Join us for our inaugural annual conference! Distinguished experts in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis and the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders will join together for a day of education, discussion, and reflection.

Friday, April 22 2016 in Seal Beach, CA

Pricing – $175 Early Registration
Prices include lunch and cost of CEUs

Register Here

For more information contact:
Joe Cihon at jcihonautpar@aol.com

Meet the Speakers

SHAHLA ALAI-ROSALES, PH.D., BCBA-D
Ethical Practice: Nurturing the Heart of ABA
Shahla Alai-Rosales received her B.S. from Southern Illinois University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Kansas. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas, where she conducts service, training, and research in cooperation with several local and global partners. Shahla has taught classes on applied behavior analysis and autism, professionalism and ethics, early intervention, parent training, staff training, applied research methods, and behavior change techniques. Shahla served on the governing board of the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) and as a subject matter expert on supervision of behavior analysts and on compliance with ethical codes of conduct. She has published and presented research on ethics in early intervention, play and social skills, change agent training, conditioned reinforcement, and evidence-based practice. In 2012, she was awarded an Onassis Foundation Fellowship for her work with families and was also the recipient of the “Fessor Grahm” award, UNT’s most cherished teaching award. She is currently collaborating on a book that explores the roles of spirituality and science when parents are making decisions for their children with autism.

B.J. FREEMAN, PH.D.
Diagnosing ASD
Dr. Freeman is a pioneer in the field of autism and intellectual disability.
She began working in the field of autism and related developmental
disorders nearly forty years ago, before the medical community had even
identified autism as a separate disorder. Since that time, she has been a
thought leader in the fields of autism and developmental disabilities in
both her role of Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and
the Director of Autism Services in the Department of Psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine. She is an internationally recognized expert who has researched, advised and lectured extensively on the etiology, assessment and treatment of individuals with autism and developmental
disabilities. Throughout her nearly four decades working in the field of autism and developmental disabilities, she has evaluated approximately 10,000 children for autism.

ROBERT K. ROSS, ED.D., BCBA-D
Are You Doing ABA? Behavioral Indicators of the Effective
Implementation of ABA
Dr. Ross is the Senior Vice President of Treatment Efficacy and Graduate
Education at Beacon ABA Services of Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Beacon provides intensive behavioral educational services to children
diagnosed with PDD/Autism and behavioral and learning challenges. In
addition to his oversight of all research activity at Beacon he also provides
direct and consultation services to families, schools and educational programs throughout the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Ross is a primary instructor in the BCBA certification program at Cambridge College in Cambridge Massachusetts. Dr. Ross is the President of the Autism Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), the largest membership organization with ABAI. He also serves on the Practice Board of ABAI where he is Chair of the Empirically Supported Treatments Committee and is a founding member and current President of the Massachusetts Association for Applied Behavior Analysis. Dr. Ross is currently focusing research efforts in such areas as evidence based practices, early literacy, social and play skills, and applications of visually supported instructional methods.

RONALD LEAF, PH.D
Where We’ve Been, Where We Are, Where We’re Going…
A Historical Perspective
Dr. Ronald Leaf is a licensed clinical psychologist and the Co-Director of
Autism Partnership. He has over forty years of experience in the field of
ASD, receiving his doctoral degree at UCLA under the direction of Dr.
Lovaas. During his professional training at UCLA, Dr. Leaf served as Clinic
Supervisor, Research Psychologist, Lecturer, and Interim Director of the Young Autism Project. Dr. Leaf continued his work in the field of Autism over the next 4 decades, consulting nationally and internationally
to families, school districts, and service providers world-wide. He is co-author of several key works in the field of Autism and behavioral treatment, including A Work in Progress; It’s Time for School! Building
Quality ABA Educational Programs For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders; Sense And Nonsense In The Behavioral Treatment of Autism: It Has To Be Said; and Crafting Connections: Contemporary Applied
Behavior Analysis for Enriching the Social Lives of Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Along with Dr. John McEachin, Dr. Leaf’s commitment to the continued evolution of behavioral treatment through research and quality training led to the founding of the Autism Partnership Foundation.

