The ABA Speech Podcast- Easy Strategies for Speech Therapists, BCBAs, and RBTs

Parents are an important piece of the team. Today I am talking with Dr. Janie Funk about parent training in ABA. Caregiver engagement is imperative to an individual's success. Dr. Janie explains how her team at Behaven Kids supports parents through a strong team of clinicians with great interpersonal skills, a referral network for access to services in collaboration with other providers, and...

I always love the opportunity to talk with a parent and hear their story. I feel it really provides an opportunity for learning and growth as a provider. Susanna Peace Lovell, a professional life coach and advocate, joins me to discuss her journey as a parent of a child with autism and her book on the topic, Your True Self is Enough: Lessons Learned on My Journey Parenting a Child with Autism . In...

“Well, I guess you better figure it out” . Those are words you do NOT want to hear from your CFY supervisor. Supervision in your Clinical Fellowship Year is so important for setting the tone for the rest of your career. Lynn Dudek shares her experience on both sides of the spectrum, from not meeting any of her expectations to exceeding them all. What makes a positive mentor and supervisor? It all...

Enjoy this replay from episode 62. Joint attention is closely linked to receptive and expressive language skills, highlighting the power of communication. To build connection before communication, use shared activities like playing with toys, singing songs, and reading books. Even if students aren't fully engaged initially, tracking their baseline data and progressing with goals can lead to i...

Conflict is part of what we do as a provider in this field. When it comes to helping the most difficult learners, it's no surprise we might find ourselves contentious at IEP meetings, I’ve definitely had my fair share in my 20+ year career. But you CAN get through them with the best interest of the learner at hand.  Here are my top 5 tips for navigating contentious IEP meetings: Know the gues...

AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. These are communication devices, systems, strategies and tools that replace or support spoken language. We have talked about this many times on the podcast but I am sharing some top tips for AAC that I have learned along the way during my 20+ years!  It’s okay to not have all the answers!! Let this be your mantra. Students will be using di...

Even though I started as a school-based SLP, when I found my way to an ABA setting, I also found my true passion to help all autistic learners find communication. Navigating a non-public program can have challenges and is certainly different than working in a school, so I want to share a few of my own gems of wisdom with you! What I wish I knew: 5 tips for working in an ABA setting: It's a di...

Are you transitioning into a school-based SLP role? Let me share the gems of wisdom I have learned looking back on my first year in a public school setting. I am back with another short episode for my summer series, sharing 5 top tips and strategies as a school-based SLP! The administrative assistant and the custodian are your best friends, go out of your way to be kind and friendly because they c...

Welcome to the Summer Series! I’m going to be doing a series of solo shows on topics and questions I get through the summer, packaged up into bite-sized, easy-to-consume episodes for those of you enjoying your summer vacation. Today I am talking all about my journey of becoming a dually certified SLP, BCBA, a unicorn certification of less than 500 people in the entire world! Over my 20+ year caree...

The Huberman Lab podcast is a popular podcast hosted by Dr. Huberman aimed at disseminating science to the masses. The podcast focuses on a variety of topics, but BCBA Carrie Susa Woodward joins me to break down the recent episode of the Huberman Lab with Dr. Karen Parker all about autism. Dr. Parker and Dr. Huberman discuss the rising incidences of autism. Are there more autistic people than ther...

Dr. Annie McLaughlin is a special breed of BCBA; she practices as an IEP advocate and trains other professionals to become advocates as well. IEPs can be a contentious environment, tip-toeing around and finding diplomatic approaches to tough conversations. Dr. McLaughlin explains that her philosophy around advocacy is to show us as humans with compassion first. In her advocacy work, Dr. McLaughlin...

There is always so much people want to know about AAC. Today I talked with BCBAs, LingLy Tan and Jane Button. LingLy is the CEO of AAC software company Linggo, created to build and encourage language beyond simple requests. As I’ve mentioned many times, keeping up with the current research is one of the largest barriers for providers in the field. AAC is one element that is always changing, and it...

