Mark Dixon workshop:
Teaching Higher-Order Language Skills to Persons with Autism and other Disabilities using the PEAK Relational Training System
PEAK is a new assessment and treatment protocol which has been shown to have convergent validity with IQ, state mandated Early Learning Standards, and other formal tests of language or cognitive abilities. PEAK also has strong inter-rater reliability, a normalized comparison population, and a factor analyzed skill set. This workshop will explore the conceptual foundations of behavioral approaches to language and cognition which began with Skinner, expanded with Sidman, and continue to evolve through Relational Frame Theory. The PEAK system will be explained including all four training modules: direct contingencies, generalization, stimulus equivalence, and relational responding. Assessments for presence/absence of skills, rehearsals of training trial implementations, and developing data management skills will all be included in the workshop. Upon completion, all attendees will have the information necessary to implement PEAK for clients they work with.