
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
333 episodes — Page 5 of 7

Ep 132Getting Fit During a Pandemic: Session 132 with Nick Green
Dr. Nick Green joins me in Session 132 for his third appearance on the show. In this episode, we discuss: How he responded to being furloughed for a few months. His contributions to Covid-19 research at the University of Florida. Nick's general principles on how he helps clients develop and accomplish fitness goals. How to overcome barriers to fitness, especially when gyms are closed. What are some basic movement patterns that people should train. Some of the great results his fitness clients are seeing. His advice on wearable tech and other methods for collecting fitness analytics. How to think about time allocation so busy people can still meet their fitness goals. How to incorporate health and fitness into a comprehensive ABA program. What steps Behavior Analysts can take to begin work in the health and fitness industry. We also took questions submitted by members of The Behavioral Observations Membership Program. Here are the links to the stuff we talked about: The BehaviorFit homepage. Hell in a Bucket reference (tunes from a simpler time). Dr. John Lednicky from the U. of Florida (Covid-19 researcher Nick worked with). Nick's infographic on the 7 Functional Movements. Silver Sneakers (online fitness program for 65+ people). Onnit Academy (online instructional videos). The Daily Burn (another online instruction site). BehaviorFit on Instagram. Nick's earlier appearances on the BOP. The Whoop Strap (still not a sponsor, but I'm open to it ;-). Nick's podcast, BehaviorFit Radio. Used sporting goods store, Play it Again Sports. My favorite music education YouTube channel. Bannerman, et al (1990). Balancing the right to habilitation with the right to personal liberties: the rights of people with developmental disabilities to eat too many doughnuts and take a nap. Session 132 is brought to you with the support of the following sponsors: Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings and podcast-specific discounts over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. The ABA Marketing Minute with Rich Brooks. Digital marketing guru and two-time guest Rich Brooks and I have teamed up to provide listeners with 60-second micro-lessons in digital marketing. You'll hear the first installment later in this broadcast, so I won't spoil it here, but let's just say the message should parallel a lot of what we should strive for in our clinical practice. If you're interested in marketing your practice on social media or Google, or if you want to give your website a makeover, I highly recommend working with Rich and his awesome team over at Flyte New Media. And while I'm promoting the stuff on my website, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the membership program. Think of it as a DIY Patreon… Members get access to a private FB group in which they are able to get nearly instantaneous access to the videos of these podcast interviews. For example, this interview has been available to members for two months. Members get the raw feed. That means no ads, and none of these introductory comments. You just get right to the interview. Another cool thing we do is hold Zoom Hangouts with former guests so where you can interact with them directly. For more information, check out behavioralobservations.com/membership.

Ep 131What is Trauma-Informed ABA? Session 131 with Camille Kolu
Dr. Camille Kolu joins me in Session 131 to provide a primer on all things Trauma, and how this broad area applies to the practice of Behavior Analysis In this interview, Camille talked about how she began working in the area of trauma, what is trauma actually, how she screens for trauma histories, what ABA practices are contra-indicated for individuals with traumatic backgrounds, and so much more. This was an interview that could've gone for at least another hour if time permitted. If you're interested in hearing Camille expand on this topic, I highly suggest checking out the New Hampshire ABA 2020 Conference (disclosure: NHABA is sponsoring this episode). Camille has been a leader in disseminating her work in this area. You can check out her website, cuspemergence.com and browse the dozens of blog posts she's written in the area of Trauma-Informed ABA. If you're like me, and you're interested in taking your knowledge in this area to the next level, she has a series of courses available, and you can find those at cuspemergenceuniversity.com. During our chat, Camille fielded questions from the Behavioral Observations Membership group. The BOP Membership is my DIY Patreon. And lucky for us, Camille has agreed to join the membership for a Zoom hangout, either in late September or early October. Once we get a date nailed down, I'll be sure to share the details via the email list, social media, and so on. Here are the links from Session 131: Cusp Emergence (Camille's main dissemination website). Cusp Emergence University (site for specific courses in T-ABA). Felitti et al, (1998). Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. Camille's blog post, Contraindicated Behavioral Procedures After Trauma. Greer, et al. (2008). The emergence of praise as conditioned reinforcement as a function of observation in preschool and school age children. Research in Social Work Practice (journal recommended by Camille to check out). Extinction effects of Renewal, Resurgence, and Reinstatement (described here in Session 125). My interview with Chuck Merbitz. Camille's ABAC/Cambridge Center presentation. This podcast is brought to you with the support of the following sponsors: The 2020 New Hampshire Association for Behavior Analysis Virtual Conference! NH ABA is only a handful of years old, but for a smallish state, our conference has punched above its weight. The 2020 event will be no exception. This year's speaker list includes Drs. Solanday Forte, Deb Grossett, Bridget Taylor, Alyssa Wilson, Camille Kolu, and Emily Sandoz. NH ABA also acknowledges that the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in financial burdens on many Behavior Analysts, so they've decided to use a values-based registration fee, which means that while there are suggested registration fees, you can participate in the event for a lot less if that's appropriate to your financial situation. For more information, check out nhaba.net, and I hope that you choose to join us virtually on September 26th! HRIC Recruiting. Barb Voss has been placing BCBAs in permanent positions throughout the US for just about a decade, and has been in the business more generally for 30 years. When you work with HRIC, you work directly with Barb, thereby accessing highly personalized service. So if you're about to graduate, you're looking for a change of pace, or you just want to know if the grass really is greener on the other side, head over to HRIColorado.com to schedule a confidential chat right away.

Ep 130Saving CalABA: Session 130 with Jennifer Harris and Greg Elsky
I've never attended CalABA. In fact, I've never even set foot in the state. And while I live all the way across the country, I recognize the importance of Behavior Analysts banding together to advocate for our clients, our communities, and of course, our profession. When CalABA had to cancel their conference in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the timing was such that they were not able to recoup the costs associated with hotel reservations, conference venues, and the like. The amount of money CalABA lost from this "black swan" type of event was staggering. In this podcast, Drs. Jennifer Harris and Greg Elsky take us behind the scenes of the events from the ill-fated CalABA 2020 conferecne. Specifically, we talk about what it was like leading up to the scheduled conference itself during the infancy of the Covid-19 pandemic, how they learned they had to cancel the event, what it was like to share this news with the attendees who were streaming into the venue, and we talk at length about the devastating financial consequences of cancelling the event. We also talk about how CalABA can overcome such a difficult situation with their current fundraising campaign. To be candid, without an influx of cash, CalABA's ability to advocate on behalf of the field in the nation's most populous state will be seriously jeopardized. Moreover, legislation that negatively affects the practice of Behavior Analysis in California has the potential to influence other states and provinces. Based on these factors, I will be supporting CalABA in their fundraising efforts. The Covid crisis has hit many of us in the wallet (myself included), however if you have the means to do so, please consider donating to what I believe is a worth cause.

Direct Instruction for Teaching Reading and Math: Session 129 with Michael Maloney
It's back to school time for children, and in this day and age, school is looking a bit different than it has historically. In my neck of the woods, school districts are reopening with a few different models ranging from fully online/remote, hybrid in-person/remote, and full in-person instruction. It's hard to tell what impact this might have on our children's ability to learn the basics, and it is with this in mind that I'm grateful to have Michael Maloney on the show to talk about his 40+ years of experience using Direct Instruction and Precision Teaching. In this podcast, we discuss the history of Direct Instruction (DI; also, see Project Follow Through Outcome data below), including the simultaneously fascinating and tragic story of Project Follow Through, how Michael learned about DI and applied it not only to school settings but also in the context of remediating adult illiteracy, his initial forays into running his own educational centers, as well as the instructional software solutions he's developed. Michael was also kind enough to field some questions from the Behavioral Observations Members. Michael has also been generous enough to give away free instructional materials, so if this is something you're interested in, check out the site, maloneymethod.com. Here are some of the resources we discussed: Some background on Project Follow Through. Roger Bacon Academy (charter school implementing Direct Instruction). Michael's website, MaloneyMethod.com. Free educational resources. Michael's DailyBA appearance. Michael's appearance on The Controversial Exchange. Michael's book, Teach Your Children Well. Cyberslate (instructional software). The BOP Membership Program. PROJECT FOLLOW THROUGH OUTCOME DATA Huge thanks to the following sponsors for this episode!!! The 2020 New Hampshire Association for Behavior Analysis Virtual Conference! NH ABA is only a handful of years old, but for a smallish state, our conference has punched above its weight. The 2020 event will be no exception. This year's speaker list includes Drs. Solanday Forte, Deb Grossett, Bridget Taylor, Alyssa Wilson, Camille Kolu, and Emily Sandoz. NH ABA also acknowledges that the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in financial burdens on many Behavior Analysts, so they've decided to use a values-based registration fee, which means that while there are suggested registration fees, you can participate in the event for a lot less if that's appropriate to your financial situation. For more information, check out nhaba.net, and I hope that you choose to join us virtually on September 26th! My friends at Praxis CET have two great ACT and RFT classes coming up that seem really cool (Understanding and Using Relational Frame Theory for Behavior Analysts with Drs. Siri Ming and Tom Szabo and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Parents with Drs. Lisa Coyne and Evelyn Gould). These are live, online courses, where participants can ask questions, get feedback, etc... on the spot. For more information, go to www.praxiscet.com/bopod. If you check it out and decide to enroll, use the code OBSERVATIONS to save some $$$ at registration. Two-time guest and digital marketing guru Rich Brooks dropped another 60-second lesson for ABA Business Owners. In this installment of the ABA Marketing Minute, Rich Brooks talks about how to get your business to rank highly for local search results in Google. If you are interested in a free 30-minute webinar on building an effective website for your practice, check out takeflyte.com/abaminute!

Ep 128Training the Next Generation of BCBA's: Session 128 with Mary Jane Weiss
Dr. Mary Jane Weiss joins me in Session 128 to talk about the evolution of the practice of Applied Behavior Analysis. This is the second interview that was recorded live during the virtual Behavior Analyst Leadership Council Conference that was held in April 2020. Mary Jane's accomplishments in the field are too great to list here in their entirety, but this bio-sketch should give you a bit of background: Dr. Mary Jane Weiss is a Professor at Endicott College, where she serves as the executive director of programs in ABA and autism, and as director of the Ph.D. program in ABA. Dr. Weiss has worked in the field of ABA and Autism for over 30 years. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University in 1990. She previously worked for 16 years at the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center at Rutgers University, where she served as Director of Research and Training and as Clinical Director. She serves on the Scientific Council of the Organization for Autism Research, is on the Board of Advisors for the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, and is a regular reviewer for a variety of professional journals. She is a frequent member of service committees for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, including many years of service on Disciplinary Review Committees and serving as the inaugural chair of the Code Compliance Committee for the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code. Dr. Weiss authored the Ethics Corner column for APBA for over two years. She is a Past President of the Autism Special Interest Group of ABAI, a former member of the Board of the APBA, and a former Board Vice President for Autism New Jersey. In this podcast, we discuss what ABA practice was like as she came up in her training and early career, and trace that arc up to what she's doing these days as the Executive Director of Programs in ABA and Autism at Endicott College. We also discuss what Mary Jane would do to change the training of new BCBA's if she had that proverbial magic wand, why she really likes teaching online, what makes for good instructional design, how to improve the quality of ABA training, why it's important to have a broad philosophical and conceptual background in Behavior Analysis, how to work well with other professions, and her thoughts on the Autism-centric perception of our profession. And if you listen to any part of the podcast at all, be sure to listen to her closing advice for BCBA's of all experience levels. In short, if you're interested in where our field is going, this is the podcast for you. During our conversation, we discussed the following resources: Let Me Hear Your Voice, by Catherine Maurice. Oliver, Pratt, and Normand (2015). A survey of functional behavior assessment methods used by behavior analysts in practice. LaFrance, et al., (2019). Multidisciplinary Teaming: Enhancing collaboration and increased understanding. ASHA position statement on Rapid Prompting Methods. ASHA position statement on Facilitated Communication. I'd like to thank long-time listener Jim from Colorado, for helping me prepare for this interview, the BALC for making this opportunity happen, and the following sponsors: The 2020 New Hampshire Association for Behavior Analysis Virtual Conference! NH ABA is only a handful of years old, but for a smallish state, our conference has punched above its weight. The 2020 event will be no exception. This year's speaker list includes Drs. Solanday Forte, Deb Grossett, Bridget Taylor, Alyssa Wilson, Camille Kolu, and Emily Sandoz. NH ABA also acknowledges that the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in financial burdens on many Behavior Analysts, so they've decided to use a values-based registration fee, which means that while there are suggested registration fees, you can participate in the event for a lot less if that's appropriate to your financial situation. For more information, check out nhaba.net, and I hope that you choose to join us virtually on September 26th! My friends at Praxis CET have two great ACT and RFT classes coming up that seem really cool (Understanding and Using Relational Frame Theory for Behavior Analysts with Drs. Siri Ming and Tom Szabo and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Parents with Drs. Lisa Coyne and Evelyn Gould). These are live, online courses, where participants can ask questions, get feedback, etc... on the spot. For more information, go to www.praxiscet.com/bopod. If you check it out and decide to enroll, use the code OBSERVATIONS to save some $$$ at registration. Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings and podcast-specific discounts over at behavioruniversity.com/observations.

Ep 127What is Behavioral Sports Psychology? Session 127 with Brandon May
As we discussed in the recent Inside JABA Series podcast, Applied Behavior Analysis has a long history of helping people improve their fitness, nutrition, and overall well-being. In Session 127, Brandon May joins me to delve into this history a little further, while at the same time highlighting some of the amazing research he's conducted in this area (two quick examples of this include teaching college athletes to lift weights with more velocity, and creating a token economy to improve the health and well being of group home residents). Whether you care about these topics or not, there are a lot of great lessons about applying ABA in non-ASD/DD areas, so I encourage you to listen to the episode in it's entirety, particularly as we go down some really interesting rabbit holes towards the end of the show. Brandon received his BA in Psychology and Neuroscience from the University of Colorado and his Master's in Social Work and ABA from Saint Louis University. Right now, he's trying to finish up his dissertation in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, all while raising five kids, running his business, Elite ABA, as well as supporting other behavioral agencies and programs where he lives. In our discussion, we talked about tons of articles, podcasts, and other resources. I've done my best to catalog them here: Brandon's company, Elite ABA, (they're also on FB). Washington University's Autism Clinical Center. Great Circle's Autism Program. Schenk and Miltenberger (2019). A Review of Behavioral Interventions to Enhance Sports Performance. Luiselli and Reed (2011). Behavioral Sports Psychology. Temple, et al. (2008). Overweight children find food more reinforcing and consume more energy than do non-overweight children. Carr and Epstein (2020). Choice is Relative: Reinforcing Value of Food and Activity in Obesity Treatment. May and Treadwell (2020). Increasing Exercise Intensity: Teaching High-Intensity Interval Training to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities Using a Lottery Reinforcement System. Dixon et al., (2019). The Effects of Brief Mindfulness Training on Momentary Impulsivity. The Whoop Strap. Session 70 with Neil Deochand. Session 64 with Jim Moore. Session 65 with Matt Normand. Session 47 and Session 105 with Nick Green. The Controversial Exchange episode 26 (guest: Brett Yarris). Thinking Basketball (podcast). This podcast is sponsored by the following: The 2020 New Hampshire Association for Behavior Analysis Virtual Conference! NH ABA is only a handful of years old, but for a smallish state, our conference has punched above its weight. The 2020 event will be no exception. This year's speaker list includes Drs. Solanday Forte, Deb Grossett, Bridget Taylor, Alyssa Wilson, Camille Kolu, and Emily Sandoz. NH ABA also acknowledges that the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in financial burdens on many Behavior Analysts, so they've decided to use a values-based registration fee, which means that while there are suggested registration fees, you can participate in the event for a lot less if that's appropriate to your financial situation. For more information, check out nhaba.net, and I hope that you choose to join us virtually on September 26th! My friends at Praxis CET have two great ACT and RFT classes coming up that seem really cool (Understanding and Using Relational Frame Theory for Behavior Analysts with Drs. Siri Ming and Tom Szabo and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Parents with Drs. Lisa Coyne and Evelyn Gould). These are live, online courses, where participants can ask questions, get feedback, etc... on the spot. For more information, go to www.praxiscet.com/bopod. If you check it out and decide to enroll, use the code OBSERVATIONS to save some $$$ at registration. HRIC Recruiting. Barb Voss has been placing BCBAs in permanent positions throughout the US for just about a decade, and has been in the business more generally for 30 years. When you work with HRIC, you work directly with Barb, thereby accessing highly personalized service. So if you're about to graduate, you're looking for a change of pace, or you just want to know if the grass really is greener on the other side, head over to HRIColorado.com to schedule a confidential chat right away.

