What happens when empathy meets smart technology in ABA?

In this episode of Beyond the Science, we sit down with Charlene Kurth, COO of Office Puzzle, to explore how one practice management platform is helping ABA providers run smarter, scale sustainably, and reduce daily stress.

Charlene shares her path from psychology and analytics into ABA tech, and why Office Puzzle was built to support people, not just data.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- Why broken systems, not care, hold practices back

- How Office Puzzle unifies scheduling, notes, billing, and compliance

- Where AI actually helps (and where it shouldn’t)

- Why affordable, flexible tools matter for growth

- How customer support and community drive success

If you’re an ABA provider, clinic owner, or clinician looking for better systems without burnout, this episode is for you.

👉 Watch now and discover a smarter way to run your practice.

Timestamps:

00:38 Meet Charlene of Office Puzzle

02:08 Charlene’s background and career path

04:23 Day-to-day role as COO

05:12 Advice for aspiring leaders

06:47 Origin of the Office Puzzle name

08:46 Key pain points Office Puzzle solves

12:48 HIPAA compliance and data security

13:26 AI features and note generation

16:23 Common mistakes business owners make

20:55 The biggest challenge in the field

22:29 Proudest moments and team growth

23:35 Provider success story

25:34 Straight Talk with Joe

28:46 Supporting small and growing practices

30:30 All-in-one pricing and accessibility

32:36 Long-term vision for Office Puzzle

34:17 Expanding services and position in the market

38:20 Georgia pilot program teaser

43:21 Industry perspective and competition

45:10 Empathy and community impact

47:30 Coop’s Off the Clock

This Holiday Special brings all the vibes: laughter, games, and real talk.

Jeron, Joe, and Coop are back in their ugly sweaters for a festive episode filled with holiday debates, movie face-offs, and a Christmas dinner draft that gets surprisingly competitive. But between the jokes, they open up about family, loss, and what the holidays really mean to them as fathers, friends, and business owners.

In this episode:

• Fun holiday showdowns: movies, traditions, music, and the ultimate dinner plate

• How dads balance joy, pressure, and family expectations this season

• Behind the Sapphire AI launch and what it taught about community

• Honest talk on grief, forgiveness, and navigating tough moments during the holidays

• Quick insights on Georgia insurance changes every ABA family should know

A warm, entertaining, and genuinely heartfelt episode to close out the year.

Press play and celebrate the season with the Beyond the Science crew.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:30 Holiday Special Begins

01:42 Parenting, Presence, and Christmas Balance

03:04 Holiday Traditions and Family Life

06:08 Recap of the Sapphire AI Launch

10:21 Coping with Loss During the Holidays

14:39 Holiday Movie Showdown

17:37 Overrated or Underrated Holiday Edition

21:32 Straight Talk with Joe: Georgia Insurance Changes

26:01 One Tip for Starting an ABA Business

27:34 Holiday Dinner Plate Draft

30:20 Coop’s Off the Clock

31:31 Ultimate Artist Showdown

🔥 At FABA, one of ABA’s most respected researchers sits down for a rare, unfiltered conversation and the insights are game-changing. Dr. Bill Ahearn, Director of Research at the New England Center for Children, opens up about the state of ABA today, the misconceptions holding practitioners back, and the breakthroughs that could reshape how we understand automatically reinforced behavior, social skills, and early-career supervision. Here’s What We Dive into:✨ Why automatically reinforced behaviors require fresh strategies and how new research is shifting best practices.

✨ How the field is failing early-career BCBAs and what must change to support competent, confident practitioners.

✨ The real reason social-skills training lags behind and how to build interventions that actually transfer to real-world environments. If you care about the future of ABA, or want to sharpen your own practice, this episode is a must-watch.👉 Tune in now and level up your understanding of the field.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

0:47 FABA Podcast Presentation and Dr. Bill’s Intro

4:24 Dr. Bill’s Research and Excitement

8:56 Challenges and Successes in the Field

16:16 Impact of New RBT Requirements

18:22 Post-COVID Generations and Social Skills Training

25:10 Rapid Fire Questions And Reflections

32:23 Final Thoughts and Appreciation

33:53 Where to find Dr. Bill online

Live from the FABA Conference, Dr. Paulie Gavoni breaks down how behavioral science and OBM can transform the way you lead, coach, and motivate people. You’ll learn why most leaders fail, how the environment shapes performance, and how simple behavioral tools can bring out the best in any team.

