Our community offers a private place for you to chat with other practitioners and share what's working and what's not working. Here, we’re giving you an inside look into one of our mentorship meetings for our Pro Members. Each meeting is jam-packed full of helpful tips for ABA professionals. In this session, we spent time answering questions on a wide range of topics, including:How to transition into a BCBA role on the school sideA review of ABA assessmentsHow to build trust with families and put programs in placeSchool-based behaviors and writing FBAsIncorporating parent training at home and in a school settingIf you’re interested in joining us at our next meeting, check out our membership by clicking the link below!What’s Inside:A sneak peek into a monthly mentorship meetingOur answer to a question about BCBAs in schoolsOur answer to a question on assessmentsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Although shaping is a basic concept in ABA, it’s often overlooked when creating behavior plans. Here, we discuss how to use shaping when teaching our learners important skills. Shaping is a key element in our toolbox as practitioners, and it’s really underrated. We often look to reinforcement as our go-to, but we forget to break the skill down into small components to avoid challenging behaviors. Our conversation includes some examples of how to use shaping, starting with verbal imitation and vocal responding. We also discuss offering reinforcement for trying along the way, how to use shaping with desensitization, and managing challenging behaviors.What’s Inside:The importance of shaping when teaching skills to our learners.Examples of how to use shaping.How to incorporate reinforcement with shaping.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramBlog – Using Differential Reinforcement in ABA to Shape BehaviorSwallow a Pill freebie

When you hear the term “BST model,” what comes to mind? Typically, we think of staff training or social skills, but in ABA, we can use it for so much more. Here, we cover the various applications of behavioral skills training in more detail. The more you can practice a scenario in a calm, relaxed environment, the better prepared you are to handle it when it comes up in real life. We discuss the four distinct parts of BST: instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. We sometimes forget how valuable practice is, so we spend time talking about the importance of rehearsal. We also cover how to incorporate reinforcement and feedback and provide some real-world examples of BST in action.What’s Inside:How to use BST outside of staff training and social skills.The importance of rehearsal, or practice.How to incorporate reinforcement.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramBlog – What is Behavioral Skills Training (BST)Bx Blueprint

One of the first things we teach our learners is requesting, or manding. As ABA professionals, it’s important to know why teaching manding is important as well as the best ways to do it, especially with beginner learners. If you’ve ever traveled to another country that doesn’t speak your language, the first thing you’ll want to learn is how to get your basic needs met. Teaching manding is similar in this way, and here we dive into how to best approach it.Teaching requesting leads to further expressive and receptive language development. When you teach a learner how to get their basic needs met, it lays a good foundation and also reduces negative behaviors. We walk through manding terminology and how to work with non-verbal learners. We also discuss how manding and shaping go together, how to incorporate manding into a session, and more.What’s Inside:Why you should begin with teaching manding around basic needs.How to teach manding to non-verbal learners.How to incorporate manding into a session.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramTransfer Trial VisualVideo: How to Increase Mean Length of Utterance (MLU)

Starting a small business in ABA can be a challenge. Here, we provide useful tips to reduce overwhelm and make the process run smoothly. Many of us spend the majority of our ABA education learning job-related skills, but we’re not always equipped with the business knowledge needed to run our own clinics. Owning a business is stressful at times, but it’s also extremely rewarding to be your own boss. Business owners are often short on time and wear many hats, but it pays to be organized and delegate when you can. We start by covering time management and discussing some techniques you can put in place to cut down on stress. Using a calendar, delegation, and saying no to things that take you off task help you take your time back. We talk about how to put the right systems in place, like organizational charts, training, and onboarding programs. We also discuss setting intentions and how to keep yourself on track with your long-term goals.  What’s Inside:Practical tips for starting and growing an ABA businessHow to better manage your timeHow to stay on track with long-term goalsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramCEU Event: How to Scale Your ABA Business Without Burning Out

2023 was an awesome year full of amazing experiences. As we close out the year, we wanted to share everything How to ABA has done through a year in review. One of the most significant things we did was launch our Bx Blueprint, which is a series of videos for paraprofessionals and RBTS. It’s 20 hours of content and it’s perfect for RBTs looking for extra certification for their jobs. It’s also great for onboarding staff and helping them get acclimated to their roles.One of our major goals at How to ABA is to make your jobs just a little bit easier because we’re in the field doing those jobs as well. We have so much in store for 2024. We’re also in the process of launching another course on executive functioning with Dr. Alan Schnee. Here, we also talk about the guests we’ve had on the podcast this year, the CEUs we’ve offered, and more.What’s Inside:Our launch of the Bx Blueprint and how it can helpOur collaboration with Dr. Alan Schnee on a new courseA recap of our guests and offered CEUsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

As BCBAs, part of our job is to target challenging behavior. Here, we discuss how to do so in a compassionate way so that our learners feel safe. Sometimes, our learners just need our empathy and support after a rough day. As behavior analysts, we have to shift our focus from a follow-through perspective to how to best support those we work with. The best solutions to challenging problems often come from providing a safe, welcoming environment.Having a trauma-informed approach is key, and pushing through sometimes makes challenging behaviors worse. Creating the foundation of a solid relationship should come before we place any real demands on our learners. Our conversation includes how to reframe our perspective to a more compassionate approach, how to build trusting relationships, and how to make environments more enriching and fun.What’s Inside:How to create a safe environment for our learners.How to make the learning environment more enriching and fun.How to reframe our perspective to a more compassionate approach.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramEpisode 061: 7 Steps to Instructional Control with Robert Schramm

Morgan van Diepen is the founder of ABA Visualized, a company whose goal is to make behavioral expertise approachable, accessible, and relatable. As a BCBA working abroad and then with the vibrant international community in Los Angeles, Morgan quickly developed a passion for supporting under-serviced families. She realized the recurring barriers affecting these communities and limiting their access to effective behavioral expertise: long waitlists to learn from expert service providers and an abundance of technical jargon-filled texts. Morgan then created the ABA Visualized Guidebook, which utilizes step-by-step visuals and approachable language to accomplish that sought-after accessible behavior expertise. Today, ABA Visualized, as a company, has grown to offer a collection of books and trainings available worldwide. Here, Morgan shares insights into the development of ABA Visualized. We also discuss Morgan’s work with behavior plans, dealing with imposter syndrome, and findings from Morgan’s pilot study.What’s Inside:How and why Morgan created ABA Visualized.Morgan’s experience with behavior plans and imposter syndrome.Data and findings from Morgan’s pilot study.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramABA VisualizedBIP Visualized

Students aren’t always intrinsically motivated in the classroom. It’s important to include some type of reinforcement for these students to motivate them and encourage more positive behaviors. One of the most common objections we get from teachers is that reinforcement isn’t needed, but there will always be those few learners who have challenges or just can’t keep up. An extra push to get through the day helps those who might be too tired or unmotivated.Another objection is that classroom reinforcement doesn’t work, but that’s often due to not understanding the key components of a reinforcement system. We discuss how these components help make reinforcement effective and why reinforcement isn’t bribery. We also talk about individual reinforcement systems, group and individual contingencies, and the do’s and don’ts of successful classroom reinforcement programs. What’s Inside:Common objections to classroom reinforcement.The difference between bribery and reinforcement.Do’s and don’ts of successful classroom reinforcement programs.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

As ABA practitioners, we’re familiar with the terminology of FFCs, which stands for feature, function, and class. Here, we dive into what comes after we teach FFCs and how to assist learners who have a hard time with those “WH” questions. In many cases, we simply teach learners to memorize responses to these questions, but they don’t actually understand what they mean. When we then start to mix and vary questions, it sometimes causes confusion.We discuss how language develops, the importance of comprehension, and why we need to teach across operants. Sometimes this approach takes a bit longer, but learners can really grasp what’s being taught instead of memorizing an answer. We cover how to handle error correction, how to utilize matching and visuals, and provide information on our upcoming webinar. Want to go even further on teaching WH questions? Join us on Wednesday, December 6th at 12pm EST for our CEU event Beyond Rote Responding: The Progression of WH Questions.What’s Inside:Why teaching across operants is key when teaching WH questions.How to utilize matching and visuals.Information on our upcoming webinar.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramYouTube Video – Strategies to Teach WH QuestionsWH Questions eBook

The holidays are fast approaching and we’re starting to plan for the upcoming busy season. Parties and gatherings with a lot of people can be stressful and overwhelming for many of our learners. Here, we dive into ways we can help decrease stress throughout the holiday season. The first thing we discuss is how to use a visual schedule. The unpredictable nature of the holidays can really throw off a child’s routine. A schedule provides structure and having it in visual form keeps things front and center.It also helps if you have time to practice skills or visit locations ahead of time. For example, if holiday plans involve taking a lot of pictures, have a photo shoot beforehand to minimize overwhelm and confusion. We also share tips on how to say no to invitations, designating a safe space for kids to take a break, and how to handle transitions smoothly.  What’s Inside:How a visual schedule can reduce holiday overwhelm.How to use priming to practice skills ahead of time.How to handle transitions smoothly.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramIdeas for Successful Transitions

Chris Collins is the Executive Director of Ability to Include, and he joins us here for a chat about what he’s been up to in the field. Since the last time we spoke to Chris, he’s expanded his business ventures. Today, he’s focused on social skills within team sports. As an RBT, Chris coached soccer and realized there was room for ABA strategies on and off the field. Currently, Chris works with a variety of different children, including those on the spectrum.Chris shares insights into inclusion, which has become sort of a buzzword. While many define inclusion as mixing autistic children into a regular classroom setting, for Chris, it goes beyond autism. Kids with medical complexities, learning disabilities, and trauma also face unique challenges and inclusion should be extended to them as well. Our conversation with Chris also includes how he obtains funding, his thoughts on the future of ABA, and why we need better training and development for RBTs. What’s Inside:Why Chris believes inclusion should extend beyond kids with autism.How Chris obtains grants and funding.Advice for BCBAs looking to run their own programs.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramAbilitytoInclude.org

In the past, we’ve touched on how to teach basic social skills. However, with some learners, we have to go beyond simple contingency management and reinforcement techniques. We’ve been exploring how to teach social skills using ACT – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. ACT is rooted in Relational Frame Theory (RFT), which you may be familiar with as a BCBA. When we teach using ACT, we can build skills that require indirect experiences and abstract thought. We can also build psychological flexibility with our learners. It helps keep them in the present moment, create space for their values, and more.Instead of relying on reinforcement, values-based teaching can sometimes be much more effective. We discuss how to help students take action towards their values while learning social skills along the way. We provide some real-world examples of how this works and how to use the DNA-V curriculum. For our next CEU Event, we’ll dive deeper into teaching social skills with an ACT-based approach. The CEU event will be held on November 16th at 12:00 pm EST for The Bx Resource Pro Members. Sign up here to attend!What’s Inside:How to use ACT to teach social skillsWhy values-based methods can sometimes work better than reinforcementInformation about our upcoming webinarMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Working with clients is just one part of our jobs as ABA professionals. Another important part is communicating with supervisors, parents, co-workers, and other stakeholders we interact with day to day. Here, we’re covering all things related to professional communication and feedback. Communication isn’t always easy, especially when it involves an emergency or a program that is not working. When it comes to working as an RBT, sometimes you’ll know a learner better than the BCBA, and it’s your right to provide feedback, positive or negative.We discuss giving and receiving feedback and how to approach those interactions appropriately, including timing, format, and demeanor. In the professional feedback model from the Princeton Childhood Institute, there are several key steps to follow, and we walk through each of those. We also talk about common communication obstacles, what to do if you feel defensive when receiving feedback or criticism, and tips for communicating with parents. What’s Inside:How to give and receive feedback.Common communication obstacles.Tips for communicating with parents.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramEpisode 116: How to Communicate with Parents Effectively About ABA SessionsBx Blueprint

Being a fantastic ABA instructor goes way beyond the duties listed in the job description. Here, we cover the qualities that help you move from good to great. The first thing on the list is forming strong relationships. Really engaging with parents and kids and what motivates our students goes a long way. Showing empathy and being compassionate go hand in hand with being professional. As an ABA therapist, you also want to show you’re committed to learning and developing healthy coping strategies.Going the extra mile to come up with solutions helps us stay motivated, and reaching out to collaborate with coworkers and team members is key. In our roles, we also have plenty of opportunities to accept and give feedback. We discuss how to stay open to feedback and how to deliver it to others. We also talk about the importance of being detail-oriented, using your intuition and thinking on your feet, and how to be fun and creative.What’s Inside:The top qualities of an awesome ABA instructor.How to give and receive feedback.The importance of creativity and fun.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramBx Blueprint

Social stories, or social narratives, are a great tool to use in ABA. However, there’s no documented evidence to suggest they eliminate negative behavior. Here, we discuss why we still use social stories and how to utilize them correctly. In ABA, we typically use social stories as a piece of a larger treatment puzzle. It’s important to note that social stories by themselves don’t eliminate behaviors or teach skills. However, when paired with other interventions, they are effective. We share some examples of how to use social stories and how to measure progress and collect data. We’ve also linked a couple of past blogs on social stories and emotional regulation below.What’s Inside:The origin of social stories and how we use them in ABA.How to use social stories to decrease negative behavior.Examples of social stories in action.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramBlog – Teaching Emotional RegulationBlog – Do Social Stories Change Behavior?

ABA professionals play a significant role in helping individuals achieve their goals and improve their quality of life. We should all be aware of what an appropriate level of professionalism is and how we can show it in our roles as ABA therapists, RBTs, and paraprofessionals. Here, we start out by defining professionalism, which goes beyond simply dressing well and having a fancy title. True professionalism is a wide range of attitudes, behaviors, ethical considerations, and more.One of the core ways of showing professionalism is to leave your personal problems at the door before you walk into a classroom or client’s home. We discuss how to identify and manage those times when you might need a break, as well as how to put together a professional appearance. We also talk about showing professionalism towards families, how to maintain boundaries with coworkers and clients, and the importance of communicating effectively.  What’s Inside:The definition of professionalism and how it applies to ABA.How to maintain a professional appearance.How to set boundaries with coworkers and families.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramEthical Compliance Code for Behavior AnalystsThe Bx Blueprint

It’s important to teach our learners new skills. It’s just as important to make sure previously mastered skills are generalized and maintained. Here, we cover the best ways to incorporate generalization and maintenance into our learners’ programming. Generalization is the ability to show the same skill under different conditions, which includes different people, materials, places, and more. Sometimes, we get very specific about the skill we’re teaching, but we forget to diversify the situations so our learners can generalize those skills. Right from the start of a program, we should include variety to instill generalization as soon as possible. We discuss some real-world examples of generalization and helpful techniques to include in your practice. We also talk about stimulus and response generalization, the definition of maintenance and how it ties into generalization, and how to encourage maintenance once a program is closed.What’s Inside:The importance of diversifying situations when teaching skills to learnersExamples of stimulus and response generalizationHow to encourage maintenance after the end of a programMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramHow To Incorporate Natural Environment Teaching in ABAFree Communication Log

ABA is all about data. Here, we dive into why measurement is so important and how to make sure we’re taking and reporting accurate data. Two of the seven dimensions of ABA are to be effective and to be analytic. In other words, we want to make decisions based on subjectivity and something tangible, not just an opinion. This helps us assess whether we’re making real progress with our students, if a program is really helping a family, if behaviors are decreasing, and so on. There’s no right way to take data; however, the goal is to make sure it’s not cumbersome. Before we get started, we have to take baseline data, and here we discuss what that process looks like. We talk about how data helps us analyze problem behaviors, how quickly our students are learning, and whether we have to modify a program. We also discuss how to decrease data collection overwhelm, how to choose appropriate collection methods, and how to analyze and understand data.What’s Inside:How to make our measurement and data collection effectiveThe importance of taking baseline dataHow to decrease data collection overwhelmMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFree ABC Data Sheet

Working with clients is only one aspect of our job. Communicating with parents and making sure they feel comfortable with us is another key skill to master. Here, we provide insights and guidance into how to do this effectively. The most communication with parents is typically through a paraprofessional, ABA therapist, teacher, or support staff. They have the most interaction with both students and parents, so it’s important that any messaging come across as caring and attentive. Even something as simple as starting off a conversation with something personal and positive makes a big difference.Asking parents about their communication preferences is key as well. Some parents prefer minimal communication, while others require more details and frequent touches. We discuss how to place parameters and boundaries around parental communication and how to maintain a balance. We also talk about how to keep things simple, how to communicate changes in scheduling or staffing, and why it’s important to keep your main focus on the student.What’s Inside:How to improve your communication with parents,How to set communication parameters and maintain a balance,The importance of communicating changes to scheduling and staffing,Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFree Parent Communication Log