Ep 126Making ABA Inroads in Novel Settings: Session 126 with Antonio Harrison
I had the honor of conducting two interviews at the Behavior Analyst Leadership Council's 2020 virtual conference back in April. In Session 126, I'm sharing the first one of those conversations, and it is with a name that should be familiar listeners, and that's Dr. Antonio Harrison (@onecoachdoc). Antonio, as many listeners will remember, was instrumental in pulling together and facilitating Session 120, which was the roundtable discussion with four other African American men and Behavior Analysts in the wake of the George Floyd killing. Today's episode was actually recorded before Session 120, and Antonio and I discussed topics that were important but admittedly lighter by comparison. Specifically, we discussed his introduction to ABA, how growing up in adverse circumstances actually developed some helpful skills, why Bill Belichick is the best football coach in history, (perhaps I'm adding my input here ;-), and how he maintains a high level of productivity. That said, I think the most important lesson is the part of our discussion where he talks about how he's made inroads in applying Behavior Analytic interventions in novel settings, such as coaching football. I think that anyone who is considering making a move to practice outside the area of ASD will benefit from this segment of the interview. We covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time, and here are some links to some of the papers, podcasts, resources, etc... that were brought up: Antonio's current podcast, "Thank you. I love you. I'm sorry." Antonio's Twitter and Instagram feeds. Normand and Cohn (2013). Don't Wag the Dog: Extending the Reach of Applied Behavior Analysis. Harrison and Pyles (2013). The Effects of Verbal Instruction and Shaping to Improve Tackling by High School Football Players. Punished by Rewards, Alfie Kohn. This podcast is sponsored by the following: The 2020 New Hampshire Association for Behavior Analysis Virtual Conference! NH ABA is only a handful of years old, but for a smallish state, our conference has punched above its weight. The 2020 event will be no exception. This year's speaker list includes Drs. Solanday Forte, Deb Grossett, Bridget Taylor, Alyssa Wilson, Camille Kolu, and Emily Sandoz. NH ABA also acknowledges that the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in financial burdens on many Behavior Analysts, so they've decided to use a values-based registration fee, which means that while there are suggested registration fees, you can participate in the event for a lot less if that's appropriate to your financial situation. For more information, check out nhaba.net, and I hope that you choose to join us virtually on September 26th! My friends at Praxis CET have two great ACT and RFT classes coming up that seem really cool (Understanding and Using Relational Frame Theory for Behavior Analysts with Drs. Siri Ming and Tom Szabo and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Parents with Drs. Lisa Coyne and Evelyn Gould). These are live, online courses, where participants can ask questions, get feedback, etc... on the spot. For more information, go to www.praxiscet.com/bopod. If you check it out and decide to enroll, use the code OBSERVATIONS to save some $$$ at registration. Lastly, I want to mention the BOP membership program; think of it as a DIY Patreon… It's been running for a few years now, and it costs the princely sum of $9/month. Members get access to a private FB group in which they are able to get nearly instantaneous access to the videos of these podcast interviews. The best part is that members get the raw feed. That means no ads, and none of the introductory comments. You just get right to the interview.Another cool thing we do is hold Zoom Hangouts with former guests. We do this about 6 times a year, and it works like this: we schedule a Zoom call, a former guest comes on and joins us, and the members have the opportunity to ask them questions directly.

Ep 125Translational Research in ABA: Session 125 with Corina Jimenez-Gomez and Chris Podlesnik
In Session 125, I had the opportunity to speak with Drs. Corina Jimenez-Gomez and Chris Podlesnik. While we spent a good deal of time discussing translational works in Behavior Analysis and covered important topics like resurgence, renewal, relapse, and generalization. We also discussed things like the ABAI Science Blog - which I highly recommend checking out, and what it's like to find a job as a Behavior Analytic power couple! We discussed a several of studies and resources, and I've done my best to list them here: Wathen, S. N., & Podlesnik, C. A. (2018). Laboratory models of treatment relapse and mitigation techniques. Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice. Podlesnik, C. A., Kelley, M. E., Jimenez‐Gomez, C. & Bouton, M. E. (2017). Renewed behavior produced by context change and its implications for treatment maintenance: A review. JABA. Briggs, A. M., Fisher, W. W., Greer, B. D. Kimball, R. T. (2018). Prevalence of resurgence of destructive behavior when thinning reinforcement schedules during functional communication training, JABA. Meuthing, C., Call, N., Pavlov, A., Ringdahl, J., Gillespie, S., Clark, S., Lomas Mevers, J. (2020). Prevalence of renewal of problem behavior during context changes, JABA. Stokes, T. F. & Baer, D. M. (1977). An Implicit Technology of Generalization, JABA. Mace, F. C. & Critchfield, T. S. (2010). Translational Research in Behavior Analysis: Historical Traditions and Imperative for the Future, JEAB. Cheney and Pierce, Behavior Analysis and Learning, 5th Edition. I also clipped this graphic that will help with the discussion (taken from the Podlesnik, et al. article listed above). This podcast is sponsored by the following: The 2020 New Hampshire Association for Behavior Analysis Virtual Conference! NH ABA is only a handful of years old, but for a smallish state, our conference has punched above its weight. The 2020 event will be no exception. This year's speaker list includes Drs. Solanday Forte, Deb Grossett, Bridget Taylor, Alyssa Wilson, Camille Kolu, and Emily Sandoz. NH ABA also acknowledges that the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in financial burdens on many Behavior Analysts, so they've decided to use a values-based registration fee, which means that while there are suggested registration fees, you can participate in the event for a lot less if that's appropriate to your financial situation. For more information, check out nhaba.net, and I hope that you choose to join us virtually on September 26th! HRIC Recruiting. Barb Voss has been placing BCBAs in permanent positions throughout the US for just about a decade, and has been in the business more generally for 30 years. When you work with HRIC, you work directly with Barb, thereby accessing highly personalized service. So if you're about to graduate, you're looking for a change of pace, or you just want to know if the grass really is greener on the other side, head over to HRIColorado.com to schedule a confidential chat right away. Lastly, I want to mention the BOP membership program; think of it as a DIY Patreon… It's been running for a few years now, and it costs the princely sum of $9/month. Members get access to a private FB group in which they are able to get nearly instantaneous access to the videos of these podcast interviews. The best part is that members get the raw feed. That means no ads, and none of the introductory comments. You just get right to the interview.Another cool thing we do is hold Zoom Hangouts with former guests. We do this about 6 times a year, and it works like this: we schedule a Zoom call, a former guest comes on and joins us, and the members have the opportunity to ask them questions directly.

Ep 124Behavior Analysis and Policing: Session 124 with John O'Neill
The killing of George Floyd and others by police officers seems to have caused considerable reflection on how policing occurs in the United States. We first covered this topic in Session 73 in my interview with Dr. Amy Smith Wiech, and if you're interested in this topic, I would suggest going back and checking that one out. That episode aside, I think many of us in America are trying to come to grips in terms of how these events continue to happen. It is with this in mind that I'm delighted to be joined by Dr. John O'Neill to talk more about this issue. John is the Founder and Director of Research at the Contextual Behavioral Science Institute, where he and his colleagues have published behavior analytic research on many law enforcement-related topics, such as training practices at police academies and the unintentional discharge of firearms. In this conversation, we get into a lot of the difficult topics surrounding policing in America. Specifically, we discuss things like racism, gun ownership, de-escalation training, and much more. While we certainly didn't solve "all the problems" in our society, I think the interview really highlights just how complex law enforcement is, and that there are unfortunately no easy answers to our current predicament. Our conversation was aided by the contribution of questions from the Behavioral Observations Membership group. The membership is the podcast's DIY Patreon if you will, where for a small monthly fee, members can submit their questions to guests, get early, commercial-free video access to these interviews, and participate in occasional Zoom calls with guests. In fact, John has agree to join us in the next hangout so if this topic piques your interest and you'd like to speak with him directly, consider signing up! One final thing I'd like to say about this episode and some of the recent shows that I've put out over the last few months. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I've been trying to cover subjects like this one, that seem to be more topical in nature. If you have a chance, let me if this is something you'd like to see more of. This episode of the podcast is brought to you by the following: The ABA Marketing Minute with Rich Brooks. Digital marketing guru and two-time guest Rich Brooks and I have teamed up to provide listeners with 60-second micro-lessons in digital marketing. You'll hear the first installment later in this broadcast, so I won't spoil it here. If you're interested in marketing your practice on social media or Google, or if you want to give your website a makeover, I highly recommend working with Rich and his awesome team over at Flyte New Media. Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings and podcast-specific discounts over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. The new book by Brett DiNovi and Dr. Paulie Gavoni, Behavioral Karma: 5 Scientific Laws of Life and Leadership. It's available for pre-purchase right now. I've gotten a sneak peek at some of the content and look forward to reading the book in its entirety.

Ep 123Inside JABA #4, Session 123: Telehealth and Public Health Special Series
In the fourth edition of the Inside JABA Series, I am joined by Drs. Dorothea Lerman, Linda LeBlanc, and Matt Normand to discuss the forthcoming JABA Special Series on Telehealth and Public Health. Linda and Matt are no strangers to this podcast, but this is Dorothy Lerman's first time on the show, so by way of introduction, she is currently a Professor of Behavior Analysis at the University of Houston - Clear Lake, where she directs a master's program in behavior analysis and serves as Director of the UHCL Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities. Additionally, she has published more than 80 research articles and chapters, served as Editor-in-Chief for The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis in Practice and has secured more than $2 million in grants and contracts to support her work. In this episode, we discuss the motivation behind commissioning this special series, what exactly a special series is (and how it is different than a special issue and special section), the previous work in these two overlapping areas that has been published in past editions of JABA, the topics of some of the submitted papers for this special series, research questions for future work, and much more. While I believe the entire episode has value, the second half of the conversation - the part where we talk about what we do and don't yet know about telehealth, probably has the most direct relevance to practitioners right now. That's not to take away the importance of applying Behavior Analytic principles towards things like obesity, proper infant positioning, and the like, but nearly all Behavior Analysts have had to transition to remote work in some shape or form. To that end, I hope you find that portion of the show particularly informative. As always with these Inside JABA Series podcasts, there are no commercials other than to say that if you find this information helpful and want to earn CEU's for listening to the show, then head over to behavioralobservations.com/get-ceus, and follow the prompts from there. I should also note, 50% of the proceeds from all the Inside JABA Series Podcasts go towards supporting the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. If you're in a pinch and need more than a few CEU's there are volume discounts available for all the continuing ed offerings, of which we have over 20 and counting. We mentioned quite a few studies during the conversation, and I tried my best to jot them all down while we were chatting and have the links below. As always, feel free to contact me if I've missed any. The Control of Eating; Ferster, Nurnberger, and Levitt (1962). A Three-Dimensional Program for the Treatment of Obesity; Stuart (1971). The Consecutive Controlled Case Series; Hagopian (2020). Conducting Functional Analyses of Problem Behavior via Telehealth; Wacker, et al. (2017). Less is More: Psychologists Can Learn More by Studying Fewer People; Normand (2016). Telemedicine and ABA, an Interview with Dr. Wendy Machalicek (2017/2020). Telehealth resources from the Council of Autism Service Providers. There were quite a few more papers that were discussed that will be in the forthcoming issue of JABA, so if you're not already subscribed, please consider doing so.

Ep 122The Case Against Social Stories: Session 122 with Justin Leaf
"Does anyone have a social story for [insert challenging situation here]?" Chances are if you're like me, you've seen this question on the various ABA Facebook groups. Very often, the responses to questions like these generate some controversy, or at the very least, arguing over the empirical support for the use of Social Stories and other story-based narrative interventions. One of these types of Facebook threads popped up a month or two ago, and in response to it, I saw a post from Dr. Justin Leaf from the Autism Partnership Foundation. In it, he described his own research in this area, which casts doubt on the utility of these types of interventions. To be up front with my own biases, I've often been skeptical of Social Story based interventions as well, and thought it would be interesting to discuss this further with Justin. We recorded this podcast episode a while back at the height of the quarantine, so you'll likely hear various background noises from both of our households, though I don't think they detract from the overall sound quality. Our conversation will no doubt generate some controversy, so please feel free to add your thoughts or commentary at Facebook.com/behavioralobservations or right in the comments section of the show notes. Here are the links to the resources we discussed: Justin's appearance on ABA Inside Track. The Facebook post that started this conversation off. Leaf, et al. (2019). A Critical Review of Social Narratives. The Autism Partnership Foundation's free RBT course. Google Scholar results for the Teaching Interaction Procedure. Clinical Judgement, the book Justin co-authored with Ronald Leaf and John McEachin. This session of Behavioral Observations is brought to you by: The ABA Marketing Minute with Rich Brooks. Digital marketing guru and two-time guest Rich Brooks and I have teamed up to provide listeners with 60-second micro-lessons in digital marketing. You'll hear the first installment later in this broadcast, so I won't spoil it here, but let's just say the message should parallel a lot of what we should strive for in our clinical practice. If you're interested in marketing your practice on social media or Google, or if you want to give your website a makeover, I highly recommend working with Rich and his awesome team over at Flyte New Media. The Behavioral Observation Podcast's own Continuing Education offerings. As of this writing, there are over 20 podcasts that are available for continuing education. With discounts available for multiple event purchases and the ability to learn while driving, walking the dog, and so on, there's never been a better time to get caught up with your continuing education. And while I'm promoting the stuff on my website, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the membership program. Think of it as a DIY Patreon… Members get access to a private FB group in which they are able to get nearly instantaneous access to the videos of these podcast interviews. For example, this interview has been available to members for two months. Members get the raw feed. That means no ads, and none of these introductory comments. You just get right to the interview. Another cool thing we do is hold Zoom Hangouts with former guests so where you can interact with them directly. For more information, check out behavioralobservations.com/membership.

Ep 121Coping in Quarantine: Session 121 with Russ Harris
Russ Harris and I recorded this episode about three or four weeks ago, when the world's troubles centered around the challenges with Covid-19 related stay-at-home measures. It's amazing how fast things have changed since then! In light of the social upheaval as people in the United States and beyond come to grips with tragic examples of racism and injustice, getting irritated by one's family members pales in comparison in terms of personal suffering. I had briefly thought to shelve this episode in light of this contrast, but the more I thought about it, I believe that the suggestions and thoughts that Russ shared on this episode will be helpful nonetheless. Please check out behavioralobservations.com for this episode's shownotes!

