Verbal Beginnings wishes you a very Happy Thanksgiving filled with abundance and bright moments. We hope you have a wonderful day celebrating all there is to be thankful for! To help make the day extra special, we have some food tips, crafts, and ways to donate in your community!    The most memorable Thanksgiving traditions usually involve family, friends, and food. Our Healthy Beginnings Director has some tips for you to help make this year the BASTE Thanksgiving yet!    Tips For Mealtime     First, you should try and test different foods before the holiday. Fo ..read more

Many families have a veggie-loathing, chicken nuggets-only, no-foods-touching, picky eater in their midst. But families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are even more likely than most to experience mealtime struggles. It’s estimated that 44% to 89% of children with ASD have feeding challenges such as food selectivity, disruptive feeding behaviors, gagging, or overeating.   Thanksgiving is around the corner and Verbal Beginnings wants to try and ease the transition with new foods and help make this the best holiday yet! We talked to the Director of our Healthy Beginnings pro ..read more

In today’s BCBA feature you’ll meet Clinical Supervisor Emily Summers as she talks about the surprise she found out on her second day of work and what keeps her coming back each day.   What’s the most rewarding part of your role at VB?   The most rewarding part of the job is watching (and being a part of) client and therapist growth as a result of Applied Behavior Analysis. By witnessing client development on a daily basis, I’m filled with pride and joy. The team is able to celebrate together when a new socially significant skill is demonstrated. When a therapist can develop a relat ..read more

In today’s BCBA feature you’ll meet Clinical Supervisor Alyson Breeding as she talks about her love of working in the field, and how VB supports her “fabulous” career!    What’s the most rewarding part of your role at VB? The most rewarding part of my role is seeing the truly amazing progress that our clients make and knowing that I played a part in making that happen! I am frequently in awe of what is happening right before my eyes!    What’s the best part about working for VB? VB goes above and beyond to make sure their employees know they are appreciated. I feel complet ..read more

In today’s BCBA feature you’ll meet Clinical Supervisor Heather Pile as she talks about her passion for helping kids have major breakthroughs, and how VB helps her grow as a clinician!   What’s the most rewarding part of your role at VB? For me, the most rewarding part of my role is helping families have lightbulb moments… we call them our “woo hoos” during family sessions! We get so excited when the skills we work on start to occur naturally and outside of our training sessions.   What’s the best part about working for VB? VB allows us to work with families in their home and pr ..read more

For over 50 years, April has been designated and celebrated as Autism Awareness Month, with the goal being to help spread awareness and educate local communities about Autism. As we kick off the month of April, it is essential to know the history of the incredible obstacles advocates and families worldwide overcame to make this month what it is today. It is remarkable to see how far we have come, but it is only a start to what is still needed as we work towards more inclusion and meaningful change.   In 1970, the Autism Society of America, the United States’ oldest leading grassroots auti ..read more

In today’s BCBA feature you’ll meet Clinical Supervisor Dylan Rutter and hear more about his love for Verbal Beginnings University, and how his team always brings a smile to his face.   What’s the most rewarding part of your role at VB? I find being able to train highly motivated staff and passing along knowledge of ABA is the most rewarding part of my role at VB. I love seeing the ‘light bulb’ moment on my team’s faces when they see the payout in their sessions.   What’s the best part about working for VB? The best part of working at VB is the sense of support and community we share ..read more

Today’s blog is written by Community Engagement Manager Taylor Pomilla   Now that 2021 has ended and 2022 has officially started, we wanted to give you a Verbal Beginnings in the Community wrap-up of the past year!   As with each new year, it had its share of challenges, yet it was also a very special year of hope that came with exciting new opportunities for Verbal Beginnings within the community. During the past 10 years, we have always worked to set a higher standard by doing what is necessary to continuously improve and make ourselves even better. One of the best things to come ..read more

As most of you have heard there are some BIG changes for BACB (Behavior Analyst Certification Board) in 2022. Along the way, there are many boxes that will need to be checked off and new changes to learn. In this blog, we will review the 3 most important updates that you need to know!   New 5th Edition Task List: Out of all the changes, the first big one is that the content on the exam will now cover the 5th Edition Task List. The coursework requirements to take the exam for a BCBA have changed from 270 hrs to 315 hrs. In addition to that change, the number of coursework hours per subject ..read more

Sometimes we all need to take a moment to breathe, take a break from the daily grind, and spend some energy investing in ourselves. Allowing yourself to create a strong work-life balance can be challenging, but it’s a necessary skill that can pay big dividends when you have a chance to really understand and focus on your own self-care.   This fall, Verbal Beginnings launched the first-of-its-kind Exhale Retreat to give employees a chance to ‘Exhale’ for a weekend and really spend some time focused on just what the tagline says: Gather. Relax. Grow. Over 60 members of VB’s leadership tea ..read more