I love Summer!! Summer should be fun and functional, which is why I want to kick off this season with ABA Speech Summer Social Skills Resources. The Grocery Store Game - “I Bought ___” Fill in the blank game with visual prompts. Modified Uno - Anyone can play Uno, Check out the video model included in my freebie. Modified Connect Four - This is a fun way to practice and enjoy natural turn taking a...

This Episode features a pre-recorded ASHA Mini Training on Gestalt Language Processing. Gestalt is a hot topic in the speech therapy and ABA worlds, and today I focus on what research is available, what we do not yet know, AND how we can collaborate with teams when we have opposing views, whatever those may be. Gestalt is a multi word chunk that a speaker hears, uses, and stores as a whole before...

In my continued effort to bridge the gap between research and therapy, I had a great discussion with Dr. Elizabeth Biggs, assistant professor of special education. We discuss the power of Literacy in human connection. Even for children with complex communication needs, the need for literacy starts at birth (cue the baby shower gifts of everyone's favorite books), and it never stops! In a stud...

As I continue to bridge the gap in research to the therapy room, I also see deficits in pre-service training that can make therapy a better experience for both providers and families. Jessica Rohrer, BCBA-D, joins me to discuss her work with soft skills, using tools to measure and build compassion skills in the therapy room. Her research uses the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, a tool primar...

The title of Joe Veneziano and Dr. Shannon Shea’s research article, They Have a Voice, Are We Listening?, caught my eye and I had to read it. These two BCBAs met at a Journal Club and connected over the need to shed light on the history and nuance of ABA and Behavior Analysis. With the field growing and opinions of professionals being so diverse, educating incoming BCBAs on the history of behavior...

After 2 decades of working in a clinical long term care setting as an SLP, Susan Browning was looking for something different amidst the pandemic. This change led her to her role in pediatric SLP in an ABA setting. We discuss one of my favorite topics, collaboration. Susan, bursting with positive energy for the field, talks about how she worked to find her niche to collaborate and complement the w...

Maura Weis is the mother of two, a son and a daughter. The Weis family’s autism journey began when their youngest, Hannah, experienced early life difficulties, and then concerns with delays started occurring at 18 months. Maura shares about their early experiences and her pediatrician visits. Even more concerns grew after a move due to her husband’s coaching career. As they worked through tests an...

If you walk away with anything from today’s episode, let it be: It will get better. My guest, Kelley Coleman, is a mother of 2 and wrote the book she desperately needed when it came to navigating the extensive list of diagnoses for her youngest son. We discuss her book, Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide To the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports and the...

In the age of smartphones and tablets, video modeling is more accessible than it ever has been before. Dr. Teresa Cardon dives into the research on how effective video modeling is and how to move based on perceived barriers. Video modeling research shows that learners respond faster than with live modeling and you can use it to teach a variety of skills including self help, play, and imitation. Dr...

Whether you’re a keynote speaker or you’re attending a small group team meeting, front of the room speaking opportunities are abundant in the autism healthcare field. And they are mutually beneficial. Dr. Breanne Hartley is BCBA-D who is passionate about public speaking. These opportunities create an environment of learning, collaboration, and sharing ideas and thoughts.  Public Speaking Strategie...

Do you hear the word parent advocate and immediately anticipate a contentious IEP meeting with an US vs THEM mentality? It doesn’t have to be that way. April Rehrig is an advocate with over 20 years of experience as a school psychologist, teacher, and parent in the public school system. In our conversations, April explains how her philosophy is about reaching across the table to work together and...

When it comes to teaching comprehension to autistic learners, it can be difficult to know where to get started. This is an important skill leading to independent communication, and it’s crucial to have a robust system for teaching the skills. I’m going over some of the foundational skills leading to comprehension. Labeling is a progressional skill that should start with the preferred terms of the...

*Alexa play Get Along by Kenny Chesney* Rachel Stotts wrote the article, Accepting Different Opinions About Autism in the Nov/Dec issue of ASHA Leader. It is bright positive energy in a space that really needs it. She is an SLP and a mother of 4.  Rachel’s passion for autism is so important professionally and personally, as she has her adult autistic son at home.   Rachel shares her thoughts on th...