The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria

Session 83 is a roundtable discussion with Andy Chavez from BehaviorMe, Jane Logvinova from ABA Desk, and Adam Dreyfus from AnswersNow. We dive into emerging trends in the application of technology in the practice of Applied Behavior Analysis, particularly in the areas of staff training, data collection, and parental support. Specifically, we discuss the market signals that led these entrepreneurs to create their products, how their ideas have been shaped over time, how they have (or haven't) secured external funding, and how they are marketing their offerings. Throughout our discussion, my guests mentioned several resources and websites, and I have done my best to capture them here: Lighthouse Labs Techstars Headsprout Joe Layng's Machine Learning Blog post To schedule a demo, or if you just want to learn more about these amazing businesses, check out the following: BehaviorMe click here to schedule a demo Instagram ABA Desk Learn more Schedule demo Instagram Facebook (and to get 50% off your first 3 months, use promo code MCPODCAST) AnswersNow To learn more Facebook Instagram And now, for some shameless self-promotion: I am running a wicked awesome deal on Type 2 CEU's Dr. Evelyn Gould will join The Behavioral Observations Membership group for an "Ask Me Anything" (within reason), on May 1st, 2019, at 8 PM EST ABAI 2019 events that I'm participating in: Science, Communication, and Behavior Analysis: Correcting Missed Opportunities. An invited panel with Ryan O'Donnell and Dr. Matt Normand, chaired by Dr. Jonathan Pinkston Should We Be Selling Out and Commercializing Our Science?: The Stories of PECs, PEAK, and Chartlytics. I will chair this panel that will feature Drs. Andy Bondy, Mark Dixon, and Rick Kubina If you haven't done so already, check out the book that Dr. Lisa Britton and I just published, Remote Fieldwork Supervision for BCBA Trainees

In Session 82, I chat with Beth McKee, wearer of innumerable hats! According to her LinkedIn profile, she holds the following positions:Director of Rehabilitation Services at Guangxiu International Children's CenterCEO of ABA Consulting InternationalBrand Ambassador for BehaviorMeIn this episode, we discuss how Beth got her start in ABA, how she began working in China, and how she is currently scaling services in the Hunan Province region in a sustainable and ethical manner.As we discussed in the show, there are not a lot of BCBA's in China. If you don't believe me, check out this map Beth put together:We also discuss what she does when she's not practicing in China, highlighting in particular, her work with BehaviorMe. Beth often posts lots of pictures of her ABA adventures, so if you'd like to follow along, check out her Instagram (@bethmmckee).This podcast is supported by: HRIC... Your new career path starts here. Let Barb Voss find you your dream job, or, if you're an agency, let her find you your dream candidate! Let her 30 years of recruiting experience work for you. If you're interested in learning more, email her for a confidential chat.Essential for Living: A Communication, Behavior, and Life Skills Curriculum, Assessment, and Practitioner's Handbook. From now through 6/1/2019, get free shipping on all purchases using offer 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.

I am really excited to present this follow up conversation with one of our most popular guests, Dr. Pat McGreevy. In this episode, we start out by talking about teaching more than one student at a time, and then we move on to some of his tips and tricks for teaching waiting skills, how to avoid ratio strain, how to fade prompts, the benefits of cold probes, and more. We close the episode by taking a wide range of listener questions (e.g., "who are some unsung heroes in our field?"), and you definitely do not want to miss those. Pat has been in this business for a long time, and the wisdom he shares in this episode is priceless for sure! Session 81 of this podcast was brought to you by the following: The Essential for Living assessment and curriculum. Get free shipping on all purchases until June 1st by using the discount code EFLBOP0501 The Central Reach, Charting a New Course workshop, that's taking place on April 18th and 19th, in Needham, MA. If you're interested in saving 10% off your registration, use the promo code: PODCAST. 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. 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.

My original plan was to chat with Drs. David Palmer and Josh Pritchard about the distinctions between the Verbal Behavior, or traditional Skinnerian approach to language and cognition, and Relational Frame Theory. Well, what happened was we had a technical glitch that prevented Josh from joining Dave and me, so for the first 15-20 minutes, it's just the two of us… Fortunately, we figured out the problem, and then Josh was able to join the conversation. So think of this podcast as being presented in two acts. What was great about this conversation was how amiably my guests were able to talk about these differing points of view. What was disappointing about this conversation… was how amiably my guests were able to talk about these differing points of view. I'm kidding of course. And this is a topic I would like to return to from time to time. I would love to hear what you think about it, so please go to the show notes for this episode, or comment on your social media channel of choice. We mentioned a handful of articles, and I've tried my best to provide links below. I may have missed one here and there, so let me know if you catch a reference that didn't make it into the session notes. And while you're at behavioralobservations.com, sign up for the newsletter, and you'll get the show notes for subsequent episodes delivered directly to your email inbox. Data in Search of a Principle (Palmer, 2004) A Behavioral Interpretation of Memory (Palmer, 1991) Stimulus Equivalence and Arbitrary Applicable Relational Responding (Steele and Hayes, 1991) Relational Frame Theory: An Overview of the Controversy (Gross and Fox, 2009) Caio Miguel's Google Scholar page Some Logical Functions of Joint Control (Lowenkron, 1998) Some Thoughts on the Relation Between Derived Relation Responding and Verbal Behavior (Moore, 2015) Session 80 of this podcast was brought to you by the following: The Essential for Living assessment and curriculum. Get free shipping on all purchases until June 1st by using the discount code EFLBOP0501 NH ABA is hosting Dr. Solandy Forte on April 19th from 9-12 in Bedford NH for a CEU event. The title of the event is Navigating through Cultural Barriers in Applied Behavior Analysis, and is good for 3 Ethics CE's. Again, for links to this event, simply go to the show notes for this episode, or visit NHABA.net 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.

In Session 79, I speak with Dr. Merrill Winston about the topic of mass shootings. During our chat, Merrill mentioned that mass shooting events will continue to happen. Sadly, his words were prescient, because a few days after we recorded our conversation, the horrific events in New Zealand took place. I suppose the tenor of the discussion would've been more somber if the timing was reversed, and speaking for myself, I apologize if the conversation comes off as tone deaf or unserious. Nevertheless, I have reached out to other behavior analysts who have looked at this topic, and if this is something you'd like to hear more about, please let me know and I'll schedule some additional interviews. In any case, despite the sad nature of the subject matter, I hope you find Merrill's analysis of these events as interesting and thought provoking as I did. Here are some links that we either discussed and/or may be of interest: Merrill's slide show on mass shootings The book, What Terrorists Want: Understanding the Enemy, Containing the Threat, by Louise Richardson The Professional Crisis Management Association website The PCMA YouTube channel, where Merrill has posted videos on several different topics of interest A video teaser for Merrill's upcoming appearance on The Controversial Exchange podcast This podcast is supported by: Essential for Living: A Communication, Behavior, and Life Skills Curriculum, Assessment, and Practitioner's Handbook. From now through 6/1/2019, get free shipping on all purchases using offer code EFLBOP0501 HRIC... Your new career path starts here. Let Barb Voss find you your dream job, or, if you're an agency, let her find you your dream candidate! Let her 30 years of recruiting experience work for you. If you're interested in learning more, email her for a confidential chat

Dr. Barry McCurdy is the Director of the Devereux's Center for Effective Schools. In this episode, we talk about his work in supporting students with significant behavioral challenges in urban public school settings. Barry's primary research interest in the treatment of disruptive behavior disorders has led to several prevention/early intervention initiatives in urban schools including the development of models for school-wide positive behavior support, school-based parent training, and classroom-based behavior management. During this interview, we referred to a variety of people, resources, studies, and so on. I have attempted to capture links to all of them here: The Center for Effective Schools site The Center for Management of ADHD Project Follow Through report from the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies The Student Risk Screening Scale (SRSS) Deliberate Coaching (Gavoni & Weatherby, 2019) Edna Foa's Amazon author's page (many PTSD resources!) Judith Cohen's Amazon author's page (many Trauma Focused CBT resources) An overview of Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) This session of The Behavioral Observations Podcast was supported by Behavior University. If you're looking for some great online continuing ed, BU has some great deals right now: In the spirit of March Madness, they are offering a discount on all seats for live webinars sold in March. Only $20 will get you up close and personal with leaders in the field like Matt Brodhead, Jonathan Tarbox, Joe Lucyshyn and others. The sale ends March 31, 2019 so grab those seats before they're gone. For more information, go to behavioruniversity.com/observations! Also, if you're interested in providing remote supervision, or supervision in general, check out the forthcoming book that Dr. Lisa Britton and I wrote. It's call Remote Fieldwork Supervision for BCBA Trainees, and you can find more information about it by clicking here.

Pat Friman was gracious enough to spend a large chunk of a Saturday chatting with The Behavioral Observations Membership Group.If you're not familiar with the group, it is a membership program (think a DIY Patreon) in which about every two months, I bring a former podcast guest on to a Zoom call, and the members get ask their questions directly. We've been doing it for about two years or so and it's a lot of fun.So on this call, we got to ask Pat all sorts of questions, like why he gets up at three am, how to deal with bedtime behavior problems, dealing with ABA "haters," the now infamous "Pink sweater lady," and more.If you're not familiar with the Pink Lady story, check it out here on The Daily BA YouTube channel:This podcast was supported by the 4-day ACT BootCamp for Behavior Analysts workshop in Reno, Nevada, with Steven C. Hayes, Evelyn Gould, Mark Dixon, and David Sloan Wilson.This will take place March 7-10, 2019, and will provide 32 Type 2 CE's! This BootCamp is designed to provide behavior analysts a foundational understanding of acceptance and commitment training (ACT).ACT's conceptual and empirical basis has strengthened considerably over the last three decades, and it is now fully entering into the armamentarium of BCBAs in areas like parent training, staff management & development, organizational work, work with developmentally delayed populations or the chronically mentally ill, educational settings with special needs students, and beyond.For more details, click here, and if you do decide to go, use code BEHAVEOBS19 at checkout to save $50!

Dr. Evelyn Gould joins me in Session 76 to chat about a variety of things, including her work in parent training and supporting adolescents with mental health challenges as a Clinical Behavior Analyst. We also talk about her early training in Behavior Analysis, both here in the United States, as well as in Northern Ireland. I think you'll enjoy hearing how these early experiences shaped her as a clinician, as well as learn a thing or two about how to (appropriately/legally) stalk people you look up to! I had such a good time chatting with Evelyn that we didn't even get to the listener submitted questions (sorry!!!). So naturally, we'll have to have her back for a round two on the podcast. We didn't talk about a ton of resources, but here are the ones that I do recall: The paper on parent training (Gould, Tarbox, and Coyne, 2018). The DNA-v curriculum Evelyn uses. The ACT Bootcamp for Behavior Analysts, March 7-10, 2019 (if you decide to go, save $50 off of registration by using promo code BEHAVEOBS19). This podcast is also brought to you by HRIC, providing personalized job search and placement services. Let Barb Voss help you find your dream job, or your dream candidate! Click here to schedule a confidential appointment!