RBTs, paraprofessionals, therapists, and aides all work with our learners every single day. We’re introducing a brand-new training course called the Bx Blueprint and it’s been created specifically for these roles. Onboarding new staff takes up a considerable amount of our time as ABA professionals and can often be overwhelming for both new hires and managers. However, our staff is our biggest resource, and we have to put the time in to train them properly.The Bx Blueprint includes everything you need for onboarding and beyond. New staff members want to learn and see their learners succeed but often don’t have the support. The Bx Blueprint eases the burden on BCBAs and walks new staff through all the common terminology and techniques used day to day. In the course, we cover the basics of ABA, including reinforcement, pairing, data collection, and teaching. In this episode, we also discuss who would benefit the most from our new program.What’s Inside:Why it’s so important to properly onboard new staffDetails on our new course, the Bx BlueprintWho benefits from the Bx BlueprintMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Tiny Guidry is the owner of Clinician with a Mission. We first connected with Tina during the pandemic, and we hosted a joint webinar together all about telehealth and setting ourselves up for success. She started her career back in the ‘90’s when she became an advocate for her son, who received a mood disorder diagnosis. Tina’s true passion is helping people with disabilities, specifically, mental health. She’s also published research along with some of her professors and eventually became “accidentally self-employed” as a consultant. Today, Tina’s focus is on clinical supervision, case consultations, leadership training, and mentorship. She’s always on the forefront of what’s next, and here, we chat with her about her passion for advocacy and how other people can find their place. We discuss values-based care and why it’s so important for BCBAs to master it. Tina also shares insights into her own business and how it’s growing, information on her membership program, and advice for new BCBAs and established professionals looking to branch out.We’re hosting an upcoming webinar with Tina called Diversifying Your Practice to Include School Contracts. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, September 20th at 12pm EST.  What’s Inside:How Tina built and grew a successful consulting career. Information on Tina’s membership program and our upcoming webinar.Advice for established professionals and new BCBAs.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramClinician with a Mission websitetinaguidryBCBA@gmail.com

A high-quality ABA program treats clients with dignity and respect. Here, we cover how to make sure that we’re maintaining that dignity in ABA sessions. Simple gestures like knocking on a door before entering go a long way in helping clients feel comfortable and respected. The needs of our learners and clients always come first and we have to think about treating them the way we would want to be treated ourselves. We discuss client assent and getting consent from our clients as a way to maintain dignity and how to look for nonverbal cues that things are going well. As ABA therapists, we often teach kids basic life skills like dressing and toileting and these skills require respect for privacy and proper boundaries. We also talk about how to foster dignity within a classroom setting, how to use “televisibility” as a gauge for how our sessions go, how to discuss clients outside of work, and how to offer choices. What’s Inside:The importance of maintaining a client’s dignity.How to foster dignity in a classroom setting.How to discuss clients outside of work.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

We recently sat down with Lisa Gelberman, the founder and creator of Literacy Decoded. For the first 15 years of her career, she taught in an elementary school and then went into special education. She became a resource teacher where she pulled kids out for specific subject areas, and she eventually started teaching an ASD community class. There, Lisa began her ABA journey, where she used techniques to help those in her class succeed. For the last four years, she’s been the principal at a school, therapy clinic, and camp for children with special needs.Lisa is a literacy specialist but felt she couldn’t get her students to learn to read as well as she knew they could. She began exploring different curricula and teaching practices, spoke to various professionals, and got additional certifications. Here, Lisa shares her experience with direct instruction and the Orton-Gillingham (OG) Approach and how she uses them with students. We also discussed how to use the OG approach with different types of learners, how Lisa used the OG approach with her son, and information on Lisa’s program, Literacy Decoded.What’s Inside:All about the OG Approach and how to use it with students.How to use the OG Approach with different types of learners.Information on Lisa’s program, Literacy Decoded.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramLiteracy DecodedLiteracy Decoded on FacebookLiteracy Decoded on Instagraminfo@literacydecoded.com

Errorless teaching is an instructional strategy that ensures a student responds correctly. Here, we discuss why errorless teaching is important and how we can use it to benefit our learners. It’s essentially a way to prompt before a response so that an error is not made. In other words, the prompting happens right after the instruction, even before the learner can make any kind of response, so they get to the correct one.The goal here is to avoid having our learners practice errors so they get things right on the first try. The first step in the process is to establish a baseline to assess where the student is at and what they’re capable of. We provide some examples of what errorless teaching looks like and tips to help learners succeed. We also discuss how to choose the right prompt, why it’s important to make sure your prompt matches your SD, and how to fade prompts within sessions.What’s Inside:The importance of errorless teaching and how it benefits learnersHow to choose the right promptsHow to fade prompts while in sessionsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramVideo - Hierarchy of PromptingPrompt Hierarchy Definitions

Reinforcement is one of our most common and useful tools, and it’s just as important to know how to fade reinforcement. Reinforcement involves presenting a preferred item or activity that’s delivered after a positive response to increase the future likelihood of that response. One of the biggest misconceptions about reinforcement is that offering something to a learner will make them want it every time. The truth is that many reinforcements fade naturally or intentionally after a behavior is learned. Here, we dive into fading reinforcement through different schedules.Fading reinforcement is important because we want our learners to want to do things on their own. We discuss different types of reinforcement, including one-to-one and intermittent. As skills get mastered, we introduce new skills, so the introduction and fading of reinforcement is a continual process. Instead of using technical terms, we share examples of how you can fade reinforcement in the real world. Our conversation also includes tips on how to use behavior contracts and self-monitoring as well as how to naturally fade reinforcement in the classroom.What’s Inside:How to fade reinforcement through different schedules.Real world examples of how to fade reinforcement.How to naturally fade reinforcement in the classroom.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramVideo – How to Use Reinforcement ProperlyFree Reinforcement Checklist

For many, the beginning of a new school year can be an exciting time. For others, it evokes fear and worry. Here, we discuss the best ways to help our learners with autism transition back to school. New classrooms, new faces, and new noises can be a challenge, along with intimidating social situations and unrealistic classroom demands. Not every family sends their kids to structured programs throughout the summer, so the back-to-school transition for these children can be extra tough. Getting back into the swing of things after spending time doing whatever they want isn’t easy. If you work with kids transitioning back to school, a great place to start is talking to the parents. Encourage parents to contact the school a couple of weeks prior to the first day to arrange a school tour and meet teachers. We talk about other ways to ease the transition, like all-about-me sheets to help teachers get to know your child on a deeper level. We also discuss how to help kids get used to routines throughout the school day, adjusted schedules, the importance of a good communication system, and when to introduce behavior plans.What’s Inside:How to help parents transition their kids back to school.Tips to help teachers get to know kids before school starts.How to help kids adjust to new school day routines.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFree Communication Log

Trips to the doctor or dentist are hard for any kid. They’re especially tough for our learners with autism and other delays. Here, we dive into how to make these experiences easier for these learners and their families. A lot of the kids we work with may need multiple medical procedures, which sometimes creates an avoidance to anyone touching them or coming close. Desensitization to the experience is key, and we need to be careful and gentle. Taking a step-by-step approach to desensitization where the learner gets to call the shots is the goal.While sedation is often used in these cases, if a kid can learn to tolerate medical appointments on their own, it becomes a free choice, which is much healthier. We break down the desensitization process, beginning with identifying the very first step your learner must take. We also talk about how to help kids feel safer about the experience, the benefits of social exposure through videos and play, how to be a good salesperson about the dentist or doctor, and the importance of modeling when normalizing going to appointments.What’s Inside:A walkthrough of the desensitization process to help learners tolerate appointments.Why sedation isn’t an ideal solution to tolerating appointments.How modeling helps to normalize going to the doctor and dentist.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramBlog – How To Use Video ModelingTolerating Dentist Appointments Task Analysis

Kids with advanced language skills may be ready to have conversations with others, but how do we teach these skills? Here, we’re diving into what conversation skills are and how we can best teach them to our learners. Authentic conversations go beyond simple questions and answers. If we want kids to benefit from conversations and form genuine relationships, we must help them understand that true conversation is a mutual sharing of information. In our own lives, the conversations we tend to enjoy the most are those that go naturally back and forth. To start, we can teach our learners how to reciprocate in conversations through techniques like an “I have” program. We can then move on to more social questions and comments. Some learners simply echo back or repeat what we say to them, and it’s important to teach them to say something different but related to the conversation. Here, we discuss examples of how to use different programs to teach conversation skills. We also talk about the challenges of teaching conversation skills with peers and in the natural environment.    What’s Inside:The importance of teaching authentic conversation skills to learners.How to use different programs to teach conversation skills.The challenges of teaching conversation skills with peers and in the natural environment.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Can Conversation Be Scripted? 

In ABA, we use lots of different assessments to determine our learners’ strengths and where they may need more help. Here, we cover the most common ABA assessments and how to know which one to use. The purpose of assessments is to provide us with a starting point and create a baseline. When you’re clear on where you’re starting from, you can then create a successful intervention. Assessments also help us look at the big picture and help our learners meet their goals along the way. One of the biggest misconceptions about assessments is that they’re the same as a curriculum, and we discuss why this isn’t the case. Teaching to assessments creates cookie-cutter programs, and good ABA involves customizing interventions to our learners’ unique needs. Some of the most common assessments include ABLLS and VB Mapp, and we compare and contrast the two here. We also discuss the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) and why it’s good for early learners, why you shouldn’t outsource assessments to RBTs, information on PEAK, and tips for how to complete a successful assessment. What’s Inside:The importance of ABA assessments.When and how to use the ABLLS and VB Mapp assessments.Tips for completing a successful assessment.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramHowtoABA.com/Assessments

Through effective prompting, we’re able to help our learners succeed. Here, we dive into the hierarchy of prompting so we can use it in the best way possible. We use prompting in our everyday lives, like when we use calendar invites to keep us on track and remember important events. In the world of ABA, prompts are a way to guide our learners to the correct response. Prompts come after the introduction of the stimulus and before the learner's response. They’re typically based on prior history, and they’re put in place before the learner makes errors so they can avoid practicing those errors.There are many ways to use prompting, and we discuss examples of how it looks in action. We discuss the importance of repetition and modeling and why they help learners become more successful. The hierarchy of prompts is structured from the least intrusive to the most intrusive, and we talk about how to choose which ones to use. We also discuss fading prompts, why verbal prompts are the hardest to fade, and how to use least-to-most prompting.  What’s Inside:The hierarchy of prompts and how to choose which to use.Why verbal prompts are the hardest to fade.How to use least-to-most prompting.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramError Correction VideoTransfer TrialsFree Prompt Hierarchy Visual

ABA is an evidence-based, effective approach for teaching skills, especially for individuals with autism. Here, we’re diving in deeper and discussing what ABA is. There’s a lot of information out there about ABA, some of it true and some of it not. ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis and it’s really just breaking skills down into smaller components. Then, a type of reinforcement is used to master each step and move on to the next until you reach your end goal. We also often begin with an assessment to determine where students are and where to begin with teaching. Some parents can be apprehensive towards the approach and strategies, and at times, there are misconceptions around them. The more we understand ABA as practitioners, the better we can explain it to those we work with. We discuss how ABA uses data to make positive changes in behavior. We also talk about how ABA is tailored for each individual learner, why ABA isn’t only for children or those with autism, and more.What’s Inside:The definition of ABA and a deeper dive into what it is.How ABA leverages data.Common misconceptions about ABA.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramEpisode 098: Fluency-Based Instruction in ABAFree ABA Glossary of Terms

In ABA, a task analysis can be used to break down larger, more complex skills into smaller steps or actions. This makes them more manageable for our learners. To run our business, we use a project management system to make sure everything runs smoothly. It functions like a task analysis in that anyone on our team can follow the same steps to keep things consistent. In the field, skills like hand washing and bathing can be taught using task analysis, which helps practitioners teach learners all steps in the same order. Some of the most common questions we get revolve around teaching life skills and social skills. The reason people find them so overwhelming is because they’re so detailed and each person does them differently. Many of the skills we use throughout our lives are essentially a sequence, or a chain of behaviors that lead to a certain outcome. A task analysis can be used to teach the specific parts of each chain. Here, we discuss how to create a task analysis from scratch, the different types of chaining, and how to use prompts to build independence.  What’s Inside:How to create a task analysis. How to teach a task analysis and the different types of chaining.How to use prompts to build independence.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramBlog Post – What is ABA Chaining and How Do We Use It?Editable Task Analyses for Teaching Life Skills

According to the latest data from the CDC, one in 36 children is diagnosed with autism in the United States each day. Worldwide, one in 100 is diagnosed. In the late 90s, the numbers were more around one in 1,000, and people weren’t quite sure what autism was. To put it simply, autism is a different way of thinking and viewing the world. We’ve encountered some amazing people with autism throughout the years and many have incredible strengths. Here, we dive into the technical definition of autism as stated in the DSM-V. Today’s definition of autism differs from what was originally listed in the DSM-IV. It’s currently outlined as one big spectrum with three levels of severity. We discuss each level and the criteria for a diagnosis, including behavioral patterns and aspects, and how to classify autism in terms of behavioral excesses and behavioral deficits. Our conversation also includes discussion about repetitive behavior and how the approach to treatment and goal setting is as unique as the individual client.What’s Inside:An explanation of the three levels of autism according to the DSM-V.How to classify autism based on behavioral excesses and deficits.How treatment plans and goals help autistic clients become their best.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramHowToABA.com/shopEpisode 093: Thriving with Autism – ABA Success Story!

Play is a skill that a lot of our learners need to be taught. It doesn’t come as naturally to kids with autism or other developmental delays. Some children don’t like natural play because it’s unstructured. Here, we discuss how to teach play and the best way to help learners develop these critical skills. Teaching play skills is essential to success, as children learn so much through play. Many daycares and preschool programs carve out significant time for unstructured play, so it’s important that children have the skills they need to engage and participate. Another key component of play is interaction with peers, or social play. Play is such a huge topic, and when teaching play skills, it helps to start with what’s developmentally appropriate for a child’s age. With early learners, it may be as simple as helping them allow an adult into their space. From there, you can begin to teach imitation. We discuss play teaching best practices, closed and open-ended play activities, and how to use play scripts. We’re hosting a webinar about play in June, which will be hosted on our membership site afterwards, as well as a blog post about video modeling. Head to our website for more information about both. What’s Inside:Why play is an essential skill for success.How to teach play to early learners.How to use play scripts.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramHowToABA.com/shopPlay Skills Task Analysis

In this very special 100th episode, we’ve rounded up some of the best professional advice our guests have ever received. Whether it’s building a community around you, learning to regulate yourself and staying calm in the moment, or fine-tuning your communication skills, being a BCBA requires constant learning and growth. We’ve hosted some amazing ABA professionals on our podcast; many of them have flourished, excelled, and became experts in their particular areas of service. We thought it would be a great idea to pick out some of the best tips and advice from our episodes, and here, you’ll hear straight from our guests what’s helped them the most in the field. Whether you’re a newly minted BCBA or a seasoned pro, this episode is packed with wisdom to help you along your personal and professional journeys. What’s Inside:Top professional advice from our guests.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Some students have difficulty learning words and manding with flash cards at a table. Sometimes the natural world is a much better learning environment, and that’s where incidental teaching comes in. Incidental teaching is a strategy that uses ABA principles to provide structured learning opportunities in the natural environment, and it’s all about motivation. Through incidental teaching, you utilize the child’s natural interests and initiation while still contriving situations. Some of the misconceptions around incidental teaching are that it’s completely child led, and that you don’t get many practice opportunities. Here, we discuss why that’s not true and how to use the concept appropriately. We also discuss the differences between incidental teaching and natural environmental teaching and provide tips on how to contrive learning opportunities. To grab our free NET data sheet, click the link below.  What’s Inside:Misconceptions around incidental teaching.The difference between incidental teaching and natural environment teaching.Tips for contriving learning opportunities.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramNET Data Sheet

As ABA practitioners, we have many teaching procedures in our toolbox. Here, we’re discussing precision teaching, which is also called fluency-based instruction, and how we can use it to benefit our students. Many of us remember having to memorize multiplication tables in elementary school. While it was an intimidating task, chances are we still know all the tables by heart as adults, because we learned them to fluency as children. In today’s classrooms, math is taught in a much different manner. Fluency in things like simple multiplication is diminished, which impacts math skills overall. Precision teaching, or fluency-based instruction, is a system of teaching in ABA that utilizes exact measurements and data to guide instruction and curriculum choices. We discuss what it looks like when put into practice and how to define fluency. One way fluency benefits our students is through skill acquisition. When they can complete tasks quickly and with ease, they’re less likely to engage in escape or problem behaviors. We discuss all the ways to use fluency, including social skills like commenting. We also talk about how to make precision teaching less complicated and more fun.What’s Inside:What is fluency-based instruction and how does it help our students?Why fluency is important in terms of skill acquisition and reducing negative behavior.Examples of fluency-based instruction in action.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramPublished Fluency AimsEpisode 051: The Literacy Epidemic with Michael Maloney

BCBA Steve Ward has been working as a behavior analyst since the mid 1990’s. As the lead behavior analyst for a center school, Steve conducted more than 100 functional assessments and wrote behavior plans to address a wide range of behaviors. He has also worked as a consultant, where he has designed programming for a wide variety of repertoires, including verbal behavior, daily living skills, and academics, among a host of others. Today, he runs Whole Child Consulting along with his partner Terry. Here, Steve shares his story about how he got into the field and how he uses multiple methods when working with students.Steve is passionate about play, and his personal experience served as an inspiration to incorporate more fun into making play motivating. He shares tips for how to make play more effective and fun for students. We talk about how to measure data during play and Steve’s Inventory for a Good Learner Repertoires (IGLR). Steve shares what prompted him to create it and how to put it into practice. We also discuss how practitioners can think outside the box, the value of supervision and mentorship, Steve’s courses on shaping, and more. Steve is joining us on an upcoming webinar where he’ll be sharing more about the IGLR. The event is on Wednesday, May 17th at 12:00pm EST, and you can sign up via the events page on our website.  What’s Inside:How to make play more motivating and fun for students.Info on the Inventory for a Good Learner Repertoires (IGLR).Steve’s tips for newly minted BCBAs.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramWhole Child ConsultingGood Learner Repertoires Facebook Page

