Function Junction:Behavior Matters

Laura picks up telling us about dyslexia.  She talks about things we look at as children get into late kindergarten or into first grade.  She says that looking at what they can write can tell us a lot.  She gives us information about decoding and encoding and that those are different skills.  Students can be able to do one and have difficulty with the other.  Have a listen.  We hope you gather new information.  Thank you for listening.  We will be taking a summer break.  We will be back in August.

Laura Dowdy Northcutt is back, but this time she is talking with Susan and Cissy about dyslexia.  Laura is the director of Responsive Services for a Houston area school district and guides the dyslexia services.  Things are ever changing with dyslexia and you are bound to learn some new things through this conversation.  We appreciate you listening.  stay for the question at the end and be sure to come back for part 2 next week.

Susan and Cissy continue their conversation with David Hays. In this episode, David gives tips about how to remain calm and safe when interacting with a child who is not emotionally regulated. He also talks about helping children (and adults) become more regulated. Have a listen about how visual supports can help students understand the natural consequences to their behavior! His experience with a broad range of ages and a broad range of challenging behaviors makes for a great talk.  Be sure to stay for the question at the end.  We appreciate you listening.

David Hays has been a friend and colleague for decades. Although a bit of a winding road, his career started as a camp counselor before he found his way to special education. He then taught children with significant behavior support needs and retired as an assistant director to a large school district. In this conversation, David talks about the importance of remaining calm, gentle, kind, respectful, and receptive.  What a difference that can make when a student is in crisis! Have a listen and come back next week for the rest of the conversation. Thank you! 

Educators or therapists may be the expert on math, reading, strategies, etc., but parents are the experts on their child.  Cissy shares a story about a really fun student with an expert parent.  She learned as much from the parent as she did the student.  She and Susan talk about another student and the idea of keeping your word when you tell a student that you are going to give them a reward for a specific behavior.  Some of the things they talk about have complex explanations from the ABA view, but are things that parents can do with their children even if they do not know the technical terms.  Thank you for listening.

Susan and Cissy continue their conversation with Mary Fitzgerald.  She gives great advice like watching peers of the same age as the individuals you are working with to see what makes for fun social activities.  Uno can be fun, but if no one in their school is doing that, we should do something else.  They also talk about the impact inclusion has had such that individuals with special needs participate regularly in activities in their school and community.  She also talks about the importance "consent for touch".  Asking for permission to provide physical support teaches that others should ask as well and that we all have the right to say "no".

Mary Fitzgerald is a master educator.  She has worked with school districts, educational service centers, and with business partners for many years making education better for many, many students.  In this conversation, she emphasizes the importance of presuming competence with students as we interact with them and around them.  In this first half of the conversation, she talks about a student who had been hitting peers who were interacting with her.  Presuming that she could participate in a conversation with her peers about this made a big difference.  She has many stories to illustrate such a difference it can make to remember that everyone should be treated with respect.  Have a listen and come back for the rest of the conversation next week.  Thank you!

The conversation continues with Dr. Gray Atherton as she moves into a discussion of video games.  She talks about finding ways to incorporate similarities to video games in activities, but make the activities involve others and social interaction.  It could be games that create a "battle" with figurines or something like paintball.  She suggests trying to channel their interests into something that creates opportunities to interact with others.  Many of these activities are things that people who are neurotypical enjoy.  Her discussion of research around these things is very encouraging.  Thank you for listening.  Hope you got the answer for the question.

Dr. Gray Atherton received her Ph.D. at the University of Houston, but is working at Edge Hill University in England now.  She is a professor and researcher interested  in many areas related to autism.  One especially interesting topic is anthropomorphism.  A simple explanation of this is when someone implies human characteristics to nonhuman things such as cartoons or animals.  She talks about how to use this idea to teach social skills like understanding what others may be thinking.  She also talks about using individuals passions to teach them skills and consider them as we think about future work for individuals with autism.  Susan and Cissy hope you enjoy this first half of the conversation and come back next week for the rest of it.

Susan and Cissy talk all the time about how behavioral concepts are involved in everything we do.  It is even involved when we make decisions about how to help ourselves with medical issues like hip pain.  Susan shares about the journey to getting a hip replacement.  From the way the doctor talks with her to the way she prepares herself for the surgery and even to the necessary things after the surgery, behavioral concepts can be seen.  Have a listen.  Let us know what you think about the question.  Thank you for listening.  Please come back next week!

