The How to ABA Podcast

ADHD is one of the most common co-occurring diagnoses BCBAs encounter, yet it is often misunderstood. Looking beyond observable behaviour helps us better understand the executive functioning, self-regulation, and attention challenges that can influence learning, motivation, and behaviour.

We discuss the different presentations of ADHD, clear up common misconceptions, and discuss why understanding the reason behind a learner's behaviour leads to more effective, individualized intervention. We also compare how ADHD and autism can present with similar behaviours while requiring very different treatment approaches.

From executive functioning skills like planning, working memory, organization, and task initiation to practical strategies for supporting regulation, motivation, and independence, we share ways to adapt teaching sessions and build supports that set learners up for success. Throughout the conversation, we emphasize compassionate care, collaboration across settings, and recognizing strengths alongside challenges. By understanding what is happening beneath the surface, BCBAs can create interventions that are more meaningful, responsive, and effective for learners with ADHD.

What’s Inside: 

• Why ADHD affects learning far beyond attention
• Executive functioning skills every BCBA should understand
• Practical strategies for supporting learners with ADHD in ABA

Mentioned in This Episode:
Episode 193: Common Comorbidities with Autism and the Behavioral Implications
The Explosive Child by Dr. Ross Greene
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Helping learners become truly independent means more than fading prompts. It means knowing when to step back so confidence, problem solving, and self-management can grow. While it's natural to want to help, too much adult guidance can unintentionally create dependence that limits opportunities at home, school, work, and in the community.

We explore the difference between prompt dependence and people dependence, and why building independence should always be part of the teaching plan from the very beginning. We also share practical strategies for replacing adult prompts with natural supports such as visual schedules, checklists, calendars, timers, self-monitoring systems, and environmental cues that learners can rely on long after direct support has faded.

Along the way, we discuss why allowing safe opportunities to struggle is an important part of learning, how collaboration with families and teams supports successful fading, and why thoughtfully reducing support helps learners develop the confidence and skills they need for greater autonomy. Independence is not about removing support. It's about creating systems that evolve with the learner and promote lasting success.

What’s Inside: 

• Why prompt fading is only one part of building independence
• Practical tools that reduce reliance on adult support
• Strategies for promoting confidence through thoughtful fading

Mentioned in This Episode:
Episode 105: Hierarchy of Prompting in ABA
Self & Match
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The future our learners build should reflect what matters to them, not just the goals others set for them. We explore what it means to include client voice in future planning through every stage of development, from early choice making to meaningful participation in transition planning and adulthood.

We discuss why learner assent, autonomy, and self advocacy should be taught from an early age and how everyday opportunities to communicate preferences help prepare learners for bigger life decisions. We also look at common barriers that can limit participation, including assumptions about communication, caregiver priorities, and time constraints, while sharing practical ways to create more person centered planning.

We also talk about balancing family perspectives with learner independence, supporting meaningful communication in all its forms, and focusing on strengths when planning for the future. Whether supporting young children or preparing teens and young adults for adulthood, our goal is to help every learner have a genuine voice in shaping a future that reflects their interests, preferences, and quality of life.

What’s Inside: 

• Teaching self advocacy and choice making from an early age
• Supporting client voice in transition and future planning
• Balancing family priorities with learner autonomy and strengths

Mentioned in This Episode:
The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism
What Color Is Your Parachute? Job-Hunter's Workbook
Episode 203: Balancing Safety and Compassion in Interventions
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What happens when our learners leave school but still need support navigating everyday life? We explore the functional skills that truly matter as teens and young adults move toward greater independence. From communication and self-advocacy to hygiene, community safety, leisure skills, and daily living routines, we discuss how meaningful goals can create lasting impact beyond the classroom.

We share why transition planning should start much earlier than many people think and how working backward from long-term outcomes can help identify the skills that will make the biggest difference in adulthood. We also discuss the importance of balancing autonomy with safety, teaching skills in natural environments, and involving learners and families in the goal-setting process.

Throughout the conversation, we highlight practical ways to build independence while respecting individual strengths, interests, cultural values, and future goals. Whether a learner is working toward independent living, supported living, employment, or greater participation in their community, functional skills provide the foundation for a more meaningful and self-directed life.

What’s Inside: 

• Why functional skills should be prioritized early
• Building communication, self-advocacy, and daily living skills
• Creating individualized transition plans for adulthood

Mentioned in This Episode:
Episode 176: Fostering Independence with Dr. Peter Gerhardt & Dr. Shanna Bahry
Meaningful Goals by Peter Gerhardt and Shana Berry
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Burnout in ABA is not always about long hours or packed schedules. Often, it comes from the emotional labor that accompanies supporting clients, families, staff, and teams every day. In this conversation, we explore the invisible demands of helping professions and how constantly staying regulated, managing difficult conversations, and carrying the concerns of others can quietly drain our energy over time.

We discuss why burnout is often connected to boundaries, workplace systems, and the expectations we place on ourselves. Compassionate professionals frequently struggle with saying no, setting limits, or recognizing when they have reached capacity. Yet protecting our time and energy is not selfish. It is essential for providing ethical, high-quality care.

We also share practical ways to recognize emotional overload, create sustainable boundaries, and build habits that support long-term success in the field. Sustainable practice is not about occasional self-care. It is about understanding our limits, advocating for support, and creating conditions that allow us to continue making a meaningful impact without sacrificing our own well-being.

