Dr. Susan Friedman

Seminar Abstract: P-A-R-R-O-T Do Tell
Hidden in the word PARROT are six core principles of effective, humane teaching strategies andbehavior management: Power, Approximations, Reinforcement, Repetition, Observable Behavior,and Teaching Opportunities. These principles are relevant to working with all species of animals from domestic to exotic, captive and free ranging. Understanding each principle and arranging the environment to reflect them affords animals the best possible chance of achieving behavioral health and sustaining lifelong relationships with their caregivers.

Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D., is currently a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Utah State University.  A Behaviorist for over 30 years, her area of expertise is learning and behavior with a special emphasis on children’s behavior disorders.  Over the last decade, Susan has helped pioneer efforts to apply to animals the humane philosophy and scientifically sound teaching technology from the field of Applied Behavior Analysis that has been so effective with human learners.  The guiding principle of this approach is a hierarchy of teaching interventions starting with the most positive, least intrusive, effective behavior solutions.

Susan is a steadfast proponent of changing behavior through facilitation rather than force.  These tools of facilitation focus on animals’ extraordinary biologic capacity to learn by interacting with their environment.  She teaches that by changing the environment for success, animals learn to behave successfully.  Susan currently teaches her class Living and Learning with Parrots: The Fundamental Principles of Behavior online and live several times a year to caregivers and veterinarians and other animal professionals.

Susan is the first author on two chapters on learning and behavior for two new avian veterinary texts (Harrison and Lightfoot’s Clinical Avian Medicine and Luescher’s Manual of Parrot Behavior) and a frequent contributor to popular magazines.  She has given a wide variety of workshops and conference presentations including the Association of Avian Veterinarians, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, the American Federation of Aviculturists and the Moorpark College Exotic Animal Training and Management program, as well as many national bird clubs and symposia. This year she was a guest speaker on the topic of learning and behavior for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Colloquium and presented workshops in Canada, France, Holland and Israel. Susan is a core member of the California Condor Recovery Team and takes every opportunity to work with companion animal caregivers, veterinarians, animal trainers and zookeepers to empower and enrich the lives of all learners.

Writings of Susan Friedman      http://www.thegabrielfoundation.org/html/friedman.htm