The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria

AI, Applied Behavior Analysis, and the Future of Clinical Tools: Frontera Series on AI with Sydney Holmes

Jun 12, 2025

Sydney Holmes, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Clinical Product Lead at Frontera, discusses the exciting intersection of AI and behavior analysis. She shares insights on digital phenotyping, revealing how AI analyzes video data to enhance client care. Sydney recounts her unique journey from marine biology to psychology, emphasizing the crucial collaboration needed between BCBAs and engineers. The conversation explores the innovative tools being developed, aiming to revolutionize autism diagnosis and facilitate real-time communication between therapists and caregivers.

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ANECDOTE

Sydney's Career Shift to ABA

Sydney Holmes originally wanted to be a marine biologist but shifted to psychology and behavior analysis after exposure to behavioral faculty at UNC Wilmington.
She fell in love with ABA for its scientific approach to behavior change and pursued becoming a BCBA.

INSIGHT

Digital Phenotyping Explained

Digital phenotyping uses AI to analyze recorded behavior videos, quantifying a person's behavior traits over time objectively.
The process requires careful annotation and training to define behaviors suitable for machine learning models.

INSIGHT

Challenges in Teaching AI Behavior

Teaching AI to detect nuanced human behaviors is challenging due to variables like occlusion or overlapping behaviors.
Collaboration between BCBAs and engineers is essential to refine AI models and manage thresholds for accuracy.

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Behavior Analysis Meets Artificial Intelligence

In the second installment of Behavioral Observations' Frontera Series on AI, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sydney Holmes, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and master’s level psychologist.

Sydney is also the Clinical Product Lead at Frontera, where she’s helping bridge the gap between behavior analysis and artificial intelligence in some really exciting ways.

Did you miss the first Frontera Series interview with CEO and Founder, Amol Deshpande? Check it out here!

We covered everything from using AI tools for clinical work and content creation, to how machine learning is reshaping supervision, diagnostics, and parent support.

From Marine Biology to Behavior Analysis

Sydney has a unique background. She started in marine biology and eventually found her way to psychology and behavior analysis. Today, she’s at the forefront of tech innovation in her role at Frontera, where she combines clinical insight with product development.

What is Digital Phenotyping?

One of the more fascinating parts of our conversation was about digital phenotyping. Frontera is using AI to analyze real-world video data in order to track, measure, and interpret client behavior—helping clinicians make faster, more informed decisions.

Teaching AI to Understand Behavior

Sydney described the challenges of teaching machines to detect nuanced behaviors like crying or vocal stereotypy. It takes close collaboration between BCBAs and engineers to develop AI tools that are truly clinically useful.

Enhancing Diagnostics and Supervision with AI

We talked about how Frontera is helping BCBAs with autism diagnostics, supervision, and quality assurance through smart automation. Their platform supports more efficient monitoring of RBT sessions and helps maintain fidelity to treatment protocols.

Real-Time RBT Session Review and Feedback

Frontera’s video tools allow for recording of every RBT session, making it possible to provide objective, real-time feedback. The goal is to support staff in a way that’s consistent and non-punitive, which aligns with what we know about effective supervision.

Improving Parent Engagement with Mobile Apps

Sydney also discussed how their mobile app allows caregivers to submit short videos of their interactions with their child. This enables BCBAs to provide timely, video-based coaching and collect meaningful data outside of traditional session settings.

Advice for Behavior Analysts Embracing AI

Her advice for clinicians? Stay curious but skeptical, lean into collaboration, and look for ways to use technology to enhance—not replace—the human side of behavioral healthcare.

Learn More

To learn more about Frontera’s tools and mission, visit frontera.health. You can also connect with Sydney and the team on LinkedIn and other social platforms.

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