Cross-Cultural Content Validity of the Autism Program Environment Rating Scale in Sweden

Increasing rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and younger age at diagnosis pose a challenge to preschool intervention systems. In Sweden, most young autistic children receive intervention service in community-based preschool programs, but no tool is yet available to assess the quality of the preschool learning environment. This study adapted the Autism Program Environment Rating Scale Preschool/Elementary to Swedish community context (APERS-P-SE). Following translation and a multistep modification process, independent experts rated the content validity of the adaptation. Findings indicate high cross-cultural validity of the adapted APERS-P-SE. The cultural adaption process of the APERS-P-SE highlights similarities and differences between the American and Swedish preschool systems and their impact on early ASD intervention

Exploring perceptions of and supporting dyslexia in teachers in higher education in STEM

There is much literature focused on supporting students diagnosed with learning difficulties within higher education, in particular those with dyslexia. However, there is relatively little that discusses perceptions of and support for academics who have been diagnosed with the same learning difficulties. Although statistics from the Higher Education Statistics Authority suggest that percentages of staff declaring that they have dyslexia are much lower than those of undergraduate or postgraduate students, anecdotally media and social media suggest there is a sizeable population of academics who have this neurodiversity. In this paper we explore perceptions of dyslexia, and suggest practical ways in which to support new academics with or without a diagnosis

Higher Education and behavior analysis in Europe::Creating a unified approach for the training of autism professionals

Training of behaviour analysts for autism services, has improved notably within a European higher education context. However, regional discrepancies associated with economic, health care, social services, and institutional policies magnify the importance of creating appropriate unified training and consumer protection. Although the European Association for Behaviour Analysis (EABA) has endorsed the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s (BACB) designations, the absence of European and national regulations, recognition, and accreditation remain significant barriers to quality training and implementation. These challenges are  particularly pertinent in light of BACB decision to limit certification to residents in the USA and Canada after 2022. Advances, challenges, and future directions are discussed within the context of higher education in the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Norway, and Sweden. The post-Bologna European agenda for higher education, globalization and opportunities for the training of behaviour analysts within European higher education are outlined

Higher education and behavior analysis in Europe: creating a unified approach for the training of autism professionals

Training of behaviour analysts for autism services, has improved notably within a European higher education context. However, regional discrepancies associated with economic, health care, social services, and institutional policies magnify the importance of creating appropriate unified training and consumer protection. Although the European Association for Behaviour Analysis (EABA) has endorsed the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s (BACB) designations, the absence of European and national regulations, recognition, and accreditation remain significant barriers to quality training and implementation. These challenges are  particularly pertinent in light of BACB decision to limit certification to residents in the USA and Canada after 2022. Advances, challenges, and future directions are discussed within the context of higher education in the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Norway, and Sweden. The post-Bologna European agenda for higher education, globalization and opportunities for the training of behaviour analysts within European higher education are outlined. © 2020, © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Higher education, behaviour analysis, and autism: time for coalescence

This special issue represents the cumulation of discussions at the 2nd International Summit on Higher Education, Autism, and Behavior Analysis that was held in Stockholm, Sweden, January 2018. This summit followed the 1st International Summitthat was held in Texas, USA, September 2009. At that time, the rapidly rising prevalencerates of autism worldwide and the urgency of consumer protection meant that the summit focused on developing suitable Higher Education programs for behaviour analysts. The proceedings of the 1st Summit were published in a special issue of the European Journal of Behavior Analysis (Ala’i-Rosales et al., 2010).Since then, the discipline has grown exponentially. We now have 306 Higher Education institutes that deliver verified course sequences (VCS) in Behaviour Analysis worldwide. However, most of these courses are located in the USA (n = 217), with only 34 of these courses located in Europe, and the quality of community-based support for families affected by autism remains a major concern (Keenan & Dillenburger, 2018; Roll-Pettersson et al., 2016). The purpose of the 2nd Summit was to discuss future directions, requirements, opportunities, and challenges for Higher Education in the field of Behaviour Analysis, specifically with regards to autism intervention