Severe challenging behavior, ranging from aggression and self-injury to property destruction and elopement, remains one of the most pressing and complex clinical concerns across behavioral health, education, and hospital-based care settings. This training aims to prepare Board Certified Behavior Analysts and clinicians working in inpatient psychiatric hospitals, outpatient clinics, and educational programs. It focuses on equipping them to support individuals with moderate-to-severe disabilities and emotional disturbances using a more nuanced, trauma-informed, and clinically integrative approach to intervention.

Participants will be guided through a structured framework for assessing and interpreting the function of severe behavior beyond surface-level topographies. Emphasis will be placed on recognizing and incorporating co-occurring behavioral and/or medical health conditions, trauma histories, and environmental precipitants. Through case-based discussion and clinical application, attendees will learn how to develop and implement treatment plans that are both data-driven and person-centered, prioritizing safety, dignity, and individualized therapeutic progress. Ultimately, this training challenges BCBAs and clinicians to move beyond reactivity, instead adopting a proactive and collaborative stance that centers on understanding the “why” behind the behavior in order to respond with greater clarity, clinical accuracy, and compassion.

Learning Objectives

1. Functional Understanding Beyond the Surface Participants will demonstrate the ability to assess and interpret the function of severe challenging behaviors by evaluating environmental, biological, and contextual factors that contribute to behavioral escalation, moving beyond surface-level topographies to the core “why.”
2. Ethical and Effective Treatment Planning Participants will identify and apply ethical principles and evidence-based strategies when developing interventions for severe challenging behavior, with consideration of trauma history, co-occurring mental health conditions, and medication variables.
3. Collaborative and Proactive Clinical Response Participants will develop skills to collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and stakeholders in a proactive manner, implementing intervention plans that prioritize prevention, relationship-building, and responsive support before and during behavioral crises.

About the Presenter

Javon May

Javon May is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with over 14 years of experience in behavior analysis, psychology, and education. He is the CEO and Director of Clinical Services at Autonomous Behavior Solutions, a Southern California-based ABA agency offering in-clinic, in-home, and school consultation services. Javon leads a multidisciplinary team of over 50 professionals, overseeing clinical and business operations, program development, and integrating evidence-based practices across diverse environments. A native of Long Beach, California, Javon has been a practicing BCBA for six years and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis at Simmons University. His clinical and research interests include comorbid behavioral health conditions, severe maladaptive behavior, trauma-informed care, and school-based behavioral consultation. His prior leadership roles include Program Director over a behavioral support campus/NPA for the Inglewood Unified School District, Clinical Services Specialist for Tustin Unified School District, Crisis Intervention Consultant for CBEM’s 24-hour response unit, and Supervisor of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies at Cortica. In each role, he has championed interdisciplinary collaboration, ethical care, and individualized behavioral supports. Javon is also a certified Nonviolent Crisis Prevention Intervention Trainer and continues to consult with school districts, behavioral health organizations, and community providers. His work emphasizes culturally responsive care, quality assurance, and equitable access to ABA services for underserved populations.