NOW AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND
Speaker
Sean Yocum, MA, BCBA, LBA
CEO/Founder Hickory Learning Group
About Sean Yocum
Sean is a dedicated and compassionate professional with a strong passion for teaching, mentoring, and educating. With over 15 years of experience working in the field as a paraprofessional, crisis management trainer and now as a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst), Sean has honed his expertise in providing guidance and support to individuals and families. Driven by personal experiences as a sibling to an autistic brother, Sean is deeply committed to making a positive impact in the lives of others. Currently works as the CEO of Hickory Learning Group, an organization dedicated to nurturing future behavior analysts, advancing the field of ABA, and empowering families with the skills and confidence needed to fade reliance on direct therapy and transition individuals to greater independence Behavior analysis also drives his passion for coaching where he is a head coach for Dirtbags Youth Baseball in Newton, NC, where he uses the principles of behavior analysis to help reinforce and shape skills for youth baseball players. With a genuine dedication to fostering growth and empowerment, Sean is a trusted advocate and resource for those seeking guidance in the field of behavior analysis. Sean is also a co-host of the Rad N Bad podcast.
SYMPOSIUM
Centering Parent Mediated Intervention in the Context of ABA Services
Ryan Martin, Ph.D., BCBA, and Sean Yocum, MA, BCBA, LBA
Friday, March 13 | 10:40AM to 11:40AM | 60 MINUTES | LIVE
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.
Program Details
Continuing Education
IACET – 0.1
APA – 1
BACB – 1
CAMFT – 1
SLP – 0
PDU – 1
Learning Objectives
Objective 1:
Participants will describe three barriers to effective parent-mediated intervention (PMI) implementation in ABA.
Objective 2:
Participants will identify two examples of evidence-based parent-mediated interventions.
Objective 3:
Participants will identify three practical strategies for building capacity to integrate PMI into ABA service delivery.
Elevate Your Impact is Catalight’s annual virtual conference, dedicated to advancing person-centered care for individuals with autism and intellectual developmental disabilities (I/DDs). Offering continuing education to those who qualify, the conference features a dynamic mix of live sessions and on-demand content, providing a flexible learning experience. Elevate Your Impact is an opportunity to connect with thought leaders, gain insights and optimize care outcomes in behavioral health.