Podcasts about constructional approach

Hey everybody I hope you're having a great summer so far, or whatever season it happens to be whenever you listen to this episode. Some of the things I've been doing recently is going back through the behavioral observations archives and giving episodes a second or third listen. One of those episodes was Session 193 that I published in July 2022, and my guest was Dr. Claire Saint Peter. In that episode we talked about the constructional approach, as it were, and how it relates to solving behavior problems. This topic has been getting a lot of attention lately. When I was at ABAI in Philadelphia a few weeks ago, I attended several talks on the constructional approach, which prompted me to listen to this episode again. And when I did listen to this episode for a second time I felt that there were so many really helpful pieces of information that I wanted to republish it. What I did with this episode is essentially started after the part in which Claire talked about her background and getting into behavior analysis. Now if you want to go back and listen to that story, and I think it is a good story by the way as it's a bit of a microcosm of the history of applied behavior analysis, you can certainly do so. However, for the purposes of brevity, I decided just cut out that introductory section so the overall experience is a bit more focused, especially for those of us who are listening to this for a second, third, or fourth time. With that said, I really hope you listen to this episode and it's entirety there are so many great nuggets have information. Although we talk about the application of the constructional approach to a student in a school setting, I am sure that you will make connections to all sorts of applications. I will also make this episode eligible for a continuing education unit, as I have been doing with many older episodes as well. So if you are looking to get caught up on your continuing education, go to behavioralobservations.com to see the nearly 60 episodes we have available for your continuing education. The last thing I'll say about this episode is that this is not the last thing I'll say about the constructional approach. I guess I'm saying that out loud for some accountability, because of said this before, but I want to have some other guests on to talk about this because I think it's an interesting way to look at behavior analysis and it's ability to address problems of social importance. Here are links to some of the resources we mentioned: The original Session 193 Claire's lab website  Claire's Google Scholar Page  Goldiamond (1974): Toward a constructional approach to social problems: ethical and constitutional issues raised by applied behavior analysis  More Goldiamond: A Programming Contingency Analysis of Mental Health  Layng (2009). The Search for an Effective Clinical Behavior Analysis: The Nonlinear Thinking of Israel Goldiamond  Romano, St. Peter, Milyko, Mesches, and Foreman (2021). Incorporating Curricular Revision to Treat Escape-Maintained Behavior for Children with ADHD  Mammacare  Word of the Podcast  Inside JABA 7: There's No Such Thing as a Bad Boy, with Pat Friman Session 158: Motivational Interviewing with Dr. Jim Murphy Friman (2021). There is no such thing as a bad boy: The Circumstances View of problem behavior  Johnston, Pennypacker, and Green: Strategies and Tactics for Behavioral Research and Practice (note: Amazon Associates link).  This podcast is brought to you by: How to ABA…The Bx Resource Membership saves you time, lends you support, and helps you keep up with your CEUs. It's a growing library of resources, materials, programs, datasheets, assessments, and how-to videos to help you tackle any ABA program with ease. It also includes live CEUs each month, live mentorship sessions, a full library of CEUs (60+, enough for recertification), and a community of fellow behavior professionals where you can ask questions when you need support. Join us at howtoaba.com/join. The New England Center for Children! I am beyond thrilled to partner with one of the oldest and well-respected ABA institutions to help them find staff to continue their mission of supporting individuals with Autism. Learn more about careers at NECC over at necc.org/jobs. The Behavioral Toolbox. thebehavioraltoolbox.com is a new education and training site that my colleagues Anika Costa and Dr. Paulie Gavoni and I have been working on for over two years. We have two courses available: our first course, Ready, Set, Consult! and our newly released course, When Not to FBA: 5 Quick Strategies for Improving Behavior in Classrooms. HRIC Recruiting. Barb Voss has been placing BCBAs in permanent positions throughout the US for just about a decade, and has been in the business more generally for 30 years. When you work with HRIC, you work directly with Barb, thereby accessing highly personalized service. So if you're about to graduate, you're looking for a change of pace, or you just want to know if the grass really is greener on the other side, head over to HRIColorado.com to schedule a confidential chat right away.

In today's interview episode, we're joined by Kyle Hetze, the Assistant Curator of the Children's Zoo at an AZA accredited zoo on the west coast. He has been an animal trainer for 12 years, working with a wide range of species from birds of prey to walrus, giraffes, goats, and everything in between. He has utilized the Constructional Approach training animals for the past 9 years, specializing in assent with disabled animals.  In this episode, you're going to hear Emily and Kyle talk about:Just because you can doesn't mean you shouldHow training saved $24,000 and got management buy-inA giraffe that loves to be right and giraffe hugsYou can find the full show notes here.

