Aba Inside Track

While behavior analysis has more recently begun digging into what meaningful social justice practices can and should be, the concept certainly isn’t new to other fields, and our special guest, Dr. Malika Pritchett, has the data to prove it. This week, Dr. Pritchett gives us a whirlwind tour of the development of social justice practices in research through the years to highlight science’s highly problematic journey to improve its understanding and appreciation of the rights of all (and to focus on what we can all do to keep this journey moving towards an equitable future). This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Pritchett, M., Ala’i-Rosales, S., Cihon, T.M., & Cruz, A.R. (2022). From Fuller to Fawcett: a Human rights history of research ethics in behavior analysis. In Cox, D.J., Syde, N., Brodhead, M.T., & Quigley, S.P. (Eds.), Research ethics in behavior analysis: From laboratory to clinic and classroom (pp. 1-34). Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-323-9096

If measuring social validity is just about getting clients and stakeholders to fill out a 7-point Likert scale, we’d have a pretty short episode this week. Fortunately, it’s a heck of a lot more important and effortful than that. This week we delve into the realm of using social validity measures to improve our practices and to better support our clients. So buckle-up for some thematic reviews of interviews, big picture practice examinations, and comparisons to how much better or worse things are since the 90s. At least, in relation to social validity measurement. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Schwartz, I.S. & Baer, D. (1991). Social validity assessments: Is current practice state of the art? Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 24, 189-204. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1991.24-189 Ferguson, J.L., Cihon, J.H., Leaf, J.B., Van Meter, S.M., McEachin, J., & Leaf, R. (2018). Assessment of social validity trends in the journal of applied behavior analysis. Europea

UNLOCKED from our Patreon page, it’s the “Between Now and Dreams” 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. We’re curling up with a good book this winter for our latest Book Club. And since the winter is a good time for reflection, we’re thinking about what it means to be a parent and a supporter of parents of autistic children by reading “Between Now and Dreams” from Dr. Ala’i-Rosales and Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe. Whether you serve one or both of the above roles, we dive deep into the advice of the authors to learn, connect, and love in this very non-checklist overview of being the best caregiver you can be. Plus, book club discussion questions directly from the authors…answered by us! Enjoy our discussion of the book? How about a discussion with the authors? Conten

This month is all about caring: caring for clients, for parents, for children, and for other people’s opinions. Because while we all love behavior analysis, that doesn’t mean everybody does. So listen in and up your anti-colonial, family-supportive, socially valid practices with our unlocked Book Club on supporting parents of autistic children with “Between Now and Dreams”, our interview with Dr. Malika Pritchett on social justice in our research practices, and a review of how we can better assess social validity of treatment. Articles for March 2024 (UNLOCKED) Between Now and Dreams Book Club Ala’i-Rosales, S. & Heinkel-Wolfe, P. (2022). Reponsible and responsive parenting in autism: Between now and dreams. Different Roads to Learning. Ala’i-Rosales, S. & Heinkel-Wolfe, P. (n.d.). Resource Page. Responsible and Responsive Parenting in Autism: Between Now and Dreams. https://peggyheinkelwolfe.com/ways-to-buy-responsible-and-responsive-parenting-between-now-and-dreams/clinicians-book-club/ Assessing

UPDATED: Following the release of the episode, we were all saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Elizabeth HughesFong, a pioneer in researching, publishing, and speaking on cultural humility in the field of behavior analysis. To celebrate and to honor her accomplishments, Dr. Noor Syed asked to record a special dedication for Dr. Hughes Fong to add to this episode. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Rob’s birthday than to be joined by special guest Dr. Noor Syed to discuss creating equitable practices. Well, what if those practices also were built in ways that led to sustainable, society-wide, paradigm-breaking, world disrupting changes? Dr. Syed might tell us to focus on taking one step at a time towards equity with some amazing action steps. So, listen to this episode, and we’ll start there. And, as a birthday gift for our listeners, an extra long show means extra CEs! This episode is available for 1.5 LEARNING CEUs. Articles discussed this episode: Glenn, S.S., Malott, M.E., Andery, M.A.P.A., Ben

