Home dynamics are different than any other environment a person contacts. There are multiple competing contingencies, constantly fluctuating variables- laundry, meals, clean up, practice, therapy, appointments, medical issues, work, bills. Yet professionals often require parents to have the highest amount of fidelity regarding program implementatio…

Being an adult is difficult. Being an adult with disabilities is even harder. And being a caregiver (parent, family member, direct care staff) can be overwhelming, discouraging, often times leads to burn out. Many of these dyads (individual and caregiver), will be forced to navigate multiple systems, interact and adhere to professional recommendati…

“They blinded me with science!” Many have had the experience of entering a session, excited to impart all the behavior analytic knowledge, only to watch the audience’s eyes glaze over. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand they’ve tuned out completely. The reality is, people go to professionals to get solutions for their problems, they don’t want a science class. It…

Anyone else ever get bored and just randomly start looking up various diagnoses and diseases to learn more about how it can present behaviorally? Or had a client on your caseload with a diagnosis you were unfamiliar with? There’s been an increase in discussion and representation of mental health over the last several years and as technology and res…

Some of our previous guests have talked about applying the science of behavior analysis to health, fitness, and wellness; creating programs for others, or oneself, to build and improve physical fitness. But sometimes, bodies give out and injuries happen. Then what? Can the science behavior analysis be applied to recovery? Dr. Brennan Armshaw joins …

Overtime. Pushing for a spot on the team. Gotta make the billable hours. No Pain, No Gain. Have to make the grade. These behaviors may ring too true for many, and they come with potentially fantastic reinforcers but how costly are these behaviors in the long run? It’s not uncommon these behaviors can signal burnout is on the horizon. And that’s ok.…

We’re putting on our theory and philosophy hats for this one! In this LIVE talk with Kellie Sisson Snider, MS, artist, writer, and aggression consultant, we’re going to discuss the concept of reinforcement, Constructional Aggression Training, and Art in the behavioural sciences. Kellie worked with shelter animals, private practice, and her applicat…

Oh man this is gonna be so cool! We’re gonna talk layers of reinforcement! We’re gonna talk animal training! We’re gonna talk about zoo animals learning to consent to receive necessary injections! AND we’re gonna talk Goldiamond and the importance of stories and listening, unpacking the organism/learner, and how behavior analysis can improve the li…

“We don’t ever need to remove reinforcement from the learner to achieve success.” Maasa and Sean ABAI 2022 Many behavior analysts and animal trainers are familiar with the concept of differential reinforcement and planned ignoring- an undesired behavior occurs, and attention is removed until a desired behavior emerges then attention is delivered. B…

"I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being." -Oscar Wilde There’s been a lot of discussion about empathy and compassion when it comes to providing behavior analytic services. Sometimes professionals get so caught up in the s…

There’s a common adage: “You can’t understand another person until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” Sometimes those shoes take you into lesser charted territories. In a previous episode we discussed applications of behavior analysis in rural communities, but not all rural communities are the same, and we would be remiss to assume so! In this L…

When people go about their daily activities, there is variable privilege in navigating the world. One way this shows up is in ableism, and people with non-disabled privilege may not even notice the ease they have with navigation and mobility, accessibility to escape uncomfortable situations with ease, and privilege in their opinions, choices, conse…

“‘ABA’ -- You keep using this term. I do not think it means what you think it means.” While many practicing in the field of behavior analysis would like to believe the general populace has an accurate understanding of the science, it can’t be ignore that quite the opposite is true. Spend a few minutes googling “ABA” and one can find there is a plet…

While there is plenty of discussion about the increase in autism diagnoses during the current and recent generation, we cannot forget there’s a generation of individuals, particularly female, who were overlooked. Depending on when a person receives a diagnosis, the changes and opportunities for an individual shift. In this LIVE talk, we meet with S…

During this year, we are trying to talk less and listen more. In this LIVE talk, we meet with Nyetta to learn from her experiences as an African American woman, behavior analyst, and mother as she navigates the many, layered complexities of the educational and medical system for herself and family. Nyetta is a self-diagnosed Autistic and during the…

In previous episodes we’ve reviewed the basic components of the Constructional Approach and have discussed how it can be applied to families, parent training, interpreting emotional contingencies. In this episode we expand further into the Constructional galaxy to meet with Jessica Winne, BCBA, to talk about how she applied the Constructional Appro…

Behavior analysis isn’t limited to working with humans or their systems and organizations. In fact, there’s a whole field of study revolving around animal behavior. And similar to their human counterparts, animals are unique creatures and the science of behavior analysis can help bridge the gap to understanding and working with animals. In this LIV…

Behavior Analysts know that the learner is always right, but there are cases where people start doubting this because of how disturbing some behaviors seem. It is important to always remember that the behavior is rational and makes sense regardless of how bizarre it may seem. In the Constructional Approach, no behavior is considered maladaptive. Be…

Life is an adventure and adventures put you in contact with a multitude of experiences. In turn, those experiences help shape your professional and personal development. We learn, what works, what’s aversive, where our strengths and passions lie, and how to be flexible. For some of us, there’s a trend that seems to follow. In today’s LIVE talk we m…

Children who are traumatized by maltreatment often learn to engage in functional survival behaviors. Living in a chaotic environment, with intermittent reinforcement for challenging behavior, unpredictable aversive stimuli, deprivation of attention, care and comfort, and discriminative stimuli for punishment of expression of emotions, can create th…

It only took us a few extra months, but PBS Matters and ATBA ride again in part 5 of our Cross Pollination Podcast! In this discussion, Paddy, Jo, Shana, and Kelly discuss professional development (we also have a special vocal appearance from the lovely Hetty). We review the importance of listening to your supervisee in order to have a mutually ben…