Being an adult is difficult. Being an adult with disabilities is even harder. And being a caregiver (parent, family member, direct care staff) can be overwhelming, discouraging, often times leads to burn out. Many of these dyads (individual and caregiver), will be forced to navigate multiple systems, interact and adhere to professional recommendations and treatments, not to mention long learning and reinforcement histories that can lead to tangled webs of competing, interlocking, and overlapping contingencies. Wahler 1980 discusses the difficulties of the “Insular Mother”- limited reinforcing interactions, demands and advice from all sides. Everything is a priority. Everyone else has the answers. Sadly, over the last 40yrs, not much has changed for these persons. Disabilities are still misunderstood, surrounded by preconceived notions and biases, family and caregiver dynamics overlooked, and there is still too much talking and not enough listening to those in the thick of it. It may seem a compliment to label these caregivers as “resilient”, but the truth of the matter is they are tired, broken, and struggling. Resilience can be costly and can lead to disingenuous consent, placations, and a lack of adherence to treatment and intervention recommendations. It's tough to stay on top of things when the rest of the world is piling more things on. Working with adults presents its own unique challenges but utilizing Goldiamond's Nonlinear Analysis and Constructional Approach can help bridge the gap between the frustrations and unheard cries of these caregiving dynamics and providing beneficial, effective, and successful supports. Worth 1 Learning CEU Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/ Have some interstellar discussion on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atypicalba Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atypicalba/ Don't need CEUs but want to support the show? Click here to donate to the adventure: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AtypicalBA Contact us at: info@atypicalba.com, CE@atypicalba.com Music by: www.purple-planet.com

Oh man this is gonna be so cool! We're gonna talk layers of reinforcement! We're gonna talk animal training! We're gonna talk about zoo animals learning to consent to receive necessary injections! AND we're gonna talk Goldiamond and the importance of stories and listening, unpacking the organism/learner, and how behavior analysis can improve the lives of animals, their keepers, handlers, and fur/feathered/and scaley parents. In this LIVE chat with Lisa Clifton-Bumpass, animal trainer, expert consultant, supervisor, and so much, much more! She'll relay her story of working with animals (and humans) and discuss how working with animals has shifted and changed throughout the years. Stories and histories provide lessons for others to further explore. This curiosity is important when it comes to understanding the learner, be they fur legged, scaley, or feathered, and then building interventions and programs through the Constructional Approach. Behavioral science is unique in the fact it can be applied to multiple layers, systems, responses, and learners, even if they look a little alien. Curiosity and creativity help expand the science, lead to improved adaption and flexibility within various situations, and further growth for both the practitioner and the learner. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the importance of incorporating non-linear contingency analysis in a wide variety of environments and learners. 2. Describe ways to incorporate creativity into the Constructional Approach and its benefits. 3. Describe how programming goals, including consent, for animals can be defined in observable and measurable terms. Take Aways- your bite-sized educational noms - The NLCA differs from the traditional three and four term contingencies by collecting data on a variety of both private and public variables that can affect behavior and choices. It has been used with individuals diagnosed with a variety of psychiatric issues to improve their communication skills with others, improving family dynamics, supervision of humans, organizations, and systems. - One goal of the Constructional Approach (reminder from Ep43- it is a program, not a procedure) is to teach learners to become their own contingency analyst so that when they encounter different environments and stimuli they can analyse their own behaviors and responses. It also shapes behaviors, meeting the learner where they are at and building skills and repertoires without focusing on decreasing less desirable behaviors. - Behavior is communication and when working with an animal, trainers need to learn how that specific animal communicates- observations of happy, angry, calm. Lisa talked about working with a team that taught a kookaburra to consent to receiving medical injections. The handlers and vet did not even need to enter the bird's enclosure; he would fly to them and perch. The handler could then feel the weight of the bird shift towards or away from the injection; if he moved away, everything paused. All withdrawals of assent were honoured. Using a constructional approach to train this behavior helped instil trust, built rapport, and the kookaburra enjoyed interacting with the humans during interactions. Worth 2 Learning CEUs Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/ Have some interstellar discussion on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atypicalba Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atypicalba/ Don't need CEUs but want to support the show? Click here to donate to the adventure: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AtypicalBA Contact us at: info@atypicalba.com, CE@atypicalba.com Music by: www.purple-planet.com