In what we’re planning as an ongoing series of episodes over the next year (and beyond), ABA Inside Track will be talking about neurodiversity: What it is, what it means for behavior analysts, and why understanding and discussing it with open ears, the courage to be uncomfortable, and the importance of listening is key to the future of our field. For now, here’s an episode to get our conversation started. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Veneziano, J. & Shea, S. (2023). They have a voice; are we listening? Behavior Analysis in Practice, 16, 127-144. doi: 10.1007/s40617-022-00690-z Graber, A. & Graber, J. (2023). Applied behavior analysis and the abolitionist neurodiversity critique: An ethical analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 16, 921-937. doi: 10.1007/s40617-023-0780-6 Donaldson, A. L., Krejcha, K., & McMillin, A. (2017). A strengths-based approach to autism: Neurodiversity and partnering with the autism community. Perspectives of the ASHA S

As voted on by our Patrons, we’re talking about ways to prevent that pernicious problem for professionals: Burnout. Hopefully that’s not just because a high percentage of BCBAs are feeling unappreciated, constantly in unresolved conflict with clients and co-workers, and highly dissatisfied with their current lot in life. Even if you are, this episode will cover some ways that you can reflect on the burnout process to avoid falling fully into its clutches (and, if you’re a boss, some steps that you might want to ensure you’re taking!). This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Wish that CE was free? Subscribe on our Patreon page to see the full recording and get a discount for 100% off your purchase. Articles discussed this episode: Novack, M.N. & Dixon, D.R. (2019). Predictors of burnout, job satisfaction, and turnover in behavior technicians working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 6, 413-421. doi: 10.1007/s40489-019-00171-0 Kaze

Man, January went so long that we barely had time to stop to record our February preview. But whether in a car or on a boat, we’ve got behavior analytic discussions to fill 29 days. This month we’re joined by guest, Dr. Noor Syed, to review her work on creating sustainable equitable practices in research and higher education. We also begin with the first part in what we hope will be an ongoing discussion about neurodiversity and review some recent articles on combatting workplace burnout, courtesy of our Patreon listeners. And, yes, Rob really recorded this episode from his (parked) car. Articles for February 2024 (LISTENER CHOICE) Preventing Burnout Novack, M.N. & Dixon, D.R. (2019). Predictors of burnout, job satisfaction, and turnover in behavior technicians working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 6, 413-421. doi: 10.1007/s40489-019-00171-0 Kazemi, E., Carter, C., & Davies, M.S. (2022). Workplace conflict in applied behavior ana

Making mistakes isn’t all bad. Unless those mistakes result in faulty stimulus control during skill acquisition. But, fret not, this week we dive into some of the options available as you craft your programs to respond to errors in a way to maximize learnining efficiency while taking the preferences of your client into account. Basically, how to teach the fastest while being the least annoying. And does correcting errors actually work better than avoiding them? This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Leaf, J.B., Cihon, J.H., Ferguson, J.L., Milne, C.M., Leaf, R., & McEachin. (2020). Comparing error correction to errorless learning: A randomized clinical trial. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 36, 1-20. doi: 10.1007/s40616-019-00124-y Carroll, R.A., Joachim, B.T., St. Peter, C.C., & Robinson, N. (2015). A comparison of error-correction procedures on skill acquisition during discrete-trial instruction. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 48, 257-273. doi: 10.10

This week we return to one of of favorite (and most important topics): training others to work with adults with significant disabilities. And, in our excitement to talk to Dr. John Guercio on everything this entails, we almost forgot to talk about the specific articles! Whether looking at the primary means of supporting staff skill growth or utilizing effective, evidence-based treatment plans and curricula, we leave no stone unturned in learning everything we can about supporting adult clients (within the timeframe of our podcast length). Want to see more? Check out Dr. Guercio’s core competencies book for more. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Wilson, A.N., Kasson, E.M., Gratz, O., & Guercio, J.M. (2015). Exploring the clinical utility of a stimulus avoidance assessment to enhance a relaxation training model. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 8, 57-61. doi: 10.1007/s40617-014-0035-y Guercio, J., Davis, P., Faw, G., McMorrow, M., Ori, L., Berkowitz, B., & N

