Blog of the Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis Special Interest Group (PIBA-SIG) of the Association for Behavior Analysis International
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Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG or SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org
The Grapevine center was founded in 2003 and serves families and children with its Texas Star Academy full-inclusion preschool and through research, training and behavior programs. Easter Seals North Texas, a leading provider of services for people with autism, serves families in 34 North Texas counties overcoming challenges caused by disabilities.
'The center’s programs will remain fully intact and function just as we have in the past providing high-quality treatment and inclusive, intensive intervention using Applied Behavior Analysis,' ...
The center said it will continue to offer and expand its research and collaboration with the Department of Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas , support and training for public and private educational treatment entities and outreach services designed to support and educate families and children."
----------- Website:Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG
----------- Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG and SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org
Representative George Miller (CA), Chair of the House Committee on Education and Labor, and co-sponsor of H.R. 4247 - Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in the Schools Act
This bill would establish the first federal standards to protect students from misuse of restraint and seclusion and ensure the safety of everyone in the classroom. It would apply to public schools, private schools and preschools receiving federal education support.
Establish important minimum federal safety standards in schools, similar to the protections already in place in hospitals and other non-medical community based facilities
Limit physical restraint and locked seclusion, allowing these interventions only when there is imminent danger of injury, and only when imposed by trained staff;
Outlaw mechanical restraints, such as strapping kids to chairs, and prohibit restraints that restrict breathing;
Require schools to notify parents after incidents when restraint or seclusion was used;
Call on states, within two years of enactment, to establish their own policies, procedures, monitoring and enforcement systems to meet these minimum standards;
Encourage states to provide support and training to better protect students and prevent the need for emergency behavioral interventions; and
Increase transparency, oversight and enforcement tools to prevent future abuse.
Excellent Fact Sheets and descriptions are provided at the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor's website on provisions in The Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act (H.R. 4247) including,
----------- Website:Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG
----------- Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG and SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org
[Edited 12/8/09, 11PM - to add additional useful references - see below**]
On Wednesday December 9, 2010, U.S. House Representatives George Miller D- 7th district, CA, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-5th district,WA are expected to introduce bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House to address a serious national problem of abusive restraint and seclusion within U.S. schools. A press conference is scheduled for 11:00am EST on December 9 which will be webcast from the website of the House Committee on Education and Labor. Senator Chris Dodd, D-CT is anticipated to shortly introduce similar legislation in the U.S. Senate.
The impetus for the bill's creation was a GAO report issued on May 19, 2009 and testimony before the House Committee on Education and Labor which documented cases of inappropriately applied restraint and seclusion resulting in trauma, injury and in some cases, death. The report and testimony illuminated a disturbing situation and evoked strong reactions by the legislators and administration representatives.
The Obama Administrations Education Agenda: Sec. Duncan on Seclusion & Restraint Education Secretary Arne Duncan responds to the May 19 hearings
Some practices went beyond misapplication to the point of abuse; where procedures meant to be applied in strictly defined situations or as emergency procedures were used routinely and for the purposes of punishment. Issues raised during the May 19 hearings were lack of accountability, training of those applying these procedures, and that there are available underused alternatives such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.
Examining the Abusive and Deadly Use of Seclusion and Restraint in Schools: Rep. Andrews - Q&A Comments of Representative Rob Andrews, District 1, NJ May 19, 2009 during the House Committee on Education and Labor hearing
Currently there are no Federal policies for these practices in schools - in contrast to hospitals, group homes and residential treatment facilities. States' policies are inconsistent, with only 7 states at the time of the hearing requiring training in use of restraint, and 19 states having no defined standards in the use of restraint and seclusion.
Dodd Discusses New Report on Use of Seclusion and Restraint in Schools Senator Chris Dodd comments on report, "School is Not Supposed to Hurt: Investigative Report on Abusive Restraint and Seclusion in Schools". National Disability Rights Network, January 2009 Jan 14, 2009
----------- Website:Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG
----------- Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG and SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org
Announcement below from the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) on the next full committee meeting, December 11, 2009, 9AM-1PM EST. The meeting will be phone & webinar only. Please see the details for registration and accommodations in the forwarded message.
Background:The IACCcoordinates all efforts within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concerning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Through its inclusion of both Federal and public members, the IACC helps to ensure that a wide range of ideas and perspectives are represented and discussed in a public forum.
