January Survey Out!

Hope everyone has been enjoying the holidays and is preparing for an excellent New Year.

The survey for articles for the January meeting can be found here with the corresponding abstracts here.

Please choose what you'd like to read in January on the topic of Autism Spectrum Disorders and teaching.  The link will be open until next Tuesday so please vote as soon as you can.  The final January bibliography will be posted on Tuesday, January 5.

If you've been interested in joining the group, registration is always open.  If we can get enough people to start the new year, we'll be able to run additional sessions in the spring and summer to make sure we give everyone a chance to collect the full 7 CEs for the year.  A full FAQ can be found on the website.

Remember to email me if you have any questions.

Happy Holidays!

The Worcester County Journal Club is taking December off for some R+R.  Hopefully, you're all able to do the same.  Our 2nd session will be starting in January so keep an eye on your inbox for the January article survey.  If you haven't yet registered and are worried that you've missed the fall, good news: we'll be holding a few summer sessions to catch up recent registrants in the year's articles.  That means that if you register for the full year ($25) you can still make up the full 7 CEs worth of content.  But, this only lasts through the January meeting so, if you've been on the fence, now's a great time to register for the year.  Exact summer catch-up meetings will be scheduled sometime in January/February.

So, until January, to our current members and to anyone who has visited one of our meetings, Happy Holidays.

Sunday Meeting - 11/22/15

Sunday's meeting has grown past our original venue so we'll be moving to a new location: Panera Bread in Marlborough.

The meeting will begin at 10am on Sunday the 22nd at Panera Bread in the R.K. Centre Plaza, 197 Boston Post Rd W, Marlborough.  If you haven't already done so, please register so I know who to expect and so that there's no delay in processing your CEs after the meeting.  Remember, to receive credit for attending you must have read the articles and bring a completed note-taking sheet with you.  Files can be found here in the "November" section of the bibliography.

Some folks have asked about the possibility of using Skype to attend.  I will be looking into the feasibility of tele-attending for the January meeting as I would love to open the WCJC up to folks across both Massachusetts and the globe!

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Sunday.

November Articles Chosen

Hi, all.  Sorry for the late update.  The November articles are chosen and are updated on the bibliography page.  There you can get links to the articles and download a syllabus for the month as well as the note taking sheet.  If you're still unregistered, feel free to join us.  After November, pricing for the year will be updated.  While our goal is to do a few catch up sessions to get as many people as possible their full seven CEs for the year, there will only be one or two additional opportunities in the spring so act now!

Please email me if you have any issues accessing the articles or the files themselves.

November Survey is LIVE!

Due to the Thanksgiving vacation, we have a truncated schedule this month so the November survey will be going out today.  Remember, you have until this coming Monday night to fill out the survey so that articles can be sent out next Tuesday in preparation for our meetings on the 17th and 22nd.

This month's topic is Play and Leisure.

Last October Meeting Tomorrow 4-5

Happy Halloween! After you're done falling back, don't forget the last October meeting of the WCJC is tomorrow from 4-5.  As a second site hasn't been completely finalized, we'll be meeting at my house.  If you've registered, I'll be sending directions.  If not, why not do so now.  Here's the link to the articles for the month (scroll to October - Classroom Skills) and for the note-taking sheet.

Looking forward to seeing folks for the first meeting outside of Jefferson!

October Meeting in Jefferson TOMORROW!

Looking forward to seeing everyone who has signed up for the Jefferson group tomorrow.

Remember, we will be meeting from 4-5 at the old elementary school.  For newcomers, there will be a sign pointing you in the right direction.  If you haven't done your reading yet, links to the articles can be found on the bibliography page for October.  If you've done any reading on the Preschool Life Skills (PLS) program before, you're in for a treat during our discussions.  If you haven't we'll be doing a brief summary of the original research as well.

October Article Results In!

The votes are in and the October articles have been decided.   After the jump (and on the bibliography page) are links to this months' articles as well as to the course syllabus and the note-taking sheet.

Last day for October voting!

It's the last day to vote on articles for our October meeting.  If you haven't yet voted, click on this link to read the abstracts for the choices for this month's topic: Classroom skills.  Then remember to come back to this page to vote on your favorites.  The two top articles will be selected tomorrow evening to ensure plenty of time to read them before our meetings this month (Jefferson 10/27 from 4-5; Shrewsbury 11/1 from 4-5).  Also, don't forget to register by signing up here.

So, read the abstract and vote after the page break (i.e., press the "read more" button).  Thanks!