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! While we've covered acceptance and commitment therapy a few times before, we'd never really dug too deeply into exactly HOW ACT is behavior analytic. As in the exact mechanisms by which the fabulous steps of the hexaflex "work" as described in 100% behavioral terms. Now, thanks to our listeners (and book authors Dixon, Hayes, and Belisle), we can! Join us as we learn about ACT from theory to practice in our two-hour discusion of "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Behavior Analysts". Plus, you'll finally get to discover which branch of the hexaflex is our all-time favorite! Is it acceptance? Committed action? Self-as context? No, no one likes self-as context. This full version of this episode is available for 2.0 LEARNING CEUs. Content discussed in this episode: Dixon, M.R., Hayes, S.C., & Belisle

Far over standard celeration graphs cold To research labs deep and operant chambers old We must respond, ere break of a targeted duration To mand our pale enchanted reinforcers   This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Heward, W.L. Kimball, J.W., Heckaman, K.A., & Dunne, J.D. (2021). In his own words: Siegfried “Zig” Englemann talks about what’s wrong with education and how to fix it. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 14, 766-774. doi: 10.1007/s40617-021-00636-x Greenwald, A. (2023). Prompting and modeling of coping strategies during childbirth. Behavior Analysis in Practice. doi: 10.1007/s40617-023-00837-6 Sheehan, A (2022). The development of a participatory tool to enable autistic people to influence the interior design of their homes. Good Autism Practice, 23, 13-26. Shores, R. E., Gunter, P. L., & Jack, S. L. (1993). Classroom Management Strategies: Are They Setting Events for Coercion? Behavioral Disorders, 18, 92–102. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23887084 I

Just because something is popular doesn’t make it right. And this week we talk about the most unethical example of this in reviewing the costs and dangers of fad treatments. While we spend a good deal of time discussing sensory integration, the hypothesis behind it as a treatment, and its effectivness (or lack thereof) in behavioral treatment, we also review some of the other fad treatments we’ve seen over the years, and how you can be ethical, avoid fads, AND not look like a big jerk. This episode is available for 1.0 ETHICS CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Zane, T., Davis, C., & Rosswurm, M. (2008). The cost of fad treatments in autism. Journal of Early and Intensive Behavior Intervention, 5, 44-51. doi: 10.1037/h0100418 Schreck, K.A. & Miller, V.A. (2010). How to behave ethically in a world of fads. Behavior Interventions, 25, 307-324. doi: 10.1002/bin.305 Moore, K.M., Cividini-Motta, C.C., Clark, K.M., & Ahearn, W.H. (2015). Sensory integration as a treatment for automatically maintained

Happy 2024, y’all! And boy are we coming in hot with the latest fads in treament and your ethical responsibility to respond skeptically to them. After that we chat with Dr. John Guercio about what’s new with effective programming curricula for adults with disabilities and take a dive into the latest in error correction research. Then it all goes off a cliff with our most dramatic Grab Bag episode ever with Book Club Guy, Alan Haberman. Apparently our New Year’s Resolution was to win an Oscar. Articles for January 2024 (ETHICS) Ethics of Fad Treatments Zane, T., Davis, C., & Rosswurm, M. (2008). The cost of fad treatments in autism. Journal of Early and Intensive Behavior Intervention, 5, 44-51. doi: 10.1037/h0100418 Schreck, K.A. & Miller, V.A. (2010). How to behave ethically in a world of fads. Behavior Interventions, 25, 307-324. doi: 10.1002/bin.305 Moore, K.M., Cividini-Motta, C.C., Clark, K.M., & Ahearn, W.H. (2015). Sensory integration as a treatment for automatically maintained stereotypy.

It’s our annual year-end wrap up show with our podcasting pal, Matt Cicoria from Behavioral Observations! And boy, is there a lot to review from 2023. First, a somber start with a remembrance of some of the amazing behavior analysts the field lost this past year. Then a discussion of some of the biggest issues facing our profession: Supervision! Ed reform! Public Policy reform! Plus, nonsense end-of-year tangents and plans for 2024. Articles mentioned in this episode: Iwata, B.A., Dorsey, M.F., Slifer, K.J., Bauman, K.E., & Richman, G.S. (1982/1994). Toward a functional analysis of self-injury. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 197-209. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1994.27-197 Johnston, J.M., Pennypacker, H.S., & Green, G. (2020). Strategies and tactics of behavioral research and practice. (4th ed.). Routledge. Twyman, J., Pinkelman, S., Kenyon, S., Heward, W.L., Lattal, K.A., & Critchfield, T.S. (2023). Ronnie Detrich (1946-2023): A versatile behavior analyst who demanded more of behavior analysis

