Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) services are typically delivered face-to-face, and often with close physical proximity. Pandemic related restrictions have been in place for over a year, which has had a tremendous impact on ABA services. This panel will include discussion from multiple perspectives including self-advocate, caregiver, and service provider. Panelists will discuss lessons learned so far, benefits and challenges of telehealth, and how services are continuing to be offered and received in these challenging times.
Speakers:
Shiri Bartman, M.A., C. Psych. Associate., BCBA (Clinical Director, Shining Through Centre)
Shiri Bartman is a Psychological Associate registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario and is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA). She has worked with children and young adults diagnosed with autism, intellectual disability, learning disabilities and behavioural disorders for over 20 years. Shiri has worked in both the public and private sector providing direct service, clinical supervision, staff training, assessment, counselling, and consultation both in Canada and Internationally. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Association for Behaviour Analysis (ONTABA) in a variety of positions over the last ten years. Shiri is part time faculty at George Brown College and teaches a variety of courses in the Autism and Behavioural Science Program. Shiri is currently the Clinical Director of Shining Through Centre and works closely with families and staff to ensure high quality programming and best practices at each campus.
Dr. Rosemary Condillac, C.Psych, BCBA-D (Associate Professor and Department Chair and Graduate Program Director in Applied Disability Studies, Brock University)
Dr. Rosemary Condillac is an Associate Professor and Department Chair and Graduate Program Director in Applied Disability Studies at Brock University which houses the largest ABA graduate program in Canada. She also serves as the ABAI VCS coordinator for the BCBA course sequences embedded in their ABA Master’s Degree Programs. Dr. Condillac conducts research in ABA, supervises her graduate students’ research, and teaches ABA ethics and professional conduct at the graduate level. Dr. Condillac has worked in the fields of Autism, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and ABA for over 30 years in different roles including direct care professional, behaviour analyst, researcher, psychologist, and professor. She received her PhD in School and Child Clinical Psychology at the University of Toronto in 2002. She is a Past President of the Ontario Association for Behaviour Analysis (ONTABA). She remains an active member of the ONTABA Advisory Committee, is Lead on Professional Regulation on their Education and Advancement Committee; and is contributing to their government funded project to develop Ethics and Jurisprudence training materials. Dr. Condillac has authored, “What would you do?” ethics advice column for The ONTABA Analyst newsletter since 2017, answering questions and responding to pertinent shifts in policy and practice in Ontario, Canada.
Avianna Foster, B.Sc. (H) (M.A. Student Applied Disability Studies, Brock University)
Avianna graduated from the University of Guelph in 2016 with Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Psychology: Brain and Cognition. She completed her undergraduate thesis on the effects of peer modelling on street children’s crossing behaviour in a virtual environment. Following graduation, Avianna continued to work as a Research Assistant. In this role, she acted as the lead researcher on a longitudinal study regarding how parental safety practices change as infants go from just being able to sit up on their own, to being able to walk and move around independently. Currently, Avianna is a Master of Arts Student at Brock University in the Applied Disability Studies program with a specialization in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). Her thesis work is focused on assessing the quality of behaviour support plans developed by behaviour analysts. Avianna’s experience working in ABA has included applied experience working with children and adults with disabilities. Previously, Avianna worked as a Behaviour Therapist in a group home setting with children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Currently, Avianna works as an Instructor Therapist providing ABA services to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Andrea Haefele (mother of child with complex needs)
Andrea is an elementary educator and currently on secondment as a Health & Physical Education curriculum consultant for the Ontario Physical Health Education Association. She is also a mother of 2 children. Her son Petie is 9 years old and is a young carer to a sibling with a disability. Bella is 12 years old with complex needs that includes: severe autism spectrum disorder, Pitt Hopkins syndrome, cortical vision impairment and global developmental delay. Andrea is a strong advocate for people with disabilities and has spoken at many professional learning networks such as the hospital for SickKids, the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and Jumpstart Charities. Andrea’s passion is in special education and quality physical education for people with disabilities and is excited to share her journey with you today!
Alec Pemberton (Self-advocate)
Alec Pemberton was diagnosed with autism at approximately 18 months old and received IBI therapy as young as 20 months old. He is now 22 years old and will soon graduate from the Behaviour Science program. Over the past year, students had to move their lessons and placements online. Because of this, Alec has witnessed, from a Zoom screen, how ABA is being applied in the new setting and how new ABA therapists must adapt to a new learning style. He also understands how difficult it is for the family to adapt to a new set of circumstances and massive change in routine. Some of his hobbies include improv acting, swimming, and comedy.
Carobeth Zorzos, M.A., C. Psych., BCBA (Director, Launch Behavioural Health)
Carobeth is Director of Launch Behavioural Health, a multidisciplinary clinic providing evidence based services to children and youth with neurodevelopmental disorders. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Clinical Psychologist who has worked with children, adolescents, and adults with Autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders since 2001 in a wide variety of settings, including home and centre based applied behaviour analysis (ABA) programs, schools, residential treatment programs, long term care facilities, inpatient mental health settings, children’s aid societies, and rural and remote Indigenous communities.
Philip Lerner (Self-Advocate)
Philip Lerner is 20 years old and currently a full-time undergraduate co-op student at the University of Waterloo, studying for a BMath Honours Statistics and a computing minor. His last co-op position was with NRC-IRAP (Innovation Assistance Program) as a Research Data Analyst. He received ABA therapy when I was 2.5-4 years old. He was put onto a waitlist; however, his parents decided to receive ABA services from a private provider. From his recollection, he enjoyed the process, and his therapist is still currently in touch with his family. Philip kept his autism a secret until he was 16, and then the "Autism Doesn’t End at 5" campaign started. At that point, he realized that he didn’t want to just stand by while essential therapy was taken away from more people just like himself. Now, he is the director of the Ontario Autism Coalition (OAC), and co-chair of the OAC Adult Services Working Group.