This CEU course explores how foundational math skills can be effectively taught and assessed using the principles of behavior analysis. Participants will learn to conceptualize math computation as a behavioral operant and apply the instructional hierarchy to tailor math instruction. Emphasis is placed on using data to guide intervention decisions, measuring skill fluency through rate-based metrics, and distinguishing between skill and performance deficits. Real-world case examples and evidence-based instructional methods—such as Cover-Copy-Compare and Explicit Timing—are used to illustrate how behavior analytic strategies can improve math outcomes for learners.
This course extends beyond the current BCBA and BCaBA Task Lists by applying behavior-analytic principles specifically to the systematic teaching of basic math skills, an application area not explicitly outlined in the task list items. The instruction is behavior-analytic in nature, grounded in stimulus control, reinforcement, task analysis, and precision teaching methods to build fluency and generalization. It is designed for certified and aspiring behavior analysts, equipping them with evidence-based strategies to design, implement, and evaluate math instruction within the scope of ABA practice, ensuring measurable and socially significant outcomes.
Publication Date: April 2025
This course provides 2 CEU credits for BACB, QABA, and IBAO.
Author/Speaker
Jillian Dawes, Ph.D., NCSP, BCBA-D, is an Associate Professor of Psychology at The Citadel. Her primary teaching and research interests include the science of learning and behavior applied across academic and non-academic operants in school settings, as well as ethical considerations in training, research, and practice. She has published one book, one book chapter, and several peer-reviewed articles in the areas of ethical decision making and considerations, measure validation, and comparative math intervention research.
Instructor Qualifications
Dr. Dawes CV
| Requirement Category |
Meets Requirement (✔) |
Evidence / Description |
| Published Peer-Reviewed Research or Books on the Subject |
☑ Yes |
Author and co-author of numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters directly related to behavior analysis, academic skill acquisition, and mathematics instruction. Scholarly work includes multiple peer-reviewed studies on math fluency, instructional strategies, learning rate, skill vs. performance deficit analysis, and precision teaching methods, including publications evaluating Cover-Copy-Compare, Explicit Timing, curriculum-based measurement, and rate-based metrics for math outcomes. |
| ≥ 5 Years of Practical Experience(e.g., direct service delivery, applied practice, professional engagement) |
☑ Yes |
Extensive applied experience in school-based and clinical settings implementing behavior-analytic academic interventions. Practical work includes assessment, intervention, and consultation focused on foundational mathematics skills, instructional decision-making, and data-based evaluation of student performance within public school systems, university training clinics, and applied educational environments. |
| ≥ 3 Years Teaching / Training / Mentoring Experience |
☑ Yes |
More than a decade of experience teaching and training graduate students, school psychologists, and behavior analysts in applied behavior analysis, learning theory, academic intervention, and single-case research methods. University-level instruction and invited professional trainings have included explicit focus on treating academic skills as behavioral operants and apply |
