Introducing our 2025 Keynote Sessions!
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Introducing our 2025 Breakout Sessions
Breakout sessions will offer two presentations happening at the same time in separate rooms. Attendees can choose which session they’d like to attend.
Day 1
Breakout Session 1 (50 minutes each)
1. Teaching Social Skills across the Lifespan! We still gotta do that? (1 Learning CE)
Speaker: Heather Hackett-Hayes, BCBA
Teaching social skills has been widely seen as a skill set that we most often teach to younger children, however more and more research has recently demonstrated the need for these interventions with the older population.Adults on the spectrum often struggle with understanding the social world and interpreting others intent. This is even more complicated in work and college environment. This presentation will give participants researched based interventions to teach social skills across the lifespan, an understanding of the social validity associated with teaching social skills to adults as well as assessment resources.
2. The Secret Sauce of Rapport Building: because "some weather we're having" isn't enough (1 Learning CE)
Speakers: Victoria Bernard, M.ADS, BCBA, IBA & Yvonne Dumaresq, M.Ed., BCBA, IBA
In the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), clinicians at all levels of work often find themselves in situations or contexts in which they feel as though they need to "have answers" or "solve problems" for their clients and stakeholders quickly. This pressure, sometimes leads to an emphasis on the outcomes, while forgetting about "the journey." A big part of that "journey" includes building rapport, identifying who your strongest collaborative partners might be, and using the perspectives of those around you to inform your treatment plans/strategies. This presentation will highlight some perspectives on this topic from other published clinicians, as well as some potentially new ideas about what you DO to build rapport, what good rapport LOOKS like, and how to use rapport to better recruit others to join your behaviour analytic mission for even your toughest cases. Presenters will demonstrate through stories/case examples that the ultimate benefit of having good rapport is gaining the ability to "work smarter, not harder" to gain positive and meaningful outcomes.
Breakout Session 2 (75 Minutes each)
1. Beyond Behaviour Analysis: Interdisciplinary Innovations in ABA (1.5 Learning CEs)
Speaker: Nicole Neil, PhD, RBA (Ont.), BCBA-D
Behaviour analysis, traditionally centered on observable behaviours and single-case methods, is increasingly intersecting with other disciplines to address complex challenges. This presentation will highlight interdisciplinary research and practice in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), showcasing collaborations across education, psychology, and economics. Key examples include (1) the development of function-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for individuals with autism and obsessive-compulsive behaviour (OCB) and (2) the design of inclusive STEM camps that merge ABA with evidence-based educational strategies. These case studies illustrate how behaviour analysts can integrate diverse methodologies—such as group designs, qualitative research, and participatory practices—to enhance interventions and improve socially significant outcomes. Through these cases, we will explore essential skills for interdisciplinary collaboration leveraging interprofessional frameworks. This session aims to inspire practitioners and researchers to integrate interdisciplinary approaches into their work, fostering innovation and advancing ABA’s impact on real-world issues.
2. Compassion at Every Level: Preventing Burnout Individually, Relationally, and Organizationally
Speaker: Danielle Thebeau, BScKin
Burnout among allied health professionals is a critical issue with significant implications for service quality, staff retention, and client outcomes. A 2021 study found that 72% of Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) reported experiencing symptoms of burnout (Slowiak & DeLongchamp), underscoring the urgency of addressing this growing concern. Burnout is associated with decreased engagement, absenteeism, increased turnover, and diminished client care. Contributing factors include high caseloads, staffing shortages, and regular exposure to trauma, pain, and suffering. Historically, strategies for preventing burnout have focused on individual-level interventions, placing the responsibility solely on the professional. While self-care is important, comprehensive burnout prevention requires a multi-level approach. Strategies must be implemented not only by individuals but also by organizations and professional communities. Compassion at all levels, which involves recognizing challenges and proactively creating conditions that support well-being, is essential. Some factors contributing to burnout may be inevitable but accepting these realities while choosing to engage in compassionate, evidence-based practices can mitigate their effects. Compassion is defined as the recognition of suffering and a deliberate response to alleviate it. Compassion can serve as a guiding principle in shaping organizational culture, supervisory practices, and professional support. Integrating compassion at all levels of practice aligns with the theme Heart & Science: Behaviour Analysis Across the Lifespan, by outlining behavioural strategies to prevent burnout. Promoting compassion-informed strategies may reduce burnout and enhance the sustainability of behaviour analytic services across settings and lifespans.