As students become more proficient at manding and move to an intermediate requesting phase, their mean length of utterance should increase. The types of mands they use should also expand. Intermediate learners are those who can use phrases of three or more words. When a student moves into a more intermediate phase, we often focus on pre-academic skills and forget to expand their manding repertoire. These learners have a decent receptive vocabulary, but still get stuck on certain aspects of language. They still need help with manding to bring more variety into their requests. Here, we dive into the kinds of skills we should be teaching at the intermediate level for requesting. We cover how to figure out what a student’s manding needs are and whether to expand their main length of utterance or their repertoire. We talk about requesting for action, why it’s helpful to stay away from words like “please” and “thank you”, and requesting for assistance. We also discuss how to teach self-advocacy through appropriate protests and requests for attention. Click the link below for a free resource on manding with ‘wh questions’. What’s Inside:Which skills to teach at the intermediate level for requesting.How to discover what a student’s manding needs are.How to teach requests for action, assistance, and appropriate protests.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFree Resource – Manding with ‘Wh Questions’

BCBA and play consultant Kaylin Moss is one of our members. She works in the field of early intervention and natural environment teaching. Kaylin started her career as a teacher at a local charter school for children with autism. She was inspired by the behavioral analyst at the school, who was a big resource and began looking into her line of work. Kaylin then began education for behavioral analysis, and her partner at the school became her mentor and supervisor. At first, she focused on behavior therapy but then switched gears to early intervention, mostly due to a helpful push from her mom.Here, we talk with Kaylin about her transition from teacher to BCBA and how she uses her skills in her current role. We discuss her supervision experience and how starting at the grassroots level in the trenches shaped her career. Kaylin shares information about the Play Project, which is an alternative to ABA therapy. It’s a natural environment, has a play-based strategy, and has a similar foundation to ABA. We also talk about what play looks like in an ABA setting, how to support parents through play therapy, and tips for new BCBAs. What’s Inside:How Kaylin transitioned from teaching into behavior analysis.Information about the Play Project and play therapy.How to incorporate play in an ABA setting.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Functional assessments are the gold standard of behavior analysis. They’re the best technology we have to show the effectiveness and the function of our antecedent and consequence manipulation. Conducting functional assessments in a school setting comes with its own set of unique challenges, and behavior analyst Matt Cicoria is joining us at our next live CEU event to cover just that. The event takes place on Thursday, April 20th at 12:00pm EST. Matt also hosts the Behavioral Observations Podcast, which is linked below. If you’re anything like us, you have a hectic schedule. The next thing you know, three years have passed and it’s time to get recertified. We wanted to make the CEU process easier by offering all the CEUs you need for recertification as well as presenting our live CEUs once a month. Our website has a new page specifically for events where you can easily sign up and add our events to your calendar. Check out the new page by clicking the link below. What’s Inside:Information on our upcoming CEU event with Matt Cicoria.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramHowToABA.com/eventsBehavioral Observations PodcastEP 67: How to Use ABA in Classrooms

Shane Finkelstein is one of Shana’s original ABA clients from 20 years ago and is here to talk about his experience with autism. Ever since Shane was young, he had several social problems and was having trouble fitting in with people outside his family. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of two, which is also when he began ABA therapy. ABA helped Shane develop good social skills as well as a good work ethic. He attended several public schools where he excelled academically, but struggled socially. That changed when he started attending a special needs camp and school. Through school, camp, and ABA therapy, Shane is now able to form meaningful relationships with other people while still being himself.Shane shares his favorite aspects of ABA, especially weekend outings, which helped him form healthy relationships and thrive in social settings. We also talked to Shane about the skills he’s currently working on and his experience in the workforce. Shane also shared with us a poster he created on the last day of his contract. You can take a closer look at the poster here: www.howtoaba.comWhat’s Inside:How ABA had a positive impact in Shane’s life.Shane’s experience in the workforce.All about the poster Shane create on the last day of his contract.Advice Shane would give to his younger self.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramShane on FacebookDisclaimer:Testimonials herein are unpaid and unsolicited. Experiences of those who have provided testimonials do not guarantee future results. None of the information shared in this interview is from a current client.

Erin Porter is a family autism coach from Ontario, Canada. As a teacher, she noticed some gaps in the school system and began to fill them in. She also noticed there was a parental piece missing, so she applied everything she knew about teaching and programming to supporting parents who have newly diagnosed children with autism. Erin helps parents fill in their own gaps while they wait for funding or to come off waitlists so they can get started with early intervention. Receiving a diagnosis can be an overwhelming time for parents and Erin walks them through the next steps in their own unique journeys.Erin shares her thoughts on the major gaps and challenges she sees. Some of the challenges start before the diagnosis, including how to talk to doctors. Understanding communication is key as well as navigating services. Parents can also be apprehensive to take action and prefer to “wait and see”, but early intervention and establishing a connection are so important. The gap often gets wider when parents wait and Erin supports parents in trying different things, even before there’s a diagnosis. We also talk to Erin about how she supports parents through her Guided Autism Program.What’s Inside:Common gaps when it comes to supporting parents of children with a diagnosis.Why early intervention is essential.Information on Erin’s Guided Autism Program.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramLaunching Life with Autism – Facebook GroupGuided Autism Program Website

Functional communication, or FCT, is a way to decrease problem behavior through teaching effective communication skills. Shira once had a student who had a ton of language. He would talk all the time in sentences and communicate what he wanted to do, but he didn’t request things. He sometimes engaged in negative attention-seeking behavior but didn’t know how to appropriately get attention. She taught him how to mand for attention by using text cues, which is an FCT technique, and he stopped engaging in aggression.All behavior is communication, and they’re two sides of the same coin. Kids don’t misbehave because they’re bad or challenging, they’re trying to get attention to get their needs met and it’s often effective. With FCT, we are looking at how to increase the skill and give the child a replacement for the negative or unwanted behavior. The replacement needs to be faster, easier, and better than the negative behavior. Here, we discuss where to start when teaching mands, how to collect data, and how to avoid developing chains of responses by using transfer trials.What’s Inside:What FCT is and how it helps correct unwanted behavior.Where to start when teaching mands.How to collect data.The importance of transfer trials.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramThe Purpose of Transfer Trials

In preparation for a CEU event we’re hosting all about how to use AAC devices, we are rebroadcasting our Linggo episode with Ling Ly Tan and Jane Button.  They are from Linggo, a company that makes communication accessible for people who have difficulty speaking. Linggo is an assistive technology that supports the learning of language, speech, and literacy skills through an AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) platform. Ling’s a BCBA and has been working in the field for almost two decades. Jane worked on the front lines with children in her community and then became a trained clinician and consultant. Linggo was built out of Ling’s frustration with AACs that were hard to use and not the best for her clients. Nearly 60% abandon their AAC within the first year, which is unfortunate because it can be such a vital tool for language development. Linggo also provides parent training for clinicians and parents to help generalize communication. Communication is so complex, and it requires an interdisciplinary team approach. The focus should always be on the best interest of the child. Linggo is customized based on each individual client, unlike traditional, one-size-fits-all systems. On March 29th, we’re hosting a CEU event that dives deeper into Linggo and AAC devices. Find out more by heading to the events page of our website, linked below.What’s Inside:How Linggo is improving AAC systems and language development.Recommendations for interdisciplinary collaboration for those using an AAC.How to work with parents when introducing them to an AAC and accepting a diagnosis.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramLinggoCEU Events

BCBA Kat Savino is the Community Manager at How To ABA. If you’re a member, you’ve likely seen Kat in our community, Q&A sessions, and our journal clubs. Kat was one of our first podcast guests and as we learned more about her, we realized we needed her on the team. You can get to know Kat through our membership community board, where she connects members with available resources. Kat also does supervision for those needing fieldwork experience and one-on-one mentorships for newly minted BCBAs. Kat has a ton of supervision experience and here, she talks about what’s lacking in the field and suggestions for improvement. Sometimes, a geographical location may not have enough available supervisors or there may not be any available in the workplace. Supervision doesn’t end as soon as you pass your exam, and it’s important for new practitioners to get quality support as they begin their career journey. We also discuss the challenges faced by new BCBAs, how leaning on a community can decrease burnout and overwhelm, and Kat’s must-have programming resources.What’s Inside:—How to get to know Kat through our community—Challenges faced by new BCBAs—Kat’s must-have programming resources—Upcoming community eventsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Dr. Alan Schnee is a Ph.D., BCBA-D, consultant, author, and speaker. Dr. Schnee began his career in the early 90s in the Boston area, where he trained as a pediatric psychologist. A colleague and friend of his had a son on the autism spectrum. This friend brought in consultants to work with her son, and she was astounded at his progress.  The experience inspired Dr. Schnee and his colleague to jump into the world of ABA. When the tools of ABA are applied well, it makes a huge difference in the lives of children and their families.Here, we talk to Dr. Schnee all about matching. Matching is really the ability to make a comparison or to see how things line up. As professionals, we often teach simple matching skills to our students, but matching can also be used as a vehicle to teach many other things.  Dr. Schnee discusses how to use matching to build social awareness and develop better executive function. He also walks through several real-life examples, including when to introduce higher-level matching techniques, how BCBAs can incorporate more creative thinking in our programs, and more.What’s Inside:How matching can be used to build other skills.How and when to introduce higher-level matching techniques.How to incorporate more creative thinking in our programs.Why it’s important to be super-aware of our learners.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramEarly Intervention for Children with ASD

Life skills are a critical part of the success of our students. They’re needed in order for them to become as independent as possible in their lives. Here, we cover the best ways to assess life skills and how to make a plan of which skills our learners need to know. We spend so much time working on academic goals with our students, like learning to read and write. However, we forget that those goals are such a small part of their overall life and don’t have much of an impact on how they’ll live on their own. Things like taking public transportation, getting to a job, and doing the laundry are all valuable life skills that are just as important.We dive into the definition of life skills and what the term can mean for different individuals and their own unique situations. Life skills really start in preschool, and we discuss how to build the right foundation and plant the seeds that will grow as they become teens and young adults. We also share some of the different assessments available that you can use. In many cases, you don’t even need to do a full assessment and just take the parts that are most relevant to your learner. What’s Inside:Why it’s important to start teaching life skills at a young age.Examples of life skills assessments and how to use them.The importance of tasks when teaching life skills.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

BCBA Emily Varon is a sleep educator. We’ve spoken to Emily in a past episode where we discussed the importance of sleep. Lately, Emily has been diving into a new passion, which is burnout in the field of ABA. There is definitely a strong relationship between burnout and poor sleep and Emily went down the rabbit hole of researching all the data she could. She started talking about this concept more with ABA professionals with the goal of reducing burnout and becoming more well-rested and rejuvenated. Here, we chat with Emily about what burnout is and the domino effect it often leads to.Burnout doesn’t just impact us as ABA professionals. The parents we work with experience this in their own lives, so it’s important for us to be able to pour from a full cup. The hardest part about burnout is how quickly it can creep up on us. We discuss some of the things that contribute to burnout, like a lack of supervision and being stretched too thin. We also talk about how to tap into our reinforcers, the challenges new and seasoned BCBAs face that can lead to burnout, and potential strategies and solutions to ease overwhelm.We’re hosting a free webinar with Emily on burnout on March 1st at 8pm EST. For more information, click the link below. What’s Inside:The connections between poor sleep and burnout.What contributes to burnout and its impacts is has on our lives.Challenges faced by new and seasoned BCBAs that can lead to burnout.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

When we discuss reinforcement, we usually think of things like token boards and other ABA therapist strategies. However, learners can also be taught to regulate their own behavior and become active participants in their own learning through behavior contracts. Here, we dive into the definition of behavior contracts and how we can use them. A behavior contract is a written agreement that outlines expectations, timeframes, and rewards for specific behaviors.With many students, a behavior contract isn’t the first intervention, it’s something we work towards. Students who are already familiar with and understand a token system can more easily transition into a behavior contract. As students get older, it’s important for them to be responsible for their own goals. Behavior contracts give them ownership over their lives and access to their own reinforcers. We discuss the benefits of this strategy, how to introduce the concept to students, and tips for making your behavior contracts a success.What’s Inside:The benefits of behavior contracts and how to use them.Which students benefit the most from behavior contracts.Tips to make your behavior contracts successful.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramEpisode 070: The Importance of Self-Monitoring with Jamie Salter & Katie Croce

Valori Neiger is an autism feeding specialist. For any of us who have been in the field, we know that a lot of the kids we work with really struggle with feeding. When Valori reached out to us, of course, we had to have her join us on the show. She started her ABA journey in undergraduate school in the early 2000s, where she was introduced to psychology. Dr. Greg Madden, a pioneer in behavior economics, was a guest speaker in one of Valori’s classes and wanted to recruit students into an ABA track. Valori left class totally hooked and was inspired to get into the field. She then went on to graduate school where she gained valuable experience in a wide variety of areas. Valori relocated to Seattle after school, and she eventually worked in the specialty of feeding.Through her work, Valori realized there was a huge demand for help with feeding concerns and the wait for families can be really long. Valori also started a blog as a way to help families and providers serving the population. We chat with Valori about how feeding falls under ABA, the biggest challenges to feeding when working with kids with autism, and suggestions on how to work on feeding flexibility. If you’re interested in learning more about Valori and her work, check out her blog by clicking the link below. We’re also hosting a webinar with Valori on feeding on Friday, February 24th at 12 pm EST. For more details and to become a member of How To ABA, head to our website.What’s Inside:How Valori got into a career as an autism feeding specialist.How feeding can be incorporated into a team-based model.Steps to work on feeding flexibility.Tips for professionals and parents.Info on our upcoming webinar.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramAutism Feeding Specialist Blog5 Ways to Improve Mealtime Flexibility

Passing your BCBA exam is an amazing accomplishment. Although becoming officially certified is something to celebrate, the next task is getting out into the field and putting your new skills to the test. Some new practitioners are faced with impostor syndrome while others believe that just by having the certification, they know everything there is to know. The truth is that getting that piece of paper is just the beginning of your journey as a new BCBA. There’s still so much to learn and experience and here, we’re sharing tips to help you start the journey off on the right foot.Supervision is key, so be sure to find a mentor that you respect and trust. Surround yourself with people you can rely on and who are available to answer your questions. We dive into CEUs and how to make a plan to track them. We also discuss understanding your strengths, being open to new experiences, goal setting, and how to stay grounded when working with parents and other professionals. If you’re not already a member of How To ABA, becoming an official member gives you access to plenty of great resources to help you get acclimated as a brand-new professional.What’s Inside:Why getting your BCBA certification is just the beginning of your journey.The importance of CEUs and making sure you track them.How to stay grounded when working with parents and professionals.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFree BCBA Skills Assessment

As BCBAs, collaboration is a very critical part of our job. However, a lot of us have trouble collaborating effectively. Unfortunately, some of the other professionals we may encounter don’t have a great opinion about ABA, as it does have a bit of a negative reputation. Because of this, it’s important to have the right conversations about what we do and how we can help our clients reach their goals. It’s also important to be open to other disciplines, like speech and OT, as they offer their own unique perspectives.Here, we discuss how we can collaborate with other professionals and incorporate them into some of our programmings. The first step is open communication, which includes keeping others updated and getting feedback when appropriate. Second, be open to new ideas, try them out, and make collaboration a group effort. Try to use regular terminology instead of ABA acronyms others may not understand. Sharing training sessions are also an effective way to support each other and get on the same page. Always keep in mind that we’re all human beings and professionals in our own unique areas. What’s Inside:Why collaboration is an essential component of being a successful BCBA.Steps to effective collaboration with multi-disciplinary professionals.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFree BCBA Skills Assessment 

Most BCBAs aren’t taught how to supervise others, and many of us are thrown into the role as soon as we get our certification. Right afterward, we’re expected to supervise ABA programs, staff members, and even parents. It’s important to know what steps to take when supervising so we don’t become overwhelmed and experience burnout. It’s common to experience imposter syndrome as a new BCBA, especially when we’re given so many added responsibilities. Here, we define supervision and walk through the various responsibilities and tasks a BCBA is expected to take on.One of the best ways to minimize overwhelm is to prepare ahead of time and stay organized. Depending on the environment, you may be interacting with many different parties, so it’s important to take notes. Notetaking also makes following up in the next session simple.  We discuss how to collect and analyze data, how to share it with your supervisees, and the importance of looking at things from a big-picture perspective. We also cover how to model and make suggestions to staff, which should include a ton of positive feedback.To download our free supervision task analysis form, click the link below.What’s Inside:What supervision is and a BCBA’s responsibilities.Tips for preparing and staying organized through supervision sessions.How to model and give feedback to staff.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSupervision Task Analysis Form

There is a lot of staff turnover in our field. It’s important to take care of ourselves to avoid burnout but figuring out how to manage a work-life balance can seem like a mystery. Here, Shana shares a story from when she owned several clinics and managed a staff of 25. While it was fun and rewarding, it was a lot to handle. As the owner, she felt constant pressure and her workload was well over 80 hours a week. After COVID forced Shana to step back from her responsibilities, she realized just how overwhelmed she was. Many of us are busy moms in addition to working professionals, and it can be really difficult to juggle all of our priorities. Maintaining a work-life balance looks different for everyone, and it’s important to know what works for you. It’s OK to step back every once in a while and not feel guilty about it. Here, we discuss the importance of prioritizing your own unique needs, setting healthy boundaries, and why you should make time to fill up your tank and recharge. To download our free assessment resources, click on the link below.What’s Inside:How to prioritize your unique needs to maintain a work-life balance.The importance of setting healthy boundaries.Why you should include time to recharge into your schedule.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFree Assessment Resources 

