Professor Mickey Keenan (Michael Keenan) is Professor for Behaviour Analysis at the University of Ulster at Coleraine, Northern Ireland.
Professor Keenan is a Fellow of the British Psychological Association and Professor of Behaviour Analysis at the School of Psychology, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland. After receiving his PhD from The New University of Ulster in 1982 in the area of animal learning, Dr. Keenan received a European Exchange Fellowship from the Royal Society of London to conduct post-doctoral research at the University of Cologne, Germany (1984-85) before taking up a faculty position at the University of Ulster. His peer-reviewed publications span a broad variety of areas including autism, gerontology, precision teaching, bereavement, sex abuse, video modelling, stimulus equivalence, schedules of reinforcement with humans and non-humans, private events, teaching about behaviour analysis. He has received numerous awards for his work in bringing behaviour analysis to the community, including the Award for Promoting Equality of Opportunity (The British Psychological Society), the Distinguished Community Fellowship (University of Ulster), the Personal Achievement Award (New York State Association for Behavior Analysis), and recently the Award for Public Service in Behavior Analysis from the Association for Behavior Analysis International (www.abainternational.org) (Society for Advancement in Behavior Analysis). Also, he has been an invited member of the ABA International Development Committee. He established the registered charity Parents’ Education as Autism Therapists (PEAT; www.peatni.org) with the aim of bringing a science of behaviour to the community, and he is on the Autism Advisory Board of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies (www.behavior.org ). Recently he was elected a Trustee of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies in recognition of his unique work in scientific communication (see www.celticfringe.me.uk and also http://web.me.com/mickeykeenan/The_Dot_as_an_SD/Intro.html and also 3 clips on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFVykFNOGdw .
Working along with PEAT he has pioneered the development of a multimedia tutorial in behaviour analysis for parents of children with autism (Simple Steps; www.simplestepsautism.com ) that has been translated into Spanish, Norwegian, German, Portuguese, Italian, Icelandic, Dutch, Swedish and which was funded by the Leonardo da Vinci programme, part of the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme. This project was selected as an example of excellence by Leonardo at their recent anniversary meeting in Brussels in 2010.
Professor Keenan spearheaded the Masters course in Applied Behaviour Analysis at the University of Ulster in which he has trained many behaviour analysts over the past 5 years.
Excerpts from the awards Dr. Keenan has received help explain the impact he has had in bringing a science of behaviour to the community, not just in N. Ireland but across the UK and more recently through grants he obtained for the multimedia tutorial SIMPLE STEPS that is now translated into Spanish, German, and Norwegian; his book Parents Education as Autism Therapists has been translated into Japanese and is presently being translated into Hindi and German. Although these excerpts relate something of the impact his teaching has had, they cannot by themselves highlight the passion he has for effective communication. This passion is driven by his desire to explain to the public the potential impact that a science of behaviour can have for communities. In some of his keynote speeches to professionals from his own science, he has lamented their lack of focus in making science interesting for students and the public at large. In talks with parents of children with autism he has demystified the practices of science and given them the courage to use science to bring out the best in their children.
2008 Award for Public Service in Behavior Analysis. Society for Advancement in Behavior Analysis The Society for Advancement in Behavior Analysis (SABA) recognizes leaders in the field of behaviour analysis through annual awards. Recommendations for SABA awards are made by members of ABA International®. This award is given to an individual who works in the public or private sector, and who addresses socially significant problems using methods directly linked to behavior analysis or which effectively incorporate behavioural principles.
2005 Personal Achievement Award, New York State Association for Behavior Analysis This award is in recognition of the achievements of bringing a natural science of behaviour to a community at immense personal expense.
2002/3 Distinguished Community Fellowship. University of Ulster In recognition through significant contributions to research relevant to the community; or in implementing research findings for the benefit of the community.
2002 Award for Promoting Equality of Opportunity. The British Psychological Society This award is given to psychologists who have demonstrated a commitment to the welfare of others and have, through their practice, gone beyond what is normally expected in challenging discrimination and promoting equal treatment. It is not an academic award; it is an award that seeks to recognise those who apply their knowledge and skills in advocacy or in the development of practical solutions that have tangible benefits for those who face discrimination.
2006 Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS). Election to a Fellowship is not an automatic entitlement of members rather a Fellowship is the highest grade of Membership to which a Member can be elected and as such a Fellowship is recognition of an exceptional contribution and has always been regarded as an honour. Election to a Fellowship involves recognition of an ‘outstanding contribution’ to the advancement or dissemination of psychological knowledge or practice either by research, teaching, publication or public service, or by organising and developing the work of others.