Dr. Amanda Gray continues her conversation with Susan and Cissy about executive functioning.  You don't have to be on the spectrum to have executive functioning problems.   We have almost all had moments of executive dysfunction when hurried or under stress.  This could look like being late for an appointment because after an out of order kind of morning, you could not find your keys.  They talk about how trauma can impact executive functioning too.  She goes on to say that executive functioning and theory of mind can look very different for each person.   Cissy and Susan hope you take away as many ideas as they did from this great conversation.  Come back next week.  Hope you enjoy the question.

Amanda Gray is back!  She has a practice in the Dallas area called "Gray Area".  She helps individuals with ADHD and related challenges work on homework, study skills, and strategies that will help them at school and in life.  She talks with Susan and Cissy about Executive Functioning and working to find  what works.  This can be very individualized.  The skills needed may be the same such as organization, being on time, and finishing homework and other assignments, but what will help each person may look very different.  Please enjoy this first half of our conversation with her about the topic.  Come back next week for the rest of our conversation to learn new things and get great tips.  Let us know if you knew the answer to the question.

Susan shares about her day that started a little crazy and got crazier.  Having one of those days made her think about how important self-regulation is.  She related the importance of explicitly teaching self-regulation skills to students.  She talked about a student who yells, name calls, and hits furniture or the wall when upset.  The staff working with her have been doing a great job counting the behaviors.  She talked about how they worked through coming up with a plan to split out the behaviors to see patterns.  They also talked through ways to help her reduce the behaviors through learning self-regulation skills.  Have a listen and try the question.  Thank you for listening.

Susan and Cissy continue their conversation with Dr. Todd Savage, former president of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and international speaker.  He shares important information about warning signs for suicide.  He helps our listeners see the connection between school violence and suicidal ideation and attempts.  Being mindful of these behaviors can help school staff engage people trained in threat assessment.  He also makes a case for working on social emotional learning as a part of the way we help keep all kids stay safe in schools

Susan and Cissy had the wonderful opportunity to talk with Dr. Todd Savage about school safety and crisis prevention as well as gender diversity.  Dr. Savage is a psychologist and professor who speaks nationally on these topics as well as culturally responsive practice and LGBTQ+ matters in education.  The statistics he shares about suicide should serve as a wake up call to us all.  He advocates for training for all adults in schools to help with this issue.  He also talks about the need for peers to understand how to help a friend or classmate that they may know who is contemplating suicide.  This is just half of the conversation.  Stay for the question.  Thanks for listening.  Be sure to check back next week for the second half of this conversation.

Cissy's husband, Joe, joins her on this episode to talk about the legend Toby Keith.  Joe has worked in the music business for a very long time and has had the opportunity to meet and speak with some of the greats.  He shares about a few of those people, but seeks to highlight the kind of person Toby Keith was.  They end with  more of a comment than a question talking about the behavioral aspects of something Toby did. Come back next week.  Thanks for listening.

Susan and Cissy continue their conversation with Michael Soria.  He uses his experience as a parent and educator to help families and schools create plans and find tools that will help students make progress.  He has a positive approach to help families have their concerns heard as well as positive ways to help educators reach students.  Have a listen and gather ideas about being heard in any kind of meeting.  Be sure to check out Matthew's Corner on Michael's LinkedIn site.  Thank you for listening. Stay for the question.

Michael Soria is an educator who went from the classroom to other companies like Pearson, Touch Math, and PCI.  He has a passion for helping individuals with special needs achieve and be included.  He has been the father of two sons one of whom had autism.  He honors the memory of that son in Matthew's Corner.  He has started a company, IEP Curriculum and Consulting.  Through this company, he helps families and schools find tools to help students with special needs.  You are sure to enjoy his insight about education and tools to encourage learning.  There is nothing like the voice of a parent with special needs to help us understand things in a new way.  Please stay for the question and come back next week for the rest of our conversation with Michael.

A year ago, Cissy talked about the fact that she did not finish the marathon at Disney World and how she wanted to have a redemption run. In this episode, Susan and Cissy talk about the ABA concepts behind trying for a comeback.  It is food for thought as we work with individuals with disabilities and setting goals for them that they may achieve or not.  It is important to consider why they were not able to achieve a goal.  What can we change to help them master the skill?  Set them up for success, support them as they move toward the goal, reward the achievement.  This will likely look different for each person.  Stay for the question.  Thanks for listening.

