Aba Inside Track

Despite strong evidence as to the efficacy of ABA services in supporting meaningful outcomes of clients across a number of relevant dimensions, do we actually know if the ABA service industry is actually any good? This week we dive into the paucity of research on measuring and developing quality ABA services and discuss whether the business of ABA is anywhere near as good as the science of ABA at solving meaningful problems. Hot take: It’s probably not! This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Patrons, don’t forget to get your code for a free CE for listening to this episode. Articles discussed this episode: Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2024). US employment demand for behavior analysts: 2010–2023. Littleton, CO: Author. Max, C. & Lambright, N. (2022). Board certified behavior analysts and school fidelity of applied behavior analysis services: Qualitative findings. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 68, 913-923. doi: 10.100/20473869.2021.1926854 Silbaugh, B.C. & Fatt

We just wanna say to you all tonight, we’re very, very grateful to be here. A lot of people told us that we’d never podcast about behavior analysis again and that's all we do. You know, if you live hard and play hard and you burn the candle at both ends, you pay the price for it. You know in this life you can lose everything that you love, everything that loves you." Now we don't hear as good as we used to, and we forget stuff. And we ain't as pretty as we used to be. But darn it, we’re still standing here and we’re "ABA Inside Track." You know as time goes by -- as time goes by, they say: "We’re washed up." “We’re finished.” “We’re losers.” “We’re all through.” You know what? The only one that's going to tell us when we’re through doing our thing is you people here. You people here -- You people here are the ones who are worth bringing it for because you're our family. We love all of you! Thank you so much! This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Vargo, K. & Brown

UNLOCKED from our Patreon page, it’s the “Walden Two” Book Club! Interested in more Book Clubs? Want to vote on what we read next? Feeling FOMO at getting this a full year late? Wish your 2 CEs for listening to the episode were FREE??? Join us on Patreon to get all of our episodes a week early, access to these bonus episodes, plus other goodies. Are you mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore enough to move out to the country to a semi-anarcho-communist society where the prinicples of human behavior have created a utopia? Well, then you’ll probably enjoy our Summer 2023 discussion of B.F. Skinner’s novel, “Walden Two”. We talk for over two hours about the historical context, plot, and our impressions of this optimistic view of how behavior science might just be able to save the world from your own backyard. Plus, Rob makes a potentially groundbreaking discovery about Skinner’s comic-book collection. Come for the four-hour workdays, stay for the 50 amateur piano concertos! This episode is available for 2.0 L

Feeling hot, hot, hot? Cool off with these refreshing topics! The Summer of Book Club comes to a close with our unlocked Walden Two discussion. Then we bring our beach party to a close just in time for a good, old-fashioned Grab Bag and our summer Listener Choice all about measuring quality of ABA as a service. Put them all together and do we find ourselves in a behavior analytic utopia or a dystopia? Articles for August 2024 (UNLOCKED) Walden Two Book Club Skinner, B.F. (1948). Walden two. Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. Altus, D.E. & Morris, E.K. (2009). B.F. Skinner’s utopian vision: Behind and beyond “Walden Two”. The Behavior Analyst, 32, 319-335. doi: 10.1007/BF03392195 Todd, R. (1970, March 15). Walden two: Three? Many more? The New York Times. Grab Bag Summer Slam Vargo, K. & Brown, C. (2020). An evaluation of and preference for variations of the Good Behavior Game with students with autism. Behavioral Interventions, 35, 560-570. doi: 10.1002/bin.1740 Kemp, J. M., Ethridge, A. N., Richling, S

Good public speaking is more than cutting “ummmm” from your vocabulary. You need hand movements, good visuals, and panache. But is public speaking style a one-size fits all phenomenon? This week special guest Mandy Ralston adds her voice to that of a panel of expert public speakers to review what works in effective dissemation and what to avoid like the plague. “Reading from your PowerPoint slides”, I’m looking at you! This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Friman, P.C. (2014). Behavior analysts to the front! A 15-step tutorial on public speaking. The Behavior Analyst, 37, 109-118. doi: 10.1007/s40614-014-0009-y Becirevic, A. (2014). Ask the experts: How can new students defend behavior analysis from misunderstandings? Behavior Analysis in Practice, 7, 138-140. doi: 10.1007/s40617-014-0019-y Henicke, M.R., Juanico, J.F., Valentino, A.L., & Sellers, T.P. (2022). Improving behavior analysts’ public speaking: Recommendations from expert interviews. Behavior Analysis