BCBA Flor De Amelia (Lizette) Hoffman is a mom of two and we met at ABAI.  She was inspired to get into the field because of her daughter, who is now 13 years old. Lizette’s daughter was diagnosed with autism at 18 months but knew something was wrong as early as 8 months when she began to experience seizures. Lizette struggled to find answers for her daughter, and she shares what her journey was like as a young mom. ABA therapy helped greatly, and Lizette wanted to learn all about the techniques to practice them on her own. Today, she works with several families who have the same passion and willingness to learn.Lizette became an RBT and then got her masters in ABA. After being told to “stay in her lane” at her daughter’s school, she got a master’s in special education while pregnant with her third child. Lizette’s story is so inspiring and it’s amazing to hear how her own experience pushed her forward. We talk about the depression, anger, and denial that parents experience on this journey and what helped Lizette get through it. We also discuss what’s next on Lizette’s career journey, how she’s continuing to advocate for her daughter and advice for practitioners working with parents and families.What’s Inside:How Lizette’s daughter inspired her to pursue a career in ABA.How depression, anger, and denial affect parents with children with a diagnosis.Advice for practitioners working with parents and families.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

We’re taking some time to look back on 2022, and what a year it has been! Throughout 2022, we continued to host some great CEU speakers in our membership, covering several topics like self-monitoring, parenting, sleep, compassionate care, and ACT. We also covered how to be a better BCBA and how to prevent practitioner burnout. How To ABA started as our side gig as we worked our full-time jobs, and this year, we really strived to be more consistent. Since April, we’ve had a podcast and blog come out every week. We even had the chance to sponsor and speak at industry conferences. We also brought on a team to help us grow and provide our audience with even more great content.In our look back, we share some personal growth stories and accomplishments as well. We’re looking forward to 2023 and would love to hear feedback from our listeners on what you’d like to see.What’s Inside:A lookback and review on How To ABA in 2022Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Shobhna Srivastava is a BCBA working in the school setting who also has a background in clinical psychology and mental health. Before becoming a BCBA, Shobhna was a licensed clinical neuropsychologist. As a psychology practitioner, Shobhna was tasked with diagnosing children on the autism spectrum as well as any comorbid disorders. Once she became a mom, she decided to pause and reevaluate her career. Shobhna had always been curious about the rehabilitation of her patients after they were diagnosed, which led her to explore the field of ABA. Today, she works primarily with children who’ve experienced a traumatic brain injury or trauma and the accompanying behavioral challenges.Shobhna’s background in psychology helps her view her clients from a more comprehensive perspective. It also enables her to pinpoint potential issues with testing and the diagnostic process. We discuss how mental health work and ABA overlap and why it’s important to focus on both. Sometimes traumatic events have a huge impact on behavioral issues and need to be considered. We talk about the caregiver’s burden and why it’s important to address it with families, and the differing needs between older and younger children. Shobhna also shares tips on how to build rapport, suggestions for improvement in the field of ABA, and her favorite go-to resources.What’s Inside:How Shobhna changed her career from a neuropsychologist to a BCBAThe importance of focusing on a client’s mental health and any past traumaWhy it’s important to address the caregiver’s burdenTips for building rapport and fostering compassionate careMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Michelle Ward is the owner of MW Group and Modern CPA. Michelle is a certified public accountant who handles taxes and small business accounting. She started her firm in 2014 after spending time in a larger, regional firm and began to feel unfulfilled. After five years, Michelle’s company grew, and her husband also joined the firm to become her partner. Last year, they launched Modern CPA online, which provides business education to small business owners. Many practitioners in our field might not have the business support or skills needed to succeed on their own, and through her program, Michelle equips professionals with what they need in terms of accounting, taxes, and more.Michelle shares some of the challenges she sees with therapists and practitioners who start their own practices. One of the biggest issues they have is not knowing how to file taxes or what expenses to keep track of. She also helps her clients choose the right business structure, which might not always be an LLC. We discuss independent contracting and how to set yourself up for success, which includes analyzing your workload so you can make the profit that you want to make. Michelle shares tips on how to keep track of expenses, how write-offs work, and the pros and cons of being an employee versus an independent contractor. She also provides her recommendations for someone who’s starting a small business when it comes to taxes.What’s Inside:How Michelle founded her companies, MW Group and Modern CPA.Common accounting and tax challenges faced by independent contractors and small business owners.Tips for those just starting out as a small business owner or independent contractor.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramMW GroupModern CPA

Jordyn Hargrave is a BCBA and a member of the How To ABA community. She lives outside of St. Louis, Missouri and has been in the field for about seven years. Jordyn started her career as an intern at Western Kentucky University and had a class on behavior modification where she was able to shadow a BCBA. She also did a field experience with the Kelly Autism Program and since then, worked in an in-home setting and an early intervention clinic, and also within a school system as an RBT. Today she still works in a school as a BCBA where she focuses on behavior reduction. A post that recently came up in our community was about coming up with creative reinforcers and how to share our ideas with others so we’re not always using the same strategies. Jordyn shares some stories from her field experience where she was able to take what was motivating her clients and shifted them to reinforcers that got them closer to their goals. She also shares a personal story about how her life changed after a concussion and a subsequent car accident. Jordyn continued her caseload throughout her recovery, which was difficult, but it helped her further bond with the kids she worked with.What’s Inside:Jordyn’s career journey as a BCBA.How to come up with creative reinforcers for clients.How an accident impacted Jordyn’s work. Why mentoring first-year BCBAs is so important.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Jessica Winne is a BCBA who came to us to talk about OBM and performance feedback, which is a topic we want to dive deeper into. Jessica received her master’s degree in behavioral analysis from the University of North Texas and her thesis was on how to give corrective feedback. Towards the end of her program, she took on more of an OBM focus. A lot of people in management positions are prepared for tasks like creating structures and giving feedback, as it’s easy to become more focused on the content and our to-do lists. When we’re thrown into a managerial role, people start looking towards us for feedback and training, which can be confusing without the proper tools and guidance.Jessica shares why the “feedback sandwich” doesn’t always work, as the learner is going to focus on the negative feedback anyway and doesn’t focus on what to do differently. It’s good practice to prime our learners with expectations so they can perform well and are more receptive to feedback, and the same process should be applied to our staff. Creating a learning environment versus a punishing environment is key as well as providing ample opportunity for trainees to practice so they can implement new skills. We also discuss the role emotions play in receiving feedback, how feedback can make or break a staff culture, and the importance of rapport.What’s Inside:Why the “feedback sandwich” doesn’t work.Why it’s important to set proper expectations to set staff up for success.The role emotions play in feedback.How feedback impacts staff culture.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramJess on FacebookJess on InstagramJessWinne88@gmail.com

Brenda Eaton is a BCBA, mom, and creator of Grow Your Happy. She has a 27-year-old son on the autism spectrum, which was her inspiration for getting into the field. Prior to becoming a BCBA, Brenda had a career in the fashion industry and spent time in New York before moving back to Pennsylvania where she got her master’s in education at Temple. After her son’s diagnosis, she spent most of her time supporting him and saw that so much more support was needed outside of the traditional ABA and behavioral techniques, especially around building resilience and independence.Through Grow Your Happy, Brenda focuses on acceptance and commitment training and there’s a lot of cross-over with ABA principles as well. Emotions are important internal events and need to be considered when working with children and clients. Often the behavior is just the tip of the iceberg and there’s a whole lot more underneath. Brenda shares what she would have done differently looking back on her life experience and career as well as improvements needed within the field. She also shares details on her upcoming CU training around acceptance and commitment training, which will be held on October 19th.What’s Inside:How Brenda got into the field of ABA and how her son inspired her work.The importance of emotional regulation in behavioral work.Info on Brenda’s upcoming acceptance and commitment training (CU).Advice for new BCBAs.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramGrow Your Happybrenda@brendaeaton.life

Natalie Todd is a BCBA and school-based behavioral consultant in New York State. She currently works in an elementary school where she helps transition students into the classroom. Collaboration is a big part of Natalie’s day to day and coming up with treatment plans for students is always a team-based approach. Being a BCBA within a school system can be challenging, especially if you’re the only resource. Natalie talks about the importance of scheduling and how things can get thrown off. Training other staff on intervention strategies can help you work through unplanned issues, so they don’t take up half of your day.Strategizing together with the other professionals within the school system is in the best interest of the students. No one person knows everything, and we can learn and incorporate new perspectives through collaboration. Trauma-informed, compassionate care is one of the biggest trends in the field today, and incorporating it into the school system is key to improving the environment. We talk with Natalie about changes in behavioral analysis and how old techniques are replacing outdated ones. We also discuss parent training and tips to help parents reinforce behavioral changes at home.  What’s Inside:Natalie’s experience as a BCBA within a school system.How BCBAs can improve communication and processes within their schools.Changes in the field and how old techniques are replacing old ones.Parent training tips.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramRUBI Autism Network

Jessie and Sara are the Director of Operations and Clinical Director from Family Beeginnings, where they provide family-focused, solution-based, ABA therapy and consulting. Sara is currently mentoring brand-new BCBA candidates for their hours as well as the other providers within her organization. She’s also responsible for quality assurance and programming, making sure everything runs smoothly for their clients. Jessie began her career as an early intervention teacher and then she became an RBT. Her job as an RBT introduced her to OBM (organizational behavior management), which she fell in love with and now specializes in this area. Supervision for new BCBAs is something both Jessie and Sara are passionate about. They recently launched a program for candidates looking to gain more real-world experience. We talk about the skills they focus on with BCBA candidates, especially how to communicate with parents and problem-solve with colleagues. Navigating insurance and billing is often not taught in school, so training is key. We also discuss IEP support and why it’s so important to build a bridge between schools and ABA practitioners. Many school districts lack appropriate BCBA expertise and support, and we share ideas on what needs to improve. What’s Inside:What Jessie and Sara focus on when mentoring BCBA candidates.The importance of IEP support.Advocacy and the need for changes within the school systemMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFamily Beeginnings

Jamie Salter and Katie Croce are the co-authors of the Self & Match System. Jamie is a trained school psychologist and BCBA and spent time as an administrator in special education. Katie’s a BCBA and has been working as a behavioral analyst since 2006. She’s worked in public and private schools, inpatient hospitals, and in homes. Today, Katie works at a university within the school of education where she teaches applied behavioral analysis to undergraduate and graduate students. Self & Match is an evidence-based self-monitoring system that’s been manualized. Jamie and Katie noticed that self-monitoring was often left out of a practitioner’s toolbox. They synthesized all of the research on self-monitoring with an accountability component into a format where professionals could pick it up and implement their own system. Here, they walk us through the five core steps of the Self & Match system and why it stands out from other interventions. They also show how to adapt the system to each learner, as it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. We discuss how Jamie and Katie fell in love with self-monitoring, the advantages of the strategy, and more. On November 8th, Jamie and Katie will be giving a hands-on webinar on self-monitoring, complete with tools you can use to get started right away. Learn more by clicking the link below!What’s Inside:Why self-monitoring should be included in every practitioner’s toolbox.The five basic steps of the Self & Match system.How to individualize self-monitoring to different learners.Information on Jamie & Katie’s upcoming webinar.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSelf & Match WebsiteSelf & Match on FacebookSelf & Match on TwitterSelf & Match Upcoming Webinar – 11/8

Every ABA professional should be familiar with the four functions of behavior and how to identify them. Here, we cover those four functions, provide real-life examples, and give you tips on what you can do when you encounter each function. Although the functions of behavior are important, they aren’t always intuitive which makes them hard to spot. We can also accidentally reinforce problematic behavior when we’re unsure. Through their behavior, our students and clients are communicating something to us, and it’s our job to figure out what that is. To remember the four functions of behavior, we like to use the acronyms EATS or SEAT. The S stands for sensory, or things that are automatically reinforcing. In other words, it’s something that feels good. E stands for escape or avoidance. The A stands for attention, and the trigger is usually a lack thereof. Finally, the T stands for tangible or engaging in behavior because they want something. Make sure you check out our free functions of behavior worksheet by clicking the link below.What’s Inside:The four functions of behavior and how to identify them.How to identify what’s being communicated through a certain behavior.Real-life examples of the functions of behavior.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFunctions of Behavior Cheat Sheet

As ABA professionals, a big part of our job is to reduce problem behaviors in our clients. Many times, we’re called in as a sort of fairy godmother, expected to make problematic behaviors disappear by waving a magic wand. It’s also common for problematic behavior to only be addressed when looking for an acceptable punishment or consequence, however, that’s not the best approach. Problem behaviors are always telling us something, and it’s our job to get to the root cause. Stressors can come from a lot of places at home and in the classroom, and it’s important to rule out things like medical or environmental issues.When defining behaviors, it’s important to get as detailed as possible so you can begin tracking them. Data collection is important, but remember, it’s quality over quantity. ABC charts can help as well as partial interval recordings. You don’t have to wait until a client is on the brink of a meltdown to teach good behavior, as often things are too heightened to make the teaching stick. Teaching in a calm environment is much more effective. Changing how we interact with our students can make a huge difference as well. Focusing on their strengths and providing choices sets them up for success so they can work on things as a team.To get our free frequency graph, click the link below.What’s Inside:Why it’s important to address root causes of problematic behavior and rule out external factors. How to collect data and define problematic behavior.How adjustments in your own behavior can set your students up for success.Strategies for dealing with problematic behaviors in the moment.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFree Frequency Graph Template

It can be difficult to incorporate ABA principles in a classroom setting, and here, we provide tips on how to do so. It can be frustrating when you have children in the classroom that don’t seem to be picking up skills at the same rates as the rest of the class. Fortunately, ABA offers plenty of helpful solutions for those kids who might not fit into the standard boxes. For example, using visuals instead of relying on talking alone during teaching can help better support, certain learners. Timers can be a great aide as well.Using reinforcement can be hugely beneficial too, both positive and negative. Some might be hesitant to use reinforcement because it feels like bribing, but it all depends on timing and when the reinforcer is introduced. It’s also important to set your students up for success when using reinforcement strategies so the end goal can be reasonably obtained. Sensory issues are common in the classroom and some kids might avoid situations or tasks because they’re uncomfortable. Having a special area with stim toys or relaxation items can make a huge difference. Teachers should also strive to incorporate socialization into their curriculum, as these are lifelong skills that make kids successful. Check out our free resource on tolerating transitions by clicking the link below.What’s Inside:How to incorporate ABA principles in general and special education settings.How to use visuals and reinforcement systems in the classroom.How to tackle sensory issues.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramTolerating Transitions – Free Resource

An independent activity schedule (IAS) is a set of pictures or words that signals a child to complete a group of activities. An IAS enables the child to do activities independently with minimal supervision. It can give a child a chance to engage in purposeful activities at home or at school. Here, we cover the basics of putting an IAS together as well as provide tips on how to teach this to a learner.In addition to the huge benefits an IAS can have in the classroom, it can also work wonders in a home setting. For example, using an IAS can help kids get tasks completed before getting access to their favorite TV show or video game. We’ll show you examples of what an IAS looks like so you can create your own based on your goals and preferences. We also cover the three main phases of an IAS, how to incorporate open-ended activities, prompting, and data collection best practices.Click the link below for our free IAS resources.What’s Inside:IAS examples and how to build one.How an IAS can help in both home and school settings.The three main phases of an IAS.IAS data collection best practices.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFree IAS Resources

There are several types of reinforcement you can use, and it’s important to know how to use each technique properly. Reinforcement is one of our most common tools, but we often hear from other teachers and practitioners that it isn’t working. At that point, it helps to ask more questions to try to uncover the problem. If reinforcement isn’t set up properly or doesn’t set the client up for success, then of course it won’t work! Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to ensure success with reinforcement, and we dive into them here.The definition of reinforcement is using some type of item or preferred activity to increase the future likelihood of desired behavior. Many people get this concept confused, thinking negative reinforcement is when something bad happens and positive is the opposite when in reality, the goal of both is to increase the desired behavior going forward. Another thing to keep in mind is that with reinforcement, we’re focusing on reinforcing a behavior, not an individual. Each child will have different motivators, so use their interests to come up with reinforcement that works. Reinforcement shouldn’t happen only during challenging times; it should be an ongoing process. To get a copy of our free reinforcement checklist, click on the link below.What’s Inside:The difference between positive and negative reinforcementWhy it’s important to use your clients’ interests when using reinforcementThe difference between a reinforcement and a bribeTechniques to make reinforcement work for youMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFree Reinforcement Checklist