Ep 120Listening to Perspectives That Matter: Session 120
Since the killing of George Floyd, I've had colleagues approach me with suggestions on how to address the issue of police brutality and racism on Behavioral Observations. To be honest, none of the suggestions were entirely satisfying. As a white guy living in one of the whitest states in America - someone who has not had any mistreatment based on his skin color - other than condemn the actions of those police officers, sharing my thoughts on this event (as well as the broader topic of racism and police brutality) would not only ring hollow, but not be appropriate for the moment. In other words, I realized that I lacked personal perspective with this issue, and while I may have some thoughts on the matter, those thoughts are more or less academic in nature. So after wracking my brain for a few days on what I could do to leverage the BOP platform for good, I came upon the idea for this show: For Session 120, I want to take myself out of the podcast altogether, and turn it over to a panel of African American men who are also our colleagues in Behavior Analysis. The goal of the show would be for both me and the BOP audience to simply listen rather than talk. I reached out to Dr. Antonio Harrison to see if he would be interested in facilitating this discussion, and thankfully he agreed. We then recruited Shawn Capell, Pierre Louis, Larry West III, and Kirk Kirby to participate in the panel. From there, I stepped out of the rest of the production process. As of this writing, I haven't even listened to the final product yet because I want to experience this conversation as an audience member would. As such, I'm ready to learn more about the experience of African American men in our country and I hope you are too. If you find value in this episode, please share it with as many friends and colleagues as possible. I'm hoping this episode is also disseminated beyond the field of Behavior Analysis as well. Lastly, if you have the means to do so, please consider donating to the group, Black Applied Behavior Analysts, (in case you're wondering, I have and will continue to put my money where my mouth is). Thanks for listening!

Ep 119Feedback F-Ups and How to Avoid Them: Session 119 with Natalie Parks
Providing feedback to staff members is essential for delivering quality services, but doing it effectively is easier said than done. That's why I'm excited to share this conversation I had with Dr. Natalie Parks from BehaviorLeader.com. Natalie, along with co-authors Adam Ventura, Erica Crowley, and Dennis Uriarte, just published "Feedback F!@# Ups and How to Avoid Them," and in Session 119, we really dive deep into this topic. Natalie describes some best practices for providing feedback, including how to do so in the current digital-meeting age. We also talk about how to provide feedback to the "difficult" staff member, as well as how to incorporate the feedback process in staff on-boarding procedures. If you find this topic interesting, I suggest heading over to BehaviorLeader.com and click on the Featured Products button, and order a copy for yourself. There's also a 5-Day "Fix Your Feedback" Challenge on their website as well, which sounds like a lot of fun! If you find this episode helpful and would like to get a supervision CEU for it, click here to get more info. You'll also find CEU's on many more topics there, and bulk-purchase discounts are available if you're a procrastinator like me ;-) Lastly, I'd like to mention that I've been running a membership program for the podcast for a few years now; think of it as a DIY Patreon… It costs the princely sum of $9/month. Members get access to a private FB group in which they are able to get nearly instantaneous access to the videos of these podcast interviews, often weeks or months before they are published. The best part is that members get the raw conversation itself. That means no ads, and none of the introductory comments, and sometimes, some bloopers, re-takes, and do-overs. Another cool thing we do is hold Zoom Hangouts with former guests. We do this about 6 times a year, and it works like this: we schedule a Zoom call, a former guest comes on and joins us, and the members have the opportunity to ask them questions directly. So if you'd like to learn more, head to BehavioralObservations.com/membership.

Ep 118Cannabis, Condoms, and Psilocybin: Session 118 with Matt Johnson
You may recall that a few months back, I interviewed Dr. David Cox (@davidjcox_). In our discussion, we spent a fair amount of time talking about the literature on the use of psychedelics for the treatment of a variety of behavioral and mental health challenges. I recently got the opportunity to extend this conversation with Dr. Matthew Johnson (@Drug_Researcher). Matt Johnson is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at John Hopkins University, and he's been a leading figure in this area of research for over 15 years. His expertise in this area is so well regarded that he's been sought out by media outlets such as (takes deep breath): The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Globe and Mail, Daily Mail, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Denver Post, Baltimore Sun, CNN, CBS News, NBC News, The Atlantic, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, Vogue, Whole Living, The Washingtonian, Scientific American, Nature, Vice, Insider, Inverse, Healthline, Psychology Today (pause to inhale...) 60 Minutes, CNN's Wolf Blitzer Situation Room, Fox Business News' Kennedy, the Dr. Oz Show, PBS' Retro Report, Labyrint (television show in the Netherlands), Spectrum News NY1, the BBC World Service, NPR's Morning Edition, NPR's Kojo Nnamdi Show, New Zealand Radio, and Newstalk Radio Ireland... just to name a few. Matt has also been featured in a special episode of The Tim Ferriss Show on this very topic. As such, I'm a little more than humbled to chat with him on Behavioral Observations! In our chat, we did a quick overview of Delay Discounting, talked about decision making with condom usage, and the behavioral economics of cannabis. As an aside, we've done quite a few shows on Behavioral Economics. Here's a quick list of them if you want to get really up to speed: Session 17, A Behavioral Economics Primer, Derek Reed. Session 114, The Behavioral Economics of Toilet Paper, Derek Reed. The aforementioned David Cox episode. Session 11: Obesity, Food Insecurity, Behavioral Economics, and Mindful Eating, Erin Rasmussen. Session 2: Science and Pseudoscience, Steve Lawyer. Back to this show, Matt and I spent a large part of our chat discussing his groundbreaking work in the area of psychedelics. We really get into the weeds, as it were, of how these studies are done, and discuss everything from recruiting participants, the timing of these trips, how participants are supported through their experiences, bad trips, transformative experiences, hypothesized mechanisms of action, what these treatments will look like in five years, and much, much more. And before I forget, here are some links to additional readings that we referenced: MacCorquodale and Meehl (1948). Article on Hypothetical Constructs. Rasmussen and Newland (2009). Quantification of the Anti-Punishment Effect in Humans Using the Generalized Matching Equation. Hopkinspsychedelic.org, a clearing house of all the cool research that's being done at JHU. We close with a fun discussion of the concept of impulsivity. In Matt's view, as a psychological construct, the term isn't very useful, and we get into how he came to that conclusion. This episode is brought to you by: HRIC Recruiting. Barb Voss has been placing BCBAs in permanent positions throughout the US for just about a decade, and has been in the business more generally for 30 years. Like Batman, she works alone, which means that when you work with HRIC, you work directly with Barb and get highly personalized service. So if you're about to graduate, you're looking for a change of pace, or you just want to know if the grass really is greener on the other side, head over to HRIColorado.com to schedule a confidential chat right away. Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings and podcast-specific discounts over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. Lastly, I'd like to mention something I don't bring up all that frequently. I have a membership program for the podcast; think of it as a DIY Patreon… It's been running for a few years now, and it costs the princely sum of $9/month. Members get access to a private FB group in which they are able to get nearly instantaneous access to the videos of these podcast interviews. The best part is that members get the raw feed. That means no ads, and none of the introductory comments. You just get right to the interview. Another cool thing we do is hold Zoom Hangouts with former guests. We do this about 6 times a year, and it works like this: we schedule a Zoom call, a former guest comes on and joins us, and the members have the opportunity to ask them questions directly.

Verbal Behavior Conference 2020 Speakers' Panel: Session 117
You may recall that in Session 112 I chatted with Kelle Rich about, among other things, the upcoming Verbal Behavior Conference. In these pre-pandemic times, the event was supposed to be held in Austin, Texas. However, in anticipation of the stay-at-home orders, quarantines, and so forth, Kelle wisely shifted this event to the online space. So VBC 2020 became a virtual conference, and was executed as scheduled on April 2nd and 3rd. I had the pleasure of moderating the speakers' panel, and I thought it would be fun to share it with you here. This was indeed an august group, and featured Drs. Barbara Esch, Anna Petursdottir, Caio Miguel, Pat McGreevy, David Palmer, and Mark Sundberg. VBC 2020 VIRTUAL PANEL During the panel, we made some references to the speakers' earlier presentations. But don't worry, there's enough context in the Q and A, so I don't think you'll have a problem understanding what we're talking about. The one exception to this is that in Dr. Barbara Esch's presentation, she talked extensively about the book, Enjoy Old Age: A Practical Guide, by Skinner and Vaughn, and I asked her some questions about it, so if you hear a reference to "the book," that's what we were talking about. I should also note that due to the video conferencing software, the audio - though listenable - is far from podcast quality. I apologize in advance for that, and encourage you to give the show a listen nonetheless, as there are a lot of fun exchanges, anecdotes, and lessons from all the panelists. Lastly, I'd like to thank Kelle Rich and her team at the Central Texas Autism Center for asking me to be a part of this fun event! This podcast is brought to you with support from The Essential for Living curriculum. If you are looking for a curricular alternative for children and adults with limited repertoires, especially those without an effective, efficient method of speaking, seriously consider Essential for Living. From now until May 31, you can use the coupon code 'efl420' to receive $20 off the regular price of the Essential for Living handbook. Since we're on the subject of marketing, I also want to let you know about the Behavioral Observations Podcast Membership Program. Think of this as a DIY Patreon program where members get access to ad-free videos of podcast interviews, oftentimes weeks (months in some cases) before they're publicly released. We also hold occasional special events in which I will bring previous guests from the show into a Zoom hangout, and members can have some direct Q & A. For more information about this, click here.

Ep 116Telemedicine and ABA, an Episode That was Ahead of its Time: Session 116 with Wendy Machalicek
This episode of the Behavioral Observations Podcast is brought to you by Behavior University and GoLotus. Behavior University's mission is to provide you with university quality continuing education. If you're in quarantine like I am, take this time to brush up on your skills, or push yourself to learn something new. For great deals for podcast listeners, head over to behavioruniversity.com/observations to learn more. GoLotus recognizes that ABA providers are facing their most difficult challenges right now. So in light of recent events, Go Lotus has decided to open up its data trackers and scheduling systems for nearly 90% off to help everyone make it through these challenging times. Normally $40/seat, Go Lotus will offer these service for just $5/seat for all new customers until the crisis ends. Trust me when I say that they are not looking at the pandemic opportunistically. GoLotus was founded by a mother of a child with Autism, and she wants to make sure providers have the tools necessary to serve their clients, even in the face of economic hardships. For more information, please check out GoLotus.com and request a demo today. OK, today's episode is a re-play of a podcast session that was apparently ahead of its time. Back Session 26, I interviewed Dr. Wendy Machalicek about using telemedicine in the context of ABA service delivery. At the time, she was one of a few Behavior Analysts conducting research in this area. Once this current pandemic went into full swing, I gave the episode a re-listen and found that many of the lessons Wendy imparted are still quite relevant today, so rather than reinvent the wheel, I decided to re-publish the show. I'm happy to produce more content in this area, so if this is something you're interested in, please leave a comment in the shownotes for this episode, or on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. At the same time, I know other ABA podcasters, CEU providers, and the like have created many offerings in the realm of telemedicine, so I'm just as happy to continue pursuing other topics of interest. Long story short, let me know your thoughts either way. Lastly, I'd like to draw your attention to the recent issue of The Journal of Behavioral Education, which put out a special issue on telemedicine. Behavior Analysis and Practice has also published many articles related to service delivery in the midst of this pandemic.

Ep 115Inside JABA Series #3, Session 115: Accumulated versus Distributed Reinforcement with Iser DeLeon
You've more than likely heard the saying, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." In the third installment of the Inside JABA Series, Dr. Iser DeLeon, along with Inside JABA regulars Drs. Tiger and St. Peter we do a deep-dive into the topic of accumulated versus distributed reinforcement arrangements to see if this adage is true in the context of skill acquisition and problem behavior. I'm excited to have Dr. DeLeon, better knowns as Willie to friends and colleagues, on the show. Willie's contributions to the field are too lengthy to list here but to summarize, he is a Professor of Psychology at The University of Florida, and he has done great work in the area of translating concepts derived from the Experimental Analysis of Behavior for use in the applied realm. I'll read you a bit from his bio: "[Willie's] work is notable for its use of concepts derived from behavioral economics, behavioral momentum, and other conceptual models as they apply to behavior analytic interventions. In addition to his impressive research and scholarly contributions, Dr. DeLeon has served on the editorial boards of a number of behavior analysis journals, including as associate editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and editor of translational research for the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior." So as you can see, Willie, along with my other Inside JABA co-hosts, are eminently qualified to talk about this subject. In this episode we reference three different papers on distributed versus accumulated reinforcement. For the purposes of short-hand, I referred to them in the conversation as "Willie's paper," "Claire's paper," and so on. Allow me a minute to give full and proper recognition to all of the authors. The papers we discussed include the following: DeLeon, Chase, Frank-Crawford, Carreau-Webster, Triggs, Bullock, and Jennett (2014). Distributed and accumulated reinforcement arrangements: evaluations of efficacy and preference. Fulton, Tiger, Meitzen, and Effertz (2019). A comparison of accumulated and distributed reinforcement periods with children exhibiting escape-maintained problem behavior. Robinson and St-Peter (2019). Accumulated reinforcers increase academic responding and suppress problem behavior for students with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. During our chat, a number of other papers came up, and my colleagues on the podcast were nice enough to go back and track down those references as well. Hackenberg and Pietras (2000). Video access as a reinforcer in a self-control paradigm: A method and some data. Fienup, Ahlers, and Pace (2011). Preference for fluent versus disfluent work schedules. Frank-Crawford, Borrero, Newcomb, Chen, Schmidt (2018). Preference for and Efficacy of Accumulated and Distributed Response–Reinforcer Arrangements During Skill Acquisition. We also promised to excerpt Figure 1 from DeLeon, et al., (2014): As with previous Inside JABA Series podcasts, there are no ads during these shows, but the content is eligible for continuing education credit. Half of the proceeds from these sales go towards supporting the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. So to support what we're doing here, please go to behavioralobservations.com/get-ceus. Once there, you'll also be able to see other podcasts that are eligible for continuing ed, and discounts are available for bulk purchases. If you're interested in getting CEU's for this event and want to learn more, here is the abstract, followed by the specific learning objectives: The delivery of reinforcement in intervention programs is often delivered in small increments (e.g., 30 s) on a dense schedule (e.g., FR 1). An alternative to this distributed delivery of reinforcement is to arrange conditions in which reinforcement can accumulate following multiple target responses before then being consumed. This episode's discussion highlights three studies that compared task engagement among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (DeLeon et al., 2014) including those identified with escape-maintained problem behavior (Fulton et al., 2020) and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (Robinson & St. Peter, 2019) under accumulating and distributed reinforcement arrangements. Across each study, engagement was increased and problem behavior reduced during accumulated reinforcement conditions. Further, these studies each included preference assessments in which participants were provided with the opportunity to choose between accumulated and distributed reinforcement arrangements. There was some variability across participants, but many individuals preferred to engage in extended work periods for the opportunity to accumulate reinforcement prior to consumption. Learning Objectives: Describe the difference between distributed and accumulated reinforcement arrangements. Describe why reinforcement efficacy may be increased through accumulation of reinforcers? Describe why a preferen

Ep 114How to Keep Your Kids Learning While at Home: Session 114 with Amy Evans
In these unprecedented times of social isolation, public education has made a rapid shift towards a distance learning model. It's probably not a surprise that outcomes will vary for students based on myriad factors. If you'd like to become more involved in your child's educational progress to ensure your child's success, then this is the podcast for you! Amy Evans, who is an expert in Instructional Design and Precision Teaching, joins me in Session 114 to discuss how setting up brief practice sessions with your learner can really enhance not only skill acquisition, but retention too (which is, in my experience, an often overlooked outcome measure). Long story short, the goal of this conversation is to provide parents practical tips based on what we know about learning, using readily available materials (ie, stuff that's downloadable). We did our best to keep the jargon to a minimum, as I am hoping that this podcast will reach an audience beyond my usual listeners. Amy tutors children individually, and is offering these services at a 50% discount during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also recently launched a business that will train Behavior Analysts to bring Precision Teaching and Fluency-Based instruction to their practices, so to learn more, click here to get on her email list to learn more. To that end, your help will be greatly appreciated. If you find this information helpful, please feel free to share it with friends and colleagues! If your acquaintances are not podcast listeners, I'd like to use this as an opportunity to let folks know that every podcast I've published gets posted to YouTube in case that's a more convenient medium. The best part about this topic is that there are so many freely available or inexpensive materials out there for parents to use. Here are links to materials we discussed (and some we didn't; and a huge thanks to Amy for finding all of these resources!): A general web page with links to free resources that are available during school closures: Amazing Educational Resources. University of Oregon sites (per Amy: good place to go if you need to know where to start with your child's skills: easyCBM. Resources (Big Ideas in Beginning Reading). The Maloney Method (Free Assessment + first 10 lessons). https://www.learninga-z.com/. One Minute Reader Fluency App and Audio-Supported Books Math Worksheets | Free and Printable (good downloadable materials with lots of practice opportunities). The Math Worksheet Site.com (great for timings - easy to configure, and tons of response opportunities). Khan Academy | Free Online Courses, Lessons & Practice DeltaMath EdReady™ Application Home If you want to take a deeper dive into Precision Teaching, or if you're looking for other CE topics, Central Reach has opened up their online library to all BCBA's at no charge through April 30th. As with Amy's services noted above, this is not a sponsored plug; both CR and Amy are offering free or highly discounted services to support the field, and I'm happy to share these resources. For more info, go to centralreach.com/business-continuity. In case you were worried, we still do have sponsors for this episode though. Session 114 is brought to you by the following: The ABA Marketing Minute with Rich Brooks. Digital marketing guru and two-time guest Rich Brooks and I have teamed up to provide listeners with 60-second micro-lessons in digital marketing. You'll hear the first installment later in this broadcast, so I won't spoil it here, but let's just say the message should parallel a lot of what we should strive for in our clinical practice. The Virtual Verbal Behavior Conference. Yes, when the going gets tough, the tough go online. Instead of cancelling this year's VBC, Session 112 guest Kelle Rich putting the entire program online. The Virtual VBC is scheduled for April 2nd and 3rd, but will likely be available afterwards in recorded form. Also, I just learned that Dr. Vince Carbone has been added to the speakers' list! For some reason I can't quite put my finger on, his time was suddenly freed up. I hope you're able to check it out. Last but certainly not least, I've been getting tons of great feedback on Steve Ward's appearance on the show. If you like his style, The Applied Behavior Analysis Center is hosting a webinar with Steve on June 16th, 2020. ABAC is offering a 20% discount on this event as well as other offerings to podcast listeners. If you're interested in checking this out, go to abacnj.com and use the code ABACBO20 at check out.

