Learning Objectives

Attendees can hope to:

  • Gain an understanding of the science behind the importance of a more neuro- affirming and child-led approach to Autism-specific Early Education

  • Learn some practical strategies for shifting to a more child-led approach to ABA in Early Education

  • Gain an understanding of the significance of the language we use when speaking about Autistic learners

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This registration link is for BCBA's seeking to access CEU credits for their attendance

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This registration link is for all other attendees. You will receive a certificate to confirm your attendance.

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Autism-specific education accounts for 81.84% of practice in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis (BACB, 2023). With neurodiversity (Baron-Cohen, 2017; Den Houting, 2018; Doyle, 2020; Leadbitter et al., 2021; Schuck et al., 2022) and human rights (Arango & Lustig, 2022; Beechey, 2022; Camarata, 2022; Keates, 2022; Pritchett et al., 2021) at the forefront of current discourse around Autism, it is imperative that we as practitioners, educators and clinicians adapt our approach to education in line with constructive feedback from critics of Applied Behaviour Analysis.
As anti-ABA sentiment grows in scope and reach (e.g., ASAN, 2022; Bascom, 2014; Latimer 2019; Ram, 2020), many clinicians and academics continue to insist that the movement is incorrect and not supported by empirical evidence. A growing international contingent within the field of Behaviour Analysis, however, have begun to listen to neurodivergent, particularly Autistic, voices and are actively working towards creating a more compassionate and Autistic-informed application of the science (e.g., Bodkin, 2021; Cerda, 2022; Graber & Graber, 2023; Mathur et al., 2024; Middleton, 2019; Veneziano & Shea, 2022; Wade, 2022). This presentation aims to highlight the importance of taking a more neuro-affirmative approach to Early Education. The author will present examples from her own practice as an Early Educator of Autistic children and will provide practical guidance to support attendees in making their own practice more neuro-affirming.

1 approved BACB credit hour

Reach Children's Services are proud to be an approved ACE provider - OP-21-0034

Amy O’Keeffe

Amy O’Keeffe is an Autistic Behaviour Analyst and BCBA who has worked in the area of Autism-specific Early Education since 2013. When not pretending to be a pirate or a dinosaur with her preschool aged pupils, Amy is passionate about disseminating the importance of working within the Neurodiversity Framework when providing behaviour analytic services to Autistic and other neurodivergent populations. Since graduating from the University of Galway, Ireland with a Master of Science in Applied Behaviour Analysis in 2022, Amy has delivered a keynote talk and a number of symposia on Neurodiversity and Applied Behaviour Analysis at the Psychological Society of Ireland Division of Behaviour Analysis Annual Conferences in 2023 and 2024, and delivered a lecture on “Human Rights & Applied Behaviour Analysis” to Masters students at Trinity College Dublin.

FAQ

  • Who is this course suitable for?

    Anyone who is seeking to understand the importance of taking a more neuro-affirmative approach to Early Education, including, but not limited to, behaviour analysts, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, students seeking their degree in applied behavior analysis or psychology and students seeking their BCBA® or BCaBA® certification.

  • Will I earn Continuing Education Credits?

    Yes, if you are a BCBA or BCaBA, you can receive learning (previously type-2) CEU credits.

  • How many Continuing Education Credits do I need for re-certification?

    BCBAs need 32 CEUs (of which, 4 CEUs must cover ethics for all certificants; 3 CEUs in supervision for supervisors) every 2 years. See https://www.bacb.com/maintain/continuing-education/ for more details.

  • I completed a course and have not received my completion certificate yet. Why not?

    Completion Certificates are available in your account immediately once you complete 100% of the course. You may have to download a document or answer a survey question. If you are not sure what you missed, send us an email at [email protected] and we will check for you on our end.

  • What happens if I cannot attend live?

    Don't worry! We will record the session and it will be available for you to view within 72 hours after the live event has ended.

  • How long will I have access to the recording of the live event?

    You have 3 months access to the recording. After this time you can purchase an additional 2 weeks for a fee of €5.

  • I have completed the course and received my CEU credit certificate, what now?

    To manage your CEU credits on the BACB web site after completing any of our courses, please use our ACE Provider # OP-21-0034. Reach Childrens's Services is an authorized and approved Learning Continuing Education Provider.