“We don't ever need to remove reinforcement from the learner to achieve success.” Maasa and Sean ABAI 2022 Many behavior analysts and animal trainers are familiar with the concept of differential reinforcement and planned ignoring- an undesired behavior occurs, and attention is removed until a desired behavior emerges then attention is delivered. But this quote from ABAI 2022 has resonated with our ATBA team. Has consideration been taken about the potential long-term emotional effects that could occur when attention is completely removed? For organisms with complex verbal repertoires, it can be “easy” to talk about why the attention/reinforcer is being removed, but many behavior analysts work with learners who struggle to express emotional discomfort in ways that can be understood by the public. In this LIVE talk we meet with Maasa and Sean (of CAAWT and other cool things) to talk about the Constructional Approach, shelter dogs, and animal welfare. Constructional Approach to Animal Welfare and Training is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide free training to individuals and organizations that need training and cannot afford it. Their utilization of the Constructional Approach demonstrates how incorporating a level of compassion by implementing a conjugate reinforcement schedule can increase skill acquisition, improve relationships and rapport, and dare we say, achieve behavioural cusps that may have a life-long impact on the learner's quality of life. Learning Objectives: 1. Describe the critical components of the Constructional Approach and how it is different from traditional approaches. 2. Describe conjugate reinforcement schedules and provide examples. 3. Examine the relationship between empathy, compassion, and the Constructional Approach Take Aways- your bite-sized educational noms - Being “Constructional” isn't a procedure rather it is a way of programming for the success of the learner and their environment for long-term by using the critical features of: Current Relevant Repertoire; Terminal Goals; Systematic Approximations to Terminal Goal(s); Tracking the Performance Data - Conjugate reinforcement occurs when the magnitude of reinforcement is delivered based on the behavior emitted and its approximation to the target behavior. It's an ebb and flow of increase and decrease as the behavior is shaped up. At no point does reinforcement have to be removed from the learner. Consider the potential for an extinction burst; conjugate reinforcement can mitigate an increase in undesirable behavior. Maasa and Sean provide touch and affection towards shelter dogs and can micro-shape “pick me” behaviors simply by responding to the dog and offering more or less touch (one or two hands for example). - When reinforcement is removed, there is often a high probability of other behaviors emerging to gain the desired reinforcement, critical consequence. It can leave the learner in a state of distress and damage rapport and trust with the instructor. By using a constructional approach, providing conjugate reinforcement and the critical consequence, the learner is more likely to learn and maintain the responses, while enjoying the learning experience and building skills that will further improve their quality of life. Worth 2 Learning CEUs Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/ Have some interstellar discussion on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atypicalba Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atypicalba/ Don't need CEUs but want to support the show? Click here to donate to the adventure: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AtypicalBA Contact us at: info@atypicalba.com, CE@atypicalba.com Music by: www.purple-planet.com

We are lucky, at ABA Tech, to employ Student Interns looking to gain non-clinical experience. Some of our students came together to answer questions that we often see on social media and from other students in the field. In today's episode, Victoria & Megan interview PhD Student Sean Will and learn about the Constructional Approach. - For questions: Victoria German- victoria@abatechnologies.com Megan Galban - mgalban2020@my.fit.edu - CAAWT - https://www.caawt.com/

How can we teach our dogs to have mutually enjoyable leisure walks? How can we apply Constructional Approach to achieve our goals on a walk? These are big questions we have been asking ourselves since 2020. In this episode, we will update you on the leash-walking procedure that has been successful with our dog, Chuu, and the dogs of the CAAWT Members. We will walk you through the procedure while navigating five critical features of the Constructional Approach and our journey of refining and applying the procedure. The Constructional Leash Walking procedure is intended to give the dogs what they are after, minimize contact with extinction, and be an easy procedure to apply during the walk. We also discuss the importance of assessment to determine if this is the right procedure. We hope you enjoy it!Below is the link we mentioned during the episode:⭐️Join CAAWT Membership and Attend FREE Membership Conference!Hang out and geek out on the Constructional Approach and its applications and implications of working with animals and humans with amazing speakers.Learn more and register: https://www.caawt.com/caawt-membership

In this week's interview episode, we are joined by Lisa Clifton-Bumpass. Lisa is a training systems analyst specializing in the constructional approach. Lisa is known for her work with giraffes but has worked with 70 different species in her work with zoos, and domestic animals in a variety of capacities. It's not every day that you get to talk with someone who has made such incredible contributions to, not only the animal welfare community, but also to the human welfare community, and we were so lucky to get to bring you this conversation. In this episode, you're going to hear Lisa and Allie talk about:How a Constructional Approach can help you craft a bite-sized training plan The best story about a bat named Beethoven Interviewing the animal in front of youRegistration is open for our Enrichment Framework for Behavior Modification Master Class!!We've taken everything we've learned from writing and presenting on Canine Enrichment for the Real World to implementing an enrichment framework with our own clients, and created the complete A-Z course for force-free behavior professionals. Registration is open for a limited time, so reserve your spot here!