Ep 113The Behavioral Economics of Toilet Paper: Session 113 with Derek Reed
Dr. Derek Reed joins me today to discuss the behavioral economic principles that underpin so much of what we're seeing today as the world attempts to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic. From buying all the toilet paper in sight, to heeding (or more to the point, not heeding) government guidelines for social distancing, Derek relates these behavioral patterns to some very basic operant principles. We start the show with a quick overview of three key behavioral economic terms: Delay Discounting, Probability Discounting, and Behavioral Economic Demand. We then talk about how these processes can be used to interpret some of the fascinating societal behavior that we're seeing all around us, including, of course, the panic-buying of toilet paper. Derek then goes on to describe some of the research that he has done in this area, and suggests some lines of future research. We also discuss some the shortcomings of traditional ABA research designs in studying these phenomena, along with what we can do to overcome these barriers. Derek brought up several references. Here are the links: Derek's first appearance on the BOP in Session 17. The "pop" behavioral economic concept of the Zero Risk Bias. Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968). Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1987). Critchfield and Reed (2017). Reed, et al. (2013). Behavioral Economics: A Tutorial for Behavior Analysts in Practice. The Max/Mel Brooks PSA on Social Distancing (YouTube vid). Today's episode is sponsored by: Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings and podcast-specific discounts over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. The Verbal Behavior Conference will be going down in Austin Texas. This event will feature speakers such as David Palmer, Barbara Esch, Pat McGreevy, Mark Sundberg, and more! They've even asked me to moderate a panel at the end of the first day, so if this sounds like fun to you, go to ctac1.com/podcast, where you can register at a discounted rate.

Ep 112When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Go Online: Session 112, The Verbal Behavior Conference with Kelle Rich
A few weeks ago, I sat down with Kelle Rich, founder of the Central Texas Autism Center, to discuss a handful of topics, one if which being the upcoming Verbal Behavior Conference. If you've tuned into the last few episodes, you've likely heard me talk about this event. At the time of our conversation, the Coronavirus was just coming onto the nation's radar screen, but the "plan" was to go ahead with the event, which was scheduled to take place in Austin, Texas, unless conditions changed. Well, as you can guess, the conditions have changed since we recorded this interview. The bad news is that the spread of Covid-19 has continued, and Kelle made the difficult, yet prudent decision to cancel the on-site event. The good news however, is that Kelle decided not to take this lying down, as it were, and she's now hosting this event in a webinar format. As such, tickets remain on sale, so if this is something you're interested in, head to ctac1.com/podcast to grab one for yourself. Aside from the availability of the breakfast tacos, the program will remain the same. It includes talks by Drs. Mark Sundberg, Barbara Esch, Pat Mcgreevy, and more. Kelle was also kind enough to ask me to moderate a panel at the end of day 1. If you're not interested in the conference, I still urge you to check this show out, as we actually spend the majority of the time discussing the development of Applied Behavior Analysis in Texas, why Kelle started the Central Texas Autism Center, how she recruits, trains, and maintains high quality staff members, and more. Long story short, there are plenty of lessons no matter where your interests lie. This episode is brought to you with the generous support of the following: FTF Behavioral Consulting. Dr. Greg Hanley and the rest of the FTF team are holding a two-day workshop covering all aspects of the Practical Functional Assessment and Skills-Based Treatment processes (formerly known as the IISCA). It will be held at the DCU center on April 16th and 17th in Worcester, Massachusetts. For more information, go to ftfbc.com and click the events tab. Like everyone else, they're taking the Covid-19 pandemic seriously, and so they will likely change the details of this event as a result. If that happens, not to worry! They have a lot of online learning options available, so check out ftfbc.com/services/courses. GoLotus. GoLotus is an easy to use, intuitive practice management platform. From scheduling, to notes, to data collection and more, they do it all. And with no contracts or obligations. Find out more about what they have to offer at golotus.com/register. And If you do sign up, the coupon code Matt2019 and you will get 25% off for the first 3 months. The ABA Marketing Minute. Former two-time guest, Rich Brooks, has teamed up with me to provide a series of 60-second micro lessons on marketing your services. You'll hear the first installment in this episode, but Rich has also set up a web page with more resources on this topic, including a free 30-minute webinar called, How to Build an Effective Website for Your Small Business. You can check it out at takeflyte.com/abaminute. Lastly, you probably hear me reference the show notes to this podcast quite frequently. You can always find them at behavioralobservations.com, however, if you want to save a step and have the shownotes directly emailed to you, go to behavioralobservations.com, look for the red button on the right hand side, and click to sign up for the newsletter. I don't share your email address, and I only send a few emails a month. OK, that's it for opening announcements, so without any further delay, please enjoy this conversation with Kelle Rich!

Ep 111The Case for Humor in Behavioral Interventions: Session 111 with Steve Ward
Almost from the outset of the podcast, people have been asking me to get Steve Ward on the show. If you're not familiar with Steve, he is the co-founder of Whole Child Consulting, and co-author of The Inventory of Good Learner Repertoires (amongst many other books). In this episode, Steve and I talk about his paper that discusses the role of humor in behavioral interventions. We also talk about his concept of "task as reinforcer," and then digress into helping kids who present with oppositional repertoires. We discussed a ton of resources, and I have done my best to capture them below. If you like the kind of approach that Steve offers, he is conducting a webinar that's hosted by The Applied Behavior Analysis Center on June 16th, 2020. ABAC is offering a 20% discount on this event as well as others to podcast listeners. If you're interested in checking this out, go to abacnj.com and use the code ABACBO20 at check out. With a few exceptions, this discount is available for most of the ABAC webinars, so hit the show notes for more details. Steve's ABAC webinar. The Inventory of Good Learner Repertoires. Teaching Good Learner Repertoires. Teaching Advanced Learner Repertoires. What You Need to Know About Motivation and Teaching Games: An In-Depth Analysis. Another 21 Games: This Time, It's Personal. Task-as-reinforcer BAP paper. Using Humor paper. An Operant Analysis of Joint Attention (Holth, 2005). Today's show is brought to you with the generous support of: HRIC Recruiting. Barb Voss has been placing BCBAs in permanent positions throughout the US for just about a decade, and has been in the business more generally for 30 years. Like Batman, she works alone, which means that when you work with HRIC, you work directly with Barb and get highly personalized service. So if you're about to graduate, you're looking for a change of pace, or you just want to know if the grass really is greener on the other side, head over to HRIColorado.com to schedule a confidential chat right away. The Behavior Analysis Student Association from Florida Tech. In somewhat of a role-reversal, Behavioral Observations is sponsoring their annual student conference, which is taking place on April 17th, in sunny Melbourne, FL. This event will feature presentations from people such as Drs. Sarah Bloom and Tim Vollmer. It's good for 5 CEU's and both on and off site registration options are available. This is a student fundraiser, so no promo codes but don't worry, the early-bird registration price is absurdly cheap! For more information, go to FIT.edu/continuing-education. On April 20th, Hillcrest Educational Centers is hosting Dr. Greg Hanley for a full day workshop in Pittsfield, MA. The event is titled, "How to provide happy, relaxed and engaged treatment." Attendees will earn 7 CE's. Save on your registration by using the promo code YEARN.

KPI 101: Session 110 with Rebecca Womack
Rebecca Womack, who is the Director of Clinical Compliance at BlueSprig Autism joins me in Session 101 to provide an overview of the importance of pinpointing and analyzing Key Performance Indicators, or, KPI's for short. At first glance, this may seem like a topic that is about as exciting as doing your taxes. However, when we dove into this subject, my inner nerd was engaged, and I started thinking about how I could use this concept in all aspects of what I do. I guarantee that even if you do not work in an insurance funded setting, or if you are not in operations management - you'll still many takeaways from this conversation. Rebecca effectively makes the case for using a KPI lens in your work. After we concluded our interview, I learned that she was not only battling pneumonia, but her husband was texting her with updates from their barn, as one of their goats was giving birth! So I appreciated Rebecca's ability to put aside these things to patiently educate me on this topic. We mentioned a handful of resources in the episode: Article on Values-Based Care. Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP). Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, 3rd Edition. Panel on KPS's at the 2020 Association for Professional Behavior Analysts convention (details TBA). Session 110 is brought to you with support from the following: My friends at FTF Behavioral Consulting are holding a two-day workshop covering all aspects of the Practical Functional Assessment and Skills-Based Treatment processes (formerly known as the IISCA). It will be held at the DCU center on April 16th and 17th in Worcester, Massachusetts. For more information, go to ftfbc.com and click the events tab. Let's say you're not in Massachusetts on April 17th, but some place warmer, like Melbourne, Florida, consider attending the FIT Behavior Analysis Student's Association conference! This event is also available online, so to learn more, check out fit.edu/continuing-education! Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings and podcast-specific discounts over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. Last but certainly not least, on April 2nd and 3rd, the Verbal Behavior Conference will be going down in Austin Texas. This event will feature speakers such as David Palmer, Barbara Esch, Pat McGreevy, Mark Sundberg, and more! They've even asked me to moderate a panel at the end of the first day, so if this sounds like fun to you, go to ctac1.com/podcast, where you can register at a discounted rate.

Ep 109When Language Becomes a Barrier: Session 109 with Pat McGreevy
Hey Everyone, welcome to session 109 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast! I'm joined by multiple-time guest, Dr. Pat McGreevy. We talk about what he's been up to lately, how to support learners who have barriers in communication, implementing Essential for Living in public school settings, why he prefers working with non-behavior analysts… and we end with a fun and poignant story about Pat's mentor, Ogden Lindsley. We also spend some time discussing the upcoming Verbal Behavior Conference. It's taking place on April 2nd and 3rd in Austin, Texas. In the spirit of transparency, I'm helping the Central Texas Autism Center promote the event, so keep that in mind for what it's worth. In addition to promoting the event, I'm also excited to be a part of the program this year. At the end of the first day, I get to moderate a panel with all of the conference speakers! If this all sounds fun to you, head to ctac1.com/podcast and take advantage of the discount that was arranged for Behavioral Observations listeners. Also, if you're traveling to Austin, the special event rates for the conference hotel, the Hilton Austin, will expire on March 2nd, so if this is something you're considering, I would advise you to make your plans soon! If you can't make it to the event, but want to learn more about Pat, and/or The Essential for Living Assessment and Curriculum, check out their website. And check out their options for online training at eflapp.com/training. This podcast is sponsored by an event that's coming up in a different part of the country. It's called the Insider's Guide to Legal Tactics Used Against Schools: How Behavior Analysis Can Help! This event is brought to you by Brett DiNovi and Associates, and it takes place on February 28, 2020 from 9:30am-2:00pm at the DoubleTree by Hilton at SeaWorld in Orlando, FL. Attend either in-person or via webinar. Student discounts are available, and all proceeds go towards the BF Skinner Foundation!

Ep 108ACT and Precision Teaching: Session 108, Getting Weird with Kendra Newsome
Dr. Kendra Newsome joins me in Session 108. Our original plan was to discuss how FitLearning is incorporating ACT and other mindfulness based activities with their learners. And talk about that we did. However, we went down quite a few interesting and unexpected rabbit holes along the way. The sidebar that was of most interest to me was our discussion on how they run staff meetings. I'm sure you're thinking to yourself, "how can staff meetings be interesting?" Well, it sounds like the FitLearning crew found an answer to that question. As such, you'll have to let me know what you think about their, "Get weird," approach to staff meetings. Kendra also dispenses some really unique advice for newly-minted BCBA's. And in case you're wondering, the advice is applicable to BCBA's of all experience levels as well, so you'll want to listen to this episode all the way through to hear what she has to say on this topic. We discussed a few books, podcasts, and articles in our chat, and I have done my best to capture all of them here: Kim Berens' first appearance on the show (which contains an excellent history of FitLearning for those who are interested). Nick Berens' interview, discussing, among other things, Relational Frame Theory. Kim's return to the podcast (recorded live at the Tate Behavioral Conference in October, 2019). Donny Newsome's interview on Why We Do What We Do, discussing the importance of fluency (highly recommend checking out if you're not familiar with this stuff). Tools of Titans, by Tim Ferriss. Tribal Leadership, by Dave Logan. Peak, Secrets From the New Science of Expertise, by Ericsson and Pool. Talking to Strangers, by Malcolm Gladwell. This podcast is brought to you by the following: The ACT BootCamp for Behavior Analysts that's taking place from March 19th-22nd in Reno, Nevada. Attendees will earn a total of 32 BACB Continuing Education units, including 4 ethics and 3 supervision CEU's. If this sounds like something you're interested, check out https://praxiscet.com/bopod (or hit the show notes to this episode), and use the code BO50 to save on your registration! HRIC Recruiting. If you're looking for your dream job, work directly with agency owner Barb Voss, and let her put her 30+ years of recruiting experience to work for you. Whether you're re-locating or just wondering what else is available, go to HRIColorado.com and schedule a confidential chat right away. An Insider's Guide to Legal Tactics Used Against Schools: How Behavior Analysis Can Help! This event is brought to you by Brett DiNovi and Associates, and it takes place onFebruary 28, 2020 from 9:30am-2:00pm at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Orlando at SeaWorld. Attend either in-person or via webinar. Student discounts are available, and all proceeds go towards the BF Skinner Foundation! Lastly, I am honored to be part of this year's Verbal Behavior Conference that's being held on April 2nd and 3rd in Austin Texas. Come learn from VB experts such as Mark Sundberg, Anna Petursdottir, Ciao Miguel, Barbara Esch, and more! Click here for special registration prices for podcast listeners!

