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The annual report for Positive Behavior Supports Corporation: Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS), Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services is available for public review for anyone receiving services through the Pennsylvania Medicaid State Plan. Please contact us at ClinicalExcellence@teampbs.com to request a copy.

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PBS Southwest Summer Symposium
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2025

PBS Southwest Summer Symposium

PBS Symposium Events

1:15PM – 1:50PM
Dr. Shahla Alai-Rosales Presents: Cooking Metaphors from an Old Chef: Clinical Expertise and Supervision in Applied Behavior Analysis
CEU Eligible
As supervisors in behavior analysis, our overall goal is to contribute to healthy, caring, and expansive conditions for individuals and groups within our intervention systems. The purpose of this presentation is to highlight and discuss three areas that may positively influence our attainment of this goal: 1) understanding and developing clinical expertise; 2) developing a humble posture of ongoing learning; and 3) focusing on communal and reflective supervisory practices that encompass relationship development, shared purpose and postures of learning. Expertise in most fields requires sophisticated application of principles and techniques, contextual assessment and decision making, problem-solving skills, reflective practices, and reinforcers related to excellence. Our field and the world are undergoing dramatic, and sometimes confusing, changes. How we continue to learn and dynamically respond to need and purpose is an important component of developing meaningful expertise. Responsiveness requires articulation of shared purpose and building relationships with one another that nurture continued growth, safety and valued outcomes. The presentation will include rationales, descriptions, measurement considerations, and practical suggestions to further our collective leadership efforts.
2PM – 2:50PM
Rules are Meant to be Broken...Maybe: A Contextual Accounting of Ethical Behavior

Shane Spiker

CEU Eligible
Behavior analysis has a long history of teaching ethics rigidly, with a focus on the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts and scenarios scant with detail. But what if our ethical behaviro changes based on contextual factors? Is ethical behavior really just following the rules, or is there more to it? In this talk, Dr. Shane T. Spiker will discuss why a contextual analysis of ethical behavior will lead behavior analysis to a more flexible and ocmpassionate approach to our own behavior.
3PM – 3:50PM
Can You Hear Me? Advancing Telehealth in ABA
CEU Eligible
Telehealth services have emerged as a transformative approach in the field of behavior analysis, offering innovative solutions to expand access to care. This paper explores the integration of telehealth into behavioral healthcare, emphasizing its growing importance in addressing logistical barriers such as geographic constraints, clinician shortages, and time limitations. The benefits of telehealth in behavior analysis are multifaceted. This service delivery model can enhance accessibility for patients in underserved areas, promotes continuity of care, and allows for real-time observations in naturalistic settings. Additionally, telehealth reduces travel demands for families and professionals, thereby increasing efficiency and convenience. Importantly, evidence shows it can be effective when implemented correctly, underscoring its potential for widespread adoption. Determining the appropriateness of telehealth for a specific individual is critical for success. This evaluation involves assessing factors such as technological access, behavioral needs, family support, and the nature of the therapeutic goals. Ethical consideration ensures that telehealth is tailored to align with the family’s unique circumstances, optimizing outcomes. In addition, the quality of telehealth sessions plays a pivotal role in achieving therapeutic success. A well-executed telehealth session includes clear communication, structured planning, and the use of interactive tools to engage the individual effectively. The clinician must also demonstrate flexibility and skill in managing remote interactions while maintaining professional standards of care. By examining these key aspects, this paper highlights the potential of telehealth to revolutionize behavior analysis services, making them more accessible, equitable, and efficient for diverse populations.​
3PM – 3:50PM
The Decision We Make: Making Tough Decisions with Confidence

Leigh Ann Wheat

CEU Eligible
​Decision-making is at the heart of everything we do as behavior analysts. Whether guided by our ethical code, PBS's mission, vision, and values, or influenced by personal history, team dynamics, and, of course, the data, our choices carry significant weight. Effective decision-making can enhance your impact as both a leader and a practitioner. This session will explore the essence of decisions, outline practical steps for navigating complex decision-making scenarios, and provide strategies for tackling tough choices amidst diverse inputs and perspectives. Additionally, we’ll discuss how leaders can cultivate stronger decision-making skills within their teams, fostering a culture of thoughtful and informed action.​​
3PM – 3:50PM
Unrestricted Group Supervision Series for Student Analysts
​This group supervision series is designed for student analysts seeking structured, high-quality guidance as they progress toward certification and the opportunity to earn unrestricted supervision hours. Each session covers essential topics from the BACB® task list, including assessment, intervention, measurement, ethical decision-making, and professional conduct. Through collaborative discussions, practical exercises, and real-world application, participants will deepen their understanding of behavior analytic principles while developing critical skills for both clinical and professional success.​
4PM – 5:20PM
Lunch Break
Take this time to enjoy lunch, recharge, and connect with colleagues.​​
5:30PM – 6:20PM
Bridging the Gap of Administrative and Clinical Work