If you've been tuning into one of the many Inside JABA Series I've done over the last few years, you're undoubtedly familiar with today's guest, Dr. Claire St. Peter. Claire is a Professor as well as the Director of Graduate Training at West Virginia University.  According to her university bio, Claire's "primary research interest is the assessment and intervention of challenging behavior. She is particularly interested in the development of effective interventions for challenging behavior displayed in school contexts (including the effects of degraded integrity on intervention efficacy) and with the dissemination of behavioral approaches to caregivers (teachers, parents, etc.)." And we do get to this very important topic of supporting typically developing individuals with behavior problems in school settings... but we get there in a roundabout way.  Before getting there, we talk about how she got into behavior analysis, and we spent a little more time on this than usual, because as it happens, Claire was doing her graduate training at The University of Florida at a time when many other prominent researchers and practitioners in Behavior Analysis were going through that program. I won't spoil the story here, but it's worth checking out because in my opinion it provides an interesting window into the development of an incredibly productive cohort of people.  We then transition into a primer of sorts in what's known as the "Constructional Approach" to behavioral treatment, intervention, and so forth. This approach was first described by Dr. Israel Goldiamond, and I highly recommend reading his seminal paper on this topic that was published in 1974. This topic has been getting a lot of attention in our field as of late, and I was thrilled to have Claire walk us through the basics of this perspective.  Towards the end of the podcast, Claire shares a fascinating case study in which she and her colleagues used this constructional approach to develop a novel behavioral intervention for a child who was exhibiting behavior problems in a school setting.  Again, if you're familiar with Claire's contributions to the Inside JABA Series, you know she loves a good soapbox, and in keeping with that, she offers some great advice for the newly minted at the close of the show.  Lastly, I don't want to forget to mention that Claire is the Editor in Chief of the journal, Education and Treatment of Children, which I think we mention briefly. There's a lot of good work being published there, so check it out if you get a chance. Also, Claire has made significant contributions in the area of treatment integrity (aka procedural fidelity), and I look forward to having her back on the show for a deep dive into that important topic.  Here are links to some of the resources we mentioned: Claire's lab website  Claire's Google Scholar Page  Goldiamond (1974): Toward a constructional approach to social problems: ethical and constitutional issues raised by applied behavior analysis  More Goldiamond: A Programming Contingency Analysis of Mental Health  Layng (2009). The Search for an Effective Clinical Behavior Analysis: The Nonlinear Thinking of Israel Goldiamond  Romano, St. Peter, Milyko, Mesches, and Foreman (2021). Incorporating Curricular Revision to Treat Escape-Maintained Behavior for Children with ADHD  Mammacare  Word of the Podcast  Inside JABA 7: There's No Such Thing as a Bad Boy, with Pat Friman Friman (2021). There is no such thing as a bad boy: The Circumstances View of problem behavior  Johnston, Pennypacker, and Green: Strategies and Tactics for Behavioral Research and Practice (note: Amazon Associates link).  Session 193 is brought to you by the following: Supervision Sidekick. Supervision Sidekick is not only a comprehensive curriculum that helps you mentor the next generation of Behavior Analysts, it's also a community of like-minded supervisors. Check out their easy to use digital platform and comprehensive instructional materials at www.sidekicklearning.net. Also, if you sign up for a monthly or yearly program, use coupon code behavioralobservations and save 10% at checkout. HRIC Recruiting. Barb Voss has been placing BCBAs in permanent positions throughout the US for just about a decade, and has been in the business more generally for 30 years. When you work with HRIC, you work directly with Barb, thereby accessing highly personalized service. So if you're about to graduate, you're looking for a change of pace, or you just want to know if the grass really is greener on the other side, head over to HRIColorado.com to schedule a confidential chat right away. Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings, including their brand new 8-hour Supervision Course, as well as their RBT offerings over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. The University of Cincinnati Online. UC Online designed a Master of Education in Behavior Analysis program that is 100% online and asynchronous, meaning you log on when it works for you. Want to learn more? Go to online.uc.edu and click the “request info” button.

