August 28, 2006

Save the Date: Annual Convention, November 2-3, 2006
Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona, NY

Contents:

NYSABA Presidential Address 2006
Call for Annual NYSABA Awards Nominations-9/8/06 Deadline
NYSABA Annual Convention: SET TO BE THE BEST CONFERENCE IN YEARS
Aversive Behavioral Interventions
Public Hearing on Behavioral Intervention Plans

NYSABA Presidential Address 2006

Douglas C. King, M.Ed., BCBA

I am very pleased to share with you the current status of our great association. Please know that your board has been working tirelessly to increase membership, provide for more secure management of the association, and to promote the ethical, humane and effective use of behavior analysis throughout New York.  I am pleased to say that the state of our association is good.

We continue to grow!  Since January of this year, our membership has increased by over 50% - from the low 330’s to over 500 members!  This dramatic increase is in large part due to the hard work of our Membership Chairperson – Frank Cicero as well as many others involved in our one-day conferences.

Big things are happening!  For many years, the NYSABA board has been discussing options related to better managing the association.  It has been a longstanding concern that the entire NYSABA board is made up solely of volunteers who are inconsistently available to address issues as they arise.  The board has discussed several options - hiring an executive director, purchasing website management software, and contracting for the services of an existing management group.  After much debate, the NYSABA board agreed unanimously on June 9th to enter into an agreement with the Association Development Group (ADG) in which ADG would provide assistance with the day-to-day running of NYSABA as well as provide assistance with membership campaigns, database management and website enhancement.  The NYSABA board is hopeful that our relationship with ADG will be productive and longstanding. 

As in previous years, NYSABA co-sponsored a one-day conference in Cortland and is looking forward to sponsoring another one-day conference in White Plains.  This year, an additional one-day conference was attempted and was very successful.  That conference - “Teaming Up For Effective Autism Intervention” was held in Rochester.  More than 300 people were in attendance.  Generally, the one-day conferences have been designed to provide participants practical information that can be easily transferred into the workplace and/or home setting.  Feedback from our one-day conferences has been overwhelmingly positive.  Please visit our website (www.nysaba.org), email us at info@nysaba.org or call Association headquarters at 518-694-4288 if you would like NYSABA to sponsor a one-day workshop in your area. 

To date, the 2006 board of directors has met four times: February 10th in Amherst, March 24th in Rochester, May 27th in Atlanta, and June 9th in Verona.  During these meetings, the NYSABA board: (1) agreed to sponsor the annual and one-day conferences, (2) put into effect a recent membership campaign, (3) debated the possible sponsorship of certain New York State legislation, (4) agreed to sponsor the annual NYSABA awards to be presented at our annual conference in Verona, (5) agreed to contract for the services of ADG, and (6) agreed to purchase limited legal consultation to assist the NYSABA Legislative Committee. 

Call for Annual NYSABA Awards Nominations-9/8/06 Deadline

NYSABA is proud to recognize those in our profession for their outstanding contributions. Please seize this opportunity to submit your nominations for those who deserve to be recognized. The awards will be presented at the NYSABA Annual Convention at The Turning Stone Casino Resort in Verona, N.Y., Nov. 2-3 2006.

1. JOHN W. JACOBSON AWARD FOR SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO EFFECTIVE BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT (award for someone who has made long-lasting and consistent contributions to the field of ABA)
2. EFFECTIVE PORTRAYAL OF ABA IN THE MASS MEDIA (for someone who has really helped to spread the word of ABA through television, print, video, popular magazine, etc.)
3. PUBLIC SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP: (for someone who has helped the cause of ABA in governmental or other public work)
4. SERVICE TO NYSABA: (for someone who has made significant contributions to the functioning of NYSABA)
5. DEDICATION TO ABA WITHIN NEW YORK STATE: (for someone who has helped to promote the practice of ABA, specifically within New York State)
6. DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDER: (for a non-administrative individual who has provided exceptional direct teaching to students with disabilities)
7. STUDENT MEMBER: (for an outstanding graduate or undergraduate student in the field of ABA)
8. PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: (for someone who has overcome obstacles or somehow distinguished themselves by their efforts to make a contribution to the field of ABA, or consumers of that discipline)

Nominations can be sent electronically to: info@nysaba.org or via mail to
NYSABA
119 Washington Ave., Suite 100
Albany, NY 12210
Attn: NYSABA Awards

All nominations will be submitted to the NYSABA Executive Council for final voting.

PLEASE SUBMIT BY SEPTEMBER 8th.

NYSABA Annual Convention: SET TO BE THE BEST CONFERENCE IN YEARS

Make plans now to join your colleagues for the NYSABA 2006 Annual Convention:

Applied Behavior Analysis: Promoting Quality Outcomes
Nov. 2-3, 2006, Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, N.Y.

These are just a few of the many timely topics speakers will cover:

• New State Regulations Re. Aversive Behaviorial Interventions
• Early Intervention
• Organizational Behavior Management
• School Wide Discipline
• Staff Training
• Autism and Developmental Disabilities
• Precision Teaching
• Evidence Based Practice

Major speakers will include:

• Ray Romancyzk, SUNY Binghampton
• William Ahearn, New England Center
• Sam Odom, UNC-Chapel Hill
• Pat Geary, Coordinator, Special Education Policy and Professional Development, VESID

Watch your mail for more conference details and registration information. Learn more about the beautiful Turning Stone Resort Casino at www.turningstone.com.

Aversive Behavioral Interventions

Written by Doug King, President NYSABA

I hope that you found NYSABA's recent e-blast helpful. It provided our NYSABA members the latest information regarding public hearings for the new "aversive behavioral interventions" legislation from the State Education Department. Please know that your NYSABA board has been very busy developing a formal response to this important issue that will soon be sent to you as well as delivered to Dr. Rebecca H. Cort, Deputy Commissioner.

On August 15th, I attended the public hearing held in Syracuse. The hearing was held at the Dr. King Elementary School with more than 50 people in attendance. During the hearing, representatives from the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) heard from 23 different presenters regarding the new legislation. There were several representatives from disability advocacy groups with one of the largest showings coming from the Tourette's community. Several of the presenters voiced concerns indicating that in their opinion, the state had now made it legal to "abuse" persons with disabilities. More than one person mentioned that many of the acts described as examples of aversive behavioral interventions are actually child abuse - hitting, slapping, kicking, hurling. 

Only one person spoke strongly in favor of the use of permitting "aversives.”  She mentioned that her son was pushed from program to program and never made progress until he attended a school outside of New York that permitted the use of contingent electric shock. She voiced that her son would have died if it was not for the use of such techniques.

Near the end of the hearing, I provided information to the panel regarding our association along with our contact information. Please know that the NYSABA Conference Committee is in the process of developing a panel (to include a representative from the State Education Department) for a presentation / discussion about the new legislation at our upcoming annual conference on November 2-3, 2006. To view the State Education regulations, go to: http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/behavioral/requirements606.htm. Please remember to forward your comments and questions to our new email address at info@nysaba.org.

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