Strategies and Tools for Addressing Flexibility, Regulation, and Coping Skills with ACT or Precision Teaching

Description:

A 3-Part event focused on disseminating skills to behavior analysts, teachers, and parents who want to do better with addressing flexibility, regulation, and coping skills for their learners.

DAY ONE: Elevating Skills in ACT: An Experiential Workshop with Tommy Parry, M. S., M.Ed., BCBA, LBA, LMHCA
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has a broad base of research with over 300 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrating compelling results across a wide range of populations and behavioral concerns. ACT is becoming increasingly popular among practitioners of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) seeking to expand their clinical toolbelt. ACT, however, is much more than a set of metaphors, exercises, and activities performed with clients; nor is it a model of psychopathology. ACT is a model of being human. Furthermore, doing ACT well requires that clinicians are living it in their personal lives. This hands-on workshop seeks to help clinicians take advantage of the utility of the ACT model to foster contexts of compassion, to enhance everyday interactions with staff and parents, and to identify patterns of clinician behavior that may reinforce psychological inflexibility and impact the delivery of effective ABA services. This full-day workshop is designed for clinicians wanting to more fluidly implement ACT into their practice to enhance outcomes with staff, parents, and themselves. This workshop is geared towards individuals with intermediate skills that are familiar with the ACT model and have attended at least one in-person ACT training.

Making Sense of Movement and Regulation with Jonathan Amey, M. Ed. and co-instructor Richele Yeich, M. Ed., BCBA
Part 1: Precision Teaching and the Big Heart
Our learners deserve compassionate, effective, and powerful teaching practices. Precision Teaching provides the instructor with a well-established, data driven tool to monitor learner progress day to day, moment to moment. Participants will learn how to identify instructional objectives, create programs using a channel matrix, chart daily progress using the Standard Celeration Chart, and determine masterful, fluent performance all while honoring the learner. Participants will also learn how to apply Haughton’s Balance Sheet to develop precision teaching programs. The balance sheet helps the instructor take-action on a central topic and includes areas for identifying foundation skills, application activities, and channel wrapping options. Multiple activities will demonstrate how to apply to reading, math, handwriting, socialization, language development, motor movements, and emotional regulation. Methods learned during this session will provide a framework for designing, monitoring, and adjusting instruction with all types of learners.
Part 2: How to teach Motor Coordination and Emotional Regulation skills
Activities of daily living, vocational tasks, and leisure skills require a broad use of muscle coordination. Skills ranging from turning a doorknob to playing basketball will be covered. Emotional regulation skills such as mindful breathing and body awareness help learners stay calm and are crucial for social interactions and academic achievement. Together, motor coordination and emotional regulation skills account for the most basic foundation of learning. This session will introduce a practical, hands-on approach to developing muscle coordination (both gross and fine) and emotional regulation programs. Participants will learn the skill sequences for teaching motor movements and emotional regulation for a variety of purposes and with many types of learners.