Dr. Wayne Fisher has spent decades researching the assessment and treatment of severe behavior problems. In Session 45 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast, he joins me to discuss current Functional Analysis and Function-Based Treatment strategies, his concerns for the field as it experiences rapid expansion, and advice for new practitioners.
Here is his bio-sketch from the Munroe-Meyer Institute's website:
Wayne Fisher is the H.B. Munroe professor of behavioral research in the Munroe-Meyer Institute and the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He is also the director of the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at the Munroe-Meyer Institute, a board certified behavior analyst at the doctoral level (BCBA-D), and a licensed psychologist. He was previously a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and served as executive director of the Neurobehavioral Programs at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Marcus Behavior Center at the Marcus Institute, where he built clinical-research programs in autism and developmental disabilities with national reputations for excellence. Fisher’s methodologically sophisticated research has focused on several intersecting lines, including preference, choice, and the assessment and treatment of autism and severe behavior disorders, that have been notable for the creative use of concurrent schedules of reinforcement, which have become more commonplace in clinical research primarily as a result of his influence. He has published over 175 peer-reviewed research studies in over 30 different behavioral and/or medical journals, including: the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis; Psychological Reports; American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Journal of Pediatrics; the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics; Pediatrics; and The Lancet. Fisher is a past editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, a past president of the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, a fellow in the Association for Behavior Analysis, and recipient of the Bush Leadership Award, the APA (Division 25) Award for Outstanding Contributions to Applied Behavioral Research, the UNMC Distinguished Scientist Award, and the University of Nebraska system-wide Award for Outstanding Research and Creativity Activity.
Session 45 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is sponsored by Chartlytics.com and Operantcoffee.com.
Chartlytics has set up a special page on their site for listeners to this podcast. Specifically, they are offering the following:
- A free webinar that provides a 1-Credit Type 2 Continuing Education Unit
- A free eBook on Precision Teaching and Standard Celeration Charting
- A 10% discount on upcoming Chartlytics workshops
To learn more about these discounts and freebies, go to Chartlytics.com/matt.
If you want some awesome coffee that is sustainably produced that happens to be 10% off, go to operantcoffee.com/shop and use the discount code BEHAVIORCOFFEE.
Really enjoyed this episode — I am a school-based BCBA and I found the tangents and the Q/A portion pertinent to my field — especially the advice to newly minted BCBAs (that’s me!!) Thank you!!
Hi Emily, thanks for taking the time to share your comments. I’m so glad you found this episode relevant to your work!!! Best, Matt
I’m surprised you didn’t link his content that he talked about that he has recorded online.
Yeah, I was battling a bad cold when I was producing that episode and forgot to look up that resource. If you have it, link it up in the comments. Thanks Freddie!
Here is that link: https://wmich.edu/autism/functional-communication-clinical
Hat tip to listener Maggie Gaylor for sharing this!!!
Alright!! Nice, thanks.
Just so its clear to other folks, Dr Wayne Fisher’s video and treatment manual are not the only ones at this link. You can see the others by clicking on ‘Resources’ in the menu on the left hand side of the page that opens when you click on the link above. Or, if thats too much response cost, you can see all the resources by clicking this link: https://wmich.edu/autism/resources
Fantastic podcast as always Matt, thank you so much for posting it! I find I have to pause it a lot to jot down crucial details. Quality stuff!
Stephen, thanks for the PSA! Glad you liked that episode. It caused a lot of discussion on the BOP Facebook Group. Best, Matt
Is the study Wayne Fisher referenced regarding assessment of individuals with reported auditory/visual hallucinations (to determine if hallucinations were under control of environmental stimuli) something published and/or accessible? What I am referencing is discussed around 45:10 in the podcast. Thanks!
I don’t have the reference handy right now. If you or any other reader finds it, please let me know. Thanks!
Hello! Around the 17-minute mark, Dr. Fisher talks about how verbal praise can serve as an effective negative reinforcer. Does anyone have links to this research? I started a search and had no luck. Matt, I want to thank you for keeping me updated with the current research.
Hi Jennifer, I’m sorry but I don’t know that reference off the top of my head. If I do come across it, I’ll pass it along. Thanks! Matt