Podcasts about RBT

Behavior Analysis Meets Artificial Intelligence In the second installment of Behavioral Observations' Frontera Series on AI, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sydney Holmes, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and master's level psychologist. Sydney is also the Clinical Product Lead at Frontera, where she's helping bridge the gap between behavior analysis and artificial intelligence in some really exciting ways. Did you miss the first Frontera Series interview with CEO and Founder, Amol Deshpande? Check it out here! We covered everything from using AI tools for clinical work and content creation, to how machine learning is reshaping supervision, diagnostics, and parent support. From Marine Biology to Behavior Analysis Sydney has a unique background. She started in marine biology and eventually found her way to psychology and behavior analysis. Today, she's at the forefront of tech innovation in her role at Frontera, where she combines clinical insight with product development. What is Digital Phenotyping? One of the more fascinating parts of our conversation was about digital phenotyping. Frontera is using AI to analyze real-world video data in order to track, measure, and interpret client behavior—helping clinicians make faster, more informed decisions. Teaching AI to Understand Behavior Sydney described the challenges of teaching machines to detect nuanced behaviors like crying or vocal stereotypy. It takes close collaboration between BCBAs and engineers to develop AI tools that are truly clinically useful. Enhancing Diagnostics and Supervision with AI We talked about how Frontera is helping BCBAs with autism diagnostics, supervision, and quality assurance through smart automation. Their platform supports more efficient monitoring of RBT sessions and helps maintain fidelity to treatment protocols. Real-Time RBT Session Review and Feedback Frontera's video tools allow for recording of every RBT session, making it possible to provide objective, real-time feedback. The goal is to support staff in a way that's consistent and non-punitive, which aligns with what we know about effective supervision. Improving Parent Engagement with Mobile Apps Sydney also discussed how their mobile app allows caregivers to submit short videos of their interactions with their child. This enables BCBAs to provide timely, video-based coaching and collect meaningful data outside of traditional session settings. Advice for Behavior Analysts Embracing AI Her advice for clinicians? Stay curious but skeptical, lean into collaboration, and look for ways to use technology to enhance—not replace—the human side of behavioral healthcare. Learn More To learn more about Frontera's tools and mission, visit frontera.health. You can also connect with Sydney and the team on LinkedIn and other social platforms. Thanks for listening and supporting the podcast. If you found this conversation helpful, be sure to subscribe and share it with a colleague!

Leisure skills, unlike developmental play, support lifelong engagement, independence, and quality of life, whether it's crochet, reading, or structured hobbies. In this discussion, we explore how play skills evolve across ages and how ABA programs can support that progression. We outline the typical stages of play, from exploratory and functional play in toddlers to pretend, constructive, and rule-based games in older kids. We discuss why using outdated play activities (like blocks or shape sorters) with older learners can be problematic and highlight the importance of transitioning to leisure skills as children mature, especially for teens and adults. We also touch on strategies for teaching play, including sensory-social routines, modeling, and focusing on student motivation.What's Inside:How to use ABA programs to support play through the agesIssues with using outdated play activities with older learnersStrategies to use when teaching playMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram 

In this episode of Safe Space, host Michelle Zeman is joined by special guest Nichole Mark, BCBA, a passionate mentor and the founder of Behavior Mastered. Nichole shares her journey into the field of ABA—from initially pursuing pediatrics to discovering her calling while working alongside RBTs as a speech therapist.Nichole offers a firsthand look at how the field has evolved from compliance-driven practices to a more values-driven approach centered on empowerment and ethical mentorship. She reflects on her early experiences as an RBT, the impact of poor training standards, and the rise of unprepared practitioners entering the field under the assumption that the role is “easy.”Throughout the conversation, Nichole emphasizes the critical role BCBAs play in shaping competent, confident RBTs. She shares actionable insights on mentorship, supervision, and what companies and clinicians must do better to ensure quality care. Her story about a three-hour power struggle session offers a raw, real example of how power dynamics and training intersect—and what it means to truly support both clients and staff.This episode offers 1.0 Supervision CEU for Board Certified Behavior Analysts. Behavior analysts, be sure to listen for the two code words mentioned during the episode to claim your free CEU.

An independent activity schedule (IAS) is a tool made up of pictures or written cues that guides a child through a series of tasks on their own. It promotes independence and reduces the need for constant supervision, making it a valuable strategy for both school and home environments. In this episode, we dive into how to design an effective IAS, share creative schedule ideas, and walk you through how to teach it step-by-step. Whether you're looking to encourage more independent behavior at school or help your child complete daily routines before screen time at home, an IAS can be a game-changer. We break down the three key phases of using an IAS, how to integrate open-ended tasks, and tips for prompting and tracking progress. Plus, we show you real-life examples so you can tailor a schedule that fits your needs.Want more information on independent activity schedules? On June 12th, we're hosting a CEU event: Independent Activity Schedules, Building Meaningful Play and Leisure Skills. Click the link below to register!What's Inside:How to create an independent activity schedule.How an IAS can help in both home and school settings.IAS data collection best practices.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Join Our Next CEU Event

When it comes to successful interventions, knowing the “why” behind behaviors is key. As practitioners, we may have learned in school that there are four functions of behavior: escape, attention, tangible, and sensory. However, in practice, things aren't always so cut and dry. Here, we dive into the roles of antecedents, triggers, and functions so we can better understand what drives challenging behavior.In this conversation, we discuss setting events and how what comes right before a behavior helps us understand a learner's missing skills. We look at how to best determine the function of a behavior and how to teach appropriate replacement skills. We also discuss synthesized reinforcement, the importance of conducting a functional behavior assessment, and reinforcement strategies. What's Inside:How setting events help us uncover missing skillsHow to determine the function of a behaviorExamples of reinforcement strategiesMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Free Antecedent Log

As BCBAs, each day we walk a fine line between keeping children safe while ensuring our interventions are compassionate, ethical, and effective. Prioritizing safety in behavior management is a non-negotiable and it doesn't have to come at the expense of empathy. Here, we discuss the best ways to balance safety and compassion in our interventions and how to ensure that the individuals we serve are not only protected but also respected and empowered. When developing interventions, it's important to use the least intrusive, most effective strategies. We discuss how to build a foundation of trust and antecedent-based intervention as proactive strategies. We also cover the importance of regulation for both ourselves and our learners, how to determine whether corrective behavior is essential, and how to hold appropriate boundaries.Dr. Hanley's Universal Protocol is a great guideline to have when balancing safety and compassion. Remind yourself of some best practices by downloading our Applying Universal Protocol Cheat Sheet below! What's Inside:How to balance safety and compassion in our interventionsThe importance of building a foundation of trustHow to determine if corrective behavior is essentialMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Free Applying Universal Protocol Cheat Sheet Episode 113: How to Maintain Client Dignity in ABA 