In previous episodes we've reviewed the basic components of the Constructional Approach and have discussed how it can be applied to families, parent training, interpreting emotional contingencies. In this episode we expand further into the Constructional galaxy to meet with Jessica Winne, BCBA, to talk about how she applied the Constructional Approach in an autobody shop. Behavior is rational and even though there are many interlocking contingencies within a company, the Constructional Approach can be adapted to assist with understanding values, goal setting, and recommendations for improvement in a company. Jessica describes her process of building rapport, listening to and learning from the layers of the organization to build achievable goals, and how those recommendations were implemented. Learning Objectives: 1. Provide examples on how to adapt the Constructional Approach Questionnaire to organizational systems. 2. Discuss the overlaps between 6-Boxes, Constructional Approach, and Non-Linear Analysis. 3. Discuss the importance of setting goals that are agreed upon across all systems and are achievable using the Constructional Approach. 4. Provide examples of the broad utilization of Behavioral Skills Training when working with organizations outside of an autism clinic, RBT training. Worth 1.5 Learning CEUS Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/ Have some interstellar discussion on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atypicalba Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atypicalba/ Don't need CEUs but want to support the show? Click here to donate to the adventure: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AtypicalBA Contact us at: info@atypicalba.com, CE@atypicalba.com Music by: www.purple-planet.com

Have you heard about the constructional approach to working with fearful or aggressive dogs? And maybe you've heard about systems based approaches to problem solving behavior challenges?For this inaugural episode of Fresh Bites, which is a shorter version of the bite into the dog on a focus topic, where we bring in guests with unique and inspiring ideas to working with aggression in dogs. I chat with Shawn Will and Maasa Nishimuta, and geek out a little on the five elements of the constructional approach to behavior change. Shawn and Maasa are both incredibly insightful and were really fun to chat with!For additional resources on helping dogs with aggression, visit:https://aggressivedog.comIf you want to take your knowledge and skills for helping dogs with aggression to the next level, check out the Aggression in Dogs Master Course and get a FREE preview here:https://aggressivedog.thinkific.com/courses/aggression-in-dogsDon't miss out on the third annual Aggression in Dogs Conference  9/30-10/2/22:https://aggressivedog.com/conference/Woof Cultr swag!https://woofcultr.com/collections/the-aggression-in-dogs-conferenceAbout Sean and Maasa:Maasa and Sean studied under Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and earned their master's degrees in Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas. While studying at UNT, they developed and pursued research on Constructional Affection, created constructional shelter programs to increase shelter efficiency, and trained shelter staff and volunteers. They have provided consulting for individuals and organizations that oversee the care of animals. Currently, Sean is in Florida Tech's doctoral program researching problem-solving and animal training.In 2020, Maasa and Sean founded the Constructional Approach to Animal Welfare and Training (CAAWT). CAAWT is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide free training to individuals and organizations that need training and cannot afford it. To fulfill this mission, Maasa and Sean host the CAAWT Podcast, the annual CAAWT Conference, the CAAWT Membership, webinars, and more!Website: https://www.caawt.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAAWT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/npo_caawt/ Podcast: Constructional Approach to Animal Welfare and Training (available on most podcast platforms) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvGpU8MbP7_6vafXFExQkAw Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT GoFundMe – The Bailey Interviews: https://gofund.me/5b7b82c0Support the show

Behavior Analysts know that the learner is always right, but there are cases where people start doubting this because of how disturbing some behaviors seem. It is important to always remember that the behavior is rational and makes sense regardless of how bizarre it may seem. In the Constructional Approach, no behavior is considered maladaptive. Behavior is considered always to be adaptive, although it can also often be very disturbing or costly. And therein lies one of its salient features: there are no magical procedures, no simple recipes such as “if this diagnosis, do that.” Israel Goldiamond developed the Constructional Approach and laid down a set of procedures that guides the investigation of these disturbing behaviors. TV Joe Layng added to this investigation with his work on emotions as contingency descriptors. This important work enriches and expands the contingency analysis furthering the tools available to both clinician and client. Join us for this LIVE event with Jonathan Amey from Heart the Chart, to discuss how emotional behavior and the Constructional Approach can open up new pathways for client outcomes. Learning Objectives: 1. Extrapolate the broad impact of emotions when it comes to contingency management and program implementation. 2. Describe the value of analyzing emotional contingencies when applying behavior principles to parent training. 3. Demonstrate ways to collect data on emotions that are effective and useful. Take Aways- your bite-sized educational noms - We're all familiar with the concept of emotional responding; it looks pretty similar to an extinction burst. When we don't come in contact with something reinforcing there is that we a chance we react “emotionally”, perhaps in hopes that the “emotion” can force the desired reinforcement to occur, but at what cost? It's better to take a step back and respond, rather than react to the situation. Stress and anxious emotions lead to a decrease in executive functioning which can lead to poor folow through with treatment recommendations. - Incorporating emotions into analysis can help to determine settings when caregivers are more or less likely to adhere to program recommendations. Caregivers are also competing contingencies whether they occur in their work/personal life, personal histories and backgrounds. - Dr. Israel Goldiamond created the Constructional Logs to help his patients learn to become their own Contingency Analyst which includes “responding” to emotional descriptors, rather than “react”. By taking data on one's emotions during situations throughout the day, a caregiver can learn how to control their “emotional responding” when things turn on their heads. Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/ Have some interstellar discussion on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atypicalba Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atypicalba/ Don't need CEUs but want to support the show? Click here to donate to the adventure: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AtypicalBA Contact us at: info@atypicalba.com, CE@atypicalba.com Music by: www.purple-planet.com