Breakout Session 3 (50 Minutes Each)
1. Creating Competent Clinicians: Supporting Fieldwork Students in Adult I/DD Settings (1 Learning CE)
Speaker: Liz Elias, M.Ed., LBA, BCBA
Fieldwork experiences for students working with intellectually or developmentally disabled (I/DD) adult services don’t always come with clear systems, consistent staff, or built-in behavior analytic resources. While this can cause difficulties and frustrations, this setting also comes with incredible opportunities to shape compassionate, competent clinicians. In this presentation, we’ll explore how to design meaningful fieldwork supervision experiences in adult service settings that often fall outside traditional ABA models. This session offers realistic, flexible strategies for supporting students in environments that stray from the traditional clinical setting. We’ll talk about how to balance task list alignment with human-centered care, how to build meaningful supervision moments without daily direct service, and how to nurture professional judgment through real-life complexity. Whether you're a seasoned supervisor or just starting out, you'll leave with tools and encouragement to make powerful impacts in fieldwork experiences for students in adult services settings.
2. Working at the Intersection: Applying Behaviour Analytic Principles in Harm Reduction-Focused Substance Use Support (1 Learning CE)
Speaker: Becky Molly, MPEd, BCBA
Substance use continues to be a critical factor impacting the quality of life and stability of individuals receiving community-based support. Behaviour analysts are increasingly being called upon to provide consultation in contexts where substance use, trauma, and complex mental health needs intersect. This presentation explores how behaviour analytic principles can be effectively applied within a harm reduction framework to support individuals who are substance impacted. Attendees will learn how to incorporate evidence-based strategies such as contingency management and Motivational Interviewing (MI) into person-centered, trauma-informed service delivery. Additional behavioural strategies—including preventative supports and acceptance-informed approaches—will also be introduced to broaden participants’ consultative toolkit. Emphasis will be placed on building collaborative, compassionate relationships while remaining grounded in data collection, goal setting, and functional assessment. Through real-life case examples and interactive discussions, this presentation demonstrates how integrated approaches not only reduce harmful behaviours but also promote quality of life, self-determination, and community inclusion. By the end of the session, participants will have practical tools to guide their work with individuals who use substances, grounded in the core values of dignity, autonomy, and safety. This presentation aims to broaden the scope of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and demonstrate its relevance and potential impact within community-based, harm reduction-oriented service systems.
Day 2
Breakout Session 4 (75 Minutes each)
1. Shaping Compassion: Using Behaviour Science in Higher Education to Shape Behaviours that Reflect Empathy, Cultural Responsiveness, and Professional Humility for the Development of Compassionate Behaviour Science Graduates Across the Lifespan (1.5 Learning CEs)
Speakers: Melissa MacDonald, M.A., BCBA & Sorcha Parker, M.S., BCBA
Developing compassionate, competent graduates is a critical goal of higher education, particularly within the field of behaviour analysis, where practitioners routinely influence lives across the lifespan. As the demand for graduates with training in behaviour science increases, so does the need to prepare students not only with technical expertise but with the interpersonal and ethical sensitivity required for humane, socially valid practice. This presentation will explore the integration of behaviour science principles into higher education curricula (specifically a graduate certificate in behavioural interventions at Nova Scotia Community College) to cultivate compassion as a teachable and, ultimately, measurable repertoire. While direct measures of compassion remain underdeveloped in behaviour analytic training, this work highlights ongoing efforts to define, teach, and assess compassionate behaviour using empirically supported methods. Instructional strategies such as modeling, reinforcement, feedback, and values-based teaching will be discussed as tools to shape behaviours that reflect empathy, cultural responsiveness, and professional humility. Emphasis will be placed on creating learning environments that support psychological flexibility, inclusive dialogue, and sustained prosocial engagement. We will share strategies, challenges, and outcomes in our current journey to shape compassionate behaviour in our academic and practicum settings, with a goal to invite collaboration across institutions and community agencies interested in promoting the same growth. By leveraging the science of behaviour to shape both minds and hearts, educators can ensure that future practitioners are not only effective but deeply attuned to the dignity and wellbeing of the individuals they serve. Ultimately, this approach underscores the transformative potential of behaviour analysis in higher education to elevate the field’s impact and advance compassionate care across all stages of life.