Enjoy a short preview of our latest full-length Book Club episode.  Want to hear the whole thing and get 2 CEs for FREE? Subscribe to our Patreon today at the premium $10+ levels for that plus other bonuses! There’s nothing more amazing than spending time with kids, whether in your family or as clients. But, man, is putting them to bed when you’re exhausted after a long day and they just have to watch one more episode of “Bluey” before they promise they’ll jump right under the covers but first can you get them a drink of water and leave on all the lights just the freaking worst. Pat Friman, save us with your succinct and well-tailored wisdom in book form, please! And could you be sure to write your book the same way you do awesome conference lectures? Like hilarious and true and entertaining? Thanks! This full version of this episode is available for 2.0 LEARNING CEUs. Content discussed in this episode: Friman, P.C. (2005). Good night, sweet dreams, I love you now get into bed and go to sleep! Boys Town Pres

A list of top readings on a topic as important as diversity, equity, and inclusion for BCBAs? Sign me up! This week Dr. Anita Li brings us just that…or at least as much as an essential list can be created at this moment in research history. Plus, we discuss DEI trends in publications for Latina women in ABA research and what this does (and doesn’t!) mean about the field bringing more voices to the table. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Li, A., Curiel, H., & Mateus, C.C.S (in prep). Participation of Latina women as authors in behavior analytic research. Behavior Analysis in Practice. Li, A., Hollins, N.A., Morris, C. & Grey, H. (2023). Essential readings in diversity, equity, and inclusion in behavior analytic training programs. Behavior Analysis in Practice. doi: 10.1007/s40617-023-00856-3 If you're interested in ordering CEs for listening to this episode, click here to go to the store page. You'll need to enter your name, BCBA #, and the two episode s

We knew we had to have special guest, Dr. Camille Kolu, on the show when we heard her amazing talk about buffers at last year’s Thompson Center conference. This week, our wish comes true as we discuss how buffers can contribute to our focus on improving trauma-informed practices. But, what exactly is a buffer and how does it differ from other buzzwords circling trauma-informed treatments? And is there such a thing as an evergreen TIC playbook that clinicians should be using for every client ? Spoiler: That treatment you assume must be universally trauma-informed probably isn’t! This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Kolu, T.C. (2023). Providing buffers, solving barriers: Value-driven policies and actions that protect clients today and increase the chances of thriving tomorrow. Behavior Analysis in Practice. doi: 10.1007/s40617-023-00876-z Kolu, C. (2023). Reflections on choice and control, informed by lessons in parenting. Operants, 44, 24-27.  If you're interested in

We wrap up our trilogy (for now) of episodes focusing on neurodiversity with special guest, Dr. Kate Chazin to look at what survey research and meta-analyses can tell us about how ABA is currently doing as a treatment when it comes to hearing from the autistic population. We review the likes, the dislikes, and the unknowns in early-childhood ABA programing from client to community then gather more detail on an area that all of us are feeling iffy about: The need for escape extinction in behavioral treatments. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Chazin, K.T., Ledford, J.R., Wilson-Moses, J.M., Rajaraman, A.R., & Juarez, A.P. (2024). Centering autistic perspectives: Social acceptability of goals, learning contexts, and procedures for young autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. doi: 10.1007/s10803-024-06242-4 Chazin, K.T., Velez, M.S., & Ledford, J.R. (2022). Reducing escape without escape extinction: A systematic review and meta-an

