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

When it comes to supporting students using AAC devices… Are you Intimidated? Overwhelmed? Unsure? Unprepared? In this episode, I am digging into my tool belt of 21+ years of experience and sharing my top 5 strategies to use to support autistic learners using AAC devices! Know this Document -> The Communication Bill of Rights! Be aware of this empowering document and print out and even share it...

​​Dr. Corey Whelan, SLP-BCBA joins me in this episode to discuss a really important assessment for autistic individuals that can add to compassionate care across the lifespan. Practical Function Assessment (PFA) is a process aimed at understanding individuals and the barriers they face in therapy. The goal of PFA is to provide a treatment plan via a skills-based therapy process that will prevent u...

Dr. Sarah Frampton, an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska - Omaha joins me today as we discuss her work with Matrix Training. Dr. Frampton also refers to it as Matrix “Planning”, this is a generative approach to therapy that can help learners acquire new skills and improve their communication. Matrix Training involves arranging words in a matrix so that some multi-word phrases are t...

Dr. Dana Battaglia, SLP, and Dr. Mary McDonald, BCBA, have been working together and collaborating throughout their career. Collaboration in the two fields is slowly making progress but there is still a lot of polarity for a lot of professionals. They rely on their strong commitment to science and evidence-based practice to guide their collaboration. Dr. McDonald references the Ethics Code of Beha...

If you succeed, I succeed. That really culminates in the importance of SLP and BCBA collaboration, but as we've discussed on the show in the past…it can still be really challenging. Lynn Dudek, owner of ASD SLP, and a fellow SLP-BCBA "unicorn". She shares her experiences in the field with stories coming from the late 80s and early 90s that dive into the history and changes we'v...

No. No, thank you. I don’t want to. I don’t like this. These are important statements that communicate that you do not want something to happen.  In this episode, Lisa Wallace an SLP who has worked with young children with autism and their families for over 25 years talks about this important yet overlooked skill of communicating “no.” No may look like a variety of things depending on the activity...

As SLPs and BCBAs we are tasked with teaching comprehension to our learners, but do they really understand these skills? Dr. Merrill Winston joined me to discuss not only reading comprehension but comprehension in everyday life and the building block skills to be successful. What is comprehension? Whether you're reading a book or listening to a statement, there are 3 markers for comprehension...

Every October I send out a survey to find out what you all are struggling with. This year the top 2 answers were Engagement and Behavior Barriers. I talk about engagement often on the show, and in this episode, I am focusing on behavior barriers.  If you’re trying to find ways to support your students who might have behavioral barriers or problem behaviors here are seven things to consider for pre...

I love talking about joint attention, but a lot of my ideas and strategies in my courses may feel like they are geared toward older preschool-age students. My tips today are for the youngest learners, toddlers aged 2 to 3. Joint attention is an important foundational skill and it is never too early to get started with these strategies! 3 Ways to Get Started with Joint Attention with Your Toddler T...

We need to step back and wait so that the child has a chance to find their voice, whatever that looks like so that they can spontaneously and independently connect with us. Dr. Jamie Hughs-Lika is a BCBA-D, an Early Start Denver Model Certified Therapist, and has been working in the field for 26 years. We discussed what you can do when social engagement is difficult with your child or students and...

“Rose, I am working with a student who is not engaging during therapy!” This is a message I get week after week from my listeners! So this week I am playing back my most listened episode of 2022, number 62, all about joint attention. I go over some key strategies to not only increase attention during therapy but help your child or client on their journey to communication These activities involve s...

Any chance to talk about collaboration, I am all about it! Janna Bedoyan and Morgan van Diepen are experienced members of the autism field. Janna is an NBCT teacher who specializes in Augmentative and Alternative Communication and Morgan is a BCBA and autism specialist. As I talk to these two today, their passion is just incredible. Together, Janna and Morgan have just published a new book, AAC Vi...