Ep 107ACT and Clinical Behavior Analysis: Session 107 with Emily Sandoz
Dr. Emily Sandoz joins me in Session 107 to talk about her work in ACT and Clinical Behavior Analysis. I found this conversation really fascinating as she shares how she helps people in talk-therapy contexts - a setting that most listeners do not practice in. Going into this interview, I assumed we'd get deep into the ACT Hexaflex Processes, but we ended up dispensing with a lot of the common, "mid-level terms," of ACT, and instead focused on the functional analysis of verbal behavior in the context of a therapy session. I think you'll find Emily's approach to ACT refreshingly direct and simple. And, even if you don't have an interest in the talk-therapy world, there are tons of connections that you're likely to make, especially in the area of supervision. How, you might ask? I can't spoil it here, so be sure to listen to the conversation in its entirety. In broadcasting terms, we had a "hard-out" in terms of time. Otherwise this interview could have continued for much longer. So if this type of content interests you, go to the shownotes of this episode at behavioralobservations.com and let me know, as I'd love to have Emily back to chat some more. We talked about a few books and other resources during the conversation, and I've linked them below: Wilson and DuFrene (2009). Mindfulness for Two. Wilson and DuFrene (2010). Things Might Go Terribly, Horribly Wrong: A Guide to Life Liberated from Anxiety. (not mentioned during the interview, but I had to add it to the links based on the title alone!). BACB Fact Sheet on Clinical Behavior Analysis. Clinical Behavior Analysis, edited by Dougher (2000). Kanter and Woods (2009). Introduction to the Special Issue on Clinical Behavior Analysis of The Behavior Analyst. Today's podcast is sponsored by The ACT BootCamp for Behavior Analysts that's taking place from March 19th-22nd in Reno, Nevada. This workshop is taught by a who's who in the ACT and ABA world, including Drs. Evelyn Gould, Steve Hayes, Kendra Newsome, Mark Dixon to name just a few. Attendees will earn a total of 32 BACB Continuing Education units, including 4 ethics and 3 supervision CEU's. If this sounds like something you're interested, check out https://praxiscet.com/bopod (or hit the show notes to this episode), and use the code BO50 to save on your registration! HRIC Recruiting. If you're looking for your dream job, work directly with agency owner Barb Voss, and let her put her 30+ years of recruiting experience to work for you. Whether you're re-locating or just wondering what else is available, go to HRIColorado.com and schedule a confidential chat right away. Lastly, I am honored to be part of this year's Verbal Behavior Conference that's being held on April 2nd and 3rd in Austin Texas. Come learn from VB experts such as Mark Sundberg, Anna Petursdottir, Ciao Miguel, Barbara Esch, and more! Click here for special registration prices for podcast listeners!

Ep 106Inside JABA Series #2: Session 106
If you missed the first installment of the Inside JABA Series, let me explain what's going on here: Once a quarter, I'll be joined by Drs. Linda Leblanc, Clair St. Peter, and Jeff Tiger to discuss the latest issue of The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. The goal is to highlight a paper or theme from the issue, and give you a behind-the-scenes look at what went into that piece of research, how it may or may not have changed during the review process, and what the practical implications that work has for the everyday practitioner. What's the big idea? If you're a craft beer nerd like me, think of this kind of like when a brewery does a tap-takeover at your favorite pub. In today's episode, we discuss the Winter 2020 issue of JABA. We start with Linda LeBlanc describing her call for "big idea" papers to be written and submitted to JABA. What is a big idea paper? You're going to have to listen to find out. In this episode, we are also joined by Dr. Danielle LaFrance, who, along with Jonathan Tarbox, just so happened to publish one of these big idea papers in the Winter issue. We discuss this paper, which is titled, The importance of multiple exemplar instruction in the establishment of novel verbal behavior. And in addition to this, we each share an influential "big idea" that shaped us as Behavior Analysts. As with the previous Inside JABA podcast, there are no commercials in this show. However, the content of this episode does meet the standards for continuing education, and half of the proceeds of the Inside JABA Series shows goes directly to the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. So if you'd like to get come continuing education for listening to this podcast, check out behavioral observations.com/get-ceus. And if you wanted to check out the Big Idea papers we discussed, they are linked right here (hat tip to Emily Gillich for curating these references... the APA mistakes and failures to format in WordPress are my own): Allen, K. D., & Warzak, W. J. (2000). The problem of parental nonadherence in clinical behavior analysis: effective treatment is not enough. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 33(3), 373–391. doi:10.1901/jaba.2000.33-373. Baer, D. M., Wolf, M. M., & Risley, T. R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1(1), 91–97. doi:10.1901/jaba.1968.1-91. Balsam, P. D., & Bondy, A. S. (1983). The negative side effects of reward. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 16(3), 283–296. doi:10.1901/jaba.1983.16-283. Fisher W.W, Ninness H.A.C, Piazza C.C, Owen-DeSchryver, J.S. (1996). On the reinforcing effects of the content of verbal attention. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 29, 235–238. Peterson, L., Homer, A. L., & Wonderlich, S. A. (1982). The integrity of independent variables in behavior analysis. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 15(4), 477–492. doi:10.1901/jaba.1982.15-477. Other Articles Discussed: LaFrance, D. L., & Tarbox, J. (2019). The importance of multiple exemplar instruction in the establishment of novel verbal behavior. Journal of applied behavior analysis. Stokes, T. F., & Baer, D. M. (1977). An implicit technology of generalization. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 10(2), 349–367. doi:10.1901/jaba.1977.10-349. St. Peter Pipkin, C., Vollmer, T. R., & Sloman, K. N. (2010). Effects of treatment integrity failures during differential reinforcement of alternative behavior: a translational model. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 43(1), 47–70. doi:10.1901/jaba.2010.43-47. Vollmer, T. R., Iwata, B. A., Zarcone, J. R., Smith, R. G., & Mazaleski, J. L. (1993). The role of attention in the treatment of attention-maintained self-injurious behavior: noncontingent reinforcement and differential reinforcement of other behavior. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 26(1), 9–21. doi:10.1901/jaba.1993.26-9. Wolf M. M. (1978). Social validity: the case for subjective measurement or how applied behavior analysis is finding its heart. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 11(2), 203–214. doi:10.1901/jaba.1978.11-203.

Ep 105Get Fit in 2020: Session 105 with Nick Green
Dr. Nick Green from BehaviorFit joins me in Session 105 to discuss my plans to shed a few pounds in 2020. If you're like me, you may have put on a little weight over the holidays. In my case, I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to take my family to France to stay with my oldest friend (an ex-pat who has been living there for the past 20 years or so). As such, the normal workout routine fell by the wayside, while at the same time, cheese and bread were consumed in great quantities! This was on the menu all too often! So it is timely that Dr. Nick Green from BehaviorFit returns to the podcast! In this episode, Nick and I talk about some strategies I can use for getting back into reasonable shape. Specifically, we discuss measurement, nutrition, strength training, and more! While on the surface, this show may seem like it's all about me, Nick does a real nice job discussing concepts and principles in a way that is relatable to just about anyone. If you missed Nick's first appearance on the podcast, I recommend going back and checking that one out. Better yet, go to his awesome blog, BehaviorFIt.com, follow him on Instagram @behaviorfit, or listen to his podcast, BehaviorFit Radio. Here are the specific links: BehaviorFit | Health, Fitness, & Applied Behavior Analysis (blog). BehaviorFit - Home (Facebook). BehaviorFit (@behaviorfit) (Instagram). BehaviorFit (YouTube). Nicholas Green PhD, Behavioral Scientist - ABA Clinical Program Director - Hopebridge (LinkeIn Profile). BehaviorFit Radio (Nick's podcast). We mentioned a few other blogs, podcasts, and resources. Here they are: Jim Moore's appearance on this show. Moore & Quintero (2019) study on teaching Olympic lifting techniques. The Peter Attia Drive Podcast (my favorite podcast!). The Centenarian Olympics (what I mistakenly referred to as the Octogenarian Olympics during the show; scroll down to where it says, "Aim to be a kick-ass 100 year old). Aesthetic Physiques Coaching (Dave Bonollo's IG Page). Dave's 30 Days of Drinking Challenge. More on this here. Pavel Tsatsouline's Wikipedia page. Pavel on the Joe Rogan Experience. Today's episode is sponsored by the following: Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings and podcast-specific discounts over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. GoLotus. GoLotus is an easy to use, intuitive practice management platform. From scheduling, to notes, to data collection and more, they do it all. And with no contracts or obligations. Find out more about what they have to offer at golotus.com/register. And If you do sign up, tell them use the coupon code Matt2019 and you will get 25% off for the first 3 months. The ACT4HFA workshop is being held in Santa Ana, CA on February 7-9th in Santa Ana, CA. Check out connections-behavior.com/events/act4hfa for more info, and if it's something you want to attend, use the promo code podcast 25! OK, one last thing: On April 2nd and 3rd, the Verbal Behavior Conference will be going down in Austin Texas. This event will feature speakers such as David Palmer, Barbara Esch, Pat McGreevy, Mark Sundberg, and more! They've even asked me to moderate a panel at the end of the first day, so if this sounds like fun to you, go to ctac1.com/podcast, where you can register at a discounted rate.

Ep 1042019 in Review with ABA Inside Track: Session 104
My friends at ABA Inside Track - Rob, Diana, and Jackie - invited me back for another Year-in-Review episode. I've enjoyed getting to know these guys over the last few years, and doing an episode like this seems like it's a fun tradition-in-the-making. So what did we talk about? Well, it seems like 2019 was the year of the ABA podcast. So many shows were launched that it's hard to keep track of. In addition to Behavioral Observations, I've listed all the currently published ABA shows below, and I'll apologize in advance to my podcasting brethren if I've missed any: ABA Inside Track. Why We Do What We Do. The Controversial Exchange. Behavior Bitches. Behaviorbabe. Beautiful Humans Changecast. Functional Relations. ABA on Call. #doBetter Pod. The Business of Behavior Podcast. Turn Autism Around. ABA Ultimate Showdown. The Behavior Chef. Inside the BACB. The Autism Helper. We also discussed some milestones that both of our shows hit in 2019, specifically, crossing the 100 episode mark, and having over 1,000,000 downloads. It's positively humbling that so many people have taken interest in what we've been doing. Rob, Jackie, Diana, and I also discussed the passing of prominent leaders in our field, including Drs. Barbara Etzel, Janet Ellis, and Murray Sidman. (note: we did not discuss the passing of Chuck Merbitz, but you can hear about his work and legacy in the memorial episode that was published earlier this year). We then rounded out the show by covering some of the trends in ABA practice that we observed in 2019, and gave a preview of what's coming up for both shows in 2020! And on this note, I want to extend a personal thanks to all of you who tuned in to the podcast in 2019. I wish you a safe and happy holiday, and I look forward to providing informative Behavior-Analytic content for you in 2020 and beyond! This podcast is sponsored by the following: HRIC Recruiting. If you're looking for your dream job, work directly with agency owner Barb Voss, and let her put her 30+ years of recruiting experience to work for you. Whether you're re-locating or just wondering what else is available, go to HRIColorado.com and schedule a confidential chat right away. The ACT for HFA workshop that's being held in Santa Ana, CA on February 7-9th in Santa Ana, CA. Check out connections-behavior.com/events/act4hfa for more info, and if it's something you want to attend, use the promo code podcast 25! GoLotus. GoLotus is an easy to use, intuitive practice management platform. From scheduling, to notes, to data collection and more, they do it all. And with no contracts or obligations. Find out more about what they have to offer at golotus.com/register. And If you do sign up, tell them use the coupon code Matt2019 and you will get 25% off for the first 3 months.

Ep 103Kim Berens Live from the Tate Behavioral Conference! Session 103
Welcome to Session 103 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast! What you're about to hear is my follow up interview with Dr. Kim Berens from Fit Learning. I spoke with her way back in Session 44, which went out in January of 2018. This interview was conducted at the First Annual Tate Behavioral Conference, which was held in Springfield, Massachusetts, back in October of 2019. As an aside, during the interview itself, I reference our location as Springfield, New Hampshire… which was probably stuck in my mind because it's two towns over from where I live. So to be clear, this did take place in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Kim and I covered a ton of ground in this podcast, and, as you'll see, she doesn't hold back from sharing her opinions. In particular, we talk about her views on Board Certification of Behavior Analysts, and why she let hers lapse, how Fit Learning is using mindfulness activities to improve learning in their students, as well as her take on the American educational system. With regard to the latter, she references a book she has written on the subject. At the time of the conference, she was not able to share the title, but now I'm able to announce that the book will be called, Blind Spots: What you don't know you don't know about American Education. I don't have a specific release date yet, but I think she's shooting for the book to be available sometime in the fall of 2020. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to thank the folks who made this all happen, and that's Christina Tatreau, Kelley St. Clair, and the rest of the awesome people at Tate Behavioral. They were awesome hosts, and they put on an amazing and informative event. When I was down in Springfield, I had a chance to meet many of their employees, and it seems like they've really developed a positive culture. To learn more about them, check out tatebehavioral.com. Today's episode is sponsored by the following: The University of Cincinnati Online. The UC Online program can be a rewarding way to advance in your career. Gain the cutting-edge knowledge and skills so you can help others while increasing your career options and earning potential. For more information, please visit behavioranalysisuc.online for more information. Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings and podcast-specific discounts over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. GoLotus. GoLotus is an easy to use, intuitive practice management platform. From scheduling, to notes, to data collection and more, they do it all. And with no contracts or obligations. Find out more about what they have to offer at golotus.com/register. And If you do sign up, tell them use the coupon code Matt2019 and you will get 25% off for the first 3 months. Last but not least, Session 103 is brought to you by the ACT for HFA workshop that's being held in Santa Ana, CA on February 7-9th in Santa Ana, CA. Check out connections-behavior.com/events/act4hfa for more info, and if it's something you want to attend, use the promo code podcast 25!

Ep 100Session 100: Greg Hanley and the Luckiest Guy in Behavior Analysis
Several weeks ago, Greg Hanley reached out to me and asked if he could help do something to commemorate the 100th episode of the show. Specifically, he invited me down to the offices of FTF Behavioral Consulting in Worcester, Mass to hang out with all the amazing behavior analysts he works with for the afternoon. During the visit, Greg turned the tables on me and put me in the interview hot seat. He asked me some really good questions about the podcast, and what I've learned from doing it over the last 4 years or so. I've been interviewed before, both on this podcast as well as a few others, but I think Greg managed to eke out a few stories from me that I haven't told before, and more generally, asked some really great questions. By the end of this show, you might be asking yourself why he doesn't have a podcast himself? My original plan going into this was to try to deflect every question and turn the conversation back to the cool stuff that he's doing with FTF, what's new with practical functional assessment, and so forth. Sadly, before we started recording, he strictly forbade me from doing so. As such, I'll just have to have him on again in the future, or do another private Q & A with Greg with the Behavioral Observations Podcast Membership Group. Before I mention this episode's sponsors, I'd like to take a minute to thank you, the listener, for helping me get to Session 100. I really feel that this show is an interactive endeavor, as I have met so many people in my travels and corresponded with BCBA's from around the world. We talk about this for a little bit in this episode, but I want to mention it again and just let you know how much I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to download and listen to the podcast. The responses in the never-ending task analysis that is podcasting would've extinguished long ago if it wasn't for all the encouragement and feedback I've received. At the risk of sounding overly sappy, this podcast has changed me as a person and a professional, so let me just conclude this session with a heartfelt thank you. This episode is brought to you by: Behavior University. Behavior University provides university-quality continuing education for everyday practitioners. To learn more about their CE offerings, discounts for podcast listeners, etc... please visit behavioruniversity.com/observations. Go Lotus is an intuitive, easy to use, and dare I say beautiful system. It handles every aspect of practice management from data tracking and automatic SOAP notes, to scheduling and billing. They even offer a white-glove in-house billing service if you want billing fully managed outside your clinic. It is so simple your entire team can be up and running in less than an hour. For more information, go to golotus.com/register for a free demo. If you do sign up, tell them I sent you or use the coupon code Matt2019 and you will get 25% off for the first 3 months. They are so confident that you will love the system they allow you to cancel at any time. There is no risk and no commitment required. If you want more info, head over to golotus.com/register. The OBM 2.0 Pro-Social Teaming Model workshop, which will be taught by Drs. Darnell Lattal and Thomas Szabo. Here are the details: It's being held at Green River Community College, Auburn, Washington on January 18th and 19th. Attendees will learn the ProSocial model: evidence-based practices to promote employee engagement, cooperation, high-level performance, and complex organizational problem-solving. The workshop provides 16 CEU's, and there's a remote follow-up option that can extend this to 22 CEU's. Space is limited for this event, and the prices go up as we get closer to the dates. The event organizers, Connections Behavior Planning and Intervention, have offered listeners a discount. So for more information, click here, and be sure to use the code podcast25.

