The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria

The Craft of Applied Behavior Analysis: Session 181 with Francesca Degli Espinosa

Mar 2, 2022

Francesca Degli Espinosa, a behavior analyst and expert in Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior, shares her journey from studying medicine to revolutionizing language intervention. She discusses the impact of her pivotal reading of Verbal Behavior and Vince Carbone's workshops on her practice. Francesca also highlights the importance of teaching question-discrimination skills to children with autism, advocating for clinicians to maintain direct therapy experience. Plus, she talks about her new dog, Darwin, and the surprises that come with training him!

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ANECDOTE

How Francesca Met A Mentor

Francesca tracked down Vince Carbone at a workshop by waiting outside the restroom to introduce herself.
That bold, persistent approach led to mentorship and lasting professional contact.

INSIGHT

Function Trumps Topography

Emphasize function over form: context changes a verbal topography's meaning.
Teaching manding and functional analysis shifted Francesca's approach to language intervention.

ADVICE

Exploit Multiple Antecedent Control

When kids know vocabulary but fail to answer questions, analyze multiple antecedent control rather than assume lack of knowledge.
Use converging antecedents (e.g., taught frames like "It is a…") to strengthen correct discriminations.

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In Session 181, Dr. Francesca Degli Espinosa, Ph.D, BCBA-D, joins me for a wide-ranging conversation that in my opinion, got better and better as it went on!

If you're not familiar with Francesca or her work, she is director and consultant at ABA Clinic Ltd., adjunct professor at the University of Salerno, and a guest lecturer at Queen's College, Belfast, and Pennsylvania State University. She is regarded as an expert in Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior, and will be one of the featured speakers at the 2022 Verbal Behavior Conference, which incidentally, is coming up right around the corner.

We cover quite a lot in this interview, including why she pivoted away from studying medicine, her first response to reading Verbal Behavior, how she 'stalked' Vince Carbone at a conference, her paper, Teaching generalized question-discrimination skills to children with Autism: Conceptual and applied considerations, why clinicians at all levels should still do direct therapy, what she plans to discuss at this year's Verbal Behavior Conference, why we should seek to understand concepts and principles better rather than being overly technological in nature, and lots more!

As always, we close the public feed with Francesca sharing some excellent advice for newly-minted BCBA's. And, for you, the Patreon subscriber, we spend another 15-minutes or so discussing dog training. In this subscriber-only segment, Francesca talks about why she finally got a dog (his name is Darwin), the ups and downs of training, and what she's learned from this experience.

Other resources mentioned in this podcast

Schlinger (1995). A Behavior Analytic View of Child Development.
Remington et al. (2007). Early intensive behavioral intervention: Outcomes for children with Autism and their parents after two years.
Michael, Palmer, and Sundberg (2011). The multiple control of verbal behavior.
Horne and Lowe (1996). On the origins of naming and other symbolic behavior.
Miguel (2016). Common and Intraverbal Bidirectional Naming.
Verbal Behavior Conference registration page.

Session 181 is brought to you with support from:

Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings, including their brand new 8-hour Supervision Course, as well as their RBT offerings over at behavioruniversity.com/observations.
Tate Behavioral, a progressive ABA provider located in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. If you're a BCBA looking to work for a supportive and innovative team, and live in the heart of charming New England, visit their jobs page by clicking here!
The Secret Agent Society Small Group Program helps kids 8 to 12 years old crack the code of emotions and friendships through an animated 'secret agent' theme. With a sophisticated digital health platform now at the heart of the program, you can deliver groups face-to-face, with telehealth, or a combination of formats. Follow this link to book a live demo from anywhere around the world. Also, don't forget to mention that "Matt sent you" to have your SAS Provider establishment fee waived (a minimum $500 USD value)!
Last but not least, special thanks goes to this year's Verbal Behavior Conference! Click here to learn more and register.