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Seminar Program
Behavioral Relaxation Training (BRT)
BRT is a behavior-analytic approach that conceptualizes relaxation as an observable, measurable, and teachable behavior. Grounded in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), it uses behavioral principles to teach specific relaxation skills. The seminar will explore the application of BRT across the lifespan, including autism, neurodevelopmental disabilities, anxiety disorders, and support for parents and caregivers.
During the meeting, participants will have the opportunity to earn CEUs by meeting specific requirements (attending 100% of the session, answering questions in the designated form, and fulfilling other requirements that will be explained at the beginning of the meeting).
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Seminar Program
Behavioral Relaxation Training (BRT) Across the Lifespan: Evidence-Based Applications for Autism, Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, Mental Health, and Caregiver Support.
About the Seminar
Anxiety, chronic stress, and physiological hyperarousal can affect learning, emotional regulation, quality of life, and treatment outcomes. This is particularly relevant for autistic individuals, people with neurodevelopmental disabilities, and those who provide daily care and support. Many traditional approaches to stress management rely on verbal mediation and complex cognitive processes, which may limit their accessibility for some individuals.
Behavioral Relaxation Training (BRT) offers a different approach: relaxation is conceptualized as a specific behavior that can be taught, observed, and measured. BRT uses shaping, prompting, differential reinforcement, rehearsal, and feedback to teach specific relaxation postures and breathing patterns.
What Will Be Covered
• how anxiety and stress manifest at behavioral and physiological levels;
• how Behavioral Relaxation Training works and which ABA principles it is based on;
• how to assess relaxation skills using the Behavioral Relaxation Scale (BRS);
• how BRT differs from Progressive Muscle Relaxation, mindfulness, and other stress-management approaches;
• how to adapt BRT for individuals with diverse communication abilities and support needs;
• how BRT can be applied in autism, intellectual disability, ADHD, and anxiety disorders;
• how to generalize relaxation skills to everyday life and evaluate outcomes.
BRT Research
Valeria Pascale will also present preliminary findings from a study evaluating BRT within an ABA framework for caregivers of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities. The study found improvements in relaxation skills and reductions in caregiver anxiety, as well as decreases in challenging behavior among the individuals they supported.
Who Will Benefit from the Seminar
• Applied Behavior Analysis professionals.
• psychologists and other professionals working with anxiety, stress, and self-regulation.
• professionals working with autistic individuals, people with ADHD, intellectual disabilities, and other neurodevelopmental disabilities.
• parents and caregivers of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
• anyone interested in learning how relaxation can be taught as a specific practical skill rather than simply telling someone to “calm down”.
Valeria Pascale
Psychologist, IBA, Director of “ABA for Disability” (Italy)
Valeria Pascale is a licensed psychologist, Behavior Analyst (IBA®), Clinical Neuropsychology Specialist, and Ph.D. Candidate in Applied Behavior Analysis. Her professional and academic work integrates Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), clinical neuropsychology, and neuroscience.
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Valeria Pascale serves as the Director of ABA for Disability in Salerno, Italy, where behavior-analytic practice is integrated with principles derived from clinical neuropsychology, neuroscience, and neuroarchitecture.
She is also an active member of the Professional Advisory Board of the International Behavior Analysis Organization (IBAO), representing Italy and contributing to the international dissemination and advancement of behavior-analytic science and professional practice.
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Her main areas of work include Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), behavioral healthcare, staff and supervisor performance, neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, and interdisciplinary models of assessment and intervention.
She is involved in experimental and applied research examining behavioral interventions, supervision, staff performance, organizational systems, and quality of service delivery.
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A significant area of her work is Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) across clinical, healthcare, educational, disability, and other human-service organizations.
Her work includes staff training and supervision, competency development, performance management, task clarification, performance feedback, procedural fidelity, supervisory practices, quality improvement, and the evaluation of organizational variables that influence staff performance and service outcomes.
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Valeria Pascale has extensive experience in the neuropsychological assessment and behavior-analytic treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, psychiatric conditions, and neurodegenerative disorders across the lifespan.
Her approach integrates neuropsychology and neuroscience with the functional and methodologically precise framework of ABA, viewing these disciplines as complementary.
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She collaborates internationally with public institutions, healthcare systems, schools, universities, clinical services, and private organizations.
She teaches in university master’s programs, postgraduate courses, and international professional training programs. She is the first author of scientific manuals and peer-reviewed publications and has been invited to present her work at numerous national and international scientific conferences.
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In 2024, Valeria Pascale received the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA) International Development Grant for her Behavior Analysis in Prison project.
The project applies behavior-analytic principles and Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) in correctional settings to staff training, professional practices, organizational conditions, rehabilitation processes, and quality of service delivery.