Handbook for Behavioral Skills Training

I have worked with children and adults with developmental disabilities for over 30 years as a volunteer; camp counselor; researcher; clinical psychologist in the British National Health Service; Chief Psychologist in developmental centers in Texas; consultant for many community services; and consultant to the states of Louisiana and Wyoming. I have been involved in professional training in Britain, Louisiana State University and now Queens College. It has always struck me that children and adults with developmental disabilities would have a better life, be happier, more autonomous and valued by other people if their staff and family members got a little help to do few simple things –interact positively and often, use contingent reinforcement accurately, teach a few simple skills and be more sensitive to preferences. I also believe that if these happened consistently, staff and family members would feel more competent.

Dr. Lindsay Maffei-Almodovar, PhD, BCBA, LBA has worked in the field of education for 17 years. She is a New York State certified classroom teacher and has taught in general and special education classrooms and in home-based environments. Dr. Maffei-Almodovar has worked in a variety of roles, often involving both direct care service and staff support, development, and training. Her research focuses on caregiver training, specifically for direct care staff. Dr. Maffei-Almodovar has published staff training research in Behavior Analysis in Practice as well as a meta-analysis on staff training in the Review Journal on Autism and Developmental Disabilities. She also has published chapters in the Handbook of Evidence-Based Practice in Clinical Psychology the Handbook of Crisis Intervention and Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Maffei-Almodovar is currently the ABA Training & Development Coordinator of the QSAC Preschool, Whitestone Day School and Bronx Day School.