Challenging behaviors don't just happen out of nowhere. They have patterns, triggers, and underlying causes. The key to success is all about preventing them in the first place instead of reacting to the behaviors when they occur. Here, we discuss how to use both proactive and reactive strategies to effectively reduce challenging behaviors with our learners.When working on challenging behaviors, setting yourself up for success makes all the difference. Proactive strategies are designed to prevent behaviors from occurring and we discuss how to create an environment where they're less likely to happen. We also share tips on how to teach replacement skills and make environmental accommodations.While we want to aim for a proactive approach, we can't always prevent challenging behaviors. Sometimes, we need to use reactive strategies, and we discuss when and how to intervene. We also cover how to block and diffuse unsafe behaviors and how to analyze data to determine how well your strategies are working. What's Inside:How to use proactive and reactive strategies for challenging behaviorsThe importance of building trust with our learnersHow to block and diffuse unsafe behaviorsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Free ABC Data Sheet

When managing challenging behavior, our goal as behavior therapists is to reduce these behaviors and teach new skills. Here, we discuss how to do so without using strategies like extinction and planned ignoring. Through skill-based treatment, we not only reduce challenging behaviors but also replace them with positive functional skills.Challenging behavior is often the result of skill deficits in areas like communication, being able to tolerate discomfort, and handling transitions. Skill-based treatment is a compassionate, proactive approach that prioritizes teaching skills that meet the same need as the challenging behavior but in a more appropriate way. We also cover practical functional assessments, why it's important to start with trust and relationship building, and reinforcement techniques.For a deeper dive into skill-based treatment, join our next live CEU event on Thursday, May 15, at 12pm EST called Effectively Addressing Challenging Behaviors Using Skills-Based Treatment (SBT) .What's Inside:How to use skill-based treatment to replace challenging behaviorsWhy it's important to build a trusting relationship with our learnersHow to join our next live CEU eventMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramJoin Our Next CEU Event 

In this episode, Dr. Megan and Joe discuss supervision practices and resources. AI SUMMARY FROM FATHOM:Meeting PurposeLive recording of Do Better Podcast discussing supervision strategies in behavior analysis.Key Takeaways - Importance of building rapport and assessing baseline knowledge when supervising/coaching - Effective supervision balances modeling, guided practice, and independent application - Incorporating adult learning principles and cross-disciplinary approaches can enhance supervision - Group supervision can be an efficient and collaborative strategy for multiple superviseesStakeholder Training vs. Traditional Supervision - Joe's current role involves coaching stakeholders working with adult clients - Focuses on providing tools and skills to those directly interacting with clients - Differs from traditional RBT or BCBA candidate supervisionMeeting Stakeholders Where They Are - Assessing baseline knowledge and tailoring approach to each stakeholder's background - Avoiding jargon and starting with basics when necessary (e.g., defining behavior) - Building skills progressively through feedback and systematic teachingRapport Building in Supervision - Crucial first step before diving into technical aspects- Demonstrating value and care for the individual being supervised - Considering factors like dress code to appear approachableResources for Effective Supervision - Books: "Bringing Out the Best in People" by Aubrey Daniels, "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie - "The ABA Supervision Handbook" for structured skill development - Webinars on reflective leadership from Do Better Collective- Publications by Denny Reed and Parsons on motivating human services staffSupervision Strategies - Using a "I do, we do, you do" direct instruction model - Setting clear expectations for the supervision process - Adapting to supervisee preferences (e.g., in-session feedback vs. post-session review)Adult Learning Principles in Supervision - Recognizing individual learning styles and preferences - Incorporating research on adult learning, coaching, and motivation - Exploring literature from related fields (e.g., social work) for broader perspectivesGroup Supervision - Potential time-saving strategy for supervisors with multiple supervisees - Facilitates collaborative problem-solving and diverse perspectives - Can be implemented periodically (e.g., monthly, quarterly) to supplement individual supervision

Dr. Bill Ahearn joins me in Session 299 of Behavioral Observation. I met Bill a few times at conferences and I'm so glad we finally had a chance to sit down and record a podcast together. Bill is the Director of Research at The New England Center for Children. Long time listeners may recall that NECC sponsored a series of episodes, and in this podcast, we talked about some of the great research that has come out of that storied institution. As an aside, if you want to learn more about NECC, particularly working at NECC, you can find more information about that here. We covered a lot of ground in this conversation, including: Bill's early experiences as a grad student and clinician. His early work in addressing feeding problems. The research that he and his colleagues have conducted at NECC. How he construes stereotypic and self-injurious behavior as being forms of repetitive behavior. What he's learned about addressing stereotypy, including when and when not to intervene. We talk at length about Response Interruption and Redirection, particularly when it is and isn't necessary as an intervention. The behavioral interpretation of anxiety, and interventions that he and his team have brought to bear on related repertoires. I ask a few lighter questions on some topics of mutual interest (you'll have to listen towards the end to hear that). If you listen to nothing else from this podcast, towards the end of the show, Bill talks about why he is proud to be a Behavior Analyst. Please listen to that segment, as I think he makes some excellent points that are more than worth sharing. We also talked about tons of papers. I've done my best to track as many down as possible. Piazza et al. (2000). An evaluation of the effects of matched stimuli on behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement. Rapp and Vollmer (2005). Stereotypy I: A review of behavioral assessment and treatment. Ahearn et al. (2007). Assessing and treating vocal stereotypy in children with autism. Colón et al. (2012). The effects of verbal operant training and response interruption and redirection on appropriate and inappropriate vocalizations. Rodriguez et al. (2013). Arranging and ordering in autism spectrum disorder: Characteristics, severity, and environmental correlates. Steinhauser et al. (2021). Examining stereotypy in naturalistic contexts: Differential reinforcement and context-specific redirection. Moore et al. (2022). Assessing and Treating Anxiety in Individuals with Autism. Fergus (2024). Functional Analysis and Delineating Subtypes of Restricted Repetitive Behavior in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This podcast is brought to you by: Frontera. Consider taking a demo of Frontera's Assessment Builder and see how the ethical application of AI technologies can help you serve clients and save you time! Your first assessment report is free. And if you use code BOP25 you'll get an additional five assessments for just $100. So head to fronterahealth.com to check it out! CEUs from Behavioral Observations. Learn from your favorite podcast guests while you're commuting, walking the dog, or whatever else you do while listening to podcasts. New events are being added all the time, so check them out here.  The Behavioral Toolbox. Check out our courses for school-based and other behavioral professionals, including our newest one, Motivational Interviewing: Getting Educator Buy-In. Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings, including their 8-hour Supervision Course, as well as their RBT offerings over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. Don't forget to use the coupon code, PODCAST to save at checkout!

