ABA Inside Track

While mindfulness may feel like the new hotness, is there anything in the research that supports its effectiveness in improving classroom behavior? This week we stop our deep breathing exercises to discuss just what makes mindfulness so popular, whether the results match the increased fervor, and whether behavior analysts should be paying attention. If you enjoy this week's episode on mindfulness,...

Step right up! Step right up! It's time for the great ethics debate! In this corner, Jackie and Diana, the dynamic duo, ready to convince the listeners that the BACB ethics code fails to do enough to support meaningful ethical problem solving in the repertoire of behavior analysts. And, coming all the way from the other side of the podcast-o-sphere, it's Rob with special guest (i.e., ringer) Dr. A...

While we weren't able to record our live talk at the Thompson Center Conference this year, it did give us time to think about the ethical responsibility of BCBAs to include instruction and support in improving the cultural responsiveness of our supervisees. I mean, how else can we expect the next generations of behavior analysts to improve their ability to take culture into account during assessme...

A new year means new podcasts and new resolutions. To help you out, we're starting off the year with two podcasts all on the topic of ethics. First, we welcome back Dr. Allen Karsina who will literally debate us about the ethics code. Then, we get into the ethics of cultural competence in the practice of a behavior analyst. Finally, we wrap it all up with a mindful podcast about mindfulness in the...

This week we discuss improving sedentary behavior, setting meaningful goals for physical activity in the workplace, and how New Year's Resolutions probably won't get you there. And we wouldn't think of talking about getting in shape without friend of the show, Dr. Nick Green, from BehaviorFit . If you're tired of click bait New Year articles about fitness and want something substantial, this is th...

2020 is finally over! One of the few good things about this dumpster fire of a year is that we get to end it with our buddy Matt Cicoria from the Behavioral Observations podcast. We discuss the lows, the other lows, and force ourselves to think of a few highs. And enjoy some adult beverages because nothing says 2020 like a Zoom call with wine and beer.

If social skills are an important component of human development and individuals with autism often have challenges in learning social skills, there must be a curriculum that lets specialists of all backgrounds teach these important lessons, right? Well, maybe? This week we look at what actual research there is behind commercially-available curricula for teaching social skills and highlight a few o...

Despite being a classic component of most parent discipline practices, the average person tends to forget that time out procedures started in the field of behavior analysis. Does this old chestnut still hold value as a part of a behavior management plan? Dr. Jeanne Donaldson joins us this week to review her research on the subject and how time out fits in the framework of trauma-informed care. Art...

Ho ho ho! And a merry podcast! We're back with a wintry mix of exciting topics featuring a guest we've been dying to have on the show, a guest we've been dying to have return, and a topic we've been dying to explore. Articles for December 2020 Time Out w/ Dr. Jeanne Donaldson Dadds, M.R. & Tully, L.A. (2019). What is it to discipline a child: What should it be? A reanalysis of time-out from the pe...

While nobody really wants to go to the dentist, there's a big difference between a grumbling as you walk in for a cleaning and hiding under the dining room table when the word "fluoride" is uttered. This week, Dr. Kelly McConnell stops by to discuss her research on helping individuals with autism tolerate dental exams, including the do's and do not's of working with dentists and ensuring that the...

For our first patrons-only book club, you voted on "Meaningful Differences" by Hart and Risley. And here it is: 2+ hours all about this classic, and sometimes controversial, book documenting Betty Hart and Todd Risley's longitudinal study exploring the home lives of 42 families to try to determine why some children develop more robust language than others. If you ever wondered where the 30 million...

Diana was so amazed by a talk given by our special guests, Worner Leland and Barb Gross from Sex Ed Continuing Ed , that she emailed them immediately to join us on the show. We're thankful that they agreed and spent an evening discussing the sexual wellbeing of individuals with developmental disabilities. We discuss the danger of seeing sexual behavior as problem behavior, review the ExPLISSIT mod...

If you've ever tried to develop a function-based treatment on elopement, you've probably wondered where in the research to start. The answer is start here with this week's episode! Not only are we joined by Dr. Megan Boyle to discuss the findings of her extensive literature review on the subject, but we also get to enjoy her first-hand accounts of assessment and treatment of elopement. The hipster...

