The Conduit: A Gamified Classroom Experience for Teens on the Autism Spectrum

2021

The Conduit

 "The Conduit," (aka our classroom) where the multiverse converges and heroes of any type or timeline can coexist and grow together.

Learning Objectives

  1. Understanding the utility of gamification in behavioral interventions/education.
  2. See successful examples of gamification in a classroom setting.
  3. Understand the benefits of intrinsic/natural motivation in ABA and education in general.

Greg Macke, MS, BCBA, LBA

Co-Lead Teacher
Victory Academy

Greg Macke began teaching at Victory Academy in the spring of 2018. He earned his BA from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and has a MS in Behavior Analysis and Therapy from SIU in Carbondale, Illinois. He is also a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst).

Greg taught English for nearly five years in Korea and Japan before moving to the Big Island with his wife, Kumiko, in 2005 where their son, Ewan, was born. They then moved to O’ahu for the birth of their daughter where Greg had accepted a position at ‘Iolani School in Honolulu. While in Hawai’i, Greg taught Honors British Literature, Honors World Literature, Honors American Literature and Philosophical Literature. His son’s autism diagnosis led him to ABA and Victory Academy.

Working at Victory Academy allows Greg to use his experiences as a parent of a child on the autism spectrum and as a BCBA, as well as his past experience as a teacher and as a support coordinator for county services in Missouri. Additionally, he also worked for Easterseals Midwest. Every day at Victory Academy is a joy and a wonder.

Greg’s free time is spent with his family going to the coast and/or mountains, hiking, and camping, but he still tries to find time for music, movies, baseball, philosophy, and graphic novels. He also has a great interest in RFT (Relational Frame Theory) and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy).

Greg was raised in Southeast Missouri but has lived in London, England; Santa Fe, New Mexico; New York, New York; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Seattle, Washington; Inchon, South Korea; Karatsu, Japan; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i; and Honolulu, Hawai’i.

Jordan Olsen (He|Him)

Co-Lead Teacher
Victory Academy

Jordan Olsen began working at Victory Academy in December of 2019. He earned his BS in Psychology from Brigham Young University in Provo, UT and has a MSc in Family and Child Psychology from the University of Chester in Chester, England.

Jordan has always had an interest in Psychology since high school after taking Intro to Psychology. From there, he found a passion for science and the study of human behavior, as well as the path to a career as a helper.

After completing his undergraduate degree, Jordan found his niche working with children with Autism as a registered behavior technician using ABA therapy with an emphasis in Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT). Once he found a way to use play and naturally motivating activities as an opportunity to teach, he was hooked!

Jordan loves the Victory Academy environment and the setup that allows for individual attention while also preparing the students for future group interactions at school and in the community. He loves teaching the students life skills, social skills, and a wider range of hobbies and interests that can help them find jobs and friends in the future.

In his free time, Jordan loves to go on walks with his wife and take their dog (Jetpack) to play fetch. He also loves to draw, make costumes for comic-con, play tabletop RPGs, watch TV, and play video games.

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