Complex Behavior Program
Who We Serve
The Complex Behavior Program serves children and adolescents, up to age 21, that engage in severe forms of challenging behavior. Common diagnoses and challenging behaviors treated at the SBP include:
Diagnoses:
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Developmental delay
- Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
- Intellectual disability
- Intermittent explosive disorder
- Oppositional defiant disorder
- Stereotypic movement disorder with self-injurious behavior
- Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)
Challenging Behaviors:
- Aggression
- Disruptive behavior
- Elopement
- Non-compliance
- Self-injury
- Pica
- Property destruction
- Stereotypy
Children appropriate for these services are those whose behavior puts them or their family at serious risk for diminished health and/or the child is at risk for a change in their home or school placement.
Our Treatment Approach:
A team of Licensed Psychologists, Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), and direct-care staff assist families with understanding the purpose behind their child's challenging behavior and develop individualized treatments that focus on the prevention of challenging behavior. We work to address five main goals during admission:
- To assess the child’s challenging behavior by identifying the situations that are likely to produce it and the consequences that are likely to maintain it. This functional approach to assessment is most helpful by identifying the key events in the environment that can be modified to suppress challenging behavior and promote appropriate behavior during treatment.
- To teach the child to engage in socially appropriate replacement behavior that serves the same purpose as challenging behavior.
- To develop strategies to help the child learn to better tolerate difficult situations. That is, we aim to teach our patients new ways to respond and deal with the difficult situations that have occasioned challenging behavior in the past.
- To train caregivers (i.e., parents, teachers, paraprofessionals) to implement treatment procedures specific to their child's challenging behavior.
- To ensure treatment gains carryover into the child’s natural environment (e.g., home, school, community). To do so, a combination of telehealth, in-home visits, and/or behavioral consultation will be offered for follow-up care.
Providers
Social Worker
Education:
- B.A. in Psychology from University at Buffalo
- M.S.W. from collaborative program between SUNY Brockport and Nazareth College
Services provided:
- Social Work
- Complex Behavior Program
- Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program
Clinical Background and My Approach to Care:
I enjoy working with families to help connect them to resources within their community and navigate the different systems of care. I am passionate about helping parents build upon their strengths and knowledge to be the best advocate and support for their child while also ensuring that their own needs are being addressed as well.
Licensed Psychologist
Director - Outpatient Behavioral Services, Golisano Center for Special Needs, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Education:- B.S. in Psychology from West Virginia University
- M.S. in Psychology from Syracuse University
- Ph.D. in Psychology from Syracuse University
Services provided:
- Complex Behavior Program
- Autism Diagnosis
- Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program
-
Behavior Analysis Murine Laboratory
Clinical Background and My Approach to Care:
When an individual engages in challenging behavior, I do not see them as being “bad” – they are simply trying to tell us something! I love my job because I get to figure out what they are trying to tell us and help them learn more socially appropriate and effective ways to communicate their wants and needs. I have dedicated my life to helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and I feel privileged to serve this population and our community.
Postdoctoral Associate
Executive Director, Golisano Center for Special Needs,
Program Director, Upstate Center for Children’s Behavioral Health - Biobehavioral Health Unit Gregory S. Liptak Professor of Child Development
Education:
- B.S. in Psychology from Louisiana State University
- M.S. in Psychology from Louisiana State University
- Ph.D. in Psychology from Louisiana State University
- Complex Behavior Program
- Autism Diagnosis
- Biobehavioral Health Inpatient Unit
- Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program
Clinical Background and My Approach to Care:
My approach to helping children is to view everyone involved as part of a team. The children themselves, caregivers, the front-line staff, social worker, behavioral psychologists, teachers, and medical staff all come together to meet the unique needs of the child. This looks different in every case, but the important thing is to seek that input and share responsibility is most critical to having a successful care plan. By building on the strengths of the child and the family, we can develop programs that are individualized and effective.
Education:
- B.A. in Psychology from University of North Carolina at Wilmington
- M.A. in Psychology from University of North Carolina at Wilmington
- Ph.D. in School Psychology from University of Georgia
- Complex Behavior Program
- Behavior Analysis Murine Laboratory
Clinical Background and My Approach to Care:
I am interested in applying the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis towards providing ethical and evidence-based assessment and treatment of severe behavioral problems. In my clinical practice, I focus on collaborating with clients and their families to prioritize meaningful and appropriate treatment goals. Then I conduct assessments to identify the potential variables that are contributing to the behavior problems in order to use those same variables to promote behavior change. Lastly, I work with the families and other important individuals in the client's life to generalize that change into their natural environment. My research focuses on utilizing the translational research process to identify methods to program behavioral treatments early on in the process to be more resistant to relapse and promote better long-term effectiveness.
Licensed Behavior Analyst
Education:
- B.S. in Nutrition Science from Purdue Global
- M.S. in Psychology from Purdue Global
Services provided:
- Complex Behavior Program
- Behavior Analysis Murine Laboratory
Clinical Background and My Approach to Care:
I have always been passionate about helping others, especially those individuals with behavioral and developmental challenges. Being a Behavior Analyst allows me the opportunity to use effective evidence- based practices and creative problem-solving to collaborate with caregivers and other professionals to find real-life solutions. I love that I can help people make real, measurable changes in their lives.