Alternatives to Extinction for Supporting Extreme Demand Avoidant Behavior

Regardless of co-morbid medical diagnosis/symptomology (e.g. PDA- Pathological/Pervasive Demand Avoidance; ODD- Oppositional Defiance Disorder), when demand-avoidant behaviors impede an individual’s quality of life, the technology of behavior analysis can be utilized to observe, analyze and support behavior change that is meaningful to the individual. Throughout this workshop, participants will explore how explicit or perceived demands impact the nervous system and set the occasion for future behavior. The impact of co-morbid symptomology that may contribute to behavior change will be reviewed. Participants will also learn how to define multi-functional behavior as it relates to autonomy and control over their environment. This is not a “PDA” or “ODD” workshop. This is a workshop for behavior analysts on how to ethically and meaningfully support behavior change for individuals that present with target behaviors of extreme demand avoidance. A major focus of this workshop is on evidence-based alternatives to escape-extinction that rely heavily on trauma-informed antecedent strategies.