****NEW LOCATION****
7010 Hwy7 St. Louis Park, MN 55426
Board Log Number OP-06-0101
April 24th 2015 ●
Continuing Education Event
Restricted and Repetitive Behavior: An allinclusive look at the lesser known side of
autism ● 9-12pm
Jason Wolff, PhD & Nancy Schussler, PhD, LP, BCBA-D
Restricted and repetitive behaviors are defining features of
autism spectrum disorder. However, relative to socialcommunication deficits, we know relatively little about them.
This workshop will address subtypes of restricted and
repetitive behaviors, describing similarities and differences
in form, function, and neurobiology. We will also consider
where these behaviors come from by considering how
young children transition from apparently typical patterns of
repetitive behavior to atypical development culminating in
ASD. This will include recent findings concerning behavioral
and brain changes which occur over the first years of life,
as well as how understanding the nature of repetitive
behaviors may guide behavioral intervention.
Instructional strategies for promoting the use
of conditional communication ● 1pm-4pm
Breanne Byiers, PhD & Nancy Schussler, PhD, LP,
BCBA-D
The purpose of this workshop is to examine the application
ABA principles and procedures in improving long-term
outcomes of assistive and augmentative communication
interventions for individuals with intellectual and
developmental disabilities (IDD), and to consider some
areas from the experimental analysis of behavior that could
play a further role in future advances. The focus will be
primarily on strategies for teaching functional
communication in the form of mands (i.e., requesting,
rejecting/protesting) to beginning communicators (i.e.,
those with few or no forms of intentional communication)
with IDD.
Communication Intervention for Persons with
Severe Disabilities and Telehealth for Remote
Coaching of Parent Implemented Intervention
Jessica Simacek, BCaBA
The first purpose of this workshop is to discuss methods for
teaching beginning communication skills to learners with
severe and complex needs through a process that includes
(1) identification of potential behaviors the learner may be
engaging in to communicate prior to intervention, (2) basing
communicative intervention targets on the findings of preintervention assessments, (3) contingent reinforcement of
communication skills, and (4) stimulus and response
prompting and fading methods to establish stimulus control
of communication skills. The secondary focus of this
workshop is to discuss the use of telehealth as a service
delivery mechanism in the provision of behavioral
consultation to address communication intervention for
learners with severe disability.
●Jason Wolff, Ph.D.
Dr. Wolff received his doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of
Minnesota, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship and faculty position with the Carolina
Institute of Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He is currently Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of
Minnesota, where he co-directs the ASD licensure and certificate programs, and is a
founding member of the new University of Minnesota Autism Initiative. His research
focuses on how the dynamic development of brain and behavior may inform early or
even preventative interventions for young children with or at-risk for ASD, with a
particular focus on restricted and repetitive behaviors.
●Breanne Byiers, Ph.D.
Breanne Byiers completed her PhD in Educational Psychology, Special Education at the
University of Minnesota in 2013, where she continues to work as Research Associate.
Her primary research interests include the assessment and treatment of challenging
behavior, communication interventions for beginning communicators, and cognitive
assessment for individuals with motor and language impairment. She coordinates
several research projects including a federally-funded study of bio-behavioral aspects of
self-injurious behavior, and studies of health and behavior in Rett syndrome.
●Jessica Simacek
Jessica Simacek is a doctoral candidate in Educational Psychology, Special Education
at the University of Minnesota. Her primary research interests include communication
intervention for persons with severe disabilities, functional analysis and intervention
for challenging behavior, and the use of Telehealth as a service delivery mechanism
for communication and challenging behavior intervention.
●Nancy Schussler, PhD, LP, BCBA-D
Dr. Schussler has earned 4 degrees focusing on behavior analysis, and has been a
licensed psychologist since 1991. Her early career focused on addressing challenging
behavior, especially severe self-injury and aggression, in children and adults with
disabilities. Her training has equipped her to address the complex learning problems
displayed by individuals with severe multiple impairments. Dr. Schussler adheres to a
treatment philosophy that embraces skill development, which centers on teaching
functional communication skills and other adaptive behavior using positive instructional
strategies. Since 1996, she has been developing an intensive behavioral intervention
program for children with autism.
Registration
The cost of this workshop is $80.00. The cost does not
include lunch, but a break from 12:00 to 1:00 is scheduled
so participants will be able to leave to pick up lunch (there
are a variety of lunch-time options nearby). Advanced
registration is preferred, but is not required. You may
register by contacting office@behavioraldimensions.com or
by calling 952.814.0207. The brochure and registration
information is also online at
www.behavioraldimensions.com.
Continuing Education Credits
This workshop provides 6 continuing education credits for
Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Minnesota Licensed
Psychologists.
Objectives and Outlines
Restricted and Repetitive Behavior: An all-inclusive look at the lesser known side of autism
LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR PARTICIPANTS:
1. Describe and differentiate between the types of behavior constituting “restricted and repetitive behaviors”.
2. Describe and recognize the early development of both typical and atypical restricted and repetitive behaviors.
3. Understand basic aspects of brain development underlying restricted and repetitive behavior.
4. Understand the role of timing, form, and function of restricted and repetitive behaviors in determining type and
appropriateness of intervention.
BRIEF OUTLINE OF WORKSHOP:
What are “restricted and repetitive behaviors”?