While we’ve talked about organizational behavior management for business and leadership and and collaboration in the behavior analytic world, what if we put it all that research together and applied it to the school setting? I bet you’d get something like this week’s episode. Add in special guest Dr. Bruce Tinor leading the conversation with additional experience as a school principal and behavior analyst and you’ve got a recipe for fixing the education system. Or, at least, we think so. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Komaki, J.L., Minnich, M.L.R., Grotto, A.R., Weinshank, B., & Kern, M.J. (2011). Promoting critical operant-based leadership while decreasing ubiquitous directives and exhortations. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 31, 236-261. doi: 10.1080/01608061.2011.619393 Krapfl, J.E. & Kruja, B. (2015). Leadership and culture. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 35, 28-43. doi: 10.1080/01608061.2015.1031431 Starling, N.R

Let’s get down to some nuts and bolts treatment updates this week with one of the most common maintaining variables for problem behavior: escape! We’ll start off with a podcast favorite in the form of a treatment-choice flowchart then add in our combined near-60 years of experience with some illustrative case examples to model how to judge which treatment is right for your client. It’s like a day hanging out at the ABA Inside Track offices…if we weren’t podcasting, that is. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Geiger, K.B., Carr, J.E., & LeBlanc, L.A. (2010). Function-based treatments for escape-maintained problem behavior: A treatment-selection model for practicing behavior analysts. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 3, 22-32. doi: 10.1007/BF03391755 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. Email us

Between sharing our Christmas Movie watching habits and preparing for the coldest months with a warm book club, we haven’t a moment to lose in sharing out this month’s episodes. But we’re opening a gift early because we’ve finally been able to catch up with special guest, Dr. Bruce Tinor, to share about leadership in the schools before having a little debate about the best escape-maintained behavior treatments for every situation (well, that we could discuss in an hour-long show). And 2023 can’t wrap up without our annual Year in ABA with Matt Cicoria from the Behavioral Observations podcast. Have a holly jolly time listening and we’ll see you in 2024! Don't forget to sign-up for the Winter Book Club on our Patreon page to get access to our new episode next month (and 2 CEUs for free!) Articles for December 2023 Strategies for Addressing Escape-Maintained Behavior Geiger, K.B., Carr, J.E., & LeBlanc, L.A. (2010). Function-based treatments for escape-maintained problem behavior: A treatment-selection model

When you think of dog training, do you usually think of movie stunt dogs like Lassie and the dog from Frasier? Well, dogs do a lot more than cinematic tricks and the science of behavior has a lot to add to the science of assessing and treating dog behaviors. This week Ran Courant-Morgan and Dr. Stephanie Keesey-Phelan from the Dog Behavior Institute take a walk over to the podcast to share what behavior analysis can bring to the dog training practice and what dog trainers can share with behavior analysts. Plus, dog FA! This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Bremhorst, A., Mills, D.S., Würbel, H., & Riemer, S. (2022). Evaluating the accuracy of facial expressions as emotion indicators across contexts in dogs. Animal Cognition, 25, 121-136. doi: 10.1007/s10071-021-01532-1 Pfaller-Sadovsky, N., Arnott, G., & Hurtado-Parrado, C. (2019). Using principles from applied behaviour analysis to address an undesired behaviour: Functional analysis and treatment of jumping

Working with other professionals is hard. And sometimes it may be because your organization doesn’t really know how to support meaningful collaboration outside of the traditional practice of reminding you to stay in your BCBA lane. This week special guest and SLP, Rose Griffin, joins us to kick our ideas for collaboration into the next level. Like, did you know that multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary practices aren’t synonymous? I do, but I helped make the episode. Get ready to turn your CO-llaboration into COOL-aborations! This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU Articles discussed this episode: Bowman, K.S., Suarez, V.D., & Weiss, M.J. (2021). Standards for interprofessional collaboration in the treatment of individuals with autism. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 14, 1191-1208. doi: 10.1007/s40617-021-00560-0 Brodhead, M.T. (2015). Maintaining professional relationships in an interdisciplinary setting: Strategies for navigating nonbehavioral treatment recommendations for individuals with auti