2023 Virtual Summer Institute

2023 WSASP VIRTUAL SUMMER INSTITUTE

August 10-11, 2023

Registration Fee: $100

The 2023 Summer Institute will be held virtually August 10-11, 2023. This summer’s theme is focused on advanced practice in completing functional behavioral assessments (FBAs). Four sessions across two days from state and national presenters will take a deep dive into completing meaningful FBAs that can be used to develop and support intervention plans and mental health services for students.

*Please note that McPeak’s sessions will not be recorded.

Full Agenda (all times PDT):

Thursday August 10

9:00am-10:30am
School Psychologists and Mental Health Professionals Collaborating to Conduct FBAs
Kristen Padilla, PhD, NCSP, LSSP, BCBA, LBA and Leonora Ryland, MEd, BCBA from Baylor University

Accurate data collection and analysis of functional behavior assessment (FBA) are key to school psychologists acting in their comprehensive role to ensure appropriate evidence-based interventions are selected to ensure student growth. This session will focus on a team of mental health professionals (including those with school psychology and behavior analysis expertise) assisting practitioners to deepen understanding, improve behavioral consultation, and ensure appropriate individualized programming development that is culturally adapted to learners and their families.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe key components of data collection and analysis of forms and functions of behavior.
• Conduct indirect and direct forms of FBAs.
• Develop protocol for data collection procedures, data analysis, and utilize results to inform culturally adapted individualized programming decisions

12:00pm-3:00pm
FBAs & BIPs with Iceberg DNA
Donna McPeak, MA, Peak Solutions LLC

In this workshop we build a trauma-informed FBA. We will discuss the new components. These resource components will allow an educator to hopefully discover the hidden aspects of trauma that lie hidden under the water level of the iceberg. Each participant will be provided the following: trauma-informed FBA template, trauma-informed informational sheets, and a completed trauma-informed sample FBA. It is time for our educational world to begin the transition from writing traditional FBAs (consequence/reward based) to the trauma-informed FBAs & behavior intervention plans (BIPs). You will have everything you need at the end of this workshop to begin this transition.

Learning Objectives & NASP Domain Alignment:

• Participants will recognize the impact that Childhood Trauma has on the child's brain (4)
• Participants will understand the purpose of a Trauma-Informed FBA (6)
• Participants will be able to evaluate each component of the FBA process through the lens of Trauma (4)
• Participants will be able to reflect on the importance of collecting data that reflects the effects of Trauma on children as a component of the FBA. (4)
• Participants will be able to judge the benefits of a completed and thorough FBA that reflects Childhood Trauma. (3&4)

Friday August 11

9:00am-10:30am
FBA/BIP Process and Template: Perspectives from a Non-Public Agency School
Janae Reed, Overlake Specialty School

This workshop will be devoted to introducing Washington school psychologists to an FBA template used at the Overlake Specialty School and how it’s linked to the development of an effective behavior plan. This template has proven to be quite comprehensive and useful in translation to the BIP. It has been reported by school psychologists around the state that the templates often dictated by school districts and sources (such as IEP Online) are not very comprehensive and often ‘miss the mark.’ Discussion will center around making observations more impactful in terms of collecting the type of data from various sources, needed for a high-quality FBA. We will discuss the concept of testing hypotheses generated by the FBA and the eventual development and implementation of a BIP that has a high chance of success. Also, to be discussed are some of the pitfalls typically encountered in the implementation of a behavior plan and how those pitfalls could be avoided, and collection of important (and unimportant) data for FBAs.

11:00am-12:30pm
Facilitating Meaningful Behavior Change: Considerations for assessment and intervention with FBAs and BIPs that ensure social validity
Caroline Wallace, MS, BCBA, LBA, North Branford Public Schools, Connecticut

Functional behavior assessments and their resulting behavior intervention plans have become commonplace at schools; however, the efficacy of the expected behavior changes they seek to impact can be adversely impacted by failures to address the complex environmental contingencies at play. Missteps within the pre-assessment, assessment, and post-assessment intervention phases can ultimately reduce the likelihood and strength of positive behavior change, and even create misconceptions, resistance, or lack of buy-in to future interventions. This presentation will consider the common mistakes that teams can make when engaging in behavior assessments and crafting interventions, including over-simplifying or missing the function of the behavior, failure to create reinforcement fade plans, failure to include all team members, failure to program for the role of the parent, etc. Next, practical solutions and resources will be identified to aid practitioners to ensure they can attain more socially valid and significant results. The presenter is both a practicing psychologist and BCBA and will thus provide anecdotal examples from the field.

1:00pm-3:00pm
Paper Tigers Viewing
Donna McPeak MA, Peak Solutions LLC

Donna McPeak will be showing the movie, Paper Tigers which illustrates a trauma informed community located in Walla Walla, WA. The movie will be followed by a short discussion.