(REC) The Happy Medium Approach: Building the bridge between Direct Contingency Management

The jump from direct contingency management to psychological flexibility can at times feel like trying to jump across the Grand Canyon. Where do we start? How do we build such a large bridge? The Happy Medium Approach (HMA) combined with Happy Medium Language (HML) provide a 7 dimension sound behavior analytic framework to make the long leap from direct contingency management to the active practice of psychological flexibility. HMA and HML provide interventionists with a framework to create a universal but flexible language across contexts to support contextual awareness and the development of relational networks. Continuing to target skills at increasing levels of complexity, HMA and HML support the individual in developing the foundational skills necessary to flexibly match environmental contexts and ultimately practice psychological flexibility. The approach is for verbal learners who have a complete relational framing repertoire. Although individuals who have weak or missing relational framing repertoire may still benefit from components of the approach, it is most effective for those who are highly verbal. HMA and HML support individuals with a wide variety of diagnoses and often multiple diagnoses who can demonstrate large, dangerous, and unsafe behaviors and present with challenges in communication, engagement, contextual awareness, demonstrating behavior that matches the context, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, flexibility, shifting, perspective, self-monitoring, and rule-governed behavior, and Psychological Flexibility!

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will identify the difference between Direct Contingency Management and Indirect Acting Contingencies
• Attendees will be able to explain at least 1 risk involved when using language as an intervention
• Attendees will be able to explain the purpose of the noticing grid
• Attendees will be able to describe the Happy Medium Approach

Presenter: Rosalie Prendergast, BCBA

Rosalie Prendergast, MS BCBA has worked with children with disabilities since the age of 12. A long-time equestrian, she began her journey helping children using equine therapy. Rosalie focused on that journey when she obtained a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Northern Colorado, concentrating on Art, Human Rehabilitation services, Special Education, and Psychology. In 2009 she graduated from Nova Southeastern University with a Masters degree in Counseling and Advanced Behavior Analysis and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She strives to enhance the lives of all the individuals she works with through increasing their access to meaningful participation in all areas of their life.