The last time we checked in with Dr. Matt Brodhead, he was putting the final touches on his book, Practical Ethics for Effective Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Well, he's been out on the speaking circuit now that the book has been out for some time, so I thought it would be a good idea for him to return to the show and discuss what he's hearing out in the field as he makes his way from conference to conference. And since Matt has been on the show, The Behavioral Observations Podcast has become one of his mother's favorite things to listen to. Don't believe me? Check this out: In this episode we also tackle quite a few listener questions as well, most of which had to do with how to define or obtain competence in a given area of Behavior Analysis. Along the way, we discussed the following articles: A Call for Discussion About Scope of Competence in Behavior Analysis (Brodhead, Quigley, & Wilczynski, 2018). A survey of functional behavior assessment methods used by behavior analysts in practice (Oliver, Pratt, & Normand, 2015). A statewide survey assessing practitioners' use and perceived utility of functional assessment (Roscoe et. al., 2015). And by the way, follow Matt on Twitter (@mattbrodhead)! This session of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is sponsored by Praxis Continuing Education & Training: The 4-day ACT BootCamp for Behavior Analysts workshop in Reno, Nevada, with Steven C. Hayes, Evelyn Gould, Mark Dixon, and David Sloan Wilson. This will take place March 7-10, 2019, and will provide 32 Type 2 CE's! This BootCamp is designed to provide behavior analysts a foundational understanding of acceptance and commitment training (ACT). ACT's conceptual and empirical basis has strengthened considerably over the last three decades, and it is now fully entering into the armamentarium of BCBAs in areas like parent training, staff management & development, organizational work, work with developmentally delayed populations or the chronically mentally ill, educational settings with special needs students, and beyond. For more details, click here, and if you do decide to go, use code BEHAVEOBS19 at checkout to save $50! 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 Himalaya Podcast app. Are you frustrated with the native Apple Podcast app, which seems to get worse and worse with each "update"? Are you an Android user who is looking for a better podcast experience? Then download Himalaya to your device and decide whether this is a better alternative. Oh, and be sure to follow The Behavioral Observations Podcast when you do!

When things are going as they should, I usually have two to four interviews recorded and ready to go at any given time. However, for several reasons I got behind the 8-ball as the saying goes. And when a recent interview was cancelled I was left without a third show for January. So rather than go without, I thought I'd put out a solo episode, and share some general thoughts I have regarding consulting in public school settings. The timing of this was oddly fortuitous, mainly because I've been thinking a lot about the "soft skills," in the practice of Behavior Analysis. As a result, I sat down at my computer and made a bullet list of what 11 tips or suggestions for effective consultation. As I mention in the beginning of the episode, I do not present these from up upon a soapbox. I learned many of these lessons the hard way. Another thing I'd like to mention is that many of these tips sound really obvious, and can be thought of as belonging in the realm of common sense. But I ask you to trust me, because common sense doesn't always prevail. Here are the two articles I mentioned: Compassionate Care in Behavior Analytic Treatment (Taylor, LeBlanc, & Nosik, 2018). Maintaining Professional Relationships in an Interdisciplinary Setting (Brodhead, 2015). Lastly, given that this is my first solo episode, feel free to send me some feedback. I plan on sticking with the interview format, but I'd love to know how a show like this is received in case this situation comes up again. This session of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is sponsored by Praxis Continuing Education & Training: Join Praxis Continuing Education & Training for the 4-day ACT BootCamp for Behavior Analysts workshop in Reno, Nevada, with Steven C. Hayes, Evelyn Gould, Mark Dixon, and David Sloan Wilson. This will take place March 7-10, 2019, and will provide 32 Type 2 CE's! This BootCamp is designed to provide behavior analysts a foundational understanding of acceptance and commitment training (ACT). ACT's conceptual and empirical basis has strengthened considerably over the last three decades, and it is now fully entering into the armamentarium of BCBAs in areas like parent training, staff management & development, organizational work, work with developmentally delayed populations or the chronically mentally ill, educational settings with special needs students, and beyond. What's new at this BootCamp? Prosocial methods for groups! All successful behavior analysis programs have to deal with groups, whether it be with schools, agencies, businesses, or their own staff. This year, we will emphasize how ACT and RFT can empower organizational and team effectiveness. Renowned evolutionary scientist David Sloan Wilson, PhD, will train you on how to implement Prosocial, a new method for helping groups work better together. For more details, click here, and if you do decide to go, use code BEHAVEOBS19 at checkout to save $50!

Dr. Amy Smith Wiech joins me in Session 73 to talk about the implementation of Geller's Actively Caring for People (AC4P) movement in Law Enforcement settings. At its core, ABA is about solving socially relevant problems, and the issue of police shootings, and in a broader sense, police-community relations, couldn't be more relevant these days. If you're not familiar with AC4P, don't worry... Amy breaks it down for us, and if you're still looking for more information, she provided me this treasure-trove of links to additional resources. This session of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is brought to with the support of the following: The Himalaya Podcast app. Are you frustrated with the native Apple Podcast app, which seems to get worse and worse with each "update"? Are you an Android user who is looking for a better podcast experience? Then download Himalaya to your device and decide whether this is a better alternative. Oh, and be sure to follow The Behavioral Observations Podcast when you do! HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Find out about available positions in your area, what type of salaries you should expect, and more! Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry.

In Session 72, I chat with Dr. Bridget Taylor (of Alpine Learning Group and Let me Hear Your Voice fame) and Devon Sundberg (of The Behavior Analysis Center for Autism and founder of the Women in Behavior Analysis Conference). In this episode, we discuss: Bridget's work in highlighting the need for BCBA's to be more compassionate in their service delivery. Bridget's role in Catherine Maurice's seminal book. Why Devon started WIBA. What to expect from this year's event. Advice for newly-minted BCBA's. Along the way, we referenced the following resources: Compassionate Care in Behavior Analytic Treatment (Taylor, LeBlanc, and Nosik (2018). The WIBA registration page (and the event is currently sold out, but if you're interested in attending, keep checking here as tickets may become available if there are cancellations). Devon's ABA Inside Track interview. Gould, Tarbox, and Coyne's 2018 paper. Karen Armstrong's Amazon author's page. "Let me Hear Your Voice," by Catherine Maurice. And for extra credit, check out: Participation of Women in Behavior Analysis Research, by Li, Curiel, Pritchard, and Poling (2018). This session of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is sponsored 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 Himalaya Podcast app. Are you frustrated with the native Apple Podcast app, which seems to get worse and worse with each "update"? Are you an Android user who is looking for a better podcast experience? Then download Himalaya to your device and decide whether this is a better alternative. Oh, and be sure to follow The Behavioral Observations Podcast when you do!

In Session 71, I join the folks at ABA Inside Track for a 2018 Year in Review. In this episode, we discuss: The passing of influential Behavior Analysts in 2018. Important events in the field, such as the #timesupABA and #dobetter movements. The good and bad associated with the continued growth of our field. Things we're looking forward to in 2019. As a bonus (or punishment) we even sing a few lines from Auld Lang Syne. I apologize in advance... Please do not let this influence any potential iTunes reviews for either of our podcasts! Our sponsors for this episode include: The Himalaya Podcast app. Are you frustrated with the native Apple Podcast app, which seems to get worse and worse with each "update"? Are you an Android user who is looking for a better podcast experience? Then download Himalaya to your device and decide whether this is a better alternative. Oh, and be sure to follow The Behavioral Observations Podcast when you do! My own wicked-awesome discount on 12 Type 2 CE's. Use the offer code, "bundle" and save over 50% on your continuing education needs. Keep up to date with the happenings in the field while you drive, walk the dog, etc...

Neil Deochand is an Assistant Professor-Educator in the Behavior Analysis Distance Learning Program at the University of Cincinnati. Since 2011 he has worked as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in both center based, and out-patient settings. His research interests span a wide variety of topics including quality assurance of behavioral graphing practices, behavioral medicine, and he is interested in disseminating decision-making tools to support the professional practice of applied behavior analysis. In this episode, we talk about these areas, but also focused on Neil's work in consumer product development. This should be of significant interest to those of us who want to see our science applied more broadly. We also talk about Neil's interest in basic research using planaria, which, I am embarrassed to admit, I had to Google to figure out what planaria actually are. Somehow, Neil ties these varied topics all together, and mentions several resources and articles on the way. If you want to track any of them down, head over to https://behavioralobservations.com for the show notes.

In Session 69 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast, we are treated to a TAGteach primer from Martha Gabler. In this episode, Martha shares how she discovered TAGteach when she was searching for intervention strategies to help her son with Autism. Martha also describes how she used this teaching strategy to reduce tantrums, bolting, and problematic sleep routines. In doing so, she provides us with a nice overview of the basics of TAGteach. If this is something you are interested in learning more about, we have links a-plenty below. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking with Hannah Branigan of Wonder Pups Training and the Drinking from the Toilet Podcast. We chat about how she decided to pursue dog (and human) training as a career and what it's like to teach people to train dogs. We then spend a considerable amount of time discussing how to conceptualize and address common behavior problems in dogs. As I note in the show, this is an area that I could stand to learn a lot more about. And if I'm being really honest, I don't spend much time at all teaching my dog the important skills that are discussed in this episode. As such, chatting with Hannah has been a good source of motivation to remediate this. I hope that if you're in the same boat as I am, that this show has the same effect. During our conversation Hannah mentioned many resources. I have attempted to list them all below, but as always, please let me know if there's anything I missed. Lastly, I urge you to check out her podcast (see link above), and if you like it, to leave a rating and review in iTunes (doing so really helps out us podcasters!). Here are those links: Hannah's social media channels: Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Excel-erated Learning by Pam Reid The Dog Training by Kikopup YouTube channel A Deaf Dog Joins the Family, by Terrie Hayward PetTutor Smart Training Feeder (a discount code for this product is mentioned in episode 74 of Hannah's podcast) This podcast episode is supported by the following: The "Growing up with Skinner" event, which is hosted by Brett DiNovi and Associates (BDA). This is a one-day event that is taking place on November 30th in Mt. Laurel, NJ at the Weston Hotel and Conference Center. If you're not in New Jersey, don't worry, as it is available for live-streaming (both during and well after the event). This event will feature a keynote by Dr. Julie Vargas, who will be talking about her experiences with growing up with B.F. Skinner as a Dad (how cool!). It will be followed by talks from Brett DiNovi and Matt Linder from BDA, and Dr. Don Hantula will provide the closing address. All told, 5.5 supervision CE's are available, and best of all, the proceeds of this event will benefit the B.F. Skinner Foundation. Interested? Click here to learn more. Behavior University: BU's live webinars generally have a limited number of attendees, so that the learning experience is interactive, with plenty of opportunities for engaging with the presenters. If you can't make the live events, these webinars are recorded and available in Behavior University's CEU Library for later viewing. So if you would like to learn more, head over to Behavioruniversity.com/observations, where you'll find a 10% discount code for podcast listeners. Thanks for checking them out!

