Interested in this session?
| You can attend in Toronto or through Webinar during: Early Morning Session: Option C |
You can attend in Barrie during: Early Morning Session: Option C |
Presenter:
Dr. Kelly Boyko
Managing Psychologist - Behaviour & Complex Needs
York Region District School Board
Lois Alderson-Wigelius
ASD Consultant
York Region District School Board
Kelly Flood
Speech-Language Pathologist, Autism Team
York Region District School Board
Susan Vernon
ABA Facilitator - Complex Needs Services
York Region District School Board
PPM 140 states that school boards in Ontario must offer Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) strategies where appropriate, and that schools must incorporate ABA methods into programs for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The York Region District School Board has responded to this by providing considerable staff capacity-building and resources, offering a range of student supports and services at various system levels, and establishing a number of ASD partnership agreements with community agencies to support ABA-based treatment services. The challenge now facing the Board, and likely other Boards, is how to move from system implementation of PPM 140 to more intentional and focused integration of ABA methods into programming for students with ASD. One ABA method described is functional behaviour assessment (FBA), which can be used to identify a student’s strengths, needs, and learning environment. There has been considerable confusion in the literature and in school boards about FBA and its role in schools, particularly with students with ASD. Part of the challenge is how to extend the type of FBA that is typically completed in clinical treatment settings into a practice that can be carried out in educational settings by school staff.
The developments of Drs. Loman and Borgmeier from Portland State University have led to a practical version of FBA that can be completed in schools by teaching and support staff, known as Practical FBA. The Practical FBA Training Series consists of four training sessions on conducting FBA’s for students with mild to moderate behavioural problems in schools. Preliminary research suggests that school staff can conduct valid Practical FBA’s for students with mild to moderate behavioural problems. Given limited time, funding and resources in schools nowadays, Practical FBA training and resources allow schools to work smarter and more efficiently in building staff capacity, so that staff can support a greater number of students with similar strategies. Practical FBA training and resources are currently being trialed with regional teams in Student Services and in ASD administrator training in the York Region District School Board, with positive feedback.
