PRESENTATION

Quality Functional Assessment in Community Settings: Addressing Systemic Barriers and Clinical Decision-Making

Friday, March 13 | 10:40AM to 11:40AM | 60 MINUTES | LIVE

Despite widespread agreement that functional analysis (FA) represents the gold standard for assessing problem behavior, research indicates that many practicing BCBAs rely primarily on indirect and descriptive methods. Not only do such approaches have limited efficacy, but they are also often implemented inappropriately. This gap between evidence-based practice and real-world application is not simply a training problem; recent surveys demonstrate that organizational contingencies such as productivity models, resource limitations, and staffing constraints also create powerful barriers that prevent even well-trained behavior analysts from conducting rigorous functional assessments. This presentation takes a dual approach, providing both clinical guidance and system-level solutions to improve functional assessment practices in applied settings. First, attendees will learn how to determine when different assessment methods are most appropriate, including when to move beyond descriptive methods to experimental analysis. Second, common errors in descriptive FBA implementation will be identified, and variants of FA designed for feasibility in typical practice settings (e.g., brief FA, trial-based FA) will be reviewed. Finally, system-level strategies to promote better functional assessment practices will be discussed. For frontline BCBAs, this presentation provides actionable strategies for advocating for change, documenting the need for quality assessment, and identifying specific areas where additional training or supervision is needed. For clinical directors and operations leaders, this presentation offers concrete recommendations for modifying organizational policies and building infrastructure that supports evidence-based assessment practices. 

SYMPOSIUM

Centering Parent Mediated Intervention in the Context of ABA Services

Ryan Martin, Ph.D., BCBA, and Sean Yocum, MA, BCBA, LBA
ON DEMAND | 60 MINUTES

Converging economic pressures are reshaping ABA treatment. Reimbursement rate reductions and the shift toward value-based care models demand more efficient service delivery. Including parents in treatment offers a sustainable path forward; one that aligns clinical effectiveness with fiscal responsibility while honoring family autonomy and preferences. Despite robust evidence supporting parent-mediated intervention (PMI) in autism treatment (Bearss et al., 2015; Postorino et al., 2017), it remains underutilized in comprehensive ABA treatment. Multiple factors contribute to this gap. BCBAs typically receive minimal training in parent consultation models (Ingersoll et al., 2020), families may be unfamiliar with or hesitant about parent guidance approaches, and funding structures have historically incentivized direct services (Straiton et al., 2021). These patterns persist despite research demonstrating that parent-mediated interventions produce meaningful outcomes, enhance generalization, and promote family empowerment. For certain clients and families, PMI may be the most appropriate or even the only viable service option. BCBAs who proactively develop consultation competencies and integrate PMI will be better positioned to serve families effectively and maintain viable practices in an evolving marketplace. This presentation will examine PMI as both an underutilized opportunity and an emerging necessity in ABA and autism intervention more broadly. We will review the research literature on PMI in autism and describe how it can produce positive outcomes for not only autistic children but parents and family systems as well. To illustrate the practical value of PMI, we will showcase effectiveness data from implementing PMI in community settings. Finally, we will conclude with a call to action for ABA researchers and suggestions for practitioners to develop their PMI repertoire and incorporate it into service delivery more effectively.