We implement task analysis as a way of teaching skills and taking data. Here, we dive into all things task analysis and how it can help you and your clients succeed. Task analysis doesn’t have to be big, and it’s really about breaking any size task down into smaller steps. We all do this on a regular basis throughout our everyday lives, especially when it comes to tackling a big project or assignment. Breaking things down into smaller parts makes things more manageable and achievable. Many of our students need this type of learning as well as an explanation of what each individual step means.  Traditionally, when we think of task analysis, we think of basic tasks like showering and other hygienic care needs, but sometimes it can be used to tackle things like to-do lists. It can also help therapy teams work together and prioritize tasks to better serve the client and their goals. We cover how to come up with your task analysis list as well as how to know when to increase or decrease the amount of detail. We also discuss forward and backward chaining, creating a visual schedule, and why choose task analysis over other forms of data collection.Make sure to check out our free task analysis template by clicking the link below.What’s Inside:What is task analysis and how it helps makes life easier.How to compile a task analysis list.Forward chaining vs backward chaining.Why use task analysis over other forms of data collection.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Often in an ABA program, we’re teaching kids multiple skills at once. For example, we might be teaching a student to mand for cookie, but we may also be teaching them to identify items, introducing gross motor imitation, and following directions. Students will sometimes engage in multiple responses because they believe that’s what you want to see, and that’s essentially what scrolling behavior is.It's important to be aware of scrolling and know how to deal with it from the very beginning. Teaching skills "cleanly” is key so the student doesn’t run through any other responses from overlapping instruction. Scrolling can be physical or verbal, and kids often scroll because they’re looking for whatever will give them reinforcement. As practitioners, whenever we’re unclear on reinforcement contingencies, there’s a greater chance that scrolling will occur. We cover helpful tips and strategies to prevent and manage scrolling through error correction procedures and transfer trials. To get a copy of our Visual Transfer Trial Cheat Sheet, head to the link below.What’s Inside:What is scrolling and what does it look like when you’re working with a client?Why kids scroll and the types of scrolling they may exhibit.Strategies to prevent and work through scrolling behaviors.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramVisual Transfer Trial Cheat Sheet

Baseline data is so important and as an ABA professional, it’s key that we know how to use it effectively. Whenever we’re working with a client and we don’t seem to be getting anywhere in terms of changing a behavior, it’s helpful to return to the baseline and compare it to post-treatment. This gives you a really good picture of whether or not that treatment is working. Even when working with a challenging case, going back to reference the baseline data reveals a lot about that particular intervention.Baseline data can refer to data related to skill acquisition and behavior reduction. We collect data on lots of things, but those are usually the two main areas. In other words, where we want to see a behavior increasing, and where we want to see it decreasing. We cover both as well as what kind of baseline data to collect. We also discuss when to take frequency or duration data, touch on ABC data collection, and the difference between pre-testing and baseline data.For access to our free baseline reference guide, click the link below. What’s Inside:What baseline data is and why it’s important.Skill acquisition and behavior reduction and what data to collect.When to take frequency or duration data.The difference between a pre-test and baseline data.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramHow To ABA Baseline Reference Guide

Robert Schramm is a behavioral analyst and education and parenting specialist who’s really doing some necessary and valuable things for the field of ABA. Robert was an educator first and started out in physical education in California. He then moved into special education and became an occlusion specialist and was tasked with helping disabled children in regular classrooms. Robert eventually found his way to behavioral analysis in pursuit of finding a method of instructional motivation. He and his wife then moved to Germany for children with ASD. They also helped trained parents in behavioral analysis so they could use the techniques at home. Through that process, he discovered how to translate the principles to language and methods that parents can understand. This eventually led him to create the 7 Steps of Instructional Control.Robert shares how he’s been able to train parents to become better than some of the practitioners he’s worked with in the states. Parent training models are becoming more prevalent, as it’s a more comprehensive approach to making a lasting impact. When everyone who spends time with a child knows how to work with them, they make a lot more progress. Robert also applies his principles to general parenting, as they aren’t dependent on any specific diagnosis. The principles help people develop better relationships throughout the entire household. Currently, Robert is working on a program called “Just 7 Steps” to help families become better parents through behavioral analysis.What’s Inside:How and why Robert created the 7 Steps of Instructional Control.Why parent training is so important.How the 7 Steps helps parents with all types of children.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramJust7Steps.comJust 7 Steps on YouTube Just 7 Steps Podcast 

Today, we’re excited to be hosting Rose Griffin. She’s a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and BCBA and the founder of ABA Speech. Rose has 20 years of experience and there are less than 500 professionals that are dual-certified. Ever since her graduate placement, she’s really felt the pull to work with autistic children and others who have been deemed hard to reach. Rose realized that this work changes lives after working in an ABA center and seeing so many great success stories. We’ve known Rose for a couple of years now and we’re working on some projects together. It’s always great to connect with professionals through our online community.Rose also has her own podcast called Autism Outreach. One of her main goals is to educate other SLPs and give them the right tools to use in their own practices. When Rose started her career, she didn’t have the resources we have today. Rose has two courses to help professionals understand what type of assessments to use and how intervention should look like from a communication standpoint. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to speech and language, and it’s all individualized based on who you are working with. What’s Inside:Rose’s career journey.Rose’s courses and how they can help ABA professionals.Why SLP and BCBA collaboration is important.Advice for a newly minted BCBA.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramABASpeech.orgAutism Outreach Podcast

Today, we’re talking all about verbal operants, as they’re one of the most components parts of work in the field that are often quite confusing. We’ll show you what you might want to teach and in what order. Verbal operants can be tough to understand, especially when you’re new. There are so many components to language, above and beyond the words we’re saying. How we use and understand words play a huge role as well as actions, images, and how we absorb all the information and teach it to our students.We’ll take you through each of the verbal operants and what they mean. Conceptual understanding of these operants is key. When we’re teaching these operants, especially at the intraverbal level, make sure the student fully understands to avoid getting simple scrolling responses. They’ll typically need to master some of the simpler operants first, like receptive or tacting. It’s not enough to teach all of the operants in isolation, so keep this in mind when developing a program. We wrap up by sharing our thoughts on the best way to teach operants so your instruction can be as effective as possible. We also touch on what to do if a student isn’t making progress.Don’t forget to check out our free verbal operants guide by clicking the link below!What’s Inside:What the verbal operants are and examples of each.Why conceptual understanding is important.The best way to teach operants.What to do when a student isn’t making progress.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramVerbal Operants Guide

Barbara Heidenreich is an expert exotic animal trainer. We met Barbara in Boston at ABAI and we were fascinated by the way she uses ABA and behavioral principles in animal training. Barbara specializes in working with animals and she works mostly with zoos and facilities that care for exotic species. She also works with veterinary professionals and conservationists. Veterinary medicine is now becoming more focused on cooperative care, reducing animal stress, and making the animal care experience fear-free. Behavioral analysis fits perfectly with this new focus, and like traditional ABA, it’s centered around compassion.Just like with humans, when animals exhibit behavioral issues, there’s always a reason behind them, and Barbara applies the science of ABA in her profession. Also, like people, it’s always important to understand a particular species’ habits and tendencies to help come up with the best behavioral solutions. She also shares a great story about correcting problematic behavior in a rare bird in New Zealand that you won’t want to miss.What’s Inside:Barbara’s journey and how she developed her career.How the ABA principles can be applied to animal trainingStories from Barbara’s experience working with animals.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramAnimalTrainingFundamentals.com

In behavior analysis, we love our acronyms! Today, we’re talking about what the ABC’s of behavior are. We’ll share how you can take ABC data, why it’s so important, and so much more. All too often, we’re faced with compiling ABC data from a large amount of information, which can be overwhelming. Data is ultimately supposed to make our lives easier and help us do a better job as practitioners. ABC stands for antecedent, behavior, and consequence and when we refer to behavior, that includes the surrounding environment and what’s happening as well. There’s always something that happens to trigger a certain behavior as well as something that happens afterward, and ABC strives to capture the complete picture. We really want to know specifics around these points, and it helps to keep things super simple. Here, we share helpful tips so you can collect the best data possible as well as how to work alongside teachers and other practitioners.What’s Inside:Why ABC data is important.How to collect simple, impactful data.Helpful tips for working with teachers and other professionals.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Today, we’re talking about what not to do as an ABA practitioner. We’re going to review our top five don’t-dos as a professional in the field. When we were preparing, it was difficult to narrow it down to just five, but we discuss what we believe are the most important things to keep in mind. It’s also difficult to talk about what not to do without speaking about what you should do, so we’ll offer you some tips to help you in your jobs.First, you want to avoid using technical jargon. Dumbing things down and putting concepts into practical language isn’t just beneficial to parents, but also to newly minted RBTs and BCBAs. Second, avoid being condescending. Speaking too technically can sometimes carry an “I know more than you do” feel, especially if you’re in someone’s home and notice right away what needs to be fixed. Third, it’s so important to be yourself and bring who you are into your job. Our fourth don’t is that we shouldn’t be working to reduce a problem behavior without introducing a replacement skill. And lastly, don’t number five is to remember you don’t know everything. We can always learn from the families we work with, along with our colleagues.What’s Inside:What not to do as an ABA professional.Tips on how to turn our top five don’ts into dos.Why it’s important to be yourself.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Today, we are talking with Michelle Vinokurov, who is a paraprofessional and RBT autistic advocate. She was diagnosed with autism at the age of two and was non-verbal until age six. Michelle’s parents advocated for her early on and got her involved with speech therapy, ABA, occupational and physical therapy. As she got older, she gained a lot more skills, including handwriting, and her services were gradually reduced. Today, she works with elementary school students with disabilities and started working as an RBT this year. Michelle’s own personal experiences inspired her to work in the field and it’s been fascinating for her to witness everything that’s changed. Michelle talks about using food as reinforcers and how some of the foods people used in the past just weren’t healthy. The field has come a long way, including giving clients more of a choice when it comes to reinforcers. Making sessions fun for both the client and the practitioner is important, and RBTs should be encouraged to be themselves. We talk about the differences between school and home settings, how to clarify the benefits of ABA for parents, and advice for a new RBT or ABA professional. What’s Inside:How Michelle’s personal experiences inspired her to work in the field .Changes in ABA practices over the years and how things have improved.Differences between therapy in the school and home settings.Advice on how to clarify the benefits of ABA for their children.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramThe World of Autism Michelle on InstagramMichelle on TwitterMichelle on FacebookMichelle on Pinterest

Our guest today is Dr. Hank Schlinger. He’s a professor at California State University in Los Angeles. Hank got into the field through working with kids with autism through his undergraduate program. He practiced ABA techniques, which were then known as behavioral modification, and the results he witnessed in the children he worked with made a lasting impact on him. Today, Hank is a successful author of several books, including “How to Build Good Behavior and Self-Esteem in Children”, which puts ABA in practical terms for readers. There’s a misconception amongst teachers and parents that bad behavior needs to be punished out of a child. It takes much more than a book or a workshop to change this perception and much more involved training is needed. It might be more helpful for agencies to shift their focus on parents and family members instead of teachers. Parental coaching is so important, and some ABA practitioners might be averse for any number of reasons. Using a book like Dr. Schlinger’s helps provide a road map for those in the field who may struggle with helping parents understand the importance of working with behavioral techniques. We don’t place enough of an emphasis on self-esteem and how poor self-esteem can reinforce bad behavior. Whether you’re new in the field or you’re a seasoned veteran, being grounded in experimental analysis greatly helps you come up with solutions for a variety of situations. Thinking critically and problem-solving is a foundational skill and we need to do better as a field in these areas, especially when it comes to training. What’s Inside:Why parental involvement and practice is so important in creating lasting behavioral changes.Why parent coaching should be a focus in ABA and what to do when practitioners are averse.How fostering positive self-esteem in children helps reinforce good behavior.Why critical thinking and problem-solving are foundational skills as a practitioner.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagramwww.buildgoodbehavior.comDr. Hank Schlinger on InstagramBooks: Introduction to Scientific PsychologyA Behavior Analytic View of Child DevelopmentHow To Build Good Behavior and Self-Esteem in Childrenalso available at: Vroman’s BookstoreBF Skinner and the Revolutionary Science of Behavior

Finding solutions for families who deserve the best treatment is not easy to come by. Ling Ly Tan and Jane Button from the Linggo team are here to share all about the organization. Linggo is a company that makes communication accessible for people who have difficulty speaking. It is an assistive technology that supports the learning of language, speech, and literacy skills through an AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) platform. Ling’s a BCBA and has been working in the field for almost two decades.  Jane is a BCBA who has worked with children with autism and other social communication disorders across home, community, and clinic-based settings in Ontario and the United Kingdom.  Linggo was built out of Ling’s frustration with AACs that were hard to use and not the best for her clients. Nearly 60% abandon their AAC within the first year, which is unfortunate because it can be such a vital tool to language development. Linggo also provides parent training for clinicians and parents to help generalize communication. Communication is so complex, and it requires an interdisciplinary team approach. The focus should always be on the best interest of the child. Linggo is customized based on each individual client, unlike traditional, one-size-fits-all systems. To learn more about Linggo, head to the website linked below.What’s Inside:How Linggo is improving AAC systems and language development.Recommendations for interdisciplinary collaboration for those using an AAC.How to work with parents when introducing them to an AAC and accepting a diagnosis.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramLinggo Email info@linggo.com to get your discount code Introduction to AAC and ASD Course for parents/caregivers and for cliniciansYouTube channel on programming and setupLinggo LinkedIn pageLinggo Learner AppLinggo Coach App 

So many of us have experienced challenges with sleep and children, whether from personal experience or professionally in the field. Emily Varon is a sleep expert who’s been working in ABA since 2000. Sleep has always been of interest to Emily with her own kids and she saw the opportunity to provide solutions for clients in her job as a practitioner. With the encouragement of her agency, she started taking additional coursework and began thinking beyond the typical extinction strategies used to correct sleep issues. Emily currently offers CEUs to companies, so everyone is speaking the same language when it comes to ABA and sleep behaviors.There’s a direct correlation between sleep and behavior and sleep and skill acquisition. When you neglect to address problems with sleep, you won’t make any real behavioral progress. As practitioners, sometimes we don’t ask about sleep because we feel like it’s out of our scope. Depending on the client, extinction might not be the best solution, especially if the child is prone to self-injury or destructive behaviors. Emily shares some of the ways sleep problems develop and how to understand sleep in general. We also talk about co-sleeping and cultural differences, exposure to blue light from screens and sleep, and how to consult on sleep issues as ABA practitioners.What’s Inside:Using non-extinction-based programs for sleep.How and when sleep problems develop.Co-sleeping and cultural differences.How to approach sleep issues as ABA practitioners.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramReadySetSleep.com

We are very excited to have Michael Maloney as a guest today. He’s the founder of Quincy Learning Center and an expert in precision teaching and direct instruction. Along with other professionals, Michael started sharing his methodology with other teachers and practitioners. Today, it’s becoming a sizable force within the field. We’re seeing several challenges related to literacy within the educational system and ten million students within the U.S. public school system are illiterate. So many adults fail to thrive because they don’t have the fundamental literacy skills needed to get jobs, and Michael refers to the literacy problem as a global pandemic. Michael discusses what’s known as The Follow Through Project, which was the single largest study done in North American education, started in the 1970s. The study found that the two best methods to help children who were at risk of failure were behavioral analysis and direct instruction. Michael provides valuable advice for BCBAs who aren’t trained in these methods. He also explains why the system doesn’t want to address the literacy problem and where we can start to make positive changes. We’re also going to be covering this topic more in depth with Michael at our CEU webinar in July, so stay tuned for more information. What’s Inside:Information on the Follow Through Project.An explanation of direct instruction.Why teaching kids sounds is more effective than sight words.Resources for teachers and practitioners.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramMaloney Method Website

One of our community members asked a question about reinforcement, and we discuss it in today’s mentorship sneak peek. Even though the term “reinforcement” is used often and seems simple, it can be tough to figure out what a good reinforcer is. This member’s client is a little verbal but barely communicates, and his main behavior is task avoidance. The functions of the behavior are mostly escaped and attention and so far, they haven’t been able to come up with a reinforcer that motivates him. With so many options available, it can be hard to know where to begin.Many people confuse reinforcement with objects like toys and try to guess which one is going to be the most motivating. The best way to figure out what’s most reinforcing for your students and clients is to simply observe them. Watch them play, engage in play with them, and ask parents what the child is into. Sometimes, non-tangible reinforcers are overlooked, like physical movements and hugs. Non-tangible things that are intrinsically reinforcing often come naturally. It’s also important to assess prerequisite skills to find the most motivating type of reinforcement. What’s Inside:How to determine which reinforcers are going to motivate a child.How to use non-tangible reinforcement.Why it’s important to assess prerequisite skills when choosing a reinforcer.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Today, we’re discussing burnout with one of our members, Julie Tewell. She’s a clinical BCBA in Louisville, KY. Julie works with kids ranging from two to twelve years old. She originally wanted to be an occupational therapist but stumbled into the field after getting the opportunity to shadow at a clinic from a family member who worked in ABA. Her favorite thing about working as a BCBA is the connections she makes with families. It's important for clinics and organizations to be mindful of employee burnout. When an organization doesn’t adhere to the values they claim they’re about, it can be disheartening for employees. One of the challenges Julie dealt with was going into a job with high expectations and being let down. At one point, Julie became so frustrated that she considered a career change, but she kept looking for a better job and found one she loves. It’s important to stay in touch with your values and never settle in a job that doesn’t feel right. As a new BCBA, it’s easy to feel pressure to know everything but go easy on yourself. Lean on your network and resources and don’t be afraid to ask for help. What’s Inside:How Julie got into ABA and what she enjoys the most.How to tell the difference between a toxic job and having high expectations.Advice for new BCBAs and tips to avoid burnout.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Today, we’re hosting one of our members, Kailani Bartley. She’s a case manager at CABS, the Chicago Autism and Behavior Specialists. Kailani landed in the field sort of by accident. She originally wanted to become a music therapist, but after working at a tech job for a year while she was in college, she decided she wanted to work within ABA. Today, Kailani just graduated with her master’s degree and is taking the BCBA exam in August. Kailani spent time in several jobs searching for high-quality supervision and finally found it at CABS. Networking with others in the field can be a huge help in making connections, especially when you’re just starting out. Supervision is a two-way street and today’s supervisors are usually thrilled when they get a chance to collaborate. In the field, using the natural environment and being creative with games helps make work fun for both practitioners and clients. If you’re a newly minted BCBA, Kailani recommends remembering kids need compassion as much as consistency. Never stop learning, never settle, and always help your learners to the best of your ability. What’s Inside:Challenges with getting quality supervision and how to find it.Kailani’s most valuable lessons in supervision.How to be creative and use the natural environment with clients.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