Bryce Kaiser is back with Susan and Cissy to finish the rest of their conversation.  In this second half, he talks about some of the challenges supervisors face and how Hoom House has helped with those challenges.  He also talks about how he has helped people in fields that others may not think about ABA as being applied.  He has worked with a certified mermaid who is using ABA in her practice.  Certification changed so that BACB certificants are only in the US now.  Hoom House is providing mentorship to countries who may not be able to go through the BACB for certification, but want to create ways to help them as they work to provide services to individuals with special needs.  

Bryce Kaiser is one of the co-founders of Hoom House.  Hoom House started because Bryce and his co-founder (and wife) saw that those seeking ABA services were on long waiting lists for services.  They wanted to shorten the wait.  They started with providing ABA services online even before Telehealth became so popular.  They have expanded to connecting people pursuing supervision for their BCBA studies and those who can provide supervision.  Susan and Cissy enjoyed hearing about their services and all the things they share freely.  Stay for the question.  Come back for the rest of the conversation next week.

Susan and Cissy talk about finishing up 2023 and making plans for 2024.  They share some of their own goals for the coming year as well as ways to help reach those objectives.  The science of behavior analysis certainly comes into play when we try to learn or achieve something new.  They also reminisce about goals from the past and ways their own New Year's resolutions have morphed over time.  There is no question for this week, but if you are willing, please share your plans for the coming year to our social media pages. 

Susan and Cissy talk about holiday memories and the potential behavior concepts behind those memories.  Listen for the level of stimulus discrimination Cissy's Mom showed.  Also, listen for some magic Susan had one year. We hope you enjoy these stories of sweet times from the past.  There is not a question this week.  We want to be sure to thank Troy Payne for all the work he does for us getting the episodes ready as our audio editor and producer.  Thanks too to Joe (Cissy's husband) who serves as our executive producer. Happy Holidays! Be sure to check out Blossom n Beauxs Behavior Secrets  at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Blossom-N-Beauxs-Behavior-Secrets-By-Susan-Catlett

Susan and Cissy continue their talk with Gary Moore of the nonPareil Institute.  He talks about some of the creative projects the crew from nonPareil have been responsible for.  They have done a great job teaching others about playing to their strengths.  The conversation is a reminder about how hard parents work for their children.  That work, for nonPareil, has turned into people from all over the world wanting to see how they have done it.  Thanks for listening!

Gary Moore, co-founder, President, and CEO of the nonPareil Institute, spends time talking with Cissy and Susan about his grassroots efforts with his co-founder, that set out to help their two sons and that has become a nationally known organization geared at supporting "Crew Members" in the areas of technology, soft skills, and social engagement. He is such an inspiration.

Susan and Cissy talk about handling the challenges of holidays and all the changes to regular routines brought on by the celebrations.  They also give some tips about traveling and safety.  Many of the tips have been learned from families who have successfully managed these kinds of things.  Function Junction hopes this is a happy season for all of our listeners.  We are thankful for each of you.

Susan and Cissy are back for the rest of their conversation with Ed Thompson of Uptimize.  He points out that innovation is critical for businesses to remain relevant.  He makes the point that neurodiverse people think differently from many of us and have quite a bit to offer with ideas related to innovation.  Be sure to grab his book, A Hidden Force.  It will get you thinking! He gives lots of great ideas about interviewing.  One important point is asking questions to help make sure the new company is a good fit for the person interviewing.  Stay for the question.  Thank you for listening.

Ed Thompson is the CEO of Uptimize which is dedicated to helping employers hire and retain talent that thinks differently.  He is the Author of A Hidden Force: Unlocking the Potential of Neurodiversity at Work.  In this first half of their conversation, he talks with Susan and Cissy about the formation of the company and the development of the book.  His book explores how neurodiversity has been overlooked, why embracing neurodiversity is beneficial, and how to take new understanding of neurodiversity into our lives and work places.  Stay for the question and be sure to come back for the rest of the conversation with Ed.

Susan and Cissy talk about the importance of reinforcement.  It is not just the use of reinforcement, but making sure to get it right.  Is what you are using something the person will be want?  Is everyone working with the individual applying reinforcement in the same way?  Cissy and Susan have been lucky enough to work with many individuals with very interesting reinforcers which make for interesting ways to learn about the topic.  They have made mistakes with reinforcers and seen others make errors.  Have a listen and gather some ideas.  Stay for the question.  Thank you for listening.