Through real stories from schools, gyms, and workplaces, and practical tools like the four leadership hats, Dr. Paulie shows exactly how to inspire, train, support, and sustain meaningful change.

If you want to lead smarter and get better results, don’t miss this one. Watch now!

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:38 Live from FABA conference

00:53 Meet Dr Paulie Gavoni

02:29 Why ABA and OBM matter

02:38 Unlocking behavior and real leadership

05:33 Lessons from Aubrey Daniels

07:01 What sparked his leadership journey

09:46 Coaching fighters vs educators

12:33 Punishment procedure and sparring

14:24 Behavioral insights in coaching fighters

17:36 Greatest fighters of all time

19:59 Book recommendations

20:58 Current debates in ABA

27:07 Where to find Dr Paulie online

The most important shift happening in ABA right now isn’t technical, it’s cultural.

Live from the 45th FABA Conference, Jeron sits down with Dr. Jon Bailey, Jaelyn Windham, and Chinara to unpack how cultural humility is transforming ethical practice, why understanding family culture is essential for effective ABA, and what new research reveals about how naturally responsive RBTs already are.

A must-watch for anyone committed to the future of ABA.

Hit play and join the conversation.

Timestamps:

00:00 Beyond the Science Live at FABA

01:03 Dr. Bailey on why FABA outshines national conferences

02:27 How FABA’s community feel began

03:31 The value of intimate, state-level conferences

04:24 Cultural responsiveness topic

05:42 How new RBTs can address their concerns

07:22 Cultural humility within ethical ABA practice

09:13 Understanding family culture in ABA work

10:00 Research findings on culturally responsive behavior

11:35 Generalizing cultural responsiveness

13:45 Preparing children for school environments

14:42 Advice for early-career BCBAs

17:57 Advice for students researching cultural responsiveness

19:17 Collaboration and mentorship dynamics

21:31 Three-word descriptions of FABA

What if your next family vacation could double as therapy?

In this episode of Beyond the Science, BCBA and certified autism travel pro Rachel Morelli shares how she helps families turn travel into progress, not stress. From cruises with built-in respite care to airports that actually support neurodiverse kids, Rachel breaks down real-world tools that make exploring the world possible for every family. She also introduces The Learning Escape, a first-of-its-kind ABA cruise where professionals can earn CEUs while their families enjoy the trip.

🎧 Watch now and see how travel can become therapy and freedom for families everywhere.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:40 Meet Rachel: BCBA & Autism Travel Pro

04:00 Autism on the Seas: Support on Cruises

06:30 How Travel Goals Become Therapy Goals

09:40 Can Insurance Cover Travel Therapy?

13:20 Why Vacations Boost Family Well-being

14:45 Genius Safety Tip for Traveling with Kids

17:40 Autism-Friendly Parks & Resorts

20:10 Airport Help: TSA Cares & Sunflower Program

22:00 Practice Flights for Autism Families

23:20 The Learning Escape: CEUs at Sea

25:50 Inside the First ABA Cruise Conference

29:30 Balancing Motherhood & a BCBA Career

34:20 Beating Burnout and Finding New Paths

36:30 How to Become a Certified Autism Travel Pro

38:10 The Future of Accessible Travel

42:00 Group Trips, Sponsorships & Insurance

45:25 Rapid-Fire Travel Q&A with Rachel

47:00 Rachel’s Early Morning Rituals

48:20 Final Thoughts & Takeaways

What happens when three ABA leaders turn their vision into a movement?

Jeron Trotman, Joseph Adams, and Darius Cooper open up about how they built Beyond the Science into one of the most impactful voices in behavior analysis. They share the highs of launching new ventures, from group homes to Sapphire AI, and the hidden struggles that come with success: family sacrifices, shifting friendships, and staying grounded while leading a growing community.