Ep 102The Inaugural Inside JABA Series: Session 102 with Drs. LeBlanc, St. Peter, and Tiger
Welcome to the first installment of The Inside JABA Series. A few months ago, Drs. Linda LeBlanc and Dorothea Lerman approached me about creating an ongoing podcast series that highlights and disseminates the work of The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. The goal of this series is to give listeners a better idea as to what goes into the studies that end up being published in JABA, and to provide a behind-the-scenes look at how a research study goes from inspiration, to execution, to submission, revision, and eventually publication. So about once a quarter you can expect to see an Inside JABA Series edition of the podcast pop up in your feed. For this inaugural episode, we decided to do a deep-dive into the publishing process itself, which as a non-researcher, I personally found fascinating. You've probably already noticed that I'm using the plural pronoun "we" quite a bit here, and it is for a good reason. In this episode, I am joined by Drs. Claire St. Peter, Jeff Tiger, and the aforementioned Linda LeBlanc. In future Inside JABA episodes, I'll be joined by some combination of these scientists, along with other researchers who have successfully published in JABA. I would also like to note that because of the valuable content that will be shared in this series, these Inside JABA episodes will be available for purchase as Type 2 Continuing Education Units. Better still, 50% of the sales of these CE's will be donated to the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. For more information on this, check out behavioralobservations.com/get-ce's. Here's the abstract to the CE Event associated with this episode, which provides 1.5 CE's: The field of behavior analysis places significant importance on the scientific underpinnings of our practice. This means that every certified practitioner is taught and tested on the basics of measurement and scientific method. The purpose of this presentation is to introduce a podcast series that focuses on the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, the peer-review process as a means of scientific quality control, and the steps in the publication process. The Editor and Associate Editors of JABA describe the rationale for peer review as well as the process of peer review. Topics such as positive publication bias, the criteria for scientific merit for a paper, and the bi-directional nature of the research to practice gap and bridge are discussed. This is a really fun project, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention what an honor it is to be partnering up with our flagship journal. So without any further adieu, please enjoy this fun and informative conversation with Drs. St. Peter, LeBlanc, and Tiger. Lastly, we encourage you to keep up to date with the happenings at JABA by following SEAB on Twitter (@SEABScience), and JABA on Facebook.

Ep 102The Ethics of School Consultation for BCBAs: Session 101 with Missy Olive
In Session 101, Dr. Missy Olive and I talk about a topic that's near and dear to my heart: consulting in public school settings. Long-time listeners will recall that I did an episode on this topic in January of 2019. Since then, I've received numerous listener requests to return to this important issue. My colleague Jen Farris saw Missy speak at a conference a few months ago, and insisted that I reach out to her to get her on the show, and I'm grateful for the recommendation, as this episode is chock full of great information for those of us who practice in this area. Missy is the Executive Director of Applied Behavioral Strategies, an organization who's mission is to assist individuals to achieve their potential to live independently and with dignity. We spend the first part of the podcast talking about Missy's background, and the unique way she found herself in our field, so I will not repeat it here. However, let's just say that Missy is clearly an "early adopter," of ABA. Whether you work in schools or not, I think you're really going to like this episode, as there are lessons for practitioners that are, in my opinion, broadly applicable. If you'd like to learn more about Special Education Law and/or conducting Functional Behavioral Assessments in school settings, she has a few webinars coming up: Special Education Law and Ethics for BCBA's on 12/5/19. Ethical Issues Related to Developing Behavioral Intervention Plans on 12/12/19. Missy has graciously offered a huge discount for podcast listeners. These are normally $80, but if you mention the podcast when you sign up, you can attend these events for $25! During the interview, we mentioned tons of other resources. I was furiously scribbling notes the whole time, and I have as many links as I could find. Here they are: Considerations of Baseline Classroom Conditions in Conducting Functional Behavioral Assessments in School Settings (Kestner, et al., 2019). Simon Sinek on Millennials in the workplace. Michael Giangreco (author and cartoonist). Avoiding Substantive Errors in IEP Development (Yell, et al., 2016). State Special Education Laws for FBAs and BIPs (Zirkel, 2011). ABS's free journal club. Practical Ethics for the Effective Treatment of ASD. Council on Exceptional Children Journals. Beyond Behavior. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. Behavioral Disorders. Alberto and Troutman. Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers. This podcast is brought to you with support from the following: The University of Cincinnati Online. The UC Online program can be a rewarding way to advance in your career. Gain the cutting-edge knowledge and skills so you can help others while increasing your career options and earning potential. For more information, please visit behavioranalysisuc.online for more information. HRI Colorado.com, and whether you live in Colorado or Connecticut, or anywhere else in between, their mission is to find you your dream job. So for a confidential chat about opportunities in your neck of the woods, go to HRIColorado.com. The OBM 2.0 Pro-Social Teaming Model workshop, which will be taught by Drs. Darnell Lattal and Thomas Szabo. Here are the details: It's being held at Green River Community College, Auburn, Washington on January 18th and 19th. Attendees will learn the ProSocial model: evidence-based practices to promote employee engagement, cooperation, high-level performance, and complex organizational problem-solving. The workshop provides 16 CEU's, and there's a remote follow-up option that can extend this to 22 CEU's. Space is limited for this event, and the prices go up as we get closer to the dates. The event organizers, Connections Behavior Planning and Intervention, have offered listeners a discount. So for more information, click here, and be sure to use the code podcast25. The Innovation in Education: BCBA Consultation in Schools Annual Webinar. This year's event features podcast favorites Drs. Linda Leblanc and Merrill Winston. Merrill will start the day off by talking about the ethical considerations of restraint usage in public school settings, and Linda will focus on mentoring and other supervision and management practices. Earn your Ethics and Supervision CE's from two people who are at the top of their game their areas of expertise! For more information, go to www.SWWC.org/workshops. Don't forget to save 10% on your registration by using the promo code PODCAST.

Ep 99EAB, Behavioral Pharmacology, Addiction, Psilocybin Mushrooms, and More! Session 99 with David Cox
Dr. David Cox joins me in Session 99 to discuss the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Behavioral Pharmacology, the use of Psilocybin Mushrooms for the treatment of various behavioral health challenges, and much, much more! David does a fine job describing his backstory, but if you're impatient like me, here is his bio from Research Gate: David has been working clinically in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) since 2006. He has worked with children, adolescents, and adults with diagnoses ranging from autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities to substance use disorders and obesity. David is currently a research fellow in the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His current areas of focus are choice behavior, preference, behavioral economics, and the application of these areas to clinical intervention, clinical decision making, and ethical behavior. We cover a wide range of topics, and David cites a ton of research and resources, so I'm going to get right to the links: Say hello to David on Twitter. He's the co-author of this nifty book. The University of Florida's Behavioral Health and Technology Research Clinic. Previous podcasts on Behavioral Economics/Stuff from my friends: Session 11, Erin Rasmussen. Session 17: Derek Reed. Session 2: Steve Lawyer. Dews, 1955 (note, the figure below is the one David describes during the show). FIGURE 4 (DEWS, 1955) Baum, 1974. Nevin, Mandell, and Atak, 1983. McDowell 2005. Rasmussen and Newland 2009 (the Anti-Punishment effect). Odum 2011 (I'm a k, you're a k). Branch 2006, (How Research in Behavioral Pharmacology Informs Behavioral Science). Heyman 2013 (Addiction and Choice, Theory and New Data). Critchfield 2011 (Translational Contributions of EAB). NPR story on Dr. Matthew Johnson's psilocybin research. Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. Tim Ferriss podcast episode (panel with researchers at Johns Hopkins). This podcast is brought to you with support from the following: The University of Cincinnati Online. The UC Online program can be a rewarding way to advance in your career. Gain the cutting-edge knowledge and skills so you can help others while increasing your career options and earning potential. For more information, please visit behavioranalysisuc.online for more information. Go Lotus is an intuitive, easy to use, and dare I say beautiful system. It handles every aspect of practice management from data tracking and automatic SOAP notes, to scheduling and billing. They even offer a white-glove in-house billing service if you want billing fully managed outside your clinic. It is so simple your entire team can be up and running in less than an hour. For more information, go to golotus.com/register for a free demo. If you do sign up, tell them I sent you or use the coupon code Matt2019 and you will get 25% off for the first 3 months. They are so confident that you will love the system they allow you to cancel at any time. There is no risk and no commitment required. If you want more info, head over to golotus.com/register. I'm also excited to promote this upcoming workshop: Have you ever been part of a team composed of capable, accomplished members that underachieved or failed to launch an initiative successfully? Do you work with teams where members burn out, conflict, misbehave, or act in ways that contradict the purpose of the group? Are you currently working with other people toward a common goal and aiming to ensure that every member is empowered for maximum contribution and long-term sustainable engagement? Then consider attending the OBM 2.0 – The PROSOCIAL Teaming Model which will be taught by Drs. Darnell Lattal and Thomas Szabo. This workshop is being put on by my friends at Connections Behavior Planning and Intervention. It's being held at Green River Community College, Auburn, Washington on January 18th and 19th. Attendees will learn the ProSocial model: evidence-based practices to promote employee engagement, cooperation, high-level performance, and complex organizational problem-solving. The ProSocial approach incorporates findings from Nobel Prize winning research conducted by Elinor Ostrom, with corresponding findings from research in evolutionary science, behavior analysis, ACT, and Organizational Behavior Management. Participants will practice core skills and then implement them in a series of challenging role-plays that simulate real-life organizational behavior crises. This workshop will walk attendees through the entire process of creating sustainable team-based outcomes through expert instruction and experiential learning. The workshop itself will provide 16 CEU's, and there's a remote follow-up option that can extend this to 22 CEU's. Space is limited for this event, and the prices go up as we get closer to the dates, so you're going to w

Ep 98What does Private Equity investment, diversity in ABA, and ABA in sports all have in common? Session 98 with Beverly and Kirk Kirby
What does Private Equity investment, diversity in Applied Behavior Analysis, and Behavior Analysis as applied to sports all have in common? It just so happens that these are the topics I chatted about with Beverly and Kirk Kirby of Team ABA! At last year's ABAI, Rick Kubina introduced me to this dynamic duo, and boy do they have a great story to tell, and I'm frankly quite grateful that they're doing so on The Behavioral Observations Podcast. Along with Rick and Mark Dixon, Beverly was on a panel that I chaired that discussed the role of big money in ABA. Mark discussed the business side of PEAK and Rick talked about the founding and subsequent purchase of Chartlytics by Central Reach. And then Beverly shared the story of how the Kirby's started the Sparks Group, a company that was dedicated to serving the underserved in the DC Metro area. Sparks went on to be acquired by a private equity investor, and Beverly shared the lengthy and challenging process of selecting an investor that would continue to provide high quality ABA services in an ethical manner. Whether you're a business owner or not, this is a great story on its own! The Kirby's went on to found the aforementioned Team ABA (and as an aside, check out and follow their Facebook page here as they post lots of cool stuff!). The services Team ABA provides are quite varied, but a lot of their focus is on using ABA for improving sports performance, addressing wellness, and helping organizations run more effectively. And if you caught the last episode with Rick, he mentioned some of the cool stuff that they're doing in the realm of sports performance. We of course dig into this in more detail in this episode. The Kirby's are also passionate about improving the diversity in our field. They've done quite a bit of outreach to Historically Black Colleges to provide internships and other opportunities for students of color. This is an issue that does not get talked about a lot in our field, and to be candid, this is a long-overdue discussion on this podcast. I'm grateful they were able to share this with me, and by extension, the broader audience of Behavioral Observations. This episode is brought to you by: Behavior University. Behavior University provides university-quality continuing education for everyday practitioners. To learn more about their CE offerings, discounts for podcast listeners, etc... please visit behavioruniversity.com/observations. The University of Cincinnati Online. The UC Online program can be a rewarding way to advance in your career. Gain the cutting-edge knowledge and skills so you can help others while increasing your career options and earning potential. For more information, please visit behavioranalysisuc.online for more information. I'm also excited to promote this upcoming workshop: Have you ever been part of a team composed of capable, accomplished members that underachieved or failed to launch an initiative successfully? Do you work with teams where members burn out, conflict, misbehave, or act in ways that contradict the purpose of the group? Are you currently working with other people toward a common goal and aiming to ensure that every member is empowered for maximum contribution and long-term sustainable engagement? Then consider attending the OBM 2.0 – The PROSOCIAL Teaming Model which will be taught by Drs. Darnell Lattal and Thomas Szabo. This workshop is being put on by my friends at Connections Behavior Planning and Intervention. It's being held at Green River Community College, Auburn, Washington on January 18th and 19th. Attendees will learn the ProSocial model: evidence-based practices to promote employee engagement, cooperation, high-level performance, and complex organizational problem-solving. The ProSocial approach incorporates findings from Nobel Prize winning research conducted by Elinor Ostrom, with corresponding findings from research in evolutionary science, behavior analysis, ACT, and Organizational Behavior Management. Participants will practice core skills and then implement them in a series of challenging role-plays that simulate real-life organizational behavior crises. This workshop will walk attendees through the entire process of creating sustainable team-based outcomes through expert instruction and experiential learning. The workshop itself will provide 16 CEU's, and there's a remote follow-up option that can extend this to 22 CEU's. Space is limited for this event, and the prices go up as we get closer to the dates, so you're going to want to register for OBM 2.0 straight away. And to help defray costs, the folks at Connections have offered listeners a discount. So for more information, click here, and be sure to use the code podcast25! And this one too... The 5th Annual ABA Leadership Summit is taking place on November 8th, 2019 at the Hilton Orange County in Costa Mesa California. It will also be streamed online, so you can learn on your couch... in sweatpants. This event will provide 6 Superv

Ep 97Should you start an ABA practice? Session 97 with Becca Tagg
Dr. Becca Tagg, PsyD, MSCP, NCSP, BCBA-D, joins me in Session 97 to discuss the pros and cons to starting your own ABA practice. Becca owns and operates The Del Mar Center for Behavioral Health in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and produces and hosts The Business of Behavior Podcast. Becca also founded The ABA Business Builders Facebook Group, which, as of this writing, has almost 8,800 members. So it is with her vast experience in mind that I wanted to have her on the show to talk about her experiences, trials, and tribulations with regard to running a successful ABA practice. This conversation was inspired by a post in the ABA Business Builders group a few months ago that asked the following question: "If you knew in advance the challenges of owning and operating an ABA practice, would you do it again?" As we discussed in this episode, the answers were mostly, "no." I wasn't really sure what I should have expected, but I was kind of surprised at how so many business owners would take a pass if they had to do it all over again. So Becca and I spend quite a bit of time discussing some common challenges to running ABA business, and she shares how she addresses them in her own work. Along the way, we field a handful of listener questions, mainly from BCBA's who are contemplating making the leap towards self-employment. Becca, as always, provided many thoughtful answers, and in our conversation, we referenced the following resources: The E-Myth Revisited. The (New) One Minute Manager. The Mindful and Effective Employee. The Aubrey Daniels Amazon Author Page. ADP (payroll, HR stuff, etc...). The Business of Behavior Store (a treasure trove of forms, policies, etc...). BoB Podcast episode, "Balance is Bull$hit." BoB Podcast episode, "Outsourcing." BoB Podcast episode, "Virtual Assistants." BoB Podcast episode, interview with random person. Constellations Behavioral Services. This episode of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is sponsored by the following: The University of Cincinnati Online. The UC Online program can be a rewarding way to advance in your career. Gain the cutting-edge knowledge and skills so you can help others while increasing your career options and earning potential. For more information, please visit behavioranalysisuc.online for more information. HRI Colorado.com, and whether you live in Colorado or Connecticut, or anywhere else in between, their mission is to find you your dream job. So for a confidential chat about opportunities in your neck of the woods, go to HRIColorado.com. The upcoming 4-day ACT BootCamp® for Behavior Analysts workshop that's going down on November 7-10th in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. It will feature ACT experts like Steven C. Hayes, Ruth Anne Rehfeldt, Tom Szabo, Jonathan Tarbox and more. This workshop will cover: Parent training Staff management and development Organizational work Work with developmentally delayed populations and the chronically mentally ill Educational settings with special needs students This workshop is intensive. Over the course of 4 days, you'll earn 32 Type 2 CE's, including 4 hours of ethics, and 3 hours of supervision CE's. So if you're ready to take the next step, head over to praxiscet.com/bopodcast, and use the code BOP50 to save at check out as well! Go Lotus is an intuitive, easy to use, and dare I say beautiful system. It handles every aspect of practice management from data tracking and automatic SOAP notes, to scheduling and billing. They even offer a white-glove in-house billing service if you want billing fully managed outside your clinic. It is so simple your entire team can be up and running in less than an hour. For more information, go to golotus.com/register for a free demo. If you do sign up, tell them I sent you or use the coupon code Matt2019 and you will get 25% off for the first 3 months. They are so confident that you will love the system they allow you to cancel at any time. There is no risk and no commitment required. If you want more info, head over to golotus.com/register.