Before our learners can independently manage their emotions, they need to first master co-regulation. For children, this looks like a trusted adult helping them to navigate big feelings by offering calm, supportive guidance. Here, we discuss how we can best help our learners master the skill of co-regulation and provide practical tips for making progress.We begin by diving into the difference between terms like emotional regulation, co-regulation, and self-regulation. We discuss how to remain calm and collected so we can manage and temper our reactions. We also share tips on how to help learners identify their feelings, how to develop your own emotional regulation skills, and why practice and consistency in our strategies are important.  What's Inside:How to help learners master co-regulation skillsTips for helping learners identify feelingsWhy practice and consistency are importantMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Three Point Scale Teaching Procedure

This podcast episode explores the critical topic of cultural responsiveness in behavior analytic practice, with a specific focus on understanding and addressing implicit biases that may affect service delivery. The discussion examines how unconscious racial biases and attitudes impact healthcare delivery broadly and connects these concepts specifically to behavior analytic services. The presentation advances knowledge of ethics by examining the ethical implications of cultural responsiveness and implicit bias in behavior analytic practice, helping behavior analysts fulfill their ethical obligation to provide culturally sensitive and equitable services to diverse populations. Participants will learn practical strategies for recognizing implicit bias, developing culturally responsive practices, and improving equitable service delivery in accordance with the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.  To earn CEUs for listening, click here, log in or sign up, pay the CEU fee, + take the attendance verification to generate your certificate! Don't forget to subscribe and follow and leave us a rating and review. Show Notes References: Jones, D. D. (2022). Examining the unconscious racial biases and attitudes of physicians, nurses, and the public: Implications for future health care education and practice. Health Equity, 6(1), 375-381.  Zaxbc, N. (n.d.). Swimming against the current: Why the BACB's DEI rollback move [LinkedIn article]. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/swimming-against-current-why-bacbs-dei-rollback-move-natalie-zaxbc  Resources: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). (n.d.). Cultural responsiveness. https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/professional-issues/cultural-responsiveness/  American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). (n.d.). Cultural competence checklist: Service delivery. https://www.asha.org/siteassets/uploadedfiles/cultural-competence-checklist-service-delivery.pdf  American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). (n.d.). Policies and procedures checklist. https://www.asha.org/siteassets/uploadedfiles/multicultural/policies-and-procedures-checklist.pdf  American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). (n.d.). Culturally responsive practice checklist. https://www.asha.org/siteassets/uploadedfiles/multicultural/culturally-responsive-practice-checklist.pdf 

For many children, understanding and expressing emotions can be a challenge. They may struggle with recognizing their own feelings, reading emotions in others, or knowing how to respond appropriately in different situations. The good news is that emotional awareness is a skill that can be taught, modeled, and practiced with the right strategies. In this conversation, we discuss the best ways to teach emotions to kids. We dive into how to assess a learner's baseline and where to start teaching. We also discuss how to reduce rigidity in our teaching, teaching across operants, and generalization techniques. What's Inside:How to best teach emotions to childrenHow to assess a learner's baseline and where to start teachingHelpful generalization techniquesMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram 

Steve Ward returns to the podcast to talk about a paper he recently published with co-author Teresa Grimes, titled, "50 Practical Ways to Alter the Relative Efficiencies of Behaviors." In this conversation, we review the highlights of this paper, and discuss things like The Matching Law, making desired behavior more efficient in generating reinforcement, making problem behaviors less efficient, and how altering reinforcement parameters like delay, magnitude, and schedules can enhance learner progress. We also talk about the work that Steve does with his company, Whole Child Consulting, as well as a Q & A he will be doing on this topic that's coming up on April 23rd, 2025. Steve is the author of Teaching Good Learner Repertoires, What You Need To Know About Motivation And Teaching Games: An In-Depth Analysis, and other popular texts relevant to Behavior Analysts working in a variety of settings. If you'd like to work with Steve or find supplementary materials on the things he likes to talk about, check out his website, Whole Child Consulting. Resources discussed in this podcast: Ward and Grimes (2025). 50 Practical Ways to Alter the Relative Efficiencies of Behaviors. Ward, Parker, and Perdikaris (2016). Task as Reinforcer: a Reactive Alternative to Traditional Forms of Escape Extinction. Perone (2003). The Negative Effects of Positive Reinforcement. Steve's earlier appearances on the BOP in Session 111 and Session 187. Anxiety? ABA has something for that! (Steve's Behavior University webinar, use promo code PODCAST at checkout to save $$$). Please note that we had some internet disruptions during our recording but I don't think they detracted from the overall intelligibility of the conversation. This podcast is brought to you by: Frontera. Consider taking a demo of Frontera's Assessment Builder and see how the ethical application of AI technologies can help you serve clients and save you time! Your first assessment report is free. And if you use code BOP25 you'll get an additional five assessments for just $100. So head to fronterahealth.com to check it out! CEUs from Behavioral Observations. Learn from your favorite podcast guests while you're commuting, walking the dog, or whatever else you do while listening to podcasts. New events are being added all the time, so check them out here.  The Behavioral Toolbox. Check out our courses for school-based and other behavioral professionals, including our newest one, Motivational Interviewing: Getting Educator Buy-In. Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings, including their 8-hour Supervision Course, as well as their RBT offerings over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. Don't forget to use the coupon code, PODCAST to save at checkout!

Leanne Page is a mom, a BCBA, and the founder of Parenting with ABA. When she became a mother, Leanne realized how her training and education in behavior analysis gave her a leg up on discipline issues. She's worked as a special education teacher in self-contained to inclusive settings, from elementary to high school. She also managed a center providing ABA services to children in 1:1 and small group settings. Through Parenting with ABA, Leanne leverages her extensive experience in school and teacher training, therapist training, parent training, and providing direct services to children and families in a center-based or in-home therapy setting. Today, she spends a lot of time writing and creating trainings to help disseminate ABA and make it easy for all parents to digest and apply in their own lives. Leanne's goal is to save parents' sanity every day!Here, Leanne shares her strategies for working with parents and her thoughts on emotional regulation. We discuss the risks of not acknowledging parents in our work as BCBAs, common mistakes we make, and tips for supporting parents better. Leanne also shares the benefits of incorporating mindfulness techniques with parents, the importance of self-compassion, and advice for newly minted BCBAs.What's Inside:How Leanne works with parents through Parenting with ABABCBA tips to better support parentsAdvice for newly minted BCBAsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Parenting with ABA 

Self-regulation is a challenge for many of our learners. Having a personalized regulation toolbox makes a huge difference in a child's ability to navigate their emotions and daily challenges. This toolbox is made up of a set of calming strategies tailored to each person's unique needs. Here, we discuss how we can help learners develop the skill of self-regulation and a set of tools that works for them. We start by talking through the importance of having an emotional regulation toolbox and how to help learners identify their triggers. We discuss how to look at functions of behavior and introduce replacement skills. We also discuss what to avoid when building a toolbox, how to foster independence in our learners, and how to tailor a toolbox to individual needs.What's Inside:How an emotional regulation toolbox helps learners navigate life's challengesHow to identify functions of behavior and introduce replacement skillsHow to tailor emotional regulation toolboxes to individual needsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Calming Activities List

Emotional regulation is a foundational skill that influences how we manage stress, handle challenges, and connect with others. Here, we define emotional regulation and dive into all the reasons why it's so important for our development and well-being. We also discuss how we, as BCBAs and practitioners, can help our learners strengthen this essential skill.The term emotional regulation refers to the ability to recognize and manage one's emotions in a way that supports appropriate behavior and well-being. We talk about the importance of uncovering the function of behavior and how to choose reinforcement strategies. We also share why we typically start with teaching co-regulation, how to use modeling and visuals, and the importance of consistency and practice.What's Inside:Why emotional regulation is necessary for our development and well-beingHow to teach emotional regulation skills to our learnersHow to choose the right teaching strategies Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram CEU: Teaching Emotional Regulation Strategies to Reduce Anxiety