2. ACTing Like an Adult: Leveraging Mindfulness and Values to Build Independence (1.5 Learning CEs)
Speakers: Jaime Santana, BCBA, R.B.A.(Ont.) & Lisa Zariwny, BCBA, R.B.A.(Ont.)
Working with youth and adults can be challenging, especially when trying to develop skills in areas that are needed, but assent is removed due to discomfort, frustration, or aversion. Luckily the framework of Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACTr) provides an opportunity to support the client as they navigate what is important to them, leading to self-directed goal planning. It also builds the skills needed for self-regulation and management of emotions that cause task completion to be difficult. By leveraging Values and Mindfulness, mixed in with the rest of the six ACTr processes, your client may be more willing to try hard things and stay on task when things get hard independently.
Breakout Session 5 (50 minutes each)
1. Sexuality Education for Individuals with Autism: A call to action to ABA! (1 Learning CE)
Speaker: Jessica Cauchi, Ph.D., BCBA-D. RBA (Ont)
Sexuality education for individuals with autism spectrum disorders is a severely under-researched area, and yet the need is great. Individuals with autism are at heightened risk for being victims of sexual offenses, but also higher risk of engaging in contextually-inappropriate sexual behaviour. Further, the impact of healthy sexuality on quality of life for individuals with autism is rarely discussed. It will be discussed in this talk why behaviour analysts are uniquely positioned to be leaders in research and clinical practice in sexuality education. How to apply principles of behaviour analysis to include sexuality goals in clinical practice will be addressed, as well as future directions for needed research areas.
2. Holding Safety, Holding Dignity: Rethinking Physical Containment in Complex Crisis Situations (1 Learning CE)
Speakers: Sarah McCarthy, M.A, BCBA & Matthew Noseworthy, Crisis Management Training Coordinator
Physical containment is a highly sensitive and often controversial topic within behavioral health services. While it is never the goal, there are rare but critical moments when all other behavioral interventions have been exhausted, and an individual’s behavior escalates to a level that poses an imminent risk to their own safety or the safety of others. In these moments, physical containment may become necessary—not as a punitive action, but as a protective intervention grounded in compassion care.
This presentation explores how physical containment, when implemented as part of a therapeutic and trauma-informed approach, can align with the core values of contemporary applied behavior analysis (ABA)—including safety, dignity, and televiability. Drawing on literature related to therapeutic containment (Steckley, 2010), trauma-informed behavior analysis (Rajaraman et al., 2022), and compassionate service delivery (Taylor et al., 2019), we propose a model that reframes containment as an ethical, temporary support strategy during moments of extreme crisis.
We also consider how staff safety and organizational containment practices reduce injury, burnout and increase the capacity for therapeutic engagement. By prioritizing televisibility and embedding physical containment within a broader model of relational and regulated crisis care, we aim to shift the narrative from containment as restriction to containment as protection. This discussion invites practitioners to critically evaluate both action and inaction, and to develop practices rooted in ethics, safety, and empathy. The ultimate goal is to reduce harm, restore regulation, and increase moments of joy for individuals with complex behavioral needs.
