Founded in 1999, POAC's mission is to improve the lives of children
and adults with autism by providing scientifically-based training
to parents, teachers, and other direct service providers. By providing
targeted and sustained, research-based training for New Jersey
teachers, speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists,
and related personnel that work with children with autism and other
developmental disabilities, POAC has been able to help public school
districts “home grow” their own experts.
Project Pipeline is a training initiative developed by POAC
that is designed to support our most valuable asset – public
school teachers. The training consists of a six-part workshop series
that is based on the science of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA),
the only research-based treatment for children with autism recognized
by the U.S. Surgeon General. The comprehensive training series
offered by POAC places a heavy emphasis on how the following four
important lines of ABA research can be applied effectively in Public
school settings:
- Skinner’s Analysis of Verbal Behavior – How to
teach functional communication skills to persons who do not acquire
it typically
- Motivative Operations – Conceptual understanding and
practical control of antecedent motivational variables
- Functional Assessment – Classifying and selecting treatments
based upon function of problem behavior
- Matching Theory – Practical manipulation of teaching
variables to control learner response allocation to teacher instruction
In addition, training is provided in Direct Instruction, an
enriched, research-based curriculum that provides explicit instruction
in Reading, Language comprehension, Math, and other academic skills.
The six-part series consists of the following topics:
- 1. Teaching VB in the classroom: An Overview – Provides
the conceptual framework.
- 2. Creating a Willing Learner Using Skinner’s Analysis
of Verbal Behavior – Provides hands-on practice in the application
of basic teaching procedures
- 3. Implementing Verbal Behavior in the Classroom – Covers
classroom set-up and organization that enable teachers to apply
the principles effectively in public school settings
- 4. Beyond the Basics – Troubleshooting programs and
teaching advanced skills
- 5. Direct Instruction – Teaching academic skills to
children with developmental disabilities
- 6. Managing Problem Behavior in School and Home Settings – Classifying
and selecting treatments based upon function of problem behavior.
Workshop #1 is a one-day session. All others are two-day sessions.
Please be aware that these workshops may not be offered in the
order listed here. All will have Workshop #1, Teaching VB in the
Classroom, as a prerequisite. Others may also have prerequisites.
Please refer to the web
site listing 
and registration
forms for more information.
All workshops are conducted by certified teachers and/or speech
and language pathologists, who are duly certified as a Board Certified
Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst
(BCaBA) or as a Direct Instruction Trainer. POAC’s presenters
also work regularly with teachers and students in classrooms so
they understand the dynamics and unique challenges that educating
children with autism in public school settings present.
To apply
for a grant, please fill out an Application and
return it to POAC via fax at 732-785-1003 or mail to 1999 Route 88 East Brick, NJ 08724. Applications will be reviewed
as received and grantees will be notified within one week. All
decisions are final.
