What We Are Looking For
 

At NASQN we’re sparking bold conversations and practical solutions in quality ABA. 

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The topic of quality is at the forefront of the ABA services industry. The ABA autism services industry in particular has seen important advances in the development and adoption of standards and guidelines for ABA, as well as a call for research on quality ABA service practices at the journal, Behavior Analysis in Practice. However, ABA quality research which examines the variables that influence ABA service delivery quality has only begun to emerge, leaving ABA professionals to design service delivery systems without an empirical research base from which they can draw to develop quality assurance systems. As a result, professional development pathways leading to robust ABA quality assurance repertoires are difficult to come by.  

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In alignment with the 4th pillar of the National ABA Service Quality Network (NASQN)’s Action Plan for American ABA, “Prioritizing ABA Service Quality in Research and Practice”, NASQN seeks symposium, panel, and workshop submissions for its IGNITE Quality conference. The goal of this conference is to spark curiosity, energy, and action in early career ABA professionals ready to lead on quality ABA autism services. Specifically, by establishing new positive reinforcement contingencies for research that informs the decision-making not only of early career ABA professionals.  

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Submission requirement criteria are based largely on the same criteria specified in the call for submissions from the 2025 Behavior Analysis in Practice special issue on Quality Service Practices in Applied Behavior Analysis.  

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We encourage submissions that integrate concepts and tools from other disciplines, with behavior analysis, and offer practical tools and related resources the everyday ABA professional can use immediately after attending the conference to improve ABA service quality. Submissions can have strong theoretical, philosophical, conceptual, or data-based elements, but must conclude with broadly actionable and applicable resources or insights. 

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Authors are encouraged to submit their proposal including: 

• A the presentation title

• A 300-500 word abstract with major, references, 

• 3 or more learning objectives,  

• A brief statement of relevance to early career ABA professionals,  

• A brief statement of relevance to one or more pillars of the NASQN Action Plan for American ABA,  

• A brief description of the “takeaways” for clinicians.  

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Topics must be related to ABA service delivery quality and one or more established quality concepts (i.e., quality measurement, quality management, quality assurance, quality control, quality planning, or quality improvement). And Additionally, topics must also focus on the relationship between quality and any of these areas of focus: 

• Barriers to quality services (e.g., access, personnel, training, financial)  

• Treatment planning (e.g., medical necessity, care coordination, organizational capacity) 

• Assessments (e.g., standardized, non-standardized, functional behavior assessment)  

• Active treatment (e.g., caseload management, fidelity, reliability, data collection/analysis, evidence-based practices) 

• Applicable regulations (e.g., federal/state laws, funder policies, accreditation standards) 

• Systems of support (e.g., clinical practice guidelines, ethics boards, risk analyses)  

• Leveraging technology (e.g., KPI tracking, clinical outcome measures, responsible AI usage) 

• Supervision and training (e.g., mentorship programs, fieldwork experiences) 

• Leadership (e.g., promoting competency and values, establishing organizational culture) 

• Financial incentives (e.g., market supply and demand, private equity, value-based care 

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Review/acceptance process 

 

All submissions will undergo a blind peer review conducted by the NASQN Quality Committee. Proposals will be evaluated using a rubric, on their relevance to the conference themes, clarity of objectives, methodological rigor, practical utility for early-career professionals, and potential contribution to advancing quality in ABA practice. To ensure impartiality, identifying details (e.g., author names, affiliations, organizations) will be removed prior to review. Authors will be notified of acceptance decisions, including any required revisions, no later than December 1, 2025.