In this special edition, Dr. Ellie Kazemi interviews Dr. Amanda Kelly (Behaviorbabe) on her advocacy efforts. Kelly speaks to her journey and how she developed expertise in influencing public policy as a behavior analyst. Kazemi and Kelly discuss advocacy efforts specific to Hawaii, emphasizing some unique aspects to the licensure law. Discussions focus on how we got to where we are today and who helped pave the way, as well as what others can do if they too wish to become involved. To learn more about advocacy and the timeline of efforts in Hawai’i, please visit www.behaviorbabe.com/aba-advocacy-hawaii.

Amanda N. Kelly on Delving Deeper into Public Policy

Behaviorbabe (aka Dr. Amanda Kelly) is an ethical advocate for the accurate dissemination and application of behavior analysis. Dr. Kelly is a PhD-level, Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D); the first to be licensed in the state of Hawai’i. This podcast features conversations, discussions, and brief presentations by Dr. Kelly related to behavior analysis, education, sustainability, public policy, and more. For more great info, visit www.behaviorbabe.com.

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In this episode Eileen Lamb, author, photographer, artist, and mom speaks with Dr. Kelly about her family’s journey with autism. Eileen, proud mom of two boys, shares her experiences living in France and now in Texas —Austin to be exact. In this episode, Eileen shares her own journey to receiving an autism diagnosis, as well as being a mom to two boys on the spectrum. Eileen describes the good, the bad, and the ugly: detailing the cyberbullying attacks she has been a victim of when publicly promoting ABA for her boys. Eileen details some of the horrific comments made to her and shares how she has learned to navigate the negativity, creating a safe space for parents (and community members) who want to engage in meaningful and respectful dialogue. To learn more about Eileen and the great work she does, please visit www.theautismcafe.com (@theautismcafe).

Eileen Lamb on Cyberbullying in the Autism Community

In this episode, Dr. Kelly seeks to answer the question, “Why don’t behavior analyst participate in public policy more than we do”. Dr. Kelly details problems with participation and offers a behavior analytic approach to addressing these barriers. To learn more, visit www.behaviorbabe.com.

Why Don’t We Participate in Public Policy

Dr. Nasiah Cirincione-Ulezi joins the show to discuss what it means to show up authentically and what it looks like to “do the work”. Dr. Cirincione-Ulezi talks about how “doing the work” means learning to sit with one’s emotions —even when they don’t feel so good. Dr. Cirincione-Ulezi shares how, through the use of ACT, she is learning to evaluate the rules in her life, explore their origin, and to sit with the discomfort of doing so. Dr. Cirincione-Ulezi describes the rewards of doing the work for her are freedom, self-expression, and perhaps a bit more joy from embracing ones own humanness. To learn more about Dr. Cirincione-Ulezi visit https://inquiry-inc.com.

Nasiah Cirincione-Ulezi on Doing the Work

Rashida Biera joins the show to discuss her frustration —which turned into inspiration. While working as a technician and now analyst, Rashida realized there were not (m)any instructional materials representing children or adults who were black or brown. Many images and instructional materials either featured stick figures, cartoons, or images depicting white individuals. Rashida, along with the artistic talents of her husband sought to change that by creating Hue-Man Expressions. Hue-Man Expressions uses high-quality, detailed images and educational materials featuring black and brown kids and adults for use in therapy and instructional sessions. These materials are great for ABA therapy, speech therapy, and special education lessons. To learn more visit https://www.huemanexpressions.com.

Rashida Biera on Hue-man Expressions

In this episode, Jerome Chiu joins the show to talk about the need and value for establishing standards of care in the field of applied behavior analysis. Jerome shares knowledge he’s gained serving as an advocate and clinician, as well as from his experiences working for major health plans. From his vantage point, Jerome shares what he sees as concerns for our field, as well as identifies some solutions for moving the field forward. Jerome has a breadth of experience advocating and working with agencies on elevating clinical and operational outcomes. To learn more about the work he and his incredible team are doing visit https://www.RadBX.com.

Amanda N. Kelly on Delving Deeper into Public Policy

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