Ok I get it. You're probably tired of me talking about the 2018 Hoosier ABA conference, but this is the last Indy-related show... at least until next year. My guest today, Dr. Paul Gavoni, a.k.a. "Paulie Gloves," has each one of his feet firmly planted in two worlds: Coaching elite boxers and MMA fighters, and consulting in public school settings as the Director of School Improvement for PBS Corp. From his website, QuickWinsPro.com, he is described as follows: An expert in human performance and organizational leadership, Dr. Paul Gavoni has over 20 years supporting education and human services. Specializing in improving climate and cultures to move stalled improvement efforts, Dr. Gavoni supports organizational, district, school, and classroom leaders with embedding processes and procedures that rapidly impact key performance indicators. Dr. Gloves possesses a Doctorate of Education, a Specialist of Educational Leadership, and a Masters and Bachelors of Social Work. Pauli is also the co-author of Quick Wins, which he co-wrote with former guest Manny Rodriguez. He is also the co-author of the upcoming book, Deliberate Coaching, which he co-authored with yet another former podcast guest, Nic Weatherly. We cover quite a range of topics in this episode, specifically how Paulie got into Behavior Analysis, best practices for coaching school personnel, and how he applies the science of behavior towards working with combat sports athletes. Here are some of the links we discussed: Manny Rodriguez's earlier podcast appearance (way back in Session 9!) Nic Weatherly's earlier podcast appearance The Big 5 of classroom management Blood, Sweat, and Science... one of Pauli's many bSci21.org articles Pauli's LinkeIn page (which links to many of his articles) This podcast episode is supported by the following: The "Growing up with Skinner" event, which is hosted by Brett DiNovi and Associates (BDA). This is a one-day event that is taking place on November 30th in Mt. Laurel, NJ at the Weston Hotel and Conference Center. If you're not in New Jersey, don't worry, as it is available for live-streaming. This event will feature a keynote by Dr. Julie Vargas, who will be talking about her experiences with growing up with B.F. Skinner as a Dad (how cool!). It will be followed by talks from Brett DiNovi and Matt Linder from BDA, and Dr. Don Hantula will provide the closing address. All told, 5.5 supervision CE's are available, and best of all, the proceeds of this event will benefit the B.F. Skinner Foundation. Interested? Click here to learn more. HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Find out about available positions in your area, what type of salaries you should expect, and more! Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry. Behavior University: BU's live webinars generally have a limited number of attendees, so that the learning experience is interactive, with plenty of opportunities for engaging with the presenters. If you can't make the live events, these webinars are recorded and available in Behavior University's CEU Library for later viewing. So if you would like to learn more, head over to Behavioruniversity.com/observations, where you'll find a 10% discount code for podcast listeners. Thanks for checking them out!

Well the gift that was the Hoosier Association for Behavior Analysis conference keeps on giving. What do I mean by this? Well, just before he left Indianapolis, I was able to snag Brett DiNovi for a little while and recorded this conversation in the lobby of the Sheraton City Center. If you are on any of the ABA social media channels, you've undoubtedly seen Brett's YouTube channel. However, for those who don't know him, Brett is the Founder and CEO of Brett DiNovi and Associates, which is the largest ABA provider on the East Coast of the United states. In this episode, we discuss how we briefly met more almost 15 years ago and how he got started in ABA. We also talk a lot about the ups and downs of running a successful ABA agency, and how BDA is not only expanding into new marketplaces, but how it is supporting other independent ABA providers. Compared to Brett's short and sweet YouTube videos, this is a long-form conversation, and I'm betting you'll learn a lot more about who he is, how he sees the field, and how he has managed to create a winning company culture. I mentioned his main YouTube channel already, and in this conversation, Brett lets us know about another channel that his company has launched, called "Hacking Clinical Behavior." If you have a chance, go check them out, and give them a thumbs up and share with friends if you like them. This episode is sponsored by Behavior University. Behavior University is a BACB Approved Continuing Education Provider, and their mission is to provide university-quality courses in applied behavior analysis for new and experienced professionals alike. Their live webinars generally have a limited number of attendees, so that the learning experience is interactive, with plenty of opportunities for engaging with the presenters. If you can't make the live events, these webinars are recorded and available in Behavior University's CEU Library for later viewing. Behavior University also has a 40 hour RBT training. This self-paced course uses a combination of visual presentation, audio lectures, and live video models to teach all areas of the RBT Task List. The course is accessible any time and from anywhere. So if you would like to learn more, head over to Behavioruniversity.com/observations, where you'll find a 10% discount code for podcast listeners. Thanks for checking them out!

Dr. Matt Normand graciously accepted my offer to be a test subject for the first live-audience taping of The Behavioral Observations Podcast. In this episode we discussed his entry into the field of Behavior Analysis, his line of research in helping children in schools engage in vigorous physical activity, and his thoughts on the development of our profession. Matt referenced a number of his studies and rather than duplicate them here, you can visit his website, where he has links to many of his publications. I also recommend following him on Twitter. We taped this interview at the 10th Annual Hoosier Association for Behavior Analysis conference. This was a fantastic conference, and I am very grateful to HABA board members, Danyl Epperheimer and Kyle Steury, for inviting me to participate in this event. It was my first time visiting Indianapolis, and I really loved the city. If you're in the general area next year, I would strongly consider attending for sure! Back to this episode... the conference committee set us up at the Skyline Club, which is on the 36th floor of a building that overlooks the city. The interview took place during the evening social, and to add to the overall mirth of the occasion, Stephen Foreman from Clinical Behavior Analysis brought a very special bottle of Kentucky Bourbon to share with us as well as the audience. Long story short, when compared to doing interviews from my basement, this was definitely a special event. I also had the chance to talk with numerous listeners as well as former podcast guests, and to list them all would be to risk forgetting someone, so instead, I will say that it was really quite a treat to connect with everyone at the conference. Here are some pictures of the taping of the podcast, and I may have some more on my Instagram account: This episode is sponsored by the following: The Precision ABA Workshop, by Dr. Rick Kubina of Chartlytics. This will be held on November 15th and 16th in Indianapolis, Indiana. This 2-day workshop will guide you through the steps of precision measurement and help you obtain superior ABA outcomes. You will learn evidence-based science and practical techniques that you can implement in your own ABA service delivery. If you're going to attend and want to save 10% on registration, use the coupon code Matt. The Next Gen Revolution Summit, taking place on November 10th & 11th in Las Vegas. Attend in person, or live-stream so you can watch it in your Jammies. If you're interested in seeing talks from instructional luminaries like Janet Tyman and T.V. Joe Layng, hearing what podcast guests Megan Miller and Sara Gershfeld Litvak have to say, or learning about the latest in technological innovations in our field, this is the event for you. If you do decide to attend, use offer code Matt to save 10%.

OK, so to be honest, I'm writing these show notes while on the road after an amazing Hoosier ABA conference (more on that in a subsequent episode or two ;-). As such, I'll be uncharacteristically brief. To risk hyperbole, I think that just about anyone can benefit from listening to this episode. My guest, Dr. Jim Moore, talks about his ups and downs (followed by more ups and downs... and ups) with weight loss. What I like about Jim is that he shares these deeply personal struggles in order to, in my estimation, help others who have similar problems. Jim has gone from being overweight, to super fit, to morbidly obese... to now, where he is on a trend of fairly sustainable success. He acknowledge he still has room to improve, but check these pictures out, and you'll get an idea of how much progress he's gained: And because I'm on the road, I unfortunately do not have my notes from our interview. That said, I do recall discussing an article titled, The Shame of American Education, by B.F. Skinner himself. If there are other references I missed, visit the Contact page and let me know what it was, and I'll update these show notes. This episode is sponsored by the following: The Precision ABA Workshop, by Dr. Rick Kubina of Chartlytics. This will be held on November 15th and 16th in Indianapolis, Indiana. This 2-day workshop will guide you through the steps of precision measurement and help you obtain superior ABA outcomes. You will learn evidence-based science and practical techniques that you can implement in your own ABA service delivery. If you're going to attend and want to save 10% on registration, use the coupon code Matt. The Next Gen Revolution Summit, taking place on November 10th & 11th in Las Vegas. Attend in person, or live-stream so you can watch it in your Jammies. If you're interested in seeing talks from instructional luminaries like Janet Tyman and T.V. Joe Layng, hearing what podcast guests Megan Miller and Sara Gershfeld Litvak have to say, or learning about the latest in technological innovations in our field, this is the event for you. If you do decide to attend, use offer code Matt to save 10%. HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry.

To say that I enjoyed my conversation with Chuck Merbitz is a colossal understatement. As you will see when you listen to this one, Chuck has a rare combination of humility and wisdom, and he generously shares many lessons learned in his over four decade career in Behavior Analysis. This is one of our longer episodes, and I promise you it's worth listening to in its entirety! In Session 63, we discuss a wide range of topics that include the following: How to teach recovering alcoholic WWII veterans to get dates and find jobs (but not necessarily in that order!). What the Behavior Analysis scene was like in the early 70s when he began his graduate training. How to be a practitioner who is both pragmatic and compassionate (as well as how to avoid being the "ugly behaviorist!"). How and why he started the ABA program at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. How collecting precise data on both communicative responses AND therapist prompts helped him identify barriers to a learner's progress. And of course, some discussion on the terms frequency and rate in our profession (see link to the Merbitz, Merbitz, & Pennypacker paper below). If you're not familiar with Chuck, you can check out his LinkedIn profile to get a sense of where he's coming from. In brief though, Chuck has had a long and storied career in our field, holding faculty appointments not only at CSPP, but also at the Illinois Institute of Technology, the Northwestern University Medical School, and Jacksonville State University. Chuck is also a pioneer in the development of digital tools for Behavior Analysts. Time did not permit us getting too deep into this part of his career, but I think it will make for a nice follow up interview. We touched on a few papers, and I've done my best to run them down here. Please let me know if there are any that I missed: Johnston & Pennypacker (1971). A behavioral approach to college teaching. Merbitz, Merbitz, & Pennypacker (2016). On terms: Frequency and rate in Applied Behavior Analysis. Merbitz, Miller, & Hansen (2000). Cueing and Logical Problem Solving In Brain Trauma Rehabilitation: Frequency Patterns In Clinician And Patient Behaviors. This episode is sponsored by the following: The Precision ABA Workshop, by Dr. Rick Kubina of Chartlytics. This will be held on November 15th and 16th in Indianapolis, Indiana. This 2-day workshop will guide you through the steps of precision measurement and help you obtain superior ABA outcomes. You will learn evidence-based science and practical techniques that you can implement in your own ABA service delivery. If you're going to attend and want to save 10% on registration, use the coupon code Matt. The Next Gen Revolution Summit, taking place on November 10th & 11th in Las Vegas. Attend in person, or live-stream so you can watch it in your Jammies. If you're interested in seeing talks from instructional luminaries like Janet Tyman and T.V. Joe Layng, hearing what podcast guests Megan Miller and Sara Gershfeld Litvak have to say, or learning about the latest in technological innovations in our field, this is the event for you. If you do decide to attend, use offer code Matt to save 10%. And while not technically a sponsor, if you're in the midwest and want to check out a cool event, consider attending the Hoosier Association for Behavior Analysis' 10th anniversary conference. I've interviewed almost everyone on the speakers' roster, so I know attendees are bound to hear some good stuff. I'll also be doing my first live, in-person podcast with HABA's keynote speaker, Dr. Matthew Normand. It should be a good time had by all, and I hope to see you there!

