The title of Joe Veneziano and Dr. Shannon Shea’s research article, They Have a Voice, Are We Listening?, caught my eye and I had to read it. These two BCBAs met at a Journal Club and connected over the need to shed light on the history and nuance of ABA and Behavior Analysis. With the field growing and opinions of professionals being so diverse, educating incoming BCBAs on the history of behavior analysis is crucial. Their paper examines “indistinguishability” and its implications by defining “indistinguishable” in behavior analytic terms. They write about well known studies, such as the Lov ..read more

After 2 decades of working in a clinical long term care setting as an SLP, Susan Browning was looking for something different amidst the pandemic. This change led her to her role in pediatric SLP in an ABA setting. We discuss one of my favorite topics, collaboration. Susan, bursting with positive energy for the field, talks about how she worked to find her niche to collaborate and complement the work of the other providers and BCBAs in the clinic. With the large scope that SLP spans in the field, it is such a nuanced science. Susan explains some of her interesting presentations coming up to ..read more

Maura Weis is the mother of two, a son and a daughter. The Weis family’s autism journey began when their youngest, Hannah, experienced early life difficulties, and then concerns with delays started occurring at 18 months. Maura shares about their early experiences and her pediatrician visits. Even more concerns grew after a move due to her husband’s coaching career. As they worked through tests and possibilities, Hannah began school with an ABA program and received several diagnoses.  Maura wrote Miles From The Sideline: A Mother's Journey With Her Special Needs Daughter when her daughter ..read more

If you walk away with anything from today’s episode, let it be: It will get better. My guest, Kelley Coleman, is a mother of 2 and wrote the book she desperately needed when it came to navigating the extensive list of diagnoses for her youngest son. We discuss her book, Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide To the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports and the daunting overwhelm that comes with a disability diagnosis. Being a parent or caregiver is difficult enough, but throw in a medical diagnosis, nuerodivergence, and, in Kelley’s case, many comorbiditi ..read more

In the age of smartphones and tablets, video modeling is more accessible than it ever has been before. Dr. Teresa Cardon dives into the research on how effective video modeling is and how to move based on perceived barriers. Video modeling research shows that learners respond faster than with live modeling and you can use it to teach a variety of skills including self help, play, and imitation. Dr. Cardon explains that most barriers providers find for video modeling, time or training, are based on a perception that video modeling is difficult or needs perfection. Studies show that the model i ..read more

Whether you’re a keynote speaker or you’re attending a small group team meeting, front of the room speaking opportunities are abundant in the autism healthcare field. And they are mutually beneficial. Dr. Breanne Hartley is BCBA-D who is passionate about public speaking. These opportunities create an environment of learning, collaboration, and sharing ideas and thoughts.  Public Speaking Strategies for SLPs, BCBAs, and anyone with a front of the room opportunity: Conceptualize any opportunity as a “front of the room” opportunity. Be prepared. Consider what ideas you want to convey, plan ..read more

Do you hear the word parent advocate and immediately anticipate a contentious IEP meeting with an US vs THEM mentality? It doesn’t have to be that way. April Rehrig is an advocate with over 20 years of experience as a school psychologist, teacher, and parent in the public school system. In our conversations, April explains how her philosophy is about reaching across the table to work together and resolve concerns. She is a virtual advocate working with clients across the country and offering an embedded coaching model with on-demand online courses, letter templates, and parent training. This ..read more

When it comes to teaching comprehension to autistic learners, it can be difficult to know where to get started. This is an important skill leading to independent communication, and it’s crucial to have a robust system for teaching the skills. I’m going over some of the foundational skills leading to comprehension. Labeling is a progressional skill that should start with the preferred terms of the learner, then onto more functional beyond the therapy room for their day to day life. Intraverbals and (to keep things simple) filling in the blanks are another skill that is a cornerstone of convers ..read more

While schools in the past have focused on a consultative model when it comes to BCBAs, it has become a growing trend in the field for schools to hire a district wide BCBA of their own. When you move from a consultant to an actual school employee this opens up a lot of room for dialogue. BCBA, Dr. Bruce Tinor joins me to chime in with this conversation. Dr. Tinor agrees that hiring BCBAs is the right step but just one is not enough. There are certain roles in a school where 1 overseer is enough, but being an effective BCBA requires a lot of hands-on work and direct contact. If you do find your ..read more

My guest today, Lorri Unumb needs no introduction. Lorri is a mother of three, an autism mom, a lawyer, an autism advocate, and an absolute dynamo in the field. Be sure to check out her long list of achievements in the guest bio for this episode! We are talking about something so important and impactful for families everywhere who have an autism diagnosis: insurance. In 2003 when Lorri’s youngest, Ryan, was diagnosed ABA was not a covered treatment even though it was evidence based and crucial to his opportunity to reach his highest potential. Full time ABA therapy for Ryan’s needs would run ..read more