We’re featuring some of our fellow OG podcasters that have been around for many years—our friends from the ABA Inside Track Podcast! Here, Diana, Robert, and Jackie share all about their backgrounds and how their journeys led them to where they are today. They also share what inspired them to start the podcast and how it’s grown over the years.

The team shares the challenges they’ve seen among new grads getting started in the field of ABA. They discuss the changes the field has experienced since they’ve entered the field and how they impact new BCBAs. Our discussion with the team also includes overcoming imposter syndrome, the importance of formal and informal mentorship, and recommended resources for BCBAs.

What’s Inside:

• Challenges for new BCBAs entering the field
• The importance of mentorship
• Recommended resources for BCBAs

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ABA Inside Track Podcast

Dr. Saul Axelrod is a professor emeritus of education at Temple University. His major interests include applying behavior analysis principles to behavioral problems exhibited by people with disabilities and increasing the academic development of children living in poverty.

Dr. Axelrod has served on the editorial boards of several journals, including the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, the Journal of Behavioral Education, and Behavior Modification. He has written numerous journal articles and book reviews. He is the author or editor of Behavior Modification for the Classroom Teacher, Behavior Analysis and Treatment, and How to Improve Classroom Behavior.

In 2006, Dr. Axelrod was the first recipient of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s Michael Hemingway Award for Distinguished Service to Behavior Analysis. In 1991, he was elected a fellow of the American Psychological Association. In 2007, he was elected a fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis. In 2009, he received Florida State University’s Distinguished Alumnus Award, Distinguished Educator category.

Here, Dr. Axelrod shares his career journey and how he got into the world of behavior analysis. We discuss bridging the gap between the research side and the clinical side of ABA, how the field has changed since Saul’s career began, and expanding the field beyond ASD.

What’s Inside:

• All about Saul’s career journey and how he landed in behavior analysis.
• How can we bridge the gap between the research side and clinical side of ABA?
• Thoughts on expanding the field of ABA beyond ASD.
  
  

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Once you complete the assessment process, it’s time to set up programs for your learners. Here, we dive into how to know whether a program is effective and how to measure progress. As ABA professionals, we take data collection seriously. However, sometimes we might get stuck in determining the data’s purpose, how much data to collect, and what to do with all of the information.

The important thing is to figure out what we want the data to tell us and how to make it meaningful. We discuss data collection methods in different environments, how to troubleshoot and adjust to ensure a program’s success, and more.

On September 12th at 12pm ET, we’re hosting the CEU event Measuring Progress for ABA Programs: From Baseline through Mastery. Join us to learn about many different data collection methods and how to choose the best one for your learners and programs. Save your seat at the link below.

What’s Inside:

• How to measure progress in ABA programs
• How to choose the right data collection method
• Information on our upcoming CEU
  
  

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Schools require IEPs, or individual education plans, for all students who receive special education services. Here, we discuss how BCBAs should approach the IEP process. We start by defining an IEP, which is essentially a contact between the parents and the school. It outlines what happens throughout the school year and how the student is best supported.

The goal of the IEP is to give the child access to the general education curriculum and for them to be the most successful in the least restrictive environment. We discuss how to include accommodations and modifications, the importance of introducing a replacement skill when reducing behaviors, how to best support parents, SMART goals, and more.

What’s Inside:

• The definition of an IEP and its goals for a student
• How to include modifications and accommodations
• The role of a BCBA in the IEP process

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Choosing the Right Data Collection Methods
Episode 141: IEP Advocacy with Annie McLaughlin

Dr. Paul “Paulie” Gavoni is a renowned behavior scientist and leader and has significantly influenced human performance and organizational leadership for nearly 30 years. He’s a director at PCMA, a keynote speaker, and a WSJ and USA Today best-selling author. Specializing in organizational behavior management, Dr. Paulie addresses critical issues in education with a direct, solution-focused approach grounded in behavioral science. He advocates for high performing, engaging environments, extending his influence beyond education.

