AT: 2025’s International ABAI Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, November 11-13, 2025
Congratulations to Christina, Belle, and Adam as they prepare to bring this important Competent Learner Model presentation to the international stage.
Christina Lovaas will present: “Implementing CLM Programs: Strategies for Ongoing Assent and Learner Engagement.”
And Belle Castillo Stikeleather will present: “Facilitating Genuine Assent in Nonverbal Learners Using the Competent Learner Model (CLM): A Case Study.”
Adam Hockman will serve as the discussant.
Christina Lovaas, BCBA, MA and TUCCi’s Clinical Director
Abstract:
Integrating assent in behavioral programs is fundamental to ethical, compassionate, and client-centered care in applied behavior analysis (ABA). This symposium draws upon a theoretical framework devised by Linnehan et
Belle Castillo Stikeleather, BCBA, QBA, LBA
al. (2023), which aims to ensure learners genuinely assent to interventions rather than providing a one-time agreement to participate. This framework, focused on preemptive compassion, takes a nonlinear constructional approach and aims to increase degrees of freedom and reduce coercion. In this symposium, we show how the Competent Learner Model (CLM), developed by Vicci Tucci, helps practitioners design and implement learner programming using the preemptive compassion framework. Two Certified CLM coaches will lead the symposium with individual case studies. The first presenter will describe the Competent Learner Model tools and how they can embed compassion into your practices. The second and third presenters will describe individual case studies that showcase strategies that ensure learners are continuously engaged and demonstrate their assent throughout treatment. The discussant will wrap up the symposium with questions and final thoughts. Ensuring learner assent within applied behavior analysis (ABA) is crucial for ethical, compassionate, and client-centered practice. This symposium explores a novel framework for conceptualizing and integrating assent, developed by Linnehan et al. (2023). Moving beyond one-time agreements, this framework prioritizes preemptive compassion, taking a nonlinear constructional approach to increase learner autonomy and minimize coercion. The symposium will demonstrate the practical application of this framework through the lens of the Competent Learner Model (CLM), developed by Vicci Tucci. Two Certified CLM coaches will present individual case studies illustrating how CLM tools facilitate compassionate care and empower learners to actively participate in their treatment. Attendees will learn specific strategies to promote ongoing learner engagement and ensure continuous assent throughout the intervention process.
Read more about the Competent Learner Model
Read more about Christina Lovaas
Read more about Belle Castillo Stikeleather
With heartfelt gratitude, we celebrate the retirement of Michele Saleh, Tucci Learning Solutions’ Early Start Program Coordinator and an extraordinary leader whose influence has shaped countless lives. Although Michele officially