Breakout Session 6 (50 minutes each)
1. Joyful Learning Through Effective Supervision: A Heart-Driven and Science-Backed Approach (1 Supervision CE)
Speaker: Sara Moosa, MS, BCBA
By shaping meaningful behaviours in the early years in individuals with autism using an effective supervision model, we aim to empower learners by building a strong foundation for long-lasting success. These practices do not only reduce severe behaviours and promote functional communication but also enable learners to thrive across their lifespan. Furthermore, they also empower caregivers, clinicians, future educators, and collaborators to develop their skills and abilities and offer impactful support to the learners; a support that is grounded in compassion, guided by science, and rooted in understanding and respect for the learner’s unique journey. The aim of this workshop is to explore how effective supervision enhances the implementation of Practical Functional Assessment (PFA) and Skill-Based Treatment (SBT) to reduce severe problem behaviours, such as self-injury and aggression, in young learners with autism. The workshop is drawn from a clinical case led by a Level 6 FTF credentialed clinician, attendees will have the chance to gain practical insights into how to effectively evaluate existing supervision models within their organizations and adapt them based on their clients’ individual needs. As part of this, attendees will explore strategies to support implementers in recognizing learner cues, expanding reinforcing contexts in a meaningful and thematic manner, maintaining procedural fidelity to the SBT process. The workshop will demonstrate supervision practices that are flexible, responsive, and grounded in trauma-informed and assent-based care, ensuring that both the learner and implementers progress, learn, benefit, and engage throughout the learning process.
2. What I Wish I Knew: Lessons from Adult Services for Early Intervention Clinicians (1 Learning CE)
Speakers: Ashley Kingston, M.Ed, BCBA, IBA, Amanda Saulnier, M.Ed, BCBA, IBA, CBS, & Monica Peters, BCBA
As behaviour analysts who have supported individuals across the lifespan, we’ve seen how early intervention can shape—not just skills, but lives. In this breakout session, clinicians currently working in adult services will reflect on the lessons we wish we’d known when we were providing early intervention. We’ll explore how early decisions about goals, teaching approaches, and collaboration can influence autonomy, identity, and quality of life years down the line. Topics will include how to support families in preparing for the journey ahead, how to select goals that remain meaningful over time, and how to build flexibility and self-advocacy from the start. We’ll also share practical ways to partner with families and other professionals to prioritize dignity, connection, and long-term wellbeing. This session is for early intervention providers, BCBAs, and allied professionals who want to ensure their work today sets the stage for a more empowered tomorrow.
Breakout Session 1 (50 minutes each)
1. Teaching Social Skills across the Lifespan! We still gotta do that? (1 Learning CE)
Speaker: Heather Hackett-Hayes, BCBA
Teaching social skills has been widely seen as a skill set that we most often teach to younger children, however more and more research has recently demonstrated the need for these interventions with the older population.Adults on the spectrum often struggle with understanding the social world and interpreting others intent. This is even more complicated in work and college environment. This presentation will give participants researched based interventions to teach social skills across the lifespan, an understanding of the social validity associated with teaching social skills to adults as well as assessment resources.
2. The Secret Sauce of Rapport Building: because "some weather we're having" isn't enough (1 Learning CE)
Speakers: Victoria Bernard, M.ADS, BCBA, IBA & Yvonne Dumaresq, M.Ed., BCBA, IBA
In the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), clinicians at all levels of work often find themselves in situations or contexts in which they feel as though they need to "have answers" or "solve problems" for their clients and stakeholders quickly. This pressure, sometimes leads to an emphasis on the outcomes, while forgetting about "the journey." A big part of that "journey" includes building rapport, identifying who your strongest collaborative partners might be, and using the perspectives of those around you to inform your treatment plans/strategies. This presentation will highlight some perspectives on this topic from other published clinicians, as well as some potentially new ideas about what you DO to build rapport, what good rapport LOOKS like, and how to use rapport to better recruit others to join your behaviour analytic mission for even your toughest cases. Presenters will demonstrate through stories/case examples that the ultimate benefit of having good rapport is gaining the ability to "work smarter, not harder" to gain positive and meaningful outcomes.