Increase public understanding of the member agencies' activities, programs, policies, and research by providing a public forum for discussions related to ASD research and services.
The InteragencyAutism Coordinating Committee (IACC) will be holding a Full Committee Meeting on Friday, December 11, 2009 from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET. The meeting will be conducted via telephone conference calland webinar only.
The meeting will be conducted and available to the public via a telephone conference call phone number and a webinar conducted using a web presentation tool on the Internet. Registration is not required. Members of the public who participate using the conference call phone number will be able to listen to the meeting, but will not be heard.
Individuals who participate using this service and who need special assistance, such as captioning of the conference call or other reasonable accommodations, should submit a request to the contact person listed above at least seven days prior to the meeting. If you experience any technical problems with the web presentation tool or conference call, please-mail IACCTechSupport@acclaroresearch.com.
Please note: This phone call may end before or after 1:00 PM ET, depending on the needs of the Committee.
--------------------- -------- Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG ----------- Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG or individual SIG member authors and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website,
Missouri joins the District of Columbia in filing legislation seeking health insurance reform for the treatment of autism.
This week, two autism insurance reform bills including coverage of applied behavior analysis and Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) certificants were prefiled for consideration in the upcoming Missouri legislative session.
Both bills include applied behavior analysis, recognize the BACB Certification and propose reimbursement to Certificants in a capacity as direct or supervisory provider. Limit of coverage for ABA treatment of autism is $72,000/year.
Both bills have the support of Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, and House Speaker Ron Richard states that he has reversed his position of last year and would support the bill that emerges from the House - in contrast to last year when the Speaker declined to bring a similar Senate passed bill to the Missouri House floor. An interim committee has been working, prior to the prefiling to build consensus among the interested stakeholders of families, insurance providers and small businesses.
-------- Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG ----------- Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG or individual SIG member authors and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website,
The National Standards Project of the National Autism Center announced in their December newsletter that a NEW manual targeting educators is available for free download or purchase at their website, and shared an update on the also available recently released National Standards Project Report.
National Autism Center Releases New Autism Educator Manual
We are pleased to make available a comprehensive new manual by the National Autism Center entitled, Evidence-Based Practice and Autism in the Schools.
“We created this manual for educators as a means of promoting evidence-based practice for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in schools,” said Susan M. Wilczynski, Ph.D., BCBA, Executive Director of the National Autism Center. “We know that research-supported interventions are most likely to produce positive outcomes for the ever-increasing numbers of students with ASD.”
The development and publication of the manuals were made possible through support from the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation, Inc., and the Niel M. Wreidt 2003 Revocable Trust. The American Legion grant enabled us to distribute the first 3,000 manuals free of charge to public school systems throughout the country.
Due to the overwhelming response to the manuals, we are making them available on our website. Visitors can now download them for free, or purchase a hard copy through our on-line Bookstore. We welcome you to take a look!
This is a new complement to the National Standards Project Report, previously issued in September, which addressed the level of evidence for autism interventions.
In their update on the National Standards Project Report, the NAC December newsletter also stated that,
The response to our September announcement of National Standards Project results has been tremendous! Individuals from every state in the United States, and from close to 50 countries, have visited our website in the past two months. They have downloaded tens of thousands of free copies of the Project results.
Help us to continue spreading the word! Forward our e-card to others who might be interested in learning about the National Standards Project.
We invite you to visit our website to view and download a free electronic copy, or to purchase a printed copy, of the report.
The primary goal of the National Standards Project is to provide critical information about which treatments have been shown to be effective for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The National Standards Report covers a broad range of applied treatments and identifies the level of scientific evidence available for each. The report serves as a single, authoritative source of guidance for parents, caregivers, educators, and service providers as they make informed treatment decisions. We are confident that these findings and recommendations will change lives and give hope and direction to people whose lives are touched by autism.
------- Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG ----------- Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG or individual SIG member authors and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website,
This petition is an individual grassroots initiative and not intended to represent the formal position of, or endorsement by any formal behavior analytic organization or nonprofit.
To date, 2,350 letters and emails have been sent to elected officials in Congress.
------- Practitioner Issues in Behavior Analysis SIG ----------- Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG or individual SIG member authors and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website,
