Atypical Behavior Analyst

Picture this, you’re a student in a classroom. The letters and numbers on the paper shift and move. The lights aren’t just too bright, they’re also too loud. One of your classmates apparently changed their shampoo and that’s all you can smell now. With all these stimuli, what is a learner to do? Many of the individuals we work with experience the world in a vastly different way than their able-bodied and neurotypical peers. In this live talk, we have the privilege to listen to Rebecca as she tells her story of living with sensory, auditory, and speech language processing disorders, ADHD, and Dyspraxia. Her first-hand experience while going through the education system, employment, and life will be an important lesson in perspective taking. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the potential overt and covert impacts that could occur when finding placement for learners if we only look at diagnoses and ignore the whole person.

2. Provide recommendations to improve environments in order to improve the quality of the lives of those with disabilities, impairments, diagnoses, etc. 

3. Discuss how our own stories impact and influence our professional practice. 

Worth 1 Learning, 1 Ethics CEU

Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/

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Contact us at: [email protected], [email protected]

Music by: www.purple-planet.com

Children who are traumatized by maltreatment often learn to engage in functional survival behaviors. Living in a chaotic environment, with intermittent reinforcement for challenging behavior, unpredictable aversive stimuli, deprivation of attention, care and comfort, and discriminative stimuli for punishment of expression of emotions, can create the setting conditions for unattached, callous, and unemotional behaviors. 

The emotional and physical hurt and pain from maltreatment are so severe that they become an establishing operation for escaping negative emotions, making the reinforcement value of escape more salient and stronger. By blocking or numbing the pain, sadness, and/or anxiety so they cannot feel these emotions, children can be negatively reinforced and thus more likely to continue blocking those emotions. When they start to feel anxiety, pain, or hurt, or even sad, guilty, or ashamed, they escape those feeling by blocking them or becoming numb. Often what survives are anger and rage expressed in the form of challenging behavior. 

This presentation will address ways for behavior analysts to discover these setting events, distal antecedents, and establishing operations masking hidden traumas and to provide effective treatments.

Learning Objectives:

1. State some of the devastating effects of maltreatment of children and the types of challenging behaviors that can serve survival functions for these children. 

2. Describe how childhood maltreatment can create setting events, distal antecedents, and establishing operations for challenging behaviors in these children.

3. Describe how maltreated children can receive negative reinforcement in the form of avoiding or escaping negative emotions and how that can affect their behavior.

4. Describe treatments that can be effective in reducing challenging behaviors of maltreated children by assisting them in feeling safe, developing trust, establishing relationships, and regulating emotions. 

Worth 1.5 Learning CEUs

Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/

Have some interstellar discussion on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atypicalba

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Don't need CEUs but want to support the show? Click here to donate to the adventure: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AtypicalBA

Contact us at: [email protected], [email protected]

Music by: www.purple-planet.com

It only took us a few extra months, but PBS Matters and ATBA ride again in part 5 of our Cross Pollination Podcast! In this discussion, Paddy, Jo, Shana, and Kelly discuss professional development (we also have a special vocal appearance from the lovely Hetty).  We review the importance of listening to your supervisee in order to have a mutually beneficial relationship, understanding the layers and complexity of supervision, and how to improve our own practices and the practices of whom we supervise and mentor.

Learning Objectives:

1. Differentiate between potential layers of supervision. 

2. Recognize the importance of collaboration even during the supervision experience. 

3. List some compassionate leadership skills.

4. Consider potential barriers when it comes to gaining supervision, continuing education, and how to work through those hindrances.

Take Aways- your bite-sized educational noms

- There are potentially several layers when it comes to supervision. It isn’t always just supervisor to supervisee but can also include the company’s professional development. If you work and supervise in these types of systems, one should ask, “Are they supportive each other?” If the supervisee’s interests for continuing education venture into outside of the current environment, will they be supported in their quest for additional knowledge, or will it be dampened? 

- Just like we discussed with Tyra in Ep28, know what you don’t know. It’s okay and totally normal to not know everything! But it’s crucial to understand where your scope of competence and practice ends, and someone else’s collaboration is needed and begins.

- We’ve all heard the buzz phrase “compassionate care” and it’s a practice that all practitioners should practice but it doesn’t end at clients. We need to consider the competing contingencies, resources, and accessibility when helping supervisees improve and develop. It is important to listen to all voices, including those you are supervising. The relationship needs to be reciprocal, not transactional. 

- There will most likely always be barriers to continuing education opportunities- whether it’s a lack of opportunities or accessibility, limited resources (let’s be honest, CEUs and conferences aren’t always affordable), and lack of motivation. Many of these barriers we as supervisors can help our supervisees overcome, it may take us being creative and exploring what’s out there, but we should always seek to better ourselves and our supervisees.