Breakout Session 2 (75 Minutes each)
1. Beyond Behaviour Analysis: Interdisciplinary Innovations in ABA (1.5 Learning CEs)
Speaker: Nicole Neil, PhD, RBA (Ont.), BCBA-D
Behaviour analysis, traditionally centered on observable behaviours and single-case methods, is increasingly intersecting with other disciplines to address complex challenges. This presentation will highlight interdisciplinary research and practice in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), showcasing collaborations across education, psychology, and economics. Key examples include (1) the development of function-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for individuals with autism and obsessive-compulsive behaviour (OCB) and (2) the design of inclusive STEM camps that merge ABA with evidence-based educational strategies. These case studies illustrate how behaviour analysts can integrate diverse methodologies—such as group designs, qualitative research, and participatory practices—to enhance interventions and improve socially significant outcomes. Through these cases, we will explore essential skills for interdisciplinary collaboration leveraging interprofessional frameworks. This session aims to inspire practitioners and researchers to integrate interdisciplinary approaches into their work, fostering innovation and advancing ABA’s impact on real-world issues.
2. Compassion at Every Level: Preventing Burnout Individually, Relationally, and Organizationally
Speaker: Danielle Thebeau, BScKin
Burnout among allied health professionals is a critical issue with significant implications for service quality, staff retention, and client outcomes. A 2021 study found that 72% of Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) reported experiencing symptoms of burnout (Slowiak & DeLongchamp), underscoring the urgency of addressing this growing concern. Burnout is associated with decreased engagement, absenteeism, increased turnover, and diminished client care. Contributing factors include high caseloads, staffing shortages, and regular exposure to trauma, pain, and suffering. Historically, strategies for preventing burnout have focused on individual-level interventions, placing the responsibility solely on the professional. While self-care is important, comprehensive burnout prevention requires a multi-level approach. Strategies must be implemented not only by individuals but also by organizations and professional communities. Compassion at all levels, which involves recognizing challenges and proactively creating conditions that support well-being, is essential. Some factors contributing to burnout may be inevitable but accepting these realities while choosing to engage in compassionate, evidence-based practices can mitigate their effects. Compassion is defined as the recognition of suffering and a deliberate response to alleviate it. Compassion can serve as a guiding principle in shaping organizational culture, supervisory practices, and professional support. Integrating compassion at all levels of practice aligns with the theme Heart & Science: Behaviour Analysis Across the Lifespan, by outlining behavioural strategies to prevent burnout. Promoting compassion-informed strategies may reduce burnout and enhance the sustainability of behaviour analytic services across settings and lifespans.
Breakout Session 3 (50 Minutes Each)
1. Creating Competent Clinicians: Supporting Fieldwork Students in Adult I/DD Settings (1 Learning CE)
Speaker: Liz Elias, M.Ed., LBA, BCBA
Fieldwork experiences for students working with intellectually or developmentally disabled (I/DD) adult services don’t always come with clear systems, consistent staff, or built-in behavior analytic resources. While this can cause difficulties and frustrations, this setting also comes with incredible opportunities to shape compassionate, competent clinicians. In this presentation, we’ll explore how to design meaningful fieldwork supervision experiences in adult service settings that often fall outside traditional ABA models. This session offers realistic, flexible strategies for supporting students in environments that stray from the traditional clinical setting. We’ll talk about how to balance task list alignment with human-centered care, how to build meaningful supervision moments without daily direct service, and how to nurture professional judgment through real-life complexity. Whether you're a seasoned supervisor or just starting out, you'll leave with tools and encouragement to make powerful impacts in fieldwork experiences for students in adult services settings.
2. Working at the Intersection: Applying Behaviour Analytic Principles in Harm Reduction-Focused Substance Use Support (1 Learning CE)
Speaker: Becky Molly, MPEd, BCBA
Substance use continues to be a critical factor impacting the quality of life and stability of individuals receiving community-based support. Behaviour analysts are increasingly being called upon to provide consultation in contexts where substance use, trauma, and complex mental health needs intersect. This presentation explores how behaviour analytic principles can be effectively applied within a harm reduction framework to support individuals who are substance impacted. Attendees will learn how to incorporate evidence-based strategies such as contingency management and Motivational Interviewing (MI) into person-centered, trauma-informed service delivery. Additional behavioural strategies—including preventative supports and acceptance-informed approaches—will also be introduced to broaden participants’ consultative toolkit. Emphasis will be placed on building collaborative, compassionate relationships while remaining grounded in data collection, goal setting, and functional assessment. Through real-life case examples and interactive discussions, this presentation demonstrates how integrated approaches not only reduce harmful behaviours but also promote quality of life, self-determination, and community inclusion. By the end of the session, participants will have practical tools to guide their work with individuals who use substances, grounded in the core values of dignity, autonomy, and safety. This presentation aims to broaden the scope of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and demonstrate its relevance and potential impact within community-based, harm reduction-oriented service systems.
