BAO and Behavior Analsis as a "Cult"

With regard to the issue of Behavior Analysis becoming its own separate =
profession -
I can say that here in Florida that is not even a question but a reality. =
The fact is
that the profession of Applied Behavior Analysis has been separated from =
psychology
in state law by the state legislature some years ago due to the lobbying =
efforts of
FABA, which need to continue for ABA to enjoy such autonomy as a profession=
.  It has
resulted in independent training programs at universities and by private =
parties who
are CBAs to flourish. An excellent example is that since coming to Florida =
from
Pennsylvania, I have become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and now =
teach my own
class sponsored by my agency, and that is approved through our own =
behavior analyst
mechanisms (Mike Hemingway has such authority for state of Florida =
certification
programs in behavior analysis, and now the Board under Jerry Shook has =
such
authority).  Florida has a well-organized peer review process for the =
approval and
review of restrictive behavior programs, and state laws governing best =
practices in
the field of behavior analysis.  Only CBAs with extended priviliges or =
with board
certification have authority to author and monitor behavior plans that =
involve
restrictive interventions, and/or address particularly dangerous types of =
behavior
such as self-injury or aggression, and to vote on the peer review panels =
to approve
such plans for other agencies.  FABA hosts a well-organized and well-attend=
ed
conference on behavior analysis each year with presentations by leaders in =
the field
nationally attending and presenting (e.g. Jack Michael, Murray Sidman, the =
late Glen
Latham, and so on).

I think this is an attestation to the role behavior analysts can have in =
society.  It
could risk becoming cult-like, but we need to also monitor ourselves to =
prevent this
from happening. Behavior analysts are also diverse in their backgrounds as =
I believe
Joe is alluding to in his statements. This will allow for opportunities to =
learn from
one another through forums such as BAO.

Mike

> Subject: Re: VIP & BAO.ORG
> Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2002 00:37:37 -0400
> From: Joseph Cautilli <[email protected]>
> Reply-To: "Behavior2000: Behavior and Digital Technology List"
>      <[email protected]>
> To: [email protected]=20
>
> Bill Verplank asks two critical questions about BAO (1) Are we making
> Behavior analysis a cult? (2) Are we only talking to ourselves?
>
> The question of cult status is an important one. BAO is the publisher of
> the Behavior Analyst Today (BAT). BAT has always published thoughtful
> critiques of Behavior Analysis. For example Steven Hayes wrote an =
article
> some issue back warning behavior analyst's of the exact things that
> Verplank points out. In addition, the most recent issue of BAT publishes
> the strongest critique of behavior analyst of exaggerated claims for
> children with autism (check out hte article by James Herbert). Thus, I
> believe that we print both sides of the issues. We are committed to
> science, not and I repeat not religon. We will publish, even Bill =
critique
> if you can find the energy to write it up. ( I have been very concerned
> about you being on a venterator for the last year, so I mean energy
> sincerly- we may not always agree but my concern for you is real). Do I
> believe that Behavior analysis has reached hte point where it will =
become
> its own profession. To this I say yes. Will it replace all other
> professions, never nor would I want it too. BAO is just a recognition
> thatthe field of behavior analysis has moved into becoming an alternative=

> to psychology for those seekign behavior change. Will we be superior,
> probably in many areas. Still in others we might not be and we should be
> humble about this and acknowledge this.
>
> Are we only speaking to ourselves? I teach in a teacher education =
masters
> program. I serve as an appleate due process officer in teh state of
> Pennsylvania. I am also Director of Clinical Team services in a local
> mental health clinic and run an extensive community based service =
program,
> many of the people who work in the program are not, nor probably will
> never be behaviorists. Thus, the vast majority of my day is spent =
talking
> to educators and clinicians not to convert them but to apply sklills to
> practical problmes which I help them solve. Is BAO only speaking to
> itself? BA is the offical website of the Behavior Analysis SIG at the
> Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy (a SIG I founded and
> continue to serve as president). AABT is a largely cogntive organization.=