Worth 1 Learning, 1 Supervision CEUs

Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/

Have some interstellar discussion on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atypicalba

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Don't need CEUs but want to support the show? Click here to donate to the adventure: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AtypicalBA

Contact us at: [email protected], [email protected]

Music by: www.purple-planet.com

Supervision is something that all incoming BCBAs will experience and many BCBAs will chose to provide. But it isn’t as easy as checking off a task list and signing documents. Humans are complex and we each come with our own unique set of contingencies, teaching, learning, and feedback styles. We want our supervisees to shine bright for years, not be a shooting star who burns out quickly. Come join us as we meet with Dr. Tyra Sellers, JD, PhD, BCBA-D, AND co-author of the book Building and Sustaining Meaningful and Effective Relationships As A Supervisor and Mentor, to delve more into the vast galaxy that is supervision. It’s sure to be a stellar time!

Learning Objectives:

1. Discriminate between situations in which professionalism will look different based on your audience.

2. Describe uncomfortable situations that may occur during supervision and best practices for working through this discomfort.

3. Discuss the importance of being flexible during the supervision experience.

Take Aways- your bite-sized educational noms

- Everyone comes with their own unique set of learning histories, preferences, and knowledge. Supervisors need to ensure that they are taking these individual differences into account when supervising. With someone with a strong background in applied, they may need minimal assistance with completing the task list but may require more support in the area experimental analysis. Or someone may come from a theoretical, research background and may require more assistance with application in a treatment setting. 

- Not only should supervising BCBAs be aware of their supervisee’s educational and application background they should also be aware that everyone comes with their own histories regarding feedback and instructions. These should also be individually tailored to supervisees. Feedback goes both ways and both parties need to have an understanding of the purpose behind feedback and further instructions. 

- Yet another area of consideration is the cultural backgrounds of supervisees. We need to provide a supervisory experience that is judgement free. 

- While these considerations may seem intimidating, consider the vast array of creative possibilities and learning opportunities for everyone! What may seem to a barrier, may really a learning opportunity. Learning to be creative and flexible can greatly improve treatment, consultations, and the overall supervisory experience. 

Worth 1.5 Learning, 1.5 Ethics CEUs

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During our initial LIVE talk with Dr. Merrill Winston there were several comments and questions in the chat we felt needed to be further addressed. In this “ATBA after dark” follow-up, Merrill addresses the concerns that come with medications being administered for behavior reduction (including challenging and sexual behaviors), tips for collaborating with prescribing professionals, and the importance of objective measurements.

Learning Objectives:

1. The importance of understanding deductive and inductive reasoning when it comes to treatment.

2. Provide ideas on how to collaborate with prescribing physicians, psychiatrists.

3. Create behavioural definitions to help collect data on potential medication side effects.

4. Understand the expectations of medication- what is it supposed to look like if things go right?

5. Understand the ethical considerations when it comes to “dampening” medications, whether it be aggression, self-injury, sexual behaviors.

Take Aways- your bite-sized educational noms

- Deductive reasoning is a logical approach that moves from general ideas to more specific conclusions. Inductive reasoning on the other hand draws conclusions by moving from the specific to generic.

- Building relationships and rapport not only includes with our client and their caregivers but should involve the whole team for the client, and this may include prescribing physicians and psychiatrists.  Collaborating with these other professionals allows us the chance to remain in our scope of competence but remain curious and advocate for the client.

- The science of behavior provides the opportunity to set clear measures for medication, not just “feels better”. What are the medications prescribed for? Depression or because the individual cries throughout the day? What are some of other variables that could be affecting this behavior? Remember from Ep23, medications affect the effect, and effect the affect. If the medications “work”, what will others observe?

- Ethically we need to consider who the medication is benefiting and why. Are medications given that limit sexual desire because the individual engages in masturbation when instead a lesser intrusive method could include ruling out medical issues, skills deficits, training.

Worth 1.5 Learning, 1.5 Ethics CEUs

Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/

Have some interstellar discussion on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atypicalba

Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atypicalba/

Don't need CEUs but want to support the show? Click here to donate to the adventure: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AtypicalBA

Contact us at: [email protected], [email protected]

Music by: www.purple-planet.com

Let’s be honest, working with humans can be difficult. To formulate successful programs for clients, there are a variety of contingencies to consider, and several approaches that can be taken. There are multiple competing contingencies, learning histories, and the ebb and flow of potentiating variables. It may seem to be an overwhelming task, but there are a variety of ways to help interpret/understand the complexities of human behavior and construct programs to address them. 