Amanda Wilson is a school psychologist, BCBA, and the founder of Navigating Behavior Change. She has over 18 years of experience within the public school setting, and as a military wife, she has had the opportunity to work in various regions across the United States. She also has significant experience in conducting assessments, developing comprehensive, individualized behavior intervention plans, and ensuring compliance with special education law. Amanda is well versed in assisting school teams in implementing positive behavior intervention frameworks, regularly provides professional development, training, and support in implementing classroom management strategies, and is a leader both within her educational setting and her role as an educational consultant. Here, we dive into Amanda's work through Navigating Behavior Change and how she empowers and teaches educators across the country. We discuss how to use preventative strategies with students and how to bridge the gap between teachers and BCBAs. Amanda shares some quick classroom wins for teachers to implement and tips for BCBAs to build positive relationships with educators.  What's Inside:How Amanda empowers educators through Navigating Behavior ChangeQuick classroom wins for teachersTips for BCBAs who work with educatorsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Navigating Behavior Change Website

Drs. Ilene Schwartz and Beth Kelly joined me to discuss the never ending conundrum of navigating ethical dilemmas. As Ilene points out in the podcast, most people know right from wrong, but the types of dilemmas BCBAs encounter are what she calls 'right vs. right' dilemmas... Therefore, ethical practice requires a continuous decision making process. And in my guests' view, this is not a matter of decontextualized rule-following. In this podcast, we get into these nuances, using Ilene and Beth's newly published book, Ethical Decision Making in Applied Behavior Analysis. We also discussed a framework for articulating one's values and principles that you might find helpful in your work setting. Resources for this podcast: Ethical Decision Making in Applied Behavior Analysis. Rosenberg and Scwhartz (2018). Guidance or Compliance: What Makes an Ethical Behavior Analyst? Kelly, Greeny, Rosenberg and Schwartz (2020). When Rules Are Not Enough: Developing Principles to Guide Ethical Conduct. Dr. Schwartz's faculty page. Dr. Kelly's faculty page. BOP's CEUs, with many Ethics events. This podcast is brought to you with the support of: The Profound Autism Summit. The Profound Autism Summit is a two-day conference taking place on April 10th and 11th in Boston, MA. Following on the massive success of the 2024 Summit, the 2025 event brings together leaders from the areas of research, medicine, treatment, advocacy, and education to discuss the needs and support of those with Profound Autism across disciplines and throughout the lifespan. CEUs from Behavioral Observations. Learn from your favorite podcast guests while you're commuting, walking the dog, or whatever else you do while listening to podcasts. New events are being added all the time, so check them out here.  The Behavioral Toolbox. Check out our courses for school-based and other behavioral professionals, including our newest one, Motivational Interviewing: Getting Educator Buy-In. The Verbal Behavior Conference. Whether you attend in-person in Austin, TX, or online via BehaviorLive, you're going to love this year's Verbal Behavior Conference! Click here to get all the details! Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings, including their 8-hour Supervision Course, as well as their RBT offerings over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. Don't forget to use the coupon code, PODCAST to save at checkout!

Local Owner Highlight – When to Scale Your ABA Business In this episode of ABA Business Leaders, we sit down with Chris Robinson, owner of ABYAY, and Maria Zito, director at ABYAY, to discuss the challenges and strategies behind scaling an ABA business. From leadership development to overcoming staffing hurdles, Chris and Maria share their journey, including key insights on when and how to expand sustainably. Key topics include: ✅ Building and strengthening a leadership team ✅ Managing rapid staff changes and maternity leaves ✅ Keeping BCBA, RBT, and client needs balanced ✅ Strategies for acquiring new clients while maintaining quality ✅ Lessons learned from stepping back as an owner If you're looking to scale your ABA practice while maintaining quality care and team stability, this episode is a must-listen! Learn more about Chris Robinson & Maria Zito's ABA practice at ABYAY

When a learner has multiple diagnoses, it has a significant influence on treatment approaches, behavioral changes, and intervention planning. Therefore, it's essential to determine whether a skill is a “can't do” or a “won't do” when we're developing our treatment strategies. Here, we discuss the impact more than one diagnosis has on treatment and the steps we can take to provide our learners with the best support possible.When someone can't do something, it's usually due to them not having the skills to do it. In these cases, no amount of reinforcement will be motivating. However, through proper assessment, we can figure out whether a learner isn't capable of a task or if they are but won't do it. We discuss the telltale signs that signal a “can't do” or a “won't do,” how to break skills down into smaller steps, how to increase motivation, and how to create a trusting environment for our learners.What's Inside:How multiple diagnoses impact treatment strategiesHow to tell the difference between a “can't do” vs a “won't do”How to increase engagement and motivationMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram 

Autism rarely occurs in isolation, and many individuals face additional health challenges. Understanding these challenges can help us provide more compassion and effective support. Here, we discuss the common comorbidities we may encounter with our learners. We also dive into the behavioral implications of those comorbidities as well as the medical challenges that may arise.Comorbidities are conditions that happen alongside autism and may even be undiagnosed. They can have a major impact on a learner's physical and mental health and overall quality of life. We get into some of the more technical aspects of the common comorbidities, like anxiety and ADHD, and what you should incorporate in your teaching. We also cover the behavioral impacts of various health symptoms, how to approach sensory processing disorders and learning disabilities, and the importance of individualizing our strategies. What's Inside:Behavioral implications of comorbiditiesHow to recognize and manage accompanying physical and mental symptomsThe importance of individualizing our teaching strategiesMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Free Antecedent Log

