ABA Unfiltered

In this week’s episode of ABA Unfiltered Tim is joined by BlueSprig BCBAs Charmaine Bolden and Glenn Harrell to talk about the lack of diversity in the ABA community.  Tune in to hear poignant commentary on the state of diversity in the ABA landscape, their thoughts on how to improve the issue, as well interesting stories about how Glenn and Charmaine found ABA and careers as BCBAs.  Their passion for the families and communities they work with is palpable in this insightful conversation. 

Welcome to the pod Mandy Ralston and Nathan Albright of The Cedar Group! Our first working title for this episode was “Outcomes Shmoutcomes,” but Mandy, Nathan, and Tim dive deep into discussing the significance of addressing the important yet elusive topic of clinical outcomes, why clinicians shouldn't be afraid to ask about them, and how they are ultimately different for each family, and how data can speak to the positive affects on quality of life.

We are proud to welcome Angela Geiger, CEO of Autism Speaks to the podcast where she shares her background in nonprofit work and the Autism Speaks vision for inclusivity and kindness. She talks about how they have worked to help families cope during the pandemic by providing resources and how their Autism Response Team can be a vital resource for families. Angela and host Tim Crilly discuss advice for parents looking for autism services and how virtual reality may be effective in improving social skills for children on the autism spectrum.

We're excited to welcome back Cheri Vandermey, an energetic and intellectual BCBA working in the public school system, as our first external returning guest. She joins host Tim Crilly and another returning guest, Summer Gainey-Adami, SVP Clinical Standards at BlueSprig to discuss the current landscape of schooling during COVID-19, how schools can help parents in this environment of increasing stress, and the long term effects of this environment.

We're excited to kick off Season 2 of ABA Unfiltered with Lorri Unumb, CEO of the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP). Lorri and Tim talk about her path through the world of autism and how it led her to be an instrumental advocate in changing the autism space and creating access to services for countless families. Lorri also shares what drew her to CASP, the work they have been doing, and their plans moving forward. Lorri touches on how CASP has dealt with COVID-19 and like others, has pivoted to host their 2021 annual conference "unCONVENTIONal” virtually.  And only on ABA unfiltered will you also find out what Lorri’s favorite cereal is!

Is a hot dog a sandwich? What more can we say? We did it - we asked every one of our guests this polarizing question. Here’s the proof. You’re welcome world!

Justin Moehn is a clinical support administrator at BlueSprig who is diagnosed with ASD. Listen in as he talks shop with host Tim Crilly and co-host Dr. Summer Adami - discussing his own initiatives, his passion for educating law enforcement about interacting with individuals on the spectrum, and how excited they are to see families again after COVID-19. Justin dives into his life as an employee at BlueSprig and what the clients and his coworkers mean to him.

Amanda Fullbright, VP of Learning and Development at BlueSprig and returning guest, Summer Adami, VP of Research and Clinical Outcomes at BlueSprig, give some advice to BCBAs early in their careers. They discuss the existing benefits and challenges that exist within the process of training clinicians and the implementation of the BlueSprig internship program.  

Carmen Torres, BCBA and Clinical Director at the BlueSprig center in Edinburg, Texas discusses her Mexican background, her unlikely introduction into the ABA world, and the challenges and benefits of operating in a largely bilingual community.

Cordell Sherwood, diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at the late age of 10, shares his story that ranges from being bullied as a child in school to becoming a guest speaker in graduate study classes at USC. In this episode, we explore systemic issues that exist within  many school districts and the benefits of addressing an ASD diagnosis at an early age. We also get to meet a really interesting young man with an important story to share.