Stuart Hoffman lives in Newmarket Canada with his wife Maria and their seven-year-old lab Dani (Danielle). Over the last 10 years Stuart has worked with Labrador Rescue Adoption Services as a trainer and interviewer. He provides training to both fosters and adopters encountering behaviour issues. In addition, he writes articles for the Rescue's magazine, hoping to give a voice to the labs that pass through. His learning path started after his failed foster and adoption of his beloved black Lab Archie 10 years ago. Reading Karen Pryor's Don't shoot the dog started his journey and then Sue Alisby's “Levels” books that solidified his passion. During one of Sue Alisby's wonderful courses a fellow student introduced him to ATA. Over the last 4 years Stuart says he loves the ATA community and how willing to share knowledge everyone is all while providing such a positive and safe space. In May of 2022 Stuart has been asked to present his Constructional Approach to Leash Walking at the ABAI Annual Conference in Boston.

Whoa baby, y'all, this is another incredible interview that gives you a whole 'nother paradigm to the think about in animal training. Let's blow the lid off of the way we think of operant conditioning and dive deep with Maasa Nishimuta and Sean Will of CAAWT, or the Constructional Approach to Animal Welfare and Training. This conversation will have you rethinking the four quadrants, what the consequence(s) of your animal's behavior might be, and how you think about problem behavior.  CAAWT website and membership Donate to help more shelters learn the humane and effective constructional approach The CAAWT Podcast Register for the CAAWT Conference Interested in some of the non-linear and constructional discussions we are having in the Lab? Try out a Premium Membership with the coupon code AVIAN for 14 days at the Avian Behavior Lab

We have been going to our local animal shelter and working with their dogs for a while now! So, we wanted to share stories of three dogs that we got to work with: Ryder, Carmel, and Shelby. You will hear how the Constructional Approach helped them learn desirable behaviors to ask for and receive our interaction and affection, which is critical for finding their forever homes!Watch the first session with Carmel*We will soon be publishing Carmal's follow-up video and Ryder's video on CAAWT YouTube Channel!Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:❤️Constructional Affection group class. A 4-week group class starting on 4/16! Learn more and register:https://www.caawt.com/constructional-affection

Let's be honest, working with humans can be difficult. To formulate successful programs for clients, there are a variety of contingencies to consider, and several approaches that can be taken. There are multiple competing contingencies, learning histories, and the ebb and flow of potentiating variables. It may seem to be an overwhelming task, but there are a variety of ways to help interpret/understand the complexities of human behavior and construct programs to address them. In this live talk we meet with Awab Abdel-Jalil co-author of Nonlinear Contingency Analysis: Going Beyond Cognition and Behavior in Clinical Practice to learn about the history and creation of Dr. Israel Goldiamond's nonlinear contingency analysis and Constructional Approach. He will also discuss how these approaches can work with various populations. Learning Objectives: 1. Discuss how the constructional approach and behavior analysis go hand in hand. 2. Label different ways to encourage more accurate self-reports from clients. 3. Discuss the broad applications of the constructional approach with a variety of clients. Take Aways- your bite-sized educational noms - The Constructional Approach expands or puts another layer to Skinner's description of behavior analysis. Humans are complex and the Constructional Approach can help to interpret the complex and often competing contingencies. It also helps bridge the gap between Behavior Analysis and Clinical Psychology. - While the logs may seem to rely on self-reports (and they do), what has been observed is participants are more likely to reports accurately because they want to see a change. When changes aren't happening or progress seems slow, the behavior analyst can investigate the motivation and contingencies. Is the individual not motivated? Do they have the skills? Does the log need to be modified to promote more accurate responding? The Constructional Approach strongly encourages problem solving both for the participant and the behavior analyst. - The Constructional Approach can be used with a variety of seemingly complex behaviors such as schizophrenia, eating disorders, depression, career and life goals. Other areas of application include caregiver, staff, and parent involvement. Potential areas for research could be in the area of looking at logs of parents, siblings, other group home members to analyze their interwoven contingencies and how they impact everyone. Worth 2 Learning CEUs Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/ Have some interstellar discussion on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atypicalba Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atypicalba/ Don't need CEUs but want to support the show? Click here to donate to the adventure: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AtypicalBA Contact us at: info@atypicalba.com, CE@atypicalba.com Music by: www.purple-planet.com