To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, "What's the deal with accreditation?!?!" In Session 62, Sara Gershfeld Litvak joins me to talk about what accreditation is, what the process is like, why it's important for the field of Applied Behavior Analysis to have its own accrediting body, and most importantly, why you should care. Sara is the Chief Executive Officer of the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence. If you're not familiar with the BHCOE, it is... ...an international accrediting body created to meet accreditation needs specific to the delivery of behavior analysis. The BHCOE's accreditation requirements undergo regular review according to international standards for organizations that grant accreditation. All BHCOE requirements and survey content are reviewed annually by content experts. BHCOE Accreditation ® is a certification given to an applied behavior analysis provider once it has demonstrated it has met and continues to meet an assortment of clinical and administrative standards as determined by an independent third-party evaluator. Sara describes her background in the episode itself, but here's a little bit from her bio: Sara Gershfeld Litvak completed her graduate degree from Claremont Graduate University. Sara is an Adjunct Professor for the Applied Behavior Analysis program at Pepperdine University and serves as a systems consultant for the California Regional Center system designing Quality Assurance processes to ensure that ABA service providers provide clinically sound services. In addition, Sara is also the co-founder of the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE) the only ABA-specific accrediting body. She is an education blogger for the Huffington Post, has served as past Co-Chair of the Autism Special Interest Group at ABAI, on the Board of Directors for the Association for Science in Autism Treatment, and as a Subject Matter Expert for the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB). For more information on accreditation, feel free to contact Sara through the BHCOE contact page. And if you're interested in doing a self-study of your agency, you can find their self-evaluation checklist here. This session of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is sponsored by: Constellations Behavioral Services. CBS believes that everyone can learn, everyone can participate, and everyone can communicate. They provide outstanding ABA services in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and to learn more about career opportunities at CBS, click here. The Precision ABA Workshop, by Dr. Rick Kubina of Chartlytics. This will be held on November 15th and 16th in Indianapolis, Indiana. This 2-day workshop will guide you through the steps of precision measurement and help you obtain superior ABA outcomes. You will learn evidence-based science and practical techniques that you can implement in your own ABA service delivery. If you're going to attend and want to save 10% on registration, use the coupon code Matt. And while not technically a sponsor, if you're in the midwest and want to check out a cool event, consider attending the Hoosier Association for Behavior Analysis' 10th anniversary conference. I've interviewed almost everyone on the speakers' roster, so I know attendees are bound to hear some good stuff. I'll also be doing my first live, in-person podcast with HABA's keynote speaker, Dr. Matthew Normand. It should be a good time had by all, and I hope to see you there!

Dr. Nic Weatherly of the Florida Institute of Technology joins me in Session 61 to explore a few areas of Organizational Behavior Management, namely coaching staff members in public school settings, whether Board Certification is necessary for OBM practitioners, as well as the ethical considerations of OBM practices. In our conversation, Nic fielded numerous excellent listener questions having to do with topics such as pay-for-performance, how to get good training and supervision in OBM, and book recommendations for BCBA's who are looking to learn more in this area. Nic is the author of the forthcoming book, Deliberate Coaching, which he co-wrote with Dr. Paul Gavoni (and you can learn more about Paulie here or here). Nic talked about the book a little bit, but was gracious in naming a variety of other books and articles in the OBM space that he likes as well. I have attempted to list them all here: We talked about Aubrey Daniels' books quite a bit, so for the sake of expedience, click here to check out Aubrey's author page at Amazon. Long time listeners will also recall that Aubrey appeared way back in Session 30 of the podcast. Paradox of Organizational Change, by ABAI's own, Dr. Maria Malott. Rapid Change: Immediate Action for the Impatient Leader, by Joe Laipple. Coaching for Performance, by John Whitmore. Expanding the Customer Base for Behavior-Analytic Services, by LeBlanc, Heinicke, & Baker (2012). I'll keep you posted as to when Nic's book becomes available! This podcast episode is sponsored by the following: Constellations Behavioral Services. CBS believes that everyone can learn, everyone can participate, and everyone can communicate. They provide outstanding ABA services in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and to learn more about career opportunities at CBS, click here. Clinical Behavior Analysis, Kentucky's leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), counseling and direct support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, acquired brain injury and autism. They are about to open The Center for Behavior Analysis, a 13,000 square foot, state of art facility in Louisville, KY, and they're looking for a clinical director to lead a highly motivated team of clinicians and technicians. So to learn more, go to cbacares.com/careers and set up your confidential interview today! HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry. And while not technically a sponsor, if you're in the midwest and want to check out a cool event, consider attending the Hoosier Association for Behavior Analysis' 10th anniversary conference. I've interviewed almost everyone on the speakers' roster, so I know attendees are bound to hear some good stuff. I'll also be doing my first live, in-person podcast with HABA's keynote speaker, Dr. Matthew Normand. It should be a good time had by all, and I hope to see you there!

As promised, Sorah Stein joins me is Session 60 for a much-anticipated discussion of sex and sex education for individuals with developmental disabilities. In this conversation, we discuss the following: The difference between Stranger Danger and Strange Behavior Basic privacy concepts to teach learners Who can determine a learner's capacity for consent The essential components of sexual consent Distinguishing sexual topography from sexual pleasure We also fielded many listener questions, and managed to touch on a topic that should be familiar to long-time listeners (mainly Precision Teaching, the Standard Celeration Chart, and our friends at Chartlytics). Sorah mentioned numerous articles and resources. I have attempted to list them all here, but please let me know if there are any that I overlooked: Sorah mentioned Dave Hingsburger's materials a few times. He's written quite a lot on this subject, so I've linked his Amazon author's page The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists' home page Teaching Children with Downs Syndrome About Their Bodies, Boundaries, and Sexuality, The Boys Guide to Growing Up, The Girls Guide to Growing Up, all by Terri Couwenhoven Sexuality Education, by Jason Travers The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States This is a topic we could return to time and time again, so if you want to hear more about this, just let me know! Oh, and I almost forgot the obligatory Salt N' Pepa reference: This podcast episode is sponsored by the following: Constellations Behavioral Services. CBS believes that everyone can learn, everyone can participate, and everyone can communicate. They provide outstanding ABA services in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and to learn more about career opportunities at CBS, click here. Clinical Behavior Analysis, Kentucky's leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), counseling and direct support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, acquired brain injury and autism. They are about to open The Center for Behavior Analysis, a 13,000 square foot, state of art facility in Louisville, KY, and they're looking for a clinical director to lead a highly motivated team of clinicians and technicians. So to learn more, go to cbacares.com/careers and set up your confidential interview today! And while not technically a sponsor, if you're in the midwest and want to check out a cool event, consider attending the Hoosier Association for Behavior Analysis' 10th anniversary conference. I've interviewed almost everyone on the speakers' roster, so I know attendees are bound to hear some good stuff. I'll also be doing my first live, in-person podcast with HABA's keynote speaker, Dr. Matthew Normand. It should be a good time had by all, and I hope to see you there!

Well I meant to have this episode out before my interview with Steve Hayes, but the timing was such that it made more sense to have Steve's episode published ASAP in case people were interested in participating in the ACT Bootcamp for Behavior Analysts (and if you do decide to go, use the promo code BOP to save $50 on registration). As such, there may be some references in my chat with Dr. Nick Berens about my interview-to-be with Steve. So I apologize for any confusing anachronisms. That said, I don't think the poor timing on my part detracts from the content that Nick brought to this conversation. If you're not familiar with Nick, here is his bio: Dr. Berens received his Ph.D. in behavior analysis from the University of Nevada under the supervision of Dr. Steven Hayes. He has served on several professional boards including the Standard Celeration Society, Nevada Association for Behavior Analysis, and the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science's education special interest group. Berens is an experienced applied researcher and has published and presented in the areas of core behavioral process related to language and development, the merits of the scientist practitioner model, Relational Frame Theory, Precision Teaching, and program evaluation. He has spent the last 10 years researching and developing the Fit Learning system of instruction. This system targets areas such as basic classroom readiness, core processing speed, phonemic awareness, reading fluency, reading comprehension, language-based comprehension, basic and advanced mathematics, grammar, expressive writing, logic, problem solving, and Executive Functioning. He and the Fit Learning team have implemented the system with over 1,000 children ages 3-18 years old. These children have presented with a variety of skill levels and diagnoses including children diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, learning disabilities including AD/HD, Dyslexia, Dygraphia, Dyscalcula, Auditory Processing Disorder, Non-Verbal Learning Disorder, and struggling learners, as well as, gifted students. The Fit Learning system has consistently been shown to produce one year's growth in 8-weeks. Nick in deep thought... ... and if the name Berens sounds familiar, in Session 44, I spoke with his better half as it were, Dr. Kim Berens, who described how Fit Learning was founded and what it's evolved into today. In this episode, Nick discussed the role of Relational Frame Theory as it relates to the work that they do at Fit Learning. As Steve did, Nick makes the case that derived relational responses are operants that are critical to language development. Likewise, we take a minute to discuss objections to RFT, and what he thinks about those who remain skeptical of this approach to understanding language development (and for those who are a little tired of all this ACT/RFT stuff, we'll have some other topics featured over the next few episodes). We didn't get too heavy into references, but Nick did suggest a few resources for folks to look into if they want to learn more: Dr. Eric Fox's online RFT tutorial. Learning RFT: An introduction to Relational Frame Theory and its Clinical Application, by Niklas Torneke, MD. And here are some of the publications by the Fit team Nick mentioned: School, Meds, and Moms- Using the Standard Celeration Chart for a Contextual Analysis of Behavior Putting the Precision in Precision Teaching- Using the Standard Celeration Chart for Ongoing Assessment Discovery Through the Lens of the Standard Celeraton Chart- Informing and Facilitating Inductive Intervention Strategies Assessing Functional Relations- The Utility of the Standard Celeration Chart I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! This podcast episode is sponsored by the following: Constellations Behavioral Services. CBS believes that everyone can learn, everyone can participate, and everyone can communicate. They provide outstanding ABA services in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and to learn more about career opportunities at CBS, click here. Clinical Behavior Analysis, Kentucky's leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), counseling and direct support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, acquired brain injury and autism. They are about to open The Center for Behavior Analysis, a 13,000 square foot, state of art facility in Louisville, KY, and they're looking for a clinical director to lead a highly motivated team of clinicians and technicians. So to learn more, go to cbacares.com/careers and set up your confidential interview today! And while not technically a sponsor, if you're in the midwest and want to check out a cool event, consider attending the Hoosier Association for Behavior Analysis' 10th anniversary conference. I've interviewed almost everyone on the speakers' roster, so I know attendees are bound to hear some good stuff. I'll also be doing my first live, in-person podcast with HABA's keynote speaker, Dr. Matthew

I had an amazing opportunity to chat with Dr. Steve Hayes, the Nevada Foundation Professor in the Behavior Analysis program at the Department of Psychology at the University of Nevada, as well as ACT and RFT pioneer. He's also written more peer-reviewed articles than I've probably read in my lifetime. In this episode, Steve and I discuss his forthcoming book on Evolution and Contextual Science, ACT training for Behavior Analysis practitioners (including the upcoming Boot Camp that's taking place soon), and the preparation of today's BCBAs. Steve mentioned several books and papers in our conversation, and I've tried to capture them all here: Evolution and Contextual Behavioral Science: An Integrated Framework for Understanding, Predicting, and Influencing Human Behavior. The ACT Bootcamp from September 27-30 in Baltimore, MD. (enrollees can save $50 at checkout with offer code BOP). Jablonka & Lamb, Evolution in Four Dimensions. Hayes & Brownstein (1986). Mentalism, Behavior-Behavior Relations, and a Behavior-Analytic View of the Purposes of Science. The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science website. I hope you enjoyed this conversation as much as I did. I'm sure this episode will generate a lot of feedback, and Steve is game for coming back for a Q & A episode. You can follow Steve on Twitter here. In addition to Praxis and the ACT Bootcamp, this podcast episode is sponsored by the following: Constellations Behavioral Services. CBS believes that everyone can learn, everyone can participate, and everyone can communicate. They provide outstanding ABA services in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and to learn more about career opportunities at CBS, click here. Clinical Behavior Analysis, Kentucky's leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), counseling and direct support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, acquired brain injury and autism. They are about to open The Center for Behavior Analysis, a 13,000 square foot, state of art facility in Louisville, KY, and they're looking for a clinical director to lead a highly motivated team of clinicians and technicians. So to learn more, go to cbacares.com/careers and set up your confidential interview today! HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry.