> Cogntivists have and will continue to write articles for BAT in areas
> where the editoral staff feels grounds for integration are possible. =
Check
> out the next four issues Spanning the next year and you will find that
> many of the front running clinicans in the field of anxiety disorders,
> post traumatic stress disorder, and depression will be writing articles
> for BAT. A second group that BAT serves are those in the Clnical =
Behavior
> Analysis SIG at ABA. This SIG is far from opposed to alternative
> traditions. We have published a series of articles from this group
> covering everything from pain to disociative identity disorder. we have
> another series of articles coming up from this group critiquing there =
own
> approach to therapy and looking at the growing pains for Clinical =
Behavior
> Analysis. Another area where BAT vertures to encourage discussion is in
> its soon to come Sunday lecture Series. The Sunday Lecture Series (SLS)
> will be provided by the Walker institute group and will provide ACT 48
> continuing education credits to teachers in Pennsylvania. SLS plans to
> provide 3 hour workshops every Sunday morning in the up coming year. =
These
> workshops will cover things like functional behavioral assessment, =
direct
> instruction, classroom mangament, curriculum based measurement, =
curriculum
> based assessment, etc.
>
> I offer the above as only a brief example of why I must respectfully
> reject your statements about BAO. I do understand your decision not to
> join Neitche and become a VIP to the BAO site.While your decision =
saddens
> me personally, I wish you the best ( I hope that we will be having this
> discussion ten years from now- at which time I will probably be saying
> "see I told you so!;-)"). Remember the invitation is always an open one.
>
> Joe
>
> P.S. As a side note, while not an easy decision for me, I support the
> Edison take over. Edison has supported Direct Instruction curriculums in
> the past. In addition, I support Temple's new role. While I am not at =
this
> point personally involved at this point, I believe that this will put =
alot
> of new ideas into the system and alot of old issues might be settled.
>
> P.P.S. BAO is all the behavior analysis, with none of the things that =
you
> hate like beggin' spam.
>
> On Thu, 18 Apr 2002, William S. Verplanck wrote:
>
> > (1)     Sorry, Joe, under no circumstances would I participate in this
> > program.  It's no more, and no less, one more step in the direction of =
the
> > development of behavior analysis, and especially 'applied' behavior
> > analysts, into a cult.
> >
> > To quote myself:
> >
> > "We're great at explaining ourselves to ourselves and at neglecting to =
note
> > that there are many others with whom we should converse, to whom we =
may
> > contribute, from whom we might learn, and with whom we may
> > accommodate.  Behavior analysis must _not_ become a cult."
> >
> > There is already far too much evidence that the process of cult-formati=
on
> > is already too far advanced*
> >
> > Today's NYT reports that 42 (1 out of every 6) of Philadelphia's =
schools
> > (most failing victims of educationalism?) are being privatized, most =
of
> > them contracted out to the "Edison" people, five to Temple University,
> > three to the Univ. of Pa, and the remaining fourteen to four other =
bodies,
> > with a variety of methodologies.  Do any of these apply the methodologi=
es
> > of applied behavior analysis?  Will the able behavior analysts (both =
exptal
> > and applied) at Temple participate?  If not, why not?  How many such
> > schools and charter schools have behavior analysts set up, worked in =
_or_ with?
> >
> > Are we talking only to ourselves, and not to parents, school boards, =
review
> > boards, and those politically responsible for education?
> >
> > Shouldn't behavior analysts be out there running schools and teaching, =
by
> > example?  (Whatever became of Don Cooke's very beh. an. endeavors?)
> >
> > (2)     I'd like to believe that I'm totally out of the loop, laboring
> > under a great misapprehension, and that the foregoing is altogether
> > wrong-headed.  Then, there's another reason I can't participate in
> > Nietsche.  I'm 86 and live on the end of a fifty or sixty foot oxygen
> > tube.  Emphysema precludes long-term commitments--of which I already =
have
> > too many!
> >
> > W.S.V.
> >
> > P.S.  I note that the record of Edison's schools is lousy.  Should =
behavior
> > analysts try to teach _them_ something?
> >
> > W.S.V.
> >
> >
> >
> > _____________________________________________
> >     William S. Verplanck          [email protected]=20
> >   An award-winning site: http://web.utk.edu/~wverplan/=20
> >     http://web.utk.edu/~wverplan/kantor/kantor.html=20
> > _____________________________________________
> >