An Interview with Wendy Machalicek

Wendy Machalicek Portland State University Wendy Machalicek is an Assistant Professor at Portland State University. She earned her Ph.D. in special education from The University of Texas and is a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA). Her areas of expertise include applied behavior analysis, functional analysis and treatment of challenging behavior, assessment and instruction for children and youth with significant and multiple disabilities, including autism. Her current research includes the use of computer technologies to train teachers and parents to assess and implement interventions. The goal is to decrease challenging behavior and use reinforcement schedules to induce variable responding in children with autism. Dr. Machalicek is a member of numerous professional societies, including the Board of Directors for Oregon Parent Training and Information (ORPTI). NAJP: First, could you tell us a bit about your background and experience. WM: Prior to earning my Ph.D., I worked for over ten years in a variety of educational and residential services for children, youth, and adults with intellectual disabilities and autism. When I first began working in this field, I was working on my undergraduate degree in biology and worked part time as a direct care staffer in private and state operated institutional settings for adults with intellectual disabilities and autism. I noticed that people with intellectual disabilities and autism who engaged in challenging behavior such as aggression or self-injury had restricted or non-existent community outings, were provided fewer choices about food, clothes, and entertainment than their peers, lived with other people who engaged in challenging behavior, were cared for by less experienced staff, and had fewer positive interactions with staff or peers. These individuals were the ones I thought about long after my day ended. I could not deny the difficulty of responding to the sometimes dangerous behavior of the people I worked with, but I suspected that staff actions and institutional policies were contributing to the development and maintenance of challenging behaviors. I wondered what happened in the lives of people with disabilities to land them in an institutional setting and I set out to compare less restrictive settings to the institutions where I had worked. So, at each job transition, I chose to work in less restrictive settings and eventually with younger children. I worked as a community service coordinator for adults with intellectual disabilities and autism, and respite care coordinator for families of children with disabilities. By the time I began my Master's Program in Special Education at The University of Texas at Austin, I was working as an infant and toddler teacher at an early childhood center for medically fragile children that practiced reverse inclusion. I do not remember sitting down to strategically plan my job moves, but in retrospect I do not think I could have planned better. My early work experiences anchored my coursework in special ed and my education and training have provided me with the unique opportunity to think about best practices for people with intellectual disabilities and autism of all ages and in many settings. My scholarly interests have likely been shaped by my early work with people with disabilities in institutional settings; my research interests include the functional analysis and treatment of challenging behavior, and training teachers and parents to implement interventions to decrease challenging behavior. NAJP: It seems that the basic concepts of positive reinforcement, shaping, modeling and other behavioral approaches have not been reaching the people that most need them. Why do you think this is? WM: This research-to-practice issue is a common concern for many professional fields including education, medicine, and psychology. Applied behavior analysis has a long and rich history of research and there are many strong graduate programs in special education with a focus in applied behavior analysis. …