Maybe it's the lousy Smarch weather, but we're in a bit of a mood to start of this month. Not because our special guests aren't awesome. We had so much fun learning about qualitative analyses in exploring RBT burnout with Dr. Nicole Gravina and how to be more ethically responsible in creating meaningful goals for autistic adolescents and adults with Dr. Shanna Bahry. And not because we're not reviewing tough issues like turnover in human services, deconstructing ableist practices in the medical model, and respectfully disagreeing with the abolitionist neurodiversity critique. Now that I'm writing about all the awesome episodes coming out this month, I can't even remember why we sound so crabby. Oh, right…the state of the United States political system. And rude emails. Articles for March 2025 Qualitative Analysis of RBT Burnout w/ Dr. Nicole Gravina Nastasi, J.A., McGarry, K.M., Peters, K.P., Leon, Y., Bacotti, J.K., & Gravina, N. (2024). A qualitative analysis of variables contributing to the Registered Behavior Technicians' burnout and turnover in Florida. Behavior Analysis in Practice. doi: 10.1007/s40617-024-01033-w Nastasi, J.A., Green, V., Te, P.J., & Gravina, N.E. (2024). “Everybody needs to take breaks”: A qualitative analysis of Registered Behavior Technicians' experiences with taking breaks at work. Behavior Analysis in Practice. doi: 10.1007/s40617-024-00973-7 The Ethics of Meaningful Goals w/ Dr. Shanna Bahry (ETHICS) Bahry, S., Gerhardt, P.F., Weiss, M.J., Leaf, J.B., Putnam, R.F., & Bondy, A. (2022). The ethics of actually helping people: Targeting skill acquisition goals that promote meaningful outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 16, 672-695. doi: 10.1007/s40617-022-00757-x Bahry, S., Gerhardt, P.F., Weiss, M.J., Driscoll, N.M., Leaf, J.B., Ayres, K.M., & Cauchi, J. (2024). Improving outcomes for adults with ASD by targeting meaningful skill acquisition goals: A review of the literature and available assessments and curricula. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. doi: 10.1007/s40489-024-00441-6 Bahry, S., Gerhardt, P.F., Weiss, M.J., Leaf, J.B., & Ayres, K.M. (2024). Improving goals written for individuals with autism: Preliminary results on assessing meaningfulness and relevance to adulthood. Behavioral Interventions. doi: 10.1002/bin.2006 Ableism and the Medical Model of Diversity (TRAUMA-INFORMED) Shyman, E. (2016). The reinforcement of ableism: Normality, the medical model of disability, and humanism in applied behavior analysis and ASD. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 54, 366-376. doi: 10.1352/1934-9556-54.5.366 Kapp, S.K., Gillespie-Lynch, K., Sherman, L.E., & Hutman, T. (2013). Deficit, difference, or both? Autism and neurodiversity. Developmental Psychology, 49, 59-71. doi: 10.1037/a0028353 Graber, A. & Graber, J. (2023). Applied behavior analysis and the abolitionist neurodiversity critique: An ethical analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 16, 921-937. doi: 10.1007/s40617-023-00780-6

Comorbidities or multiple diagnoses like anxiety and ADHD are common in our learners. These overlapping challenges on top of ASD can make day-to-day life overwhelming for both the children and the adults supporting them. Kids with ADHD may be inattentive and hyperactive. Anxiety may manifest as intense worrying, avoidance behaviors, and even physical symptoms. Here, we share some actionable strategies we can use to support learners with anxiety and ADHD.We cover the importance of looking at our learners' comorbidities through a behavioral lens and assessing the function of the presenting skills or behaviors. We also discuss the benefits of creating a predictable environment and scheduling, emotional regulation and mindfulness activities, and how to assess and develop executive functioning skills.If you'd like to explore this topic deeper, we're hosting a live CEU titled There is No Such Thing as a Bad Kid, a Behavioral Approach to Anxiety on March 20th at 12pm EST. For more information and to sign up, click the link below!What's Inside:Actionable strategies to support kids with anxiety and ADHDHow to look at comorbidities through a behavioral lensInformation on our upcoming live CEUMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Join our upcoming CEU: There is No Such Thing as a Bad Kid, a Behavioral Approach to Anxiety

Many of our learners struggle with being unable to communicate their basic wants and needs. In some cases, this can cause challenging behavior. Functional communication training, or FCT, is an effective way to build those important communication skills in our learners. Here, we discuss how to incorporate FCT within skills-based treatment.We touch on why behavior doesn't just serve a single function and how to introduce healthy communication as a replacement skill. We discuss Dr. Gregory Hanley's approach to FCT and the importance of starting with a practical functional assessment. We also share some practical examples, the value of shaping, and why we should prioritize building healthy relationships with our learners.What's Inside:How to incorporate FCT into skills-based treatmentHow to introduce communication as a replacement skillThe importance of starting with a functional assessmentMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Cooperation Over Compliance Series

When our learners lose a game or have to share a toy, they can become extremely frustrated. To help them adapt to new routines and expectations, we teach them social flexibility. When we're socially flexible, we can adjust our behavior and communication based on the situation and people involved. Social flexibility greatly improves our learners' social interactions, helps them manage their emotions, and allows them to deal with daily challenges.Here, we discuss how to successfully teach social flexibility to our learners. We discuss the benefits of using an ACT-based approach as well as teaching methods for students without language skills. We also share some real-world examples of teaching social flexibility, how to utilize priming, using reinforcement without triggering challenging behavior, and more.What's Inside:How to teach social flexibility The benefits of using an ACT-based approachHow to use reinforcement without triggering challenging behaviorMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramACT Committed Actions Planner

This is a recording of the 2024 Verbal Behavior Conference Panel Discussion, which I had the honor of moderating along with VBC founder, Kelle Rich. The participants included Drs. Patrick McGreevey, Eb Blakely, Alice Shillingsburg, Mirela Cengher, Hank Schlinger, and the incomparable Lina Slim. As you'll hear, this was a lively conversation, and what I love about this event is that there was not only lots of audience participation, but we had tons of people chiming in from the BehaviorLive virtual feed. In this panel discussion, we discussed the following: Dr. Patrick McGreevey's thoughts on mastery criteria. Dr. Eb Blakely's discussion of a case study for a learner who's reinforcers include signs of damage. Collaboration, rapport building, and consultation skills with public school teachers and SLPs. Considerations for manual signs vs. picture selection. Echoic skill development for children of non-hearing parents. Dr. Slim's thoughts on Gestalt Language Processing. Whether Standard Celeration Charting is making a comeback. And lots more! If this kind of event sounds like fun for you, please consider joining us for the 2025 VBC. This year's VBC is taking place March 27-28 and will feature talks from Drs. Pat McGreevy, Tiffany Kodak, Judah Axe, April Kisamore-Hunter, Barbara Esch, and Caio Miguel. The day before the conference will feature a full day workshop from the aforementioned Dr. Barbara Esch. The conference itself provides 13 CEUs, and when combined with Dr. Esch's workshop, it's 19 CEUs total. As always, the in-person event is in Austin, TX. If you decide to go in person, expect to have many opportunities before and after the talks to interact directly with the presenters. It always amazes me how generous these folks are with their time. If you can't make it to Austin, we'll certainly miss you, but the virtual experience provided by BehaviorLive is second-to-none. I think this comes through, again, as evidenced by the virtual audience's participation in these panel discussions. If you want to check out all of Behavioral Observations' past VBC content, click here. This podcast is brought to you by: ACE Approved CEUs from .... Behavioral Observations. That's right, get your CEUs while driving, walking your dog, doing the dishes, or whatever else you might have going on, all while learning from your favorite podcast guests! 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. Check out our latest course, Motivational Interviewing: Getting Educator Buy-In as well as the hugely popular When Not to FBA: 5 Quick Strategies for Improving Behavior in Classrooms. Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings, including their 8-hour Supervision Course, as well as their RBT offerings over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. Don't forget to use the coupon code, PODCAST to save at checkout! If you'd like to get BOP episodes a little earlier than everyone else, with no ads... just the interview itself, consider supporting the show with a Patreon subscription.