Ep 97Should you start an ABA practice? Session 97 with Becca Tagg
Dr. Becca Tagg, PsyD, MSCP, NCSP, BCBA-D, joins me in Session 97 to discuss the pros and cons to starting your own ABA practice. Becca owns and operates The Del Mar Center for Behavioral Health in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and produces and hosts The Business of Behavior Podcast. Becca also founded The ABA Business Builders Facebook Group, which, as of this writing, has almost 8,800 members. So it is with her vast experience in mind that I wanted to have her on the show to talk about her experiences, trials, and tribulations with regard to running a successful ABA practice. This conversation was inspired by a post in the ABA Business Builders group a few months ago that asked the following question: "If you knew in advance the challenges of owning and operating an ABA practice, would you do it again?" As we discussed in this episode, the answers were mostly, "no." I wasn't really sure what I should have expected, but I was kind of surprised at how so many business owners would take a pass if they had to do it all over again. So Becca and I spend quite a bit of time discussing some common challenges to running ABA business, and she shares how she addresses them in her own work. Along the way, we field a handful of listener questions, mainly from BCBA's who are contemplating making the leap towards self-employment. Becca, as always, provided many thoughtful answers, and in our conversation, we referenced the following resources: The E-Myth Revisited. The (New) One Minute Manager. The Mindful and Effective Employee. The Aubrey Daniels Amazon Author Page. ADP (payroll, HR stuff, etc...). The Business of Behavior Store (a treasure trove of forms, policies, etc...). BoB Podcast episode, "Balance is Bull$hit." BoB Podcast episode, "Outsourcing." BoB Podcast episode, "Virtual Assistants." BoB Podcast episode, interview with random person. Constellations Behavioral Services. This episode of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is sponsored by the following: The University of Cincinnati Online. The UC Online program can be a rewarding way to advance in your career. Gain the cutting-edge knowledge and skills so you can help others while increasing your career options and earning potential. For more information, please visit behavioranalysisuc.online for more information. HRI Colorado.com, and whether you live in Colorado or Connecticut, or anywhere else in between, their mission is to find you your dream job. So for a confidential chat about opportunities in your neck of the woods, go to HRIColorado.com. The upcoming 4-day ACT BootCamp® for Behavior Analysts workshop that's going down on November 7-10th in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. It will feature ACT experts like Steven C. Hayes, Ruth Anne Rehfeldt, Tom Szabo, Jonathan Tarbox and more. This workshop will cover: Parent training Staff management and development Organizational work Work with developmentally delayed populations and the chronically mentally ill Educational settings with special needs students This workshop is intensive. Over the course of 4 days, you'll earn 32 Type 2 CE's, including 4 hours of ethics, and 3 hours of supervision CE's. So if you're ready to take the next step, head over to praxiscet.com/bopodcast, and use the code BOP50 to save at check out as well! Go Lotus is an intuitive, easy to use, and dare I say beautiful system. It handles every aspect of practice management from data tracking and automatic SOAP notes, to scheduling and billing. They even offer a white-glove in-house billing service if you want billing fully managed outside your clinic. It is so simple your entire team can be up and running in less than an hour. For more information, go to golotus.com/register for a free demo. If you do sign up, tell them I sent you or use the coupon code Matt2019 and you will get 25% off for the first 3 months. They are so confident that you will love the system they allow you to cancel at any time. There is no risk and no commitment required. If you want more info, head over to golotus.com/register.

Ep 96A Report on Mass Violence in America: Session 96 with Dr. Joe Parks
Dr. Joe Parks, the Medical Director of the National Council for Behavioral Health, joins me in Session 96 to discuss mass shootings - a topic that was first talked about on this podcast back in Session 79, with Dr. Merrill Winston. It turns out that the National Council's Medical Directors Institute was wrapping up a lengthy report, titled Mass Violence in America, around the same time that Merrill's episode aired. As such, the council graciously offered to have Dr. Parks joins me to discuss the report's findings.First, here's a little background on Dr. Parks: In addition to serving as the Medical Director of the National Council, Dr. Parks is a Distinguished Research Professor of Science at the University of Missouri-St.Louis, as well as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Missouri-Colombia. He also practices outpatient psychiatry at the Family Health Center, a federally funded community mental health center established to expand services to uninsured, and under-insured populations. In this episode, Dr. Parks and I discuss the following: How he first became involved in this research project. How the MDI researchers defined mass violence for the purposes of their report. What motivates mass shooters. Prevention strategies that are and aren't helpful. The role of "threat assessment." The role of "problem solving," courts. And most importantly, what individuals can do if they suspect someone is behaving in a manner consistent with mass shooter profiles. If you're interested in reading the MDI report, click here to access it. And for more information about the National Council for Behavioral Health, click here. This podcast was supported by the Mental Health Risk Retention Group and Negley Associates. For 30 years, the Mental Health Risk Retention Group and Negley Associates have proudly served the unique insurance needs of mental health centers, community mental health facilities, shelters, halfway houses, counseling centers, and substance abuse and addiction treatment centers, to name just a few. They specialize in meeting the needs of behavioral health care organizations to ensure they get the comprehensive liability insurance programs they need. The Mental Health Risk Retention Group & Negley Associates bring together "best in class" insurance experts to provide a broad array of customized coverages. Their team of distinguished attorneys and actuaries, reinsurance companies, and underwriting and claim managers have decades of insurance experience in the behavioral health care industry. With Mental Health Risk Retention Group & Negley behind you, you have the peace-of-mind to focus on running your organization and serving your client, knowing that they have you protected. For more information, check out mhrrg.com. Or better yet, call them today at 862-286-3517 to schedule a meeting and find out how they can work with you to create a specialized package that meets your organizational needs.

Ep 95BCBA Trainee Supervision: Session 95 with Lauren Kryzak and Celia Heyman
Dr. Lauren Kryzak and Celia Heyman are on the podcast to discuss the ever-important topic of Supervision! Last spring, this dynamic duo presented a fantastic workshop on supervision at the New Jersey ABA conference, and they are here today to share some of the highlights of their approach to mentoring would-be BCBA's.If this sounds like something you want to learn more about, they'll be reprising this workshop at the upcoming Autism NJ conference, which is taking place on October 17th and 18th. I'll have details for this event in today's show notes, along with the other references and resources we discussed. During the show, we mentioned a variety of resources, and I've attempted to list links to all of them below: The details for their upcoming Autism NJ event (see p. 29). The 2016 Behavior Analysis and Practice Supervision Issue. Leaf et al. (2016). ABA is a Science, and Therefore, Progressive. The ABA Study Group. And hey, while we're on the topic of supervision... This episode was brought to you with support from the following: The University of Cincinnati Online. The UC Online program can be a rewarding way to advance in your career. Gain the cutting-edge knowledge and skills so you can help others while increasing your career options and earning potential. For more information, please visit behavioranalysisuc.online for more information. HRI Colorado.com, and whether you live in Colorado or Connecticut, or anywhere else in between, their mission is to find you your dream job. So for a confidential chat about opportunities in your neck of the woods, go to HRIColorado.com. The upcoming 4-day ACT BootCamp® for Behavior Analysts workshop that's going down on November 7-10th in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. It will feature ACT experts like Steven C. Hayes, Ruth Anne Rehfeldt, Tom Szabo, Jonathan Tarbox and more. This workshop is designed to provide behavior analysts a foundational understanding of ACT, and it will cover: Parent training Staff management and development Organizational work Work with developmentally delayed populations and the chronically mentally ill Educational settings with special needs students This workshop is intensive. Over the course of 4 days, you'll earn 32 Type 2 CE's, including 4 hours of ethics, and 3 hours of supervision CE's. So if you're ready to take the next step, head over to praxiscet.com/bopodcast, and use the code BOP50 to save at check out as well! Lastly, did you know that Springfield, Massachusetts is just a hop, skip, and a jump from just about anywhere in the Northeast (look it up, it's true!). So find out how close it is to you, so you can be ready to attend the first annual Tate Behavioral Conference! Come hear from podcast favorites like Megan Miller, Kim Berens, and Ryan O'Donnell. I will also be doing a talk on the lessons I've learned from almost four years of podcasting, and we'll close the event with a live taping of a BOP interview, where I'll pick Dr. Kim's brain on all things Precision Teaching, fluency, measurement, and so on.

Ep 94Practical Functional Assessment: Session 94 with Greg Hanley
Greg Hanley - the most popular Behavioral Observations guest by quite a bit - returns to the show for a fourth time, and this may be my favorite conversation with him yet! In this episode, we talk about the following: Why he started his new consultancy, FTF Behavioral Consulting, How he arrived at the decision to leave his academic post at Western New England University, Why he chose to "re-brand" the IISCA approach - which he now refers to as Practical Functional Assessment, How the PFA model has evolved over time, What should students and practitioners make regarding the divergent views between the Standard Functional Analysis and the Practical Functional Assessment models, How the PFA model can be construed as Trauma-Informed treatment, The BALANCE parent training protocol, What it's like to have PFA referenced in the 3rd edition of Cooper, Heron, and Heward, How Greg prepares for a conference presentation (in which we reference Pat Friman's contributions), What it's like to be an "ABA Rock Star," Lastly, we take several questions from The Behavioral Observations Membership Group. In answering these questions, Greg provides valuable insight into the nuances of this assessment and treatment approach for problem behavior. Greg cites a number of studies, and instead of listing them out here, I'd rather direct you to the website he's built to disseminate this work. There, you'll find a list of publications on this topic. Here's a list of a few other resources and trainings: The Facebook group for BCBAs Using the IISCA, The training event he and his colleagues are hosting on October 5th, in Worcester, MA, A two-part workshop on the BALANCE protocol at this year's NJ Autism Society's annual conference (see events B22 and B33), OK, I couldn't help myself, here is a paper that Greg mentioned not found on his site: Van Haaren (2015). Session 93 is brought to you by: Behavior University. Behavior University provides university-quality continuing education for everyday practitioners. To learn more about their CE offerings, discounts for podcast listeners, etc... please visit behavioruniversity.com/observations. The First Annual Tate Behavioral Conference taking place on October 25th in Springfield, Massachusetts, featuring presentations by Megan Miller, Ryan O'Donnell, Yours Truly, and Kim Berens. It will also include a live recording of the Behavioral Observations Podcast with my interview with Kim Berens. Here are a few other important details: 6 BACB CE credits (including 1.5 Ethics CEs) Oh, and save 15% off of your registration by using the promo code, "Matt" Did I mention that there's a free lunch? GoLotus. Go Lotus is an intuitive and easy to use, practice management system. It handles every aspect of practice management from data collection, to scheduling and billing, and more. It is so simple your entire team can be up and running in less than an hour. Listeners who use the promo code MATT, the first 100 people will receive 90 days of our data trackers completely free. And by signing up, you'll then receive an additional discount of 25% off the first 12 months. For more info, head over to golotus.com/register.

Ep 93Rick Kubina Returns! Session 93
I'm thrilled to bring back Dr. Rick Kubina of Central Reach and the University of Pennsylvania. It's been quite a while since he was first on the podcast, so we spend the initial segment of the program catching up on some exciting things that he's been involved with. Specifically, we discuss his triumphant return to podcasting with his brand new show, ABA on Call, and we also discuss the acquisition of Chartlytics, the company he co-founded with Dave Stevens, by Central Reach. Rick and I spend the most amount of time, however, discussing some really cool research projects that he's been involved with using Precision Teaching and Measurement in very non-traditional settings. What types of settings do you ask? Well, you'll have to tune in and find out. But long story short, it's some really cool stuff. We also talk about CR Unite, which is a Central Reach Users Conference, that's coming up in October. If you're a CR user, you may want to consider checking this event out so you can get the most out of this platform. If you listen to this episode and are wondering how to learn more about Precision Teaching, well you're in luck, because Rick and I round out the podcast by discussing how to learn more about PT. Here are links to the resources we mentioned: CR Unite, the Central Reach Users' Conference. Rick's new book, The Precision Teaching Implementation Manual. Heward (1978). Operant Conditioning of a .300 Hitter? Links to Martin Levy's work on teaching surgical residents using clicker training: NPR Article. Hidden Brain Article. Scientific American Article. The Central Reach Institute. The Standard Celeration Society. The SCS Facebook Group. This episode is brought to you by HowToABA.com. HowToABA.com is your go-to source an online ABA community. Members get access to ABA resources and materials, monthly CEU events, and an online forum where they can collaborate with like-minded practitioners from around the world. For more information, and to access over 40 free data sheets, visual supports, program descriptions, and more, go to HowtoABA.com, and click the "free ABA materials and resources" tab. Lastly, did you know that Springfield, Massachusetts is just a hop, skip, and a jump from just about anywhere in the Northeast (look it up, it's true!). So find out how close it is to you, so you can be ready to attend the first annual Tate Behavioral Conference! Come hear from podcast favorites like Megan Miller, Kim Berens, and Ryan O'Donnell. I will also be doing a talk on the lessons I've learned from almost four years of podcasting, and we'll close the event with a live taping of a BOP interview, where I'll pick Dr. Kim's brain on all things Precision Teaching, fluency, measurement, and so on.

Ep 92A Liberated Mind: Session 92 with Steve Hayes
Steve Hayes returns to discuss all things ACT, RFT, and his new book, A Liberated Mind: How to Pivot to What Really Matters. We begin the show with a quick tutorial of sorts on Relational Frame Theory, as well as it's relationship with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. We then spend quite a bit of time discussing the use of ACT in the context of preventing and responding to staff burnout. We also discuss managing "difficult people," optimizing staff performance, and other aspects of management and supervision. Along the way, we frequently reference A Liberated Mind. To be candid, to say that this book is a big deal is a bit of an understatement. As Steve explains, A Liberated Mind is being published by one of the largest publishing houses in the world, which means that our science will have an opportunity to be disseminated in a way that we haven't seen before. In addition to the book, we discussed a few other resources, including: The Prosocial.world website. The Maslach Burnout Inventory. Bond & Bunce (2000). Bond & Hayes (2002). Steve's website, where you can get his free ACT Mini-Course. Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life. This episode is brought to you by the following: Behavior University. Behavior University provides university-quality continuing education for everyday practitioners. To learn more about their CE offerings, please visit behavioruniversity.com/observations. The First Annual Tate Behavioral Conference taking place on October 25th in Springfield, Massachusetts, featuring presentations by Megan Miller, Ryan O'Donnell, Yours Truly, and Kim Berens. It will also include a live recording of the Behavioral Observations Podcast with my interview with Kim Berens. Here are a few other important details: 6 BACB CE credits (including 1.5 Ethics CEs) Doors open for registration and coffee at 8:00 am Speakers begin at 9 am and end at 5 pm Lunch included Oh, and save 15% off of your registration by using the promo code, "Matt" GoLotus. Go Lotus is an intuitive and easy to use, practice management system. It handles every aspect of practice management from data collection, to scheduling and billing, and more. It is so simple your entire team can be up and running in less than an hour. Listeners who use the promo code MATT, the first 100 people will receive 90 days of our data trackers completely free. And by signing up, you'll then receive an additional discount of 25% off the first 12 months. For more info, head over to golotus.com/register.