I love hearing from autistic individuals in the field who have first-hand experience with the challenges and reality of diagnosis and therapy. Carly Millis Jalowiec is the Education Assistant at Milestones Autism Resources, today she shares with me her journey to her own autism diagnosis as an adult. Carly provides great insight into the difficulty of diagnosing autism in females and why providers...

Wow! I can't believe we are here… episode 100! In honor of this milestone, we are flipping the script with my friend and mentor, Lisa Chattler, interviewing me. Going back to the VERY beginning, I had no idea what I wanted to be, so my mom gave me a career test my senior year and it actually revealed my ideal profession as a speech therapist. I really didn't know a lot about the career s...

Kristen Colyer is a BCBA and the Director of Children’s Services at The Infinity Center for Behavior Services. She joined me today to discuss Early Intervention and ABA for young children. When you first get that autism diagnosis, beginning Early Intervention and ABA services is the first step for support for many parents and their child. Kristen shares what that looks like at The Infinity Center....

Announcing The 2nd Annual Autism Connection Conference held in collaboration with The Autism Helper.  Join us on December 3rd for an exciting, fun, and knowledge-packed conference. The event will run from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM EST with a break for lunch. Autism Connection features 5 amazing sessions created with SLPs, Special Education teachers, General Education teachers, and BCBAs in mind. Join our...

Rachel Torrance is a BCBA, License intervention specialist, on the board at Milestones Autism Resources, and a Consultant working with parents, school districts, and private agencies to advocate appropriate services and achieve desirable outcomes. Rachel also happens to be my business partner at Supervision Academy, a virtual resource for attaining supervision hours to become a certified BCBA. Bec...

Parents, have you ever been in a situation where you're fighting with your child's school to get your child the services they deserve and are entitled to? Catherine Michael has spent more than 20 years working with families on designing success for special needs children. She is a managing partner at the law firm Connell Michael Kerr as well as the founder of Coffee with Catherine, which...

As an SLP-BCBA, collaboration is a really important part of my work. Julianne Trudeau is an SLP and Director of Speech Services at Bierman Autism Center. This center grew from a small in-home provider to a clinic-based therapy center with 17 locations across the country. Bierman operates a Collaborative Service Model in which BCBAs, SLPs, and OTs work together to best serve the child. I've sh...

Autumn Ziemba was working as a news anchor for Fox 8 News when her son received his autism diagnosis. Through her family journey and support in the autism community, Autumn has shifted careers to become the Communications and Content Manager for Milestones Autism Resources. As a mother of two, Autumn knew what to expect for typical development in her young children. When her youngest started showi...

I haven’t done a solo show in a while and I am excited today to share my 10 strategies to increase student engagement. I had a client, let’s call him Adam for today, and when I started working with him, he did not communicate or even engage at all. I would bring different toys and objects to try to get his attention through play-based learning but we would just take a toy and leave. About after 4...

I love this power statement: “If you don’t believe in ABA, it’s like you don’t believe in breathing.”  It’s a really impactful tidbit from my chat with Dr. Joanne Gerenser, SLP and Executive Director of the Eden II Programs. Dr. Gereneser and I discuss the importance of ABA in the field, as well as what that means for collaborating with other professionals; having SLPs and BCBAs work together with...

As therapists we know that every client is different when it comes to goals, abilities, and needs but how often are we checking up on our cultural awareness for each individual? Maria Davis-Pierre is a mental health counselor and the founder of Autism in Black. As a mother with two autistic children and autism herself, Maria understands the stigma associated with the diagnosis and is on a mission...

Dr. Ariana Boutain is the Vice President of Clinical Services at KGH Autism Services. At their facility, they are passionate about child-initiated and play-based therapy with NDBI. Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention is an empirically supported approach to treating young children with autism that involves learning through play. NDBI represents a merge of ABA and developmental scienc...

Whether you’re a parent, professional, or an autistic individual, you have most likely seen the Autism Puzzle Piece. Like myself, you might even have a sticker or magnet on display as a symbol of your support for the community. But what is the real symbolism behind it? In this episode, I have the honor to talk with Thomas McKean, an autistic adult who had an integral part in the development of thi...