We look forward to the 7th Annual ABA Conference

We’ll be at the ABA Conference this year, hosted by the Association for Behaviour Analysis Australia. We look forward to learning about recent ABA research and learning from leading behaviour analysts. Read on to learn more about ABA and the 7th Annual ABA Conference.

What does ABA stand for?

ABA stands for Applied Behaviour Analysis. It’s the science derived from the study of human behaviour (visible or not, including language or thoughts) and the way it is linked to particular environments, people, settings and skill repertoires.

‘Applied’ means that all principles are used in practical, real, messy conditions and for socially significant purposes, as opposed to a clean, experimental environment. It also means that there is a crossover between scientific principles and mainstream culture and society. It means every practitioner has a responsibility to educate themselves to become socially and culturally competent in the way they make use of ABA.

‘Analysis’ means that it stands on a solid foundation of (ongoing) research which gives us a systematic conceptual framework, a lens through which to “read” situations. Some of these principles have been widely disseminated to other disciplines in behaviour and education science as part of a “toolkit” (think reinforcement, task analysis). They are all connected to a bigger, fascinating network of laws about why we do what we do, in the context we are in and with our past and the history it has built.

What part does ABA play in positive behaviour support?

Historically, Positive Behaviour Support was born out of the ABA framework, which is its scientific foundation.

However, Positive Behaviour Support has developed its own culture and systems, particularly:

• The ABA principles it uses and the ones it rejects (PBS has a mandate to use reinforcement only and not punishment)
• The way services are organised: in tiers from basic services to more intensive, specialist or one-on-one services depending on the severity of behaviours of concern, the difficulty to identify functions and the effectiveness of universal protocols).

ABA offers a robust understanding of principles of behaviours and behavioural dynamics, which is crucial to plan effective interventions and maybe even more importantly to be able to look at the components of interventions and identify when and why they might not be effective.

When is the ABA Conference?

The ABA Australia 2022 Conference will start on Friday 29th July 2022 and finish on Sunday 31st July 2022. The Friday session is a workshop day, followed by the AGM of the Association for Behaviour Analysis Australia. The Saturday and Sunday sessions include keynote speakers and a Saturday social session.

Where is the ABA Conference?

The ABA Conference will be held at the World Square Rydges Hotel in Sydney, near Chinatown, the QVB, Pitt Street Mall and Darling Harbour.

Who should attend the ABA Conference?

A number of our behaviour support practitioners are attending the conference — Akanksha, Kaci, Marie and Ross. They each have ABA qualifications with the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board or the International Behaviour Analyst Organisation.

You might be interested in attending the ABA Conference if you want to gain a better systematic understanding of principles at play when behaviours increase or decrease, or how to analyse functions. Also if you want to see the wide areas of ABA applications.

What’s happening at the ABA Conference?

The ABA Conference is an opportunity to hear from leading ABA professionals and academics in Australia. You can learn about current research, current values in ABA, network/connect, learn about the development of ABA in Australia.

Ability Consultants will be there, with a table to meet people and explain what we do.

Speakers include Alex Brown, who will present on how to write quality Behaviour Support Plans for the NDIS and Kristin Bailey, who is a BCBA and Speech Therapist, and teaches in one of the only two Australian ABA university programs.

Where can I find more information?

You can find more information about ABA and the ABA Conference at https://auaba.com.au/.

We look forward to seeing you there!