🎧 Watch now their honest, inspiring look at brotherhood, ambition, and the real cost of chasing purpose in ABA and beyond.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:48 Welcome Back to Beyond the Science Podcast

01:21 Year in Review & New Ventures

02:57 From Clinician to CEO

06:23 Journey to Entrepreneurship

08:13 The Power of Community

10:55 Behind the Scenes of BNB Summit

12:27 Civil Discourse and Thought Exchange

15:26 Block Party & Fellowship Moments

17:48 Residential Services Vision

20:29 Homelessness and the Autism Spectrum

22:23 Challenges of Starting Group Homes

24:56 Introducing Sapphire AI

31:14 What Makes Sapphire Different

35:14 BACB ACE Provider Changes

37:32 Special Education Funding Cuts

41:51 BCBA at Sea 2027

43:31 Reflecting on the Podcast Journey

45:53 Brotherhood & Mental Health

54:32 The Cost of Success

55:29 Family Sacrifices, Balance & Fatherhood

1:08:40 Closing Thoughts

What happens when a punk-rock rebel becomes one of ABA’s most thought-provoking voices?

At FABA 2025, Dr. Shane Spiker brings raw honesty and insight to the world of behavior science, challenging outdated norms, breaking taboos around sex education and ethics, and calling for a more human, self-reflective approach to ABA. From Humble Behaviorism to open mentorship, Dr. Shane shows why questioning the system sparks real change.

🎧 Tune in to hear Dr. Spiker unfiltered and see why his vision could reshape the future of behavior analysis.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:35 Meet Dr. Shane Spiker

01:42 Why FABA Matters in Florida

03:03 Favorite Conference Topics

04:17 Treating Inappropriate Sexual Behaviors

07:42 Openness & Approachability

08:27 His Most Impactful Publications

10:28 Teaching Critical Thinking

13:24 Favorite College Football Team

14:50 Why We Do What We Do Podcast

16:37 New Books and Projects

17:34 His Go-To Conference Drink

18:06 ABA in the Next 10 Years

20:11 Where to Find Shane

What to do when mealtime isn’t just stressful but becomes a matter of survival?

Live from FABA 2025, Dr. Meeta Patel takes us inside the world of pediatric feeding disorders.

She shares why parent involvement is the single most important factor for success, how home-based treatment changes everything, and why some common beliefs about feeding, like “escape extinction,” are misunderstood.

From reducing tube dependency to collaborating with medical teams, Dr. Patel reveals practical insights, research challenges, and new breakthroughs that are shaping the future of feeding disorder treatment.

Hit play to learn more about Dr Patel's insights on Pediatric Feeding Breakthroughs

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:39 Welcome & FABA 45th anniversary intro

01:04 Meeta Patel, expert on pediatric feeding disorders

02:08 Why focus on the home environment

02:59 What pediatric feeding disorders look like

03:53 Parent involvement as the key to success

05:03 Takeaways from recent FABA presentation

08:09 Interdisciplinary collaboration:

10:18 Evolution of research & literature

13:20 Addressing myths around escape extinction

16:42 When and why to refer patients out

19:12 Reducing tube dependency

21:32 Role of gut health in treatment

24:53 Fun fact: from fashion to behavior analysis

25:37 Closing reflections and contact

What really counts as a restraint and why does it matter?

Recorded live at the FABA Conference 2025, Dr. Merrill Winston breaks down the thin line between physical prompting and restraint, the hidden dangers of misaligned motivations, and why focusing on “restraint reduction” misses the bigger picture. With over 25 years of experience as an expert witness and crisis management trainer, he shares what schools, parents, and even law enforcement often misunderstand.

Press play and learn why restraint isn’t the enemy and what the real focus should be.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:28 Welcoming Dr. Merrill Winston

01:45 Physical restraint vs. physical prompting

04:20 When are prompts turning into restraints

07:20 The truth about misaligned motivations

10:05 Informed consent vs. cooperation from parents

13:16 Malice, incompetence & real goal

15:44 How Dr. Winston got into crisis management

21:23 Lessons from 25 years of restraint cases

23:34 Police, parents, and the realities of restraint

29:06 Advice for young professionals in the field