Join us this November for a cornucopia of riches to give thanks to. At least, when it comes to awesome behavior analytic topics and guests. Between challenging behavior, necessary life skills, and human rights, we've got enough content to entertain you on Thanksgiving from the first dinner roll to the last slice of turkey. And, if your Zoom family gathering is going south, just put on ABA Inside T...

If your list of self-care activities begins and ends at a big glass of wine, you may not be doing it right. And, as our special guest, Dr. Shane Spiker, shares, you're not alone. This week, we discuss the challenges of self-care for behavior analysts including the consequences of burnout and the surprising fact that taking care of ourselves is an actual learned skill. Articles discussed this episo...

This Halloween, don't run away. Don't lock your doors. Don't hide under your bed. Because, the audio file is already in your ears. Grab Bag Reboot. This time, it's personal. Articles discussed this episode: Gunning, C., Holloway, J., & Grealish, L. (2020). An evaluation of parents as behavior change agents in the Preschool Life Skills program. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53 , 889-917. do...

By popular demand (of Diana), we're talking all about stimulus equivalence. After drawing multiple pictures to remind ourselves of the inner workings of this powerful process, we dive into relevant research from three generations: a Sidman original, a go-go 90's extension, and a practical example of stimulus equivalence in special education. Articles discussed this episode: Sidman, M. Cresson, Jr....

No tricks this month on the show unless you're terrified of stimulus equivalence like Rob! For everyone else, it'll be all treats for your ears with the return of a popular (?) episode format as well as a cozy fall discussion about self-care with special guest, Dr. Shane Spiker. Snuggle up with some hot apple cider, a warm sweater, and a brand new delay tolerance flow chart. Articles for October 2...

Finally, rounding out our month-long Supervision September comes an episode all about how to be the superest supervisor that ever did supervise. Whether it's maximizing your supervision bandwidth or hyper-focusing your supervisee's experiences, we're checking out some new ideas to make supervision more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Articles discussed this episode: Garza, K.L., McGee, H.M., Schenk,...

This week we conclude our deep dive into "Bringing Out the Best in People" by discussing some of the more ephemeral components of supervision. For instance, did you know that you can supervise creativity? And what does the future hold for supervision now that Zoomers are entering the work force. All this and the history of Nintendo. Articles discussed this episode: Daniels, A.C. (2000). Bringing o...

Continuing with Supervision September, we delve deep into the science and generalization of supervisory skills with our newest book club series on "Bringing Out the Best in People", the classic management book by Aubrey Daniels. How are running Fortune 500 companies and ABA like peanut butter and chocolate? And what does positive reinforcement have to do with improving the widget production line?...

It's time for our 4th Annual Supervision September! All month long, we'll be discussing supervision of BCBAs, supporting good management practices, and advances in the supervisory process. And, to kick things off, live (via Zoom!), it's our talk from the Greater Boston Applied Behavior Analysis in Urban Education conference . While we couldn't be there in person, we were honored to be asked to tal...

Joy of joys! It's Supervision September! All month long, we'll be discussing topics related to supervision. Whether supervision in the schools or supervision on the job, we're covering all the angles. And, if four whole episodes about supervision weren't enough, we're so excited to launch our very first Patreon to provide listeners more opportunities for exclusive episodes, discounts, and chances...

Hey, ABA Inside Track Listeners.  As we embark into our 4th year of the podcast, we wanted to stop and recognize that we couldn't have continued creating our brand of scientific and entertaining behavior analytic content without your support.  And, to acknowledge the importance of our community of BCBA students and practitioners, we've decided to team up with Patreon to provide more opportunities...

We've sung the praises of functional communication training (FCT) on plenty of episodes. However, we're in the same boat as you when it comes time to start thinning the reinforcement schedule to use FCT in real life. Luckily, Dr. Jeffrey Tiger is here to save the day by sharing recent research on improving delay tolerance procedures. Is DRA the special ingredient? Plus, another chapter in the ongo...