Applied Behavior Analysis Services

Community Events

Alone, we can do so little. Together, we can do so much! In this spirit, we are pleased to provide back to our community by supporting and participating in a variety of community events throughout the year.

Events

Some examples of events we have been involved with are below. If you are interested in more information, getting involved, or having your event posted here, please contact us!

A little girl feeding a giraffe hand puppet held by an adult with a sign nearby that says, "Practice Giraffe Feeding".

Autism Family Day at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo

ABA Services @ Fresno State has partnered with the Fresno Chaffee Zoo since 2019. Together with Valley Children's Hospital, we have worked to make the zoo a more fully inclusive experience for all children and their families. As part of this initiative, we included backpacks with headphones for noisy areas or specific noise sensitivities, fidget toys, and maps. We also created quiet areas to allow for some escape from the hustle and bustle of the zoo, and signs for headphone zones where the animals may be particularly noisy or the area is often loud. We continued this collaboration with the Zoo by co-hosting annual Autism Family Days, where families can enter for free, spend time in the specially designed park area with various fun craft and educational activities related to the Zoo, as well as practice some of the Zoo's popular hands-on events. These events have sold out yearly and recently welcomed over 500 individuals in one morning. The purpose of these events is not only to bring our community together but to provide practice for visiting the zoo in a safe and fun environment.

Fresno State ABA Conference

We have hosted the annual Fresno State Applied Behavior Analysis Conference since 2000. Researchers conducting the most cutting edge studies within our field are invited to speak and educate behavior analysts in the Central Valley with continuing education units available to certified attendees. Topics have varied greatly from the use of behavior analysis in zoo settings, to methods of assessing client assent and consent, to strategies that combat addiction, unemployment, and poverty, and many other important areas.

An image of participants standing in front of a large arch with a sign that reads, "Run with the Heroes 5K Fun Run & Family Walk". Of the participants standing, they are standing in a line, arm in arm, smiling at the camera. Some are wearing mascot attire with the Valley Children's Hospital giraffe wearing a doctor's attire present and others wearing hero costumes.

Valley Children's Run with the Heroes

We have collaborated with Valley Children's Hospital, who developed the George's Pass program in 2014 to foster positive hospital and surgical experiences for children with special needs. We have assisted the event by hosting an activity table for children and joining the Run with the Heroes walk and fun run to benefit this program.