It’s Special Guest Month at ABA Inside Track. We decided to take advantage of the flexibility of summer schedules to invite on as many guests as we could fit into the month. And it’s a long month! We’re so exited to be joined by Dr. Kate Chazin to (for the moment) wrap up our mini-series on neurodiversity, Dr. Camille Kolu to discuss protective factors in trauma-informed care, Dr. Anita Li to review how ABA is doing in supporting research and readings on diversity, and Mandy Ralston to push our public speaking and dissemination skills to the max. All that AND a Book Club! Articles for July 2024 Neurodiversity, pt. 3 w/ Dr. Kate Chazin Chazin, K.T., Ledford, J.R., Wilson-Moses, J.M., Rajaraman, A.R., & Juarez, A.P. (2024). Centering autistic perspectives: Social acceptability of goals, learning contexts, and procedures for young autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. doi: 10.1007/s10803-024-06242-4 Chazin, K.T., Velez, M.S., & Ledford, J.R. (2022). Reducing escape without esc

As a continuation of our ongoing review of neurodiversity in society and in the practice of ABA, we decided to make space for less talking and more listening. In this episode we’re joined by a special guest panel made up of neurodivergent behavior analysts including returning guest, Brian Middleton, and new guests, Alex Astrella and Michelle LaFrance to discuss their insights on the field, what’s going right, and what’s going wrong. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Resources discussed this episode: Neuroqueer Heresies by Nick Walker Unmasking Autism by Dr. Devon Price Prosocial by Dr. Paul Atkins, Dr. David Wilson, and Dr. Steven Hayes Veneziano, J., & Shea, S. (2022). They have a voice; are we listening? Behavior Analysis in Practice, 16, 127-144. doi: 10.1007/s40617-022-00690-z The Functional Contextualist Newsletter Middleton, B. & Mingo, S. (2024, March 31). Beyond the divide: Understanding and addressing the root concerns behind #ABAisabuse. The Functional Contextualist. https:

We all love books and sharing information through stories and anecdotes. But why does that even work? This week we review some excellent thought pieces on the subject of narrative and storytelling as valued behavior. We look at what makes cliffhangers so appealing, how stories make learning more fun, and whether you need to be practicing better anecdotes before work. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Detrich, R. (2018). Rethinking dissemination: Storytelling as a part of the repertoire. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 41, 541-549. doi: 10.1007/s40614-018-0160-y Hineline, P.N. (2018). Narrative: Why it’s important, and how it works. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 41, 471-501. doi: 10.1007/s40614-018-0137-x Critchfield, T.S. (2018). An emotional appeal for the development of empirical research on narrative. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 41, 575-590. doi: 10.1007/s40614-018-0170-9 If you're interested in ordering CEs for listening to this episode, click he

It’s a Book Club! It’s an episode! It’s two amazing hours with authors, Dr. Linda LeBlanc and Dr. Amanda Karsten discussing proactive ethical actions! Are you practicing good time management…ethical time management? Do you think of ethics as core principles to live by or individual codes to follow? Join us and Book Club Guy, Alan Haberman, as we take a refreshingly proactive look at ethics day-to-day. Patrons, as part of the Summer of Book Club, you’ll be able to earn these CEs for no charge! Just be subscribed at the $10 and up level and use your special discount code. Not a patron? Join today! This episode is available for 2.0 ETHICS CEUs. Articles discussed this episode: LeBlanc, L.A. & Karsten, A.M. (2024). Ethics: Proactive and practical decision making for behavior analysts. Sloan Publishing. If you're interested in ordering CEs for listening to this episode, click here to go to the store page. You'll need to enter your name, BCBA #, and the two episode secret code words to complete the purchase. Em

A quick update on our Book Club release schedule for next year and a chance to vote on your favorite choices. Top 4 vote-getters win a spot on the show. Vote now!

