Aggressive Behavior in Individuals with DD/ID/ASD: Recent Advances in Assessment and Treatment – 12/4/18

Aggressive behavior is common in many clinical populations, such as individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, psychiatric disorders and mild aggression is commonly seen in typically developing children.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) offers a unique perspective on functional assessment and functional analysis of aggressive behavior, function-based treatment and caregiver training. This workshop will review recent research on (1) the nature, prevalence, and risk factors for aggressive behavior; (2) functional assessment and functional analysis of aggressive behavior; (3) function-based treatment; (4) evidence-based ABA practices to prevent aggression, teach alternate behavior; and (5) application to specific cases.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the prevalence and risk factors for aggressive behavior;
• Describe recent research on functional assessment and analysis of aggressive behavior;
• Name function-based treatments and
•  Describe evidence to support their use.

Professor Peter Sturmey is Professor of Psychology at The Graduate Center and the Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York where he is a member of the Behavior Analysis Doctoral and Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis programs. He specialized in autism and other developmental disabilities, especially in the areas of applied behavior analysis, dual diagnosis, evidence-based practice, and staff and parent training. He is the resident speaker at ABAC and Chief Scientific Officer at Long Island ABA.

He gained his PhD at the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom and subsequently taught at the University of the South West (Plymouth) and University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. He then worked for the Texas Department of Mental Retardation from 1990-2000 as Chief Psychologist, first at Abilene then San Antonio State Schools during a Federal class action law. There he supervised behavioral services and Masters level psychologists providing behavior support plans for severe behavioral and psychiatric disorders in adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities and implementing large-scale active treatment and restraint reduction programs.

Professor Sturmey has published 25 edited and authored books, over 210 peer reviewed papers, over 60 book chapters. He provides webinars on ABA to qualified professionals and others on a regular basis. He has made numerous presentations nationally and internationally, including recent presentations in Canada, Brazil, Belgium, Luxemburg and Italy. He has an active lab of graduate and undergraduate students working on developing and evaluating effective and efficient ways of training caregivers using modeling and feedback to use applied behavior analysis with children and adults with autism and other disabilities. He provides training and consultations widely.

Presenter Disclosure Statement

Peter Sturmey is co-author or editor of books mentioned during the presentation. He receives royalties from the sale of the books. He also receives speaker and consultation fees for this and other related presentations.