Message from Rob

Hi. I’m Rob Davis, I have a Master’s degree in Education and am certified and licensed as a Behavior Analyst (BCBA, LBA). I have been in the field of developmental disabilities with children and adults for forty years. While I have worked in residential, vocational, school, and home settings, the one unifying factor in all of my work is that the individuals I support exhibit some degree of disruptive and/or aggressive behaviors. I am a doctoral program drop-out, as the program that I was enrolled in cared more about research than about the quality of the educational programming of regular and special education students and in training teachers to meet the needs of all students.

I know that you can choose from a dizzying array of programs that teach aggression prevention and management, and I really don’t care which one you choose – as long as that program truly meets the needs of your staff and the needs of the individuals that you support. I like the SUPPORT program. Why shouldn’t I? I took an antiquated program in the 1980s and have worked for decades with BCBAs, Psychologists, Social Workers, Teachers, Administrators, Parents, Behavior Therapists, Para-professionals, and OTs/PTs to change that program into something that changes the lives of children and adults who exhibit challenging behaviors. I continue to use the prevention and response techniques still in my own clinical practice and meet regularly every year with practitioners in a number of states to continue to revise and improve all aspects of this training program. Does this program teach people to use restraints and seclusion? It does. And that freaks some people out. But the focus is on treating all people with respect and dignity and doing everything that we can to teach them new skills and how to self-regulate so that one does not have to resort to more restrictive practices. It talks about how aggressive behaviors are a result of the combination of nature and nurture, just like being blind or having cancer, and that we need to be supportive and empathetic in helping to improve the lives of people who did not choose this path. The first thing we emphasize is the importance of building relationships in order to build trust and condition ourselves as reinforcers.