Invited Speakers
Stephanie M. Peterson, PhD, is Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Psychology at Western Michigan University. She previously served as the Chair of the Department of Psychology for 8 years. She earned her doctorate in Special Education at the University of Iowa in 1994. Before coming to Western Michigan University, she taught at Gonzaga University, Utah State University, The Ohio State University, and Idaho State University.
Her primary research interests are behaviour analytic assessment and treatment aimed at decreasing chronic severe behaviour problems in children with developmental disabilities. Specifically, she studies choice making, functional communication training, reinforcement-based interventions for children with problem behavior, and concurrent schedules of reinforcement in the treatment of severe problem behavior. She also studies the functional analysis of problem behaviour and teleconsultation methods for its assessment and treatment. She also has interests in applications of behaviour analysis to educational interventions and teacher/behaviour analyst training.
She has served on a variety of editorial boards, including the Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis and Behaviour Analysis in Practice. Most recently, she served as the editor of Behaviour Analysis in Practice for four years. In the past, she also served as a Senior Editor for Education and Treatment of Children for many years. She served two 3-year terms on the Board of Directors of the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board and, by gubernatorial appointment, on the Michigan Board of Behaviour Analysts, Michigan’s licensing board for behaviour analysts. She served as the President of the licensing board for two years. In addition to these leadership responsibilities, she serves as Director for the Kalamazoo Autism Centre and the Autism Centre of Excellence on Western Michigan University’s campus.
Title:
Conceptualizing Self-determination from a Behavior Analytic Perspective
Abstract:
Self-determination is an abstract term, but an important concept for all human service providers to understand. Behaviour analysts working in human service settings must understand this concept and work effectively to teach self-determination skills to their clients. This presentation will provide an operational definition of self-determination based on principles, concepts, and strategies related to behaviour analysis, including concurrent operants, self-control, and self-management. Understanding how these concepts relate to the development of self-determination skills can help service providers understand their role in teaching self-determination skills and, more importantly, empower their clients to exercise choices in all aspects of their lives.
Learning Objectives:
Learners will define self-determination from a behavior analytic perspective.
Learners will define the term “concurrent operants” and state how concurrent operants relate to choice making.
Learners will state a behavior analytic definition of “self-control” and state ways they can modify schedules of reinforcement to teach learners to make self-controlled choices rather than impulsive choices.
Learners will state the difference between “self-control” and “self-management” and will state the relation between self-management and self-determination.
Shane T. Spiker is a BCBA-D in Ormond Beach, Florida. Shane received his MS in Psychology in 2012 and his second MS in Applied Psychology in 2016. In May 2019, he graduated with his PhD in Clinical Psychology with a concentration on instructional design. He has been providing services in the field of ABA since 2010, with the majority of his experience with autistic learners and other disabilities.
Shane specialises in working with teens and adults with dangerous problem behaviour, sexual behaviour, and medically complex individuals in the home and community-based setting.
Primarily, Shane serves as the Clinical Training and Safety Director at PBS, Corp. Shane previously served as the Vice President of the Sexual Behaviour: Research and Practice SIG through ABAI. He has authored several articles and textbook chapters on ethics in behaviour analysis and practice.
He is the author of several books, including Anxiety Report, Take Care, Understanding Risk/Benefit Analysis, and Behavior Foundations. Currently, he also serves as an instructor at Florida Institute of Technology, Arizona State University and Regis College, where he teaches graduate-level coursework.
He enjoys reading and appreciates a really good cup of coffee.
Title:
A Locus of Change: The Impact of Intentional Supervision Practices in Behavior Analysis
Abstract:
Supervision is a widely discussed topic of interest in behavior analysis. Unfortunately, what often occurs is a cursory or superficial discussion of supervision, often focusing on fieldwork supervision alone. There is an argument to be made that supervision is far more important than we often assume. For the field at large, supervision is often the center point of larger systemic changes, either through empowering new generations of practitioners or subverting work cultures that are unsupportive of employees. In this keynote address, Dr. Shane T. Spiker will discuss the true impact of supervision as it pertains to various levels of behavior analytic work. Topics of discussion will include ethical development, burnout and wellness, and quality services within a scientist-practitioner model.
