The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria

I had an amazing opportunity to chat with Dr. Steve Hayes, the Nevada Foundation Professor in the Behavior Analysis program at the Department of Psychology at the University of Nevada, as well as ACT and RFT pioneer. He's also written more peer-reviewed articles than I've probably read in my lifetime. In this episode, Steve and I discuss his forthcoming book on Evolution and Contextual Science, ACT training for Behavior Analysis practitioners (including the upcoming Boot Camp that's taking place soon), and the preparation of today's BCBAs. Steve mentioned several books and papers in our conversation, and I've tried to capture them all here: Evolution and Contextual Behavioral Science: An Integrated Framework for Understanding, Predicting, and Influencing Human Behavior.  The ACT Bootcamp from September 27-30 in Baltimore, MD. (enrollees can save $50 at checkout with offer code BOP). Jablonka & Lamb, Evolution in Four Dimensions. Hayes & Brownstein (1986). Mentalism, Behavior-Behavior Relations, and a Behavior-Analytic View of the Purposes of Science. The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science website. I hope you enjoyed this conversation as much as I did. I'm sure this episode will generate a lot of feedback, and Steve is game for coming back for a Q & A episode. You can follow Steve on Twitter here. In addition to Praxis and the ACT Bootcamp, this podcast episode is sponsored by the following: Constellations Behavioral Services. CBS believes that everyone can learn, everyone can participate, and everyone can communicate. They provide outstanding ABA services in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and to learn more about career opportunities at CBS, click here. Clinical Behavior Analysis, Kentucky’s leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), counseling and direct support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, acquired brain injury and autism. They are about to open The Center for Behavior Analysis, a 13,000 square foot, state of art facility in Louisville, KY, and they’re looking for a clinical director to lead a highly motivated team of clinicians and technicians. So to learn more, go to cbacares.com/careers and set up your confidential interview today! HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry.

Longish-time listeners will recall that we spent some time talking about Clinical Behavior Analysis' approach to embedding parent training in their ABA services. In Session 36, we spent some time with Brandon Franklin discussing CBA's RAPID Skills Training (RST) protocol in great detail. So in Sesison 57, we return to our friends at CBA to do a deeper dive into RST. Jason Simmons, the President and Executive Director of CBA, joins me to talk about how RST was initially developed, and how their organization has used it across a wide variety of applications (and you can find more background information on RST here). We also spend some time discussing the history of CBA, as well as the semi-recent history of ABA services in Kentucky. Along the way, Jason shares how he fell in love with the Louisville, Kentucky (and disabuses some potential stereotypes to boot!). As I have noted in previous episodes, CBA is opening a 13,000 square foot facility, and they are looking for a clinical director that shares their vision of providing quality services. For more information, check out their careers page here.  In addition to CBA, this podcast is brought to you by: Constellations Behavioral Services. CBS believes that everyone can learn, everyone can participate, and everyone can communicate. They provide outstanding ABA services in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and to learn more about career opportunities at CBS, click here. The ACT Bootcamp for Behavior Analysts workshop that's taking place in Baltimore, MD from September 27-30. Come learn from leaders in ACT field including Steve Hayes, Jonathan Tarbox, Evelyn Gould, and Thomas Szabo. And, if you use the promo code "BOP" at checkout, you'll save $50!