Longish-time listeners will recall that we spent some time talking about Clinical Behavior Analysis' approach to embedding parent training in their ABA services. In Session 36, we spent some time with Brandon Franklin discussing CBA's RAPID Skills Training (RST) protocol in great detail. So in Sesison 57, we return to our friends at CBA to do a deeper dive into RST. Jason Simmons, the President and Executive Director of CBA, joins me to talk about how RST was initially developed, and how their organization has used it across a wide variety of applications (and you can find more background information on RST here). We also spend some time discussing the history of CBA, as well as the semi-recent history of ABA services in Kentucky. Along the way, Jason shares how he fell in love with the Louisville, Kentucky (and disabuses some potential stereotypes to boot!). As I have noted in previous episodes, CBA is opening a 13,000 square foot facility, and they are looking for a clinical director that shares their vision of providing quality services. For more information, check out their careers page here. In addition to CBA, this podcast is brought to you by: Constellations Behavioral Services. CBS believes that everyone can learn, everyone can participate, and everyone can communicate. They provide outstanding ABA services in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and to learn more about career opportunities at CBS, click here. The ACT Bootcamp for Behavior Analysts workshop that's taking place in Baltimore, MD from September 27-30. Come learn from leaders in ACT field including Steve Hayes, Jonathan Tarbox, Evelyn Gould, and Thomas Szabo. And, if you use the promo code "BOP" at checkout, you'll save $50!

I'm going to cut to the chase: Dr. Andy Bondy and I had such a fun conversation about all things PECS, SGD's, Cues vs. Prompts, and so forth, that I can't wait to hear your feedback on it. Additionally, he was very gracious with his time (fitting me in between babysitting his grandchildren no less!), and so informative on a wide variety of issues we face as practitioners. I would also be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to Andy's daughter (who also happens to be a newly minted BCBA) Lexi for connecting the two of us. Lexi, thanks for sharing the podcast with your Dad!!! If you want to learn more about PECS, you can check out their website here. In the meantime, Andy was kind enough to share a treasure trove of resources that he mentioned in our interview. So in no particular order, here you go: "Considering the overall quality of the available research we would suggest that there are insufficient data to advocate for the use of sign language either alone or in combination with oral language as a method for substantially improving communication in children with autism. "SCHWARTZ, J., & NYE, C. (2006). Improving communication for children with autism: Does sign language work? Evidence-Based Practice Briefs, 1, 1–17. Summarizing 25 years of research on teaching sign-language to those with ASD, Layton and Watson (1995) conclude that "even after intensive training with signs, a significant number of nonverbal children continue to be mute and acquire only a few useful signs" (p. 81). LAYTON, T., & WATSON, L. (1995). Enhancing communication in non-verbal children with autism. In K. A. Quill (Ed.), Teaching children with autism: Strategies to enhance communication and socialization (pp. 73–101). New York, NY: Delmar Publishers. Bonvillian, J. D., & Blackbum. D. W (1991). Manual communication and factors relating to sign language acquisition. In P Siple & S. Fischer (Eds.). Theoretical issues in sign language research: Vol. 2, Psychology (pp. 255-277). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Lori Frost's two published guidelines on transitioning from PECS to SGDs: Frost, L., & McGowan, J. (2011). Strategies for Transitioning From PECS to SGD. Part I: Overview and Device Selection. Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 20, 114-120. Frost, L., & McGowan, J. (2012). Strategies for Transitioning From PECS to SGD. Part 2: Maintaining Communication Competency. Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 21, 3-10. Recent SGD review: Gilroy, S., McCleery, J. & Leader, G. (2017). Systematic Review of Methods for Teaching Social and Communicative Behavior with High-Tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication Modalities, Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 4, 307-320. Looked at transitioning from PECS to SGD Hill, D. & Flores, M. (2014). Comparing the Picture Exchange Communication System and the iPad™ for communication of students with autism spectrum disorder and developmental delay, TechTrends, 58, 45-53. Concluded: "The authors recommend that PECS™ phases I-III be mastered before the iPad™ is introduced, to ensure the students master these prerequisite skills since they are more difficult to scaffold (break into smaller units for teaching and then build additional skills) using the iPad™. This session of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is supported by the following: Clinical Behavior Analysis, Kentucky's leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), counseling and direct support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, acquired brain injury and autism.They are about to open The Center for Behavior Analysis, a 13,000 square foot, state of art facility in Louisville, KY, and they're looking for a clinical director to lead a highly motivated team of clinicians and technicians.If you're not familiar with Louisville, it's been rated by US News & World Report as one of the nation's best places to live. With a low cost of living, your industry-leading salary and signing bonus will go a lot farther. And with an abundance of cultural and recreational activities, you will not lack for fun things to do.So to learn more, go to cbacares.com/careers and set up your confidential interview today! HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry. The Behavioral Observations Podcast merchandise store. Need a gift for that behavior-nerd friend of yours? I have you covered. From T-shirts, to coffee mugs, from totes to even onesies, we have something for everyone. A great discount on BOP CE's for Newly Minted BCBA's can be found here. For the rest of us, check these out. If you're in the New England area this fall (and it's a great place to visit, just saying...) come check out the NH ABA conference in downtown Manchester, NH. Details are here. If you want to see a short interview I did with conference organizer and mentor extraordinaire, Dr. Le'A

This session of The Behavioral Observations Podcast features the audio from a Facebook Live conversation I had with Dave Stevens, Co-founder and Director of Chartlytics. I didn't set out to have this be a podcast episode per se, but I decided to publish it as one because this conversation had so many good stories in it, I couldn't help but to share it to a wider audience. You see, Dave comes at Behavior Analysis as an "outsider," yet he was instantly able to appreciate our science, and see applications of it beyond where it's currently used. In other words, regardless of whether you care about Precision Teaching or the Standard Celeration Chart, this episode is worth listening to because the origin of Chartlytics is ultimately a story of dissemination. Throughout this conversation, we touched on a number of resources, and I have done my best to capture them here: Simon Sinek's "Start with Why" Simon Sinek's Ted Talk, "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" Chartlytics freebies for podcast listeners Martin Levy's interview on "When Everything Clicks," (Hidden Brain Podcast) The video of this conversation FitLearning One of the many Lincoln/Matthew McConaughey commercials Finally, please send me some feedback on this episode. This is the first Facebook Live conversation that I've shared as a podcast, and I'd love to know what you think. This session of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is supported by the following: Clinical Behavior Analysis, Kentucky's leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), counseling and direct support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, acquired brain injury and autism.They are about to open The Center for Behavior Analysis, a 13,000 square foot, state of art facility in Louisville, KY, and they're looking for a clinical director to lead a highly motivated team of clinicians and technicians.If you're not familiar with Louisville, it's been rated by US News & World Report as one of the nation's best places to live. With a low cost of living, your industry-leading salary and signing bonus will go a lot farther. And with an abundance of cultural and recreational activities, you will not lack for fun things to do.So to learn more, go to cbacares.com/careers and set up your confidential interview today! HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry. Type 2 CEU's from The Behavioral Observations Podcast. Check out the discounted offerings for recently certified BCBA's (those certified in 2017 or 2018). The Behavioral Observations Podcast merchandise store. Need a gift for that behavior-nerd friend of yours? I have you covered. From T-shirts, to coffee mugs, from totes to even onesies, we have something for everyone.

Dr. Megan Miller returns for an unprecedented fourth appearnace on The Behavioral Observations Podcast! In todays episode, we cover the following: We get an update on the Do Better movement that we learned about in Session 43. We hear the latest on the training activities of PEAK ABA Solutions. Megan discusses some research to practice challenges we face as a field, especially coming off the heels of the recent ABAI conference. We close the show by discussing a handful of listener questions. And if you're a working parent, you don't want to miss the very last question, where Megan describes juggling the responsibilities of running a business, raising a family, traveling frequently for work, staying in shape, and so forth. Megan's son Taylor wants to make ABA great again As always, Megan references quite a few resources. I've attempted to list them all here, but let me know if I've missed any: Prerequisite Skills That Support Learning through Video Modeling (MacDonald et al., 2015) Video Self-Modeling in Children with Autism: A Pilot Study Validating Prerequisite Skills and Extending the Utilization of VSM across Skill Sets (Williamson et al, 2013) Progress in Video-Based Interventions for Individuals with Autism (Rayner et al., 2014) Non-academic resources recommended by Megan: https://www.youtube.com/user/playworksorg/videos https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos?default=1 https://behaviorbandaid.com/ http://www.interventioncentral.org/ http://theautismhelper.com/ This session of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is supported by the following: Clinical Behavior Analysis, Kentucky's leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), counseling and direct support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, acquired brain injury and autism.They are about to open The Center for Behavior Analysis, a 13,000 square foot, state of art facility in Louisville, KY, and they're looking for a clinical director to lead a highly motivated team of clinicians and technicians.If you're not familiar with Louisville, it's been rated by US News & World Report as one of the nation's best places to live. With a low cost of living, your industry-leading salary and signing bonus will go a lot farther. And with an abundance of cultural and recreational activities, you will not lack for fun things to do. So to learn more, go to cbacares.com/careers and set up your confidential interview today! HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry. The Behavioral Observations Podcast merchandise store. Need a gift for that behavior-nerd friend of yours? I have you covered. From T-shirts, to coffee mugs, from totes to even onesies, we have something for everyone.

It seems as if you can't escape the term "mindfulness" these days... and if you're like me, you hear people using that term interchangeably with meditation. Well in Session 53 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast, I chat with Gia Biscontini from W3RKWELL, and she enlightens me about not only the proper use of these terms, but also the benefits one can expect by adopting a consistent meditation practice. I certainly learned a lot in this episode, and Gia may have even convinced me to give meditation a try... Here are the links to some of the resources Gia mentioned: Gia's mini white paper on a behavior analytic view of meditation The book Altered Traits (Goleman & Davidson, 2017) The Center for Healthy Minds Gia's meditation and stress management course, Behavioral Xanax 2.0 (if you're interested in it and want to save 30%, use the promo code Operant). If you enjoyed this episode as much as I did, please take a minute to check out our sponsors for this episode: Chartlytics, realizing human potential through individual behavior change analytics. Click here for a free, newly revised & expanded eBook, a free Type 2 CE, and discount coupons to upcoming training events. Our very own Type 2 Continuing Education offerings. Learn on the go with podcast favorites, Greg Hanley, Mark Dixon, Pat Friman, and more!