List of 20 most significant publications Books Keenan, M. & Dilenburger, K. (2012). Behaviour Analysis: A Primer ibook on itunes. Keenan, M., Kerr, K. P., & Dillenburger, K. (2000) (Eds). Parents' Education as Autism Therapists. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. (ISBN 1-85302-778-2) Translated into Japanese (2005); German (2012), Hindi (under contract). Keenan, M., Kerr, K.P., Henderson, M., & Dillenburger, K. (Eds.) (2006). Applied behaviour analysis and autism: Building a future together. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Nikopoulos, C.K., & Keenan, M. (2006). Video modelling and behaviour analysis; a guide for teaching social skills to children with autism. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
CD-ROMs Keenan, M. & Dillenburger, K. (2000). Behaviour Analysis. A primer. A multimedia tutorial. [Computer software] Portrush, NI: Celtic Fringe Productions. New York: Insight Media Keenan, M., Gallagher, S., Dillenburger, K. & Nikopoulos, C. (2003). Learning to observe. [Computer software] Portrush, NI: Celtic Fringe Productions; New York: Insight Media Keenan, M. & Dillenburger, K. (2004). Why I’m not a cognitive psychologist. A tribute to BF Skinner. [Computer software] Portrush, NI: Celtic Fringe Productions. New York: Insight Media
CHAPTERS Keenan, M. (1997). W -ing: Teaching exercises for radical behaviourists. In K. Dillenburger, M. O'Reilly, & M. Keenan (Eds). Advances in Behaviour Analysis (pp 48-80). Dublin: University College Dublin Press. (ISBN 1-900621-08-8)
PEER-REVIEWED JORNAL ARTICLES Keenan, M. & Dillenburger, K., (2011). If all you have is a hammer …RCTs and hegemony in science. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5, 1-13. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2010.02.003 Keenan, M. Dillenburger, K., Moderato, P., & Röttgers, H-R. (2010) Science for sale in a free market economy: But at what price? ABA and the treatment of autism in Europe. Behavior and Social Issues, 19, 124-141. Keenan, M., Dillenburger, K., Doherty, A., Byrne, J., & Gallagher, S. (2010). Experiences of parents during diagnosis and forward planning for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 23, 390–397 Dillenburger, K. & Keenan, M. (2009). None of the As in ABA stands for autism: Dispelling the myths. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability. 34, 193-195. McVeigh, B. & Keenan, M. (2009). Multiple functions in equivalence classes. The Psychological Record, 59, 93-118. Nikopoulos, C.K., & Keenan, M. (2004a). Effects of video modeling on social initiations by children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 37, 93-96. Cobane, E. F. & Keenan, M. (2002). A senior citizen’s self-management of positive and negative inner behaviours. Journal of Precision Teaching and Celeration, Vol 18 (No. 2), 30-36. Special Edition containing several of his papers with former students Dillenburger, K. & Keenan, M. (1994/2001). Bereavement: A behavioural process. European Journal of Behaviour Analysis, 2, 129-138. First published in Irish Journal of Psychology, 15, 524-539. Reprinted with peer commentaries. Special Edition devoted to this paper Dillenburger, K. & Keenan, M. (2001). Islands of pain in a sea of change: Behaviour analysis and bereavement, European Journal of Behaviour Analysis, 2, 187-207. Special Edition Keenan, M., & Dillenburger, K. (2000). Images of behavior analylsis: The shaping game and the behavioral stream. Behavior and Social Issues, 10, 19-38. Gallagher, S. M., & Keenan, M. (2000). Independent use of activity materials by the elderly in a residential setting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33, 325-328. Keenan, M. (1999). Periodic response reinforcer contiguity: Temporal control but not as we know it! The Psychological Record, 49, 273-297. Barnes, D., & Keenan, M. (1993a). A transfer of functions through derived arbitrary and nonarbitrary stimulus relations. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 59, 61-81. Watt, A. A., Keenan, M., Barnes, D., & Cairns, E. (1991). Social categorisation and stimulus equivalence. The Psychological Record, 41, 33-50.
The best way to appreciate the impact of Dr. Keenan’s innovations in science teaching is to see examples of his work. But there is an additional issue here. As well as teaching non-specialists, he has been vocal in explaining to colleagues new ways of making the teaching of science more interesting.
Non-specialists in a science of behaviour www.celticfringe.me.uk This link offers an introduction to some philosophical issues within a science of behaviour. All the graphics on this site and in the multimedia tutorials advertised therein were created by Dr. Keenan himself.
www.simplestepsautism.com This link provides a new commercial version of a product inspired by Dr. Keenan’s work with local charity PEAT and local business Manleys. With Dr. Keenan’s help this tutorial was specifically designed to teach parents about a science of behaviour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFVykFNOGdw This link outlines the politics that Dr. Keenan has not been shy about addressing in his unrelenting efforts to communicate the findings of a science of behaviour as it relates to autism. In the first of the 3 clips you will see a presentation by a child previously diagnosed with autism and who now is studying at a local university, all thanks to work by Dr. Keenan.