ABA of Language Cognition with Jonathan Tarbox and RuthAnne Rehfeldt

Dr. Jonathan Tarbox is the Program Director of the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis program at the University of Southern California, as well as Director of Research at FirstSteps for Kids. Dr. Tarbox is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Behavior Analysis in Practice and serves on the editorial boards of several scientific journals related to autism and behavior analysis. He has published four books on autism treatment, is the Series Editor of the Elsevier book series Critical Specialties in Treating Autism and Other Behavioral Challenges, and an author of well over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters in scientific texts.  His research focuses on behavioral interventions for teaching complex skills to individuals with autism, applications of Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) inside of applied behavior analysis, and applications of applied behavior analysis to issues of diversity and social justice. 

Dr. Rehfeldt holds a BA in psychology from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA (1993), and  masters and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Nevada (1998). Dr. Rehfeldt is now serving as assistant chair and professor in the Applied Behavior Analysis program at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology Chicago campus. She is ecstatic to be living and working again in Chicago. Dr. Rehfeldt has published over 100 articles and book chapters in behavior analysis, most of which have focused upon language interventions for persons with developmental disabilities. 

Their latest book: https://www.amazon.com/Applied-Behavior-Analysis-Language-Cognition/dp/1684031370

All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (learnbehavioral.com).

How to Manage Your Child’s Stress & Anxiety During COVID-19

The sudden disruption in routine due to COVID-19 is challenging for all individuals to manage as we adjust to a new, and hopefully short-lived, normal of staying at home and ceasing most of our regular activities. For families of individuals with autism and other disabilities, the disruption can be especially challenging.

Resources Discussed:

Talking with children about Coronavirus: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/talking-with-children.html

For more helpful tips and resources, sign up for our Parent Newsletter at learnbehavioral.com/parentresources.

All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (learnbehavioral.com).

Successfully Employing Individuals With Autism – With David Friedman

David is the founder and CEO of AutonomyWorks. AutonomyWorks is a for-profit, social enterprise that employs people with autism. The company provides outsourced marketing operations support for large marketing organizations, including Reddit, Morningstar, and MediaCom. AutonomyWorks taps into the unique talents of people with autism to deliver exceptional quality and productivity. Prior to this compnany, David had a 25-year career as a marketing executive, including serving as President, Marketing for Sears Holdings and President-Americas at Razorfish. He lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and four kids.

Multidisciplinary Care for Autism with Dr. Hanna Rue

We are proud to welcome Dr. Hanna Rue to AllAutismTalk for a monthly, in-depth conversation about the latest research and treatment options for individuals on the autism spectrum.

Dr. Hanna C. Rue is Head of Clinical Development for AST. She oversees clinical standards and assists in the design and implementation of numerous research projects and staff training protocols. Dr. Rue is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Massachusetts and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.  She obtained her doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of North Dakota and completed her pre-doctoral training at May Institute. Prior to joining AST she played a leadership role at the National Autism Center and also served as a clinical director for the May Institute’s largest special education school. Dr. Rue also served as Chairperson on the National Standards Project, phase 2.

Global Autism Project: Training Staff at Autism Centers Around the World

Molly Ola Pinney is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Autism Project, a nonprofit organization that increases the capacity of local individuals working with children with autism worldwide. The Global Autism Project has grown to an organization that has served ten countries so far and is well on its way to achieving its goal of establishing centers of excellence in 20 countries by year 2020.

She has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades for her work, including the Comcast NBC Universal award, the Autism Light Foundation award as well as given the opportunity to ring the NASDAQ bell alongside her staff in 2012. Her recent TEDx talk “Doing things for others doesn’t help” discusses the importance of doing things with people, rather than for them.

As a leader in the nonprofit community and international service delivery, Molly has collaborated with multiple organizations to increase their ability to provide quality services to those with autism.

Early Detection and Treatment for Autism with Dr. Geraldine Dawson

Geraldine Dawson is the William Cleland Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University, where she also is Professor of Pediatrics and Psychology & Neuroscience. Dawson is the Director of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences whose mission is to promote interdisciplinary brain science and translate discoveries into solutions for health and society.  Dawson also is Director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, an NIH Autism Center of Excellence, which is an interdisciplinary research program and clinic, aimed to improve the lives of those with autism through research, education, clinical services, and policy. She has published several books on autism, including An Early Start for Your Child with Autism, A Parent’s Guide to High-Functioning Autism, and  What Science Tells Us about Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Dawson’s pioneering studies were among the first to describe the emergence of autism symptoms during infancy, leading to new screening tools. Dawson co-created the Early Start Denver Model, an early autism intervention shown to improve behavioral outcomes, which has been translated into 17 languages and is used worldwide. Her work showed for the first time that early intervention can normalize aspects of brain activity in children with autism, changing the field’s view of brain plasticity in autism, a finding recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the top 10 medical breakthroughs of 2012. A strong advocate for persons with autism, Dawson has testified a number of times before the US Congress in support of major autism legislation and was appointed by the U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services for two terms to the DHHS IACC.

All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (learnbehavioral.com).