A member of our audience brought a situation to us that involves a three-year-old non-speaking autistic child. He has a tendency to open and close sliding doors and also a tendency to hurt other children. He’s the same across all environments. This type of behavior is worth targeting, especially since other kids are being injured. Based on the details we have, it seems like the behavior is getting automatically reinforced. Sensory or automatic behaviors often become the catch-all for things that have no antecedents. Kids will sometimes engage in automatic behaviors just because they feel good.After you determine that behavior is being automatically reinforced, you have to then determine what it is about the behavior that the child likes. In other words, you have to figure out the function of the reinforcement. With our example, it could be that the child really enjoys the visual of seeing doors open and close or an associated sound. Sometimes it helps if you engage in the behavior yourself to explore the possibilities. Once you figure out the function, then you can take a look at potential replacement behaviors.What’s Inside:How to determine the function of automatically reinforced behaviors.How to introduce replacement behaviors.When to reduce a sensory behavior.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

As behavior analysts, we have to know what the function of a problematic behavior is and why the client is doing it. When you’re confronting challenging behavior, you’re going to be capturing it in a behavior plan. It’s important to understand the data collection process around behavior reduction goals. The first step should be defining the behavior you’re looking to collect the data on and getting as specific as possible so everyone’s on the same page. Then, you can collect specific ABC data on the behavior you’re targeting. Sometimes data collection can go on longer than it should and become overwhelming for both the collector and anyone doing analysis. It helps to set limits around the data collection period and to reassess once you’ve determined the function. Once you’ve gone through the initial ABC process, you can then move on to frequency and duration, and we cover how to tell which to focus on. We also go over partial interval recording and when it may be helpful to use it. What’s Inside:Why it’s important to define a behavior first before collecting data How to determine whether to focus on frequency or durationPartial interval recording and when it’s appropriate to useMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

We’re giving you another sneak peek into our mentorship meetings where we share some questions from our members. One member is working on spontaneous manding with a three-year-old student. The student has an advanced verbal repertoire and is strong in several areas but doesn’t always verbally request items. The child also has trouble calming down in public settings and the member asked if ACT or AIM would help. No child is ever too young for these strategies, however, it’s important to figure out what your primary goal is when applying them. We suggest introducing alternative replacement skills as well as role-playing and discussing how both would be beneficial.  Another member asked a question around creating goals and balancing discrete trial teaching and natural environment teaching. The goal should be teaching without making the child feel like they’re working during play. Shayna’s currently working with a beginning learner who prefers structure, so she’s been using more discrete environmental teaching than NET. Natural environment teaching is great, but not every child is in a place where it’s the most effective method. Clinical judgment is so important, as we have to balance clinical assessment with our own observation. What’s Inside:How to use replacement skills and role-playing to assist with manding.Why it’s important to teach regulation when a child is calm.How to best use natural environment teaching.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

In our community, we get a lot of questions from our members and the question for this episode is: “When would be a good time to teach a client to ask questions, or what are some of the prerequisite skills before teaching to ask questions?”There are a couple of options you want to look at which usually are asking questions and answering questions. If you’re teaching the latter, you need to make sure that comprehension is there. We share how we approach it in the most tactile way by teaching the most motivating, relevant, and simple things to start with. Once the student has more manding skills, then that’s when we take on tacting repertoires. What’s Inside:Our thoughts on teaching to ask questions from an ABA program standpoint. Things that can help with repertoires. What you need to work on before teaching asking and answering questions.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Dr. Laura Cesaroni is the Clinical Director of FERN in Toronto. FERN stands for Family Education Resource Network. They assist parents, grandparents, and teachers who require specialized resources for teaching, managing, and parenting children who experience challenges. Laura saw a number of children in her practice that were dysregulated and started seeking out effective strategies to deal with big behaviors. Self-regulation is all about understanding stress and the importance of relationships. Over the last several years, Laura has been facilitating courses around self-reg at FERN, and one of them focuses strictly on parents. The goal of self-regulation is restoration. Stress impacts people of all ages, and how people restore themselves varies greatly amongst different individuals. We’re in a time full of stressors we can’t control or eliminate. However, we can learn to manage, understand, and uncover them. Stress can be high in families when going through the diagnostic process. Recognizing that stress early on is key and it’s important to provide as much support to parents and clients as possible.What’s Inside:Why stress adds a layer to treating behavioral issues. How self-regulation can help clinicians and therapists.Main stressors for parents and related maladaptive behaviors.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFERN websiteFERN on Instagram

Today, we cover all things related to staff hiring and training. When hiring, sometimes personality means more than what’s on a resume or how many years of experience a person has. How someone presents themselves and how prepared they are going a long way. Asking the right questions in an interview is key. When interviewing for a new job, try your best to let your personality shine through. As an interviewer, having a candidate interact with a potential student could uncover valuable information on how successful they’d be in the real position.  Staff training is super important because it sets the tone for employee success and influences the quality of ABA services they provide. The BST model is very helpful for training new staff and getting them up to speed. Spending the first week or two in observation mode coupled with explanations gives new employees a foundation before they jump into the role. In addition to training on day-to-day duties, it’s important for staff to become acclimated to the organization’s culture. Holding regular training for all employees helps reinforce company principles so everyone stays on the same page.What’s Inside:What to focus on when interviewing for a job and what to avoid.Tips for dressing for an interview.Examples of hands-on staff training.Why it’s important to have recurring training for existing employees.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramHow To ABA Staff Training Modules

We’re answering another question from the community regarding our opinions on ACT and AIM. ACT stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. It’s a branch of behavioral psychology that’s been adopted by the field of ABA. AIM is an acronym for Accept, Identify, Move, which is an ABA curriculum that’s based on the principles of ACT. We’re no experts on these modalities, but we’ve used them in the field and have encountered them in training and at conferences. We discuss the ACT Values Matrix and how it can be applied in practice. ABA doesn’t always answer all our questions as practitioners. It’s important to always expand what we offer, so adding these tools to our toolbox can be valuable. Taking a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work, and sometimes uncovering internal motivations is highly beneficial. ACT and AIM allow ABA professionals to go deeper and see what’s driving a client beyond external factors. Exploring clients’ values can help you develop better treatment plans. What’s Inside:The difference between ACT and AIM.How to use the ACT Values Matrix.Types of clients that are best suited for ACT and AIM.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

We received a question from a member on echolalia and scripting and wanted to share our thoughts in this episode. They were wondering if there were any practical tips to help reduce scrolling responses, as their current treatment methods weren’t working. First, it’s important to identify if the behavior is associated with specific operants. Therapist responses are important to note as well. With imitation, if we’re not doing enough mixing and varying, the student may resort to the one action they’re most comfortable with. When we add variety, the student is forced to look and imitate, reducing the scrolling.To prevent scrolling, we typically start with a set of two or three labels or actions at a time. With error correction in verbal scrolling or echolalia, reduce the number of targets until the child masters a few before moving on. Age is also an important factor, as many young mainstream children don’t have a lot of intraverbals either. We cover the two reasons echolalia happens and how we can prevent and treat it. It all comes down to good teaching, considering the child’s skills, using the right error correction procedures.  What’s Inside:How to address echolalia and scrolling with students.How to use error correction procedures.Why echolalia happens and how to treat it. Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

One of our members came to us for advice on how to address separation anxiety with a client. The anxiety turns aggressive while the mother is leaving, but then subsides and the session can continue normally. The data they collected indicated that the problem was attention maintained, but the emotional component seems very compelling. We discuss similar situations we’ve encountered in our own practices. In one example, the parents were phased out gradually until the child was comfortable. The “rip the band-aid” approach or withholding reinforcement strategies don’t always work when there’s an emotional component. Also, having parents present during therapy can be very beneficial. You’ll also get to learn what makes the child tick so you can find a reinforcer that will pair them with you. What’s Inside:How to deal with a child with separation anxiety.Strategies to address the issue with the emotional component in mind. Why parental input is important.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Leticia Moreno is the Clinical Director and CEO of Within Me Therapy in Maryland. Before becoming a BCBA, she was a special education teacher working in an early intervention setting. Her aunt introduced her to ABA, inspiring her to blend it with early learning in her own practice. She works to incorporate the natural environment into her treatment strategies and helps parents continue the learning outside of the classroom. Leticia uses a coaching model to work with parents instead of a direct approach, which encourages buy in and builds rapport. Leticia also works with underserviced populations, providing families with resources, especially in the case of a new diagnosis. She also works with Spanish-speaking families and strives to make ABA information accessible so that they can understand it beyond a language barrier. It’s not always easy to incorporate the natural environment into teaching. Leticia recommends having a strong pairing with a child to make it work. Having instructional control sets you up for success in the natural environment. Following the child’s lead in terms of preferences is also a prerequisite. When you’re just starting out as a new BCBA, it’s important to manage your thoughts. Having a positive mindset and living in the moment not only helps you be a better practitioner, but it also helps you achieve your own personal goals.What’s Inside:How Leticia collaborates with parents to reinforce learning outside the classroom.Why staff training is a focus within Leticia’s organization.Tips on natural environment teaching.Why mindset is important, both professionally and personally.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramWithin Me TherapyWithin Me Therapy on InstagramWithin Me Therapy on Facebook 

Today, we’re discussing contingent and non-contingent reinforcement, including the difference between the two and how to know which one to use. Reinforcement is a huge focus as an ABA practitioner. It can also be a slippery slope. When all reinforcement becomes contingent, a child can feel like they have to earn everything. Parents often get confused with the two types of reinforcement as well. It’s helpful to always keep the difference between contingent and non-contingent in our heads so we can let kids know what they should and shouldn’t be expected to earn. As adults, we have plenty of non-contingent rewards in our lives – like that glass of wine or chocolate after a long day. Kids should have them as well and they’re essential for their well-being. When setting up contingent reinforcement, make sure you’re staying consistent. What’s Inside:How and why the two types of reinforcement become confusing.The difference between contingent and non-contingent reinforcement.Why it’s beneficial for kids to have plenty of non-contingent opportunities.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Today, we’re discussing behavior, more specifically, how to develop a functional behavior plan (FBA) and assessment. While behaviors often seem random, there’s always a reason behind them. A good FBA helps you figure out what those reasons are so you can replace undesired behavior with new skills. Many times, a behavior is learned because, at some point, a child realized they can use it to get what they want. It’s never because they want to misbehave on purpose.Before you get started with an FBA, it’s important to determine the behavior and consider its nature. Sometimes there are medical reasons or changes in habits that are the cause. When defining behavior, be specific as possible. Measuring the behavior uncovers more information for you to work with and gives you a good baseline before intervening. Once you determine the function, you can then move towards developing a plan of action.What’s Inside:Why behavior isn’t random and how to uncover the reasons.What to assess before creating an FBA.The 5 steps to creating a successful FBA.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Part three of our “sneak peek” series showcases more from our monthly mentorship meetings. In this session, we share our thoughts on using timers for transition periods. We also share resources on addressing challenging behaviors around tolerating peers. To wrap up, we discuss working with the PECS system. This series has been loaded with great tips and insights and we’re looking forward to doing more of these! We love being able to brainstorm and problem solve with our community, which includes some of the most intelligent, supportive individuals. You can also be a part of this monthly mentorship meetings and we guarantee these will be very helpful to you whether you’re a parent, carer or educator. For more information on becoming a member so you can join us on the next call, head to our website by clicking the link below.   What’s Inside:Thoughts around using timers for transitions.Resources for dealing with clients who have trouble tolerating peers.How to assess if working with PECS is right for your client and how to use it.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Welcome to Part 2 of our “sneak peek” series where we give you a behind-the-scenes look into our monthly mentorship meetings. Every month, members of the How To ABA community get together to discuss what’s going on in the field. It’s a great place to share resources and connect with other professionals. In this second session, we’ll cover techniques to help kids tolerate losing, treating oppositional behavior, and different assessment tools for social skills. We break down our strategies and share insights, such as reinforcement, that will help you with your students or kids. There are a lot of gold nuggets in this part and we’re so excited to be able to share them with you!Want to join us on our next call? Head to our website by clicking the link below to become an official member!What’s Inside:How to teach a child to tolerate losing.Strategies for working with oppositional behavior.Assessment tools for social skills.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

In these next few podcasts, we wanted to give you a sneak peek into our monthly mentorship meetings. These meetings are dedicated to answering questions from How To ABA members. Every month, we meet to discuss a variety of different issues as it relates to being a BCBA in today’s environment. During this first sneak peek, some of the topics include working with attention-seeking learners, tips to help RBTs to stay engaged with clients, and ideas for sensory social routines.To join us on the next monthly membership call, become a member of the behavior resource by visiting our website below.  What’s Inside:How to work with attention-seeking learners.How to help RBTs stay energized and engaged.Suggestions for sensory social routines. Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

The field of ABA is constantly growing and evolving. After being in the field for several years, we wanted to share our perspectives on what has changed and what still needs to change. Our field is making great strides in moving from the perception that ABA “fixes” kids to honoring who they are as people. Shayna has been in the field since 1997 and shares what it was like when she was first starting out. Nobody really knew what autism really was, let alone ABA. Supervision looked a lot different, and treatment was focused heavily on language and making kids “seem normal”. Referring to ABA as therapy and treatment makes it seem like our main goal is still to fix people. Moving towards having it be known as education or skill acquisition could help us frame the field in a more positive way. Even those who work in the field might still think about it as a rigid system. ABA is much more compassionate than it used to be and much more focused on positive reinforcement.  Cultural competence and a client-centric approach is coming more to the forefront, as well as being more oriented towards client goals. The perception starts with us as practitioners.What’s Inside:What the field of ABA was like 25 years ago. How ABA has grown into a more positive, student-focused approach.How we can change the perception of ABA.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Rachel Torrance is a BCBA and the Assistant Regional Vice President at Cultivate Behavioral Health and Education. She’s also the co-owner of a company called Supervision Academy, a remote supervision training agency. ABA was a huge component of her special education studies and gained a lot of hands-on experience through teaching in the classroom. She eventually left the classroom to become a consultant and a BCBA. If you’re a new BCBA, Rachel recommends that you always ask questions and be open to learning. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is important to be successful in the field and helps you avoid burnout. She also has some great suggestions for how the field can improve going forward, especially within the realm of positive reinforcement and a richer assessment process. We collaborated with Rachel and her business partner, Rose, to create the ABA forum last year in March. It was a great success, and we are so excited to do it again this year! We’ll be hosting the 2022 ABA forum on February 8, 9, and 10. This year, we have six phenomenal speakers lined up. It’s free to attend, with an extra fee if you would like to receive CE credit. Head to the website below for all the details on this year’s ABA Forum!What’s Inside:Rachel’s advice for new BCBAs.Suggestions for improvements within the field and supervision.Information on the upcoming ABA Forum.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramCultivate Behavioral Health and EducationSupervision AcademyTheABAForum.com

Today, we’re going to be talking about ABA principles that we use in our homes. In addition to being professionals, we’re also moms. It’s so interesting how much we can learn from our kids and how they help us to become better BCBAs. Non-contingent reinforcement works really well with kids, letting them know that not everything in the household needs to be earned. Scheduling, predictability, and expectations are key. Laying down the family ground rules and consistently reinforcing them goes a long way. If your follow-through isn’t consistent, it creates an environment of intermittent reinforcement that’s hard to break. Follow-through builds trust, predictability, and safety. Setting yourself up for success to make things easier helps tremendously when trying to implement behavioral strategies. For example, making lunches at night instead of the morning can eliminate stress and cut down on chaos. Reinforcement can be as simple as a “thank you” or a subtle, teachable moment. As professionals, we tend to oversimplify behaviors, but the reality is that it’s not so simple. As parents and practitioners, we are lifelong learners. Focusing on the good things and recognizing our kids makes a positive experience for them at home. What’s Inside:- Strategies that worked and didn’t work so well for Shira and Shayna.- How our kids can teach us how to become better professionals.- Why follow-through is the key to making strategies work.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Tamar Finkelstein is an RBT who recently finished school and is working in the field. What brought her to the field was her own diagnosis of autism when she was two. Her mother got her involved in early intervention and because of that, she’s had a life full of opportunities. Getting into ABA was sort of like a “thank you”, as well as the chance to share the impact it’s had on her with others. The biggest obstacle she’s encountered so far was not doing more research in the beginning. Being eager to get started can sometimes prevent you from taking the time to look into what centers are the best to work at. In some places, agencies can focus on quantity over quality and try to serve too many clients. A big gap is a lack of training as a new professional, and you can get into trouble if you’re not properly informed on rules and regulations. Changes within the field are hard to standardize because there are so many nuances within different families, centers, cultures, etc. Getting client buy-in when coming up with treatment strategies is so important. One of the key things Tamar has learned is to be critical and have an open mind. We all have our own beliefs and experiences that affect our own practices, and we can all learn from each other. What’s Inside:How Tamar’s experience with ABA as a child inspired her to get into the field.Obstacles in the field as a new professional.How ABA principles are applied in everyday life.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

