Making it Stick: Generalization & Maintenance of SBT

1.5 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 how to extend SBT gains beyond the teaching context and sustain them over time. Participants learn how to generalize to new people, new places, and new supports, weighing the pros and cons of sprinkling in generalization early against following a more structured, successive approach to manage risk. The module covers the strategies that make treatment resemble the natural environment and how to program for them. It then turns to defining what completing SBT actually means, the factors that can undermine maintenance, and how to support lasting gains through real-world reinforcement, training the people around the learner, and brief booster sessions.

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

• Understand what is needed to generalize skills to new people, places, and supports, sequencing changes to manage risk and calibrating expectations for regression
• Compare concurrent vs. successive approaches to generalization and determine which fits a given learner and situation
• Naturalize treatment by fading the salience of the EO and other supports, applying gray reinforcement, and expanding from an omnibus request to specific mands
• Describe what constitutes completion of SBT and identify the factors that undermine maintenance of treatment gains
• Understand the components necessary to support long-term maintenance through real-world reinforcement, training caregivers and other supports, and implementing booster sessions

Presenter Bios:
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.

Liisa Podosek, MSW, M.Ed, BCBA, LBA built and delivered mentorship programs that transformed how hundreds of practitioners implement PFA/SBT and assent-based care, guiding clinicians from “I read about this” to “I can do this confidently.” She brings a trauma-informed lens to mentorship, helping practitioners navigate difficult cases and develop authentic caregiver partnerships. She currently leads the development and coordination of educational offerings through PFA & SBT Community.

Dr. Edward Sanabria, Ph.D, BCBA, LBA designed and implemented large-scale PFA/SBT mentorship systems that trained clinicians across the country in assessment and treatment approaches that prioritize client safety, dignity, and assent. His research interests in interdisciplinary collaboration, reflective practice, and the large-scale adoption of behavioral interventions inform his approach to helping practitioners develop humility-driven clinical practices that build strong therapeutic relationships. He currently serves as Senior Director of Functional Analysis and Treatment Implementation at Centria Autism, where he oversees national assent-based care training initiatives and PFA/SBT mentorship.