General definitions across developmental disabilities

Examples from ASD and beyond

Similarities and differences: why they matter
Where do restricted and repetitive behaviors come from?

Overview and examples of early typical development

Where and how children who develop ASD diverge
When should we address restricted and repetitive behaviors, and what should we do?

The role of function, timing, and opportunities for adaptive behavior

What we do – and do not yet – know about intervention strategies
Instructional strategies for promoting the use of conditional communication
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES FOR PARTICIPANTS:
1. Define key terms: Functional communication training (FCT), assistive and alternative communication (AAC), functional
equivalence, response efficiency
2. Describe how single subject experimental designs can and have been used to identify effective communication systems for
individuals with intellectual disabilities
3. Identify specific strategies used to promote conditional communication use (i.e., delay schedules, concurrent reinforcement
schedules, stimulus control procedures, multiple schedules, and general case instruction), and describe how they might be
implemented.
BRIEF OUTLINE OF WORKSHOP:
Brief overview of functional communication training (FCT) procedures and research

Discussion of the role functional equivalence and response efficiency in designing communication interventions.

Examination of the role of single subject experimental designs in identifying and selecting AAC strategies

Techniques for promoting the conditional use, generalization and maintenance of different communicative functions.

Communication Intervention for Persons with Severe Disabilities and Telehealth for Remote
Coaching of Parent Implemented Intervention
LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR PARTICIPANTS:
1. Define key terms: Idiosyncratic communication, assistive and alternative communication (AAC), structured descriptive
assessment (SDA), functional communication training (FCT), telehealth.
2. Describe how the process of pre-intervention communication assessment through parental interview, SDA, and functional
analysis can assist with communication intervention planning.
3. Identify specific procedures to identify environmental contexts that may serve as reinforcing to the individual and how to
shape currently existing idiosyncratic communicative behavior into an AAC response.
BRIEF OUTLINE OF WORKSHOP:
Brief overview of assessment procedures to identify potentially communicative behaviors prior to intervention and matching

communication intervention to each learner’s needs
Discussion of the methods of behavioral practices to teach communication through reinforcement, shaping, stimulus and

response prompting and fading
Examination of a series of studies utilizing these techniques to teach communication to learners with severe multiple

disabilities
Discussion of the current state of telehealth research in behavioral consultation for learners with severe disabilities

Who Should Attend?
· Board Certified Behavior Analysts
· MN Licensed Psychologists
· Persons using behavior analysis in
consultation, teaching, or direct service
THIS EVENT IS PROUDLY
HOSTED & PRESENTED AT
BEHAVIORAL DIMENSIONS
7010 HIGHWAY 7
ST. LOUIS PARK, MN 55426
952.814.0207