Ep 91In memoriam: Chuck Merbitz
When I first interviewed Chuck Merbitz, he informed me that he had cancer, and that his case was terminal. You wouldn't know that by listing to the conversation though. One of the things that struck me about that episode was just how positive Chuck was. The day after he passed away, I re-listened to the interview, and found so many nuggets of wise advice that had forgotten about. I suppose the main takeaway to this episode was the importance of working well with people outside of our field. So with that in mind, I urge you to give this episode another listen. Even if you're not interested in precision teaching or starting a behavior analysis program at a university, there are lessons a-plenty to be found, particularly towards the end of the conversation. At some point, we may do an episode discussing his contributions to the field, but for now, let's take a moment to hear his story again. Lastly, I have been in contact with his family, and they have provided me a list of causes that were important to Chuck. These include: Union of Concerned Scientists (very active on climate change) American Civil Liberties Union (fighting for human rights in the courts) Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) Move to Amend (to end corruption and secrecy in campaign financing) If you'd like to make a contribution in his honor, I have links to these organizations in this episode's show notes. So without any further delay, please enjoy this conversation with Chuck Merbitz, and keep his loved ones in your thoughts. He will be missed indeed.

Ep 90Effective Supervisory Behaviors: Session 90 with Zahra Hajiaghamohseni
If you're looking to improve your supervision practices, this is the podcast for you! In Session 90, I'm joined by Dr. Zahra Hajiaghamohseni, who recently wrapped up her dissertation on this topic. Here's a short excerpt from her dissertation's abstract: The purpose of my study was to examine the supervision practices of BCBA/BCBA-D who supervise precertification candidates and to determine if there were any statistically significant differences between supervisor demographics and supervision practices. An additional correlation test ... was conducted to evaluate for any associations between self-reported frequency of supervisor behaviors and precertification candidates BACB exam pass rate. (Hajiaghamohseni, 2019) I will not spoil the podcast by sharing the results here, but Zahra has generously provided access to her dissertation in the list of links below: Supervision Behaviors of Board Certified Behavior Analysts with Precertification Candidates (Zahra's dissertation... Hajiaghamohseni, 2019). The Behavior Analysis in Practice Special Edition on Supervision. Reed, et al. 2016, Toward quantifying the abuse liability of ultraviolet tanning: A behavioral economic approach to tanning addiction. BACB Resources, such as, The Professional Ethical Compliance Code. The white paper on ethics violations and code enforcement. ASD Practice Guidelines. 2018 BACB Annual Data Report. BACB Certificant Data through July 2019. BACB Supervisor Training Curriculum Outline. And if you're still looking for more supervision resources, check out these resources: Fieldwork Supervision for Behavior Analysts: A Handbook (Kazemi, et al., 2019). Remote Fieldwork Supervision for BCBA Trainees (Britton and Some Other Person, 2019). This episode is sponsored by: The First Annual Tate Behavioral Conference taking place on October 25th in Springfield, Massachusetts, featuring presentations by Megan Miller, Ryan O'Donnell, Yours Truly, and Kim Berens. It will also include a live recording of the Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria, interviewing Kim Berens. Here are a few other important details: 6 BACB CE credits (including 1.5 Ethics CEs) Doors open for registration and coffee at 8:00 am Speakers begin at 9 am and end at 5 pm Lunch included Oh, and save 15% off of your registration by using the promo code, "Matt" Behavior University. Behavior University's goal is to provide university-quality instruction for practitioners seeking continuing education! They've put together a special deal for BOP listeners, so head over to behavioruniversity.com/observations, where you'll save 10% on all courses and webinars. HRIC Recruiting. Let Barb Voss' 30 years of experience help you find your dream job, or if you're an agency, your dream candidate. For a confidential conversation about your career, reach out to Barb at https://www.hricolorado.com/contact.

Ep 89Marketing Your ABA Services in 2019: Session 89 with Rich Brooks
My guest for Session 89 was actually the first non-behavior analyst on the Behavioral Observations Podcast. It's true! Way back in Session 15, Rich Brooks joined me to provide what was essentially a Digital Marketing 101 class. He's back today – over 2 years later, to give us an update on digital marketing trends for 2019. In this episode we cover: Why you should pay attention to Google Analytics (and perhaps begin looking at Google Data Studio) Considerations for advertising on Google and Facebook How to blog more effectively (and why that helps attract people to your services) The basics of getting started with email marketing Even if you're not an agency owner, there's lots of great information in this show. I urge you to listen through to the end, because we close the show with a discussion of mastermind groups. This is not something I hear a lot about in our line of work, and I think mastermind groups have implications beyond marketing. Meaning, I think this is a practice that we, as clinicians, can replicate to better serve our clients. In case you missed Rich's first appearance on the show, he is President of Flyte New Media, and hosts The Agents of Change Podcast. Rich is also the founder of the similarly-titled Agents of Change Digital Marketing Conference, which is held each September in Portland, Maine (one of my favorite cities, and home to some of the best restaurants and breweries in the world!). RICH WARMING UP THE CROWD AT THE LAST AGENTS OF CHANGE If you're interested in this event but can't make it to Portland, don't worry; a virtual pass is available, so you can watch the proceedings from the comfort of your own home. Rich has generously provided a coupon code for podcast listeners, so if you buy a ticket to the event, enter "matt" at checkout, and save $25. If you want to tap into Rich's vast marketing experience at a lower barrier of entry, check out his book, The Lead Machine: The Small Business Guide to Digital Marketing. Alternatively, hit him up on social media (he is @therichbrooks on all social media platforms). Lastly, this episode of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is brought to you by GoLotus. Go Lotus' mission is to break down the barriers of how we gather, process, and share information for clients. From practice management to data collection, they do it all. It is so simple your entire team can be up and running in less than an hour. If you want to get their data tracking system free for 90 days, go to golotus.com/register. And use the promo code MATT. There are some other discounts available too, so again, head over to golotus.com/register for more info.

Ep 88ABA Supervision, Leadership, and Technology: Session 88 with Ellie Kazemi
What does Supervision, Fire Safety, and Robots have to do with one another? And what does "Skinner as the Bad Boy," mean? Well, fortunately, Dr. Ellie Kazemi, Professor of Psychology at Cal State Northridge, joins me in Session 88 to sort this all out. I met Ellie at the 2018 Hoosier ABA conference, where she instantly became one of my favorite people in the field. In Session 88, Ellie describes how she happened upon Behavior Analysis well after pursuing Psychology as a chosen field, how she's found several novel applications of our science, and how she's developed relationships with scientists and practitioners in other fields (like the folks at NASA!). We take a few listener questions along the way, but one of my favorite parts of this interview is Ellie's unique advice for newly-minted BCBA's. And, to add my own two cents, her advice is applicable to practitioners at all levels of experience! We also spend a little time talking about the book that she wrote along with along with Brian Rice and Peter Adzhyan. It's called Fieldwork and Supervision for Behavior Analysts: A Handbook. If you're looking for more information about Ellie and her research, check out her lab's web page, which also has links to her CV, as well as the articles that she has published. Session 88 is brought to you by: Go Lotus' mission is to break down the barriers of how we gather, process, and share information for clients. From practice management to data collection, they do it all. It is so simple your entire team can be up and running in less than an hour. If you want to get their data tracking system free for 90 days, go to golotus.com/register. And use the promo code MATT. There are some other discounts available too, so again, head over to golotus.com/register for more info. HRI Colorado. Even though they have the word Colorado in their name, HRI will find you your dream job just about anywhere. And if you're an agency, they'll help you find your dream candidate. For more information, go to HRIColorado.com/contact and let their 30 years of recruiting experience work for you.

Ep 87Straight Talk on Restraint: Session 87 with Merrill Winston
In Session 87 Dr. Merrill Winston joins me to talk about the use of restraints and seclusion in the context of supporting individuals who exhibit unsafe behaviors. Merrill is the Vice President and Director of Program Development of the Professional Crisis Management Association. If you're not familiar with him, I've included his bio right here: In addition to being a PCMA trainer, Merrill specializes in the analysis and treatment of severe behavior disorders with special populations. His range of treatment experience includes feeding disorders, self-injury, severe aggression, language acquisition, and skill acquisition problems. Merrill is a popular speaker at conferences and conducts presentations on a wide variety of topics in behavior analysis including psychotropic medication usage, mental illness, autism, exceptional student education, assessment and treatment of behavior problems, IEP goal selection and measurement, and a variety of conceptual issues as they relate to conducting behavior analysis in applied settings. Merrill has worked in a variety of settings including private homes, group homes, large institutions, secured facilities, schools and day-treatment programs. He is an experienced expert witness and frequently consults with attorneys, parents and advocates of persons with disabilities. He currently spends at least one day a week as the Behavior Analysis Consultant for Palm Beach County Schools. One thing I'd like to point out is that both Merrill and I have many years' experience working with individuals with significant and sometimes dangerous behavioral challenges. As such, it is possible that to some listeners, we might come off as overly clinical, or even glib in our discussion of restraint and seclusion practices. If that's the case with you, I'd like to take a moment to assure you that we take these issues very seriously, and we hope that our discussion provides a level of nuance, and possibly sophistication, that is oftentimes missing when people discuss the physical management of unsafe behavior. Session 87 is brought to you by: ABAdesk. ABAdesk is a BCBA-made data collection system that supports Frequency, Duration, Interval Recording, Task Analysis, & Trials programs. Visit www.abadesk.com and use the promo code MCPODCAST to get ½ off your first 3 months of data collection and graphing services. Behavior University. Behavior University's goal is to provide university-quality instruction for practitioners seeking continuing education! If you're like me and re-certify at the end of June, and you still have a few CE's to knock out, head over to behavioruniversity.com/observations, where you'll save 10% on all courses and webinars. Lastly, Remote Fieldwork Supervision for BCBA Trainees, the book I co-wrote with Dr. Lisa Britton, who is an expert in providing high quality distance based supervision, is now out... it makes a great gift for family and friends alike!

Ep 86Work / Life Balance: Session 86 with Kristen Lancaster and Jonathan Tarbox
The demands of being a Behavior Analyst can seem never-ending. Throw in parenting, relationships, finances, personal health/wellness, etc..., and things get overwhelming in a real hurry. Hashing it out at the ABAI bar In Session 86, I chat with Kristen Lancaster and Jonathan Tarbox about this whole work/life balance thing. They share some personal stories about how they've managed to not only survive, but thrive in the face of the challenges of the modern world. This conversation was recorded in-person at the 2019 Association for Behavior Analysis International conference that was held in Chicago. And despite being in such a heady academic environment, we didn't go heavy on the literature. As such, there are only a few links. As always, let me know if you hear something in the interview that I missed. The parable of the fisherman Confessions of a Behavior Analyst FB Group ACT at Work, Bond & Hayes (2002) The impact of acceptance and commitment training and multicultural training on the stigmatizing attitudes and professional burnout of substance abuse counselors, Hayes, et al. (2004) Session 50, Jonathan's first appearance on Behavioral Observations Session 16, Pat Friman's second appearance on Behavioral Observations Today's episode is brought to you by: Go Lotus. Go Lotus' mission is to break down the barriers of how we gather, process, and share information for children with Autism and related needs. From practice management to data collection, they do it all. It is so simple your entire team can be up and running in less than an hour. For more information, go to golotus.com/register. And by using the promo code MATT, the first 100 people will receive 90 days of our data trackers completely free. And by signing up, you'll then receive an additional discount of 25% off the first 12 months. So again, for more info, head over to golotus.com/register. Your's Truly... right now, I have a great deal on bulk CE purchases. Get 12 Type 2 CE's for less than $100! Great for those who have procrastinated and need to re-certify by June 30th!

Ep 85A Deep Dive into Precision Teaching: Session 85 with Kerri Milyko
My guest today is Dr. Kerri Milyko, who is the owner of The Precision Teaching Learning Center in Tampa, FL as well as The Learning Consultants in Reno, Nevada. As you'll figure out right away, Kerri is Capital-P passionate about all things Precision Teaching. In this episode, she shares how she first got "the bug" at the University of Florida, and then continues on about how she's using PT today to help children with learning and behavioral challenges. In to providing services to children, Kerri also provides business to business consultation on system-wide assessment and implementation to transform agencies who want to adopt precision teaching. To further this mission, she and her colleagues have created an online self-paced curriculum on Precision Teaching. If this is something you're interested in learning more about, click here for the various professional development offerings that are available. Even better, Kerri has provided Behavioral Observations Podcast listeners a 25% discount on course purchases (disclosure: I generate no affiliate revenue on these course purchases). During this two-hour plus interview, Kerri mentions many resources, and I've attempted to capture them here: Keller (1968). Goodbye Teacher Twyman et al (2004). A Non-Linear Approach to Curriculum Design Milyko et al (2012). An Investigation of Rapid Automatic Naming as a Generalized Operant Binder (1996). Behavioral Fluency: An Evolution of a New Paradigm Fabrizio and Moors (2003). Evaluating Mastery: Measuring Instructional Outcomes for Children with Autism Spillman & Milyko (2015). I can do this math, yo! This will most likely be my last show before heading off to ABAI. I have a few events scheduled, and if you're interested in checking them out, click here. Either way, I love meeting listeners in person, so if you're going to Chicago, please say hello. Today's episode is brought to you by Go Lotus. Go Lotus' mission is to break down the barriers of how we gather, process, and share information for children with Autism and related needs. From practice management to data collection, they do it all. It is so simple your entire team can be up and running in less than an hour. For more information, go to golotus.com/register. And by using the promo code MATT, the first 100 people will receive 90 days of our data trackers completely free. And by signing up, you'll then receive an additional discount of 25% off the first 12 months. So again, for more info, head over to golotus.com/register. We are also brought to you by HRIC Recruiting. Let Barb Voss' 30 years of experience help you find your dream job, or if you're an agency, your dream candidate. For a confidential conversation about your career, reach out to Barb at https://www.hricolorado.com/contact. Lastly, you can still get free shipping for all your Essential for Living purchases through June 1st. At checkout, use code EFLBOP0501.

Ep 84The Front Lines of Parenting: Session 84 with Luis Morales Knight
In session 84, Dr. Luis Morales Knight joins me to talk about his work as a Clinical Psychologist, which, as you may have guessed from the title of this episode, involves a lot of parent training and coaching. Although Luis jokes that he's not a "real Behavior Analyst," trust me, he's one of us. He is the co-founder of the Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Center in Ocean County, California. In addition to completing a clinical psych graduate program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, he also trained with podcast favorite, Pat Friman, at Boys Town. We didn't even scratch the surface of all the topics we wanted to cover, so I'm already thinking about a follow up interview. But first, I need to re-listen to this one and apply some of the things Luis discussed to my own parenting. Here are the links to the resources we mentioned: Pat Friman in Session 10 of this podcast Quasi obscure 80's show, Quantum Leap Parent-Child Interaction Therapy PRIDE Skills Act, don't Yak Job Card Grounding Sleeping Through the Night The Thriving Adolescent Stuff that Sucks The Self-Driven Child McGinnis Behavioral Session 84 is brought to you by: Behavior University. BU's mission is to provide university-quality continuing education to Behavior Analysis practitioners in a convenient and affordable format. Save 10% on all Continuing Education and training products with the code PODCAST. Click here for more details. The Essential for Living assessment and curriculum. Get free shipping on all purchases until June 1st by using the discount code EFLBOP0501 Lastly, Remote Fieldwork Supervision for BCBA Trainees, the book I co-wrote with Dr. Lisa Britton, who is an expert in providing high quality distance based supervision, is now out. Lastly, are you going to ABAI? I have a few events, and I'd love to see you there.