I'm going to cut to the chase: Dr. Andy Bondy and I had such a fun conversation about all things PECS, SGD's, Cues vs. Prompts, and so forth, that I can't wait to hear your feedback on it. Additionally, he was very gracious with his time (fitting me in between babysitting his grandchildren no less!), and so informative on a wide variety of issues we face as practitioners. I would also be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to Andy's daughter (who also happens to be a newly minted BCBA) Lexi for connecting the two of us. Lexi, thanks for sharing the podcast with your Dad!!! If you want to learn more about PECS, you can check out their website here. In the meantime, Andy was kind enough to share a treasure trove of resources that he mentioned in our interview. So in no particular order, here you go: “Considering the overall quality of the available research we would suggest that there are insufficient data to advocate for the use of sign language either alone or in combination with oral language as a method for substantially improving communication in children with autism. “SCHWARTZ, J., & NYE, C. (2006). Improving communication for children with autism: Does sign language work? Evidence-Based Practice Briefs, 1, 1–17. Summarizing 25 years of research on teaching sign-language to those with ASD, Layton and Watson (1995) conclude that “even after intensive training with signs, a significant number of nonverbal children continue to be mute and acquire only a few useful signs” (p. 81).    LAYTON, T., & WATSON, L. (1995). Enhancing communication in non-verbal children with autism. In K. A. Quill (Ed.), Teaching children with autism: Strategies to enhance communication and socialization (pp. 73–101). New York, NY: Delmar Publishers. Bonvillian, J. D., & Blackbum. D. W (1991). Manual communication and factors relating to sign language acquisition. In P Siple & S. Fischer (Eds.). Theoretical issues in sign language research: Vol. 2, Psychology (pp. 255-277). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Lori Frost's two published guidelines on transitioning from PECS to SGDs: Frost, L., & McGowan, J. (2011). Strategies for Transitioning From PECS to SGD. Part I: Overview and Device Selection. Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 20, 114-120. Frost, L., & McGowan, J. (2012). Strategies for Transitioning From PECS to SGD. Part 2: Maintaining Communication Competency. Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 21, 3-10. Recent SGD review: Gilroy, S., McCleery, J. & Leader, G. (2017). Systematic Review of Methods for Teaching Social and Communicative Behavior with High-Tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication Modalities, Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 4, 307-320. Looked at transitioning from PECS to SGD Hill, D. & Flores, M. (2014). Comparing the Picture Exchange Communication System and the iPad™ for communication of students with autism spectrum disorder and developmental delay, TechTrends, 58, 45-53. Concluded: “The authors recommend that PECS™ phases I-III be mastered before the iPad™ is introduced, to ensure the students master these prerequisite skills since they are more difficult to scaffold (break into smaller units for teaching and then build additional skills) using the iPad™. This session of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is supported by the following: Clinical Behavior Analysis, Kentucky’s leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), counseling and direct support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, acquired brain injury and autism.They are about to open The Center for Behavior Analysis, a 13,000 square foot, state of art facility in Louisville, KY, and they’re looking for a clinical director to lead a highly motivated team of clinicians and technicians.If you’re not familiar with Louisville, it’s been rated by US News & World Report as one of the nation’s best places to live. With a low cost of living, your industry-leading salary and signing bonus will go a lot farther. And with an abundance of cultural and recreational activities, you will not lack for fun things to do.So to learn more, go to cbacares.com/careers and set up your confidential interview today! HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry. The Behavioral Observations Podcast merchandise store. Need a gift for that behavior-nerd friend of yours? I have you covered. From T-shirts, to coffee mugs, from totes to even onesies, we have something for everyone. A great discount on BOP CE's for Newly Minted BCBA's can be found here. For the rest of us, check these out. If you're in the New England area this fall (and it's a great place to visit, just saying...) come check out the NH ABA conference in downtown Manchester, NH. Details are here. If you want to see a short interview I did with conference organizer and mentor extraordinaire, Dr. Le'Ann Milinder, in which we talk all things NH ABA 2018, you can check that out here.

This session of The Behavioral Observations Podcast features the audio from a Facebook Live conversation I had with Dave Stevens, Co-founder and Director of Chartlytics. I didn't set out to have this be a podcast episode per se, but I decided to publish it as one because this conversation had so many good stories in it, I couldn't help but to share it to a wider audience. You see, Dave comes at Behavior Analysis as an "outsider," yet he was instantly able to appreciate our science, and see applications of it beyond where it's currently used. In other words, regardless of whether you care about Precision Teaching or the Standard Celeration Chart, this episode is worth listening to because the origin of Chartlytics is ultimately a story of dissemination. Throughout this conversation, we touched on a number of resources, and I have done my best to capture them here: Simon Sinek's "Start with Why" Simon Sinek's Ted Talk, "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" Chartlytics freebies for podcast listeners Martin Levy's interview on "When Everything Clicks," (Hidden Brain Podcast) The video of this conversation FitLearning One of the many Lincoln/Matthew McConaughey commercials Finally, please send me some feedback on this episode. This is the first Facebook Live conversation that I've shared as a podcast, and I'd love to know what you think. This session of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is supported by the following: Clinical Behavior Analysis, Kentucky’s leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), counseling and direct support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, acquired brain injury and autism.They are about to open The Center for Behavior Analysis, a 13,000 square foot, state of art facility in Louisville, KY, and they’re looking for a clinical director to lead a highly motivated team of clinicians and technicians.If you’re not familiar with Louisville, it’s been rated by US News & World Report as one of the nation’s best places to live. With a low cost of living, your industry-leading salary and signing bonus will go a lot farther. And with an abundance of cultural and recreational activities, you will not lack for fun things to do.So to learn more, go to cbacares.com/careers and set up your confidential interview today! HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry. Type 2 CEU's from The Behavioral Observations Podcast. Check out the discounted offerings for recently certified BCBA's (those certified in 2017 or 2018). The Behavioral Observations Podcast merchandise store. Need a gift for that behavior-nerd friend of yours? I have you covered. From T-shirts, to coffee mugs, from totes to even onesies, we have something for everyone.

Dr. Megan Miller returns for an unprecedented fourth appearnace on The Behavioral Observations Podcast! In todays episode, we cover the following: We get an update on the Do Better movement that we learned about in Session 43. We hear the latest on the training activities of PEAK ABA Solutions. Megan discusses some research to practice challenges we face as a field, especially coming off the heels of the recent ABAI conference. We close the show by discussing a handful of listener questions. And if you're a working parent, you don't want to miss the very last question, where Megan describes juggling the responsibilities of running a business, raising a family, traveling frequently for work, staying in shape, and so forth.  Megan's son Taylor wants to make ABA great again As always, Megan references quite a few resources. I've attempted to list them all here, but let me know if I've missed any: Prerequisite Skills That Support Learning through Video Modeling (MacDonald et al., 2015) Video Self-Modeling in Children with Autism: A Pilot Study Validating Prerequisite Skills and Extending the Utilization of VSM across Skill Sets (Williamson et al, 2013) Progress in Video-Based Interventions for Individuals with Autism (Rayner et al., 2014) Non-academic resources recommended by Megan: https://www.youtube.com/user/playworksorg/videos https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos?default=1 https://behaviorbandaid.com/ http://www.interventioncentral.org/ http://theautismhelper.com/ This session of The Behavioral Observations Podcast is supported by the following: Clinical Behavior Analysis, Kentucky’s leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), counseling and direct support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, acquired brain injury and autism.They are about to open The Center for Behavior Analysis, a 13,000 square foot, state of art facility in Louisville, KY, and they’re looking for a clinical director to lead a highly motivated team of clinicians and technicians.If you’re not familiar with Louisville, it’s been rated by US News & World Report as one of the nation’s best places to live. With a low cost of living, your industry-leading salary and signing bonus will go a lot farther. And with an abundance of cultural and recreational activities, you will not lack for fun things to do. So to learn more, go to cbacares.com/careers and set up your confidential interview today! HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry. The Behavioral Observations Podcast merchandise store. Need a gift for that behavior-nerd friend of yours? I have you covered. From T-shirts, to coffee mugs, from totes to even onesies, we have something for everyone.

It seems as if you can't escape the term "mindfulness" these days... and if you're like me, you hear people using that term interchangeably with meditation. Well in Session 53 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast, I chat with Gia Biscontini from W3RKWELL, and she enlightens me about not only the proper use of these terms, but also the benefits one can expect by adopting a consistent meditation practice. I certainly learned a lot in this episode, and Gia may have even convinced me to give meditation a try... Here are the links to some of the resources Gia mentioned: Gia's mini white paper on a behavior analytic view of meditation The book Altered Traits (Goleman & Davidson, 2017) The Center for Healthy Minds Gia's meditation and stress management course, Behavioral Xanax 2.0 (if you're interested in it and want to save 30%, use the promo code Operant). If you enjoyed this episode as much as I did, please take a minute to check out our sponsors for this episode: Chartlytics, realizing human potential through individual behavior change analytics. Click here for a free, newly revised & expanded eBook, a free Type 2 CE, and discount coupons to upcoming training events. Our very own Type 2 Continuing Education offerings. Learn on the go with podcast favorites, Greg Hanley, Mark Dixon, Pat Friman, and more!

In Session 52, Dr. Matt Brodhead joins me to discuss ethics in behavior analysis. Matt is uniquely suited for this conversation because he, along with co-authors David Cox and Shawn Quigley, is the author of the upcoming book, Practical Ethics for Effective Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. In this episode we cover a variety of important ethics topics including: Differentiating between a BCBA's Scope of Practice and Scope of Competence How to work effectively on disciplinary teams Understanding behavior analysis as a cultural system And we even dust off the old chestnut of whether you should accept a glass of water or cup of tea In addition to these topics, Matt fields several ethics-related listener questions, and even talks about how to stay productive as a writer! We also discussed some articles in the literature. Here are some links to them: Kelly, A., & Tincani, M. (2013). Collaborative training and practice among applied analysts who support individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 48, 120 – 131. Brodhead, M. T. (2015). Maintaining Professional Relationships in an Interdisciplinary Setting: Strategies for Navigating Nonbehavioral Treatment Recommendations for Individuals with Autism. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 8, 70-78. Li, A. & Poling, A. (2018). Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Psychotropic Medications: Slipshod Training, Inconsistent Involvement, and Reason for Hope. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 11, 1-8. Brodhead, M. T. (2018). How to Identify Ethical Practices in Organizations Prior to Employment. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 11, 165-173.  Glenn, S. S. (1988). Contingencies and Metacontingencies: Toward a Synthesis of Behavior Analysis and Cultural Materialism. The Behavior Analyst, 11, 161-179. Bonus link: Matt's Ted-style talk on Science or Snakeoil. If you enjoyed this episode as much as I did, please take a minute to check out our sponsors for this episode: HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry. Chartlytics, realizing human potential through individual behavior change analytics. Click here for a free, newly revised & expanded eBook, a free Type 2 CE, and discount coupons to upcoming training events. Behavior Development Solutions. Although they're best known for their CBA Learning Module Series, they also have a fantastic online bookstore. Whether you're looking for assessments like the AFLS, EFS, PEAK, and the VB-MAPP, or just need a copy of good 'ol Cooper, they've got you covered. Learn more here.

One of the best things about having a podcast like this is to learn from people who know a lot about things that I don't. Today's episode is no exception. Ashley Rose joins me today to discuss best practices for teaching social skills. Here is a snippet from her bio: Ashley is owner/director of Mission Cognition, Social Skills Development Center. Mission Cognition is a behavior analytic social skills program serving individuals ages 3 and up, with and without a diagnosis who are in need of systematic and explicit play and social skills instruction. Ashley has worked in the field of ABA and special education for 15 years with the last 5 years almost exclusively devoted to social skills instruction. In her free time she admins the ABA Skill Share facebook group. In this interview, we covered a wide variety of topics and mentioned lots of resources. Here are the links: Mission Cognition (consumer site) Mission Cognition (practitioner store; 15% off coupon code behobs2018, good until 6/30/18 ) ABA Skill Share Facebook Group (almost 19K members!!!) PEERS Curriculum Crafting Connections The Verbal Behavior Approach Language for Learning This could be a record for show notes links! In any case, I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did!   If you enjoy this episode, please consider sharing it with your colleagues and friends! Finally, this episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: Chartlytics, realizing human potential through individual behavior change analytics. Click here for a free, newly revised & expanded eBook, a free Type 2 CE, and discount coupons to upcoming training events. Behavior Development Solutions, check out their supervisory training course with Drs. Jon Baily & Mary Burch! The BARE Essentials of Digital Marketing webinar, on May  16th, 2018. Join me, Adrienne Fitzer of ABAC, and Session 15 guest and President of Flyte New Media, Rich Brooks, to discuss the ethical marketing of ABA practices (2 Ethics CE's available). Oh, and if you're on the go, but need CE's across a wide range of topics, check this out.

When I first had Mark Dixon on the podcast, way back in Session 14, we poked some fun at the notion that principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, on the surface, didn't meet many of the 7 dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis. Well, in Session 50, I'm joined by Dr. Jonathan Tarbox, and he goes through all the ACT processes, and provides everyday examples of how they are consistent with our science. Specifically, he breaks down each ACT process into a simple to understand Problem Behavior / Replacement Behavior paradigm. So if you've been struggling to pick up the ACT lingo, this is the episode for you! Jonathan provides tangible scenarios of how to conceptualize the ACT "hexaflex," and how BCBA's can incorporate these concepts into their practice, especially in the context of interacting with parents. In short, he makes a compelling case for BCBA's to learn more about this area of our field. We talked about a ton of resources in this episode. Here are the associated links (and let me know if I forgot any!): Jonathan's appearance on the WWDWWD podcast. The ACT in Context Podcast. Functionally Speaking Podcast. Get Out of Your Mind and in to Your Life, by Steve Hayes. The Happiness Trap, by Russ Harris. The ACBS website (please consider joining). Evaluating the Effects of ACT on the Overt Behavior of Parents of Children with Autism (Gould, Tarbox, & Coyne, 2017). Guitierrez, Luciano, Rodriguez, & Fink (2004). An ACT study on pain tolerance. The ACT for ABA Practitioners Facebook group. Check out the pinned post by Dr. Evelyn Gould, which gives instruction on where to get some of the parent training materials that Jonathan discussed. If you enjoy this episode, please consider sharing it with your colleagues and friends! Finally, this episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: Chartlytics, realizing human potential through individual behavior change analytics. Click here for a free, newly revised & expanded eBook, a free Type 2 CE, and discount coupons to upcoming training events. Behavior Development Solutions, check out their supervisory training course with Drs. Jon Baily & Mary Burch! The BARE Essentials of Digital Marketing webinar, on May  16th, 2018. Join me, Adrienne Fitzer of ABAC, and Session 15 guest and President of Flyte New Media, Rich Brooks, to discuss the ethical marketing of ABA practices (2 Ethics CE's available). Oh, and if you're on the go, but need CE's across a wide range of topics, check this out. 

In Session 25, Dr. Jim Carr, CEO of The Behavior Analysis Certification Board, came on the podcast and gave us an overview of what could be considered "the state of the practice." That was roughly one year ago, and Jim was gracious enough to return, and in this episode, he provides us an update on recent happenings and initiatives at the BACB. Here are some things we got into: The recent changes with regard to ownership of the Verified Course Sequence process. The top three most frequently reported ethics violations. How task list items are identified and updated. Jim's issue with rebranding Behavior Analysis as "Behavioral Science." What growth problems still lie ahead for our practice. The BACB's "Diversity of Practice" initiative. Even though this episode was extremely long, we managed to squeeze in a listener question or two as well. Also, because I know many of you will ask, here is the Brodhead, Quigley, and Cox (2018) article on Identifying Ethical Practices in Organizations prior to employment that Jim mentioned. Finally, this episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: HRIC, which brings 30 years of recruiting experience to help BCBA's find their dream jobs. Click here to schedule your confidential inquiry. Chartlytics, realizing human potential through individual behavior change analytics. Click here for a free, newly revised & expanded eBook, a free Type 2 CE, and discount coupons to upcoming training events. Behavior Development Solutions, whose CBA Learning Module Series is the premier exam prep and curriculum supplement for BCBA and BCaBA candidates. Whether you are preparing for the RBT, BCaBA, or BCBA exam, check out BDS's free test prep guides! Thanks for checking this out!