What’s Inside: 

• The hidden emotional labor ABA professionals carry
• How boundaries support ethical and sustainable practice
• Strategies for preventing burnout and protecting your energy

Mentioned in This Episode:
Episode 233: ACT for Burnout: Strategies for BCBAs and Therapists
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Parent training is one of the most important parts of ABA, but it can quickly become overwhelming when families are given too much information, too many strategies, or expectations that do not fit into their daily lives. In this conversation, we share practical ways to make parent coaching more supportive, effective, and sustainable.

We discuss the importance of listening first, identifying meaningful family goals, and focusing on one or two priorities at a time. Rather than expecting parents to implement complex programs, we explore how to teach skills that fit naturally into routines like mealtimes, transitions, and bedtime.

We also talk about using behavioral skills training with parents, reducing jargon, creating quick wins, and recognizing signs of overwhelm before frustration sets in. Parent coaching works best when it is collaborative, flexible, and centered on what matters most to each family.

When we focus on building confidence instead of perfection, parents are more likely to feel empowered, supported, and successful as they develop new skills alongside their children.

What’s Inside: 

• How to prioritize meaningful parent goals without creating overwhelm
• Ways to teach skills within everyday family routines
• Strategies for building parent confidence through collaboration and quick wins

Mentioned in This Episode:
Episode 133: The BST Model – Behavioral Skills Training
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Transitions are a natural part of life, but that does not make them easy. Whether a learner is moving from ABA services into school, transitioning to a new provider, entering adulthood, or adjusting to a different level of support, these changes can bring uncertainty, fear, and big emotions for everyone involved. In this conversation, we explore why transitions can feel overwhelming and how thoughtful planning can make them more successful for both learners and families.

We discuss the importance of starting transition planning early, working backward from long-term goals, and focusing on the skills that will matter most in the next environment. We also share practical ways to support learners through gradual exposure, collaboration across teams, and meaningful opportunities to build independence. Just as importantly, we talk about supporting families with clear communication, compassion, and realistic expectations throughout the process.

When transition planning is proactive, collaborative, and individualized, it helps learners move forward with greater confidence while giving families the support they need during times of change.

What’s Inside: 

• Why transitions can be challenging for learners, families, and professionals
• Practical strategies for smoother transitions across settings and stages of life
• How early planning and collaboration lead to better long-term outcomes

Mentioned in This Episode:
Episode 109: Autism Back to School Advice
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When parents are not following through with ABA strategies at home, it is easy to assume they are not motivated or invested. But more often, families are overwhelmed, exhausted, and trying to balance countless competing demands. In this conversation, we talk about why parent follow-through can be so challenging and how we, as ABA professionals, can approach those situations with more compassion, curiosity, and collaboration.

We discuss common barriers that affect implementation, including stress, emotional load, complex strategies, lack of immediate reinforcement, and mismatched priorities. We also share practical ways to improve carryover by simplifying strategies, embedding supports into existing routines, modeling in real time, and celebrating small wins along the way.

Most importantly, we explore how shifting from a mindset of compliance to partnership can help create meaningful progress for families. Parent coaching is not about perfection or clinical precision at home. It is about building realistic, sustainable strategies that work in everyday life and supporting families in a way that feels manageable and empowering.

What’s Inside: 

• Why parents may struggle to follow through with ABA strategies
• Practical ways to improve parent coaching and carryover
• How collaboration and small wins create long-term success

Mentioned in This Episode:
Episode 137: Parent Coaching/Training
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Parent collaboration in ABA is more than regular updates or quick check-ins. It is about building real partnerships grounded in trust, empathy, and shared goals. We explore how shifting away from a “parent training” mindset can create stronger relationships and better outcomes for learners. From navigating difficult conversations to understanding family values and priorities, small changes in communication can make a major difference in how supported families feel.

We also discuss practical strategies for creating meaningful collaboration, including scheduling noncontingent check-ins, listening before problem-solving, avoiding clinical jargon, and validating emotions during sensitive conversations. We share examples of how understanding the “why” behind a family’s goals can help align treatment priorities while still staying ethical and learner-centered.

When parents feel heard and respected, collaboration becomes easier, consistency improves across environments, and families feel more confident carrying strategies into daily life. Strong parent partnerships are not about having all the answers. They are about working together toward shared goals in a compassionate and sustainable way.

What’s Inside: 

• How to move from parent training to true collaboration
• Practical communication strategies that build trust with families
• Ways to navigate difficult conversations with empathy and clarity

Mentioned in This Episode:
Episode 137: Parent Coaching/Training
Mastering Difficult Conversations: Building Confidence, Compassion, and Clarity in Communication CEU
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Strong collaboration can completely change the way ABA teams function, but it takes more than occasional feedback or quick check-ins to make it work. We’re talking about what true collaboration looks like across ABA teams and interdisciplinary professionals, including speech therapists, occupational therapists, teachers, and families.

We explore why communication often breaks down when everyone is focused on separate goals, and how shared values can help create stronger partnerships that ultimately improve learner outcomes. From scheduling regular team meetings to reducing jargon and building trust over time, we share practical ways to create more connected and supportive teams.

We also discuss common barriers like time constraints, differing communication styles, and misunderstandings between disciplines. Most importantly, we highlight the importance of curiosity, relationship building, and keeping the learner at the center of every conversation. When teams feel supported and connected, collaboration becomes more natural, meaningful, and effective for everyone involved.

What’s Inside:

• Why collaboration improves learner outcomes
• Common barriers that prevent teams from working together
• Practical ways to build trust and communication across disciplines

Mentioned in This Episode:
Episode 082: BCBA Collaboration Tips
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