The How to ABA Podcast

Today, we’re talking all about verbal operants, as they’re one of the most components parts of work in the field that are often quite confusing. We’ll show you what you might want to teach and in what order. Verbal operants can be tough to understand, especially when you’re new. There are so many components to language, above and beyond the words we’re saying. How we use and understand words play a huge role as well as actions, images, and how we absorb all the information and teach it to our students.We’ll take you through each of the verbal operants and what they mean. Conceptual understanding of these operants is key. When we’re teaching these operants, especially at the intraverbal level, make sure the student fully understands to avoid getting simple scrolling responses. They’ll typically need to master some of the simpler operants first, like receptive or tacting. It’s not enough to teach all of the operants in isolation, so keep this in mind when developing a program. We wrap up by sharing our thoughts on the best way to teach operants so your instruction can be as effective as possible. We also touch on what to do if a student isn’t making progress.Don’t forget to check out our free verbal operants guide by clicking the link below!What’s Inside:What the verbal operants are and examples of each.Why conceptual understanding is important.The best way to teach operants.What to do when a student isn’t making progress.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramVerbal Operants Guide

Barbara Heidenreich is an expert exotic animal trainer. We met Barbara in Boston at ABAI and we were fascinated by the way she uses ABA and behavioral principles in animal training. Barbara specializes in working with animals and she works mostly with zoos and facilities that care for exotic species. She also works with veterinary professionals and conservationists. Veterinary medicine is now becoming more focused on cooperative care, reducing animal stress, and making the animal care experience fear-free. Behavioral analysis fits perfectly with this new focus, and like traditional ABA, it’s centered around compassion.Just like with humans, when animals exhibit behavioral issues, there’s always a reason behind them, and Barbara applies the science of ABA in her profession. Also, like people, it’s always important to understand a particular species’ habits and tendencies to help come up with the best behavioral solutions. She also shares a great story about correcting problematic behavior in a rare bird in New Zealand that you won’t want to miss.What’s Inside:Barbara’s journey and how she developed her career.How the ABA principles can be applied to animal trainingStories from Barbara’s experience working with animals.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramAnimalTrainingFundamentals.com

In behavior analysis, we love our acronyms! Today, we’re talking about what the ABC’s of behavior are. We’ll share how you can take ABC data, why it’s so important, and so much more. All too often, we’re faced with compiling ABC data from a large amount of information, which can be overwhelming. Data is ultimately supposed to make our lives easier and help us do a better job as practitioners. ABC stands for antecedent, behavior, and consequence and when we refer to behavior, that includes the surrounding environment and what’s happening as well. There’s always something that happens to trigger a certain behavior as well as something that happens afterward, and ABC strives to capture the complete picture. We really want to know specifics around these points, and it helps to keep things super simple. Here, we share helpful tips so you can collect the best data possible as well as how to work alongside teachers and other practitioners.What’s Inside:Why ABC data is important.How to collect simple, impactful data.Helpful tips for working with teachers and other professionals.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Today, we’re talking about what not to do as an ABA practitioner. We’re going to review our top five don’t-dos as a professional in the field. When we were preparing, it was difficult to narrow it down to just five, but we discuss what we believe are the most important things to keep in mind. It’s also difficult to talk about what not to do without speaking about what you should do, so we’ll offer you some tips to help you in your jobs.First, you want to avoid using technical jargon. Dumbing things down and putting concepts into practical language isn’t just beneficial to parents, but also to newly minted RBTs and BCBAs. Second, avoid being condescending. Speaking too technically can sometimes carry an “I know more than you do” feel, especially if you’re in someone’s home and notice right away what needs to be fixed. Third, it’s so important to be yourself and bring who you are into your job. Our fourth don’t is that we shouldn’t be working to reduce a problem behavior without introducing a replacement skill. And lastly, don’t number five is to remember you don’t know everything. We can always learn from the families we work with, along with our colleagues.What’s Inside:What not to do as an ABA professional.Tips on how to turn our top five don’ts into dos.Why it’s important to be yourself.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram

Today, we are talking with Michelle Vinokurov, who is a paraprofessional and RBT autistic advocate. She was diagnosed with autism at the age of two and was non-verbal until age six. Michelle’s parents advocated for her early on and got her involved with speech therapy, ABA, occupational and physical therapy. As she got older, she gained a lot more skills, including handwriting, and her services were gradually reduced. Today, she works with elementary school students with disabilities and started working as an RBT this year. Michelle’s own personal experiences inspired her to work in the field and it’s been fascinating for her to witness everything that’s changed. Michelle talks about using food as reinforcers and how some of the foods people used in the past just weren’t healthy. The field has come a long way, including giving clients more of a choice when it comes to reinforcers. Making sessions fun for both the client and the practitioner is important, and RBTs should be encouraged to be themselves. We talk about the differences between school and home settings, how to clarify the benefits of ABA for parents, and advice for a new RBT or ABA professional. What’s Inside:How Michelle’s personal experiences inspired her to work in the field .Changes in ABA practices over the years and how things have improved.Differences between therapy in the school and home settings.Advice on how to clarify the benefits of ABA for their children.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramThe World of Autism Michelle on InstagramMichelle on TwitterMichelle on FacebookMichelle on Pinterest

Our guest today is Dr. Hank Schlinger. He’s a professor at California State University in Los Angeles. Hank got into the field through working with kids with autism through his undergraduate program. He practiced ABA techniques, which were then known as behavioral modification, and the results he witnessed in the children he worked with made a lasting impact on him. Today, Hank is a successful author of several books, including “How to Build Good Behavior and Self-Esteem in Children”, which puts ABA in practical terms for readers. There’s a misconception amongst teachers and parents that bad behavior needs to be punished out of a child. It takes much more than a book or a workshop to change this perception and much more involved training is needed. It might be more helpful for agencies to shift their focus on parents and family members instead of teachers. Parental coaching is so important, and some ABA practitioners might be averse for any number of reasons. Using a book like Dr. Schlinger’s helps provide a road map for those in the field who may struggle with helping parents understand the importance of working with behavioral techniques. We don’t place enough of an emphasis on self-esteem and how poor self-esteem can reinforce bad behavior. Whether you’re new in the field or you’re a seasoned veteran, being grounded in experimental analysis greatly helps you come up with solutions for a variety of situations. Thinking critically and problem-solving is a foundational skill and we need to do better as a field in these areas, especially when it comes to training. What’s Inside:Why parental involvement and practice is so important in creating lasting behavioral changes.Why parent coaching should be a focus in ABA and what to do when practitioners are averse.How fostering positive self-esteem in children helps reinforce good behavior.Why critical thinking and problem-solving are foundational skills as a practitioner.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagramwww.buildgoodbehavior.comDr. Hank Schlinger on InstagramBooks: Introduction to Scientific PsychologyA Behavior Analytic View of Child DevelopmentHow To Build Good Behavior and Self-Esteem in Childrenalso available at: Vroman’s BookstoreBF Skinner and the Revolutionary Science of Behavior

Finding solutions for families who deserve the best treatment is not easy to come by. Ling Ly Tan and Jane Button from the Linggo team are here to share all about the organization. Linggo is a company that makes communication accessible for people who have difficulty speaking. It is an assistive technology that supports the learning of language, speech, and literacy skills through an AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) platform. Ling’s a BCBA and has been working in the field for almost two decades.  Jane is a BCBA who has worked with children with autism and other social communication disorders across home, community, and clinic-based settings in Ontario and the United Kingdom.  Linggo was built out of Ling’s frustration with AACs that were hard to use and not the best for her clients. Nearly 60% abandon their AAC within the first year, which is unfortunate because it can be such a vital tool to language development. Linggo also provides parent training for clinicians and parents to help generalize communication. Communication is so complex, and it requires an interdisciplinary team approach. The focus should always be on the best interest of the child. Linggo is customized based on each individual client, unlike traditional, one-size-fits-all systems. To learn more about Linggo, head to the website linked below.What’s Inside:How Linggo is improving AAC systems and language development.Recommendations for interdisciplinary collaboration for those using an AAC.How to work with parents when introducing them to an AAC and accepting a diagnosis.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramLinggo Email info@linggo.com to get your discount code Introduction to AAC and ASD Course for parents/caregivers and for cliniciansYouTube channel on programming and setupLinggo LinkedIn pageLinggo Learner AppLinggo Coach App 

