The Finer Points: Practical Recommendations for SBT

0.5 General CEUs

*This is a self-contained module from the “Beyond the Protocol” workshop, a comprehensive workshop on PFA and SBT.

Course Abstract: This module covers the finer points and practical recommendations that sharpen SBT implementation once the core steps are in place. Participants learn how to think about mastery criteria and when to require more than three consecutive responses, how to use progress probes to test a learner’s tolerance and earn faster progress, and how to recognize the optimal teaching opportunity (OTO). The module also introduces integrating components of the Enhanced Choice Model (ECM) for older, highly verbal learners who need more autonomy, and walks through a framework for deciding SBT dosage based on the learner’s needs, engagement across contexts, and what’s happening outside of SBT time. Throughout, the emphasis is on individualizing these decisions and knowing when each tool is (and isn’t) appropriate.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to…

• Determine appropriate mastery criteria for a learner, including when to extend beyond three consecutive responses based on retention and fluency
• Use progress probes to assess a learner’s tolerance, skip unnecessary microshaping, and identify where the optimal teaching opportunity (OTO) lies, while recognizing when a probe is not appropriate
• Integrate components of the Enhanced Choice Model to give autonomy to older, highly verbal learners, including honoring session-level opt-in and opt-out
• Determine SBT dosage using a framework based on safety, the learner’s engagement across contexts, and non-SBT activities and behavioral contrast

Presenter Bio:
Hillary Laney, MA, BCBA, LBA spearheaded a company-wide transformation to assent-based care at one of the largest ABA organizations in the country. She built the mentorship infrastructure, data systems, and implementation frameworks that resulted in hundreds of clinicians and clinical leaders being trained and thousands of clients benefiting from PFA/SBT and assent-based care practices. She currently works as a Senior VP of Clinical Services at Centria Autism.