Town Hall Recordings
The University’s Behavior Analysis Program Director, Dr. Michael E. Kelley, is committed to providing outcomes that reduce burdens on families. Right now, families affected by ASD face unprecedented burdens.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, The University of Scranton has developed a series of informational and educational online “Town Hall” style events related to ASD and associated disorders.
We launched this Town Hall series in honor of Autism Awareness Month. Below is the archive of our previous Town Hall events.
For more information on our hosts, visit our Town Hall Hosts page!
Topic: Help with Challenging Behaviors in the COVID-19 Era
Dr. Michael Kelley discussed some tips and tricks for avoiding behavior problems in the first place, and dealing with them if they occur. The focus was on setting up the environment to avoid as many problems as possible and effectively reacting when necessary. Dr. Kelley answered questions live during this Town Hall style gathering.
Topic: Picky Eating: Tips for Changing Eating Habits
Dr. Michael Kelley discussed some tips and tricks for avoiding mealtime behavior problems in the first place, and dealing with them if they occur. The focus was on setting up the environment to increasing consumption of desirable foods (for example vegetables). Dr. Kelley answered questions live during this Town Hall style gathering.
Topic: Supporting positive family interactions: Managing sibling conflict
Dr. Dana Gadaire discussed common challenges facing families of children with Autism. She highlighted specific issues affecting families during the current crisis with strategies for managing conflict when children are spending inordinate amounts of time cooped up at home. She also discussed practices for encouraging children (and parents) to practice tolerance and coping skills. Dr. Gadaire answered questions live during this Town Hall style gathering.
Topic: Identifying signs of anxiety and depression in your child
Dr. Dana Gadaire discussed common symptoms expressed by children and adolescents with Autism in highly stressful circumstances. She will discuss the differences between real and exaggerated/maladaptive concerns. After all, it should be expected that children are experiencing some distress in these difficult circumstances! Dr. Gadaire highlighted signs of clinical concern and ways to prevent anxiety and depression from taking over your family life. She also discussed what to expect when seeking professional help. Dr. Gadaire answered questions live during this Town Hall style gathering.
Topic: Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis
Dr. Michael Kelley discussed a brief history of the development of Applied Behavior Analysis. He focused on its efficacy for producing and maintaining meaningful behavior change. Dr. Kelley answered questions live during this Town Hall style gathering.
Topic: Sleep and feeding issues in children with Autism
Dr. Gadaire discussed common sleep and feeding complaints among families of children with Autism. She provided tips for getting children to eat and sleep on a regular schedule to promote optimal health. She discussed ways of managing problem behavior and enhancing independence during bedtime and mealtime routines. Dr. Gadaire answered questions live during this Town Hall style gathering.
Topic: Facts and Fiction about Autism
Dr. Michael Kelley discussed some of the broad topics of interest in the area of Autism. He focused on some of the facts that might seem obvious, some of the fictions that compete with progress helping with symptoms, and the importance of science versus pseudoscience. Dr. Kelley answered questions live during this Town Hall style
Topic: Top Things to Know about Early Intervention with Dr. Alice Shilingsburg
Alice Shillingsburg, PhD, BCBA-D Dr. Shillingsburg currently serves as Sr. Vice President of Children’s Clinical Services and Training at May Institute, a nationally recognized non-profit organization that provides educational, rehabilitative, and behavioral intervention services to children and adults with ASD and related developmental disabilities.
She received her PhD in clinical psychology from Auburn University and completed her predoctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at the Marcus Institute. She previously held an appointment of Associate Professor at Emory University in the Division of Autism and Related Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Shillingsburg is a licensed psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D).
Her clinical expertise includes the development of behavioral programming to address a variety of behavioral difficulties and social communication deficits associated with autism and other developmental disabilities. She has published over 50 empirical papers and book chapters on interventions for children with autism and related developmental disabilities.
She is currently an associate editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Operants, editorial board member of Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, and past associate editor for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior.
Topic: Effects of Social Distancing on Adolescents
Gabriel Kuperminc, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology and Public Health at Georgia State University where he serves as director of the doctoral program in community psychology and chairs the university’s new interdisciplinary initiative, Resilient Youth (ResY), which emphasizes a resilience perspective to study and develop interventions to reduce health disparities among urban youth. He has conducted large- and small-scale evaluations of prevention and health promotion interventions focused on community health and youth development, using methods that range from qualitative case studies to randomized trials. He consults on youth development and prevention of violence and substance abuse with various organizations including the Georgia Family Connection Partnership, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Canadian Women’s Foundation, The National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities, the Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network, the United Way of Greater Atlanta, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Topic: An Evening Interview with Temple Grandin
Dr. Temple Grandin did not talk until she was three and a half years old. She was fortunate to get early speech therapy. She was mainstreamed into kindergarten at age five. Oliver Sacks wrote in the forward of Thinking in Pictures that her first book Emergence: Labeled Autistic was "unprecedented because there had never before been an inside narrative of autism." Dr. Sacks profiled Dr. Grandin in his bestselling book Anthropologist on Mars.
Dr. Grandin became a prominent author and speaker on both autism and animal behavior. Today she is a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. She also has a successful career consulting on both livestock handling equipment design and animal welfare.
Topic: Parents are People Too, Realistic Evidence-Based Strategies for the Homebound
Timothy R. Vollmer received his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 1992. From 1992 until 1996 he was on the psychology faculty at Louisiana State University. From 1996 to 1998 he was on the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. He returned to the University of Florida in 1998 and is now a Professor and Associate Chair of Psychology. His primary area of research is applied behavior analysis, with emphases in autism, developmental disabilities, reinforcement schedules, and parenting. He has published over 150 articles and book chapters related to behavior analysis. He was the recipient of the 1996 B.F. Skinner New Researcher award from the American Psychological Association (APA). He received another APA award in August, 2004, for significant contributions to applied behavior analysis. He served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis from 2014-2016. He is a fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis (ABAI), and he received the ABAI mentoring award in 2017.