When our learners are faced with an uncomfortable situation or presented with something they don't want, they don't always have someone there to advocate for them. Because of this, it's critical for us to teach them how to advocate for themselves at an early age. Here, we discuss the importance of self-advocacy and how to best teach it to our learners.We cover the differences between self-advocacy and appropriate protesting and how to teach learners to know what's safe and what isn't. We also discuss how to use priming and fading to correct challenging behaviors, how to use role play, and why communication among team members is key.What's Inside:How to teach our learners self-advocacyThe difference between self-advocacy and appropriate protestsThe importance of communication among team membersMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramThe BST Model – Behavioral Skills Training Teaching Appropriate Protests in ABA

We chat with ACA's Executive Director, Marylouise Serrato. We get an update on what's going on in Washington DC with tax legislation, the Residence-Based Taxation for Americans Abroad Act introduced in the last Congress, ACA's prediction for getting RBT legislation passed in Congress, how the public can help, and more!   ACA's site ACA's side-by-side analysis of the Current Law/Citizenship-Based Taxation and Residency-Based Taxation Ask Your Representatives to Support Efforts for Residence Based Taxation Donate to ACA ACA in the Press

When things don't go as planned or we experience sudden schedule changes, we become disappointed or frustrated. For children with autism, unexpected disruptions in routine or a person's actions often lead to them demonstrating challenging behaviors. In order to help our learners become more flexible, we can use these moments to teach tolerance.Here, we discuss how to help our learners tolerate the stress that comes with things not going their way. Many become stuck and have trouble moving on from one thing to another when they're faced with unplanned changes in routine. We talk about how to uncover the root cause of their rigidity and reasons behind behaviors. We also discuss how to choose the right examples to work with, how to utilize priming (or pre-teaching), and how to remain supportive through the process.On February 20th at 12pm EST, we're hosting a CEU event called Teaching Tolerance: A Flexible Approach to Behavior Management. Click the link below to learn more and register!What's Inside:How to teach tolerance to our learnersHow to utilize priming (or pre-teaching)Information on our upcoming CEUMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Sign up for our next CEU event! Episode 148: Hanley's Approach to Teaching Tolerance and Delay 

Send us a textABA on Tap has discussed the ever ubiquitous 'Do This!' as a discriminative stimulus. And of course, once the child imitates correctly, you say "GOOD JOB!" as the standard, overly used and potentially ineffective consequence, dare we say 'reinforcement.' In this episode, Mike and Dan brew over an article from Dr. Becky Kennedy (see link below). Dr. Becky advises parents to reconsider the use of 'good job' as a response to indicate satisfaction with a child's behavior. She provides great insight that is applicable to any parent and child dynamic, as well any RBT looking to differentiate their vocal responses toward positive and informative reinforcement. This brew is light, easy, and refreshing--pour, pour more and enjoy. And always analyze responsibly.As aforementioned, ABA on Tap brews go well with cerebration. Find your peak mental performance, as well as the rest you need with Magic Mind. Click on the link below and get 45% off the Magic Mind Bundle.https://magicmind.com/ABAJANLink to Dr. Becky's article: https://www.upworthy.com/ivy-league-expert-shares-why-parents-should-stop-saying-good-job-and-do-this-instead

We know y'all missed our more current and up-to-date episodes so welcome to our very first RBT (rose-bud-thorn) life update episode. This month really tested our patience, from surviving the first two weeks under that orange man's administration to getting some BRUTAL hate comments online. Let's hope February has more roses and less thorns! Follow us on insta: https://www.instagram.com/typeablackgirls/?hl=en Join our groupme: https://tr.ee/Sozigeoc6c Subscribe to our patreon: https://patreon.com/TypeABlackGirls?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Submit any and all questions/dilhemmas here and we will answer them live in our upcoming episodes: https://tr.ee/XawIQ2yDng

Whenever we feel on edge, frustrated, or exhausted, taking time out for a moment of mindfulness helps us hit the pause button and relax. Incorporating mindfulness and relaxation techniques in our programs can help our learners do the same. Here, we approach mindfulness from a behavioral analytic perspective and walk through how to bring more present-moment awareness into our work with clients.Our thoughts really do have a strong impact on our behaviors, and mindfulness helps create a space between the two. We discuss how to practice acknowledging feelings, how to decide whether or not to act on them, and how to teach this to our students. We also discuss how to use mindfulness when addressing challenging behavior, breathing exercises, body-based practices, and more. What's Inside:How to incorporate mindfulness into our programsHow to create space between thoughts and behaviorMindfulness exercises and practicesMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram ACT Committed Actions Planner

In this episode of ABA Business Leaders, April and Stephen dive into one of the most persistent challenges facing the ABA field—retention. From attracting top talent in a highly competitive market to building meaningful systems for employee support, they tackle the tough realities of hiring and retaining BCBAs and RBTs. Key topics include: The difficulties of finding qualified BCBAs in certain states. The pros and cons of "growing your own" BCBAs by fostering in-house training and development. Practical strategies to improve communication, onboarding processes, and staff support. Innovative tools, including training platforms, to empower teams and reduce turnover. The importance of providing RBT certification and clear growth opportunities. Join us for actionable insights, real-life examples, and the tools you need to create a supportive environment where employees thrive and clients benefit. Whether you're just starting your ABA practice or looking to refine your operations, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways! Tune in now to learn how to build a stronger, more resilient team in 2025. If you are interested in joining our ABA Business Leaders Membership and Training Platform, click here -> https://3piesquared.com/productDetails/ABA_Business_Leaders_Platform

Emily Varon is a BCBA, a sleep educator, and the founder of Ready Set Sleep. Ready Set Sleep is also home to the Sleep Collective, the first sleep certification program for BCBAs. Emily returns to the podcast to share more of her passion for sleep and give us an update. Since we last spoke, Emily's certified 111 behavioral sleep specialists and is coming up on the first recertification cycle!No matter how experienced you are as a BCBA, sleep can be an intimidating task to tackle, and Emily provides a place to receive proper training and guidance. Here, Emily shares some of the current research she's involved in and details on a new tool she's developing for BCBAs. She also shares how to take a sensitive approach with parents, tips for breaking down barriers to progress, and advice for new BCBAs just starting to explore sleep.What's Inside:An update on Ready Set Sleep and the Sleep CollectiveHow to take a sensitive approach to sleep with parentsAdvice for new BCBAs Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Ready Set SleepThe Sleep Collective

Individuals with trauma histories often feel on edge or misunderstood. As practitioners, it's important to take trauma into account when designing behavior interventions for our learners. It's our job to ensure we're not only shaping behavior but taking an approach that focuses on long-term healing and empathy. Here, we discuss trauma-sensitive behavior interventions and how to incorporate trauma-informed care in our roles as BCBAs. We talk about the difference between trauma-informed care and trauma-specific services and why the first step in our approach should be acknowledgement. We also discuss the importance of building rapport with our clients and creating a safe environment, real-life examples of a trauma-informed approach in action, and the importance of focusing on skill building. What's Inside:How to incorporate a trauma-informed approach when designing behavior interventionsHow to build rapport with clients and create a safe environmentReal-life examples of a trauma-informed approach in actionMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Applying Universal Protocols Cheat Sheet Compassionately Targeting Challenging Behavior with ABA 

