Behavior Bites

Do you tend to stick to the black & white rules, or dive into the greyscale? How often do you explore the cultural differences and similarities at work? During today’s meal - I speak with a behavior analyst about her journey to ABA, which brought her all over the world. We also discuss being flexible, leaning into the gray areas, local traditions, and soup! — About Ann-Marie Donovan , M.Sc., B...

Do you take the time to reflect on your accomplishments? Do you plan every detail or do you dive right in? During today’s dinner date - My husband and I celebrate our 50th episode of Behavior Bites. We give thanks, toast to our successes, and reflect on not quitting early on. We also talk about kittens, what I love ordering when we go out, and candy! An overflowing thank you to all of our guests a...

Do you find yourself rambling in a caregiver coaching or supervision session? Have you ever heard the acronym WAIT “why am I talking?” During today’s meal - I speak with a behavior analyst, parent coach, and ABA business guru about taking time to slow down and listen, what compassionate caregiver support looks like, and simple meals after a busy week. — About Leanne Page , BCBA, LBA, ACE Provider,...

How often do you take culture into consideration when interacting with learners and families? Do you examine your biases and check your ego before trying to collaborate with others? During today’s meal - I speak with a behavior analyst, school consultant, and lover of all things Disney about interpersonal skills, new projects, and collaborating with others. — About Kayla Lopez , M.A., BCBA Kayla i...

How often do you give yourself grace? Do you let fear hold you back from saying yes and trying new things? During today’s meal - I speak with a behavior scientist about the importance of collaboration, how to instill self-reflection in supervisees, being kind to others and ultimately yourself, and a surprising revelation that he hates public speaking. — About DeTerrence Allen , Behavior Scientist,...

Is burnout just a buzzword? Is there such a thing as work-life balance? During today’s meal - I speak with a passionate behavior analyst and burnout coach about the importance of antecedent strategies to process big emotions, how to empower BCBAs, and listening to our bodies. — About Iveth Aguilar , MS, BCBA, Burnout Recovery and Prevention Coach Iveth (she/her) is a dedicated and innovative Board...

Are you more of a speak only when necessary or a nonstop talker? Is it more important to be liked or to be authentic? During today’s meal - I speak with a dedicated behavior analyst who specializes in parent training about being authentic, those ah-ha moments with clients and families, and using your PTO. — About Michael Reynolds Jr , MS BCBA LBA Since 2013, I’ve been providing direct ABA services...

How often do you think about the fluidity of self care and your work/life balance? Do you prefer to recharge in silence or surrounded by people you love? During today’s meal - I speak with a behavior analyst about leaning into her community for support, reading as a tool to learn as well as protest, and we talked a lot about Mexican and Korean food. — About Priscilla Rodriguez Haros , BCBA I am a...

Do you ever take disagreement as a personal attack? Do you ever use your failures as lessons? During today’s meal - I speak with a dedicated educator, avid reader, and like-minded foodie about how she uses behavior science, what made her move across the country, and trying to resist the urge to get a little treat every day. — About Kathy Fox , MA Principal at Morningside Academy and Morningside Te...

How often do you stick with things, even when they aren’t working, just to see them through? Have you done a values-based assessment to determine what behaviors to engage in to bring you closer to your goals?   During today’s meal - I speak with a behavior scientist and doctoral student about learning how to pivot when things aren’t working, juggling all the responsibilities, and reducing burnout...

Are schools set up to be successfully inclusive? How often are schools failing their students and families? During today’s meal— I speak with a school BCBA about the successes and failures in the school system, work / life balance, and hobbies as a way to practice self care. — About Allison Pfersich MEd, BCBA, LBA (WA) Born and raised in Massachusetts, I moved to Washington state in 2019.  A forme...

How often do you focus on increasing the confidence and competence of the people surrounding our learners? How often do you assess your own competence and biases? During today’s meal— I speak with a behavior analyst, business owner, and fellow mystic about overcoming anxieties around presenting at conferences, having a hand in learners’ meaningful outcomes, and the joys of eating outside. — About...

How often do you focus on your breath? Do you ever tap into your insecurities and reframe them into strengths? During today’s meal— I speak with a behavior analyst turned Mindset & Self-Compassion Coach about the pivot they made into coaching, their self care practices, and diving into their values to hone in what really matters. — About Robyn Vasquez-Gutierrez MS, BCBA (Trauma Informed Breath...

Have you ever worked with a Court Appointed Special Advocate? How often are you considering trauma during caregiver coaching, IEP meetings, and treatment protocols? During today’s meal— I speak with a Court Appointed Special Advocate about the wins and challenges of the work she does, collaborating with large groups, and having the patience to navigate a slow system. — About Leah Noble BA in Child...

Have you ever debated leaving the field to pursue a different career? Do you ever dive deep to determine the values behind your work? During today’s meal— I speak with an auDHD behavior analyst about her new projects, how life has shifted since becoming a mom, and what financial security and freedom looks like to her. — About Lauren K. James MS, BCBA, LABA Lauren James is a board certified & l...

How often do you stop and celebrate your wins and accomplishments? How often do you seek mentorship and networking outside of your immediate environment? During today’s meal— I speak with a behavior analyst, business owner, and co-founder of APIABA about being trauma-informed in our caregiver coaching sessions, her favorite insult, and her accomplishments in the past 10 years. — About Dr. Pauline...

Have you ever been dismissed because of your age? Do you wish you could tell people to not judge a book by its cover? During today’s meal— I speak with a behavior analyst who owns her own company and recently published her first children’s book. We discuss her new book, what it’s been like starting a company, and listening to our gut when things don’t feel right. — About Lindsay Lundquist , MA, BC...

Have you ever caught yourself analyzing a date’s behavior? Do you ever take yourself out on solo dates? During today’s meal— I speak with a behavior analyst who has combined ABA and dating, about what she wishes she knew when she started in the field, how she practices self care, and her worst first date. — About Carolyn Smith , MS, BCBA, LBA Carolyn Smith is a Connecticut based behavior analyst....

Do you get uncomfortable talking about sexual health, especially with caregivers? Do you wish talking about sex was less taboo? During today’s meal— I speak with a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst and Certified Sexual Health Educator about affirming and rights-based sex education, actions we can take to become more comfortable discussing these topics, as well as my dinner guest’s favorite dessert...

Have you ever wished you had pushed back against the status quo? Do you wish there was more collaboration in the field? During today’s meal— I speak with an SLP BCBA about collaborating, gestalt language processing, self care, and our mutual love of iced coffee year round. — About Carly Bereznay , M.Ed.,CCC-SLP, BCBA, LBA Carly Bereznay works primarily in early intervention with autistic children...

Have you ever been told that you’re too combative because you ask questions? Do you believe there’s a link between mental health and physical health? During today’s meal— I speak with a behavior analyst, personal trainer, and small business owner about goals for 2024, what advice they’d give to their younger self, and their New York food recommendations. — About Rosangela Estrada , BCBA, CPT Rosie...

Have you ever been told you’re too emotional? Do you feel like you have to remove part of yourself in order to be professional? During today’s meal— I speak with a behavior intervention developer about their role models, how to use empathy and emotions to remove barriers with caregivers, and advice on ethical mentors. We also talk about being Scorpios and eating figs! — About Erika Preciado , M.A....

Are you more of a wait and listen person or a fill the space talker? What happens when you get two people who like listening to themselves speak on a podcast? During today’s meal— I speak with a behavior analyst about reality shows, podcasting, and veganism. — About Ben Reiman , BCBA, IBA I am a White settler living and working on the traditional unceded lands of the Tla’amin, Homalco, K’omoks, an...

Have you ever questioned the path you are on? Are you afraid to change directions for fear of throwing all your hard work away? During today’s meal— I talk with an amazing AuDHD behavior consultant who recently changed paths and is now living into her confidence and dream projects. — TODAY'S MENU   Amuse-Bouche - Where’s the next place you want to travel? Appetizers - How did you get into Beha...

Do you take data on your own behaviors? Would you ever take frequency data on each tear you cried? During today’s meal— I talk with a behavior analyst and educator who is passionate about taking data on themself. We discuss neurodiversity, dream projects, self care, and a little about mushrooms. — TODAY'S MENU   Amuse-Bouche - Could you tell us about “selfie data”? Appetizers - How did you get...