In this live talk we meet with Awab Abdel-Jalil co-author of Nonlinear Contingency Analysis: Going Beyond Cognition and Behavior in Clinical Practice to learn about the history and creation of Dr. Israel Goldiamond’s nonlinear contingency analysis and Constructional Approach. He will also discuss how these approaches can work with various populations. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss how the constructional approach and behavior analysis go hand in hand.

2. Label different ways to encourage more accurate self-reports from clients. 

3. Discuss the broad applications of the constructional approach with a variety of clients. 

Take Aways- your bite-sized educational noms

- The Constructional Approach expands or puts another layer to Skinner’s description of behavior analysis. Humans are complex and the Constructional Approach can help to interpret the complex and often competing contingencies. It also helps bridge the gap between Behavior Analysis and Clinical Psychology.

- While the logs may seem to rely on self-reports (and they do), what has been observed is participants are more likely to reports accurately because they want to see a change. When changes aren’t happening or progress seems slow, the behavior analyst can investigate the motivation and contingencies. Is the individual not motivated? Do they have the skills? Does the log need to be modified to promote more accurate responding? The Constructional Approach strongly encourages problem solving both for the participant and the behavior analyst. 

- The Constructional Approach can be used with a variety of seemingly complex behaviors such as schizophrenia, eating disorders, depression, career and life goals. Other areas of application include caregiver, staff, and parent involvement. Potential areas for research could be in the area of looking at logs of parents, siblings, other group home members to analyze their interwoven contingencies and how they impact everyone. 

Worth 2 Learning CEUs

Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/

Have some interstellar discussion on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atypicalba

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Don't need CEUs but want to support the show? Click here to donate to the adventure: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AtypicalBA

Contact us at: [email protected], [email protected]

Music by: www.purple-planet.com

There was a lot of discussion in the chat during our previous LIVE Assent and Consent talk so we wanted to take some time to address those comments and questions. In this follow-up, we meet again with Nyetta, Jennifer, Sarah, Summer, and introducing Treichae, to talk more in depth about specific aspects of consent, token economies, and generalized compliance issues. Again, disclaimer, some of the topics addressed may cause some discomfort and that’s okay! Take some time to sit in that uncomfortable state and learn more about yourself and how you interact with your client and their world.

Learning Objectives:

Take Aways- your bite-sized educational noms

- While people may be inclined to see refusal to complete a task as just that, refusal. How often do we explore the “why?”. When analyzing “behavior”, behavior analysts should look beyond the ABC diagram to ensure that all variables and potential competing contingencies are taken into account before recommending interventions. Sometimes, people don’t do things because they don’t understand, they don’t have the repertoire to say “all done” or “it’s too hard”. The assumption that “non-compliance = defiance” is inappropriate without further exploration.

- Humans are complex, from child to adult. Each person should be viewed as an individual without the assumption that “most” recommendations will work regardless of further analysis. The individuals we work with come with their own histories of learning, reinforcement, and punishment. We aren’t always made aware of a person’s internal processings but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored.

- There are moments in life that BCBAs may need to break bodily autonomy and act “more aggressively” to ensure the safety of clients. BUT, BCBAs should proactive and have these uncomfortable conversations before the potential scenario unfolds to ensure teaching and learning rather than fear and potential long-term discomfort.

Worth 1.5 Learning, 1.5 Ethics CEUs

Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/

Have some interstellar discussion on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atypicalba

Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atypicalba/

Don't need CEUs but want to support the show? Click here to donate to the adventure: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AtypicalBA

Contact us at: [email protected], [email protected]

Image by Matt Nelson @ Unsplash

Music by: www.purple-planet.com

The teacher, the baker, the organizational systems maker! Join us as Dr. Cloyd Hyten, from Aubrey Daniels International, Inc., regales us with his experiences in the organizational behavior management universe! If you’ve be curious about how behavior analysis can be implemented with organizational systems, this talk should provide some enlightenment. Dr. Hyten has an extensive background in teaching and consulting and will provide examples and discussion about how he incorporates behavior analytic principles during his day improving safety in high-hazard work settings. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss applications of behavior analysis when improving safety within organizations.

2. Discuss how management support at multiple levels is required to implement and sustain organizational change.

3. Tact various ways behavior analysis can be implemented across different systems. 

Take-Aways: your bite-sized educational noms

- Behavior analytic principles can be found every where and it no different when working with organizations. Each employee comes with their own learning histories, motivation, and reinforcement preferences and each company comes with their own values, environmental arrangements, and reinforcement. You don’t have to be an expert in a particular field, but you do need to have an understanding of behavior analytic principles, contingency, and environmental management. 