Day 2
Breakout Session 4 (75 Minutes each)
1. Shaping Compassion: Using Behaviour Science in Higher Education to Shape Behaviours that Reflect Empathy, Cultural Responsiveness, and Professional Humility for the Development of Compassionate Behaviour Science Graduates Across the Lifespan (1.5 Learning CEs)
Speakers: Melissa MacDonald, M.A., BCBA & Sorcha Parker, M.S., BCBA
Developing compassionate, competent graduates is a critical goal of higher education, particularly within the field of behaviour analysis, where practitioners routinely influence lives across the lifespan. As the demand for graduates with training in behaviour science increases, so does the need to prepare students not only with technical expertise but with the interpersonal and ethical sensitivity required for humane, socially valid practice. This presentation will explore the integration of behaviour science principles into higher education curricula (specifically a graduate certificate in behavioural interventions at Nova Scotia Community College) to cultivate compassion as a teachable and, ultimately, measurable repertoire. While direct measures of compassion remain underdeveloped in behaviour analytic training, this work highlights ongoing efforts to define, teach, and assess compassionate behaviour using empirically supported methods. Instructional strategies such as modeling, reinforcement, feedback, and values-based teaching will be discussed as tools to shape behaviours that reflect empathy, cultural responsiveness, and professional humility. Emphasis will be placed on creating learning environments that support psychological flexibility, inclusive dialogue, and sustained prosocial engagement. We will share strategies, challenges, and outcomes in our current journey to shape compassionate behaviour in our academic and practicum settings, with a goal to invite collaboration across institutions and community agencies interested in promoting the same growth. By leveraging the science of behaviour to shape both minds and hearts, educators can ensure that future practitioners are not only effective but deeply attuned to the dignity and wellbeing of the individuals they serve. Ultimately, this approach underscores the transformative potential of behaviour analysis in higher education to elevate the field’s impact and advance compassionate care across all stages of life.
2. ACTing Like an Adult: Leveraging Mindfulness and Values to Build Independence (1.5 Learning CEs)
Speakers: Jaime Santana, BCBA, R.B.A.(Ont.) & Lisa Zariwny, BCBA, R.B.A.(Ont.)
Working with youth and adults can be challenging, especially when trying to develop skills in areas that are needed, but assent is removed due to discomfort, frustration, or aversion. Luckily the framework of Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACTr) provides an opportunity to support the client as they navigate what is important to them, leading to self-directed goal planning. It also builds the skills needed for self-regulation and management of emotions that cause task completion to be difficult. By leveraging Values and Mindfulness, mixed in with the rest of the six ACTr processes, your client may be more willing to try hard things and stay on task when things get hard independently.
Breakout Session 5 (50 minutes each)
1. Sexuality Education for Individuals with Autism: A call to action to ABA! (1 Learning CE)
Speaker: Jessica Cauchi, Ph.D., BCBA-D. RBA (Ont)
Sexuality education for individuals with autism spectrum disorders is a severely under-researched area, and yet the need is great. Individuals with autism are at heightened risk for being victims of sexual offenses, but also higher risk of engaging in contextually-inappropriate sexual behaviour. Further, the impact of healthy sexuality on quality of life for individuals with autism is rarely discussed. It will be discussed in this talk why behaviour analysts are uniquely positioned to be leaders in research and clinical practice in sexuality education. How to apply principles of behaviour analysis to include sexuality goals in clinical practice will be addressed, as well as future directions for needed research areas.
