Call for Proposals

Call for Proposals for the 21st International Conference on Positive Behavior Support closed on September 8, 2023.  The information on this page remains for your reference and planning for APBS2025.

As you prepare your presentation proposal, please consult the Guide for Submitting a Successful Conference Presentation Proposal and Scoring Rubric for APBS Conference presentation proposals. For additional advice, View the Webinar: Tips and Tricks for Submitting a Successful Conference Proposal.

Presenters should consider submissions that address targeted topics including:

  • policies that impact positive behavior support including: the Every Student Succeeds Act, Medicaid, etc.,
  • alignment of positive behavior support with other initiatives such as trauma informed practices, mental health, restorative justice, etc.
  • culturally responsive positive behavior support practices,
  • practical applications of positive behavior support in home, early childhood settings, school and classroom settings, community agencies, adult programs, etc.,
  • the role of various disciplines or personnel in positive behavior support implementation,
  • use of positive behavior support for individuals with disabilities, and
  • collaborations between families, schools, agencies, and communities.

The APBS Conference Committee encourages presenters to consider submitting a multi-presentation session consisting of 2 to 3 presentations on a topic or related topics relevant to positive behavior support. High quality multi-presentation submissions will be given strong

Important Dates for Presenters

 Dates to Remember

  • Deadline for receipt of presentations – September 8, 2023
  • Notification of selection* – Late October 2023
  • Online publication of APBS 2024 Draft Agenda with presentation times – Mid December 2023
  • Deadline for registration and housing of all presenters – February 2, 2024
  • Deadline for APBS 2023 Conference registration – February 23, 2024

*If you do not receive notification by email at that time, please contact conference@apbs.org.

Presentation Types

The APBS Conference will be accepting submissions online for four types of sessions: Single-Presentation, Multi-Presentation, Panel Discussion, and Poster Presentation. Please review the <Guide for Submitting a Successful APBS Conference Presentation Proposal> for detail on session types and the submission process. All sessions should address topics that are relevant to positive behavior support and inform research, practice, and/or policy. Information within conference sessions should be based on sound evidence and support data-based decision making.

  • Single Presentation Sessions
    • One presentation focused on one topic relevant to positive behavior support,
    • May include one or more presenters,
    • 60-minute session with time allotted for Q&A,
    • Scheduled during March 7th & 8th
  • Multi-Presentation Sessions
    • Comprised of two to three separate presentations on one topic or a set or related topics relevant to positive behavior support
    • Organized by the multiple authors/presenters and submitted as one session. These sessions are not organized by the conference committee.
    • May include a discussant, or final speaker, who highlights and synthesizes the primary themes of the presentations to advance the topic,
    • Each presenter/topic devotes a large portion of their time to the topic being covered (vs. panel discussion where the focus is on discussion between panelists and participants) while allowing for Q&A,
    • 60-minute session with time allotted for Q&A,
    • Scheduled during March 7th & 8th
    • Multi-presenter sessions will be given priority for acceptance and scheduling.
  • Panel Discussions
    • Organized by a chair who moderates the presentation,
    • Offers rich audience interaction with three to four panelists speaking about a particular theme or topic,
    • Panelists may include a brief introductory remark about the topic but should not include lengthy presentations (vs. multi-presentation where each presenter devotes a large portion of their time to the topic),
    • 60-minute session is focused on engaging discussion between panelists and participants,
    • Scheduled during March 7th and 8th
  • Poster Presentation
    • Visual presentations that provide opportunities to share research projects and results related to Positive Behavior Support or applications of positive behavior support in authentic situations and outcomes,
    • Best suited for content that can be visually displayed, and may not be ready for other session formats,
    • Presenting authors are available during the session to discuss their work and answer questions,
    • Scheduled during the conference reception on Thursday evening (March 7th) from 6:30pm – 8:00pm,
    • Presenters will be provided with an 8’ X 30’ table and a 3’ X 4’ poster board on which visual information is displayed

In addition to the Call for Proposals and the types of sessions listed above, the APBS Conference Committee will organize Ignite, Combined, and Mini-Skill sessions.  The committee will organize these based on invitation and the submissions received through the call for proposals. While you cannot submit to present an Ignite, Combined, or Mini-Skill session, you might be asked by the APBS Conference Committee, during the Call for Proposals review process, to be considered for these alternative session types.

