Use of Applied Behavior Analysis in the Assessment and Treatment of Feeding Disorders - March 26, 2025
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm (EST)
Speakers:
Alison Kozlowski , PhD, LP, BCBA-D; Valerie Volkert, PhD, BCBA-D
Abstract:
Feeding disorders can be multifaceted, including having medical, nutritional, oral-motor, and/or psychosocial components. For many individuals, assessment and treatment from multiple disciplines is warranted, with behavior analysts able to target psychosocial components. Behavior analysts use a scientific approach to identify the environmental variables impacting feeding, develop function-based treatments, and systematically evaluate the effectiveness of treatments so appropriate recommendations can be made. This webinar will review what applied behavior analysis is, behavior analysts’ roles as part of the interdisciplinary feeding team, and common behavior-analytic feeding assessments and treatments. The effectiveness and social validity of behavior-analytic feeding therapy will also be reviewed.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify and understand the role of applied behavior analysis in the assessment and treatment of feeding difficulties.
- Identify and understand the various functions of problem behavior during mealtimes and how that information is used to guide treatment.
- Identify and understand the purpose and effectiveness of some common behavior-analytic feeding treatment components.
Time-Ordered Agenda:
- 5 minutes – introductions
- 10 minutes – General overview of applied behavior analysis
- 10 minutes – Complexity of feeding disorders / role of aba in assessment and treatment / interdisciplinary collaboration
- 20 minutes – Behavior – analytic assessment of feeding concerns
- 30 minutes – Behavior – analytic treatment of feeding concerns
- 15 minutes – question and answer
Registration:
Physician, Psychologist
Speech-Language Pathologist, Physician Assistant, Occupational Therapist, Registered Dietitians, and Nurse Practitioners
Speaker Bios:
Alison Kozlowski, PhD, LP, BCBA-D
Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
kozlowski@kennedykrieger.orgAli Kozlowski is the assistant director, a licensed psychologist, and a doctoral-level board certified behavior analyst in Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program, and an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Kozlowski was previously Director at Large – Psychologist for the International Association for Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing (IAPFS) and Past-President for the Maryland Association for Behavior Analysis. She also serves on the Research and Education Committee for IAPFS currently. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Boston University in 2006, she worked for two years as a teacher at the May Institute in Randolph, Massachusetts, using the principles of applied behavior analysis to develop and implement behavior support plans and Individualized Education Plans for children with autism spectrum disorder. Subsequently, she earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Louisiana State University in 2013. After completing her coursework, she completed her doctoral internship at Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program and Neurobehavioral Unit-Outpatient Program, and a postdoctoral fellowship in the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program. Dr. Kozlowski has remained with the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program since that time. In her current role she supervises the behavioral assessment and treatment of children with feeding disorders admitted to the interdisciplinary day treatment and inpatient feeding programs; provides outpatient behavioral feeding services; supervises doctoral interns, postdoctoral fellows, early career psychologists, and those training to be behavior analysts; and conducts research related to the assessment and treatment of pediatric feeding disorders.
Valerie Volkert, PhD, BCBA-D
Marcus Autism Center and Emory University School of Medicine
Valerie.volkert@choa.orgValerie M. Volkert, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Associate Professor (Pediatrics), is a psychologist program manager in the Children’s Multidisciplinary Feeding Program at Marcus Autism Center. She received her doctorate in school psychology from Louisiana State University in 2007. She was previously faculty at the Munroe-Meyer Institute, and adjunct faculty at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where she became the Training Director for the Applied Behavior Analysis Ph.D. Program and Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders. In 2015, Dr. Volkert joined the Marcus Autism Center. She sees patients in intensive day treatment and outpatient at the Feeding Program, supervises interns and residents, and pursues lines of clinical research. She has authored four book chapters and published 51 peer-reviewed research studies in multiple journals, including the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and the Journal of Pediatrics. Dr. Volkert consistently serves on editorial boards and was associate editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
IAPFS is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. Course approval ID# 11861. This live event is offered at .15 CEUs, intermediate level, OT Service Delivery. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.
Satisfactory Completion Requirements:
Certificates of completion will be awarded after active attendance at the entire presentation, submission of a completed evaluation and submission of a completed assessment of learning. There is no partial credit. A link to the online assessment and evaluation will be provided.
AMEDCO: View CE Language
Speaker Disclosures:
Alison Kozlowski
Financial Disclosure: Alison Kozlowski does not have any financial relationships to disclose.
Non-Financial Disclosure: Alison Kozlowski does not have any non-financial relationships to disclose.Valerie Volkert
Financial Disclosure: Valerie Volkert does not have any financial relationships to disclose.
Non-Financial Disclosure: Valerie Volkert does not have any non-financial relationships to disclose.
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