C.W. Post Study: Children With Seizure-Related Developmental Disabilities
Respond to Behavioral Treatment
‘Important to keep trying,’ reports researcher Dr. John Neill; C.W. Post adds new
undergraduate program in Applied Behavior Analysis

Dr. John C. Neill, left, and C.W. Post graduate student Ewa Galaj reported that children with hearing-related disabilities caused by seizures in infancy respond to behavioral treatment at the Behavior Analysis International conference in Phoenix in May.

Brookville, N.Y. – Infants who experience seizures may go on to have difficulty understanding the meaning of sounds – but the condition can be eased through persistent positive reinforcement by parents and caregivers, a professor of psychology at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University reports.

“The problem is not that the subjects can’t hear; it is that they have trouble learning what the sounds mean,” said John C. Neill, Ph.D. “The good news is that we also found that it was possible to teach subjects to learn how to respond correctly to sounds with the right behavioral procedures.”

Seizures are common in infants and may even happen without their parents’ knowledge, Dr. Neill said. He and C.W. Post graduate student Ewa Galaj presented their findings on the effects of seizures at the Association for Behavior Analysis International meeting in Phoenix on May 24.

“Teachers and parents should not give up trying to teach their child who has difficulty understanding what sounds mean,” Neill said. “Our research suggests that, with the proper behavior modification procedures, even children who misunderstand a request hundreds of times can eventually learn to respond correctly. It is very important to use proper methods of positive reinforcement and to keep trying.”

Dr. Neill is board certified in behavior analysis and teaches in the graduate-level advanced certificate program in applied behavior analysis at C.W. Post. He has conducted original research and experimentation on the causes and treatment of developmental disabilities for three decades at Children’s Hospital in Boston, Harvard Medical School, Southampton College and C.W. Post.

In September, C.W. Post will launch an undergraduate applied behavior analysis program, the only one of its kind at a Long Island college or university, for students majoring in psychology.

The new certificate program consists of two core psychology courses and two electives, along with field work. Graduates will be eligible for national certification by the Behavior Analysts Certification Board as assistant behavioral analysts, a credential that will expand employment prospects.

For more information about this research, contact Dr. Neill at John.Neill@liu.edu. For information on C.W. Post’s undergraduate, master’s and doctoral psychology programs, visit www.liu.edu/cwpost/psychology or call (516) 299-2377.

Posted: July 17, 2009