2. Holding Safety, Holding Dignity: Rethinking Physical Containment in Complex Crisis Situations (1 Learning CE)
Speakers: Sarah McCarthy, M.A, BCBA & Matthew Noseworthy, Crisis Management Training Coordinator
Physical containment is a highly sensitive and often controversial topic within behavioral health services. While it is never the goal, there are rare but critical moments when all other behavioral interventions have been exhausted, and an individual’s behavior escalates to a level that poses an imminent risk to their own safety or the safety of others. In these moments, physical containment may become necessary—not as a punitive action, but as a protective intervention grounded in compassion care.
This presentation explores how physical containment, when implemented as part of a therapeutic and trauma-informed approach, can align with the core values of contemporary applied behavior analysis (ABA)—including safety, dignity, and televiability. Drawing on literature related to therapeutic containment (Steckley, 2010), trauma-informed behavior analysis (Rajaraman et al., 2022), and compassionate service delivery (Taylor et al., 2019), we propose a model that reframes containment as an ethical, temporary support strategy during moments of extreme crisis.
We also consider how staff safety and organizational containment practices reduce injury, burnout and increase the capacity for therapeutic engagement. By prioritizing televisibility and embedding physical containment within a broader model of relational and regulated crisis care, we aim to shift the narrative from containment as restriction to containment as protection. This discussion invites practitioners to critically evaluate both action and inaction, and to develop practices rooted in ethics, safety, and empathy. The ultimate goal is to reduce harm, restore regulation, and increase moments of joy for individuals with complex behavioral needs.
Breakout Session 6 (50 minutes each)
1. Joyful Learning Through Effective Supervision: A Heart-Driven and Science-Backed Approach (1 Supervision CE)
Speaker: Sara Moosa, MS, BCBA
By shaping meaningful behaviours in the early years in individuals with autism using an effective supervision model, we aim to empower learners by building a strong foundation for long-lasting success. These practices do not only reduce severe behaviours and promote functional communication but also enable learners to thrive across their lifespan. Furthermore, they also empower caregivers, clinicians, future educators, and collaborators to develop their skills and abilities and offer impactful support to the learners; a support that is grounded in compassion, guided by science, and rooted in understanding and respect for the learner’s unique journey. The aim of this workshop is to explore how effective supervision enhances the implementation of Practical Functional Assessment (PFA) and Skill-Based Treatment (SBT) to reduce severe problem behaviours, such as self-injury and aggression, in young learners with autism. The workshop is drawn from a clinical case led by a Level 6 FTF credentialed clinician, attendees will have the chance to gain practical insights into how to effectively evaluate existing supervision models within their organizations and adapt them based on their clients’ individual needs. As part of this, attendees will explore strategies to support implementers in recognizing learner cues, expanding reinforcing contexts in a meaningful and thematic manner, maintaining procedural fidelity to the SBT process. The workshop will demonstrate supervision practices that are flexible, responsive, and grounded in trauma-informed and assent-based care, ensuring that both the learner and implementers progress, learn, benefit, and engage throughout the learning process.
2. What I Wish I Knew: Lessons from Adult Services for Early Intervention Clinicians (1 Learning CE)
Speakers: Ashley Kingston, M.Ed, BCBA, IBA, Amanda Saulnier, M.Ed, BCBA, IBA, CBS, & Monica Peters, BCBA
As behaviour analysts who have supported individuals across the lifespan, we’ve seen how early intervention can shape—not just skills, but lives. In this breakout session, clinicians currently working in adult services will reflect on the lessons we wish we’d known when we were providing early intervention. We’ll explore how early decisions about goals, teaching approaches, and collaboration can influence autonomy, identity, and quality of life years down the line. Topics will include how to support families in preparing for the journey ahead, how to select goals that remain meaningful over time, and how to build flexibility and self-advocacy from the start. We’ll also share practical ways to partner with families and other professionals to prioritize dignity, connection, and long-term wellbeing. This session is for early intervention providers, BCBAs, and allied professionals who want to ensure their work today sets the stage for a more empowered tomorrow.
