In order for children to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks, they need good executive functioning skills. Many children with autism and other developmental delays lack these critical skills that come naturally to other kids. Here, we discuss how to teach executive functioning skills effectively to our learners. Executive functioning skills include time management, emotional control, working memory, and task initiation.

When it comes to executive functioning, the earlier we can introduce these skills to our learners the better. We break down the various skills so they’re easier to teach. In many cases, we teach our kids valuable life skills, but it’s important to build in the foundation of executive functioning so they’re more successful. We also talk about visual and auditory memory, setting up the right situations to teach skills and introduce concepts, and more. 

What’s Inside:

• Examples of executive functioning skills and why they’re important
• The importance of including executive functioning when teaching basic life skills
• How to set up the right situations to teach skills and introduce concepts

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Teachers have so much to manage in their roles. As BCBAs, how can we support them and gain their buy in without adding more to their plates? Here, we discuss the importance of respecting a teacher’s classroom and how to pair yourself with positive reinforcement. It’s also important to start small and identify something you can help them with as a quick win.

We discuss how to incorporate a teacher’s values and what they want for their classroom. This will help you create meaningful goals. Our conversation also includes how to be mindful of your body language, how to incorporate an easy-to-follow data collection system, and why modeling strategies yourself helps obtain teacher buy in.

What’s Inside:

• How to pair yourself with positive reinforcement
• How to choose an easy-to-follow data collection method
• Why modeling strategies yourself creates buy-in

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A member of our Bx Resource membership community raised a question about teaching receptive language skills, specifically receptive labels, as the strategies she tried weren’t working. Here, we cover how to teach receptive language skills and discrimination to our learners. We go over the steps to take when building a receptive language program, starting with finding things that are meaningful to our learners.

We discuss the importance of teaching across categories and how to mix things up so our learners don’t get stuck. We also talk about how to customize programs for different types of learners and hacks we’ve used to overcome challenges.

What’s Inside:

• How to teach receptive language skills 
• The importance of teaching across categories
• Hacks to overcome program challenges

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Receptive Labels Data Sheet

All ABA programs require us to take data, but what does that mean? The data we collect is only worth something when it’s properly analyzed. Once we have a program in place for our learners, it’s important to ensure that we’re using the information we collect to make data-based decisions. Here, we discuss how to make the best data-based decisions to achieve progress.

When we look at data, we’re looking for trends so we can troubleshoot programs and ensure success for our learners. We also look at reasons why data is stagnant, including scheduling issues and consistency in running programs. Here, we touch on what to look for in the data so you get the full story. We also discuss how to ensure data collection accuracy.

In last month’s CEU, we covered how to choose the right data collection method to uncover what we want to know. In October’s CEU, we’re doing a deep dive into how to supervise ABA programs and make data-based decisions. It will be held on Thursday, October 10th, at 12pm EST. Head to our website to sign up!

What’s Inside:

• How to make data-based decisions to ensure progress 
• How to analyze trends and identify issues
• How to ensure data collection accuracy

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Join Our Next CEU!

Jenna Mazzillo is a BCBA and the owner of the Instagram and TikTok accounts of ABA Naturally. She’s a special education teacher with 13 years of experience and has also served as a CSE Chairperson, instructional coach, and District Behavior Analyst. Jenna specializes in applying the principles of behavior analysis to classroom settings and implementing evidence-based practices to support all types of learners.

Through ABA Naturally, Jenna helps parents and teachers understand behavior. Here, she walks us through her background and what led her to develop her Practical Parenting course. Jenna shares the inspiration behind her amazing social media accounts and how she highlights real-world examples with her own children. We also discuss what teachers need to know about ABA, the importance of avoiding technical jargon, and some of the common challenges parents face.

What’s Inside:

• How Jenna developed ABA Naturally
• What teachers need to know about ABA
• Common parenting challenges

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ABA Naturally on Instagram

Dr. Cody Morris is the executive producer and host of the Behavior Analysis in Practice Podcast. He’s also the Graduate Program Director of Psychology at Salve Regina University, and his clinical focus is improving the practice of behavior analysis. 

Cody’s research has been published in prominent behavior analytic journals, including the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Behavior Analysis in Practice, and the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. Additionally, Cody is the director of the executive board for the Rhode Island Association for Behavior Analysis. 

Here, we talk to Cody about the challenges faced by ABA professionals and where they come from. Cody shares insights into how our field is in a growth stage and what improvements need to be made to help new BCBAs entering the field. We also discuss the importance of assent and how to properly obtain it, examples of assent in action, and advice for newly minted BCBAs.

What’s Inside:

• Common challenges faced by ABA professionals and suggestions for improvement
• The importance of assent and how to obtain it
• Advice for newly minted BCBAs

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Behavior Analysis in Practice-The Podcast

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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Register for our upcoming CEU event!

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