SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass. - s4story -- The New England Center for Children^® (NECC^®), a global leader in education and research for children with autism, announced 2021 research and presentations on a range of applied behavior analysis topics including new findings in its ongoing Infant Sibling Research Project.

Core to NECC's mission is disseminating the important research studies and methods that help broaden our understanding of how children with autism best learn and acquire the skills they need to thrive. Over the last year, NECC behavior analysts and researchers shared their critical research and findings through more than 25 presentations, including virtual symposia, panels, papers, workshops, tutorials, and posters. At the first-ever ABA Symposium hosted at NECC's John and Diane Kim Autism Institute, NECC researchers reported findings on its ongoing Infant Sibling Research Project and several other important topics.

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William Ahearn, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LABA, Director of Research, co-authored two chapters in Applied Behavior Analysis: A Comprehensive Handbook. Chata Dickson, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LABA, Assistant Director of Research, delivered the keynote address at the inaugural Applied Behavior Analysis Conference at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford, CT.

Every spring, NECC sends dozens of staff to the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) convention, where NECC researchers are often key presenters. With the pandemic forcing conferences to cancel or go virtual, NECC created a two-day symposium that was held in person at NECC's John and Diane Kim Autism Institute.

NECC clinicians and researchers presented research covering a range of topics, including teaching verbal behavior, assessing early markers and treatment in infants, conducting remediating problems of learning, assessing of social interaction, enhancing generality of treatment outcomes, increasing cooperation with pill swallowing and other medical procedures, and treating automatically reinforced problem behavior.

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NECC researchers reported findings on the ongoing Infant Sibling Research Project, a study to identify early signs of autism in infant siblings of children with autism and to develop interventional treatments. Started in 2019, the study currently follows 53 high-risk and 26 low-risk infants.

Kathryn Couger, BCBA, LABA, described a study that involved documenting early markers of autism using a specialized assessment tool. Victoria Weisser, BCBA, LABA, shared research documenting the emergence of early markers and the outcomes of early treatment in a sibling. As a result of early intervention in applied behavior analysis (ABA), the participant no longer met the requirements for an ASD diagnosis at 22 months.

For more information and additional examples of the breadth and depth of research at NECC, read our Research News newsletter (https://www.flipsnack.com/TheNewEnglandCenterforChildrenInsight/necc-research-news-fall-2021-vcj4mnhgvu.html).