Dr. Camille Kolu is a behavioral scientist from Cusp Emergence in Colorado. Dr. Kolu has about 20 years of autism treatment experience and has collaborated with or worked for nonprofits, families, diverse educational facilities, and groups in Texas and Colorado to provide effective autism treatment and support for those affected by developmental or other disabilities. Dr. Kolu brings together creative service, best practices, and a background in both behavior analysis and behavioral neuroscience to strengthen community fabrics through education, relationships, and behavioral support. She also focuses on TIBA, or trauma-informed behavior analysis, and Shayna recently took Dr. Kolu's course on trauma sensitivity. Here, Dr. Kolu shares her career journey and what led her to the work she's involved in today. We discuss how trauma impacts behavior and the six “buffers” in behavior analysis. Dr. Kolu also shares tips for preventing and managing staff burnout, how the field has evolved around the concept of trauma-informed care, and her advice to new BCBAs in the field.We're also hosting a webinar with Dr. Kolu on January 22nd at 3:30pm EST. Head to our website to sign up!What's Inside:The six “buffers” in behavior analysisTips for preventing and managing staff burnoutAdvice for newly minted BCBAsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramCusp Emergence Website

Can you believe we're wrapping up another year? As we approach the end of 2025, we wanted to reflect on some of the highlights of 2024 in a How To ABA year in review. We share some major personal and professional wins and look back on some of the best topics and guests we've had on the podcast. Our favorite highlights include our work with Dr. Alan Schnee, conferences we've attended, and our collaboration podcast with ABA Inside Track. Our favorite guests include Dr. Peter Gerhardt, Jenna Mazzillo of ABA Naturally, Dr. Saul Axelrod, Dr. Cody Morris from Behavior Analysis and Practice, and so many others! We also touch on some of our CEUs we've offered and what we have in store for 2025.What's Inside:A look back on How To ABA's 2024 highlightsReflections on our favorite guests and topicsOur plans for 2025Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramJoin our Behavior Resource Pro Membership

After our students learn to answer WH questions, the next step is to teach them inferencing skills. Students need to learn how to make inferences, or to predict future events and what will happen next. However, understanding the hidden meaning in stories and social interactions can be challenging, especially for those on the autism spectrum. Here, we discuss the best ways to teach inferencing to these learners. Before we start to teach inferencing, it's important to look for certain prerequisite skills which we cover also cover here. We also discuss sequencing and using scenarios, teaching to mastery, linguist systems, and reading comprehension.What's Inside:How to teach inferencing skillsHow to identify prerequisite skills in learnersHow to teach inferencing skills to masteryMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramBook – Verbal ReasoningWH Questions eBook

Attention-seeking behavior is quite common; however, our learners often don't know how to wait to receive attention. They also may not know how to properly seek attention, and it's our job to teach them. Here, we discuss the value of attention and effective strategies to teach our learners how to request and gain attention.We start by defining attention-seeking behaviors and how to assess them, including how to identify more subtle behaviors and the importance of identifying the function of the behavior. We also discuss how to introduce replacement skills, request attention programs, proper use of reinforcement, and how to use role play and practice scenarios.What's Inside:Strategies to teach our learners how to request and gain attentionHow to introduce replacement skillsHow to use role play and practice scenariosMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFunctions of Behavior Cheat Sheet

How I Built a Business that Helps Children. On today's episode of Diversified Game we are joined by Christian Sanon. Christian is the founder and owner of Look up Therapy. A therapy company that helps children ,from all different kinds of backgrounds, navigate early challenges in their lives. Find out the secrets to becoming a BCBA and RBT in this video and how to make the process easier. Connect with Christian: Website: https://lookuptherapy.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lookuptherapy/ Buy Courses at https://bit.ly/PrepareforyourfirsttriptoAfricaudemy Support Us On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gamediversified

Sequencing is an intermediate language skill, and it can be found in just about everything we do. In ABA, you'll find sequencing skills on lots of different assessments, including the ABLES. Sequencing also helps learners with other skills, including how questions, before and after, telling stories, predicting, and remembering household tasks. Here, we discuss the best ways to teach sequencing to our learners. We start by defining sequencing and talking about how it shows up in our everyday lives. We then break down all the different components of sequencing and teaching across operants. We also share practical examples of how to teach sequencing, prerequisite skills to identify, and strategies to use when creating sequencing programs.What's Inside:How to teach sequencing and develop programsPrerequisite skills needed before teaching sequencingPractical examples and strategiesMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramExpanding Language Skills

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to find a few hours to catch up with many-time guest and all-around podcast fave, Dr. Greg Hanley. We had what turned out to be a lengthy conversation that included the following: His recent professional association with Action Behavior Centers. Available jobs at Action Behavior Centers. The evolution of FTF Behavioral Consulting. The term, Compassionate ABA, including some of my misgivings on whether terms like these are necessary. The nuanced role of extinction in Skills Based Treatment. Distinguishing between the immediate and long-term effects of reinforcement. Efficacy vs. effectiveness. Some historical perspectives on Functional Analysis, including the unexpected topic in which the term 'automatic reinforcement' was used. Questioning the role of descriptive functional assessment. Greg's recent thoughts on head-directed self-injury. The role of tics in self-injury. Skills-based treatment's intersection with constructional approaches to behavioral intervention. If you think that's a lot, it's just a sample of what we talk about. Here are the links to what we discussed: Session 276 with Dr. Anthony Cammilleri. Ghaemmaghami et al. (2024). Toward Compassion in the Assessment and Treatment of Severe Problem Behavior. Slaton et al. (2024). Long-term effectiveness and generality of practical functional assessment and skill-based treatment. Carr et al. (1976). Stimulus control of self-destructive behavior in a psychotic child. Dr. Jessel's ResearchGate page. van Haaren (2015). Automatic negative reinforcement: Its possible role in problem behavior with treatment implications. This podcast is brought to you by: ACE Approved CEUs from .... Behavioral Observations. That's right, get your CEUs while driving (maybe even this episode!), walking your dog, doing the dishes, or whatever else you might have going on, all while learning from your favorite podcast guests! 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. Check out our latest course, Motivational Interviewing: Getting Educator Buy-In as well as the hugely popular When Not to FBA: 5 Quick Strategies for Improving Behavior in Classrooms. Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings, including their 8-hour Supervision Course, as well as their RBT offerings over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. Don't forget to use the coupon code, PODCAST to save at checkout! If you'd like to get BOP episodes a little earlier than everyone else, with no ads... just the interview itself, consider supporting the show with a Patreon subscription.

