A delegation of American psychologists undertook an ABA Therapy Training in Russia in 2010. The participants were led by Dr. David Zinger, Director of the Rostok Center for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), and two other Russian psychologists, Larissa Alexandrovna Tsvetkova and Juliana Granskaya. The delegates spent 500 hours preparing for the training, which included analyzing Russian psychology, contacting organizations in Washington, D.C., and extensive correspondence.
ABA delegates met with representatives of universities and private organizations to discuss and implement best practices in treating children with autism. The delegates met with faculty members and leadership of relevant divisions, and gave joint seminars. They visited a clinic in St. Petersburg headed by Dr. Ivanov, and facilitated a proposal for the formation of the Russian Chapter of ABA. The participants gathered ideas from their experiences and shared their experiences with each other.
The delegates visited a Russian university, and met with the leadership of several divisions relevant to ABA. They gave a joint seminar to faculty members and discussed the current situation in the foster care system. They also visited a center headed by Dr. Ivanov for a supervised clinical experience. During their visit, they helped organize a proposal for the establishment of the Russian Chapter of ABA. This proposal resulted in a successful partnership between the delegates and the Russian autism community.
The ABA office in St. Petersburg will send books to the university's Psychology Department, and the APA office will forward them to the proposed Russian Chapter for approval. The agreement is expected to continue to grow in the future. If successful, the Russian branch of the organization may develop its own Обучение АВА-терапии training center. This will benefit the profession in the long run. There is a strong demand for ABA therapy in Russia, and establishing a center in the country will be a big step forward.
The ABA delegates visited several universities in Russia. The APA chapter in Moscow was established in 2001, and has since then been actively involved in international conferences. In addition to promoting ABA, the ABA Center in St. Petersburg has signed an agreement with the University of St. Petersburg to teach the discipline. The agreement outlines a series of other activities, including scholarly exchange and the creation of a new ABA chapter in Russia.
The Center for Autism Awareness in Russia has organized a number of trainings for specialists and parents. The courses include "What is ABA?" and "Correcting unwanted behaviors in children with developmental peculiarities." The ABA delegates visited a clinic for autism and made a proposal to establish a Russian ABA chapter in the country. The delegates discussed the topic of ABA in the context of the Russian chapter.