  • Ignite Presentation Sessions (not available through the Call for Proposals)
    • Series of short 8-to-10-minute presentations presented in rapid-fire format with up to 6 speakers,
    • Organized by the APBS Conference Committee based on content related to research, practice, or policy,
    • 60-minute session,
    • Scheduled during March 7th and 8th
  • Combined Presentation Sessions: (not available through the Call for Proposals)
    • Two to three individual presentations on a topic or related topics,
    • Organized by the APBS Conference Committee based on submitted applications and invitation (as opposed to the Multi-Presentation sessions that are organized by the presenters and submitted through the Call for Proposals),
    • 90-120 minute session with time allotted for Q&A
    • The format of the presentation is at the discretion of the presenters,
    • Scheduled during March 7th and 8th
  • Mini-Skill Sessions: (New for 2024! Not available through the Call for Proposals)
    • Practice- or policy-based sessions providing a deeper dive into a specific topic area or area of skill development,
    • Organized by the APBS Conference Committee,
    • 120-minute session with time allotted for Q&A,
    • Scheduled during March 7th and 8th

Author Submission Limitation

To provide attendees with a broad array of presenters and presentation topics, the APBS Conference Committee will limit the number of peer-reviewed proposal submissions to two (2) by one lead author. An author can be the lead presenter on one oral presentation (e.g., See Presentation Types – Single Presentation, Panel Discussion, or Ignite Session) and one poster presentation or a co-presenter (second or later author) on one other submitted presentation. The lead author cannot be a lead presenter on two oral presentations (single, multi, or panel) or two poster presentations.

NOTE: Keynote, Featured, Invited, Workshop, Mini-Skills, Ignite, Combined, and Multi-Presentation sessions do not count toward the submission limit.

Audiovisual Equipment for Presenters

Presenters for oral sessions (e.g., Single-Presentations, Multi-Presentations, Panel Discussions, Ignite Sessions, Combined Sessions) are provided with a screen, LCD projectors and microphone (where needed). Laptops are the responsibility of the presenter. 

Poster presenters are not supplied with any audiovisual equipment or electrical access. Those requiring audiovisual equipment are responsible for their own equipment or working with the hotel AV staff at their own cost. Additionally, electrical access can be obtained by the presenter directly through the hotel at their own cost.

CEU Information

BCBA Type 2 CEU and NASP CPDs
APBS encourages proposals that are eligible to provide BCBA Type 2 CEUs and NASP CPDs.

ACE logo

BCBA Type 2 CEU qualifying sessions require that a presenter meets the requirements to instruct for BCBA CEUs, that content of the presentation extends beyond the current BCBA Task List/BCaBA Task List and coursework required for sitting for certification exams, and be behavior-analytic in nature.

NASP approved provider: ensuring high quality professional development

NASP CPD qualifying sessions require the presenter(s) to have training and/or experience qualifying them as experts in the subject matter, content aligns with the NASP Domains of Practice, and the instructional level is appropriate for credentialed school psychologists.  If your session is accepted and you approve the recording of the session, you will be asked to provide 8 multiple-choice post-test questions, per hour of content, prior to the beginning of the conference (by February 19, 2024).

You will have an opportunity during the submission process to indicate if you are interested in having your presentation considered as a BCBA Type 2 CEU or NASP CPD session.

Student Poster Awards

There will be two scholarships awarded for students who present scholarly work at the Reception/Poster Session. Awards will be given to students who present original research or original research-based practitioner or teacher education information. If the only entries to the contest fall into the research-based or practitioner/teacher education category, then two awards shall be presented within that single category to ensure that two awards are delivered per year.

To be considered for the APBS Student Poster Presentation Award presenters must: (1) be an APBS Student Member (2) be listed as the first author/presenter on the poster, (3) be present and set-up 30 minutes prior to the start of the Reception/Poster Session; and (4) visibly post their APBS generated Poster Session sign.

Conference Strands

During the submission process you will be asked to select the topic area or areas that best represent your submission.