As December comes to a close, we’re spending a lot of time planning for 2022. We’re really excited about some new initiatives, and we wanted to share our plans! Our members have been fabulous, and we are so thankful for each and every one of you.The first thing we’re doing in the new year is a free, three-day ABA virtual event, coming up in February (the 8th through 10th). The pandemic has proven that virtual meetings work and it’s such a great way to get people together to share information. You’ll hear from experts in the field and have the opportunity to earn CEUs. The ABAI conference is in May this year and we’ll be there doing a workshop on writing ABA programs. We’re hoping it’s in person and excited to meet you live. In our membership community, we’re looking for more ways for you to engage with one another. We love that we built a platform where we can all support each other and want to expand on it. We also welcomed a new member to our team who’s going to be helping us with supervision and mentorship support. She’ll be going through specific topics and cohorts, and we think it’s such a great resource to offer. Spots are limited, so if you’re interested, check out the link below to learn how to apply.If you’re interested in being on our podcast or have a topic or question you’d like to submit, let us know! Head to our website to get in touch. What’s Inside:Reflections on the last two years and what we’re looking forward to in 2022.Information on our upcoming virtual event in February.Our new team member and opportunities for mentorship and supervision.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramBACB SupervisionRegister for the ABA Forum

Leanne Page is a BCBA and the founder of Parenting with ABA, an organization that provides parents with ways to utilize ABA in their everyday lives with their children. She started her career in special education and became inspired to pursue ABA after working alongside a behavioral analyst in her classroom. Leanne moved overseas for a while and then became a full-time stay-at-home mom after returning to Texas. After joining some mommy groups, she was shocked at how many parents were using punishment techniques and jumped at the opportunity to start sharing ABA techniques as an alternative. Leanne also started blogging (which is where we first discovered her!), wrote her first book, and her career took off from there.Even parents of children without an autism diagnosis can benefit from leveraging ABA principles in their homes. Things like token economies and sticker charts can work wonders, especially in transition periods like in between school and summer break. Renaming techniques into parent and kid-friendly terminology also help make things fun instead of too by-the-book. Leanne hopes that, through her training programs, she can save people from some of the mistakes she’s made and help parents tackle behavioral issues without punishment. One of the biggest challenges with training parents is the follow-through. Many parents don’t do the necessary homework after sessions needed for reinforcement to take hold. To minimize some of these barriers, it helps to identify them ahead of time, solving the problems before they start. According to what Leanne has seen, the two biggest barriers are effort and time. Solving these issues very much depends on your relationship with the parents and helping them schedule in the time they need to make techniques stick sets them up for success. What’s Inside:Why ABA is effective in parenting outside of special needs and diagnosesReal-life examples of ABA techniques in daily life with kidsBiggest barriers to parental treatment adherenceMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramParentingwithABA.orgParenting with ABA on InstagramParenting with ABA on Facebook

Nicole Stewart is a BCBA and the co-founder of Supervision Reimagined, an organization that’s committed to standardizing supervisory best practices for the field. Nicole started her career as a behavioral analyst and a certified special education teacher. She went on to become a clinical director at a private placement group and she is now a full-time entrepreneur. Supervision Reimagined is working to reduce the barriers that restrict access to effective BCBA supervision. Nicole herself has supervised over 100 people throughout her career and has seen new professionals come in at a wide range of experience levels. Having a standardized process to follow streamlines the supervisory process for both the supervisor and the trainee and makes everyone’s job that much easier.One area where competency should be measured and standardized is hands-on experience being a direct care therapist. Many new BCBAs come into the field without this valuable experience. Another area is a clinically applied research project or experimental design. This experience could be turned into staff or parent training where the trainee would gain the experience needed to be able to communicate with the different stakeholders involved in a client’s treatment plan. Many BCBAs are overwhelmed and struggle to find the time to provide quality supervision. Nicole and her colleagues provide templates and resources on the Supervision Reimagined website and social media channels to help ease the burden. A common challenge that arises within the supervisory relationship is how to have tough conversations with trainees on performance. A little vulnerability goes a long way in terms of building trust and rapport. When there’s mutual respect and understanding that supervision is meant to provide support, conversations go much more smoothly.What’s Inside:Why standardizing the supervisory process is important.How to have honest conversations with supervisees about performance. How to deal with imposter syndrome.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSupervision Reimagined on FacebookSupervision Reimagined on InstagramSupervisionreimagined.comsupervisionreimagined@gmail.com

It’s our 25th episode! To celebrate, we thought we’d talk about the top five things we wish we knew when we were just starting out as newly minted BCBAs.It’s so important to be sensitive to the cultures of our families. Being mindful of cultural competency and where parents are coming from should always be a factor when developing treatment plans. Daily normal activities such as eating can have nuances that are culturally specific, and we should never assume a one-size-fits-all approach when working on skills. Being an open communicator with everyone we work with is also super important. We don’t really receive training on management and teamwork, but always communicating our expectations is key. Knowing the difference between impostor syndrome and knowing when to ask for help is critical for our professional growth. When working within a multidisciplinary team, being able to listen to everyone involved and going into each case with a fresh perspective helps us learn and grow. Being humble and admitting that we don’t have all the answers opens us up to collaboration and seeing things with a fresh set of eyes. One thing that keeps coming up is the need to lean into feedback on how to serve the autistic community better. Modifying our treatment approach based on these community voices will have a great impact on the future direction of the field of ABA. The field is constantly changing and being a BCBA is a lifelong learning journey. It’s important to always seek out knowledge yourself. Knowing where to go for good information is way more beneficial than feeling like you must know everything yourself. The How To ABA community is the perfect place to learn and ask for help from other like-minded professionals. Sharing with others in the field is such an important part of what we do!What’s Inside:The top 5 things we wished we knew as new BCBAsHighlights from some of our past episodesMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Latocia Robins is the owner of Auspice ABA Services in Louisiana. Her company provides services for individuals aged two to adult. Latocia’s vision came out of noticing a lack of services being provided to those in the school system who needed support but didn’t have an autism diagnosis. She uses ABA to help clients with mental disorders like ADHD and OD and provides services to those struggling with addiction. When treating adults with addictive behaviors, ABA offers a treatment solution that puts words into practice. Putting a plan together and taking small steps day by day will shape behavior over time. Working with children is a bit easier since they aren’t as set in their ways as adults are, but if you can figure out a reward system that works, it translates into progress. Latocia’s driving force in her career is different every day, and it all depends on what successes her clients are having. ABA can offer so much outside of autism, and she’s seen that firsthand. When explaining ABA to her parents, she shows them how it can give their children more independence and sets them up with goals to get there. Seeing the bigger picture and focusing on the behavior instead of the diagnosis is key. Behaviors never come from out of the blue, there is always a reason for them. Sometimes there is a lot of anxiety behind a behavior, especially in the classroom. ABA can help everyone understand behavior better and provides the tools needed to reshape it. Advice that Latocia would give to new BCBAs is to strive to be better than your yesterday. No one knows all the answers, and each person is unique with their own set of challenges. Take everything case by case. Lean on your support system and pick their brains when you’re stuck. Check-in with yourself often to avoid burnout and take breaks whenever you need them. Sometimes clarity comes from those breaks, and you can come back with fresh eyes and new insights on how to solve a problem.What’s Inside:How ABA can help individuals outside of an autism diagnosisWhy the reward system for children is different for adultsHow to bring more awareness to ABA within our communitiesMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramAuspice ABA Services

In the How To ABA community, we’re always looking for ways to support each other. We decided to take some time to share some of our biggest failures to help others learn from our mistakes and perhaps do things differently. Shayna shares that one of her first-ever clients didn’t flourish under her leadership because she felt she had neglected one of his biggest interests. It was a missed opportunity to build up his motivation and today, she would have approached the situation from a different angle. Shira learned from a particular case that aligning with parents is more important sometimes than aligning with the school board. Leading with parent goals helps build trust and connection and parents really do know best when it comes to their children.In terms of successes, it’s key to celebrate both big and small wins. How we define success is subjective, as what works for one case may not work for another. Providing children with a sense of independence through skills like speech and toilet training is always rewarding, especially when parents may have been told it would be impossible. A client of Shayna’s gained so much independence that he can now live on his own. Shira has been inspired by people she’s met who get into the field of ABA after learning about it from her, which is a measure of her successful mentorship and enthusiasm. When we review ourselves in a supervisory setting, we tend to go straight for the failures and are always harder on ourselves than we need to be. It’s important to relive our successes whenever possible as they are reinforcing and remind us why we do what we do.What’s Inside:Shira and Shayna’s successes and failures as BCBAsHow tapping into your successes can be reinforcingWhy advocating for parents is importantMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Staff training is an important part of our jobs. Whether you’re with supervisees, RBTs, or teachers, knowing your audience and having realistic expectations going into the training makes all the difference. Don’t assume that your audience knows as much as you do about the topic you’re presenting on and always start with what they understand. Set easy, attainable goals and consider using breakout groups to make things interactive. Adding video is another great way to mix things up and keep people engaged.Having your trainees walk away with handouts and visuals helps make things concrete. Handouts help tremendously with more technical concepts and can be used for future reference. Doing a pre and post-test helps track progress on learning and how effective your training has been. Senior members of your organization are great resources to help you with training, especially if you’re hosting a large group. Always use stories and anecdotes that are relevant to you and your audience. We are pleased to announce that we’ve made our staff training series available! Instead of reinventing the wheel, we’ve made it easy for you by creating reusable, editable training templates on a variety of different topics. They range from basic principles to more sophisticated concepts, like teaching language. There are ten different pieces of training that can be purchased individually, or you may purchase the bundle at a discount. Click the link below for more information!What's Inside:Tips for presenting to different audiencesIdeas for post-training takeawaysInformation on Shira and Shayna’s staff training seriesMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramHow To ABA Staff Training Series 

Angie Pickering lives in Portland, OR, and has a lot of interesting things going on. She started her career as a typical 9-to-5 clinic-based ABA in 2006 and has watched the field evolve over the years. Angie sees ABA as being in a sort of reflective period and moving towards more client-centered care, which is exciting. Six months ago, she decided to take a leap and started her own consulting business. Angie delivers focused training for staff at various clinics and teaches at Portland State University. She also offers remote supervision services as well, and she encourages our listeners to connect if they’re interested. Angie is also developing an app called “Tracker!” which is expected to launch in February 2022. The app will streamline the documentation portion of ABA training and keep everything at your fingertips. It will interface with the 5th edition task list, so we will keep you all posted.The biggest challenge Angie sees is that BCBAs have such a limited amount of time with large caseloads, and it seems that quality training for trainees takes the brunt. Supervisors often lack the adequate training they need to handle teaching someone new, so they just try to get them up to speed enough to get out the door. There’s plenty of support at the university level, but there needs to be more efficient at the real-world level once BCBAs are out with real clients. If we can streamline and enhance the training process, it can help empower new professionals which trickles down to the clients having the best experience possible.What’s Inside:Ideas on how to improve the BCBA supervisory experience.Information on “Tracker!”, Angie’s upcoming app to help BCBAs.How to access a child’s motivation in their natural environment.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramAngie Pickering/AKP Consulting - LinkedInAKP Consulting

Chris Collins is an RBT and the founder of ABAid Suncoast, a non-profit organization in Florida that helps remove barriers to entry into treatment for autism. Chris had a desire to create something that would offer direct support to clinics and provide financial assistance to families for diagnostics and treatment options. There are many children who can benefit from ABA services but because they don’t have an official diagnosis, insurance won’t cover their treatment, forcing families to pay out of pocket. Chris partners with treatment organizations in his community who refer families to him that are a good match for his program.In a perfect world, Chris sees BCBA as much less of a fragmented modality. Many BCBAs are sole proprietors, so there can be a lack of established common best practices and communication between organizations. There is no shortage of children in need of services, but there is a shortage of providers, mainly due to burnout. This shortage can affect families as well, as frequent turnover means their children miss out on the consistency and stability that having the same practitioner provides. Chris’ advice for new BCBAs is to have patience. Being a BCBA is a fluid profession, and you often have to roll with the changes. If you’re dissatisfied with your job, try to advocate for yourself to turn things around before quitting, as the same common problems tend to exist across organizations. Know what your tolerance threshold is and always try to find the joy in what you do. What’s Inside:How a non-profit organization is providing financial assistance for families in need of BCBA treatment.How a multidisciplinary treatment approach would greatly benefit children with autism and other disabilities.Why it’s important to advocate for yourself on the job as a BCBA.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramABAidsuncoast.org

We received such amazing feedback on our burnout episode that we decided to do a follow-up based on our top five daily habits. Simple things like waking up early or carving out five to ten quiet minutes each day to yourself can make a huge difference in your day. Activities like exercise, enjoying dinner with family, and a daily gratitude practice are non-negotiables for us. Schedules and to-do lists also help us effectively move through the day and we each do them a bit differently. There’s no one way to create daily habits, as each of us has different needs and desires. The most important thing is that we stick to them and make them a priority. Putting time in the calendar can help you accomplish your habits each day. Creating healthy and firm boundaries around what you will and won’t do will also help you keep your own habits on that non-negotiable level. Discovering your own personal values and getting closer to them ensures that your daily habits are personalized. We’d love to know what your own daily habits are, so please share them with the community!What’s Inside:Shira and Shayna’s top 5 daily habits.How making a commitment to sticking with your own habits can create a more fulfilling life.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

BCBA Rosa Casali has been practicing ABA for 13 years and is the founder of Behavior Solutions Inc. Her firm provides in-home care for families in the Miami area. Rosa has a master’s degree in mental health counseling and fell in love with ABA after taking an advanced course in the subject. She knew she wanted to help children and their families and becoming a BCBA was a hands-on way of doing so. Miami is a melting pot of cultures and Rosa’s been able to learn from people of all kinds of backgrounds. Different ethnicities approach autism and disabilities differently, which affects how the treatment is approached and progress is made. Some families have a lack of information and resources to help them understand their child’s diagnosis. Being able to provide this for clients is something Rosa enjoys. When working with different cultures, take your time to study them, even if it’s as simple as doing a quick internet search. Ask the families about what they prefer, especially when entering their home, as they can have varying customs. When you show consideration to families, it builds trust and a lasting relationship. When setting treatment goals, ask the family what they have in mind. Sometimes the plan you initially bring won’t be a good fit with their culture or overall plans for their child. When you refrain from putting your agenda on families and let them drive the process, treatment is more successful. When working with culturally diverse families, it helps to ask for feedback. Taking the initiative to make changes so families feel more comfortable is always worth it. For new BCBAs, the best advice would be not to give up. The field can be very challenging, especially when first starting out, but it is an extremely rewarding career.What’s Inside:How do different cultures feel about getting a diagnosis for their child and how do they approach treatment.Discussion on different ethnic customs within the home setting.Advice on how to work with culturally diverse clients.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramBehavior Solutions Inc. 

Tammy Kaiser is an RBT with a master’s degree in Jewish education. She’s planning on taking the BCBA exam in the spring and is also working on her Doctor of Science in Jewish studies. Tammy’s goal is to use her diverse background to look at the world of ABA through a lens of faith-based values. As a survivor of a mass shooting, Tammy also had to recover from a traumatic brain injury and PTSD. When she learned about ABA at a previous job, she realized that she had a unique perspective and mindset that could greatly benefit the field. Looking at ABA from a trauma-informed lens is important. One of Tammy’s biggest challenges is to balance the idea of being an ABA professional with a trauma-informed approach. Being able to look at a family as a whole unit and taking the time to learn about them and their life is an important part of treatment. Taking a moment to connect with the family and meet them where they’re at can make all the difference in successful treatment. Tammy is interested in creating a values-based system for ABA and focuses on putting children first. Children have just as many rights as adults and it’s important to consider the values and ethics of their families. This can help create treatment plans that fit within a family’s needs. Tammy feels that the field of ABA also needs more neurodiverse voices and could benefit from incorporating more empathy with scientific data. Compassionate care is becoming more of a mainstream topic in the field. Practitioners can benefit greatly from taking a step back and looking at the whole picture when treating clients. What’s Inside:How incorporating faith-based values could positively impact ABA practices.Why using a trauma-informed approach in ABA can benefit clients. How merging empathy and a focus on feelings with scientific data can help the field of ABA. Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Sonya MacCrimmon is a life coach with a background in ABA. She made her way into ABA after her university program in psychology. Part of her curriculum included a learning disabilities course which piqued her interest and led her to a summer camp job, working with special needs children. Sonya worked as a BCBA at an agency for five and a half years and made her way into a supervisory position. Going through the pandemic made her think more about her own personal development and mindfulness, eventually leading her to become a certified life coach.Sonya uses the ACT framework within her life coaching business and merges it with much of what she learned throughout her ABA experience. She helps her clients primarily with the mindset and habit changes. Sonya often utilizes techniques from her behavioral analyst days but finds that coaching takes on a more open-minded approach and takes emotional processing into account. One principle of ACT that is helpful when moving through emotions is “notice, name, neutralize”. When you notice you’re having an emotional reaction, naming it for what it is and knowing that it’s only temporary neutralizes its effects. When you are first starting out as a BCBA, Sonya recommends being an open communicator. Be open to communicating your needs as well as be open to receiving feedback on how to improve. Being ready to learn and understand as much as you can when you’re new can make a lasting impact on your career. Knowing the difference between impostor syndrome and needing to ask for help is key. Lastly, always be open to communicating when you are experiencing burnout and always take time for yourself. What's Inside:Sonya’s journey from BCBA to life coach.How Sonya uses ACT with her coaching clients and merges it with behavioral techniques.Why open communication is so important when first starting out as a BCBA.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSonyaMacCrimmon.comSonya on Instagram