Topic: Autism Services in America: A talk with Christopher Banks
Christopher Banks was named the Autism Society of America’s President and CEO starting in January 2020. Banks has a comprehensive background in human services and the healthcare arena, where he’s had a successful record of increasing fundraising efforts, measurably improving revenue strategies, and being a transformational leader committed to diversity and cultural growth. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Development and Community Engagement at Charles E. Smith Life Communities in Rockville, Maryland; here, he provided leadership in the development, implementation and evaluation of all philanthropic and community engagement efforts. His daily work supported the organization’s impact strategy, and aimed to accelerate growth while building strong community partners.
Previously, Chris Banks served in a variety of leadership roles at Bon Secours Charity Health System in Suffern, New York, along with Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center. At both organizations, Chris established long-lasting relationships with external partners, philanthropic organizations and elected officials to further policy efforts and fundraising activities. He ensured that strategic efforts supported the brand’s mission and values, and was committed to cross-functional leadership across large teams.
Chris has an MBA in Finance from Manhattan College, and his MS and BA degrees from University of Scranton.
An Evening with Nina Wall, Director of the Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations
Nina Wall, MSS, LSW, serves as the Director of the Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP) in the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS). She was a founding member and past president of the Pennsylvania Action Coalition for Autism Services (PACAS), a statewide board of autism advocacy chairs and directors whose mission was to advocate for services for Pennsylvanians diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In addition, she served as a board member of Pennsylvania Protection and Advocacy (PP&A), as Information and Referral Director for the Autism Society of Greater Philadelphia, and as one of three Managing Co-Chairs of the Pennsylvania Autism Task Force. She completed her graduate studies at the Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research and her clinical pursuits have focused on assisting families, individuals with ASD, and youth with learning and behavioral health challenges.
Ms. Wall is the parent of an adult living with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Topic: Estrategias y Recursos para la Crianza de Niños con Necesidades Especiales Durante COVID-19
Strategies and Resources for Parenting Children with Special Needs During COVID-19
Dra. Corina Jimenez-Gomez completó la licenciatura en Psicología en la Universidad Católica Andrés Bello en Caracas, Venezuela. Luego, continuó su educación logrando un título doctoral en Psicología con énfasis en análisis conductual en Utah State University. Posteriormente, complete entrenamiento postdoctoral en la Universidad de Michigan y tuvo una posición de Investigadora en la Universidad de Auckland en Nueva Zelanda. Antes de su rol actual, la Dra. Jimenez-Gomez fué profesora en Florida Institute of Technology y sirvió como supervisora clínica en el Centro Scott para el Tratamiento del Autismo. Actualmente, la Dra. Jimenez-Gomez es Profesora Clínica Asistente y Directora del Centro para la Investigación, Tratamiento, y Capacitación (CARTT, por las siglas en Inglés) en la Universidad de Auburn. La Dra. Jimenez-Gomez es Analista de Conducta Certificada a nivel doctoral (BCBA-D). Sus intereses profesionales incluyen la investigación translacional y aplicada en las areas de variabilidad de coducta, elección, persistencia y relapso de conductas problemáticas, intervención temprana y conducta verbal, y capacitación de personal y cuidadores. La Dra. Jimenez-Gomez ha contribuido a la revision de pares en diversas revistas científicas y actualmente es miembro del comité editorial del Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior y Perspectives on Behavior Science. Ella también es la coordinadora de los Blogs de Ciencia de la Asociación para el Análisis de Conducta Internacional (ABAI) y coordinadora del área de autismo para el programa de la conferencia annual de ABAI.
Dr. Corina Jimenez-Gomez earned a Licensure in Psychology at the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas, Venezuela. She then went on to earn a doctoral degree in Psychology with an emphasis in behavior analysis from Utah State University. Subsequently, she completed post-doctoral training at the University of Michigan and held a Research Fellow position at The University of Auckland, New Zealand. Previous to her current role, she was faculty at Florida Institute of Technology and served as clinical supervisor at The Scott Center for Autism Treatment. Currently, Dr. Jimenez-Gomez is an Assistant Clinical Professor and Director of the Center for Autism Research, Treatment, and Training (CARTT) at Auburn University. Dr. Jimenez-Gomez is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the doctoral level. Her research interests include translational and applied research in the areas of behavioral variability, choice, persistence and relapse of problem behavior, early intervention and verbal behavior, staff and caregiver training. Dr. Jimenez-Gomez has served as a reviewer for a number of scientific journals and is currently on the editorial board of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and Perspectives on Behavior Science. She also is the Coordinator of Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) Science Blogs and Program Area Coordinator for Autism for the ABAI annual conference.
*Recording is in Spanish. For a similar topic in English, please check out our town hall Help with Challenging Behaviors in the COVID-19 Era in April 2020.
Topic: Classroom-wide Intervention: Tier-1 Management
Michael E. Kelley, Ph.D., LP, BCBA-D discusses some tips and tricks for classroom management. These empirically supported procedures can be implemented in classrooms, daycares, or anywhere teachers, parents, or caregivers wish to increase the probability of appropriate behavior, decrease the probability of inappropriate behavior, and set the stage for academic success.
Topic: Foundations of Early Intervention and Early Education
Dr. Michael Kelley discusses some foundational techniques that daycare providers, early educators, or early interventionists could use to improve programming, behavior, and outcomes.
Topic: Behavioral Skills Training
Dr. Michael Kelley reviews behavior skills training, an evidence-based technique that is used to teach specific skills using four major components (modeling, instruction, rehearsal, and feedback) using realistic daily activities.