The How to ABA Podcast

We turn to crisis intervention plans when our learners show severe problem behavior that could cause harm to themselves or others. Here, we dive into how to best implement a crisis intervention plan and why practicing the associated skills is so important. We start by defining crisis intervention and discuss some of the underlying reasons for challenging behavior. We also discuss why a crisis isn’t a teachable moment, how being proactive can prevent a crisis in the future, and reinforcing lower-level negative behaviors. What’s Inside:How to define crisis intervention and when it's appropriateWhy a crisis isn’t a teachable momentWhen to reinforce lower-level negative behaviorsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramApplying Universal Protocol Cheat Sheet

Our main goal when working with our learners is that they make progress and become as happy and independent as possible. Here, we discuss how to choose meaningful goals to help them succeed. The BCBA code of ethics talks about assessments and says that, as professionals, we must implement them before we design any behavior change intervention. However, while many assessments are amazing tools, they shouldn’t take the place of curriculum. It’s important to focus on the big picture and choose the appropriate assessment for the learner.We discuss the importance of building relationships with students and families to get a feel for the skills a learner needs in the long run. We also discuss how to incorporate a learner’s preferences, the importance of choosing goals in preschool, and teaching across operants. What’s Inside:How to choose meaningful goals for our learnersHow to incorporate a learner and family’s preferencesThe importance of teaching across operantsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramRegister for our upcoming CEU Event

Many of our learners struggle with rigid behavior and showing flexibility, which is part of the diagnostic criteria for autism. This can impact the lives of our learners in a negative way, but fortunately, there are ways to help them overcome these struggles. Here, we discuss the best ways to incorporate teaching flexibility into our programs. We start by defining rigidity and flexibility and how to determine when rigid behaviors are normal or problematic. We talk about how to obtain ascent and buy-in, how to work through healthy stress and discomfort, being mindful of anxiety when targeting rigidity, and more.What’s Inside:How to incorporate teaching flexibility in our programsHow to determine whether rigid behaviors are normal or problematicHow to be mindful of anxiety when targeting rigid behaviorsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramTolerating Transitions 

Social skills lessons are designed to strengthen social interaction and communication skills, which can be a challenge for our learners. Here, we discuss how to approach teaching social skills to effectively target social communication goals. Social skills vary depending on personality preferences, and we cover how to determine which ones to focus on with our learners. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, so it’s important to understand your learners’ values. We discuss how to balance caregiver input with a child’s own preferences, how to determine when it’s beneficial for a learner to develop specific social skills, and how to make teaching social skills fun and positive.  What’s Inside:How to approach teaching social skillsThe importance of a learner’s values when teaching social skillsHow to make teaching social skills funMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramACT Values Matrix

Trauma informed care is a trending topic in our field and here, we discuss how to best incorporate it into our practice. When we talk about trauma, we’re not just referring to the big things, but really anything that happens in our learners’ lives that can make them a bit more sensitive. We want our students’ experience with us to be positive, so we should always go in with a compassionate, holistic approach.We define the different types of trauma and stress and discuss why relationship building should be your first priority. Trauma is often a function of behavior or a setting event, and we discuss that as well. We also talk about working with parents through a trauma informed lens, putting yourself in your learner’s shoes, and using empathy and validation.What’s Inside:How to incorporate a trauma informed approach in ABAUsing a trauma informed approach with parentsHow to utilize empathy and validationMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramApplying the Universal Protocol

As BCBAs, we know the intake process with our learners sometimes takes up a ton of time. Fortunately, there are ways to streamline the process so you don’t have to spend hours on assessments. What things seem like on paper isn’t always what they are in person, and we should look at things from a place of clinical judgment and relationship building. Establishing trust when teaching someone is super important, so it’s important to build this into your intake process.Here, we discuss our streamlined intake process, starting with our first interactions with a new learner. We also discuss how to assess a learner’s skill level and profile, how to go through assessments during play, and how to troubleshoot when things don’t go by the book. Starting in June, we’re hosting a series of CEUs on streamlining the intake process. For more information and to sign up, head to our website!What’s Inside:Why it’s important to look at the intake process from a place of clinical judgmentA walkthrough of our streamlined intake processInformation on our upcoming intake process CEU seriesMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramJoin our Intake Process CEU Event

We typically use direct instruction programs with some of our advanced learners, especially when working towards academic goals. Direct instruction programs are based on ABA principles and designed around reviewing previously mastered skills and moving in small increments to help our learners feel successful. Here, we cover some of our favorite direct instruction programs and provide tips on how to use them most effectively.We walk through the history of direct instruction programs in American school districts and how the focus shifted towards adoption within the special needs area. We share all our go-to direct instruction programs to help learners with reading, language and comprehension, spelling, math, and writing. We also talk about targeting concepts individually and data collection. What’s Inside:The history of direct instruction programsOur favorite direct instruction programs by learning topicHow to use direct instruction programs most effectivelyMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramNational Institute for Direct Instruction: NIFDI

Toilet training is one of the most important skills we can teach our learners. When it comes to our learners with special needs or autism, it means we can promote their dignity. We feel strongly that toilet training should be introduced as soon as a child is ready. Here, we talk about prerequisite skills, intrinsic motivation, and how to build momentum before starting the training. Priming is essential as well and we discuss how to make the toilet a familiar, positive place. We talk about using a time interval approach to toilet training, choosing a powerful reinforcer and getting parent buy-in, and how to use visuals. We also discuss how to handle when a child has an accident and some common toilet training mistakes. What’s Inside:How to know when a child is ready for toilet trainingHow to use a time interval approach Common toilet training mistakesMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramToilet Training Tip Sheet

Our approach to Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) today might look a lot different to what we did in the past, or how we were taught in school. In the past, DTT was heavy on memorization, and it often lacked a natural environment component. Here, we discuss the evolution of DTT, what’s changed, and how we can apply it in our current work. We talk about the three-term contingency model of DTT and discuss some of the common misconceptions of the technique. We also discuss what a true child-led approach looks like and how to individualize DTT for both client and therapist.What’s Inside:The evolution of DTT and how we use it todayCommon misconceptions about DTTHow to individualize DTT for clients and therapistsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramThree Term Contingency Download

Through our ABA education, we learned a lot about rules and procedures around behavior management. However, sometimes rigid traditional methods fail to work, and we need to turn to an empathetic, person-centered approach instead. Acknowledging how our learners are feeling in the moment can sometimes be far more effective than trying to push ahead. Here, we discuss how the person-centered approach works.The beauty of a person-centered approach is that it holds space for our learners while still allowing us to hold firm boundaries. The goal is to come across as a cheerleader, not a controller. We discuss Hanley’s Universal Protocol and related concepts, tips for creating a more positive environment, and how to identify precursors to problem behaviors.On Thursday, May 17th, we’re hosting a live CEU event on a child-centered approach to behavior management. Click the link below to sign up!What’s Inside:How to use a person-centered approach to behavior managementDetails on Hanley’s Universal ProtocolHow to identify precursors to problem behaviorsMentioned In This Episode:HowToABA.com/joinHow to ABA on YouTubeFind us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramJoin our upcoming CEU event!