Susan and Cissy continue their conversation with Ramon Santillan.  Ramon has written the book "Big 4 Interview Questions" that helps individuals think through the kinds of questions that are asked in interviews.  He also shares ideas about answering those questions sharing your own strengths that highlight skills an interviewing company is looking for.  Have a listen to his ideas and grab his book to help with the interviewing process.  Don't forget the question at the end.  Please come back next week

Ramon Santillan of www.persuasiveinterview.com talked with Susan and Cissy about coaching individuals with autism to get ready for better interviews.  Ramon started his career as a tax consultant, but now shares strategies for finding work with individuals who struggle in the job search and interview processes.  He helps people in all kinds of careers.  He likes that he does not have repeat customers.  His clients are finding work and not needing him again.  He shares ideas that could be great for everyone.  This is part 1 of 2.  Stay for the question and be sure to come back for the next episode.

Susan and Cissy share several stories about changing behaviors.  The ideas can be applied with just about anyone.  They talk about the importance of choosing the most important behavior at the time, thinking through the function, and finding the best change process.  Have a listen and give the question a try.  They hope you get an idea that can help you.

Louis continues the conversation with Susan and Cissy by talking about two groups that center around advocacy.  The Council of Parent attorneys and Advocates is a national group.  Members of Texas Organization of Parent Attorneys and Advocates strive to empower students and families to assert and protect their education rights.  Louis is the President of TOPPA. He shares great ideas for helping individuals get into college or be ready for a job.  Remember to check out The Benjamin J. Geigerman Lecture Series at http://www.geigermanlecture.com.  Stay for the question and come back next week.  Thank you for listening.

Louis Geigerman is a well known special education advocate.  He has worked with families in the Houston area and other parts of the country for close to 30 years.  He has a passion to see students with disabilities have access to what they need to get an appropriate education.  He also keeps families and schools focused on outcomes connected to having fulfilling work for individuals with disabilities.  Please check out http://www.geigermanlecture.com which is dedicated to the memory of his son Benjamin who was in the spectrum.  Come back next week for the second part of this conversation.

Dr. Amanda Gray continues to share very important information related to autism, ADHD, executive functioning, and theory of mind.  She talks about a study out of Australia that suggests that girls with autism may actually outnumber boys with autism, but they have just gone undiagnosed.  Her discussion about ADHD has Cissy thinking about her attention skills.  She shares a bit about Executive Functioning prompting Susan and Cissy to suggest the three find time in the future to get into that more. Enjoy the wisdom. Stay for the question.  Come back next week.  Thank you for listening.

Join Susan and Cissy in a conversation with Dr. Amanda Gray.  Dr. Gray is a Licensed Psychologist near the Dallas area.  She has experience as a school psychologist, but has moved to private practice.  In this first half of the conversation, she talks about the difficulties of navigating getting the diagnosis of autism and getting to the supports that are needed, particularly for girls. She notes that boys with with autism and less academic needs may also not always get the supports they need.  She reminds listeners that there is a difference between a medical diagnosis and an educational eligibility.  She wants to support families as they navigate these kinds of issues.  Be sure to come back next week and hear more about girls with autism.  Oh, and stay for the question.  

Susan shares stories about changing behaviors systematically and carefully.  She also emphasizes the "art" of applying the science of behavior change.  It is important in teaching individuals with disabilities, but can be applied to our everyday life as we want to change our own behavior or teach others in our circle. Hope you enjoy this week.  Stay for the question, and come back next week

Please enjoy the rest of Susan's and Cissy's conversation with Brennan Fuller. Brennan has a great analogy about autism for helping others understand it.  He also shares some very interesting vocabulary words. He researches all kinds of things and talks about some of those things.  He sure made Susan and Cissy think about supporting individuals with autism and making sure that lessons are interesting.  He also seems wise beyond his years in so many ways.  Hope you stay for the question.

Brennan Fuller is an amazing 16-year-old who is very interested in biology and is an artist.  He is also on the autism spectrum.  Brennan drops lots of wisdom on Cissy and Susan as he talks about where he wants to go in life.  Their conversation covers everything from Dungeons and Dragons to COVID quarantine.   Stay for the question today, but come back for the rest of the conversation next week. Thank you for listening.

In this second part of our conversation with Dr. Mitchell, she talks about some of the differences in a Functional Behavior Assessment as individuals get older.  She talks about the importance of planning for success in all areas where an individual will live, work, and play.  It was exciting to hear about how technology is opening doors for work for individuals with disabilities. Please have a listen and stay for the question.

