Open lectures on behaviour analysis

Dr. Shahla Alai-Rosales og Dr. Lise Pettersson Roll will give an open lecture on behaviour analysis on Thursday 13 December at 3.30-5.30 pm in room 101 in Lögbergi.

Using a competency based model to improve prerequisites for implementation of early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI): Insights and perspectives from Sweden

Lise Roll-Pettersson received her PhD from Stockholm University. She is professor of Special education at Stockholm University. Her academic and professional interests include applied behaviour analysis, learning environment, and empirically based practices as they pertain to the learning and development of children with autism and intellectual disabilities. She is at present principle investigator in a four-year project funded by the Swedish Research Council which entails translating and culturally adapting the Autism Program Environmental Rating Scale-Preschool – APERS-PE (Odom, Cox et al., 2013) to the Swedish support system and to test whether a competency based model will improve the quality of preschool learning evironmnets for learners with ASD. Together with the Psychology department at Stockholm University, she has initiated the first master program in behaviour analysis in Sweden of which the content has been assessed by the Behaviour Analytic Certification Board to meet international certification requirements. Other research interest include cultural aspects affecting supports and services to children with autism as well as the needs and perceptions of parents and extended family.

Compassion, Science and Progress
Shahla Alai-Rosales received her B.S. from Southern Illinois University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Kansas. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas and the director of the North Texas Autism Lab and the Social Justice Lab. Both labs are service, training and research programs working in cooperation with several global partners, with applied anthropologists, and with Easter Seals North Texas. Shahla teaches classes on ethics, autism intervention, parent training, applied research methods, and behavior change techniques. Shahla served on the governing board of the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) and as a subject matter expert on supervision and on ethics. She has published and presented research on ethics in early intervention, play and social skills, family harmony, change agent training, and evidence-based practice. Her research is applied and grounded in a commitment to love, science, usefulness, compassion, and integrity. She has trained hundreds of master’s level behavior analysts who have gone on to serve families with honor. Shahla has over three decades of experience working with families, particularly those from varied cultural backgrounds. She travels and presents her work nationally and internationally to both professional and lay audiences. She was awarded an Onassis Foundation Fellowship for her work with families and was also the recipient of the “Fessor Grahm” award, UNT’s most cherished teaching award.