Objectives:
Identify and define various types of supervision as it relates to behaviour analytic work
Describe supervisory behaviours that have a direct impact on supervisees and trainees
Review the impact of high- and low-quality supervisory practices on supervisees and trainees
Discuss the ethical implications of supervisory practices on the field at large
Evaluate systemic variables that may be creating barriers to ongoing behavior analytic practices
Dr. Carnett is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Waikato, New Zealand, Director of the Behaviour Analysis Programme, and a Research Affiliate at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
She is a doctoral-level Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA-D). Dr Carnett initially obtained her bachelor's degree in Human Rights and Political Science at the University of North Texas. She later worked in educational settings supporting learners with developmental disabilities, which led her to pursue a master’s degree in behaviour analysis at Texas State University. She completed her doctorate degree in Educational Psychology, specialising in behaviour analysis and communication interventions at Victoria University of Wellington.
She has over 15 years of experience working in the field of behaviour analysis and developmental disabilities. Her research focuses on developing interventions to help individuals build autonomy in their environments and improve their overall quality of life. She believes this is best achieved through interventions that target issues associated with skill generalisation, as well as by ensuring social significance through stakeholder participation.
Her research interests can be classified into two overlapping categories: communication interventions and adaptive functioning.
Title:
What Skinner’s Analysis of Verbal Behaviour has to offer AAC users
Abstract:
Skinner’s account of verbal behaviour treats language in terms of its function, what it does for the communicator, rather than its form. This perspective aligns well with AAC because it focuses on the effects of communication rather than the modality, supporting diverse AAC methods and reducing ableist, speech‑centric assumptions.
By identifying specific communicative functions instead of assuming broad language ability, this framework guides more precise assessment and teaching. It also explains why AAC users may excel in some functions but not others, and why explicit teaching is often needed to generalise skills.
Skinner’s analysis underlies functional communication training, helping replace challenging behaviour with effective AAC responses that serve the same purpose. Because verbal and nonverbal behaviours follow the same learning principles, this approach provides a coherent, behaviour‑analytic foundation for AAC.
The presentation will review supporting evidence and show how to apply function‑based, ethical AAC practices that prioritise meaningful outcomes in everyday life.
Objectives:
Identify how Skinner’s functional analysis of verbal behaviour applies to AAC users, including the role of communicative function and the implications for autonomy and self-advocacy.
Identify key assessment and instructional implications of a verbal behaviour framework for AAC users.
Apply principles from Skinner’s analysis of verbal behaviour to AAC practice by selecting assessment and intervention strategies that support socially meaningful outcomes.
Dr Stefan Michalski is a Research Fellow at the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health at UNSW Sydney. His work examines how digital technologies, including immersive virtual reality and conversational artificial intelligence, can support skill development and healthcare access for people with intellectual disability.
Stefan completed a PhD in Psychology at the University of South Australia in 2023, which investigated how immersive virtual reality can help people with intellectual disability learn and transfer real-world skills. His work combines experimental research, data linkage, and co-design with people with intellectual disability and disability organisations.
His work has been published in journals across disability, psychology, and virtual reality and has been presented at national and international conferences. Stefan’s work focuses on building the evidence for emerging technologies that can support more accessible and inclusive health and community environments.
Title:
Learning Real-World Skills in Virtual Reality: Applications for People with Intellectual Disability
Abstract:
People with intellectual disability often have limited opportunities to practise important life skills in safe and structured environments. Many real-world situations such as navigating community settings, participating in classrooms, or attending healthcare appointments involve uncertainty, social interaction, and potential stress, which can make skill development difficult to support using traditional approaches alone. This presentation will describe a program of research examining how immersive virtual reality (VR) can support skill development and learning for people with intellectual disability. Across a series of studies, VR has been used to help individuals practise everyday life skills, improve behaviour and engagement in learning environments, and prepare for healthcare interactions. These studies examine whether practising tasks in immersive environments can support learning and transfer of skills to real-world contexts. The session will outline key findings from experimental studies, discuss how immersive environments can support repeated practice and structured learning opportunities, and consider how VR may complement approaches used in education, therapy, and support services. Practical considerations for implementing VR in applied settings will also be discussed.
Objectives:
Understand how immersive virtual reality can support skill development and learning for people with intellectual disability.
Identify ways virtual environments can be used to practise real-world situations, including life skills, learning environments, and healthcare interactions.
Evaluate practical considerations for safe use of VR to support skill acquisition and preparation for real-world settings.
Information coming soon