Upstate Cerebral Palsy recently hosted their Contemporary and Compassionate Approaches to Support People with Developmental Disabilities two-day conference in downtown Utica. This sold out event was attended by both national and international experts in the field of developmental disabilities.
Geared toward practitioners working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), this conference highlighted innovative research, evidence-based practices, and effective application from top leaders in the field.
“We know that both children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, or I/DD as we commonly call it, require supports and services that depending on that level of support needed could put them at an increased risk of residential placement, severe challenging behavior, medical conditions such as sleep, dietary sensitivities, and obesity,” explained Dr. Erik Jacobson, Upstate Cerebral Palsy’s chief clinical officer. “Our team at Upstate Cerebral Palsy has been integrating more Board-Certified Behavior Analysts or BCBAs into our programs who have the expertise in teaching skills for people with more complex I/DD. Skills lead to independence and independence leads to a better quality of life. Teaching from joy rather than compliance is something we like to say at Upstate Cerebral Palsy and we are so happy to be a catalyst to help spread this knowledge across the country.”
Panel discussions were held surrounding the future of working with individuals with complex intellectual and developmental disabilities. Attendees learned innovative, safe, and dignified evidence-based practices to treat challenging behaviors and teach essential skills to improve people’s quality of life. The event was made possible by presenting sponsor Adirondack Bank, networking sponsor Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, and supporting sponsors Louis & Laura Tehan, Centria Healthcare and Essential for Living.