In part 2 of our interview with Dr. Susan Friedman, we have a thought-provoking discussion about the contributions, similarities, and differences the Constructional Approach has with other approaches to training and other behavior analytic approaches. Please enjoy as we explore this approach from its philosophic implication to its influence on real-world procedures!Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:

Maasa Nishimuta Bio: Maasa Nishimuta studied under Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and earned a master's degree in Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas. In her master's thesis, she studied the reinforcing effects of affection in the form of petting and gentle scratching with rescued equines. She modified Constructional Affection for use with equines and continues to apply Constructional Affection with animals in shelters where she volunteers. In 2021, Maasa co-founded a 501(c)3 non-profit organization Constructional Approach to Animal Welfare and Training (CAAWT), and serves as its chief operating officer. CAAWT provides free training to individuals and organizations in need of training and cannot afford it, with the goal of improving the lives of animals and their caretakers through applications of the Constructional Approach. To carry out CAAWT's mission, she co-hosts a monthly podcast, runs private sessions and group classes in-person and online, and hosts webinars and the Annual CAAWT Conference to disseminate information on the Constructional Approach and its many applications to animal welfare and training.

Have you been hearing the word “constructional” a lot lately? There is a reason for that! The animal training community is evolving, and it is extremely exciting. It has a lot to do with a different way of looking at behavior change that is known as "the constructional approach". My special guests this episode are Sean Will and Maasa Nishimuta from the Constructional Approach to Animal Welfare and Training, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free services to individuals and organizations that cannot afford them, with the goal of enhancing their lives through applications of the Constructional Approach. Sean and Maasa share the five elements that are essential to a constructional program. They also provide insights into the history of the constructional approach and how it differs from some of the programs currently popular in animal training. We also discuss what a constructional program can do to improve animal welfare and why this is such great news for the future of animal training. We also go over numerous resources to continue your exploration of this inspiring topic. The future of animal training looks very bright.....and constructional!

Maasa Nishimuta Bio: Maasa Nishimuta studied under Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and earned a master's degree in Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas. In her master's thesis, she studied the reinforcing effects of affection in the form of petting and gentle scratching with rescued equines. She modified Constructional Affection for use with equines and continues to apply Constructional Affection with animals in shelters where she volunteers. In 2021, Maasa co-founded a 501(c)3 non-profit organization Constructional Approach to Animal Welfare and Training (CAAWT), and serves as its chief operating officer. CAAWT provides free training to individuals and organizations in need of training and cannot afford it, with the goal of improving the lives of animals and their caretakers through applications of the Constructional Approach. To carry out CAAWT's mission, she co-hosts a monthly podcast, runs private sessions and group classes in-person and online, and hosts webinars and the Annual CAAWT Conference to disseminate information on the Constructional Approach and its many applications to animal welfare and training.

2021 is almost ending, and 2022 is at the corner! We are sure that you are starting to set goals and things you want to do in 2022! In this episode, we reflected on the goals we set for 2021, what we did to achieve our goals, and we also talked about our goals for 2022! We are looking forward to continuing learning and exploring the Constructional Approach and meeting our goals together in 2022! Thank you for listening to the CAAWT podcast for two years!  We wish you happy holidays and hope you all have an amazing new year with your lovely animal companions!Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:

The Constructional Questionnaire (Goldiamond, 1974) is a powerful tool that can help guide our consulting and help achieve our client's meaningful goals that will sustain themselves easily in our absence. In this episode, Stuart Hoffman shares his learning journey of understanding the Constructional Approach, his first experience using the questionnaire, and its impact on the dog and their family. We hope you enjoy this wonderful interview!Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:

In part 2 of our interview with Barbara Heidenreich, she discusses challenges, and their solutions, to applying the Constructional Aggression Treatment with various exotic animals in zoological settings. Through sharing some amazing stories, she explains the importance of why our training procedures need to be functional. Please enjoy this wonderful episode!Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:If you are interested in learning more about Barbara's work, you can go to her website at https://animaltrainingfundamentals.com/Maasa123/Monthly. You can become a member of her virtual learning program and learn about her work using Constructional Approach in many different zoos!To register for a newly launched group class "Introduction to the Science of Behavior (Part 1)," please visit this link: https://www.caawt.com/introduction-to-science-of-behavior-1To register for the video-on-demand CAAWT conference, please visit the link below.  If you are currently working at an animal shelter, animal hospital, zoo, or student/professor, we offer 50% off the video-on-demand registration. Register from here: https://www.caawt.com/2021conference**We will open the registration link (above) until September 30th at 11:59 pm. And, once you purchase it, you will have unlimited access to the presentation videos until October 31st at 11:59 pm.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

In this episode of part 1 of 2, Barbara Heidenreich shares her journey of becoming an animal training consultant, her introduction to the Constructional Approach, and the benefits of this approach in helping animals and the staff in a zoological setting. She also shared creative applications of the Constructional Aggression Treatment with exotic species! We hope you enjoy this amazing interview!Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:If you are interested in learning more about Barbara's work, you can click the link below. There, you can become a member of her virtual learning program and learn about her work applying the Constructional Approach in many different zoos!Join today from here: https://animaltrainingfundamentals.com/Maasa123/MonthlyIf you want to register for video-on-demand to access four presentations given at the 2nd Annual CAAWT Conference, please visit the page below. If you are currently working at an animal shelter, animal hospital, zoo, or student/professor, we offer 50% off the video-on-demand registration. Register from here: https://www.caawt.com/2021conference**We will open the registration link (above) until September 30th at 11:59 pm. And, once you purchase it, you will have unlimited access to the presentation videos until October 31st at 11:59 pm.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

In previous appearances on this podcast and elsewhere, Pat Friman has told the story of Father Flanagan, founder of BoysTown. According to Pat, Father Flanagan often made the following statement when describing his philosophy of helping troubled youths: "there is no such thing as a bad boy, only bad environments, bad modeling, and bad teaching." For the Spring 2021 issue of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Dr. Linda LeBlanc invited Pat to expand on these remarks in the issue's lead paper. In this podcast, I'm joined by both Linda and Pat, as well as Inside JABA regular, Dr. Claire St. Peter, where we talk at length about the "circumstantial view" of behavior as it applies to both clinical practice in particular, and societal trends more generally. Specifically, we discuss the following: How this paper fits into LeBlanc’s “big idea paper” concept. How “big idea” papers are often conceptual rather than data based. Why Pat stopped presenting papers with original data, and why he started giving more thematic talks. The difference, from Pat’s perspective between giving a talk and writing a journal article. A brief history of BoysTown. Just what is the Circumstantial View of problem behavior? Some examples from Pat’s life where he failed to take the Circumstantial View of behavior. Why the Circumstantial View has failed to flourish? How supervisors can incorporate these views with trainees and other team members? Why it is important to tell a real-life story as a vehicle for explain a behavioral principles. Why Pat’s view of Walden Two has changed. Movies that demonstrate both the Circumstantial and Characterological View of behavior. And much more! During this conversation, we discussed many papers and other resources. I've done my best to capture all of them below: The paper that inspired this podcast, "There is no such thing as a bad boy: The circumstantial view of problem behavior." The JABA Homepage. Pat Friman's appearances on Behavioral Observations (Session 10, Session 16, Session 42, and Session 77). Goldiamond (2002). Toward a Constructional Approach to Social Problems: Ethical and Constitutional Issues Raised by Applied Behavior Analysis. Pat's TedTalk. The short film Pat referenced. The DailyBA clip we discussed (Pink Sweater/Didn't Know her Circumstances). This Way of Thinking (CE/Short film by Team OnLocation). Session 72: Compassionate Service Delivery. Quotable Quote: “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” – Alexander Den Heijer. Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman. A Clockwork Orange. Walden Two. In keeping with previous Inside JABA Series podcasts, there will be no ads in this episode. However, this show happens to be eligible for BACB Continuing Education. So click here for more information. And, to help incentivize getting Pat's important message out there, I’m running a 50% 55% off sale from now, through the first week of May, 2021. Use offer code Boystown, to get more than half off any CEU in the Behavioral Observations catalog. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. If so, please consider sharing with friends and colleagues!