SABA Honors Special Education Faculty
Special education faculty members Ralph Gardner, left, Nancy Neef, John Cooper, Sheila Alber-Morgan, Bill Heward and Tim Herron were honored for 40 years of service to the study of behavior analysis.
On behalf of the special education faculty, Sheila Morgan, Ralph Gardner and Nancy Neef accepted the Enduring Programmatic Contributions Award from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA) May 28.
As the opening event of the Association for Behavior Analysis International conference in Denver, the three presented an overview of 40 years of behavior analysis study in the college. They were joined by emeriti faculty John O. Cooper, Tim Heron and Bill Heward.
Unable to attend were special education faculty Gwen Cartledge, Helen Canella-Malone, Terri Hessler, Moria Konrad, Diane Sainato and Joe Wheaton.
The SABA selection committee commented on the School of Physical Activity and Educational Services program's significant behavioral contributions to the field of special education specifically and behavior analysis in general.
"They noted that the Ohio State program was built on research but tempered by care and devotion to students," said Maria Malott, secretary of the international association. "OSU faculty members have trained scores of behavior analysts, preparing master's and doctoral level teachers and teacher trainers, with several hundred behavioral theses and dissertations."
Faculty members have contributed foundational texts to the literature, most notably Applied Behavior Analysis, written by Cooper, Heron and Heward. Now in its second edition, the text is fondly called the White Book. For more than 20 years it has served as a foundation for many new students across the U.S. and the world.
The master's degree program, accredited by ABAI in 1995, emphasizes the design, implementation and evaluation of curriculum and instruction to improve academic, social, self-care and vocational skills. The Ph.D. program prepares special education leaders whose research, teaching and professional practice are based in the philosophy of behaviorism and the methods and techniques of applied behavior analysis.
Since 1987, the School of Physical Activity and Educational Services has received a series of federal Leadership Training Grants that provide tuition and stipends for students to attend the nation's only special education doctoral program built on ABA.
"The quality of the College of Education and Human Ecology's ABA program can be measured by the accomplishments of its graduates, who have helped bring evidence-based instructional practices to teachers and students around the world," Malott said.
Behavior analysts work in education, business and clinical psychology. Recently, applied behavior analysis (ABA) has received attention for its effectiveness with children with autism spectrum disorders. It has applications for other populations as well and has been recognized for producing remarkable results in academic learning and behavior in classrooms.
Many behavior analysts are teachers or school psychologists. Many also work as scientists and scholars in higher education. Some behavior analysts are involved in in-home direct care for children with developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. Others provide clinical services or train new employees and improve training programs.
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst has completed graduate training and supervised practice in the field, and has passed an examination given by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board.
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