Two-Part Webinar Series, 1:00-2:30 PM Eastern, Wednesday, July 17 & July 24, 2024.

These webinars are designed for family members, direct support staff, and school personnel including paraeducators to enhance participants’ skills in responding to challenging behaviors. They are also intended for other professionals who want to learn more about evidence-based practices for supporting individuals throughout the life span whose behaviors can challenge us.

About the Webinars

1:00-2:30 PM Eastern, Wednesday, July 17, 2024 Setting the Stage for Understanding and Responding to Challenging Behavior: Why PBS is a Powerful Approach to Improve Quality of Life Part one provides an introduction to PBS vocabulary and essential guiding principles, with an overview of assumptions about behavior and important terms to know for supporting individuals with challenging behavior. Behavior support is not just about reducing or eliminating annoying, disruptive, or harmful (emotionally, physically or property destroying) behaviors. ALL interventions must be focused on teaching alternative ways to meet an individual’s needs. We explore why punishment does not work and how implementing evidence-based practices improves an individual’s quality of life. We will also explore why stickers, smiley faces and reward stores are not enough and interventions need to be focused on the individual rather than the “one size fits all” approach.

1:00-2:30 PM Eastern, Wednesday, July 24, 2024 What is an FBA? What is ABC Data? What Does an Effective PBS Plan Look Like? Part two will focus on the components of a thorough assessment and how data should lead to effective and efficient positive behavior support plans that help improve an individual’s quality of life. Functional behavior assessments (FBAs) are frequently conducted in a variety of settings including schools, homes, job sites and group homes. Despite their widespread use, there are a lot of misconceptions about the purpose of these assessments and what a meaningful and practical FBA looks like. There is also confusion around how they are used. We will review the steps of a FBA including how (informal and formal) data are collected and what an effective PBS plan to address behaviors of concern should look like.

About the Presenters

Dr. Dina Traniello consults with schools and families to support students with disabilities, learning differences, and challenging behaviors in general education settings. She is also a Visiting Professor at Fitchburg State University, where she taught courses on implementing individual, classroom, and school-wide positive behavior support for ALL students. Additionally, Dina supervises teacher candidates in practicum settings for those seeking licensure in moderate and severe special needs. She also works with the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS) to create modules for training service providers about PBS. Dina is Co-President of TASH New England and is the parent of two children, one whom has significant support needs and was meaningfully included throughout his K-12 education.

Formally retired but back at the University of Connecticut UCEDD part-time, Dr. Linda Rammler has 50 years of experience in the field of disabilities. Her current projects include providing technical assistance to parents and caregivers, as well as school and agency staff, on many topics related to inclusive education and inclusive community living. She is also the volunteer advisor and staff support to People First of Connecticut. Linda’s career involved working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, many of whom had challenging behaviors, and their care givers. Unsupported, these behaviors could easily have resulted in injury to the individual or staff and often led to the use of restraints or other punishments which were ineffective and sometimes harmful. Linda has taught caregivers and others with varying degrees of education and experiences about how to build relationships with individuals and minimize poor outcomes through good detective work and positive approaches. She also published articles on transition and employment of individuals with disabilities and complied a White Paper for the UCEDD calling for the elimination of punitive practices in schools and adult services settings. Linda is Vice-President of TASH New England.

How to Participate

This two-part live webinar will be streamed over the web via Zoom. Each presentation will be about an hour and fifteen minutes, followed by fifteen minutes for questions and answers. Registered participants will receive an e-mail with instructions and the link to join the webinar on Tuesday (the day prior) and a reminder the morning of the event.

Participants may register for both episodes, or Part One or Part Two individually, though we recommend attending both interactive webinars to gain a fuller understanding of PBS. The complete series is $12 for members, $15 for non-members. Individual episodes are $8 for members, $10 for non-members. Not a TASH member? Join today!.

The webinars will be recorded and available to attendees or to non-attendees for purchase in the TASH Training Resource Library.

If you have questions about webinar content, please contact Linda Rammler at drlinda2007@gmail.com / (860) 338-0165 or Dina Traniello at dtraniello@verizon.net.

For questions about registration or other technical issues, please contact Donald Taylor at dtaylor@tash.org.