Many of our students struggle with initiating language and conversation. Because of this, we usually place a strong emphasis on teaching requesting, or manding, in an ABA program. Here, we discuss how we can teach more advanced manding skills using WH questions. If our learners can mand a request for their wants and needs, it helps reduce challenging behaviors and motivates them to talk.We discuss the prerequisite skills a learner needs before teaching manding with WH questions. We talk about some of the common mistakes we might make and how to troubleshoot. We also discuss where to start when introducing WH questions, how to keep learners motivated through fun, and practical examples of teaching WH questions.What's Inside:How to teach manding with WH questionsPrerequisite skills needed before introducing WH questionsHow to keep learners motivated through funMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramWH Requesting Ideas

Chris Topham is a behavior scientist and the owner of Celeration ABA. Along with his wife, who is also a BCBA, Chris founded Celeration ABA in 2020. At first, they mostly focused on supporting families through the COVID-19 pandemic by providing telehealth ABA and academic support while their children weren't in school. Within a few years of launch, they've grown to become a profitable ABA company focused on delivering high-quality, personalized ABA to families in the San Francisco Bay Area.Here, Chris shares his background and how he became focused on precision-based teaching. He also shares how to use a celeration chart and walks through how to use it to measure manding. We also discuss celeration charts and fluency-based instruction, using precision-based teaching in task analysis, why Chris uses a one-tier model at Celeration ABA, and advice for those new to the field of ABA and precision teachingWhat's Inside:How to use a celeration chartUsing precision-based teaching in task analysisWhy Chris uses a one-tier modelMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramCeleration ABA WebsiteCeleration ABA on FacebookCeleration ABA on Instagram

Quick, what's 47 minus 12? What did you have for breakfast the day before yesterday? When is the next leap year? Hit pause real quick and try to answer these. Don't worry, I'm not going to hold you to your answers. What's more important is the processes you went through derive them. If you find this sort of thing interesting, then this is the podcast for you! Dr. Judah Axe joins me in Session 282 to discuss a behavioral interpretation of problem solving. Judah is a Professor in the Department of Behavior Analysis at Simmons University, and along with Drs. Paul Alberto and Anne Troutman, he is the author of Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers. Here are just some of the topics we hit on: What, in behavioral terms, constitutes a problem? How Skinner first conceptualized problems and problem solving. How self-talk, visualization, and other private events play a role in problem solving. How we both wished we had stronger backgrounds in Developmental Psychology.  A quick review of Blooms Taxonomy. Current educational practices that potentially impede the development of higher order problem solving. Some topics that Judah may discuss at the upcoming Verbal Behavior Conference. How to determine if or when to teach problem solving skills. How improvisation might be fostered. The role of developing rules. The challenges of studying problem solving. Here are some resources we discussed: The Verbal Behavior Conference. Marckel, Neef, and Ferreri (2013). A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF TEACHING IMPROVISATION WITH THE PICTURE EXCHANGE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM TO CHILDREN WITH AUTISM. Park and Gaylord-Ross (1989). A problem-solving approach to social skills training in employment settings with mentally retarded youth. Mann and Karsten (2020). Efficacy and social validity of procedures for improving conversational skills of college students with autism. Axe, Phelan, and Irwin (2019). Empirical Evaluations of Skinner's Analysis of Problem Solving. Talk Aloud Problem Solving. A sampling of LeBlanc and Carr's work in the area of problem solving. Michael (2017). What Every Student of Behavior Analysis Ought to Learn: A System for Classifying the Multiple Effects of Behavioral Variables. Spiral bound atlases. This podcast is brought to you by: ACE Approved CEUs from .... Behavioral Observations. That's right, get your CEUs while driving (maybe even this episode!), walking your dog, doing the dishes, or whatever else you might have going on, all while learning from your favorite podcast guests! 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. Check out our latest course, Motivational Interviewing: Getting Educator Buy-In as well as the hugely popular When Not to FBA: 5 Quick Strategies for Improving Behavior in Classrooms. Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings, including their 8-hour Supervision Course, as well as their RBT offerings over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. Don't forget to use the coupon code, PODCAST to save at checkout! If you'd like to get BOP episodes a little earlier than everyone else, with no ads... just the interview itself, consider supporting the show with a Patreon subscription.

Intraverbals are one of the most challenging concepts for our learners. They can also be the hardest to teach. Here, we cover some of the best ways to teach intraverbals so we can set our learners up for success. Ideally, we want our learners to have the comprehension and ability to hold information in their heads and answer questions correctly without visual support.We discuss why intraverbals are so important for conversation skills and the appropriate age at which to teach them. We talk about why we shouldn't jump to teaching intraverbals too quickly and how to teach across operants. We also discuss how to be flexible in our teaching and how to incorporate WH and safety questions.What's Inside:How to teach intraverbals to our learnersThe importance of intraverbals for conversation skillsHow to incorporate WH and safety questionsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Dr. Peter Gerhardt is the Executive Director of Epic Programs in New Jersey. Dr. Shanna Bahry is the founder and executive director of Meaningful Hope. Dr. Gerhardt and Dr. Bahry us to discuss their experiences in the field and the gaps they see when it comes to setting up our learners for a successful, independent life. Together, they created a blueprint of how ABA practitioners can help the people they support make lasting, effective changes.Here, Peter and Shanna share their background and what ultimately led to their work to change how we cultivate independence in our learners. We discuss their book, Make It Meaningful and some of the key takeaways. We also discuss tips for talking to parents, the top three independence skills to teach, and creative workarounds to help learners master skills. What's Inside:How Dr. Gerhardt and Dr. Bahry are working to change how we help our learners achieve independenceAll about Dr. Gerhardt and Dr. Bahry's book, Make It MeaningfulCreative workarounds to help our learners master independence skillsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramBook: Make It MeaningfulMake It Meaningful Website

My partner in crime and host of the BOP en Español Series, Miguel Avila, joins me to talk about Behavior Analysis in Spanish-speaking cultures. In addition to his day job with Essential for Living, Miguel has been hard at work, and recorded over 10 Spanish language podcasts for Behavioral Observations listeners. So in this episode, which we of course conduct in English because my Spanish did not progress past my Freshman year of college, I turn the tables and interview Miguel for a change. We talk about his experience as an immigrant to the US, what constitutes "Spanglish," how he encountered Behavior Analysis, and how he ended up at Essential for Living, leading the efforts to translate those materials into Spanish. We then broaden the discussion to talk about where Behavior Analysis stands in various Spanish-speaking countries. As you'll hear in the podcast, Miguel has spent time in many of these places in Latin America and Europe, so while he humbly claims to not be the ultimate authority on these matters, he certainly has gained lots of hands-on experience in these settings. A conversation like this would not be complete if we didn't talk about efforts to provide training and consumer protections via regulatory institutions in these countries. In doing so, we touch on organizations including QABA, IBAO, LABA, ABA España, ABAI SIG Español, OMPAC, and more. Long story short, there's a lot to do in terms of supporting the profession of Behavior Analysis in these international contexts. In fact, Miguel will be speaking at the upcoming Puerto Rico ABA 2024 conference coming up in October. Here are some links to the topics we discussed: Essential for Living PCMA Winston Behavioral Solutions Session 200 of the BOP (Miguel wrote and read the intro) Elcoro, at al (2024). Behavior Analysis in Venezuela: An Unrecognized Legacy This podcast is brought to you with the support of: ACE Approved CEUs from .... Behavioral Observations. That's right, get your CEUs while driving (maybe even this episode!), walking your dog, doing the dishes, or whatever else you might have going on, all while learning from your favorite podcast guests! The 2024 Stone Soup Conference! Behavior Analysis' premier online event is taking place on October 25th. Come hear from pod faves including Drs. John Austin, Lina Slim, Jim Moore, and many others! 8.5 Learning CEUs are available, and when you use the promo code PODCAST24, that comes out to less than 8 bucks per credit. Learn more here! 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. Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings, including their 8-hour Supervision Course, as well as their RBT offerings over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. Don't forget to use the coupon code, PODCAST to save at checkout!