It’s summertime in New England and, for our vacation plans, we made more podcasts! First the Summer of Book Club continues with special guests Dr. Linda LeBlanc and Dr. Amanda Karsten (plus Alan) to discuss their brand new book on practical decision making and ethical action . Then we stop to review some of the behavioral underpinnings that make telling stories so meaningful. Finally we continue our series on neurodiversity with a panel of autistic BCBAs and RBTs sharing their perspectives on how ABA is doing. Interested in choosing our books for 2025? Then sign up and vote on Patreon at any tier (or as a free member) today! Articles for June 2024 Ethics Book Club w/ Dr. Linda LeBlanc + Dr. Amanda Karsten LeBlanc, L.A. & Karsten, A.M. (2024). Ethics: Proactive and practical decision making for behavior analysts. Sloan Publishing.   Storytelling Detrich, R. (2018). Rethinking dissemination: Storytelling as a part of the repertoire. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 41, 541-549. doi: 10.1007/s40614-018-0160

For our Spring Listener Choice episode, we’re looking into what makes consultation for behavior analysts good. Because consultation is like a mountain where you and your client reach the summit together. But don’t forget the extra cans of air in case its very tall. And did you remember to pack enough provisions? Or your compass? Some icebreaker games? Perhaps this metaphor is getting away from us, and you should just listen to the episode discussion of relevant research into what makes good, rather than useless, consultation in behavior analysis. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Wish that CE was free? That you’d been one of the people who voted for this episode (or a different episode)? Then subscribe now on our Patreon Page. Already a patron? Get your 100% off discount code here! Articles discussed this episode: Feldman, E.S. & Kratcohwill, T.R. (2003). Problem solving consultation in schools: Past, present and future directions. The Behavior Analyst Today, 4, 318-330. doi: 10.1037/h01000

Somehow we’ve made it nearly 300 episodes without actually talking about concurrent chains arrangement specifically. I mean, we’ve talked about measuring assent, preferences for treatments, chaining, and concurrent schedules. Finally, all the great tastes that go great together in one episode! But where did the concurrent chains arrangement come from? And how might such a procedure be used to assess preference for different treatment types? Does it work for everyone? I pity the fool that misses this podcast episode. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Catania, A.C. & Sagvolden, T. (1980). Preference for free choice over forced choice in pigeons. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 34, 7-86. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1980.34-77 Hanley, G.P. (2010). Toward effective and preferred programming: A case for the objective measurement of social validity with recipients of behavior-change programs. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 3, 13-21. doi: 10.1007/BF03391754

UNLOCKED from our Patreon page, it’s the “Calling Bullshit” Book Club! Interested in more Book Clubs? Want to vote on what we read next? Feeling FOMO at getting this a full year late? Wish your 2 CEs for listening to the episode were FREE??? Join us on Patreon to get all of our episodes a week early, access to these bonus episodes, plus other goodies. You’d think living in such a big-data obsessed world, that behavior analysts would be enjoying some of the most fact-filled, objective times of their lives. Unfortunately, more data means more problems, especially when those gathering and publishing the data seem determined to sell you a heaping load of bullshit. For our Spring 2023 Book Club, we get skeptical of all this precious data by reading Bergstrom and West’s “Calling Bullshit”. We dive into what makes bullshit, how to identify it, and, most importantly, how to call it out and make the world a better place. Content discussed in this episode Bergstrom, C.T. & West, J.D. (2020). Calling bullshit. Rand

With BABA’s 2024 conference in Baltimore fast approaching (July 19-21), we were lucky to find some time to chat with organization president, Denisha Gingles, and vice-president, Camille Williams, to talk all about what we can expect this year. From the new location in Maryland to the keynote speakers to the secrets of making a conference that feels like a community, we check off all the reasons that you don’t want to miss Black Con. Register now!

Now that our own toilet training experences are solidly in the parenting windshield, we thought it would be a good time to check back in with what research on toilet training has taught us in the intervening years. And, wouldn’t you know it, special guest, Dr. Maeve Donnelly took all that info and put it into a handy-dandy article. In this episode we look at extensions in toilet training methodology over the past five years as well as some updated recommendations for what to do when your programming goes into the…well, you get the idea. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Perez, B.C., Bacotti, J.K., Peters, K.P., & Vollmer, T.R. (2020). An extension of commonly used toilet-training procedures to children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53, 2360-2375. doi: 10.1002/jaba.727 Donnelly, M.G. & Karsten, A.M. (2024). Resolving barriers to continence for children with disabilities: Steps toward evidence-based practice. Behavior