In Session 52, Dr. Matt Brodhead joins me to discuss ethics in behavior analysis. Matt is uniquely suited for this conversation because he, along with co-authors David Cox and Shawn Quigley, is the author of the upcoming book, Practical Ethics for Effective Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. In this episode we cover a variety of important ethics topics including: Differentiating between a BCBA's Scope of Practice and Scope of Competence How to work effectively on disciplinary teams Understanding behavior analysis as a cultural system And we even dust off the old chestnut of whether you should accept a glass of water or cup of tea In addition to these topics, Matt fields several ethics-related listener questions, and even talks about how to stay productive as a writer! We also discussed some articles in the literature. Here are some links to them: Kelly, A., & Tincani, M. (2013). Collaborative training and practice among applied analysts who support individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 48, 120 – 131. Brodhead, M. T. (2015). Maintaining Professional Relationships in an Interdisciplinary Setting: Strategies for Navigating Nonbehavioral Treatment Recommendations for Individuals with Autism. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 8, 70-78. Li, A. & Poling, A. (2018). Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Psychotropic Medications: Slipshod Training, Inconsistent Involvement, and Reason for Hope. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 11, 1-8. Brodhead, M. T. (2018). How to Identify Ethical Practices in Organizations Prior to Employment. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 11, 165-173. Glenn, S. S. (1988). Contingencies and Metacontingencies: Toward a Synthesis of Behavior Analysis and Cultural Materialism. The Behavior Analyst, 11, 161-179. Bonus link: Matt's Ted-style talk on Science or Snakeoil. If you enjoyed this episode as much as I did, please take a minute to check out our sponsors for this episode: HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry. Chartlytics, realizing human potential through individual behavior change analytics. Click here for a free, newly revised & expanded eBook, a free Type 2 CE, and discount coupons to upcoming training events. Behavior Development Solutions. Although they're best known for their CBA Learning Module Series, they also have a fantastic online bookstore. Whether you're looking for assessments like the AFLS, EFS, PEAK, and the VB-MAPP, or just need a copy of good 'ol Cooper, they've got you covered. Learn more here.

One of the best things about having a podcast like this is to learn from people who know a lot about things that I don't. Today's episode is no exception. Ashley Rose joins me today to discuss best practices for teaching social skills. Here is a snippet from her bio: Ashley is owner/director of Mission Cognition, Social Skills Development Center. Mission Cognition is a behavior analytic social skills program serving individuals ages 3 and up, with and without a diagnosis who are in need of systematic and explicit play and social skills instruction. Ashley has worked in the field of ABA and special education for 15 years with the last 5 years almost exclusively devoted to social skills instruction. In her free time she admins the ABA Skill Share facebook group. In this interview, we covered a wide variety of topics and mentioned lots of resources. Here are the links: Mission Cognition (consumer site) Mission Cognition (practitioner store; 15% off coupon code behobs2018, good until 6/30/18 ) ABA Skill Share Facebook Group (almost 19K members!!!) PEERS Curriculum Crafting Connections The Verbal Behavior Approach Language for Learning This could be a record for show notes links! In any case, I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did! If you enjoy this episode, please consider sharing it with your colleagues and friends! Finally, this episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: Chartlytics, realizing human potential through individual behavior change analytics. Click here for a free, newly revised & expanded eBook, a free Type 2 CE, and discount coupons to upcoming training events. Behavior Development Solutions, check out their supervisory training course with Drs. Jon Baily & Mary Burch! The BARE Essentials of Digital Marketing webinar, on May 16th, 2018. Join me, Adrienne Fitzer of ABAC, and Session 15 guest and President of Flyte New Media, Rich Brooks, to discuss the ethical marketing of ABA practices (2 Ethics CE's available). Oh, and if you're on the go, but need CE's across a wide range of topics, check this out.

When I first had Mark Dixon on the podcast, way back in Session 14, we poked some fun at the notion that principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, on the surface, didn't meet many of the 7 dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis. Well, in Session 50, I'm joined by Dr. Jonathan Tarbox, and he goes through all the ACT processes, and provides everyday examples of how they are consistent with our science. Specifically, he breaks down each ACT process into a simple to understand Problem Behavior / Replacement Behavior paradigm. So if you've been struggling to pick up the ACT lingo, this is the episode for you! Jonathan provides tangible scenarios of how to conceptualize the ACT "hexaflex," and how BCBA's can incorporate these concepts into their practice, especially in the context of interacting with parents. In short, he makes a compelling case for BCBA's to learn more about this area of our field. We talked about a ton of resources in this episode. Here are the associated links (and let me know if I forgot any!): Jonathan's appearance on the WWDWWD podcast. The ACT in Context Podcast. Functionally Speaking Podcast. Get Out of Your Mind and in to Your Life, by Steve Hayes. The Happiness Trap, by Russ Harris. The ACBS website (please consider joining). Evaluating the Effects of ACT on the Overt Behavior of Parents of Children with Autism (Gould, Tarbox, & Coyne, 2017). Guitierrez, Luciano, Rodriguez, & Fink (2004). An ACT study on pain tolerance. The ACT for ABA Practitioners Facebook group. Check out the pinned post by Dr. Evelyn Gould, which gives instruction on where to get some of the parent training materials that Jonathan discussed. If you enjoy this episode, please consider sharing it with your colleagues and friends! Finally, this episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: Chartlytics, realizing human potential through individual behavior change analytics. Click here for a free, newly revised & expanded eBook, a free Type 2 CE, and discount coupons to upcoming training events. Behavior Development Solutions, check out their supervisory training course with Drs. Jon Baily & Mary Burch! The BARE Essentials of Digital Marketing webinar, on May 16th, 2018. Join me, Adrienne Fitzer of ABAC, and Session 15 guest and President of Flyte New Media, Rich Brooks, to discuss the ethical marketing of ABA practices (2 Ethics CE's available). Oh, and if you're on the go, but need CE's across a wide range of topics, check this out.

In Session 25, Dr. Jim Carr, CEO of The Behavior Analysis Certification Board, came on the podcast and gave us an overview of what could be considered "the state of the practice." That was roughly one year ago, and Jim was gracious enough to return, and in this episode, he provides us an update on recent happenings and initiatives at the BACB. Here are some things we got into: The recent changes with regard to ownership of the Verified Course Sequence process. The top three most frequently reported ethics violations. How task list items are identified and updated. Jim's issue with rebranding Behavior Analysis as "Behavioral Science." What growth problems still lie ahead for our practice. The BACB's "Diversity of Practice" initiative. Even though this episode was extremely long, we managed to squeeze in a listener question or two as well. Also, because I know many of you will ask, here is the Brodhead, Quigley, and Cox (2018) article on Identifying Ethical Practices in Organizations prior to employment that Jim mentioned. Finally, this episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry. Chartlytics, realizing human potential through individual behavior change analytics. Click here for a free, newly revised & expanded eBook, a free Type 2 CE, and discount coupons to upcoming training events. Behavior Development Solutions, whose CBA Learning Module Series is the premier exam prep and curriculum supplement for BCBA and BCaBA candidates. Whether you are preparing for the RBT, BCaBA, or BCBA exam, check out BDS's free test prep guides! Thanks for checking this out!

Dan Law of the Liberty Company Insurance Brokers stops by the podcast today to discuss all things risk management. To be completely honest, I didn't anticipate that this would be an interesting topic to talk about. However, as we dug into the complexities of what goes into preventing claims, mitigating risks, and the four types of policies every practice should have, I became increasingly fascinated. Even if you have nothing to do with your company's liability policies, you may want to give this episode a listen. Dan also shares some stories about unusual insurance claims that some of his clients have faced. These stories sound like they came straight out of one of those State Farm TV commercials! If you're interested in learning more about the types of coverage the Liberty Company offers, they've set up a special page for BOP listeners. This podcast is supported by a joint-initiative between myself and the Applied Behavior Analysis Center. I'm excited to announce that on May 16th, 2018, I will be joined by Session 15 guest, Rich Brooks, and Adrienne Fitzer, owner of ABAC, to talk about ethical strategies to market your agency or organization. For more information, including an abstract for the event, visit the ABAC website. We are also proud to be sponsored by Chartlytics. Chartlytics is a single, comprehensive system for behavior reduction and academic improvement using the principles of Precision Teaching. Chartlytics has modernized the practices of PT by simplifying the data collection, visual analysis, and reporting processes that have historically formed barriers for implementation. If you are interested in learning more about PT or Chartlytics, they have set up a special page on their site for listeners to this podcast, which offers the following: A free webinar that provides a 1-Credit Type 2 Continuing Education Unit A free eBook on Precision Teaching and Standard Celeration Charting A 10% discount on upcoming Chartlytics workshops To learn more about these discounts and freebies, go to Chartlytics.com/matt.

We met Nick Green back in Session 38, and he was gracious enough to join me for a full length interview in Session 47. In this episode, we go a little deeper into his back story, talk about the cool work that his company, BehaviorFit, is doing, and take questions from listeners about all things health and fitness. For those who didn't catch Session 38, here is a little bit about Nick: Nick Green, is a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA) and focuses on improving the health of others through practice and research. His formal education includes: * B.A. Psychology (Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 2006) * Minor: Philosophy * M.S. Organizational Behavior Management (Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, 2015). * Currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Florida. * Department of Psychology – Concentration: Behavior Analysis Nick's previous experiences include 5 years of clinical work with individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities, working within organizations to evaluate and improve processes, managing and overseeing the training of small teams. For more detail on his experience, education, and professional involvement: His experience and education bring a unique perspective when designing pro-health solutions.Nick's main focus and research interest in reducing sedentary behavior (too much sitting) in the workplace. His passion is: "Improving human performance and health with behavior analysis." When Nick is not in a book or writing, he enjoys training his dog Pete, improving productivity, photography, Olympic weightlifting, and CrossFit. Here are some links to things we discussed in this episode: Nick's recent blogpost on the sensational nature of health-related headlines on the internet. A sample of workshops that BehaviorFit offers. Nick's recent appearance on ABA Inside Track. Nick's JABA study on decreasing bouts of prolonged sitting. The BehaviorFit Instagram and Facebook feeds. I had a great time chatting with him, and if you enjoyed this episode as much as I did, I encourage you to reach out to Nick on social media, or say hi if you see a tall, fit, bearded guy at a conference! This podcast is supported by a joint-initiative between myself and the Applied Behavior Analysis Center. I'm excited to announce that on May 16th, 2018, I will be joined by Session 15 guest, Rich Brooks, and Adrienne Fitzer, owner of ABAC, to talk about ethical strategies to market your agency or organization. For more information, including an abstract for the event, visit the ABAC website. We are also proud to be sponsored by Chartlytics. Chartlytics is a single, comprehensive system for behavior reduction and academic improvement using the principles of Precision Teaching. Chartlytics has modernized the practices of PT by simplifying the data collection, visual analysis, and reporting processes that have historically formed barriers for implementation. If you are interested in learning more about PT or Chartlytics, they have set up a special page on their site for listeners to this podcast, which offers the following: A free webinar that provides a 1-Credit Type 2 Continuing Education Unit A free eBook on Precision Teaching and Standard Celeration Charting A 10% discount on upcoming Chartlytics workshops To learn more about these discounts and freebies, go to Chartlytics.com/matt.