- Many organizations have more than the surface or direct employee level; there are managers, supervisors, administrators and they as individuals and as a group operate under different contingencies. If a change happens at one level, then there will be subsequent changes across the rest of the company. For interventions to be successful and maintain, the multiple levels need to be addressed. 

- There are common tools across the scope of behavior analysis that can be applied to organizations and employees such as preference/reinforcement assessments, environmental changes (least to most intrusive is still applicable!), feedback loops, and training the trainer to promote maintenance and fading. 

Worth: 1.5 Learning CEUs

Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/

Have some interstellar discussion on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atypicalba

Check out us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atypicalba/

Don't need CEUs but want to support the show? Click here to donate to the adventure: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AtypicalBA

Contact us at: [email protected], [email protected]

Introduction Music: "A Day in the Life" The Beatles

Music by: www.purple-planet.com

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There is a long, interwoven history between behavior support services and medication administration. While many of us are not explicitly trained in medications and diagnostics, we often find ourselves collaborating with psychiatrists and doctors. So how is a BCBA supposed to navigate the many layers of care while still maintaining their scope of practice AND making sure their client receives the care they need? 

Join us and our favorite vulgar professional, Dr. Merrill Winston, to discuss how diagnoses and medications can affect the effect, and effect the affect of the individuals we work with and serve.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss best practices for remaining within a BCBA’s scope of practice when recommending medical assessments and evaluations.

2. Tact potential behaviors and affects that may emerge due to the administration of medication.

3. Identify some of the barriers that may impact client behaviors and subsequent medications and diagnoses. 

Take Aways- your bite-sized educational noms

- “It takes a village” We should remember that we aren’t the only stimulus impacting the individuals we work with. While prescribing medications is not within our scope of practice, we should be aware of their behavioral impacts on our clients. 

- If you’ve ever taken medication, you may be aware that there are side effects! It takes a sophisticated repertoire to tact and label physiological sensations and internal events in such a way that makes sense to the listener. Many learners lack this skills and BCBAs are in a prime position to help interpret the behaviors that may emerge with changes to medication . 

- If there is a lack of functional communication (not just being able to answer, “what do you want?”) then some of the side effects of medication may demonstrate as challenging behaviors. Imagine this- you don’t have the ability to speak, and every time you take a certain medication it makes you feel nauseous. How do you let people know? Often times we may interpret behaviors as direct responses to outside stimuli when in reality they are responses to private events. 

Worth 1.5 Learning, 1.5 Ethics CEUs

Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/

Have some interstellar discussion on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atypicalba

Check out us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atypicalba/

Don't need CEUs but want to support the show? Click here to donate to the adventure: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AtypicalBA

Contact us at: [email protected], [email protected]

Music by: www.purple-planet.com

Find all our links here: https://linktr.ee/ATypicalBA

The applications of the science of behavior analysis aren’t quite limitless but it can feel close. In this episode, we meet with Dr. Nick Green to further our discussions about how behavior analysis can be applied to athletes, employees, and others who can benefit from movement/fitness/better health choices. He discusses the importance of listening to your clients, goal setting, and data collection. Behavior analysis provides a unique lens in which we can work with people of all types to improve their daily habits. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the scope of competence of a behavior analyst when it comes to working in the areas of health and fitness.

2. Discuss how goal setting, measurement, and data collection can look when working within fitness.

3. Discuss the importance of motivating operations and individual variables when working with learners who are seeking to “fine tune” their own behaviors and behavioral patterns. 

Take Aways- your bite-sized educational noms

- The science of behavior analysis can be “translated” from multiple other sources and professions but it’s important to know what you don’t know and when it’s time to ask for help and another set of eyes. 

- Health and fitness improvement involve a multitude of variables and it’s important for behavior analysts to flexible and seek out methods that improve desired behaviors. Like working with younger learners and/or those with disabilities, the goal posts may shift, interventions and recommendations may change based on the data and that’s all okay. The goal is to find progress. 

- Each person we work with comes with their own histories of reinforcement, punishment, and motivation. If we want our programs “to work” then we have to consider these variables when setting goals, which means actively listening (close those feedback loops!), remaining unbiased, and understanding how competing contingencies can affect our learners. 

- Data collection is important, AND it needs to tell a story! We need to present our beloved data in such a way that makes sense to the learner. Data can and should be an MO for continued changes/maintenance of behaviors. 

Worth 1 Learning CEU

Purchase CEUS for $8 at: https://atypicalba.com/product/ce-certification/

Have some interstellar discussion on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/atypicalba

Check out us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atypicalba/

Don't need CEUs but want to support the show? Click here to donate to the adventure: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AtypicalBA

Contact us at: [email protected], [email protected]

Music by: www.purple-planet.com

Find all our links here: https://linktr.ee/ATypicalBA