October Journal Survey Released

Everyone signed up for our October meeting can now click on this link to read the abstracts for the choices for this month's topic: Classroom skills.

Second Site Announced!

Due to popular demand, we will be opening up a second site for meetings.  While the exact location is still TBD, it will occur in the Shrewsbury area and be scheduled on Sundays from 4-5.  Though the first meeting will be near the end of October, members who sign up will still be eligible for the full seven CEs with our September topic being rescheduled to later in the year.  Interested applicants should either register here or email me for more information.

September meeting TOMORROW!!

To our members, just a reminder that we'll have our first meeting of the 2015 year tomorrow at 1745 Main Street in Jefferson, MA (the Early Childhood Center).  For new members, I'll be posting a sign to point you in the direction of our meeting room.  Feel free to bring snacks if you need a mid-afternoon pick me up.  Remember, bring the two articles and your note taking sheet.  While I will not be collecting these, I will need to see that they are completed as part of the documentation that you were present at the meeting in order to get CEs.  

If you've already paid for membership or for the single meeting, thank you.  If not, please be sure to bring payment to the meeting to avoid a delay in processing your CEs.  If you're just coming for the conversation: welcome!

September Articles Available!

Articles for the September 29th meeting have been selected.  The two articles to discuss on the topic of verbal behavior are:

Delfs, C.H., Conine, D.E., Frampton, S.E., Shillingsburg, M.A., & Robinson, H.C. Evaluation of the efficiency of listener and tact instruction for children with autism.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 47, 793-809.

Groskreutz, N.C., Groskreutz, M.P., Bloom, S.E., & Slocum, T.A. Generalization of negatively reinforced mands in children with autism (2014).  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 47, 560-579.

If you have a subscription to the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, you can access these articles online.  If you need a printed copy, contact me as we have permission to share research in the context of our meetings.

Remember, to earn CEs, you'll need to have paid your registration fee and to bring a completed copy of the note-taking sheet linked here.  Registration for membership ($25) will remain open throughout the year, though be sure to register now so you don't miss any CE opportunities.

Enjoy the readings!

Sign up now - only 1 day left

Articles for the first session will be distributed Tuesday night meaning, if you're interested in voting for our two articles, you'll need to have signed up for membership by 9/21/15 to make your voice heard.  If you miss the deadline, membership will remain open.  So, don't miss out on the chance for some great discussion and some low-priced CEs! Register now!

Location and time

We've updated the FAQ with information regarding the time and location of WCJC meetings.  Meetings will occur from 4-5 in an attempt to coincide with both work schedules and travel time.  Meetings will be held at the Jefferson Elementary School at 1745 Main St. in Jefferson, MA, though unfortunately this may be subject to availability.  Any schedule changes will be noted in advance to accommodate member schedules.

Interested applicants remember to sign up ASAP to get the most value from your time and to have a say in this month's articles.

Applications now accepted

Our first meeting is almost upon us.  On September 29th the 2015 Journal Club season begins and our registration page is up!

Those BCBAs or BCaBAs interested in earning CEs should be sure to register and pay the $25 membership fee.  Please note: membership entitles one to:
a) access to all WCJC events for the 2015 season (7 CEs earned for attending all 7 meetings)
b) ability to vote on articles for the upcoming meeting
c) invitation to the end-of-year WCJC social event (non-CE activity)

Non-members may register monthly for a $5 fee.  Each meeting is eligible for 1 CE, dependent on meeting participation requirements.  Those interested in attending for educational purposes only can do so for free but must register using the form.  A full syllabus for the September meeting will be posted shortly.

The first meeting survey will be released on September 15th and will be available to members for one week so sign-up early to avoid missing the chance for your voice to be heard.

Calendar Update and Facebook Page

The WCJC calendar has been updated with the topics of discussion.  Prior to the meeting, members will be emailed a survey and article abstracts to ensure that the discussion at the event relates to the research of most interest to our participants.  Ideally members have an active subscription to the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis from which many of the articles to be discussed will be chosen.  If not, it's well worth subscribing to stay in the know.

The WCJC Facebook page has also been updated.  While it's only basic information now, it's hoped that opportunities to connect for further discussion outside of our few meetings will develop through social media.  Feel free to Like us or contact us through the page or through the website.

Upcoming Meetings

If you have not signed up for the September meeting of the WCJC, you will miss out on the chance to vote for the articles to be discussed.  You can do so by emailing me before September 15th.