topics related to the education, professional progression, and interests of behavior analysts.  From teaching young learners to working internationally, this conversation highlights the many opportunities to diversify your work and experiences in the field of ABA. Paula and Richie discuss parallels in their careers and the moments that define success for their clients, their students, and themselves. As Paula shared, “I saw the beauty and the science of ABA and I thought – alright, I am going to be in this career for the rest of my life”.

For more information:

https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/
https://www.facebook.com/TCSPPDC
https://www.instagram.com/tcsppdccampus/
https://twitter.com/TCSPPDCcampus 

All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (learnbehavioral.com).