Anthony is highly deserving of this recognition for his dedication and perseverance in helping regulate student behaviors in the classroom. He is eager to learn about both the program and each student’s treatment plan. Anthony consistently demonstrates professionalism, strong work ethic, and a positive, approachable attitude.  He actively supports new trainees, ensuring their experience at JRC is welcoming and productive. His ability to provide a safe, structured, and encouraging environment for students is truly remarkable. Anthony is a true team player who steps up without hesitation, helping to maintain a positive classroom morale. His commitment does not go unnoticed.  Congratulations Anthony!

As a charge nurse in the nursing department, Jenny consistently shows strong leadership, teamwork, and dedication to the students’ and clients’ care. She supports her fellow nurses, helps keep the unit running smoothly, and always steps up when needed. Jenny is a great example of what it means to be a leader in the nursing department. Her hard work and positive attitude make a big difference every day. She always ensures that houses have all medications and staff are signing the medication sheet and narc book.  She communicates to nurses on all changes and needs of the department in a timely manner. She picks up shifts when there is a need in the department. Congratulations Jenny!

Oluseun has been a consistent exemplary performer as a classroom teacher. He has continued to demonstrate effective use of classroom management skills and instructional skills keeping students engaged in their behavior plans and academic lessons. During recent trainings and observations of instructional practice, visiting teacher trainers from Morningside exclaimed that Olu was a standout teacher mastering the use of Direct Instruction as a teaching strategy, while effectively managing student behavior, and maintaining high rates of specific praise across students in the classroom. Congratulations Olu!

He ended with student Sherry’s data before/after medication tapering and a short video of her telling the conference attendees to have a great rest of their day (after obtaining consent from her guardians). A major treatment success for JRC! Abstract below.

Psychotropic medications such as antipsychotics and antidepressants are often used in tandem with applied behavior analysis to treat the problem behavior of children with emotional and behavioral challenges in schools as well as those of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Although the Food and Drug Administration approved risperidone and aripiprazole to treat “irritability” associated with autism spectrum disorder, such drugs can have adverse effects such as weight changes, metabolic changes, sedation, acute dystonia, akathisia, tardive dyskinesia, parkinsonian features, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Many other off-label drugs are prescribed to manage problem behaviors. In fact, there may be no clear association between psychotropic medication use and psychiatric diagnosis. There is evidence to support the notion that discontinuation of psychotropic medications prescribed to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities can occur without increases in problem behavior. Drawing from 24 years of clinical data and over 1000 cases, we will explore medication management, tapering, and discontinuation through dose change effect sizes, conditional rates, visual analysis of data, and the clinical/ethical decision-making process in behavioral psychopharmacology. In many cases, psychotropic medications such as aripiprazole (Abilify), risperidone (Risperdal), olanzapine (Zyprexa), and quetiapine (Seroquel) can be safely tapered and discontinued amidst comprehensive behavioral treatment.

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