  • Early Childhood: The Early Childhood strand includes presentations about systems change efforts, research, evidence-based practices, and case study presentations related to young children (birth through age 5) and positive behavior support implementation.
  • Integration and Alignment: Presentations in this strand provide frameworks for integrating and aligning systems of support (e.g., academic and behavior MTSS supports, positive behavior supports and mental health systems, juvenile justice) to enhance student success and interagency collaboration and cooperation.
  • Individual Students and Tier 3: This strand emphasizes the use of positive behavior support principles and technology to support individual students within a school setting. The focus is on one or more specific students, rather than the school system.
  • Classroom: Presentations in this strand focus on how the principles and technology of positive behavior support are implemented within classroom settings for students with or without disabilities.
  • Tier 2: Presentations in this strand focus on delivering interventions to individuals who require targeted supports in addition to universal supports and are at risk for developing more serious challenging behavior.
  • School-Wide Systems (Tier 1): Presentations in this strand highlight current work in school-wide positive behavior support. Emphasis is placed on efforts to “scale-up,” implement and sustain positive behavior support principles and technology across multiple schools in districts and states.
  • Equity: Presentations in this strand focus on applying positive behavior support principles and technology to support a fair and inclusive educational system that results in higher student achievement, increased quality of instruction, improvement of low-performing schools, and/or better outcomes for students from diverse circumstances.
  • Home and Community: Presentations within the home and community strand focus on how the principles and technology of positive behavior support are implemented across the lifespan in a variety of settings such as home, community centers, adult employment, residential settings, eldercare facilities, etc.
  • IDD: Presentations in this strand will highlight the application of positive behavior support principles and technology to support children and/or adults with IDD in settings outside of school (e.g., home, community). An intellectual disability is characterized by limitations in intellectual functioning and difficulties in a variety of everyday social and practical skills. A developmental disability is attributed to a cognitive or physical impairment that results in limitations in areas such as self-care, language, and mobility. The term IDD covers a broad range of disorders and syndromes.
  • Families and Parent Supports: Presentations in this strand highlight working in partnership with parents and other family members when implementing positive behavior support in school, home, and community settings. Presentations may be focused on how professionals can understand, support, and include the family perspective when serving families, or, be aimed at helping parents and family members learn to understand and implement positive behavior support with their family members and in their community.
  • Mental Health: The presentations in this strand focus on physiological or neurological issues, health, quality of life and well-being. In addition, presentations are included that describe how positive behavior support principles and technology are implemented within mental health settings.

The APBS Conference Committee reserves the right to allocate your presentation to either oral presentation or poster session and to vary the chosen strand, depending on the number and type of submissions received.

Workshop Protocol for the APBS Conference

Pre- and post-conference workshops (half- and full-day sessions requiring attendees to pay an extra fee beyond standard conference registration) are invited presentations. The APBS Conference Committee actively identifies and recruits national people who are experts on specific topics. If you are interested in presenting a pre- or post-conference workshop at a future APBS Conference (i.e., after 2024), please follow these directions.

  1. Submit a proposal for an oral presentation through our Call for Proposals site.
  2. If the proposal is accepted, you will receive an email notification. After getting the notification, please contact conference@apbs.org  to communicate that you wish to present the topic as a workshop at the following year’s conference.
  3. At least one member of the APBS Conference Committee will attend your presentation and will make a recommendation to the APBS Conference Committee.
  4. The APBS Conference Committee will meet to discuss the recommendation and in keeping with the needs and desires of conference attendees related to topics of interest, will come to a consensus on a decision.
  5. The APBS Conference Committee will contact you via email to let you know of their decision.
  6. If the APBS Conference Committee agrees that your topic should be presented in a workshop format, you will receive an invitation to present the topic as a workshop for the next APBS Conference.

Formatting Your Submission

Before submitting your presentation online, please review the following guidelines and review the Guide for Submitting a Successful APBS Conference Presentation Proposal for more detail:

  • If the focus of your presentation is to showcase a product (materials, books, videos, or consultation services) for sale, the appropriate forum is our <exhibitor section>. You may not conduct a presentation with the purpose of marketing or selling your product. Exhibitor tables are available in a specific high traffic area of the conference on both Thursday and Friday (March 7th & 8th. Information on becoming an APBS exhibitor is available here. Note- The APBS Conference Committee will respond to reports of presenters selling materials, books, videos, or consultation services by excluding such presenters from future conference presentations.
  • Title: Enter the FULL TITLE of your abstract EXACTLY as it appears in your proposal. This will be used for printing in the final program and on the website schedule. The title of your presentation should be no more than 95 characters. Please capitalize the first letter of each word and do not put a period at the end of the title. Your title should be as descriptive as possible; it should give attendees a good idea about your topic.
  • Abstract: Can be cut and pasted into the submission site from a Word document – limit 450 words
  • Summary: Please provide a 75-word summary. It will be included in the Conference Program and the website Agenda.

APBS is committed to the use of bias-free language throughout all correspondence including the website, conference media, and any business emails. This means that presenters must use bias-free language when submitting conference proposals including titles, abstracts, and session descriptions. Bias-free language honors the preference of the community, individual, and/or families and can include either identify-first language (e.g., autistic person) or person-first language (e.g., person with autism).  Please see this APA resource for further guidance.

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