Centre For Behaviour Analysis/Qub

Important systematic review on RPM exposes lack of evidence.

Dr Aviva Cohen, University College Dublin presented very successful CBA Seminar Series entitled: From Future Planning to Care Planning; rom Research to Implementation
Dr Aviva Cohen is the Deputy Director of the PhD Programme in SMARTlab, University College Dublin recently completed a 3-year ASSISTID/Marie Curie post-doctoral research fellowship based at CBA/QUB and UCD. #QUBSSESW
Her research focussed on the question of ‘how can we encourage ageing carers to plan for the fut...ure of loved ones with autism, intellectual disability and complex needs?’
Working closely with experts, including care recipients, family carers and health care professionals, the "seamlessCARE" app was inclusively designed.
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LeBlanc et al. (2016) offer a decision-making model to help clinicians select which measurement procedure to use. Very handy for researchers also! https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/…/pdf/4061 7_2015_Article_63.pdf

REMINDER Important seminar on Futures Planning, Wednesday, 8th May 2019 at CBA/QUB

Dr Smita Awasthi (BCBA-D) at QUB alumni meeting at Oberoi Delhi, India. Smita completed her PhD with CBA/QUB last year. We are very proud to call Smita one of our own!!

Good measure of impact: Dr Andy Bondy, founder of PECS, at UK-SBA speaker series citing research by Keenan & Dillenburger (2011) https://www.sciencedirect.com/‚Ķ/artic‚Ä ¶/pii/S1750946710000218

Michael Nicolosi (PhD student at CBA/QUB) was interviewed on Italian TV about ABA and autism.

Demand for BCBAs and BCBA-D increased by 127% between 2017 to 2018.
Applications are open for online MScABA at Queens University Belfast (5th edition Tasklist).
https://www.qub.ac.uk/…/pos…/applied- behaviour-analysis-msc/
... We also welcome enquiries about distant learning PhDs (see under Events)
https://www.bacb.com/…/US-Employment-De mand-for-Behavior-An…
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Applied Behavior Analysis based interventions are now covered in 49 states in the USA.
"Today, the Wyoming Commissioner of Insurance released a bulletin prohibiting all health insurers that cover mental health -- including large group, small group, and individual plans -- from excluding treatment for autism! This includes Applied Behavior Analysis!

Dr Katerina Dounavi BCBA-D has been promoted to Senior Lecturer at QUB. Katerina is Course Director of our MScABA (including VCS) and Deputy Director of the Centre for Behaviour Analysis. She is a gifted teacher, prolific researcher, and efficacious clinician of international reputation.
We are delighted that Katerina's enormous contribution to the Centre and the University has been recognised by this prestigeous promotion.

Clever use of technology to improve quality of life.

Former CBA PhD student and soon-to-be Dr Tia Martin presenting at EABG this morning on water safety for children with Autism. Fantastic talk Tia!

Dr Catherine Storey presenting her literacy research at EABG 2019, University College London.

Dr Nichola Booth BCBA-D presenting workshop on behaviour management in the classroom in Prague, Czech Republic at the premises of the National Institute for education 18.1.2019 for staff of advisory facilities, SPC and school psychologists with Czech translation.
Dr. Nichola Booth, BCBA is a lecturer at Queens University Belfast and used to work as the Consultant Behavior Analyst for PEATNI.org, non-profit parent-led organization. She participated in the creation of the multimedia resource SimpleSteps (www.simplestepsautism.com).

Lorri and Dan Unumb have done more than most to bring applied behaviour analytic support to people with autism all over the world. Here they are with their three sons at the APBA conference. Lorri spoke at the CBA/QUB conference some years ago. Her talk can be viewed here. https://mediasite.qub.ac.uk/…/564a563b4 32440b68375d102170c3…

Association for Professional Behavior Analysts conference in Atlanta GA (APBA 2019)
Poster presentation: Habit Reversal: A Systematic Review of the Literature. by Jason Majchrzak(PhD Student at CBA/QUB), Karola Dillenburger, & Ashley DiMegilo
Habit reversal treatment (HRT) is an established multicomponent treatment for repetitive behaviors. A systematic literature review was carried out on HRT studies published between 1973 and 2016. Initial searches identified 1118 studies,... which, after exclusion of duplications and studies not meeting inclusion criteria, a total of 26 studies were assessed in full. Factors examined included the age and numbers of participants, participants’ adaptive functioning, target behaviors, and HRT components. Study quality measures included the Scientific Merit Rating Scale, Intervention Effects Rating Scale, Strength of Evidence Classification System (National Autism Center, 2015), Single Case Experimental Design Scale (Tate et. al., 2008), and Psychotherapy Outcome Study Methodology Rating Scale (Öst, 2008). Two independent reviewers scored each study (92.5% agreement, range = 84.4% – 100%). Mean Baseline Reduction (MBR) represented effect size (size ≤ 50%, medium effect size = 51% - 74%, and high effect size ≥ 75%). Only 8 studies demonstrated strong experimental rigor. HRT wasn’t used for treating autism spectrum disorder. Age and adaptive functioning weren’t evaluated. Further research is needed to establish HRT for many repetitive behaviors, particularly those common in individuals on the autism spectrum.
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We reported autism rates of 3.5% of 11-year old children in the UK; based on Millennium Cohort Study data (n=18,522 familes) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25289 682
Now, New Yersey reports similar data for 4-year olds in the USA.
... https://news.rutgers.edu/…/autism-rate- rises-43-p…/20190410…
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BACB Pass Rates are now out! Queen's has a 2018 pass rate of 92%, a proof of the excellent quality of our course! Congratulations to our MScABA graduates for their success! Check the BACB webpage for the soon to come official publication of pass-rates!