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ABACLive Webinar with Paula Danquah-Brobby, PhD, BCBA, LBA, IBA
Presented through the ABACLive Cambridge Center Series. Helping those who help others, one live webinar at a time.
Dr. Paula Danquah-Brobby presents “ABA Without Borders”
Thursday, December 9, 2021
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm (Eastern/NY)
This event is FREE for the general public.* Or available for the discounted price of $65 with 3 BACB® Learning CEUs.
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder with an onset in early childhood. Studies have shown that interventions utilizing the science of applied behavior analysis (ABA) have been the most effective at ameliorating ASD symptoms and associated features. As we become a more globally connected community, access to behavior analytic services has increased and expanded internationally, specifically in non-westernized cultures. Although this progress is positive for families in need of ABA services worldwide, there are important treatment considerations that western behavior analysts and technicians must take into account when working in non-western contexts. In this session, the presenter will discuss the state of ASD and ABA in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs), examine the problematic approach of “transport and test” interventions, and discuss essential cultural and ethical factors that should be considered when providing ABA services internationally.
Target Audience: Professionals for whom the topic is within their scope of practice. We welcome students and others who are also interested in the topic to join us.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this event, participants should be able to:
- Identify the state of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Applied Behavior Analysis in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs)
- Identify challenges with implementing western psychological and behavioral treatment applications in non-western international contexts (e.g., LAMICs)
- Identify key cultural considerations when working in non-western international contexts (e.g., LAMICs)
- Identify relevant ethical considerations when working in non-western international contexts (e.g., LAMICs)
Presenter Bio:
Dr. Paula Danquah-Brobby, PhD, BCBA, LBA, IBA has been working with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delays (DD), and learning disabilities (LD) for the past 20 years. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) who is licensed in the state of Maryland. Dr. Danquah-Brobby has a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University in Maryland and earned her PhD in International Psychology from TCSPP, DC Campus.
Earlier in her professional career, Dr. Danquah-Brobby was the Early Intervention Specialist, BCBA, and Co-Coordinator of an ASD intervention research study at the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s (KKI) Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD). It was at CARD that Dr. Danquah-Brobby worked closely with and was mentored by Dr. Rebecca Landa (Director of CARD), Dr. Tristram Smith (pioneer of ABA research), and Dr. Connie Kasari (pioneer of special education research related to play therapy, joint attention, and language acquisition). While at CARD, she also developed the Therapeutic Interventions and Parenting Strategies (TIPS) program–a comprehensive Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) program for CARD’s international and long distance families. While at CARD, Dr. Danquah- Brobby was also a part of a multidisciplinary team that diagnosed children with ASD at KKI.
As a Psychology Associate for the Director of KKI’s Neuropsychology Department, Dr. Danquah-Brobby administered neuropsychological assessments, diagnosed clients based on assessment findings, and wrote neuropsychological reports (all under the supervision of the Director of the Neuropsychology Department who was a licensed Clinical Psychologist). Dr. Danquah-Brobby is well-versed in administering various neuropsychological, educational, and behavioral assessments–including modules 1 and 2 of the Autism Diagnostic and Observation Scale (ADOS). The ADOS is often regarded as the gold standard assessment tool for ASD diagnosis.
Dr. Danquah-Brobby has also consulted internationally in the realm of ABA for the last 10 years. Through her work in countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Ghana she has designed early intervention classrooms, worked one-on-one with children diagnosed with ASD and their families, assessed and designed culturally sensitive in-home ABA programs, and helped families identify appropriate schools and therapies in their home countries. She has done the same locally in the DC metropolitan area as well. She has worked with many children with ASD and their families in the home, school, clinic, and center-based settings, and has served as an advocate on behalf of families at school IEP meetings. Dr. Danquah-Brobby has consulted for various school systems across Maryland where she has trained teachers, service professionals, and parents/caregivers on ABA principles, Verbal Behavior, behavior reduction, skills acquisition, generalization, and related evidence-based strategies to be utilized in the school, center, and home settings.
Dr. Danquah-Brobby’s areas of expertise and interest include ABA/Verbal Behavior (VB), early intervention, providing quality ABA/VB interventions for families in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs). In all of her treatment plans, she places great emphasis on cultural competency through the lens of her International Psychology background. She is passionate about spreading knowledge and awareness about ASD, ABA/VB, early detection, early diagnosis, and early intervention for ASD in LAMICs. Dr. Danquah-Brobby looks forward to conducting participatory action and single subject research that leads to the development of sustainable macro-level interventions in LAMICs.
*This event is FREE for the general public. For those that want a certificate of completion for continuing education credits please purchase the discounted CEs. This event is being offered at the discounted ABACLive Cambridge Center Series price for CEUs (Learning). (Register on ABAC website) Behavior Analysts may earn continuing education for viewing the live event or recording.Behavior Analysts: 3 CEUs (Learning) (Visit ABAC website for complete information.)
The ABACLive Cambridge Center Series of webinars are presented by Board of Directors, Trustees, Advisors, Senior Fellows of the prestigious Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.
The ABACLive Cambridge Center Series is the result of a collaboration between The Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies (CCBS) and The Applied Behavior Analysis Center, Inc (ABAC) designed to make behavioral health education accessible to the global community of professionals working to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
Go to ABAC Website for ongoing continuing education opportunities.