Dr. Vickie Mitchell is a powerhouse of knowledge in the area of transition and education in general.  She has trained people across Texas and the U.S. about setting high expectations for students and making plans to reach those goals.  Have a listen and be encouraged about the future for children with disabilities (or any child for that matter).  She is sure to make you think about the importance of behavior in this first part of our conversation with her.  Stay for the question at the end and come back next week to hear more from this great lady.

Season 3 is here! Susan and Cissy talk about getting back to school and thinking about ABA concepts that are highly detailed for intervention, but happen almost automatically for many typically developing children.  Have a listen and think about the children you know and how they may have acquired concepts without direct instruction.  You may also pick up a few new words to drop at a cocktail party (ha ha).  Welcome back.  Thank you for listening.  stay for the question.

Susan and Cissy are wrapping up Season 2 with a quick talk about what summer break can mean to students, parents, teachers, etc.  We hope that you have enjoyed the guests this season as much as we did.  We hope you learned some new things like we did.   We will be back in August.  Have a look at the episodes to see if there are some you have missed.

Susan and Cissy continue their conversation with Laura Dowdy Northcutt about sensory activities.  She has experience in clinics, hospitals, and schools.  Her knowledge of how specific activities can help us regulate our attention and movement is very helpful.  She shares many practical ideas and emphasizes watching what a person is doing and even engaging in the behavior to gain insight.  Be sure to check out the things she has allowed us to share on our website - function junction.org.  Also, stay for the question.

Susan and Cissy had the privilege of talking with Laura Dowdy Northcutt.  Laura is an occupational therapist with a wealth of experience helping individuals with motor needs and developing skills needed to take care of their daily living needs.  The sensory system is certainly involved in our ability to move through our day and take care of ourselves.  She and Cindy Castillo, a BCBA, developed a training to help school staff look at the sensory needs of their students.  She also has a great deal of experience with dyslexia and serves as the Assistant Director of Responsive Services for a school district in the Houston area.  She is happy to share a checklist and a "sensory toolbox" with our listeners.  You can find it under the visual supports tab of the Function Junction website - www.functionjunction.org. Stay for the question and come back next week for more great information about our sensory systems and learning.

Susan and Cissy have a quick conversation about how watching cartoons and other videos has changed over time.  When we think about things that we satiate on such as food, they lose their reinforcement value when we have had enough.  It seems that many of us do not satiate on screen time.  Do you satiate on screen time?  Do you know others who do not?  How do you manage your screen time?  Stay for the question at the end.

Susan and Cissy continue their conversation with Judy Blake of Family to Family.  She talks about supporting families and helping them prepare for the future as well as her own son who is on the spectrum.  She shares how she used his strengths and interests to help him.  As a reminder, Family to Family is hosting "Autism 101 Academy" on April 29th, 2023.  You can find more information at their website www.f2fn.org.  Have a look at all they do.  stay for the question at the end of this episode.

Susan and Cissy talk with Judy Blake from Family to Family.  Her role with the organization is working with parents, grandparents, etc. to help them learn to advocate for their family member.  Judy has a child on the spectrum who is an adult and talks about trying to navigate the diagnosis all those years ago.  With her vast experience and knowledge, she talks about how much she has learned from other families and professionals.  Family to Family is hosting "Autism 101 Academy" on April 29th.  You can find more information at their website www.f2fn.org. Have a look at all they have to offer.  Stay for the question at the end of this episode.

Susan and Cissy talk about the prevalence data about autism from the CDC.  The numbers continue to increase.  They talk about why that may be and what we are learning from the data that the CDC and some other studies have shared.  The timing of the episode seems appropriate as it is being published during  Autism Awareness and Acceptance month. Please share your ideas about why the numbers continue to grow.  Stay for the question.

Susan and Cissy continue their conversation with Chad Pallodino about his work with students with autism.  It is clear that Chad has a passion for helping students with autism and other disabilities. He does a great job talking about approaching challenges, seeing where the individual is, and getting them to the next step.  He also talks about work on his doctorate, which is a very interesting topic.  Stay for the question. Thank you for listening.

Chad Palladino is new to Texas, but not to the field of autism.  Susan and Cissy get a chance to have a talk with him about how he started working with people with autism and how he got to Texas.  This episode is the first half of the conversation.  Chad has a great deal of training and study that he uses to support students and staff.  Cissy and Susan hope you enjoy learning from Chad.  Stay for the question.