Here, Dr. Paulie shares all about his background and his journey to where he is today. He shares his insights into looking at organizational dynamics through a behavioral lens and the similarities between ABA and OBM. We also discuss the importance of creating buy in from teachers when adhering to behavior plans, the power of internal motivation and values-based systems, tips for BCBAs transitioning into leadership positions, and more.

What’s Inside:

• Why it’s important to get buy-in from teachers and staff 
• Tips for BCBAs transitioning into leadership positions
• Dr. Paulie’s 5 step process for accurate and honest assessments

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Book – Quick Wins!: Using Behavior Science to Accelerate and Sustain School Improvement
Book - Positional Authority Ain't Leadership

In school, we learned all about ABA theory and principles, but we may not have learned how to write individualized ABA programming. Many of us wind up in supervision or post supervision not knowing how to choose programs after an assessment and write them so students make real progress. Here, we show you how to choose meaningful programs that include teaching across operants for optimal success.

We discuss the purpose of assessments and why it’s important to take a step back to identify skills, challenges, and what’s meaningful to our learners and their families. We also discuss how to figure out what’s appropriate to teach, using multiple targets at a time, and information on our upcoming CEU event. 

What’s Inside:

• How to choose meaningful programs and teach across operants
• How to use multiple targets at once
• Information on our next live CEU event

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Join our next CEU event!

ABA is a data-driven and evidence-based field. The 7 dimensions of ABA are the core principles that ensure effectiveness in each treatment plan. As BCBAs, we had to memorize these 7 dimensions for our exam, but it may have been a while since you last revisited them. Here, we recap each dimension and show you how to apply them in your own ABA programs.

The 7 dimensions of ABA are applied, behavioral, analytic, technological, conceptually systematic, effective, and generality. Our walkthrough of each dimension includes real-world examples so you can picture them in action in your own practice with your learners. 

What’s Inside:

• The importance of using the 7 dimensions of ABA in practice
• A walkthrough of the 7 dimensions
• How to use the 7 dimensions with your learners

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Must-Have ABA Programs

Teaching body parts is an essential skill we must teach our learners. They get hurt just like we do, but often have difficulty expressing when and where they are in pain. Here, we dive into some of the best ways to teach body parts. Sometimes, problem behaviors are a result of our learners being in pain but not being able to explain it. We need to make sure that we’re looking at what they’re trying to tell us and not letting their behaviors cover up their physical needs.

The first step is for our learners to name their own body parts and we start by helping them receptively identify them. Then, we move on to labeling those body parts. We discuss how to begin the teaching process and what to consider for each particular learner. We also discuss how to avoid overgeneralization, how to teach body parts to mastery, and how to teach pain through play.

What’s Inside:

• The importance of teaching body parts to learners
• What to consider when starting a body parts teaching program
• How to teach pain through play and modeling

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Free Body Parts Program

We turn to crisis intervention plans when our learners show severe problem behavior that could cause harm to themselves or others. Here, we dive into how to best implement a crisis intervention plan and why practicing the associated skills is so important.

We start by defining crisis intervention and discuss some of the underlying reasons for challenging behavior. We also discuss why a crisis isn’t a teachable moment, how being proactive can prevent a crisis in the future, and reinforcing lower-level negative behaviors.

What’s Inside:

• How to define crisis intervention and when it's appropriate
• Why a crisis isn’t a teachable moment
• When to reinforce lower-level negative behaviors

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Applying Universal Protocol Cheat Sheet

Our main goal when working with our learners is that they make progress and become as happy and independent as possible. Here, we discuss how to choose meaningful goals to help them succeed. The BCBA code of ethics talks about assessments and says that, as professionals, we must implement them before we design any behavior change intervention. However, while many assessments are amazing tools, they shouldn’t take the place of curriculum. It’s important to focus on the big picture and choose the appropriate assessment for the learner.

We discuss the importance of building relationships with students and families to get a feel for the skills a learner needs in the long run. We also discuss how to incorporate a learner’s preferences, the importance of choosing goals in preschool, and teaching across operants. 

What’s Inside:

• How to choose meaningful goals for our learners
• How to incorporate a learner and family’s preferences
• The importance of teaching across operants

Mentioned In This Episode:
HowToABA.com/join
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Register for our upcoming CEU Event