Topics Covered: OBM... check; Supervision...check; Medical necessity... check; Mens' fashion... What?!?! OK, let me explain. Tim Courtney of Little Star ABA joins me to cover what can only be considered a wide range of topics in Session 46 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast. Tim talks about how he learned about ABA by going to the gym, how he got started in ABA with the help of some key mentors, how he joined up with Little Star and became their Chief Operating Officer, and how they are implementing high quality ABA programs across a large number of clinicians and learners. Tim is a nationally recognized expert in the area of medical necessity, and regularly gives workshops on this topic across the United States. In this episode, he shares some tips on this in our discussion as well as answers questions from listeners. Little Star has also pioneered what they call an apprentice model of supervision, which from my point of view, seems like a win-win opportunity for both the aspiring behavior analyst and the organization. It has been so effective that Little Star does not actively recruit for BCBA's. As such, I couldn't resist asking some questions about this process, which was also written about in a recent issue of Behavior Analysis in Practice. Here are some links to tools and articles that Tim shared with us: BAP article Treatment Intensity Exercise PMA Experience Checklist The Mental Health Parity Act I hope you enjoyed this conversation as much as I did. There's definitely a round 2 in the works, so please feel free to let me know if you have additional questions for Tim! Session 46 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is sponsored by Chartlytics.com and Operantcoffee.com. Chartlytics has set up a special page on their site for listeners to this podcast. Specifically, they are offering the following: A free webinar that provides a 1-Credit Type 2 Continuing Education Unit A free eBook on Precision Teaching and Standard Celeration Charting A 10% discount on upcoming Chartlytics workshops To learn more about these discounts and freebies, go to Chartlytics.com/matt. If you want some awesome coffee that is sustainably produced that happens to be 10% off, go to operantcoffee.com/shop and use the discount code BEHAVIORCOFFEE.

Dr. Wayne Fisher has spent decades researching the assessment and treatment of severe behavior problems. In Session 45 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast, he joins me to discuss current Functional Analysis and Function-Based Treatment strategies, his concerns for the field as it experiences rapid expansion, and advice for new practitioners. Here is his bio-sketch from the Munroe-Meyer Institute's website: Wayne Fisher is the H.B. Munroe professor of behavioral research in the Munroe-Meyer Institute and the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He is also the director of the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at the Munroe-Meyer Institute, a board certified behavior analyst at the doctoral level (BCBA-D), and a licensed psychologist. He was previously a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and served as executive director of the Neurobehavioral Programs at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Marcus Behavior Center at the Marcus Institute, where he built clinical-research programs in autism and developmental disabilities with national reputations for excellence. Fisher's methodologically sophisticated research has focused on several intersecting lines, including preference, choice, and the assessment and treatment of autism and severe behavior disorders, that have been notable for the creative use of concurrent schedules of reinforcement, which have become more commonplace in clinical research primarily as a result of his influence. He has published over 175 peer-reviewed research studies in over 30 different behavioral and/or medical journals, including: the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis; Psychological Reports; American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Journal of Pediatrics; the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics; Pediatrics; and The Lancet. Fisher is a past editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, a past president of the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, a fellow in the Association for Behavior Analysis, and recipient of the Bush Leadership Award, the APA (Division 25) Award for Outstanding Contributions to Applied Behavioral Research, the UNMC Distinguished Scientist Award, and the University of Nebraska system-wide Award for Outstanding Research and Creativity Activity. Session 45 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is sponsored by Chartlytics.com and Operantcoffee.com. Chartlytics has set up a special page on their site for listeners to this podcast. Specifically, they are offering the following: A free webinar that provides a 1-Credit Type 2 Continuing Education Unit A free eBook on Precision Teaching and Standard Celeration Charting A 10% discount on upcoming Chartlytics workshops To learn more about these discounts and freebies, go to Chartlytics.com/matt. If you want some awesome coffee that is sustainably produced that happens to be 10% off, go to operantcoffee.com/shop and use the discount code BEHAVIORCOFFEE.

Kim Berens joins me in Session 44 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast in what I originally thought was going to be a discussion about the company she co-founded, Fit Learning. While we spoke about Fit Learning a-plenty, Kim also provided tons of historical anecdotes on the development of our field, the development of Precision Teaching (where she recounted many personal conversations with Ogden Lindsley), and her take on where our field's challenges lie. If you haven't heard about Fit Learning, you'll want to check out their website. Their unique instructional model typically results in 1 year of academic growth for every 40 hours of instruction. If you're like me, you had to read that sentence two or three times to let it sink truly sink in. Kim shares the story of how Fit Learning was developed from its humble beginnings at the University of Nevada, Reno to licensing Fit Learning affiliates all around the globe. Here is a portion of her bio-sketch: Kimberly Nix Berens, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA is a Founding Director of Fit Learning, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the doctoral level, and a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the state of New York. Her work centers on using behavior analysis to transform the learning abilities of a wide-range of children, including those who are struggling, average, gifted, learning disabled, or on the autism spectrum. She received her doctoral degree in psychology with a specialization in behavior analysis at the University of Nevada – Reno (UNR) in 2005 under the supervision of Dr. Ogden Lindsley, Dr. Patrick Ghezzi and Dr. Thomas Boyce. Along with the other co-founders, Dr. Berens assisted in the creation of Fit Learning (originally Center for Advanced Learning) as a graduate student at UNR and, since that time, she has overseen the expansion of the organization to include locations in Reno, Nevada; Medford, Oregon; Locust Valley, New York; Manhattan; Phoenix, Arizona; and Perth, Australia. She relocated to the New York area in 2010 to focus on opening learning laboratories throughout the east coast. Through these learning labs, Dr. Berens and her team have developed a powerful system of instruction that combines precision teaching, direct instruction, curriculum-based measurement, and relational frame theory. This system consistently produces over one year's growth in 40 hours of instruction. Following an appointment by Governor Jim Gibbons, she served on the State of Nevada Board of Psychological Examiners from 2009 – 2010 where she assisted in the development of state licensing regulations for behavior analysts. Dr. Berens was the first behavior analyst in the country to hold such a post. She has provided clinical and research supervision to undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students and she continues to serve as an affiliate faculty member in the Behavior Analysis Program at the University of Nevada – Reno. This podcast is sponsored by Chartlytics.com, Operantcoffee.com, and The Georgia Autism Providers Conference. To get a Precision Teaching starter package (i.e., some really cool free stuff), go to Chartlytics.com/matt. If you want some awesome coffee that is sustainably produced that happens to be 10% off, go to operantcoffee.com/shop and use the discount code BEHAVIORCOFFEE. If you want to attend the Georgia Autism Providers Conference, register before January 31st so you can take advantage of their early-bird discount. Amongst other offerings, this conference will feature the PEAK Level 1 certification workshop. Attendees who sign up for the PEAK workshop before January 31st will enrolled in a drawing for all four PEAK Modules, as well as the PEAK Comprehensive Record books (a $390 value).

Happy New Year!!! I couldn't imagine a better way to kick off 2018. Megan Miller returns to The Behavioral Observations Podcast to inform us of a movement-of-sorts that she is kicking off in this new year. Specifically, Megan is rolling out a multi-media campaign of professional development for 12 consecutive months. She is calling this the "Do Better Movement." And before you get the wrong idea, it's not intended to be preachy or judgmental per se. Instead, it is meant to be a call for practitioners at all stages to strive for continues improvement. This is an idea I can surely get behind. In this episode, Megan discusses the specific topics for each month of 2018, as well as the content that she will release to support these practice areas. Each month will include a webinar, YouTube video, blog post, and more for each focus topic. If you want to get involved, here are some links that you'll want to know about: The Navigation Behavioral Consulting Facebook Page (you'll want to like and follow it) The Navigation Behavioral Consulting Instagram Page The "Do-Better" Slack Group Special thanks to Chartlytics.com, Operantcoffee.com, and The Georgia Autism Providers Conference for sponsoring today's show. To get a Precision Teaching starter package (i.e., some really cool free stuff), go to Chartlytics.com/matt. If you want some awesome coffee that is sustainably produced that happens to be 10% off, go to operantcoffee.com/shop and use the discount code BEHAVIORCOFFEE. If you want to attend the Georgia Autism Providers Conference, register before January 31st so you can take advantage of their early-bird discount. Amongst other offerings, this conference will feature the PEAK Level 1 certification workshop. Attendees who sign up for the PEAK workshop before January 31st will enrolled in a drawing for all four PEAK Modules, as well as the PEAK Comprehensive Record books (a $390 value).

Given both the guest and the topic, I don't know if I can add much to the title of this podcast episode. Pat Friman is arguable the best speaker in our field. I have seen him present at least a 1/2 dozen times throughout my career, and it is remarkable how consistent the quality of his talks are. So in this episode, you'll learn that this is no accident. Pat works hard at his craft, and shares methods that you can start working on right away to improve your public speaking skills. Much of what we talk about comes from an article he published in The Behavior Analyst a few years ago. You can find that here. Throughout this interview, Pat also responds to several listener-submitted questions. In short, there are numerous lessons in this podcast episode, and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Special thanks to Chartlytics.com and Operantcoffee.com for sponsoring today's show. To get a Precision Teaching starter package (i.e., some really cool free stuff), go to Chartlytics.com/matt. If you want some awesome coffee that is sustainably produced that happens to be 10% off, go to operantcoffee.com/shop and use the discount code BEHAVIORCOFFEE.

So one of my podcasting dreams has now come true! I finally got the chance to interview Russ Harris! If you're not familiar with Russ, he is the best-selling author of The Happiness Trap, and has provided ACT training to over 25,000 health professionals across the globe. In today's episode we discuss the basics of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Russ' son's Autism diagnosis and treatment, how to manage stress and burnout, and of course, listener questions. Unfortunately we didn't have time to get to all listener questions, so Russ has agreed to come back for a Round 2. So feel free to leave questions in the comments section below. During the interview, we mentioned several websites, so here are the links: thehappinesstrap.com Imlearningact.com actmindfully.com.au contextualscience.org mataraservices.com The last site there is Simcha Charna's website. He was kind enough to orchestrate an introduction, to which I am grateful. Lastly, here is a link for a PDF of the Choice Point diagram Russ talked about at the beginning of the interview: Russ Harris' Choice Point Special thanks to Chartlytics.com and Operantcoffee.com for sponsoring today's show. To get a Precision Teaching starter package (i.e., some really cool free stuff), go to Chartlytics.com/matt. If you want some awesome coffee that is sustainably produced that happens to be 10% off, go to operantcoffee.com/shop and use the discount code BEHAVIORCOFFEE.