Holly Downs

CEU Eligible
​Have you as a clinician ever had the thought, “What is a provider manual” or “There is a location modifier on that code?” If so, this is the talk for you. Indirect work is an essential part of providing applied behavior analysis services. Many behavior analysts are provided guidance on specific tasks and tools that fall within the science of behavior analysis, however many do not come into contact with standardized healthcare requirements. In this paper session, the authors, both Certified Professional Compliance Officers (CPCOs), hope to bridge the gap in this knowledge by educating clinicians on indirect work as it relates to insurers and healthcare under the scope of billing practices. To do this, the authors will be discussing what is important for a clinician to know while working under third-party funder contracts. In addition, the authors will discuss why there are specific regulations and policies within standardized healthcare, and how behavior analysts can “play in the sandbox” with third-party insurers. As clinicians, these requirements may seem arbitrary because we do not use the lens of a healthcare provider. With the understanding that ABA providers are also healthcare providers, we can support the application of behavior analysis by completing thorough and complete indirect work to support compliance with healthcare standards. ​
5:30PM – 6:20PM
Unrestricted Group Supervision Series for Student Analysts
​This group supervision series is designed for student analysts seeking structured, high-quality guidance as they progress toward certification and the opportunity to earn unrestricted supervision hours. Each session covers essential topics from the BACB® task list, including assessment, intervention, measurement, ethical decision-making, and professional conduct. Through collaborative discussions, practical exercises, and real-world application, participants will deepen their understanding of behavior analytic principles while developing critical skills for both clinical and professional success.​
6:30PM – 7:20PM
Build It and They Will Come: 3 Strikes and Yer Out! (School Edition)

Mary White

CEU Eligible
​As analysts, we have many opportunities to work within the school setting. However, often analysts and RBTS find themselves in situations where they feel there is a lack of collaboration and communication. In addition, analysts and RBTs feel pressures from the families we serve advocating, to ending up more as an advocate during contentious situations. This talk will present discussions from both a BCBA school expert along with former district level school administrators on some of the pitfalls BCBA/RBTs engage in along with solutions on how to build positive relationships that both schools and families appreciate.​
6:30PM – 7:20PM
From Prerequisites to Purpose: Enhancing Skills for Practical Use Throughout Adolescence and Into Adulthood

Priscilla Miller

CEU Eligible
Join us for an engaging session designed to inform, inspire, and support your professional development. This presentation will offer valuable insights and practical strategies relevant to the field. Full session details, including learning objectives, will be added shortly. Stay tuned!
7:30PM – 8:20PM
Design and Implementation of Caregiver Training Goals

Carissa DeHoyos

CEU Eligible
Join us for an engaging session designed to inform, inspire, and support your professional development. This presentation will offer valuable insights and practical strategies relevant to the field. Full session details, including learning objectives, will be added shortly. Stay tuned! ​
7:30PM – 8:20PM
Unrestricted Group Supervision Series for Student Analysts
​This group supervision series is designed for student analysts seeking structured, high-quality guidance as they progress toward certification and the opportunity to earn unrestricted supervision hours. Each session covers essential topics from the BACB® task list, including assessment, intervention, measurement, ethical decision-making, and professional conduct. Through collaborative discussions, practical exercises, and real-world application, participants will deepen their understanding of behavior analytic principles while developing critical skills for both clinical and professional success.​
7:30PM – 8:20PM
Provider Soft Skills for Stakeholder Success

Jacquelyn McLeish

CEU Eligible
We would like to discuss the development of soft skills as a behavior analytic provider in order to set caregivers up for success. This presentation includes a detailed description of soft skills and their importance in sessions with caregivers. It further identifies 6 areas to focus on to improve soft skills; communication, empathy, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution, flexibility and adaptability, and accepting feedback.​
8:30PM – 9:20PM
Advocating Medical Necessity with Caregivers

Molly Ormsby

CEU Eligible
We will educate analysts on the best way to have conversations with caregivers to advocate for the medically necessary amount of therapy hours. We will use references to DSM Criteria, BACB ethical code, and other resources to highlight key considerations. We will also provide guidance on how to resolve common barriers and write treatment goals to reflect the most significant issues.​​
8:30PM – 9:20PM
The Emergence of Heritage Languages Observed in a Linguistically Diverse Child with Autism

Sreeja Atherkode

CEU Eligible
​For speakers who belong to multiple verbal communities, functional analyses of verbal behavior allow for dynamic control of response topography. The simple practice of allowing the speaker the freedom to select the language of instruction minimizes cultural bias and hegemony. Here we extend the research on functional analyses of verbal behavior to include speakers of multiple languages. Using a multilingual, seven-year-old Indian boy with autism as a case study, we demonstrate the use of a pretreatment verbal operant experimental (VOX) analysis, describe how the results were used to develop an individualized intervention plan, and then show the results of a follow-up VOX analysis after six months of behavior-analytic intervention. To assess the emergence of heritage languages, the follow-up VOX analyses was conducted in three topographically distinct languages, and we compare the results of each. The results show a clear hierarchy of strength across English, Telugu, and Tamil, with overarching patterns across the three assessments. Implications of VOX analyses for multilingual speakers with autism are discussed, and areas of future research are highlighted.​
8:30PM – 9:20PM
Unrestricted Group Supervision Series for Student Analysts
CEU Eligible
​This group supervision series is designed for student analysts seeking structured, high-quality guidance as they progress toward certification and the opportunity to earn unrestricted supervision hours. Each session covers essential topics from the BACB® task list, including assessment, intervention, measurement, ethical decision-making, and professional conduct. Through collaborative discussions, practical exercises, and real-world application, participants will deepen their understanding of behavior analytic principles while developing critical skills for both clinical and professional success.​
10PM – 1AM
PBS Social Event
Join us for relaxed evening of connection and conversation! Enjoy PBS-sponsored appetizers and unwind with two complimentary drink tickets. It's the perfect opportunity to network, mingle with colleagues, and celebrate a great day together.​