JOHN MCEACHIN, PH.D., BCBA-D
The Future of ASD & ABA
John McEachin, a licensed clinical psychologist and BCBA-D, has been
providing behavioral treatment to individuals with autism for more than 40
years. He received his graduate training under Professor Ivar Lovaas at UCLA on the Young Autism Project. During his 11 years at UCLA, Dr. McEachin served in various roles including Clinic Supervisor, Research and Teaching Assistant, and Acting Director. His research has included the long-term follow-up study of young autistic children who received intensive behavioral treatment, which was published in 1993. In 1994 he joined with Ron Leaf in forming Autism Partnership, which they co-direct. In 1999 they published A Work in Progress, a widely used behavioral treatment manual and curriculum for children with ASD. Dr. McEachin has lectured throughout the world and co-authored numerous books and research articles. He consults regularly to families, agencies, and school districts nationally and internationally, assisting in the development of treatment programs and providing training to parents staff, and classroom personnel. Dr. McEachin’s dedication to the advancement of behavioral treatment through research and quality training led to the co-founding of the Autism Partnership Foundation with Dr. Ron Leaf.

MARY JANE WEISS, PH.D, BCBA-D
Beyond the Child: Working With Families of Those
Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D., BCBA-D is a Professor at Endicott College, where she directs the Master’s Program in ABA and Autism and is a mentoring faculty member in the Doctoral program. She also does research with the team at Melmark. Dr. Weiss has worked in the field of ABA and Autism for over 30 years. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University in 1990 and she became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2000. She previously worked for
16 years at the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center at Rutgers University, where she served as Director of Research and Training and as Clinical Director. Her clinical and research interests center on
defining best practice ABA techniques, exploring ways to enhance the ethical conduct of practitioners, evaluating the impact of ABA in learners with autism, teaching social skills to learners with autism, training
staff to be optimally effective at instruction, and maximizing family members’ expertise and adaptation. She serves on the Scientific Council of the Organization for Autism Research, is on the Professional
Advisory Board of Autism New Jersey, is a regular reviewer for a variety of professional journals, and is a frequent member of service committees for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. She is also a Past
President of the Autism Special Interest Group at the Association for Behavior Analysis International, a former member of the Board of the Association for Professional Behavior Analysts, and a former Vice
President of the Board of Trustees for Autism New Jersey.

JUSTIN B. LEAF, PH.D., BCBA-D
The Future of ASD & ABA
Justin Leaf, Ph.D., is the Director of Research for the Autism Partnership
Foundation. Justin began working with individuals diagnosed with autism
spectrum disorder in 2000. Justin received his doctorate degree in
Behavioral Psychology from the Department of Applied Behavioral Science
at the University of Kansas. Justin worked directly under the mentorship of
Dr. James Sherman and Dr. Jan Sheldon. Currently, Justin leads the research team at Autism Partnership Foundation, which conducts research nationally and internationally. His research interests include examining methods to improve social behaviors for children and adolescents with autism and develop friendships, comparing different teaching
methodologies, evaluating parameters of reinforcement, and evaluating long term outcomes for individuals diagnosed with autism. Justin has over 40 publications in either peer reviewed journals or book chapters and has presented at both national and international professional conferences and invited events. Justin serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, and has been a guest reviewer for several additional prominent
behavior analytic and autism journals.

MITCHELL TAUBMAN, PH.D.
Mitchell Taubman is a licensed clinical psychologist and a co-director of
Autism Partnership. Drl Taubman attended the University of Kansas,
studying with such founders of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as Dr.
Donald Baer, Dr. Todd Risely, Dr. James Sherman, and his doctoral advisor, Dr. Montrose Wolf. After completing his Ph.D., Dr. Taubman returned to UCLA and served as adjunct assistant professor of psychology and as coprincipal investigator with Dr. Lovaas on a federal grant directed at autism treatment. One of his special interests in Teaching Interactions which he brought from the Kansas model to autism treatment. After his post-doctoral work, Dr. Taubman obtained his license as a clinical psychologist and served as clinical director of Straight Talk, a program providing residential and day treatment services to adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. He currently serves as Director of Autism Partnership, where he provides treatment oversight, training and
consultation around the world. Dr. Taubman is the co-author of It’s Time for School! Building Quality ABA Educational Programs For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Sense And Nonsense In The Behavioral Treatment of Autism: It Has To Be Said and Crafting Connections: Contemporary Applied Behavior Analysis for Enriching the Social Lives of Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder.