Kelly & Jen are back with Heather O'Shea, BCBA-D and Bianca Ancona, mom and manager of team Jack to talk about collaboration: the process of two or more people working together to complete a task or goal. It neutralizes the power differential in the relationship. It's about the BCBA saying, "What can we do to help improve the quality of life for you and your family" and the two coming together to form a team do just that.

Kelly & Jen talk to Heather O'Shea, CASP Caregiver Collaboration SIG Co-leader (Kelly leads with her) and Bianca Ancona, mom, and leader of "Team Jake" about what is in a name. Why the term Caregiver Collaboration or Team Member is much more meaningful to them as caregivers, and the notion of BCBA's giving caregivers pop-quizzes about ABA terms or expecting caregivers to learn all of the technical language is not helpful or useful. Instead, they share that their child's individual goals are their caregiver goals, and they love the idea of support and collaboration this way.  We do too. We do too.

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Kelly & Jen talk to Mom, author and blogger, Susan Senator (susansenator.com) and Lyndsey Radcliffe, CEO of Morningstarabatherapy.com and an individual diagnosed on the autism spectrum about the importance and challenge of talking with and including the child/adult with autism into the conversation. To quote Susan's Facebook post: "How the fuck do I get the people in my life to stop talking about Nat in front of him as if he does not understand? When people talk about him in front of him, I die a little on the inside." We do too Susan. Let's chat about how to do this effectively and appropriately as practitioners, parents and family members. With so many newly minted BCBA's we HAVE to train for this and #dobetter.  www.susansenator.com  Magazine: A different way of seeing: Local business owner changing the national conversation around behavioral science (5/10/20) | Southeast Missourian newspaper, Cape Girardeau, MO (semissourian.com)

In this podcast, Kelly & Jen tackle the topic of the current high turnover rates in the ABA therapy world and what that impact had on the clients and the families.  Hear the best ways you can do this from a parent perspective, and hear how badly it can go when not done properly, including leading children to become aggressive toward themselves and others. Includes new Ethic Code points 3.16 Appropriately Transitioning Services (see 1.03, 2.02, 2.05. 2.10). 4.12 Appropriately Terminating Supervision (see 1.03, 2.02, 3.15)

As we go into the holidays, are you going to use this time to completely relax, to maintain skills, try and learn a new skill you focus on or go to the September26th.org website and make sure you are prepared?  Listen to Kelly & Jen speak from experience on this topic and hear how Dylan has made many gains during his holiday breaks! As ABA providers we owe it to our families to review and help them organize how to spend their holidays. 

With the rates of autism increasing every year, the number of high-profile incidents involving law enforcement and the autism population are on the rise. As ABA providers we often try to train first responders but are we really capturing their attention?  Kelly & Jen speak with Kate Movius, founder and owner of the Autism Interaction Solutions where she brings in trainers with autism and provides a very specific and scenarios-based training to law enforcement and other first responders. Listen to how she does this so effectively.  Check her out here: Autism Interaction Solutions

Kelly & Jen speak with Thomas, a 28 year old man with autism and hear about his experience being bullied, and how him mom helped train the schools and get a teacher advocate. Want to know what that is? Give us a listen. 

Kelly & Jen interview friend, fellow board member and founder if the Kind and Safe School Programs to promote Ability Awareness. Listen to the incredible statistics, (40-70% of kids with ASD reported being bullied) how to support the child living with autism toward bullying prevention and how this relates directly to our 2022 new ethics code. Do you know what to do for the child that is being bullied? Ability Awareness Project (kindandsafeschools.org)

Kelly, co-chair of the September 26th project speaks directly with Maysoon Salah and Lubna Lana Salah about the September 26th project that turns tragedy into a wonderful legacy to remind families of children affected with autism, as well as a call to ABA providers to focus on the importance of safety preparation and practice. Safety is at the core of all individuals. Go to the website, use the checklists and resources to prepare yourself for safety and how to evacuate in the event of an emergency. As families and ABA providers we should unite toward this cause. www.september26.org

On this short episode, Kelly & Jen talk about how are current state with COVID feels so much more stressful for our kids and their families with the constant changes, and how angry and polarizing this has become for everyone. We all have to be better for our kids.