I'm pretty amazing. I've been a BCBA since 2009 and in the field since 2002. I get asked to be a Keynote Speaker at conferences, I have a great Trauma Informed Behavior Management Handbook, I give incredible webinars, and I'm an excellent clinician. I've been amazing for a very long time, but recently strangers are approaching me to tell me. I'm supposed to say it's humbling. The reality is it makes me feel great- and scared! I've been on several podcasts recently and am starting to have people find me at conferences or emailing me to say they are a "fan" When I was at my last conference, I w ..read more

Finding an ABA company is exhausting. First parents are told the MUST start ABA today. Then they are told all ABA is evil. The fact is that no company is perfect (even those of us that are trying to be as progressive and inclusive as possible). But here are some quick things to look for when choosing a company.  Here are some “buzz words”. Obviously this isn’t fool proof but it gives a basic foundation.  Things to look for:  Trauma Informed Self Advocacy Natural Environment Access to breaks Things to avoid: Focus on “table time” Focus on “extinction” Focus on DTT (Discrete Tri ..read more

You may have noticed that we use the words "effective" and "ineffective" instead of problem, inappropriate, or even target behavior. There is a very specific reason for that.  Years ago a few Autistic advocates looked at my website and, not so nicely, told me my use of appropriate was ablest. They pointed out that "appropriate" is a social construct, is culturally based, and centers on Allistic people. At the time my feelings were hurt but I didn't demand that they sugar coat their concerns- I listened.  So, I changed the way I talked.  Now we use the terms "effective" and "in ..read more

One of the most unique aspects of our jobs is that we don’t have a typical office setting. Our times are spent with the kiddos during their natural environment. This means that we’re mostly at the client’s home, in the community, or at their school. We typically will interact with a variety of people that we are not working with directly. When we see our clients at their school, the chance of us interacting with other people that aren’t our client also drastically increases. It is important to not only think about how clients interact with the space, but also how we interact with the space as ..read more

By: Yetunde Oladunjoye School can be a difficult challenge for anyone. From learning new topics to meeting new people, there's a lot to navigate. However, in the case of people with autism, this struggle can be especially demanding. With the ratio of autism diagnosed in young children estimated to be 3:1 in males vs. females, girls are disproportionately less likely to be diagnosed early enough to learn supportive skills to aid them in the academic environment¹. Why is School Challenging for Girls with Autism? School comes with many rites of passage, such as prolonged periods away from family ..read more

By: Jordan Hoskinson, BCBA, LBA Consent can seem like a complex topic to tackle, as both a clinician and as a parent to autistic children. What is consent? It’s defined as “permission for something to happen or agreement to do somethingᵃ.” This definition doesn’t seem to take into consideration where people are coerced or feel pressured into giving permission to be touched or to touch someone else. A much more inclusive definition of consent would be, “if the person agrees by choice and has the freedom and capacity to make that choiceᵇ.” The issue of who can be touched and how and in what cont ..read more

I have posted about my Trauma Informed Behaviorism Handbook which lays out my unique approach using behavior analytic principles to create Trauma-Informed ABA treatment plans. You can purchase that here: https://www.basicsabatherapy.com/trauma-manual/trauma-handbook I have created a free Mini Trauma-Informed Handbook which lays out Trauma-Informed consequence procedures. This is a great peek into our model! Check it out before you buy the full handbook. You can download the minibook here! You can purchase that here: https://www.basicsabatherapy.com/trauma-manual/trauma-informed-behavior-manage ..read more

When I first started in ABA, I was taught that if a kid threw a shoe at me, I should turn away from them because they wanted my attention. And you know what? As problematic as that approach was, it usually worked. When I became a foster parent, I was taught that if a child threw a shoe at me I should hug them because they needed my love. And you know what? It often worked. Over time those kids stopped throwing their shoes as their attachment became more secure. But sometimes they didn't. And no one had answers for families who parented kids from hard places who couldn't be ignored or loved out ..read more

Introduction  Due to the nationwide pandemic, many countries were affected by the exposure to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Individuals worldwide had to self-quarantine to reduce the risk of infection or transmitting the virus unknowingly to a person; this has altered the daily lives of individuals. As a result, at BASICS we began researching alternative avenues to establish how we can better meet the needs of our clients as their environments and daily schedules changed. We realized we needed to pursue telehealth to conduct ABA sessions. We explored the available resources and real ..read more

A ..read more