Mark Dixon and Dana Paliliunas join me for Session 40 to discuss the new curriculum they just published, which is called Accept, Identify, and Move. In short, it's a curriculum guide to help kiddos by combining Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Applied Behavior Analysis. In this episode, we touch on a wide range of topics, including classroom interventions, school wide supports, the role of Mark's previous works (e.g., PEAK and ACT for Children with Autism and Emotional Challenges), and even disseminating and teaching complex topics to school personnel. So even if you don't work in school settings, or if you are an ACT-skeptic, I think there are plenty of lessons that are contained in this episode. I've had a chance to review excerpts of the book and in short, it looks fantastic. Personally, I can see many applications of this work in my practice as a school-based consultant. It's available right now at the Shawnee Scientific Press website. We also get into tons of listener questions on Mark's PEAK curriculum. In fact, we could probably do an entire Q & A show on PEAK given its popularity. In that segment of the show, we discuss the PEAK ABA YouTube channel and the PEAK ABA Solutions training arm. You can find links to these resources here and here. This episode is supported by Chartlytics. Chartlytics is a single, comprehensive system for behavior reduction and academic improvement through Precision Teaching. It is based on 50+ years of peer-reviewed research and experience in applied academic and behavioral settings. Chartlytics has modernized the science of Precision Teaching by simplifying the data collection, visual analysis and reporting processes. It is fully automated and easy to use. It produces dramatic, rapid and reliable results, with elegant and simple visual displays. Chartlytics offers an intensive 2-day workshop on Precision Teaching and the Standard Celeration Chart at locations throughout the United States. Participants learn how to supercharge their ABA programs using this powerful technology, which can often produce 10 times the change in targeted pinpoint behaviors - academic, skill, or behavior reduction. For more information, please visit Chartlytics.com/events. Finally visit chartlytics.com/matt for an exclusive offer that provides the following: A brief video showing the effects of using Precision Teaching along with the Chartlytics platform in a clinic that serves children with Autism. A free 1-credit Type 2 BACB Continuing Education webinar, which features Drs. Rick Kubina and Amanda Kelly. A free eBook on precision teaching. Thanks for checking out this show! If you get value from the podcast, please consider visiting iTunes to provide a rating and review. Also, if you have a chance to share this podcast (in person, or online) with like minded behavioral folks, that would be awesome too!

Precision Teaching (PT), and the Standard Celeration Charting that goes along with it, is an area of Behavior Analysis that I've never really understood. In fairness, I never really took the time to learn it either. That said, since the inception of this podcast, I have had numerous emails from listeners asking me to interview Rick Kubina on this very topic. For various reasons that I describe in our interview, I was scared reluctant to do so, but I'm so glad that Rick and I finally carved out time to record this show. Rick, with Captain James Tiberius Kirk In this episode, Rick covers the basics of PT, why the Standard Celeration Chart is a superior measurement tool, and answers numerous listener questions. Throughout our conversation, we mentioned a few articles and other resources, which can be found here: Rick's YouTube channel, which has some nice primers on the SCC The Chartlytics website and YouTube channel The Precision Teaching Book, by Kubina & Yurich (2012) The Standard Celeration Society's website and Facebook page A cool study (Datchuk & Kubina, 2017) on using these strategies for improving sentence writing Kubina et al. (2015). A Critical Review of Line Graphs in Behavior Analytic Journals So when you listen to this episode, you'll hear me profess my ignorance on all things PT. However, I will be taking action to remediate this by attending Rick's 2-day PT workshop that's coming up in Las Vegas. Rick, and the company he co-founded, Chartlytics, also have workshops that are coming up in Miami and Pittsburg, with more to be scheduled. If you are interested in diving into PT like I am, but can't get away to attend one of Rick's workshops, the folks at Chartlytics have put together a comprehensive online learning package that includes 30 hours of instruction, the Kubina & Yurich textbook, and a very special bonus that you'll have to see to appreciate. To sweeten the deal, they are offering a huge discount for listeners of The Behavioral Observations Podcast. You can check out the deal by clicking the here.

Hi Folks, I am on day 2 of not having any power (huge windstorm hit New Hampshire on Sunday night/Monday morning), so please excuse the lack of show notes for this episode. I'll update as soon as I can. So here's the Twitter version: I speak with five out of the seven or eight speakers at the 2017 NextGen Revolution Summit Conference, which is being held in Miami, FL on 11/11/17. It is also available to live stream on the interwebs! If you're interested in checking it out, and you want to save a few bucks, use the promo code MATT at checkout. It's well worth checking out, so if you want more details, head over to https://nextgenrevolutionsummit.com/ for more info!

Do you want to hear a cool story about using Behavior Analysis to improve the environment? Glad you asked! Dr. Amanda Kelly returns to the podcast to discuss her #nostrawforme campaign. What started out as essentially a self-management intervention is evolving into movement to reduce the usage of disposable or single-use items. Personally, I rarely use straws, but this conversation prompted me to think about other ways in which I consume single-use items, such as paper towels, aluminum cans, and so forth. I hope you find this conversation just as thought provoking. And feel free to share these thoughts in the comments! Here are some links to things Amanda talked about: The Lonely Whale Foundation ABAI's Behavior Analysis for Sustainable Societies SIG A paper from Dr. Scott Geller's early seat belt work The Behavior Analyst's special edition on sustainability Research Gate If you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review. In-person referrals to like minded behavior-folks are always appreciated as well! This podcast is sponsored by Britton Behavioral Consulting. Dr. Lisa Britton, BCBA-D specializes in providing independent fieldwork supervision in a remote context. If you listen to Session 29, you'll learn that she has a wealth of experience in both the practice of Behavior Analysis, as well some great processes in place for mentoring soon-to-be BCBA's. I have corresponded with previous mentees of hers, and to a person, they sang her praises as a supervisor. Also, if you need BACB Type 2 continuing education, why not earn them while you're on the go? How does this work? Again, glad you asked. Click here to find out more.

How do you get parents to become effective agents of change as it relates to their children's problem behavior? If you're like me, you've struggled to explain the complexities of the functional nature of problem behavior to lay people. Clearly, avoiding our technical language helps with this, but working with parents in particular, it can be difficult to teach how to reinforce desired responses, what behaviors to attend to, what disruptive events to ignore, and so on. As Pat Friman and I discussed in Session 10, sometimes we as Behavior Analysts have trouble applying our training to our own parenting as well. Thankfully, Brandon Franklin stops by the podcast to talk about the parent training program he and his colleagues at Clinical Behavior Analysis are using. They've developed a program called RAPID training (not to be confused with Rapid Prompting ;-) ) that they've found great success with (click here for their handout on this program). This program was adapted from a book by Drs. Rex Forehand and Nicholas Long called Parenting the Strong-Willed Child: The clinically proven five week program for parents of two to six year olds. I had the chance to read much of it before the interview, and I think it's a great book that most parents will get a lot out of. In the interview, we even joked about handing the book out to random people in the street, in grocery stores, certain friends who struggle with parenting, and so forth. Not to turn this post into a review per se, but the book is well worth checking out. In this episode, you will learn the specific steps to the RAPID program, specifically the components of Rewarding, Attending, Providing Breaks, Ignoring, and Direction Giving. You will also learn about the various populations and settings in which the folks at CBA have used this intervention. Because parent training is such a hot topic in our field right now, I received tons of listener questions, so Brandon and I spend some time going through those as well. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Brandon and his colleagues at CBA are doing some really great things in our field. They're expanding quite a bit right now, so if you're wondering what it would be like to work CBA, you can reach out to them here (for transparency sake, there is no sponsorship arrangement here). Speaking of sponsors though, this podcast is sponsored by Britton Behavioral Consulting. Dr. Lisa Britton, BCBA-D specializes in providing independent fieldwork supervision in a remote context. If you listen to Session 29, you'll learn that she has a wealth of experience in both the practice of Behavior Analysis, as well some great processes in place for mentoring soon-to-be BCBA's. I have corresponded with previous mentees of hers, and to a person, they sang her praises as a supervisor. Also, if you need BACB Type 2 continuing education, why not earn them while you're on the go? How does this work? Glad you asked. Click here to find out more.

In session 35, I get a chance to chat with some fellow residents of the Granite State, the husband and wife duo Kim and Tim Heald. In this episode, we discuss the nitty gritty associated with starting an ABA Clinic. Having a clinic is an alluring idea. The obvious benefits include the promise of increased efficiency and quality control. That said, through this discussion, you'll learn there's a lot more to operating a clinic than finding the ideal location. The Healds open up about the challenges of running a clinic, such as putting together an effective team, establishing a common organizational culture, coaching staff performance, and even working together as a married couple. During this interview, Tim and Kim mentioned a few resources, and as promised, here are the links to them: The Lean Startup by Eric Reis William Abernathy's Pay for Performance compensation systems Click here to learn more about Constellations Behavioral Services. In other podcast-related news, on September 27th, at 8 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Megan will be joining me and the members of The Behavioral Observations Membership group for a Zoom meeting. In this meeting, members will have the opportunity to ask Megan about instructional control, alternatives to escape, the PEAK ABA curriculum, and anything else (ABA related, of course!). We will also have none other than Greg Hanley joining us sometime in November (date TBA). If you're interested in learning more, then click here. This podcast is sponsored by Britton Behavioral Consulting. Dr. Lisa Britton, BCBA-D specializes in providing independent fieldwork supervision in a remote context. If you listen to Session 29, you'll learn that she has a wealth of experience in both the practice of Behavior Analysis, as well some great processes in place for mentoring soon-to-be BCBA's. I have corresponded with previous mentees of hers, and to a person, they sang her praises as a supervisor.

OK folks, it's back to school time in New Hampshire and elsewhere, so I thought it would be timely to bring Dr. Megan Miller of Navigation Behavioral Consulting back on the show to talk about effective strategies for obtaining instructional control, as well as dealing with disruptive behavior without using extinction. These are topics that Megan presents on frequently, and many of these themes can be found in the book that she co-wrote with Robert Schramm, The Seven Steps to Earning Instructional Control. Megan also has a more specific training on this (CE's available!) for on her agency's website for those looking for additional information on this topic. Finally, on September 27th, at 8 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Megan will be joining me and the members of The Behavioral Observations Membership group for a Zoom meeting. In this meeting, members will have the opportunity to ask Megan about instructional control, alternatives to escape, the PEAK ABA curriculum, and anything else (ABA related, of course!). We will also have none other than Greg Hanley joining us sometime in November (date TBA). If you're interested in learning more, then click here. Megan mentioned a few studies and other resources in our conversation, so here are the links: Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior and Demand Fading in the Treatment of Escape-Maintained Destructive Behavior (Piazza, Moes, & Fisher, 1996). Assessment of the Relative Effects of Attention and Escape on Noncompliance (Rodriguez, Thompson, & Bayhnam, 2010). The Use of Positive and Negative Reinforcement in the Treatment of Escape-Maintained Destructive Behavior (Piazza et al, 1997). Robert Schramm's YouTube channel. This podcast is sponsored by Britton Behavioral Consulting. Dr. Lisa Britton, BCBA-D specializes in providing independent fieldwork supervision in a remote context. If you listen to Session 29, you'll learn that she has a wealth of experience in both the practice of Behavior Analysis, as well some great processes in place for mentoring soon-to-be BCBA's. I have corresponded with previous mentees of hers, and to a person, they sang her praises as a supervisor.