We’ve read so many books throughout our careers that we’d love to share with our audience. Below is a shortlist of recommended reading within this episode that can help you become a better BCBA. We’d also love to know what’s on your bookshelf, so make sure to connect with us and share!— Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Autism (Catherine Maurice, Gina Green, et al.) —  A Work in Progress (Ron Leaf) — Early Start Denver Model (Sally J. Rogers and Geraldine Dawson) — The Behavior Code (Jessica Minahan and Nancy Rappaport, MD)  — Beyond Behaviors (Mona Delahooke)  — The Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child (Alan E. Kazdin)  — Parenting with Science (Leanne Page, BCBA) — Smart But Scattered (Peg Dawson and Richard Guare) — Teaching Language to Children with Autism or Other Developmental Disabilities (Mark Sundberg, Ph.D. & James W. Partington, Ph.D.) — Communication-Based Intervention for Problem Behavior (Edward Carr, Ph.D., Len Levin M.A., et al.)  — Visual Supports for People with Autism (Marlene J. Cohen & Peter F. Gerhardt) — Early Intervention Games (Barbara Sher)What’s Inside:Shayna and Shira’s recommended reading list to support practitioners, parents, and moreMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Patricia Williams is a BCaBA from Jamaica and a longtime member of How to ABA. She works in an international school on the island and began her career as a high school teacher. After observing students in her classes with behavioral issues, she studied special education and began using the techniques she learned. Patricia eventually began her own private school, with many parents enrolling their autistic children there because it poses fewer challenges than the regular school system. She also just completed her master’s degree in education, which compliments her behavioral knowledge very well.Caribbean culture tends to be more “old-school,” with punishment often being the options parents and teachers go to first to correct behavior. Approaching ABA with compassion is a must for Patricia. Taking the time to develop a relationship with a child can be a long road but it is the right choice. You want children to do things for you because they like you, not because they’re afraid of you. A big challenge in Jamaica is that parents don’t always have the funding for services, and currently there is no insurance in place to help supplement costs. Sometimes all a parent can afford is one session, so creating a treatment plan that the parent understands and wants to follow makes all the difference.Another challenge Patricia faces is a lack of resources. Currently, there is no screening program in place in Jamaica to help identify at-risk children. Sometimes a children with behavioral issues won’t get services until they’ve reached adulthood where it’s much more difficult to correct problems. Greater awareness of ABA services is needed for pediatricians and educators so that children can be referred to programs as early as possible. Patricia’s advice to new ABAs is to lean on your community and make sure you have a support group you can turn to. Researching topics and solutions that have already been proven in studies can help tremendously so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Also, be comfortable with not always having the answers.What’s Inside:Patricia’s journey of becoming a BCaBA.Cultural challenges with ABA services in Jamaica.How a teaching background compliments behavioral analysis and practices.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Jeremy Brown (Executive Director) and Jacqueline Thweatt-Burton (Assistant Director) of Certified Behavior Health Services serve rural areas across the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Demand for services is high in these areas and it can be a challenge for practitioners due to long drive times to and from clients. Most of their work within the community is in-home, and the parents are grateful to be able to have access to professionals. The biggest hurdles for Jeremy and Jacqueline are that their states were some of the last to pass reform laws and that their clients don’t always know what ABA is. They also have such an intense need for services that sometimes there are waitlists up to a year long. Another challenge is that parents may have had a negative experience with ABA services in the past, so work needs to be done to change the perception. Rural communities tend to be close-knit, so it’s important to be able to demonstrate to parents that you’re worthy of their trust.Throughout the pandemic, many practitioners relied on telehealth to provide services to families. Jeremy and Jacqueline have seen positive results, noting that the eliminated drive time between clients translates into more services offered. They’ve seen many clients’ behaviors drastically improve and having parents on the other end to supervise while they’re in a telehealth session has been beneficial. The hope is that insurance continues to cover telehealth appointments so that more of the community can gain access to much-needed ABA services.What’s Inside:Challenges of serving families across states in rural communities.Suggestions for promoting positive ABA awareness. How telehealth impacted services throughout the pandemic. Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramCertified Behavior Health Services, LLC

The BCBA field can be very demanding, especially when you’re first starting out. If you’re not managing your time properly or creating healthy boundaries, you can easily find yourself heading towards burnout. Fortunately, there are plenty of steps you can take to ease the overwhelm so that you have the energy to do your job well and make the most of your downtime.Learning how to say “no” is an important skill to develop. It can be hard to turn down opportunities, especially with clients who may want to continue with you after the end of your service. If you overcommit, you won’t have the energy to serve your clients. Setting time limits for family time or “me” time is important as well, especially in the current age where you could be spending all of your time working at home. It can be hard to shut work off sometimes, so don’t be afraid to schedule things in your calendar for accountability.Set boundaries with clients and colleagues around emails and phone calls. If you’d like to remain unavailable on weekends, you can set an auto-response on your emails and even draft them and set them up to auto-send on Monday morning. Lastly, asking for help when you’re overloaded is always a great strategy to prevent burnout. Hiring help to clean your home or ordering takeout instead of cooking can give you some time back to spend however you need to recharge.What’s Inside:Tips to prevent burnout for BCBAs.Why scheduling time for yourself is important and why you may want to use a calendar.How to set proper boundaries so you don’t become overextended.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Summer Mingo is the cofounder of South Georgia Behavior Associates. She started her career in marketing and PR and realized she was uninspired by it. Someone close to her received ABA services when they were younger, and she decided to pursue a profession where she knew she could have a positive impact on her community. Summer’s practice focuses on building systems and environments around a family’s lifestyle and involves them heavily in their service model. They plan for generalization and individualization right from the start.After experiencing some sensory issues, Summer sought out a therapist and received her own autism diagnosis once she was already a practicing BCBA. This opened her eyes to the profession in several ways and she began to change the way she approached behavioral analysis. She’s passionate about teaching people how to have boundaries and she takes things slow with clients. This allows her to build trust with them, so nothing has to be forced. Summer’s recommendations for becoming a better practitioner are enlightening and helpful for any BCBA, from beginner to veteran. She believes that any behavior can be shaped and prefers skills-based training over compliance goals. Being client-centered and forming an alliance allows everyone involved to have a say in treatment as opposed to anyone having the upper hand. It’s helpful to go into each new case with an “I know nothing” attitude instead of trying to compare it to something you’ve already encountered. Having a blank canvas helps you get out of a programming rubric and allows you to start fresh and look at the whole picture. What’s Inside:Summer’s story and how having autism shapes her BCBA practice.Why skills-based treatment can be better than compliance goals.Suggestions for improvement within the BCBA profession and opportunities for growth.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSouth Georgia Behavior Associates

Early childhood intervention specialist and BCBA Lisa Cvetnich work with children from birth to age 3. After finishing her undergraduate education, she began working in a preschool program for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Lisa then obtained a master’s degree in early childhood/special education and got her ABA certification in 2016. Her advice for teachers who are just starting out is to not be afraid to ask for help when you don’t have the answers and to know the ethical code inside and out.When Lisa does her first home visit with a family, she observes what they’re currently able to do and discusses their present challenges. It really helps when you can explain to parents that there is a reason behind their child’s behaviors. Once you figure out what parents are comfortable doing, then strategies become easier to create. In the visits that follow, Lisa will catch up with the family on what’s happened since the last session and then link any new focuses on from that place. Often parents just need someone to talk to about what’s going on. Meeting parents where they’re at in terms of what is and isn’t working can be hugely beneficial. Parents can get frustrated and overwhelmed with how much information is out there as well as with how long the process and waitlists can take before treatment begins. Lisa is also a mom to a son with ADHD, so she knows all about going through these things herself. Lisa’s website, The Autism Connection, has a ton of informative handouts and blog posts for parents of young children with special needs. It’s a great resource for practitioners, too. What's Inside:Why it’s important to create plans that fit with a family’s lifestyle.How you can alleviate parents’ frustrations by meeting them where they are.Lisa’s recommended books and resources for parents and practitioners.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramThe Autism Connection

Vidya Banerjee is the mother of an autistic teenager. At 18 months, she noticed her son was no longer hitting his milestones and experiencing some behavior regression. During a visit to the US, Vidya’s mother-in-law suggested that they seek out information on autism. Although it would take about a year to get an official diagnosis, Vidya and her husband learned all that they could. Her advice to parents is to seek out professional advice as soon as you can, because the sooner you’re able to accept the situation, the sooner you can get on the road to helping your child.Vidya’s advice to a BCBA or practitioner would be to first make sure you’re creating a strong bond with the child. If they get along with you, they’re more willing to learn and succeed. Also, involving the parents as much as possible is important, as consistency across home, school and therapy is a major factor in a child’s progress. As a parent, you can never ask too many questions and you want to make sure you and your child’s support team are always on the same page. Taking things a step further, Vidya went through a 3-year school program where she learned speech, occupational, and ABA therapy. This really enabled her to truly become her son’s best advocate, knowing that the more informed she was would directly benefit her son. Vidya recently started a podcast called Autism Family Story, where she shares information to help other parents on this journey.What's Inside:Vidya’s story of being a mom to an autistic son and becoming a therapist herself.Advice for practitioners on how to best work with parents and children.Why it’s important to involve parents as much as possible.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramAutism Family Podcast

One of the challenges we can face as BCBAs is a difference in culture between us and the families we work with. We can also sometimes encounter language barriers. Ashley Cabral is a BCBA from Massachusetts who works at an in-home agency, primarily with Portuguese-speaking clients. As a bilingual BCBA, she’s able to help her families navigate through a new diagnosis in the language they know best.The biggest gap when working with culturally diverse clients is access to information. Much of the material on autism and developmental disabilities is written in English, so it’s important for BCBAs to put themselves in their client’s shoes. Ashley spends a lot of her time translating information into her families’ native language. Even if a BCBA only speaks English, families always appreciate when you can be a human first. Having a genuine interest in your client’s culture, being sensitive to their norms and traditions, and making sure parents are present to observe in sessions with their children are all ways to help bridge the communication gap. Working in a client’s home is the best way to really absorb their culture, and families feel more empowered when you can truly connect with them.   What's Inside:How to help clients navigate information when English isn’t their native language.Ways to connect with your clients if you don’t speak their language.Why making an effort to understand culture makes a big impact.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram Autism Speaks 

Dayna Parker is the Director of ABA at Peak Behavioral Health, a multidisciplinary clinic in Oklahoma. Her journey is inspiring and relatable to those of us in the field who know things don’t always come easy. Starting out in elementary education, she later changed her major to special education after getting an opportunity to work with an autistic boy from her church. Dayna then went on to pursue her master’s degree and struggled to get the hours needed for BCBA certification. Having moved from Las Vegas to Oklahoma, opportunities were few and far between. She even resulted in cold calling professionals to make connections.After finding the sponsorship she needed, Dayna landed her first BCBA job, only to found out that her sponsoring supervisor wasn’t properly credentialed. This meant that most of the hours she accrued now were useless! Instead of giving up, she was able to access the reinforcement she needed to remind herself why this work meant so much to her. She’s made her way into her current director-level position, despite all of life’s twists and turns. Although Dayna’s work now is more operational and administrative than hands-on, being able to empower the BCBAs she works with is extremely rewarding.Dayna’s resilience is really something to be admired. She gave us great advice on what to do when you reach a point of burnout and reminded us that we can’t pour from an empty cup. It’s important to lean on encouraging friends and family, take the time to step back, and seek counseling when appropriate. The path to becoming a BCBA can be a challenging journey, but Dayna is so glad she kept her eye on the prize and never gave up. What's Inside:Dayna’s personal account of what it was like to become a BCBA.What to do when challenges arise during the certification process.Why it’s important to take time to nurture yourself when you’ve reached burnout.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

In today’s episode of How To ABA, we’re talking to Jaime Santana, owner of Santana Behavioural Services. We were so excited to chat with him because he knows so much about caring for adults. We talk about how important it is to focus on these services since most of what’s available are geared towards children.We discuss the need for a shift in focus from generalized instruction towards skills training specific to each person’s environment. It’s important to get adults to a place of independence. Doing things with them in places like their gym, grocery store, and work is way more beneficial for adults since we’re preparing them for life instead of the classroom.Jaime touches on a big gap in caring for adults, and that’s sexuality and self-care. Adults who aren’t well-equipped in these areas can leave themselves susceptible to abuse. It’s not always easy to get parents on board with making sure these skills are solid when their kids reach adulthood, so it’s important to meet them with empathy and compassion. We wrap up by talking to Jaime about some of his favorite ABA resources and go into why Pat McGreevy’s “Essential for Living” should be on every practitioner’s list. We loved having Jaime on the show, and he’s making such a great impact on the way we care for adults.What's Inside:The gaps in adult care and where we should be focusing.Why independence is so important.Ways to get parents to reinforce skills to set kids up for adult success.Using “Essential for Living” as a resource.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comSantana Behavioural ServicesEssential for LivingHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Today we are talking with Farrah Benson, a BCBA and preschool teacher, from her classroom in South Carolina. Farrah has a lot to share about the importance of ABA in the classroom and what she and teachers like her can do to make that happen.Embedding ABA into the classroom is all about blending it into daily activities. Farrah gives us some great examples of how she does this in her day to day. Working with 3-year-olds, she has to make sure ABA is worked in simultaneously and not relying on table time exercises. She shares how she makes circle time a time for ABA in a fun way!When listening to Farrah’s strategies to use ABA in the classroom, we realized that best practice teachers are already doing these things, and they just aren't realizing it. BCBAs out there may think that it's ABA or education, but when you're doing it right, ABA IS education. We talk together about how we can take tools and resources teachers are already using to reinforce ABA strategies.We also touch on some differences teachers without a background in ABA might have when working with a BCBA. Farrah gives us some easy solutions and personal experiences on these tough things like collecting data, over prompting and working with families. She proves that it doesn’t have to be fancy, just doable.As a BCBA and a teacher, Farrah has a unique perspective, and she shares some advice for fellow BCBA teachers as well as newly minted BCBAs. She emphasizes something we keep touching on, and that is to never stop learning. No matter where you are in your career, keep asking questions. Whether you’ve been practicing for many years or are just starting out, you don’t know it all, and it's okay to lean on your community of professionals. Meeting with BCBAs and other professionals like Farrah gives us the opportunity to keep learning and to share with others these new ideas, perspectives, and resources!What's Inside:Guest Farrah Benson.ABA and Education.Embedding ABA into the classroom.Advice for new BCBAs.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Today, we are talking with a guest, Katerina “Kat” Savino. As a BCBA working in a multidisciplinary clinic and as a mentor to future BCBA’s with Simmons University, Kat has a lot of advice and insight to share. Her background started very similar to Shira’s, moving into ABA from Special Education, she notes how impactful that background has been on her career as a BCBA.As a former Special Education teacher, Kat has worked with multiple disciplines since early on in her career, giving her the opportunity to see the benefits and struggles of this approach. She shares with us what seem to be the biggest hurdles when working with a multidisciplinary team, including finding that other specialties may feel more dominant and also apprehensiveness to new ideas.However, we talk about how new ideas can be one of the best parts of working in a team of multiple disciplines. Kat emphasizes that regardless of your work setting, clinic or private, creating a network of various services is so important, whether it to be to learn from or reach out to for cases and situations outside your professional scope.We also outline and advise you on how to deal with different approaches and different opinions when creating a plan for your clients with your team. Kat tells us how she maintains communication and makes compromises through the process.Throughout the episode, we are focusing on being open and being humble. These attitudes are key when taking on a multidisciplinary approach. Kat also gives us her best advice, an important way of thinking she has picked up along her career journey, to be a lifelong learner. As a BCBA working on a multidisciplinary team, it's important to be confident and know your stuff, but also learn from others. We remind you that in every aspect of this field, whether it be with your team or with a specific client, it is about what you are doing now, not what you were doing before.What's Inside:Multidisciplinary Team.Networking to create a team beyond your professional scope.Plans to maintain communication with your team.How to deal with different approaches and opinions.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Welcome to the second episode of How to ABA! Today, we start off with a spotlight on Shayna, and we hear a little bit about her background and start in ABA, where she is now, as well as some practical tips she has for new BCBAs. I (Shayna) have been a BCBA since 2005 but I’ve been working in the field of ABA since 1997. After graduating in 1997 with a degree in psychology, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I ended up getting a job in sales and marketing, but it wasn’t long before I found that it wasn’t for me. I really needed to find something different but wasn’t sure what career would be good for me. While away at a friend’s cottage, I was talking with her aunt about my dilemma and how I was looking for a new field, and she asked me if I’d ever heard of autism or ABA. This sounded like something I would love to be involved with, so I applied for a volunteer position with ABA, which turned out to be a paid position. I absolutely loved what I was doing and really saw an impact on the children I was working with. I eventually became the director of another ABA program but didn’t get a master’s degree in it until later. After getting my master’s I’ve been a private consultant, working in people’s homes, and now I have a social skills center that also does one-to-one therapy. I really try to keep things simple when working with children and their parents. The most important thing at the end of the day is that kids are progressing and learning. My best advice for a new BCBA is to keep your enthusiasm and be confident. We need to be compassionate to our patients as well as their parents, and we need to remember that we are doing ABA to try and improve lives and give our patients the life skills they need to be successful. What’s Inside:The importance of really getting in there and being hands-on as a BCBA. Our main goals as BCBAs.What do parents need more than anything? Practical ABA resources.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.comEarly Start Denver ModelBook: Early Start Denver ModelBoardmakerHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram