Behaviorally Speaking

On this episode, Angela and Kristin are joined by Vicki Westra, the founder of Autism Shifts and mother of a young adult woman with autism. Vicki shares her perspective on parenting stress, how to tackle it by being intentional and aware, and the power of harnessing sources of support. Vicki explains how an acceptance of her daughter has improved her outlook on life and expanded into a career supp...

On this episode, Angela and Kristin are joined by two guests to discuss the very important topic that families should be talking about - inclusion. Nicole Kelly is a well-known disability speaker and openly shares her lived experiences as a person with a disability. Danny Jordan shares his journey as an author of the award-winning series, The Capables , a TV producer, and a dad raising a toddler w...

On this episode, Angela and Kristin discuss the importance of helping kids set achievable goals. They walk parents through how to set SMART goals with their kids, when to talk about goal setting, and remembering who’s goal it really is. They share ideas on how to successfully achieve goals through breaking them down, making them visual, and remembering it’s ok to revise them.  They highlight that...

On this episode, Angela and Kristin discuss how to teach time management and prioritization skills to kids and teens. They walk parents through ideas such as the Time Detective (i.e., how much time you think it takes you to get ready for school vs. how much time it actually does), breaking large tasks into more manageable ones to prevent procrastination, and using those handy-dandy visual supports...

On this episode, Angela and Kristin talk about one of those frustrating parenting scenarios that goes something like this: “Jordan, it’s time to start homework….Jordan, you need to start your homework…Jordan, get going on homework!!” Starting tasks, especially those which are non-preferred, can be hard for kids (and parents too). Homework, chores, and many other things we need our kids to do can c...

On this episode, Angela and Kristin are joined by 3 parents of tweens and teens to discuss all things pertaining to parenting teens. Angela and Kristin ask their guests questions to gain insight on the joys, wins, and challenges with this age group. Angela Nelson, MS, BCBA, and Kristin Bandi, MA, BCBA, are Board Certified Behavior Analysts with Rethink Benefits.  They spend their days working with...

On this episode, Angela and Kristin talk about two hot topics in school and parenting- growth mindset and resiliency.  They break down what each concept is and give lots of tips on how to teach these skills to both children and teens. Angela Nelson, MS, BCBA, and Kristin Bandi, MA, BCBA, are Board Certified Behavior Analysts with Rethink Benefits.  They spend their days working with parents and ca...

On this episode, Angela is joined again by special guest, Jennifer Wilkens, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, to talk about the transition back to school.  Angela and Jen will dive into how to prepare kids socially, emotionally, and academically for being back on campus with peers and educators again.  They will also provide reminders to get to know state, local, and school guidelines around Cov...

On this episode, Angela is joined by special guest Jennifer Wilkens, a fellow Board Certified Behavior Analyst, to talk about understanding how habits form, developing healthy habits and creating a framework for them. Angela and Jen will discuss some elements of social/emotional learning, including stress management, goal setting and resilience. You’ll hear ideas for setting goals and creating rew...

On this episode, Angela and Kristin talk about siblings. They cover the all-too-common fighting, addressing what contributes to fighting and when – or if – to draw the line. Their practical, easy-to-implement advice is geared toward helping promote good, strong relationships. You’ll hear ideas for listening without taking sides, giving siblings the opportunity to resolve their own conflicts and pr...

On this episode, Angela and Kristin discuss the steps to recognize, address and eventually stop whining. They break down behavior strategies you can implement to curb this unwelcome behavior and offer alternatives to support your child in getting their needs met. From implementing warnings to recognizing how your own behavior might be playing a role, they uncover it all with their step-by-step tec...

On this episode, Angela and Kristin discuss the fine art of tantrums, and why your child might be throwing them. They provide expert tips for identifying the cause and age-appropriate strategies for resolutions you can implement at home. They will walk you through real-life scenarios and help you identify patterns and triggers, so you don’t get stuck in a box trying to solve for the wrong root cau...

Angela Nelson, MS, BCBA, and Kristin Bandi, MA, BCBA, are Board Certified Behavior Analysts with Rethink Benefits. They spend their days working with parents and caregivers of children with learning, social or behavioral challenges, or developmental disabilities. In this episode, Angela and Kristin aptly turn their focus to paying attention, one of the key executive functioning skills. Through cli...

Angela Nelson, MS, BCBA, and Kristin Bandi, MA, BCBA, are Board Certified Behavior Analysts with Rethink Benefits. They spend their days working with parents and caregivers of children with learning, social or behavioral challenges, or developmental disabilities. In this episode, Angela and Kristin focus on organization, one of the executive functioning skills we often learn as children. Their cli...

Angela Nelson, MS, BCBA, and Kristin Bandi, MA, BCBA, are Board Certified Behavior Analysts with Rethink Benefits. They spend their days working with parents and caregivers of children with learning, social or behavioral challenges, or developmental disabilities. In this episode, Angela and Kristin take a step back to evaluate how virtual school is going – both for them, as parents, and those pare...

Angela Nelson, MS, BCBA, and Kristin Bandi, MA, BCBA, are Board Certified Behavior Analysts with Rethink Benefits. They spend their days working with parents and caregivers of children with learning, social or behavioral challenges. In this episode, Angela and Kristin are joined by teachers – and fellow BCBAs – Maria Wilcox, MA, BCBA, and Louise Kennett, MSc, BCBA. They discuss preparing parents f...

Angela Nelson, MS, BCBA, and Kristin Bandi, MA, BCBA, are Board Certified Behavior Analysts with Rethink Benefits. They spend their days working with parents and caregivers of children with learning, social or behavioral challenges. In this episode, Angela and Kristin discuss screen time, a topic that a lot of parents have been thinking about in recent months. They talk about the different types o...

Angela Nelson, MS, BCBA, and Kristin Bandi, MA, BCBA, are Board Certified Behavior Analysts with Rethink Benefits. They spend their days working with parents and caregivers of children with learning, social or behavioral challenges. In this episode, Angela and Kristin address two concerns many parents face – issues with childhood sleeping and eating. They explore topics ranging from what to do whe...

Angela Nelson, MS, BCBA, and Kristin Bandi, MA, BCBA, are Board Certified Behavior Analysts with Rethink Benefits. They spend their days working with parents and caregivers of children with learning, social or behavioral challenges. In this episode of Behaviorally Speaking, Angela and Kristin are joined by special guest Darren Sush, a licensed psychologist and fellow BCBA. This episode’s conversat...

Angela Nelson, MS, BCBA, and Kristin Bandi, MA, BCBA, are Board Certified Behavior Analysts with Rethink Benefits. They spend their days working with parents and caregivers of children with learning, social or behavioral challenges. In this episode of Behaviorally Speaking, Angela and Kristin discuss positive reinforcement and the role you can play as a parent. They will guide you through step-by-...

Angela Nelson, MS, BCBA, and Kristin Bandi, MA, BCBA, are Board Certified Behavior Analysts with Rethink Benefits. They spend their days working with parents and caregivers of children with learning, social or behavioral challenges. In this episode of Behaviorally Speaking, Angela and Kristin break down the basics of behavior. They will explain how to set a baseline and guide you through helpful i...

Angela Nelson, MS, BCBA, and Kristin Bandi, MA, BCBA, are Board Certified Behavior Analysts with Rethink Benefits. They spend their days working with parents and caregivers of children with learning, social or behavioral challenges. In this inaugural episode of Behaviorally Speaking, Angela and Kristin share five tips to help you stay consistent with parenting in the coming year. By staying consis...