Let’s be honest, working with humans can be difficult. To formulate successful programs for clients, there are a variety of contingencies to consider, and several approaches that can be taken. There are multiple competing contingencies, learning histories, and the ebb and flow of potentiating variables. It may seem to be an overwhelming task, but t…

There was a lot of discussion in the chat during our previous LIVE Assent and Consent talk so we wanted to take some time to address those comments and questions. In this follow-up, we meet again with Nyetta, Jennifer, Sarah, Summer, and introducing Treichae, to talk more in depth about specific aspects of consent, token economies, and generalized …

The teacher, the baker, the organizational systems maker! Join us as Dr. Cloyd Hyten, from Aubrey Daniels International, Inc., regales us with his experiences in the organizational behavior management universe! If you’ve be curious about how behavior analysis can be implemented with organizational systems, this talk should provide some enlightenmen…

The applications of the science of behavior analysis aren’t quite limitless but it can feel close. In this episode, we meet with Dr. Nick Green to further our discussions about how behavior analysis can be applied to athletes, employees, and others who can benefit from movement/fitness/better health choices. He discusses the importance of listening…

From political science to juvenile justice to working with rural schools and teaching graduate and doctoral students, Dr. Brittany Hott has explored a vast galaxy. In this adventure, she describes how she utilizes the many layers of behavior analysis to work with rural communities to improve the lives and families of students. She presents a beauti…

Like the many rings of Saturn, Behavior Analysts in our field find themselves working across various environments. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Paulie Gavoni, BCBA, OBM consultant, former Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion, and professional MMA coach. For many educators, sometimes going into the school setting can feel like stepping into the r…

Interested in levelling up your athletic prowess? Or maybe you’ve found yourself in a coaching position and want to improve your players’ performance? In this talk, Wes Lowery from TeamABA University, discusses the 4 C’s of precision athletics: Collaboration, Contingency, Combos, and Competition. He also describes how he incorporates the concept of…

The culture and management of a classroom setting, in most cases, is vastly different than what most BCBAs are accustomed to. Given the current rates of mental health challenges in students, behavior analysts who lack training in mental health best practices will be at a disadvantage in attempting to support students and untrained teachers in a sch…

If, like so many others during the pandemic, you acquired a pandemic puppy, attempted to teach your old dog new tricks, or perhaps took on the daunting task of litter training your cat, you may have learned that animal training isn’t all treats and clickers. In fact, the field of working with nonhuman animals is a complex process with a rich behavi…

If you have listened to the previous few episodes, you’ve probably noticed some common themes from the various guests and topics we’ve hosted. This conversation continues to explore the themes of listening, communication, and the role of a behavior analyst when working with others outside our field. In this discussion, I meet with Dr. Todd Ward who…

While behavior analysts often tout the desire to “save the world through behavior analysis”, our proverbial doors aren’t being knocked down by the needed masses. In this snapshot, Leah and Merrill Winston (with special guest George the dog) discuss the art of being “apparently vacuous yet stealthily scientific”- presenting our help in a way that is…

In an optimal universe, lives would be free of adverse events and lingering effects from trauma. Unfortunately, most people will experience some kind of event that alters their learning history, contingencies of reinforcement and behavior. In this live event, Dr. Camille Kolu, founder and instructor of Cusp Emergence University, takes the helm and …

The year 2020 brought disruptions felt around the world. As communities shifted, behavior analysts also felt a shift in the way we practice. Many BCBAs were accustomed to teaching and training in-person, providing valuable in situ feedback, frequent fidelity checks, and development of a relationship/rapport with clients and their teams. On the othe…

Behavior analysis is not the only method people turn to when they seek to improve their quality of life. Some people utilize other methodologies such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy. But is it so different than behavior analysis? Come explore the similarities and differences between CBT and ABA and maybe learn that we have more in common than we orig…

“How do you know someone is fluent?” When they demonstrate certain behaviors? Emit certain phrases and buzz words? Complete their SAFMEDS in record time? What about the outcomes we’re usually interested in: understanding what other people are doing and why they are doing it, and describing it in such that a way that ties it to behavioral principles…

In this episode of the Atypical Behavior Analyst, we venture inwards to discuss self-awareness. We begin by stating what it is and reviewing the potential benefits to the service provider, clients, and their stakeholders. We then provide you with information on how to increase self-awareness, to include how that can be done in a behavior analytic m…

You’ve set your coordinates and are on the adventure of a lifetime. But what happens when your course gets thrown off by a passing meteor or you find yourself trapped in an unexpected asteroid field? Come with us as we learn to navigate these events by finding how the principles of behavior analysis can be applied across multiple settings and a var…

Kelly here! Have you ever watched an animal training show and thought, “They’re using the same techniques I do with my clients!”? Or have you tried to train your pet to perform on command during your zoom calls in an attempt save your sanity during quarantine and lockdown? Then congrats! You’ve seen how behavior analysis can also be applied to the …

Per the latest data on the BACB website regarding professional areas of emphasis, most BCBAs are working with children with autism. Join us as we take a short jaunt to a nearby planet as we discuss how the science of behavior analysis is applied to working with adults with disabilities. There are several similarities when working with humans, regar…

In this episode of the Atypical Behavior Analyst, we review the Human Performance System, feedback loops, the role of the relationship manager, and why everyone should have a Shana. Human performance in an system is influenced by multiple variables including skills and repertoire, knowledge o expectations, and feedback. We discuss how feedback shou…

Are you a behavior analyst looking for some inspiration? Curious about new and different applications of the science of behavior analysis? Then you’ve found your place in the behavior universe. Welcome to the Atypical Behavior Analyst Podcast, where we hope to provide you with new insights and information, interesting applications of the science, a…