So many of us have experienced challenges with sleep and children, whether from personal experience or professionally in the field. Emily Varon is a sleep expert who’s been working in ABA since 2000. Sleep has always been of interest to Emily with her own kids and she saw the opportunity to provide solutions for clients in her job as a practitioner. With the encouragement of her agency, she started taking additional coursework and began thinking beyond the typical extinction strategies used to correct sleep issues. Emily currently offers CEUs to companies, so everyone is speaking the same language when it comes to ABA and sleep behaviors.There’s a direct correlation between sleep and behavior and sleep and skill acquisition. When you neglect to address problems with sleep, you won’t make any real behavioral progress. As practitioners, sometimes we don’t ask about sleep because we feel like it’s out of our scope. Depending on the client, extinction might not be the best solution, especially if the child is prone to self-injury or destructive behaviors. Emily shares some of the ways sleep problems develop and how to understand sleep in general. We also talk about co-sleeping and cultural differences, exposure to blue light from screens and sleep, and how to consult on sleep issues as ABA practitioners.What’s Inside:Using non-extinction-based programs for sleep.How and when sleep problems develop.Co-sleeping and cultural differences.How to approach sleep issues as ABA practitioners.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramReadySetSleep.com

We are very excited to have Michael Maloney as a guest today. He’s the founder of Quincy Learning Center and an expert in precision teaching and direct instruction. Along with other professionals, Michael started sharing his methodology with other teachers and practitioners. Today, it’s becoming a sizable force within the field. We’re seeing several challenges related to literacy within the educational system and ten million students within the U.S. public school system are illiterate. So many adults fail to thrive because they don’t have the fundamental literacy skills needed to get jobs, and Michael refers to the literacy problem as a global pandemic. Michael discusses what’s known as The Follow Through Project, which was the single largest study done in North American education, started in the 1970s. The study found that the two best methods to help children who were at risk of failure were behavioral analysis and direct instruction. Michael provides valuable advice for BCBAs who aren’t trained in these methods. He also explains why the system doesn’t want to address the literacy problem and where we can start to make positive changes. We’re also going to be covering this topic more in depth with Michael at our CEU webinar in July, so stay tuned for more information. What’s Inside:Information on the Follow Through Project.An explanation of direct instruction.Why teaching kids sounds is more effective than sight words.Resources for teachers and practitioners.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramMaloney Method Website

One of our community members asked a question about reinforcement, and we discuss it in today’s mentorship sneak peek. Even though the term “reinforcement” is used often and seems simple, it can be tough to figure out what a good reinforcer is. This member’s client is a little verbal but barely communicates, and his main behavior is task avoidance. The functions of the behavior are mostly escaped and attention and so far, they haven’t been able to come up with a reinforcer that motivates him. With so many options available, it can be hard to know where to begin.Many people confuse reinforcement with objects like toys and try to guess which one is going to be the most motivating. The best way to figure out what’s most reinforcing for your students and clients is to simply observe them. Watch them play, engage in play with them, and ask parents what the child is into. Sometimes, non-tangible reinforcers are overlooked, like physical movements and hugs. Non-tangible things that are intrinsically reinforcing often come naturally. It’s also important to assess prerequisite skills to find the most motivating type of reinforcement. What’s Inside:How to determine which reinforcers are going to motivate a child.How to use non-tangible reinforcement.Why it’s important to assess prerequisite skills when choosing a reinforcer.Mentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram